Current Affairs - 24 September 2014

Which film will be India’s official entry into the 87th Academy Awards (Oscars) for 2015?

• 

  ‘Liar’s Dice’

  ‘Liar’s Dice’ is a Hindi film directed by Geetu Mohandas and starring Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in lead roles. The film is a road drama about a tribal woman’s journey to find her missing husband. It beat 29 other films to represent India at the Oscars 2015. The film won the National award for best actress to Thapa and best cinematography award to Rajeev Ravi. The last Indian film that made it to the final five nominees at the Oscars was Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Lagaan’. ‘Mother India’ and ‘Salaam Bombay’ are the only other two Indian films to have made it to the top five.

The Union Govt. during September 2014 constituted a committee to recommend strategies on restructuring the Railway Board. Who is heading this committee?

• Bibek Debroy

  Bibek Debroy is the leading economist and has been associated with the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). The committee basically has to suggest ways to restructure the board to ensure faster decision-making. It also has to suggest ways to ensure objectivity in decision-making. Additionally, it has to recommend ways to raise finances. Other members on the panel are Gurcharan Das, Ravi Narain (former CEO of National Stock Exchange), KM Chandrashekhar (former Cabinet Secretary), Partha Mukhopadhyay (Centre for Policy Research) and Rajendra Kashyap, former Finance Commissioner of Railways.

What is the new name of MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) that was approved by capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently?

• 

  Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (mSXI)

  The board of MCX-SX approved the proposal for rechristening the exchange few months ago and subsequently an application was submitted to the SEBI. The name change is a part of the turnaround strategy to give the exchange a new identity and disassociate itself from the scam-tainted promoter Financial Technologies.

The National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) announced to roll-back its earlier decision to bring about 108 non-scheduled drugs under price control. These drugs are meant for the treatment of lifestyle diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Which Paragraph of the Drug Price Control Order, 2013 (DPCO 2013) is associated with this issue?

• 

  Paragraph 19

  This move comes soon after the Delhi High Court instructed the Government and the pharmaceutical companies to resolve the matter expeditiously since it impacts people. The pharmaceutical associations challenged the move by NPPA to cap the price of 108 drugs by an order on 29 May 2014. The Authority had invoked Paragraph 19, DPCO, to extend the controlled regime to medicines which don’t fall under the National List of Essential Medicines. Under Paragraph 19, DPCO, the NPPA has the authority to extend price control over medicines outside of the essential medicines list in “extraordinary circumstances” and in the “public interest”.

Who won the first silver medal for India at the 17th Asian Games on 23 September 2014?

• 

  aurav Ghosal (in men’s squash singles)

  Saurav Ghosal won the silver medal in the men’s squash singles after he lost to Kuwait’s Abdullah Almezayen by 12-10, 11-2, 12-14, 8-11, 9-11. Saurav let the two-game advantage slip away as Abdullah staged an incredible come-back to claim the gold. His silver medal thus became India’s first silver medal in the Games. Prior to this Ghosal had three Asian Games medals, all bronze, in his name.

Anandji Jamnadas Dossa (A.J. Dossa), who passed away on 22 September 2014 at the age of 98, was a renowned authority on which aspect of cricket?

• 

  Cricket Statistics

  A.J. Dossa was associated with the All India Radio (AIR) as cricket statistician from 1956-57 to 1972-73. He served as the first President of the Association of Indian Cricket Statisticians and Scorers (ACSSI), which was formed in the 1980s. His fame of keeping cricket statistics was such that he was often described as the human computer of cricket.

Sudhir Kumar Jain was terminated from the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of which public-sector bank on 22 September 2014?

• 

  Syndicate Bank

  In a communication to the stock exchanges, the bank said that the Central Government in its letter dated 22 September has terminated the term of office of Sudhir Kumar Jain as CMD of the bank with immediate effect. He had been placed under deemed suspension with effect from 2 August 2014 in the wake of his arrest by CBI for allegedly accepting bribe to hike the credit limit of some private companies bypassing rules.

India Budget 2014-15 Practice Questions for All Bank Exams

• 1) Kisan Vikas Patra was reintroduced in Union Budget 2014. What is Kisan Vikas Patra?
  

  Ans. Kisan Vikas Patra is a saving scheme that was announced by the Government of India that doubles the money invested in eight years and seven months. The Directorate of Small Savings Government of India, sells these saving bonds through all Post Offices in the country so that the scheme can be accessed by citizens from all over the country. A KVP can be encashed after two and a half years from the date of issue at the value it has been bought and the interest accrued for the period.
• 2) Mandatory wage ceiling of subscription to EPS (Employee Pension Scheme) raised from Rs 6,500 to .........?
  

  Ans. Rs 15,000
• 3) Minimum pension increased to ...... per month in Budget 2014?
  

  Ans. Rs 1,000
• 4) How many new IIMs have been announced in Union Budget 2014?
  

  Ans. 5

  Note: In HP, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan
• 5) How many new IITs have been announced in Union Budget 2014?
  

  Ans. 5

  Note: To come up in Jammu, Chattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
• 6) How many new AIIMs have been announced in Union Budget 2014?
  

  Ans. 4

  Note: To come up in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh.
• 7) Govt proposed to launch which programme to ensure broad band connectivity at village level as announced in Union Budget 2014?
  

  Ans. 'Digital India’
• 
  

  8) Name the TV channel announced for farmers in Union Budget 2014-15?

  Ans. KISAN TV
• 9) Name the TV channel announced for North East in Union Budget 2014-15?
  

  Ans. Arun Prabha TV
• 10) Name the project on the river Ganga for inland waterways between Allahabad and Haldia announced in Union Budget 2014-15?
  

  Ans. Jal Marg Vikas

  Note: Rs 4,200 crore set aside for the purpose.
• 11) EPFO to launch which Service for contributing members?
  

  Ans. Uniform Account Number
• 12) Name the new programme announced to give impetus to watershed development in the country with an initial outlay of Rs. 2142 crores?
  

  Ans. Neeranchal
• 13) Name the scheme announced in Budget to generate awareness and help in improving the efficiency of delivery of welfare services meant for women?
  

  Ans. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana
• 14) Two National Institutes of Ageing announced to be set up in Union Budget will be at?
  

  Ans. AIIMS, New Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai.
• 15) How much fund has been allotted to support about 600 new and existing Community Radio Stations?
  

  Ans. Rs 100 crore
• 16) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to cover every household with sanitation facility by the year?
  

  Ans. 2019
• 17) Rs 2,037 crore set aside for Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called?
  

  Ans. Namami Gange
• 18) Fund allocated for increasing safety of women in large cities?
  

  Ans.  Rs 150 crore
• 19) Amount allotted for the project of developing 100 Smart Cities?
  

  Ans. Rs. 7,060 crore
• 20) Fund set aside for PSU banks capitalisation?
  Ans. Rs 11,200 crore
• 21)  Govt provides ..... crore for rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri migrants as announced in Union Budget 2014-15?
  

  Ans. Rs 500
• 22) How much fund has been provided for “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna” for assured irrigation?
  

  Ans. 1000 crore
• 23) Agriculture University announced in Budget will be set up at?
  

  Ans. Andhra Pradesh & Rajasthan
• 24) Crisis Management Center for women will be open at?
  

  Ans. Delhi
• 25) What is the targeted fiscal deficit for 2016 (year 2015-16) as announced in the Union Budget 2014-15?
  

  Ans. 3.6% of GDP
• 26) How much fund was set aside for the proposed National Rural Internet and Technology Mission (NRITM)?
  

  Ans. Rs. 500 crore
• 27) What special feature has been proposed for currency notes in the Union Budget 2014-15?
  

  Ans. Currency notes will henceforth integrate Braille-features to benefit the visually-disabled people.
• 28) The National Industrial Corridor (NIC) that was proposed to be established in the Union Budget of 2014-15 will be at?
  

  Ans. Pune
• 29) Plan expenditure pegged at ..... lakh crore?
  

  Ans. Rs 5.75
• 30) Non-plan expenditure pegged at ...... crore?
  

  Ans. Rs 12.19 lakh