Current Affairs - 12 September 2014

Subhash Chandra Garg selected as the ED of the World Bank

• 

  Senior IAS officer Subhash Chandra Garg, a 1983-batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, was selected as the ED (Executive Director) of the World Bank. The order released by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) held that Subhash Garg will have tenure of 3 years from the date of assuming charge of the post.

  An ED of the World Bank is accountable for the conduct of the general operations of the Bank. They also carry out all the powers authorized to them by the Boards of Governors and choose a President who performs as Chairman of the Boards.

  EDs are also accountable for IBRD’s (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) loans, guarantees and policies that effect the World Bank’s general operations amid others.

Union Ministry of Science & Technology announces “KIRAN” scheme for Women Scientists

• The Union Ministry of Science & Technology also announced KIRAN (Knowledge, Involvement, Research, Advancement through Nurturing) for women scientists –A unique advertising scheme to bring about, as far as possible, gender equality in the field of science and technology.

  Objectives:-

  1. To increase the number of women researchers in India.
  2. Provide Research grants particularly to those female researchers and technologists who had to take a break in career owing to household reasons.
  3. Bring about, as far as achievable, gender parity in the field of science and technology.

  The scholarships will be provided under three categories-

  1. For those women linked in research work in basic or applied sciences with any central or state level organization or university
  2. For those women scientists involved in research and application of innovative solutions for several social problems
  3. For those researchers who are self-employed.

  Under the scheme, the Union Ministry of Science & Technology will build leadership positions for women. Such a scheme would be beneficial for women who face unavoidable interruptions in their careers owing to numerous reasons.

Union Government makes it compulsory for scientists to take on lectures in Public schools & colleges

• Over 5,000 “highly accomplished” scientists employed with numerous departments under the Science and Technology Ministry will dedicate time to teach students of many schools and colleges in the country. It would be “mandatory” for the scientists various departments to essentially, formally, take lecture classes in schools and colleges.

  Scientists working in different central organizations including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will assume 12 hours of lecture classes in an academic year in public-funded schools and colleges throughout the country. This will be executed in synchronization with the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development. This is a kind of arrangement of free of any honorarium and it will be part of the duty the scientists.

ICICI Bank presents ‘Cardless Cash Withdrawal’ – Withdraw cash from ATM without a card

• ICICI Bank has initiated ‘Cardless Cash Withdrawal’, a facility that permits its customers to transfer money from their account to anybody in India with a mobile number. The recipient can withdraw money anytime without using a debit card from ATMs of ICICI Bank all over India. The receiver can do this even without having a bank account of any bank.

  Currently, electronic remittances are probable for only those with a bank account. Beneficiaries who don’t have a bank account can receive cash only via money order which is an expensive and time consuming course for remittances.

  The ‘Cardless Cash Withdrawal’ service can be started by any ICICI Bank savings account customer (sender):

  • ICICI Bank savings account customer (sender) logs into the Internet banking.
  • Register the recipient’s name, mobile number and address.
  • The sender receives a 4-digit verification code
  • The recipient receives a 6-digit reference code, over SMS on his mobile.
  • The recipient can now go and withdraw cash from any ICICI Bank ATM by entering the mobile number, cash amount along with the verification and reference code, within 2 days of the transaction.

  This service can also be used by the ICICI Bank’s account holders to withdraw cash from their own accounts without using a debit card.

Bihar government acknowledges transgender as third gender

• The Bihar government recognized recognise kinnar/kothi/hijra/transgender (eunuch) as “third gender”.

  The cabinet acknowledged declaring them as backward class annexure II category which will offer them quota advantage for availing or getting government jobs. The Transgenders from upper castes will be considered as OBC annexure II and get reservation advantages, however transgenders from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will continue in the same castes.

  Earlier in 2014, the Supreme Court delivered a judgment recognizing transgenders as third gender and called for the Union Government to consider transgender as socially and economically backward. The Supreme Court in its judgment held that the transgenders should be permitted admission to educational institutions and given work on the footing that they fit in the third gender category and they should be regarded as as OBCs.

N-capable Agni-I missile successfully test fired by Strategic Force Command of India

• On 11th September 2014, Nuclear capable Agni-I missile was successfully test-fired by Strategic Force Command. This has a strike range of 700 km and was tested from a test range at Odisha coast. This is a surface to surface single stage missile.

  Agni-I missile weighs 12 tonnes and is approx 15 metre long. It can carry payloads up to 1000 kg and is already a part of Indian Army.

• GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR SBI P.O.EXAM 2014

  
  1.'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana' (PMJDY) launched by Prime Minister of India on 28 August 2014. The theme of the scheme is ....
  1) Bringing more people under financial inclusion
  2) Providing cash subsidy to farmers
  3) Creating awareness about the value of money encouraging people to buy gold
  4) Providing cash to people to participate in Mutual Funds market
  5) None of above
• 2. What is the tag line of 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana'?
  1) Hamara Khatha Hamara Swabhiman
  2) Khatha Kholo, Paisa Bachao
  3) Mera Khatha Bhagya Vidhata
  4) Hamara Khatha Bhagya Vidhata
  5) Sab ka Khata Sab ka Vikas
• 3. 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana' (PMJDY) is the dream project of the central Government provides ......
  1) At least one bank account to every house hold
  2) Bank account with locker facility to keep the valuables of people
  3) One bank account to every house hold and ask the bank to enroll the minor names to open the account in future
  4) None of above
  5) All of above
• 4. How many crore people cover under Jan Dhan Yojana by January 26, 2015?
  1) 1.5 crore
  2) 4.5 crore
  3) 7.5 crore
  4) 90 lakh
  5) 10.50 crore
• 5. How many no frill accounts opened under PMJDY on the day of launch?
  1) 2.5 crore
  2) 4.5 crore
  3) 1.5 crore
  4) 3.5 crore
  5) None
• 6. Under PMJDY, every account holder will get a .......
  1) RuPay debit card
  2) Visa International debit card
  3) Master Card debit card
  4) EVM debit card
  5) All of above
• 7. Issuing of KCC as RuPay Kisan Card also proposed under PMJDY. KCC stands for ......
  1) Kisan Core Card
  2) Kisan Call Card
  3) Kisan Combo Card
  4) Kisan Credit Card
  5) None
• 8. The account holder under Jan Dhan Yojana, get how much life insurance cover, if the account open before 26 January, 2015?
  1) Rs.5,000
  2) Rs.10,000
  3) Rs.80,000
  4) Rs.70,000
  5) Rs.30,000
• 9. After six months of satisfactory operations, the account holder would be eligible ...... overdraft facility under PMJDY.
  1) Rs.5,000
  2) Rs.15,000
  3) Rs.25,000
  4) Rs.35,000
  5) None
• 10. While speaking on the occasion of launching of Jan Dhan Yojana, PM said .......
  1) To eradicate poverty we have to get rid of financial untouchability.
  2) Financial stability break the vicious cycle of poverty.
  3) Once bank accounts open, the people connected with the economic system.
  4) None of the above
  5) All of above
• 11. Account given under Jan Dhan Yojana, also cover accidental insurance of up to ........
  1) Rs.1 lakh
  2) Rs.2 lakhs
  3) Rs.5 lakhs
  4) Rs.3 lakhs
  5) None
• 12. PM declared, even through basic mobile phones by using USSD Platform the banking can be done and this facility facilitated by National Payments Corporation of India . USSD stands for .......
  1) Unstructured Supplementary Service Data
  2) Unstructured Supply Service Data
  3) Unsaturated Supplementary Service Data
  4) Unstructured Secondary Service Data
  5) None
• 13. In order to make the programme PMJDY successful, at least 50000 Business Correspondents, more than 7000 branches and more than how many new ATMs will be established?
  1) 10000
  2) 200000
  3) 45000
  4) 20000
  5) 75000
• 14. The earlier schemes of financial inclusion focussed on villages. The present PMJDY focus on .......
  1) Employees
  2) House wives
  3) Rural youth
  4) Urban slum dwellers
  5) House holds
• 15. Under Phase I under PMJDY Universal access to banking, cover all house holds with at least one Basic Banking Account with RuPay debit card, providing insurance cover, linking DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) Scheme provided. Phase I runs between .......
  1) 15 August, 2014 to 14 August, 2015
  2) 15 August, 2014 to 31 March, 2015
  3) 15 August, 2014 to 31 August, 2015
  4) 1 August, 2014 to 1 August, 2015
  5) None
• 16. The Phase II of PMJDY (15th August, 2015 to 14th August, 2018) covers .......
  1) Providing micro-insurance.
  2) Unorganised sector Pension schemes like Swavalambana through the Business Correspondents.
  3) All basic savings accounts opened will be shifted to PMJDY accounts.
  4) Facility to buy immovable property through PMJDY accounts.
  5) 1 & 2 only
• 17. As revealed by the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, recently, which of the following
  countries is the largest client for the World Bank Group? (The WB committed a total of $6.4 bn to the country during its last fiscal year.)
  1) India
  2) China
  3) Brazil
  4) Japan
  5) None
• 18. In order to boost tourism, e-VISA to be introduced in a phased manner at how many airports in India in the next 6 months as announced by Finance Minister in the union budget 2014-15 ?
  1) 18
  2) 5
  3) 4
  4) 9
  5) 25
• 19. In order to encourage people, to save more in rural areas, where the banking facilities are poor, KVP will be introduced again. KVP stands for .......
  1) Kisan Village Patra
  2) King Vikas Patra
  3) Kisan Vikas Patta
  4) Kisan Vikas Patra
  5) None
• 20. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, to provide water to every irrigation land proposed with an outlay of ....... under budget 2014-15.
  1) Rs.1000 crore
  2) Rs.2000 crore
  3) Rs.3000 crore
  4) Rs.5000 crore
  5) Rs.100 crore
• 21. In the recent budget 2014-15, the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' proposed to bring total sanitation in India by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of .......
  1) Nehru
  2) Sardar Vallabhai Patel
  3) Indira Gandhi
  4) Mahatma Gandhi
  5) None
• 22. Rurban development model of urbanization of the rural areas will be introduced in the name of
  ........ mission.
  1) Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
  2) Mahatma Gandhi
  3) Syamaprasad Mukherji
  4) Deendayal
  5) Jayaprakash Narayan
• 23. Which multi-skill programme proposed to train the youth with an emphasis on employability and entrepreneur skills?
  1) Skill Develop
  2) Skill under it
  3) Skill India
  4) Skill and Train
  5) None
• 24. P.V. Sindhu of India won ....... medal in the concluded World Badminton Championship
  2014 held between 25-31 August 2014 at Copenhagen, Denmark.
  1) Bronze
  2) Gold
  3) Silver
  4) She did not participate
  5) She stood in the fourth place only
• 25. Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League won by ...... on 31 August 2014.
  1) Patna Pirates
  2) Bengaluru Bulls
  3) Telugu Titans
  4) Jaipur Pink Panther
  5) U Mumbai
• 26. Captain of Jaipur Pink Panthers ........
  1) Rajaguru Subramanian
  2) Manjit Chillar
  3) Navneet Gautam
  4) Anup Kumar
  5) Jasmer Singh
• 27. Which of the following team is not one of the participant of Kabaddi League?
  1) Bengal Warriors
  2) Telugu Titans
  3) Bihar Big Brothers
  4) Dabang Delhi
  5) Bengaluru Bulls
• 28. Who host the Federation Cup in 2015?
  1) Goa
  2) Kerala
  3) Jammu and Kashmir
  4) West Bengal
  5) None
• 29. Federation Cup in foot ball launched in 1977. The winner of Federation Cup in 2013 is .......
  1) Churchill Brothers
  2) Sporting Clube de Goa
  3) Mohun Bagan
  4) Mohammedan Sporting
  5) ITI Bangalore
• 30. Zimbabwe ODI team defeated Australia cricket team on 31 August 2014. Who is the captain of Zimbabwe team?
  1) Elton Chigumbura
  2) Timycen Maruma
  3) Sikandar Raza
  4) Brian Vitalis
  5) Brendan Taylor
• 31. Mars 2020 rover mission will be send by .....
  1) CNES
  2) RKA
  3) NASA
  4) ISRO
  5) None
• 32. According to the first edition of the BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands ...... stood with a brand value of $9.4 bn is India's most valuable brand ........
  1) HDFC Bank
  2) TATA
  3) Airtel
  4) RIL
  5) ONGC
• 33. India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at what percent during Apr-Jun 2014 first quarter, the highest in the last 10 quarters?
  1) 7.3%
  2) 5.0%
  3) 4.1%
  4) 5.7%
  5) 7.7%
• 34. Vistara is the joint venture airlines of ......
  1) Tata-Malaysian Airlines (SIA)
  2) Tata-Singapore Airlines (SIA)
  3) Tata-Australia Airlines (SIA)
  4) Tata-Jet Airlines (SIA)
  5) None
• 35. Central Government revised investment target for Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) from Rs.27,000 crore to .......
  1) Rs.30,000 crore
  2) Rs.40,000 crore
  3) Rs.80,000 crore
  4) Rs.90,000 crore
  5) None
• 36. To which language people, Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly provided 5% reservation by amending the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2014?
  1) Urdu
  2) Hindi
  3) Persian
  4) English
  5) Pahari
• 37. Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is a multi-national forum for peace, security and stability in Asia. The fourth CICA summit was held at .......
  1) Istanbul
  2) Astana
  3) Shanghai
  4) Ankara
  5) None
• ANSWERS:
  1-1, 2-3, 3-1, 4-3, 5-3, 6-1, 7-4, 8-5, 9-1, 10-5
  11-1, 12-1, 13-4, 14-5, 15-1, 16-5, 17-1, 18-4, 19-420-1
  21-4, 22-3, 23-3, 24-1, 25-4, 26-3, 27-3, 28-3, 29-1, 30-1
  31-3, 32-1, 33-4, 34-2, 35-3, 36-5, 37-3