Current Affairs - 11 November 2014

Life certificate for pensioners to go digital

• The government on Monday launched an Aadhaar-based digital life certificate for pensioners, a move that could eventually benefit over one crore pensioners.
  
  The proposed digital certification will do away with the requirement of a pensioner to submit a physical life certificate in November each year, in order to ensure the continuity of pension being credited into his or her account. While the system is in its early stage, it is bound to ease life for pensioners once implemented.
  
  The department of electronics and information has developed a software application that will enable the recording of a pensioner's Aadhaar number and biometric details from his mobile device or computer, by plugging in a biometric reading device.
  
  Key details of the pensioner, including date, time and biometric information will be uploaded to a central database on real-time basis, ultimately enabling the pension disbursing agency to access a digital life certificate. This will conclusively establish that the pensioner was alive at the time of authentication.

Shiv Sena sits in opposition but Uddhav Thackeray still talking to BJP

• On a day Shiv Sena staked its claim for the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and its MLAs sat on Opposition benches in the special session of the state assembly, indicating a hardening of stance in its power-sharing talks with BJP, party chief Uddhav Thackeray said that talks with the erstwhile ally were still on. His late-evening announcement added to the unprecedented confusion on the issue and indicated the dilemma the party leadership was in.
  
  NCP president Sharad Pawar stirred the pot further, saying his party would take a decision on whether to vote or not in the show of numbers in the assembly only on November 12, which political observers interpret as an attempt to pile up pressure on BJP. He added that the party was not afraid of facing a probe against its leaders in alleged scams. 

8 women dead, 50 hospitalized after sterilization surgery in Chhattisgarh

• In yet another case of alleged negligence at government-run health camps, eight women have died and 50 others were taken ill after botched up sterilization surgeries in Takhatpur, Bilaspur.
  
  According to reports, Janaki Bai (30), the first casualty in the case, had undergone sterilization at the health camp on Saturday and she fell ill soon after. Her condition deteriorated badly within 24 hours of the surgery and she was taken to Bilaspur district hospital where she succumbed on Monday morning.
  
  Five of the other 52 women admitted to the hospital also succumbed to their ailments late on Monday evening. All the victims had similar symptoms, vomiting and acute pain in abdomen, and 52 of them are presently under treatment at various health centres, 30 reported to be in critical condition.

J&K ex-separatist Sajjad Lone meets Modi, buzz of a tie-up grows

• PM Narendra Modi on Monday met former J&K separatist Sajjad Lone, fuelling speculation that the BJP leadership could be propping up his People's Conference to prevent Mehbooba Mufti's PDP from scoring an outright win.
  
  The spadework for the meeting was done by BJP general secretaries Ram Madhav and JP Nadda who met Lone in Srinagar. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lone did not specifically refer to polls being on the agenda, limiting himself to saying that "a series of issues" were discussed.
  
  "The main agenda of the meeting was to exchange ideas on ways and means of developing the state to its full potential. A series of issues were discussed. However, the main focus remained on the recent floods in Kashmir and the need for swift and concrete efforts towards relief and rehabilitation," Lone told a news agency.

Easy win for BJP in Delhi, predicts poll

• BJP will get a comfortable majority in Delhi, with Aam Aadmi Party reduced to a distant second and Congress completely routed, an opinion poll conducted by ABP News-Nielsen has predicted. 
  
  BJP, riding high on the Modi wave, is predicted to bag 46 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly, followed by AAP with 18 seats while Congress could be reduced to only five seats if the elections were to be held in the national capital now, the poll said. 
  
  In the 2013 assembly polls, BJP had won 32 seats, followed by AAP with 28 seats. The survey predicted further decimation of the Congress which ruled the city for 15 years under Sheila Dikshit. The party is likely to get three seats less than what it had bagged in the last elections. 
  
  According to the opinion poll, BJP could end up with 38% vote share, followed by AAP with 26% and Congress with 22%. 

Aadhaar to be must for passports

•  
  
  Prior police verification for issue of fresh passports may soon be a thing of the past, with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) proposing to rely on aadhaar card for identification of the applicant and on the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) database for validation of his/her criminal antecedents. With the applicant's self-declaration on aspects like citizenship, criminal antecedents, criminal proceedings, summons/warrants etc also thrown in, the government may soon start issuing fresh passports on a post-verification basis.
  
  The simplified police verification system seeks to resolve issues raised from time to time regarding prior police verification and consequent delay in issuance of passports.

Obama smacks down internet 'fast lanes'

• US President Barack Obama on Monday struck a blow to large cable and wireless companies by publicly pressuring the federal communications regulator to adopt tougher rules that would treat internet providers more like public utilities.
  
  Shares of major internet service providers Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc fell sharply after Obama said ISPs should be reclassified to face stricter regulations and banned from striking paid "fast lane" deals with content companies.
  "Simply put: No service should be stuck in a 'slow lane' because it does not pay a fee," Obama said. "That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the internet's growth." Obama's detailed statement on the issue of "net neutrality," a platform in his 2008 presidential campaign, was a rare intervention by the White House into the policy-setting of an independent agency.

All of us have suffered at hands of doctors: Bombay HC

• The Bombay high court on Monday slammed doctors, saying the profession was no longer regarded a service and "all of us have suffered at the hands of doctors at one time or the other."
  
  A bench of Justices V M Kanade and Anuja Prabhudessai made the observations on a public interest litigation converted from petitions, including two seeking the discharge of two patients detained by Seven Hills Hospital, Marol, and Prachin Healthcare Multi-speciality Hospital, Panvel, over disputed bills. The patients were subsequently discharged.

GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR ALL BANK EXAMS 2014

• 1. Primary relationship between a banker and customer starts from .......
  1) when the customer opens a bank account.
  2) when customer visits the bank.
  3) when customer read the broacher of bank.
  4) when the customer read the bank advertisement in the newspaper.
  5) None of above
• 2. Relationship between banker and customer can be defined as .......
  1) Ethical
  2) Philosophical
  3) Contractual
  4) Negligible
  5) Sacrosanct
• 3. In the case of the deposit of cash in the bank, the bank is ........ and the customer is .......
  1) Employer, Employee
  2) Master, Servant
  3) Principal, Agent
  4) Debtor, Creditor
  5) None of above
• 4. Customer taken the loan from bank. Then the relation between bank and customer is that bank is ...... and customer is .......
  1) Lesser, Lessee
  2) Debtor, Creditor
  3) Creditor, Debtor
  4) Servant, Master
  5) None of above
• 5. If the customer allowed to enjoy the overdraft then the customer is ........ and the bank is .......
  1) creditor, debtor
  2) agent, principal
  3) master, servant
  4) debtor, creditor
  5) None of above
• 6. Usually, many customers are creditors of the bank. But which type of creditors they are?
  1) General creditors
  2) Preferential creditors
  3) Privileged creditors
  4) Special creditors
  5) None of above
• 7. Locker provided by the bank to the customer, then bank is ....... and customer is .......
  1) Employer, Employee
  2) Lesser, Lesse
  3) Debtor, Creditor
  4) Creditor, Debtor
  5) None of above
• 8. If the customer taken Demand Draft from the bank, then customer ....... and bank is .......
  1) Under writer, writer
  2) Owner, servant
  3) Master, servant
  4) Creditor, debtor
  5) None of above
• 9. In the case of Cheque collection, bank is ...... and customer is ......
  1) Debtor, Creditor
  2) Creditor, Debtor
  3) Master, Servant
  4) Agent, Principal
  5) None of above
• 10. Customer mortgaged the property with bank to raise the loan. Then ........
  1) Bank is owner and customer is seller
  2) Bank is agent and customer is principal
  3) Customer is mortgagor and bank is mortgagee
  4) Customer is debtor and bank is creditor
  5) None of above is the correct option
• 11. Usually the customer gives some standing instructions to the bank at the time of doing banking transactions. Then .......
  1) Bank is agent and customer is principal
  2) Bank is borrower and customer is lender
  3) Customer is master and bank is slave
  4) Customer is lender and bank is borrower
  5) None of above is the correct option
• 12. Money deposited by the customer but instructions not given for its disposal by the customer to the bank. Then customer is beneficiary and bank is ......
  1) Owner
  2) Garnishee
  3) Trustee
  4) Servant
  5) Fiduciary
• 13. Bank has an obligation to honour cheque drawn on it provided the customer has sufficient funds. However this obligation is extinguished .......
  1) On the last working day of every month, as it is closing day and bank need not hear what customer say
  2) If the bank received the garnishee order from the court
  3) If the bank received the oral instruction from the friend of the customer
  4) If the customer changed his residential address and not intimated to the bank
  5) None of above
• 14. In the following of which case, when the bank is liable?
  1) Bank dishounered the cheque, though the funds are available.
  2) Bank did not follow the standing instruction of the customer.
  3) Bank employees made the theft of the goods put in the locker.
  4) Bank employee took the cash deposited in the bank account.
  5) In all above cases, the bank is liable and it should compensate the customer.
• 15. The relation between a banker and a customer comes to an end in which of the following case?
  1) At the death of the customer
  2) The customer closing the account i.e. voluntary termination
  3) Liquidation of the company
  4) The closing of the account by the bank after giving due notice
  5) All of above
• 16. An electronic application of a physical passbook for savings bank and current accounts ‘mpass book’ on 22 October 2014 launched by ........
  1) SBI
  2) RBI
  3) BOB
  4) ICICI
  5) HDFC
• 17. Government of India has set up a committee to frame bankruptcy law to enable entrepreneurs to close down unviable businesses under the chairmanship of .......
  1) Gopalakrishna
  2) Viswanathan
  3) Malegam
  4) G N Bajpai
  5) K.V. Kamath
• 18. Which bank has raised Rs.2,500 crore by selling perpetual bonds at 10.75% annual coupon rate on 20 October 2014?
  1) SBI
  2) ICICI
  3) IDBI
  4) Axis Bank
  5) BOB
• 19. Which bank was adjudged as the 'best bank' for use of Technology for Financial Inclusion in the edition of DRBT Banking Technology Excellence award for 2013-14 on 1 October 2014?
  1) IDBI
  2) Karur Vysya Bank Limited
  3) Federal Bank
  4) United Bank of India
  5) None
• 20. On 7 October 2014, which International Monetary Organization promised to provide an estimated investment of $2.5 billion to Andhra Pradesh government, to set up industrial zones in Visakhapatnam and Chennai Corridor?
  1) IBRD
  2) IMF
  3) IDA
  4) BRICS New Development Bank
  5) ADB
• 21. The combination of Bank and its punch line given. Locate the correct one.
  1) Allahabad Bank - A tradition of trust
  2) Andhra Bank - For all your needs
  3) Bank of Baroda - India's International Bank
  4) Bank of Maharashtra - One family one Bank
  5) All of above
• 22. Consortium Advances increasing now a days. Consortium Advances mean .........
  1) Many borrowers take loans from single bank
  2) Self help groups loans giving to BPL families
  3) Joint financing by more than one bank
  4) RBI and Bank give loans to any single borrower
  5) None of these
• 23. International stammering awareness day observed on .........
  1) 12 October
  2) 14 October
  3) 18 October
  4) 22 October
  5) None
• 24. World Hand washing day celebrates on .......
  1)18 Oct
  2)19 Oct
  3)15 Oct
  4)16 Oct
  5)17 Oct
• 25. Narendra Modi first radio speech on 3
  October 2014 is christened as ......
  1) Mera Man Appka Vikas
  2) Sab Ka vikas Sab ke paas
  3) Mera Batth Aap Suniye
  4) Mann Ki Baat
  5) None
• 26. Union Ministry of Science & Technology announces 'KIRAN' scheme for Women Scientists. KIRAN stands for Knowledge, Involvement, Research, Advancement through .......
  1) Nurturing
  2) Nurse Traineeship
  3) NBFC
  4) New License System
  5) None
• 27. On 3 October 2014, thirty two people killed and about 15 were injured in a stampede that occurred at the main Dussehra event at Gandhi Maidan in ........
  1) Hyderabad
  2) Gandhi Nagar
  3) Sabarmathi
  4) Wardha
  5) Patna
• 28. Invest Madhya Pradesh − Global Investors Summit − 2014 inaugurated on 9 October 2014 at .......
  1) Bhopal
  2) Ujjain
  3) Gwalior
  4) Indore
  5) Dewas
• 29. Which scheme will be launched to ensure housing for all by 2022 by the Union government in the light of Prime Minister’s call of ‘Har Parivar ko Ghar’?
  1) Pandit Deendayal Urban Housing Mission
  2) Jaya Prakash Narayan Urban Housing Mission
  3) Sardar Patel Urban Housing Mission
  4) Atal Urban Housing Mission
  5) None
• 30. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management for the year 2014 conferred on .......
  1) Abdul Kalam
  2) Dr. Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai
  3) Tessy Thomas
  4) M.S. Swami Nathan
  5) Arvind kejriwal
• 31. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari launched ethanol-run environment-friendly public buses in ......
  1) Nagpur
  2) Hyderabad
  3) Kochi
  4) Kanpur
  5) Jaipur
• 32. Khaled Bahah newly elected as Prime Minister of .......
  1) Yemen
  2) Dubai
  3) Saudi Arabia
  4) Afghanistan
  5) None
• 33. Yemen capital Sana'a and its currency ......
  1) Dollar
  2) Pound
  3) Peso
  4) Lira
  5) Rial
• 34. On 21 October 2014 at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia, who was conferred with Liberty Medal 2014. The award constituted in 1988 by USA?
  1) Dalialama
  2) Abdul Kalam
  3) Nelson Mandela
  4) Kailash Satyarthi
  5) Malala Yousafzai
• 35. UK India Business Council chairman Patricia Hewitt in the commerce category, Dame Asha Khemka for services in the field of education and actor Madhav Sharma for culture were conferred with .........
  1) Inaugural Dadabhai Naoroji Awards
  2) Inaugural Nobel prizes
  3) Inaugural Lal bahadur Shastri Awards
  4) CSIR NRI Awards
  5) None of above
• 36. On 23 September 2014 who was appointed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sherpa for the Group of 20 annual Summit 2014?
  1) Hardeep singh Puri
  2) Jai Shankar
  3) Nirupama Rao
  4) Rajdeep Sardesai
  5) Suresh Prabhu
• 37. Rajiv Mehrishi is appointed as the new ......
  1) Revenue Secretary
  2) Petroleum Secretary
  3) Finance Secretary
  4) Foreign Secretary
  5) None of above
• 38. Who has been appointed as the new Chief Economic Advisor to the Indian government?
  1) Kaushik Basu
  2) Chidambaram
  3) Arvind Subramanian
  4) Ashok Gulati
  5) None
• 39. On 8 October 2014, government of India decided to sell LED bulbs to households at .......... against the market price of 400 rupees.
  1) 20 rupees
  2) 40 rupees
  3) 50 rupees
  4) 70 rupees
  5) 10 rupees
• 40. Species and Spaces, People and Places is the report released by ........
  1) UNO
  2) USAID
  3) WTO
  4) WWF
  5) None
• ANSWERS:
  1-1, 2-3, 3-4, 4-3, 5-4, 6-1, 7-2, 8-4, 9-4, 10-3
  11-1, 12-3, 13-2, 14-5, 15-5, 16-1, 17-2, 18-3, 19-3, 20-5
  21-5, 22-3, 23-4, 24-3, 25-4, 26-1, 27-5, 28-4, 29-3, 30-2
  31-1, 32-1, 33-5, 34-5, 35-1, 36-5, 37-3, 38-3, 39-5, 40-4.