The Union Government has notified ‘Printing of One Rupee Currency Notes Rules, 2015’, which will come into effect from 1 January 2015. This means that the 1 rupee paper note, which was discontinued due to high cost, would make its comeback. When the Re. 1 paper note discontinued?
-
November 1994
Due to higher cost and for freeing capacity to print higher denomination notes, printing Re. 1 note was discontinued in November 1994, followed by Rs. 2 in February 1995, and Rs. 5 in November 1995. Since then, only coins have been issued for these denominations. However, old notes are still in circulation and remain legal tender. The new Re. 1 note will be different in terms of colour, too. It will be predominantly pink and green. Earlier, the Re. 1 currency note had a predominantly indigo colour. Also, the new note will have ‘Bharat Sarkar’ on its masthead, with ‘Government of India’ printed below that. As before, the new one rupee note will have the signature of the Finance Secretary. Apart from the one rupee note, all other paper currency (Rs. 2, Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000) will have the signature of the RBI Governor, as these are issued by the Reserve Bank of India, whereas Re. 1 is issued by the Government of India.
Due to higher cost and for freeing capacity to print higher denomination notes, printing Re. 1 note was discontinued in November 1994, followed by Rs. 2 in February 1995, and Rs. 5 in November 1995. Since then, only coins have been issued for these denominations. However, old notes are still in circulation and remain legal tender. The new Re. 1 note will be different in terms of colour, too. It will be predominantly pink and green. Earlier, the Re. 1 currency note had a predominantly indigo colour. Also, the new note will have ‘Bharat Sarkar’ on its masthead, with ‘Government of India’ printed below that. As before, the new one rupee note will have the signature of the Finance Secretary. Apart from the one rupee note, all other paper currency (Rs. 2, Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000) will have the signature of the RBI Governor, as these are issued by the Reserve Bank of India, whereas Re. 1 is issued by the Government of India.
Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s birthday (25 December) was observed as which national day for the first time, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 December 2014?
-
‘Good Governance Day’
First ‘Good Governance Day’ was observed on 25 December 2014 and on this occasion all government officials vowed to provide good governance through improvement in their services. However, some controversy was also created as a circular pertaining to this had stated that December 25 will be a working day (for the government) as ‘Good Governance Day’ will be observed. The principal opposition party, the Congress, criticized the BJP government for setting ‘Good Governance Day’ on the same date as Christmas, and for declaring this date as a government working day.
First ‘Good Governance Day’ was observed on 25 December 2014 and on this occasion all government officials vowed to provide good governance through improvement in their services. However, some controversy was also created as a circular pertaining to this had stated that December 25 will be a working day (for the government) as ‘Good Governance Day’ will be observed. The principal opposition party, the Congress, criticized the BJP government for setting ‘Good Governance Day’ on the same date as Christmas, and for declaring this date as a government working day.
Health & Family Welfare Ministry launched “Mission Indradhanush” on 25 December 2014. What is the objective of this initiative?
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To achieve full immunization coverage for all children by 2020
The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. The ministry has identified 201 high focus districts in the country in the first phase which has nearly 50% of all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children. These districts will be targeted by intensive efforts to improve the routine immunization coverage. Of the 201 districts, 82 districts are in just four states of UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and nearly 25% of the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children of India are in these 82 districts of 4 states. WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International and other donor partners will provide technical support in implementing “Mission Indradhanush”.
The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. The ministry has identified 201 high focus districts in the country in the first phase which has nearly 50% of all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children. These districts will be targeted by intensive efforts to improve the routine immunization coverage. Of the 201 districts, 82 districts are in just four states of UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and nearly 25% of the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children of India are in these 82 districts of 4 states. WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International and other donor partners will provide technical support in implementing “Mission Indradhanush”.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour that looked into the changes proposed in the Factories Amendment Bill, 2014 tabled its report in the Parliament during December 2014. One of the most important suggestions of this committee is that labour courts be set up within the factory complex for on-the-spot disposal of complaints/grievances. Who headed this committee?
-
Virendra Kumar, BJP MP
The Committee also suggested that all factory workers be controlled by the Labour Commissioner concerned and a periodical audit by an independent agency should be conducted to certify compliance. The Committee did not accept the amendment to raise the threshold limit of employment (for falling under the purview of the Factories Act) from 10 to 20 workers (in case of factories using power) and from 20 to 40 workers (in case of factories not using power). The Factories Amendment Bill, 2014 one of the key labour reforms being pushed by the Narendra Modi Government, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 7 August 2014. It was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee by the Speaker for examination.
The Committee also suggested that all factory workers be controlled by the Labour Commissioner concerned and a periodical audit by an independent agency should be conducted to certify compliance. The Committee did not accept the amendment to raise the threshold limit of employment (for falling under the purview of the Factories Act) from 10 to 20 workers (in case of factories using power) and from 20 to 40 workers (in case of factories not using power). The Factories Amendment Bill, 2014 one of the key labour reforms being pushed by the Narendra Modi Government, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 7 August 2014. It was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee by the Speaker for examination.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Capital recently entered into a long-term strategic alliance with which Japanese banking group to make its foray into the banking sector?
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Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank
As part of the agreement, the Reliance Capital will allot a 2.77% stake valued at Rs. 371 crore through a preferential allotment with a one year lock-in period to Sumitomo. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group is the fourth-largest bank in Japan by market capitalisation and corporate loans, and Japan’s largest financial institution managing assets of $682 billion with assets under custody of $1.8 trillion as of September 2014.
As part of the agreement, the Reliance Capital will allot a 2.77% stake valued at Rs. 371 crore through a preferential allotment with a one year lock-in period to Sumitomo. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group is the fourth-largest bank in Japan by market capitalisation and corporate loans, and Japan’s largest financial institution managing assets of $682 billion with assets under custody of $1.8 trillion as of September 2014.
Which airline introduced world’s first-of-its-kind three-room suite service on its planes during December 2014?
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Etihad
Etihad’s three-room suite service has been named “Residence by Etihad” and it is the only three-room suite in the sky at present. “Residence by Etihah” features a living room, separate ensuite shower room, and bedroom, and as another first in the industry, a dedicated Butler. Measuring 125 square feet in total, “Residence by Etihad” is located on the forward upper deck of the A380 and is for single or double occupancy. Etihad’s A380 will start its daily operations to London Heathrow from 27 December 2014.
Etihad’s three-room suite service has been named “Residence by Etihad” and it is the only three-room suite in the sky at present. “Residence by Etihah” features a living room, separate ensuite shower room, and bedroom, and as another first in the industry, a dedicated Butler. Measuring 125 square feet in total, “Residence by Etihad” is located on the forward upper deck of the A380 and is for single or double occupancy. Etihad’s A380 will start its daily operations to London Heathrow from 27 December 2014.
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GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. The Mid-Year Economic Analysis for the current year was tabled in the Parliament by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on December 19, 2014. The Review projects what percent growth for 2014-15?
1) 5.3 percent
2) 5.7 percent
3) 5.5 percent
4) 5.9 percent
5) 6 percent
2. Who has been appointed as the new Chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB)?
1) Vivek Srivastava
2) Dineshwar Sharma
3) Nehchal Sandhu
4) Anil Goswamy
5) D.K. Pathak
3. Which team won the 35th edition of the Men's Hockey Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar in December 2014?
1) Germany
2) Pakistan
3) Australia
4) India
5) Netherlands
4. The 64th edition of the Miss World Pageant was held on December 14, 2014 in London, UK. Who was crowned Miss World 2014?
1) Edina Kulcsar (Hungary)
2) Elizabeth Safrit (USA)
3) Carina Tyrrell (England)
4) Rolene Strauss (South Africa)
5) Koyal Rana (India)
5. The 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy will be held in?
1) Germany
2) Australia
3) South Korea
4) India
5) Argentina
6. Mosul is in the news recently. It is a city in?
1) Iran
2) Iraq
3) Syria
4) Afghanistan
5) Pakistan
7. The Jalpaiguri district was bifurcated to create Alipurduar district in which of the following States?
1) Bihar
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) West Bengal
4) Odisha
5) Jharkhand
8. Which country's national football team is called Selecao?
1) Argentina
2) Spain
3) Germany
4) Portugal
5) Brazil
9. The Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) released its Global Peace Index (GPI) on June 18,
2014. Which is the most peaceful country in the world?
1) Iceland
2) Denmark
3) New Zealand
4) Norway
5) Finland
10. What is India's rank in the 2014 Global Peace Index?
1) 162
2) 143
3) 152
4) 153
5) 157
11. The United Nations General Assembly has established the United Nations Prize in honor of?
1) Mahatma Gandhi
2) Dalai Lama
3) Nelson Mandela
4) Aung San Suu Kyi
5) Mother Teresa
12. The 600 Megawatt Kholongchu Hydropower project is a joint venture between India and?
1) Sri Lanka
2) Nepal
3) Maldives
4) Bhutan
5) Myanmar
13. Wang Yi visited India in June 20-14. He is the Foreign Minister of?
1) Vietnam
2) Myanmar
3) China
4) North Korea
5) South Korea
14. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been appointed as brand ambassador of which of the following private sector banks?
1) ICICI Bank
2) Axis Bank
3) HDFC Bank
4) Yes Bank
5) Kotak Mahindra Bank
15. Which State has recently decided to add a chapter on Sachin Tendulkar in its school syllabus?
1) Kerala
2) West Bengal
3) Gujarat
4) Maharashtra
5) Bihar
16. Dmitry Rogozin visited India recently. He is the Deputy Prime Minister of?
1) Ukraine
2) Russia
3) Georgia
4) Bulgaria
5) Serbia
17. Felipe VI became the King of which of the following countries in June 2014?
1) Spain
2) Norway
3) Denmark
4) Austria
5) Belgium
18. Lata Tapovan Hydro power project will come up in?
1) Sikkim
2) Uttarakhand
3) Tripura
4) Bihar
5) Himachal Pradesh
19. Which is the world's least peaceful country as per the 2014 Global Peace Index?
1) Afghanistan
2) Syria
3) South Sudan
4) Pakistan
5) Iraq
20. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) drilled its firstever well in the Palar basin in?
1) Tamil Nadu
2) Goa
3) Uttar Pradesh
4) Bihar
5) Kerala
21. ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) signed a deal with Rosneft to jointly explore hydrocarbons. Rosneft is the largest oil and gas producer of which of the following countries?
1) France
2) Russia
3) Ukraine
4) Kazakhstan
5) China
22. Which of the following is not a recommendation of the Parthasarathi Shome Panel?
1) The post of Revenue Secretary should be abolished
2) The CBDT and CBEC should be merged
3) The use of Permanent Account Number (PAN) should be broadened
4) Income Tax Return should also include wealth tax details
5) The post of Finance Secretary should be abolished
23. The logo of which of the following organizations is a Giant Panda?
1) WWF
2) IUCN
3) UNESCO
4) UNEP
5) None of these
24. Khumbum monastery is situated in which of the following countries?
1) Thailand
2) Japan
3) China
4) Sri Lanka
5) Nepal
25. Mojave Desert is located in which of the following continents?
1) North America
2) South America
3) Asia
4) Africa
5) Australia
26. The Wallace Line is a boundary that separates the eco zones of?
1) Canada and USA
2) Mexico and Central America
3) USA and Mexico
4) Asia and Australasia
5) None of these
27. Who is the author of 'Ashtadhyayi', the Sanskrit grammar?
1) Patanjali
2) Panini
3) Kalidasa
4) Banabhatta
5) Harsha
28. Plants capable of performing photosynthesis belong to which of the following types of organisms?
1) Autotrophs
2) Heterotrophs
3) Saprotrophs
4) Chemoheterotrophs
5) None of these
29. Bonn is a city in Germany located on the banks of the river?
1) Seine
2) Rhine
3) Elbe
4) Hudson
5) Darling
30. Which team won the 2014 Women's Asian Cup Football tournament held in Vietnam?
1) Japan
2) China
3) South Korea
4) Vietnam
5) Thailand
31. The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict was held in which of the following cities in June 2014?
1) Washington D.C.
2) London
3) Damascus
4) Tokyo
5) Brasilia
32. Who is the Special Envoy of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)?
1) Emma Watson
2) Aishwarya Rai
3) Priyanka Chopra
4) Angelina Jolie
5) Lady Gaga
33. In the 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships which country finished on top in the medals tally with 12 gold medals?
1) China
2) Japan
3) Qatar
4) Iran
5) India
34. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in June 2014 in?
1) Nepal
2) Bhutan
3) Japan
4) Sri Lanka
5) Maldives
35. Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is the overall winner of the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She is from?
1) Uganda
2) Kenya
3) South Africa
4) Zimbabwe
5) United Kingdom
36. ELN is an armed group in which of the following South American countries?
1) Brazil
2) Venezuela
3) Argentina
4) Bolivia
5) Colombia
37. Daniel Ricciardo is a Formula One driver from?
1) Australia
2) Finland
3) United Kingdom
4) Canada
5) Argentina
38. Which company has recently presented a new prototype driverless car?
1) Microsoft
2) Facebook
3) Google
4) Infosys
5) Wipro
39. The 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships were held in?
1) Seoul
2) Taipei
3) Incheon
4) Beijing
5) Shanghai
40. Who won the World Blitz Chess Championship in Dubai on June 20, 2014?
1) Hikaru Nakamura
2) Viswanathan Anand
3) Fabiano Caruana
4) Magnus Carlsen
5) Vladimir Kramnik
ANSWERS:
1) 3; 2) 2; 3) 1; 4) 4; 5) 5; 6) 2; 7) 3; 8) 5; 9) 1; 10) 2;
11) 3; 12) 4; 13) 3; 14) 2; 15) 4; 16) 2; 17) 1; 18) 2; 19) 2; 20) 1;
21) 2; 22) 5; 23) 1; 24) 3; 25) 1; 26) 4; 27) 2; 28) 1; 29) 2; 30) 1;
31) 2; 32) 4; 33) 1; 34) 2; 35) 1; 36) 5; 37) 1; 38) 3; 39) 2; 40) 4.
- GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. The Mid-Year Economic Analysis for the current year was tabled in the Parliament by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on December 19, 2014. The Review projects what percent growth for 2014-15?
1) 5.3 percent
2) 5.7 percent
3) 5.5 percent
4) 5.9 percent
5) 6 percent
2. Who has been appointed as the new Chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB)?
1) Vivek Srivastava
2) Dineshwar Sharma
3) Nehchal Sandhu
4) Anil Goswamy
5) D.K. Pathak
3. Which team won the 35th edition of the Men's Hockey Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar in December 2014?
1) Germany
2) Pakistan
3) Australia
4) India
5) Netherlands
4. The 64th edition of the Miss World Pageant was held on December 14, 2014 in London, UK. Who was crowned Miss World 2014?
1) Edina Kulcsar (Hungary)
2) Elizabeth Safrit (USA)
3) Carina Tyrrell (England)
4) Rolene Strauss (South Africa)
5) Koyal Rana (India)
5. The 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy will be held in?
1) Germany
2) Australia
3) South Korea
4) India
5) Argentina
6. Mosul is in the news recently. It is a city in?
1) Iran
2) Iraq
3) Syria
4) Afghanistan
5) Pakistan
7. The Jalpaiguri district was bifurcated to create Alipurduar district in which of the following States?
1) Bihar
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) West Bengal
4) Odisha
5) Jharkhand
8. Which country's national football team is called Selecao?
1) Argentina
2) Spain
3) Germany
4) Portugal
5) Brazil
9. The Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) released its Global Peace Index (GPI) on June 18,
2014. Which is the most peaceful country in the world?
1) Iceland
2) Denmark
3) New Zealand
4) Norway
5) Finland
10. What is India's rank in the 2014 Global Peace Index?
1) 162
2) 143
3) 152
4) 153
5) 157
11. The United Nations General Assembly has established the United Nations Prize in honor of?
1) Mahatma Gandhi
2) Dalai Lama
3) Nelson Mandela
4) Aung San Suu Kyi
5) Mother Teresa
12. The 600 Megawatt Kholongchu Hydropower project is a joint venture between India and?
1) Sri Lanka
2) Nepal
3) Maldives
4) Bhutan
5) Myanmar
13. Wang Yi visited India in June 20-14. He is the Foreign Minister of?
1) Vietnam
2) Myanmar
3) China
4) North Korea
5) South Korea
14. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been appointed as brand ambassador of which of the following private sector banks?
1) ICICI Bank
2) Axis Bank
3) HDFC Bank
4) Yes Bank
5) Kotak Mahindra Bank
15. Which State has recently decided to add a chapter on Sachin Tendulkar in its school syllabus?
1) Kerala
2) West Bengal
3) Gujarat
4) Maharashtra
5) Bihar
16. Dmitry Rogozin visited India recently. He is the Deputy Prime Minister of?
1) Ukraine
2) Russia
3) Georgia
4) Bulgaria
5) Serbia
17. Felipe VI became the King of which of the following countries in June 2014?
1) Spain
2) Norway
3) Denmark
4) Austria
5) Belgium
18. Lata Tapovan Hydro power project will come up in?
1) Sikkim
2) Uttarakhand
3) Tripura
4) Bihar
5) Himachal Pradesh
19. Which is the world's least peaceful country as per the 2014 Global Peace Index?
1) Afghanistan
2) Syria
3) South Sudan
4) Pakistan
5) Iraq
20. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) drilled its firstever well in the Palar basin in?
1) Tamil Nadu
2) Goa
3) Uttar Pradesh
4) Bihar
5) Kerala
21. ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) signed a deal with Rosneft to jointly explore hydrocarbons. Rosneft is the largest oil and gas producer of which of the following countries?
1) France
2) Russia
3) Ukraine
4) Kazakhstan
5) China
22. Which of the following is not a recommendation of the Parthasarathi Shome Panel?
1) The post of Revenue Secretary should be abolished
2) The CBDT and CBEC should be merged
3) The use of Permanent Account Number (PAN) should be broadened
4) Income Tax Return should also include wealth tax details
5) The post of Finance Secretary should be abolished
23. The logo of which of the following organizations is a Giant Panda?
1) WWF
2) IUCN
3) UNESCO
4) UNEP
5) None of these
24. Khumbum monastery is situated in which of the following countries?
1) Thailand
2) Japan
3) China
4) Sri Lanka
5) Nepal
25. Mojave Desert is located in which of the following continents?
1) North America
2) South America
3) Asia
4) Africa
5) Australia
26. The Wallace Line is a boundary that separates the eco zones of?
1) Canada and USA
2) Mexico and Central America
3) USA and Mexico
4) Asia and Australasia
5) None of these
27. Who is the author of 'Ashtadhyayi', the Sanskrit grammar?
1) Patanjali
2) Panini
3) Kalidasa
4) Banabhatta
5) Harsha
28. Plants capable of performing photosynthesis belong to which of the following types of organisms?
1) Autotrophs
2) Heterotrophs
3) Saprotrophs
4) Chemoheterotrophs
5) None of these
29. Bonn is a city in Germany located on the banks of the river?
1) Seine
2) Rhine
3) Elbe
4) Hudson
5) Darling
30. Which team won the 2014 Women's Asian Cup Football tournament held in Vietnam?
1) Japan
2) China
3) South Korea
4) Vietnam
5) Thailand
31. The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict was held in which of the following cities in June 2014?
1) Washington D.C.
2) London
3) Damascus
4) Tokyo
5) Brasilia
32. Who is the Special Envoy of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)?
1) Emma Watson
2) Aishwarya Rai
3) Priyanka Chopra
4) Angelina Jolie
5) Lady Gaga
33. In the 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships which country finished on top in the medals tally with 12 gold medals?
1) China
2) Japan
3) Qatar
4) Iran
5) India
34. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Supreme Court building in June 2014 in?
1) Nepal
2) Bhutan
3) Japan
4) Sri Lanka
5) Maldives
35. Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is the overall winner of the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She is from?
1) Uganda
2) Kenya
3) South Africa
4) Zimbabwe
5) United Kingdom
36. ELN is an armed group in which of the following South American countries?
1) Brazil
2) Venezuela
3) Argentina
4) Bolivia
5) Colombia
37. Daniel Ricciardo is a Formula One driver from?
1) Australia
2) Finland
3) United Kingdom
4) Canada
5) Argentina
38. Which company has recently presented a new prototype driverless car?
1) Microsoft
2) Facebook
3) Google
4) Infosys
5) Wipro
39. The 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships were held in?
1) Seoul
2) Taipei
3) Incheon
4) Beijing
5) Shanghai
40. Who won the World Blitz Chess Championship in Dubai on June 20, 2014?
1) Hikaru Nakamura
2) Viswanathan Anand
3) Fabiano Caruana
4) Magnus Carlsen
5) Vladimir Kramnik
ANSWERS:
1) 3; 2) 2; 3) 1; 4) 4; 5) 5; 6) 2; 7) 3; 8) 5; 9) 1; 10) 2;
11) 3; 12) 4; 13) 3; 14) 2; 15) 4; 16) 2; 17) 1; 18) 2; 19) 2; 20) 1;
21) 2; 22) 5; 23) 1; 24) 3; 25) 1; 26) 4; 27) 2; 28) 1; 29) 2; 30) 1;
31) 2; 32) 4; 33) 1; 34) 2; 35) 1; 36) 5; 37) 1; 38) 3; 39) 2; 40) 4.
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