Current Affairs - 28 December 2014

India gets extra time to sign information pact with US

• 

  The US has extended the December 31 deadline for India to sign an information sharing pact with it regarding overseas investments held by people of both countries. The move  gives relief to businesses and individuals sending funds to India from US financial institutions from a 30% withholding tax that Washington intends to charge in the absence of such a pact.
  The benefit of the deadline extension (subject to review after a month) will also go to 42 other nations that have, like India, agreed to sign the agreement, but have so far not been able to. Under the pact, India would share with the US IRS details of investments held by American taxpayers in Indian institutions. The US would reciprocate by sharing details of Indians’ investments in US institutions that will help the Income Tax Department fight tax evasion here.
  As per US’s Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), US taxpayers have to report at the end of the tax year investments in foreign financial accounts, stock, securities, mutual funds, life insurance or annuity schem-es with cash value above $50,000. Any under-reporting will be caught when IRS receives information from treaty partners.
  India has a similar provision in the Income Tax Act, which it had invoked in the case of Cyprus, holding it as a non-co-operating jurisdiction. On November 1, 2013, New Delhi had decided to subject all payments from India to that country to a 30% withholding tax for not facilitating effective exchange of tax information.
  Subjecting a huge withholding tax liability on outbound payments to another country is a tactics increasingly being deployed by major economies to elicit information on accounts held in that country by own citizens which are not reported to tax authorities at home. “A jurisdiction that is treated as if it had an inter-government agreement (IGA) in effect, but that has not yet signed an IGA, retains such status beyond December 31, 2014, provided the jurisdiction continues to demonstrate a firm resolve to sign the IGA…as soon as possible,” says an announcement on the IRS website.

India announces USD 1 million for UN tsunami fund

• 

  New Delhi : India has announced one million US dollar contribution to United Nation (UN) fund and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) for strengthening early warning systems for natural disasters.
  The decision comes ten years after a massive Tsunami triggered by an earthquake smashed the coastline of around 14 nations.
  The donation will also ensure that vulnerable communities receive the timely warning information that is required to save lives and livelihoods in disasters.
  Yesterday, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha had released a book which recalls the devastation of the tsunami that struck India and other nations in the Indian Ocean in 2004.
  The 2004 tsunami, which was caused by an earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia, resulted in the death of 2,30,000 people in 14 countries, including over 12,000 people displaced in India.
  Measuring 9.1-9.3 on the Richter scale, it is the reportedly third-largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph.

India drops plan to allot site for reactors from Korea

• 

  Safety concerns prompted India to drop its plan to allot a site to South Korea’s state-owned nuclear energy company to build an atomic power plant in India.
  As the crises-hit atomic power industry of South Korea suffered yet another setback with the death of three workers engaged in building a plant at Ulsan in the East Asian country on Friday, New Delhi announced that its nuclear cooperation with Seoul would remain limited to working together to develop next-generation reactors.
  External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Seoul from Sunday to Tuesday will see India and South Korea agreeing on broad contours of joint research and development on nuclear reactors as well as of training of scientists and personnel in each other’s country.
  Swaraj and her South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se will co-chair the eighth joint commission meeting in Seoul. She will also have meetings with defence, trade and energy ministers of South Korea, apart from calling on the East Asian country’s President Park Geun-hye during her visit.
  New Delhi, however, is unlikely to accede to Seoul’s request for allocating a site for Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNPC), a subsidiary of state-owned Korea Electric Power Corporation, to build an atomic power plant with APR-1400 reactors in India. India is cagey due to growing doubts over safety standards of the nuclear power plants in Korea, sources told Deccan Herald in New Delhi.

PAHAL- Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG Consumers launched

• 

  Upstream Sector- Exploration & Production
  1.      Reforms in Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs)undertakento monetize discoveries and improve investment climate.
  2.      Project for reassessment of hydrocarbon reserves is under implementation.
  3.      Project to appraise 1.6 million sq. km area of Indian sedimentary basin approved at a cost of 6800 Cr.
  4.      Pricing formula for domestically produced natural gas revised balancing the interest of the consumers and expectations of the investors. The new gas price is expected to result in an additional annual revenue of Rs 3800 crores for   Government on account of higher royalty, profit petroleum and taxes.
  5.      Special dispensation for North East Region: For incentivizing exploration and production in North East Region, 40% subsidy on gas price has been extended to private companies operating in the region, along with ONGC and OIL. Exploration efforts in Tripura to be doubled.OTPC phase II gas based power plant at Paltana, Tripura dedicated to the nation by Hon. Prime Minister on 1.12.14.
  Midstream Sector
  6.      In addition to the existing 15000 km gas pipeline, another 15000 km gas pipeline identified to complete National Gas Grid. Decision to commence survey of Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline.
  7.      Retail consumers given priority in gas allocation, for CNG(Transport) and PNG(domestic) segments. GAIL directed to divert gas from non-priority sectors to meet 100% requirement.
  8.      Focus on substantially enhancing piped natural gas coverage for domestic households in a mission mode.
  9.      R-LNG terminals: Considering the wide gap between demand and domestic supply of natural gas, new R-LNG terminals have been approved to substantially  increase the re-gasification capacity
  10.  Implementation of New polypropylene plant project in Petro Chemical Complex,Paradip, Orissa at a cost of 3150 cr.
  Downstream Sector
  11.  Price of diesel deregulated for all consumers on 19th October 2014. Expected to result in greater competition and improved service to benefit consumers. Since July 2014, price of Petrol has been reduced 8 times by a total of Rs.12.27. The price of diesel has gone down by Rs.11.15 from its desired selling pricein July.
  12.  PAHAL - Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG consumer (DBTL) scheme launched in 54 districts on 15.11.2014. Will be expanded to rest of the country on 1.1.2015. Will cover 15.3 crore active LPG consumers of the country. It will be the biggest direct cash transfer scheme in the world. The Scheme aims to plug leakage in LPG subsidy due to diversion of subsidized LPG in commercial sector.
  13.  “Free Trade LPG scheme”having smaller 5 kg cylinders launched across the country and expanded in 100 additional locations across Delhi   to cater to the LPG requirement for all sections of the society including economically weaker families, students, migrant labour etc.
  14.  Scheme for all poor households below poverty line including in urban areas approved. Under this scheme, security deposit of 14. 2 KG LPG connection and cost of pressure regulator amounting to Rs.1600 is borne by Oil Marketing Companies.
  15.  24 x 7 LPG service via Web launched to provide LPG consumers an integrated solution to carry out all services at one place, through MyLPG.in,  from the comfort of their home.
  16.  35,668 locations advertised for setting of new Retail Outlets.Over 7000 locations advertised for setting of new LPG distributorships.Reservation of 27% for OBC implemented for the first time.
  Projects
  17.  14 major projects worth Rs 40,659 crore, including 8 projects in upstream oil and gas sector, completed during this year.Another 21 projects worth Rs 59,976 crore expected to be completed by 31.03.2015.
  Swachh Bharat
  18.  PSUs to construct 6000 toilets in schools. Drive to provide clean toilets at Retail Outlets.Cleanliness activities, projects and awareness campaigns by all oil & gas PSUs.
  Make In India
  19.  GAIL has decided that out of 9 newly built LNG ships that are to be chartered by GAIL in the next five years, 3 ships have to be built in Indian shipyards.
  20.  Preferential Market Access: ONGC has already aligned their procurement processes to provide preference to domestically manufactured electronic products in Government procurement. IOC will be doing the same shortly.
  Conservation:
  21.  Scholarships for studies up to graduation level and awards including study tours in other countries for students introduced to promote conservation.
  22.  2140 Retail Outlets has been solarized Solarization of 6900 ROs has been planned over the next three years.
  23.  Procurement of ethanol at fixed price across India approved. This is expected to increase ethanol blending by simplifying the procurement process. Permissible base of ethanol supply also has been expanded for increased availability.
  24.  Star rating for LPG stoves and Diesel pump sets launched to encourage more efficient equipment and reduce consumption of petroleum products.
  International Cooperation
  25.  To strengthen the country's energy security, oil diplomacy initiatives have been intensified through meaningful engagements with hydrocarbon rich countries.

India created space history in 2014

• 

  With IRSO succeeding in its first inter-planetary Mars Orbiter Mission making India the only country to achieve this feat in its maiden attempt, 2014 was not only momentous but a very busy year for the space sector.
  The year saw two successful launches of GSLVs and five foreign satellites in the orbit. The country’s space agency also tested the atmospheric re-entry of a crew module towards realising its ambition to send humans into space.
  At the start of the year, ISRO launched GSLV-D5 through use of indigenous cryogenic technology and injected GSAT-14 communication satellite into the intended orbit, announcing India’s entry into the heavy satellite launch market.
  Launching a GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic engine has been a major challenge for ISRO since 2001 after multiple unsuccessful attempts. Only two of a total of seven attempts succeeded, four were a failure and another a partial success.
  In April, it successfully launched its IRNSS 1B, its second navigational satellite, onboard PSLV-C24 from Sriharikota.
  IRNSS-1B, the second of the seven satellites planned under the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
  In June, ISRO launched five foreign satellites for four countries on board PSLV-C23 rocket which placed them in orbit, an achievement described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an ‘endorsement’ of the country’s space capabilities.
  Besides its primary payload of 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7, the rocket carried and placed in orbit 14 kg AISAT of Germany, NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada, each weighing 15 kg, and the 7 kg VELOX-1 of Singapore.
  However, its biggest feat came in September when the Mars Orbiter Mission was successfully inserted in the red planet’s orbit. ISRO not only received accolades nationally, but also on global platform.
  The space agency also launched communications satellite GSAT-16 by the European launcher Ariane 5 VA221, from the Kourou space port in French Guiana.
  GSAT-16’s 48 transponders – 12 in the C band, 12 in the extended C and 24 in the Ku band – cover the entire country and the Andaman & Nicobar islands.
  On December 18, taking its baby steps towards realising India’s ambition to send humans into space, the Department of Space tested the atmospheric re-entry of a crew module after its heaviest launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III-capable of carrying heavier payloads up to four tonnes- blasted off from Sriharikota.
  Weighing over three tonnes, the 2.7-metre tall cup cake shaped crew module with a diameter of 3.1 metres, which features aluminium alloy internal structure with composite panels and ablative thermal protection systems, was made to safely drop down into the sea by specially-made parachutes.
  The experiment also witnessed the largest parachute in action ever made in the country. The main parachute, which helped the crew module touch the waters at around 7 metre/second speed, was 31 metres in diameter.
  At the international level, India and China agreed to cooperate on research and development of scientific experiment, remote sensing satellites and communication satellites.
  In October, India and Mexico formally agreed on a cooperation in areas related to the peaceful use of the outer space, such as remote sensing and satellite communication.

Ancient Buddhist sculptures discovered in Pakistan

• 

  Ancient Buddhist sculptures have been found in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during an excavation work, a media report said Saturday.
  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa archaeology and museum director Abdul Samad said the sculptures and heads, dating back to second to fifth century BC, had been discovered during excavation at Bhamala Buddhist Complex in Haripur district, Dawn online reported.
  He said during excavation, precious coins of Kushana period were also found around the stupa.
  The official said the Bhamala archaeological site had been declared national and world heritage site located near Khanpur dam, located on the Haro river.
  “The ruins are situated near Khanpur dam. The stupa is cross-shaped and looks like an Aztec Pyramid,” he said, adding the Bhamala site was partially excavated in early 1930s.

Govt hospitals fully equipped to deal with swine flu

• 

  NEW DELHI: A day after a 51-year-old woman died due to swine flu in Ghaziabad, health minister JP Nadda on Saturday said there was no need to panic as government hospitals were fully equipped to deal with the situation. 
  "She (the deceased) went from one private hospital to another. But I would like to say that our health department and our government hospitals are capable of treating this influenza. 
  "There is no need to panic. They should go to the nearest hospital," Nadda told reporters. 
  The 51-year-old victim from Ghaziabad succumbed to the flu at a private hospital in Delhi, becoming the first casualty of the HINI virus in NCR this year. 
  According to the directorate of health services, six cases of swine flu have been reported in the national capital and its neighbouring region this month.

How species shapeshift to tackle climate change

• 

  NEW YORK: Some species can quickly shapeshift to cope with climate change without having to migrate or evolve, shows a research. 
  A mustard plant in the Rocky Mountains alters its physical appearance and flowering time in response to different environmental conditions, the findings showed. 
  The shifts in organisms' physical traits due to changing conditions is called phenotypic plasticity, which allows for different looking organisms without changing their genetic code. 
  "Because climate change affects some environmental factors like precipitation and temperature but not others like day length, phenotypic plasticity could allow some species to persist in a habitat despite changing conditions and provide more time for them to evolve and migrate," said co-author Zachariah Gezon from Dartmouth College in the US. 
  In the new study, researchers looked at the life history, leaf shape, flowering time and other characteristics of a native wild mustard plant at different elevations in the Rocky mountains, where warming winters are reducing snowpack and warming springs are causing an earlier snow melt. 
  They found that the plants have great phenotypic plasticity and the forb's traits consistently vary over a temperature and moisture gradient from low elevations with a hot, dry climate to high elevations with wet, cold conditi

China pacify Vietnam over the South China Sea dispute

• 

  Beijing: As it faces an international lawsuit over the South China Sea maritime dispute, China has tried to pacify Vietnam, another claimant of the contested waters, with an assurance to settle it through dialogue and substantial cooperation in various fields.
  China’s visiting top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng assured Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi that all their disputes would be settled amicably via talks, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. “The maritime issue is highly complicated and sensitive, which requires negotiations to manage and control differences,” said Yu, a forth ranking leader of the Communist
  Party of China (CPC).
  “Magaphone diplomacy can only trigger volatility of public opinion, which should be avoided by both sides,” Yu, who is in Hanoi on a three-day official visit said yesterday. His visit comes in the backdrop of a lawsuit filed by the Philippines in the International Court under the UN Convention on Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) questioning Chinese claims over Scarborough Shoal that China calls the Huangyan islands.
  The deadline of December 15 given by the tribunal for China to file a counter has passed as it refused to join the arbitration saying that the dispute should be resolved by the concerned parties. Vietnam’s foreign ministry earlier asserted Hanoi’s sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel islands which China calls Nansha and Xisha islands in the South China Sea.
  On December 12, Vietnam objected to China’s stance of the nine-dash line claiming all most all of South China Sea to the Arbitral Tribunal on the South China Sea formed to hear the Philippines’ petition. The nine-dash line takes in about 90 per cent of the 3.5
  million square kilometre of South China Sea on Chinese maps. This boundary was first officially published on a map by China’s Nationalist government in 1947 and has been included in subsequent maps issued under Communist rule.
  Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei immediately responded stating Hanoi’s claims are “illegal and invalid” and “China will never accept such claim”. Besides Vietnam and Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also question China’s claims over the South China Sea which in recent years has become a bitter dispute.

Bisphosphonates: Bone loss drugs

• 

  A new analysis suggests that women who use bisphosphonates (medications commonly used to treat osteoporosis and other bone conditions) have about half the risk of developing endometrial cancer as women who do not use the drugs. The study supports other research that has shown an anti-cancer effect of this type of medication.
  Endometrial cancer, which arises in the lining of the uterus, accounts for nearly 50 percent of gynecologic cancers diagnosed in the United States, and it is the fourth most common malignancy in women and the eighth most common cause of cancer death. While bisphosphonates are known to prevent bone loss, preclinical studies have shown that the medications also have antitumor effects, including the ability to keep tumor cells from multiplying and from invading normal tissues.
  To assess whether bisphosphonates might help prevent endometrial cancer, Sharon Hensley Alford, PhD, of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, led a team that evaluated information from the National Cancer Institute's PLCO (Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian) Screening Trial, which included questionnaires about bone medication use. The researchers analyzed data for only those bisphosphonates that contain nitrogen as these are known to have stronger anticancer activity.
  A total of 29,254 women were included in the analysis. After accounting for factors including age, race, history of hormone therapy use, smoking status, and body mass index, bisphosphonate users were half as likely to develop endometrial cancer.
  "Other studies have shown that bisphosphonates may reduce the risk of certain cancers, but we are the first to show that the risk for endometrial cancer may also be reduced," said Dr. Alford. "This study suggests that women who need bone strengthening medications and who have increased risk for endometrial cancer may want to choose the nitrogen form of bisphosphonates because this form may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer."

Smart Nagpur Vision of Gadkari – Hovercrafts, water buses transporting people through Nag Nadi

• 

  Nagpur: Speaking at the inaugural and first annual summit of Global Nagpur an initiative of Nagpur First, Mr. Nitin Gadkari wowed the audience with his brain storming of many wonderful projects and possibilities for Nagpur.
  He said Nagpur was already unique because of three advantages it enjoys:
  1. Country’s first 24 * 7 drinking water supply through OCW
  2. Nagpur ‘sells’ its sewage water to Maharashtra Govt. for 18 crores
  3. It has a project to make Bio CNG from waste
  Apart from these, Mr. Gadkari ideated about making diesel from Algae, making Nagpur an International Airport where many of the 450 flights flying overhead could land bringing foreign passengers and foreign exchange; a satellite dry port near Wardha; flourishing wood industry that would export wooden tiles to the world, electronically tagging tigers so that each tourist would be ensured ‘darshan’ of three tigers at least; Serriculture, Bamboo based industries, cotton mills and finally a hospital and a prosthetic unit that would help the 4% blind and physically handicapped population of the country.
  There was almost no subject that Gadkari did not touch upon – Sea planes; hovercrafts; organic farming, even toothpaste made from ayurvedic ingredients that would replace the MNC products India spends so much royalty on.
  He said that with the coal based methane available near Nagpur we could recover the shortage of chemical fertilizers needed by our farmers and with Thorium we can run Nuclear power plants without having to beg USA for nuclear fuel.
  At the end of his talk, he received a standing ovation from the elite gathering many of whom had congregrated to Nagpur specially for the conference.
  Speaking before him, our MLA from Katol Dr. Ashish Deshmukh said someone should sell Nagpurians the technology that would make them more active and workoholics. “That is an addiction we need” he said.
  Today’s session of the global summit was devoted to the subject of a Vision for making Nagpur a smart city.

GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR BANK EXAMS

• 1. What is India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the second quarter (July-September)
  of 2014-15?
  1) 5.7%
  2) 5.5%
  3) 5.4%
  4) 5.3%
  5) 5.9%
• 2. Which is the first African country to go to polls using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) made
  in India?
  1) Kenya
  2) Namibia
  3) Sudan
  4) South Sudan
  5) Somalia
• 3. National Milk Day is celebrated on?
  1) November 24
  2) November 25
  3) November 26
  4) November 28
  5) November 29
• 4. Jurgen Stock was elected the Secretary General of Interpol in November 2014. He belongs to?
  1) USA
  2) Poland
  3) Netherlands
  4) Germany
  5) Portugal
• 5. The Unit 1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) reached full capacity generation
  of 1,000 MW on June 7, 2014. It is in?
  1) Kerala
  2) Karnataka
  3) Tamil Nadu
  4) Maharashtra
  5) Uttar Pradesh
• 6. Which country holds the record for most world cup football titles with five?
  1) Italy
  2) Germany
  3) Argentina
  4) Brazil
  5) Uruguay
• 7. The inaugural edition of the European Games will be held in June 2015 in?
  1) Zagreb, Croatia
  2) Baku, Azerbaijan
  3) Riga, Latvia
  4) Sofia, Bulgaria
  5) Prague, Czech Republic
• 8. Which country is currently building four nuclear power stations in Barakah?
  1) Israel
  2) Iran
  3) UAE
  4) Iraq
  5) Saudi Arabia
• 9. Which of the following international organizations has asked governments to raise taxes on tobacco products to curb their consumption?
  1) UNESCO
  2) UNICEF
  3) UNO
  4) WHO
  5) WTO
• 10. The 2014 World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa was held in May 2014 in?
  1) Abuja
  2) Cape Town
  3) Pretoria
  4) Cairo
  5) Nairobi
• 11. Who was declared the Most Valuable Player at the Indian Premier League 7?
  1) Manish Pandey
  2) Robin Uthappa
  3) Virender Sehwag
  4) Glenn Maxwell
  5) James Faulkner
• 12. Who is the author of the book 'India at Risk'?
  1) Natwar Singh
  2) Jaswant Singh
  3) P. Chidambaram
  4) Shashi Tharoor
  5) None of these
• 13. The Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines on its proposed BBPS. BBPS stands for?
  1) Broad Based Payment Services
  2) Bank Based Payment Services
  3) Bharat Bill Payment System
  4) Bharat Bill Processing Services
  5) None of these
• 14. Likud is the major right-wing political party in?
  1) Israel
  2) South Africa
  3) Libya
  4) Iran
  5) Syria
• 15. Interpol is headquartered in?
  1) Frankfurt, Germany
  2) Tokyo, Japan
  3) Lyon, France
  4) Geneva, Switzerland
  5) Zurich, Switzerland
• 16. Juan Manuel Santos has been the President of which of the following countries since August 20-10?
  1) Colombia
  2) Costa Rica
  3) Panama
  4) Chile
  5) Peru
• 17. Lithuania will have Euro as its currency from January 1, 2015. Currently what is its currency?
  1) Lats
  2) Litas
  3) Loti
  4) Franc
  5) Krona
• 18. Sultan Azlan Shah passed away on May 28, 2014. He is regarded as the Father of Hockey in which of the following countries?
  1) Pakistan
  2) Indonesia
  3) Malaysia
  4) Iran
  5) Thailand
• 19. Sumitra Mahajan is the Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha. She is an eight-term Lok Sabha member from?
  1) Vidisha
  2) Chindwara
  3) Bhopal
  4) Indore
  5) Guna
• 20. Sam Kahamba Kutesa is the President of the sixty-ninth session of the United Nations General
  Assembly. He belongs to?
  1) Somalia
  2) Kenya
  3) Uganda
  4) Egypt
  5) Ethiopia
• 21. Which of the following Grand Slam singles tennis titles was won by Rafael Nadal in 2014?
  1) Australian Open
  2) French Open
  3) Wimbledon
  4) US Open
  5) Both 1and 2
• 22. The 38th session of the World Heritage Committee was held in which of the following cities
  from 15 to 25 June 2014?
  1) Tehran
  2) Bangkok
  3) Doha
  4) Damascus
  5) Manila
• 23. Rani-Ki-Vav has been included in UNESCO heritage site list. It is an 11th century step-well in?
  1) Rajasthan
  2) Maharashtra
  3) Haryana
  4) Gujarat
  5) Punjab
• 24. The 29th State of India, Telangana, has how many Assembly seats?
  1) 117
  2) 121
  3) 115
  4) 119
  5) 114
• 25. Who was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 2014 as the next ambassador
  to India?
  1) Nisha Biswal
  2) Raj Shah
  3) Atul Keshap
  4) Richard Rahul Verma
  5) Ronak D. Desai
• 26. Which of the following countries became the 181st member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in December 2014?
  1) Sudan
  2) Bhutan
  3) South Sudan
  4) Tuvalu
  5) East Timor
• 27. The Champions Trophy hockey tournament was held in December 2014 in?
  1) New Delhi
  2) Kolkata
  3) Bhubaneswar
  4) Bangalore
  5) Chandigarh
• 28. The World Diamond Conference was held in which of the following cities on December 11 and 12, 2014?
  1) Moscow
  2) Antwerp
  3) New Delhi
  4) Johannesburg
  5) Cape Town
• 29. The United Nations declared which of the following days as International Day of Yoga?
  1) July 21
  2) July 23
  3) June 23
  4) June 25
  5) June 21
• 30. Which of the following companies has acquired online fashion retailer Myntra.com?
  1) Jabong
  2) Snapdeal
  3) Flipkart
  4) Amazon
  5) Ebay
• 31. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is the political risk insurance and credit enhancement arm of the?
  1) World Bank Group
  2) International Monetary Fund
  3) World Trade Organization
  4) Asia Development Bank
  5) None of these
• 32. Which is India's first real estate developer to get ISO 9001:2008 Quality Certification?
  1) Parsvnath Developers
  2) DLF
  3) Unitech Limited
  4) DB Realty
  5) Indiabulls
• 33. The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to make sector-wise disclosure of their advances from 2014-15 onwards. This is done based on the recommendations of?
  1) Nachiket Mor Committee
  2) Bimal Jalan committee
  3) Damodaran Committee
  4) Pratyush Sinha Committee
  5) None of these
• 34. The Finance Ministry said that foreign investment of what per cent or more in a listed company
  will now be treated as Foreign Direct Investment?
  1) 5%
  2) 10%
  3) 20%
  4) 15%
  5) 25%
• 35. On June 20, 2014 the railway passenger fares were hiked by?
  1) 10.2%
  2) 11.2%
  3) 14.2%
  4) 12.2%
  5) 15.2%
• 36. The railway freight tariffs have been increased by?
  1) 5.5%
  2) 6.5%
  3) 7.5%
  4) 4.5%
  5) 8.5%
• 37. The Government of India and the World Bank signed a credit agreement for promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development in?
  1) Madhya Pradesh
  2) Chhattisgarh
  3) Jharkhand
  4) Himachal Pradesh
  5) Bihar
• 38. GMR Infra has won an 18-month long legal battle with which of the following governments?
  1) Israel
  2) South Africa
  3) Maldives
  4) Iran
  5) Singapore
• 39. The government has accepted the report of a committee on rationalizing definitions of FDI and FII headed by?
  1) R.S. Gujral
  2) Arvind Mayaram
  3) Rajiv Takru
  4) Vijay Kelkar
  5) None of these
• 40. Youwecan is a foundation established by which of the following sportspersons meant to fight cancer by spreading awareness about the fatal disease?
  1) Mary Kom
  2) Sania Mirza
  3) Mahesh Bhupathi
  4) Yuvraj Singh
  5) Milkha Singh
• 41. Who is the present Chairman of Microsoft?
  1) Bill Gates
  2) Satya Nadella
  3) John Thompson
  4) Steve Ballmer
  5) Paul Allen
• 42. Who is the founder of Gulabi Gang, a social organization that works for women welfare and empowerment?
  1) Gaura Devi
  2) Bachhi Devi
  3) Sampat Pal Devi
  4) Nanda Devi
  5) None of these
• 43. The Gulabi Gang movement was started in Banda district of?
  1) Odisha
  2) Bihar
  3) Jharkhand
  4) Rajasthan
  5) Uttar Pradesh
• 44. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is headquartered in?
  1) Geneva
  2) Berne
  3) Washington D.C.
  4) Zurich
  5) Basel
• Answers:
  1) 4 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 3 6) 4 7) 2 8) 3 9) 4 10) 1  11) 4 12) 2
  13) 3 14) 1 15) 3 16) 1 17) 2 18) 3 19) 4 20) 3 21) 2 22) 3 23) 4 24) 4
  25) 4 26) 2 27) 3 28) 3 29) 5 30) 3 31) 1 32) 2 33) 1 34) 2
  35) 3 36) 2 37) 4 38) 3 39) 2 40) 4 41) 3 42) 3 43) 5 44) 3