First Tejas fighter squadron expected by 2017-18
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NEW DELHI: Days after the government auditor questioned the delay in producing the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), a defence ministry official said the first squadron of 18 aircraft will be delivered by 2017-18 - a good 17 years after it first took to the skies.
"The initial operational clearance was obtained in December 2013 and the production of Tejas has commenced. The first squadron is expected to be delivered by 2017-18," a defence ministry official told IANS on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
"Efforts are underway to enhance the production capability," the official added.
However, the full operational clearance for the LCA is still pending and is now expected by December 2015.
A report of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) tabled in the just-concluded budget session of parliament said that due to the delay in the manufacture and supply of the LCA, the IAF forced force to take alternative and temporary measures such as upgrading its MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Jaguars, and Mirage aircraft at a cost of Rs 20,037 crore (over $3 billion) and revise the phasing out of the Soviet-era MiG-21s.
The LCA programme was sanctioned in 1983 with a development schedule of eight to 10 years against the IAF's requirement of induction by 1994.
Subsequently, the project missed many deadlines, mainly on account of design changes necessitated due to changes in weapon requirements, non-availability of the indigenous Kaveri engine, delay in completion of work packages and the like.
The CAG report also criticized LCA for its limited "operational capabilities" and being "overweight", largely due to the 53 concessions/permanent waivers the project had undergone.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha last week, defence minister Manohar Parrikar had blamed factors like "non-availability of trained manpower, non-availability of infrastructure and test facilities, unanticipated technical complexities faced in structural design and non-availability of critical components, equipment, or material and denial of technologies" by the advanced countries.
He also blamed "enhanced user's requirements or change in specifications during development", "increase in the scope of work", and "inadequate production facilities at HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Kimited)" for the delays.
NEW DELHI: Days after the government auditor questioned the delay in producing the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), a defence ministry official said the first squadron of 18 aircraft will be delivered by 2017-18 - a good 17 years after it first took to the skies. "The initial operational clearance was obtained in December 2013 and the production of Tejas has commenced. The first squadron is expected to be delivered by 2017-18," a defence ministry official told IANS on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
"Efforts are underway to enhance the production capability," the official added.
However, the full operational clearance for the LCA is still pending and is now expected by December 2015.
A report of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) tabled in the just-concluded budget session of parliament said that due to the delay in the manufacture and supply of the LCA, the IAF forced force to take alternative and temporary measures such as upgrading its MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Jaguars, and Mirage aircraft at a cost of Rs 20,037 crore (over $3 billion) and revise the phasing out of the Soviet-era MiG-21s.
The LCA programme was sanctioned in 1983 with a development schedule of eight to 10 years against the IAF's requirement of induction by 1994.
Subsequently, the project missed many deadlines, mainly on account of design changes necessitated due to changes in weapon requirements, non-availability of the indigenous Kaveri engine, delay in completion of work packages and the like.
The CAG report also criticized LCA for its limited "operational capabilities" and being "overweight", largely due to the 53 concessions/permanent waivers the project had undergone.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha last week, defence minister Manohar Parrikar had blamed factors like "non-availability of trained manpower, non-availability of infrastructure and test facilities, unanticipated technical complexities faced in structural design and non-availability of critical components, equipment, or material and denial of technologies" by the advanced countries.
He also blamed "enhanced user's requirements or change in specifications during development", "increase in the scope of work", and "inadequate production facilities at HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Kimited)" for the delays.
Delhi chief secy row: Kejriwal says officer favouring power companies
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NEW DELHI: The confrontation over the appointment turned into a full blown war between AAP government and Delhi lieutant governor Najeeb Jung, with the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing acting chief secretary S Shakuntala Doley Gamlin of favouring the power companies.
"We have proof that Gamlin was lobbying for power companies," Kejriwal said in a rally.
Jung on Friday had appointed Gamlin as Delhi's acting chief secretary despite strong opposition from Kejriwal. Meanwhile, Gamlin, in a written complaint to Jung, claimed that she was being intimidated and blackmailed by senior officials of the Delhi government.
She also accused the state government of casting aspersions on her integrity to service and levelling false charges.
Earlier in the day, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju also came in support of the officer and accused the AAP government of indulging in character assassination of a lady IAS officer from the northeast and "disobeying" the Constitution.
Accusing the AAP of insulting the people of Delhi, the minister said the officer's appointment was made by the LG as per rules and the Delhi government was making allegations against her without any proof.
"This is nothing but character assassination of a lady IAS officer from the Northeast. They are saying she is incapable. What are the charges against her. If she is involved in any corruption, bring charges against her. By making public statements against her, they are just indulging in character assassination, it is an insult to the people of Northeast," he said.
"What are charges against her. If you have proof, show it," he said.
Rijiju charged that the AAP government was trying to violate rules and disobeying the Constitution by questioning the authority of the LG. He asked whether the city government was trying to bring anarchy in Delhi.
The minister strongly criticized the AAP's charge that the Centre was attempting a "coup" in Delhi and questioned use of "undemocratic words" like coup.
Making it clear the national capital is just a Union Territory, he said its government cannot be equated with any other state government as the LG enjoys special power and the state government has limited powers as per Constitution.
"You keep saying that you are an elected government.But you must understand that the three municipal corporations in Delhi are also elected bodies.The central government is also elected by the people. All work under the Constitution and follow rules.
"We have proof that Gamlin was lobbying for power companies," Kejriwal said in a rally.
Jung on Friday had appointed Gamlin as Delhi's acting chief secretary despite strong opposition from Kejriwal. Meanwhile, Gamlin, in a written complaint to Jung, claimed that she was being intimidated and blackmailed by senior officials of the Delhi government.
She also accused the state government of casting aspersions on her integrity to service and levelling false charges.
Earlier in the day, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju also came in support of the officer and accused the AAP government of indulging in character assassination of a lady IAS officer from the northeast and "disobeying" the Constitution.
Accusing the AAP of insulting the people of Delhi, the minister said the officer's appointment was made by the LG as per rules and the Delhi government was making allegations against her without any proof.
"This is nothing but character assassination of a lady IAS officer from the Northeast. They are saying she is incapable. What are the charges against her. If she is involved in any corruption, bring charges against her. By making public statements against her, they are just indulging in character assassination, it is an insult to the people of Northeast," he said.
"What are charges against her. If you have proof, show it," he said.
Rijiju charged that the AAP government was trying to violate rules and disobeying the Constitution by questioning the authority of the LG. He asked whether the city government was trying to bring anarchy in Delhi.
The minister strongly criticized the AAP's charge that the Centre was attempting a "coup" in Delhi and questioned use of "undemocratic words" like coup.
Making it clear the national capital is just a Union Territory, he said its government cannot be equated with any other state government as the LG enjoys special power and the state government has limited powers as per Constitution.
"You keep saying that you are an elected government.But you must understand that the three municipal corporations in Delhi are also elected bodies.The central government is also elected by the people. All work under the Constitution and follow rules.
Maharashtra CM push to state sickle cell committee
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NAGPUR: Activists working for betterment of people suffering from sickle cell disease (SCD) have been demanding setting up of a committee to look after the issues related to the disease. They recently met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss some problems of the patients. He immediately ordered his subordinates to start the necessary formalities to construct a state-level sickle cell control and co-ordination committee.
While the demand for the committee is an old one, it was one of the eleven demands made by representatives from NGO Sickle Cell Society of India (SCSI) to the present state administration during the winter session of state legislature. Of them, only one, i.e. allowing patients to travel free of cost in state transport buses was fulfilled.
"Central India lies in the middle of the country's SCD belt, with several people suffering from the genetic blood disorder living in the villages of the region. Though Maharashtra has been running a sickle cell control programme for 15 years, the experts who contribute to the government's policy decisions are concentrated in Pune and Mumbai and seldom interact with the patients," said SCSI president Sampat Ramteke.
"With the committee being in place, we will have some specific place and people to direct all the problems faced by the patients," he said.
Ramteke also said that even when information was sought about funds meant for SCD patients, neither the public health department nor the Directorate of Medical Education and Research was very forthcoming.
The delegation from SCSI had met the minister with the request to form the committee under his leadership, or that of finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's. Fadnavis heard them out and agreed about the need for a central committee to co-ordinate the programmes and schemes related to SCD.
Some of the other demands that have been made by SCSI to the state government include restarting the prenatal detection for SCD, regular health checkups of patients, inclusion of the disorder in the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana and constructing a 30-bed SCD ward in government hospitals.
NAGPUR: Activists working for betterment of people suffering from sickle cell disease (SCD) have been demanding setting up of a committee to look after the issues related to the disease. They recently met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss some problems of the patients. He immediately ordered his subordinates to start the necessary formalities to construct a state-level sickle cell control and co-ordination committee.While the demand for the committee is an old one, it was one of the eleven demands made by representatives from NGO Sickle Cell Society of India (SCSI) to the present state administration during the winter session of state legislature. Of them, only one, i.e. allowing patients to travel free of cost in state transport buses was fulfilled.
"Central India lies in the middle of the country's SCD belt, with several people suffering from the genetic blood disorder living in the villages of the region. Though Maharashtra has been running a sickle cell control programme for 15 years, the experts who contribute to the government's policy decisions are concentrated in Pune and Mumbai and seldom interact with the patients," said SCSI president Sampat Ramteke.
"With the committee being in place, we will have some specific place and people to direct all the problems faced by the patients," he said.
Ramteke also said that even when information was sought about funds meant for SCD patients, neither the public health department nor the Directorate of Medical Education and Research was very forthcoming.
The delegation from SCSI had met the minister with the request to form the committee under his leadership, or that of finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's. Fadnavis heard them out and agreed about the need for a central committee to co-ordinate the programmes and schemes related to SCD.
Some of the other demands that have been made by SCSI to the state government include restarting the prenatal detection for SCD, regular health checkups of patients, inclusion of the disorder in the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana and constructing a 30-bed SCD ward in government hospitals.
PM Narendra Modi announces $1 billion line of credit for Mongolia
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ULAN BATOR: India on Sunday announced a credit line of $1 billion to Mongolia to expand its economic capacity and infrastructure, as they decided to upgrade their relationship from comprehensive to "strategic partnership".
Narendra Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Mongolia, held wide ranging talks with his counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg here following which the two sides inked 14 agreements covering defence, cyber security, agriculture, renewable energy and health sector.
"I am pleased to announce that India will provide a Line of Credit of $one billion to support expansion of Mongolia's economic capacity and infrastructure," Modi said at a joint press interaction with Saikhanbileg at State Palace.
Asserting that Mongolia is an integral part of India's act east policy, he said the destinies of the two countries are closely linked with the future of Asia Pacific Region.
"We can work together to help advance peace, stability and prosperity in this region," the Modi said.
"In a reflection of our commitment to further deepen our relationship, we have decided to upgrade our comprehensive partnership to 'strategic partnership'," he said.
Stating that it was a great honour to be the first Prime Minister of India to visit Mangolia, Modi said, "It is a special privilege to come on the occasion of two important milestones that unite us — 25 years of democracy in Mongolia and 60 years of diplomatic relations between our two nations."
Commenting on his counterpart Saikhanbileg's remarks that India is the "spiritual neighbour and third neighbour" of Mongolia, Modi said, "We will always fulfil the responsibility that comes with this honour."
"I was very pleased with my discussions with Prime Minister on Sunday. We have strong convergence of views on bilateral relations and our regional and international partnership," he said.
"The agreements that we have just signed speak to the depth of the relationship. These cover economic relations, development partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people contacts," the Prime Minister added.
ULAN BATOR: India on Sunday announced a credit line of $1 billion to Mongolia to expand its economic capacity and infrastructure, as they decided to upgrade their relationship from comprehensive to "strategic partnership".Narendra Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Mongolia, held wide ranging talks with his counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg here following which the two sides inked 14 agreements covering defence, cyber security, agriculture, renewable energy and health sector.
"I am pleased to announce that India will provide a Line of Credit of $one billion to support expansion of Mongolia's economic capacity and infrastructure," Modi said at a joint press interaction with Saikhanbileg at State Palace.
Asserting that Mongolia is an integral part of India's act east policy, he said the destinies of the two countries are closely linked with the future of Asia Pacific Region.
"We can work together to help advance peace, stability and prosperity in this region," the Modi said.
"In a reflection of our commitment to further deepen our relationship, we have decided to upgrade our comprehensive partnership to 'strategic partnership'," he said.
Stating that it was a great honour to be the first Prime Minister of India to visit Mangolia, Modi said, "It is a special privilege to come on the occasion of two important milestones that unite us — 25 years of democracy in Mongolia and 60 years of diplomatic relations between our two nations."
Commenting on his counterpart Saikhanbileg's remarks that India is the "spiritual neighbour and third neighbour" of Mongolia, Modi said, "We will always fulfil the responsibility that comes with this honour."
"I was very pleased with my discussions with Prime Minister on Sunday. We have strong convergence of views on bilateral relations and our regional and international partnership," he said.
"The agreements that we have just signed speak to the depth of the relationship. These cover economic relations, development partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people contacts," the Prime Minister added.
Saradha scam: ED questions Mithun Chakraborty; actor says he will return money
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KOLKATA: The enforcement directorate (ED) recently questioned Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chitfund scam.
During the questioning, the actor assured the agency that he would soon return the amount given to him by the said firm.
Official sources said the TMC MP was questioned earlier this week at the fortified guest house of a central police organisation here where his statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
During the recording of statement, sources said, Chakraborty provided the agency sleuths with a number of DVDs, CDs and scripts that he had got as part of being the brand ambassador of the Saradha group.
"The actor told the investigators that his association with the Saradha group was purely professional and that he had no intentions of cheating or duping anyone.He said he had no inkling about any sort of scam being perpetrated.The actor submitted all his personal and official records to the agency in this regard," the sources said.
The actor, during the about three-hour questioning, also told the investigators that he would deposit the amount of less than Rs 2 crore he had received to be finally restored to the depositors alleged to have been cheated in this scam.
The Rajya Sabha MP of the ruling party in West Bengal, as per information accessed by PTI, told the ED that he "actually acted in promotional videos and advertisements that were broadcast on television shows" made by the Saradha group and this was done as per his contract.
He told investigators that if he had bad intentions, he would not have done the promotional activity and instead would have stashed the money.
Sources said Chakraborty after submitting the documents and recording his statement also talked to a top ED official in Kolkata "assuring all help in the future."
"The agency is satisfied with the version that the actor has given and it well corroborates with the investigations done till now by sleuths in this case.It is expected that he would not be required to depose any further in his case," they said.
KOLKATA: The enforcement directorate (ED) recently questioned Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chitfund scam. During the questioning, the actor assured the agency that he would soon return the amount given to him by the said firm.
Official sources said the TMC MP was questioned earlier this week at the fortified guest house of a central police organisation here where his statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
During the recording of statement, sources said, Chakraborty provided the agency sleuths with a number of DVDs, CDs and scripts that he had got as part of being the brand ambassador of the Saradha group.
"The actor told the investigators that his association with the Saradha group was purely professional and that he had no intentions of cheating or duping anyone.He said he had no inkling about any sort of scam being perpetrated.The actor submitted all his personal and official records to the agency in this regard," the sources said.
The actor, during the about three-hour questioning, also told the investigators that he would deposit the amount of less than Rs 2 crore he had received to be finally restored to the depositors alleged to have been cheated in this scam.
The Rajya Sabha MP of the ruling party in West Bengal, as per information accessed by PTI, told the ED that he "actually acted in promotional videos and advertisements that were broadcast on television shows" made by the Saradha group and this was done as per his contract.
He told investigators that if he had bad intentions, he would not have done the promotional activity and instead would have stashed the money.
Sources said Chakraborty after submitting the documents and recording his statement also talked to a top ED official in Kolkata "assuring all help in the future."
"The agency is satisfied with the version that the actor has given and it well corroborates with the investigations done till now by sleuths in this case.It is expected that he would not be required to depose any further in his case," they said.
Jamoga, the monster that feeds on fingers of young ones
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MAHARAJGANJ (Rae Bareli): Seven-year-old Kanti will never count 10 off her fingers. The little finger on her left hand is missing. She has the Jamoga monster that gripped her at birth, to blame.
People in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district believe Jamoga is responsible for symptoms like changes in body colour, alterations in voice, stiffness of jaw, numbness of hands and feet, frequently passing stool, or breathlessness among newborns.
Once Jamoga takes control of a child, death is nearly certain.
The solution: To ward off the evil spirit, mothers dip their newborn's little finger in boiling mustard oil. Once the baby starts crying - which it naturally does - Jamoga is believed to have been exorcised.
Rama Devi of Jeehva village, who burnt her five-month-old daughter's finger two weeks ago, said: "It is a life-saving intervention."
Health experts see Jamoga as a psychological evil that harms a child's health at infancy. It's believed to be the strongest during the first week of a child's birth, whose effect begins waning by the time a child is six months old.
The presence of the evil spirit is not restricted to Central UP. It's seen in eastern UP, where it lives as 'laagh beeg' and 'hawa-bayaar', and as 'Badkawa' in Bundelkhand. Besides being torturous, the faith in Jamoga serves as the biggest hindrance in taking child survival interventions to the grassroots.
Social scientists estimate that Jamoga in its various avatars in UP is a potential baby killer. Apart from the loss of a little finger in infants, it is the delay in administering live-saving interventions that kills nearly half of the 70,000 children supposedly affected by Jamoga annually.
"At a time when the child should be taken to a doctor or given medicine, babies are taken to Jamoga healers who administer herbal potions and prescribe the burning-of-finger treatment for saving their lives. The time wasted as a result very often turns a relatively simple medical concern into a complicated one that ends in babies' deaths," said Adil Khan, field officer, Community empowerment lab, a social organization working for public health.
Many symptoms that locals believe are indicative of Jamoga's presence are, in fact, easy-to-cure medical conditions. Frequent passing of stool and vomiting, for instance, is symptomatic of diarrhea, while shortness of breath, may occur due to pulmonary infections, particularly pneumonia.
Kanti's mother Phooljhara says the process of identifying whether a child is in the grips of Jamoga is simple. "A duck is brought near the baby. If the duck doesn't go close to the baby, chances of baby's survival are low," she said, adding that many things can be done to keep Jamoga away. Traditional prevention methods include hanging iron objects like sickle, knife, axe or horse shoes in the 'saur' (post-partum confinement room). Putting fish net curtains around the 'saur', placing a sehura (cactus) or burning cow-dung outside it or bordering the door with geru (ocher) are also some interventions for keeping Jamoga at bay.
Health officials admit the problem is a grave one and use awareness campaigns - information, education and communication (IEC) initiatives - to bring about change. But social anthropologist Ranjanaa believes that faulty mindsets are not the only reason health services are unable to trickle down to the beneficiaries. "Health systems fail to deliver because they have a preachy approach to problems. The process inadvertently bypasses and challenges traditional wisdom, which leads to a natural conflict, disbelief and abeyance," she said.
Ranjanaa also said 'community's understanding' cannot be ignored because it indicates the presence of a realization and certain capabilities to save the child. "If it joins hand with scientific temper in a respectable and responsible way, interests of a child can be achieved in the best possible way," she said.
Pramod Singh, a social scientist working in public health, said the union of scientific temper and community wisdom is possible only through a proper understanding of behaviours and cultural constructs of target groups and subsequent introduction of modified interventions. "Front line workers, especially, need sensitising because they are often caught in a bind over whether to believe in the medical wisdom they have acquired, or the traditions they have grown up with," he said.
Local priests describe Jamoga as an unknown negative force living on Earth that feeds on the life of a newborn. Lakshmikant Shastri, one of the most revered priests in the area, said Jamoga originated from three sources; jackals, yakshas -- nature spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden under the earth and in tree roots -- who turn evil, and some in some cases, insects.
Jamoga healer Chandrapal Raidaas claimed he had seen Jamoga as a child and learnt the art of controlling it from his maternal uncle. "Black in colour, Jamoga's face resembles that of a buffalo. The visible part of the face is called 'badkawa', while the hidden face or shadow is known as 'chotkawa'. Together they attack a child. First, chotkawa steals all the positive energy in the room where the baby rests, thereafter, badkawa enters the body of the child, pushing out her soul," he said.
Raidaas also said the treatment begins by administering herbal medicines that usually fail. As a result, burning an infant's finger in boiling mustard oil is the only option left to torture Jamoga and to exorcise it.
MAHARAJGANJ (Rae Bareli): Seven-year-old Kanti will never count 10 off her fingers. The little finger on her left hand is missing. She has the Jamoga monster that gripped her at birth, to blame. People in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district believe Jamoga is responsible for symptoms like changes in body colour, alterations in voice, stiffness of jaw, numbness of hands and feet, frequently passing stool, or breathlessness among newborns.
Once Jamoga takes control of a child, death is nearly certain.
The solution: To ward off the evil spirit, mothers dip their newborn's little finger in boiling mustard oil. Once the baby starts crying - which it naturally does - Jamoga is believed to have been exorcised.
Rama Devi of Jeehva village, who burnt her five-month-old daughter's finger two weeks ago, said: "It is a life-saving intervention."
Health experts see Jamoga as a psychological evil that harms a child's health at infancy. It's believed to be the strongest during the first week of a child's birth, whose effect begins waning by the time a child is six months old.
The presence of the evil spirit is not restricted to Central UP. It's seen in eastern UP, where it lives as 'laagh beeg' and 'hawa-bayaar', and as 'Badkawa' in Bundelkhand. Besides being torturous, the faith in Jamoga serves as the biggest hindrance in taking child survival interventions to the grassroots.
Social scientists estimate that Jamoga in its various avatars in UP is a potential baby killer. Apart from the loss of a little finger in infants, it is the delay in administering live-saving interventions that kills nearly half of the 70,000 children supposedly affected by Jamoga annually.
"At a time when the child should be taken to a doctor or given medicine, babies are taken to Jamoga healers who administer herbal potions and prescribe the burning-of-finger treatment for saving their lives. The time wasted as a result very often turns a relatively simple medical concern into a complicated one that ends in babies' deaths," said Adil Khan, field officer, Community empowerment lab, a social organization working for public health.
Many symptoms that locals believe are indicative of Jamoga's presence are, in fact, easy-to-cure medical conditions. Frequent passing of stool and vomiting, for instance, is symptomatic of diarrhea, while shortness of breath, may occur due to pulmonary infections, particularly pneumonia.
Kanti's mother Phooljhara says the process of identifying whether a child is in the grips of Jamoga is simple. "A duck is brought near the baby. If the duck doesn't go close to the baby, chances of baby's survival are low," she said, adding that many things can be done to keep Jamoga away. Traditional prevention methods include hanging iron objects like sickle, knife, axe or horse shoes in the 'saur' (post-partum confinement room). Putting fish net curtains around the 'saur', placing a sehura (cactus) or burning cow-dung outside it or bordering the door with geru (ocher) are also some interventions for keeping Jamoga at bay.
Health officials admit the problem is a grave one and use awareness campaigns - information, education and communication (IEC) initiatives - to bring about change. But social anthropologist Ranjanaa believes that faulty mindsets are not the only reason health services are unable to trickle down to the beneficiaries. "Health systems fail to deliver because they have a preachy approach to problems. The process inadvertently bypasses and challenges traditional wisdom, which leads to a natural conflict, disbelief and abeyance," she said.
Ranjanaa also said 'community's understanding' cannot be ignored because it indicates the presence of a realization and certain capabilities to save the child. "If it joins hand with scientific temper in a respectable and responsible way, interests of a child can be achieved in the best possible way," she said.
Pramod Singh, a social scientist working in public health, said the union of scientific temper and community wisdom is possible only through a proper understanding of behaviours and cultural constructs of target groups and subsequent introduction of modified interventions. "Front line workers, especially, need sensitising because they are often caught in a bind over whether to believe in the medical wisdom they have acquired, or the traditions they have grown up with," he said.
Local priests describe Jamoga as an unknown negative force living on Earth that feeds on the life of a newborn. Lakshmikant Shastri, one of the most revered priests in the area, said Jamoga originated from three sources; jackals, yakshas -- nature spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden under the earth and in tree roots -- who turn evil, and some in some cases, insects.
Jamoga healer Chandrapal Raidaas claimed he had seen Jamoga as a child and learnt the art of controlling it from his maternal uncle. "Black in colour, Jamoga's face resembles that of a buffalo. The visible part of the face is called 'badkawa', while the hidden face or shadow is known as 'chotkawa'. Together they attack a child. First, chotkawa steals all the positive energy in the room where the baby rests, thereafter, badkawa enters the body of the child, pushing out her soul," he said.
Raidaas also said the treatment begins by administering herbal medicines that usually fail. As a result, burning an infant's finger in boiling mustard oil is the only option left to torture Jamoga and to exorcise it.
Airtel Zero, Internet.org against net neutrality: MTNL
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NEW DELHI: State-run MTNL has said Bharti Airtel's 'zero rating plan' and RCom's 'internet.org' scheme defeat the basic concept of net neutrality and such pacts should not be allowed as they affect economic interests of small telecom operators.
"In Airtel 'zero rating plan' and Reliance 'internet.org' these operators have directly negotiated with the application providers. MTNL is of the view that in any case, direct negotiations between OTT players and TSPs should not be allowed," the telecom operator said in its counter comments submitted to sectoral regulator TRAI.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on March 27 came out with a consultation paper on over-the-top (OTT) players such as WhatsApp and Skype with April 24 and May 8 as the last dates for submission of comments and counter comments, respectively.
The regulator received over 10 lakh comments from various telecom firms, associations and individuals while the number of counter-comments stood at 42.
TRAI, which is examining the comments, is yet to give its final recommendations on the Net Neutrality.
MTNL in its comments said that if direct negotiations are allowed, regional operators not being in position to negotiate with established over-the-top (OTT) players may result in denial of access to such OTT services to their subscribers or the users have to pay a higher cost.
"In any of the cases, the basic concept of net neutrality i.e. 'No discrimination/favour for any specific OTT service/s in terms of cost and access to subscribers' will be defeated," MTNL said.
The operator, which offers services in Delhi and Mumbai, said if direct negotiations are allowed, economic interests of small regional operators, restricted with limited licensed service area will be badly affected.
"The small operators having limited operating presence and subscriber base, will not have bargaining power to negotiate with OTT service providers, as compared to large players having wider geographical presence of operations," MTNL said.
The operator said situation may not provide an equitable opportunity to all players and will lead to exploitation of small regional operators by OTT service providers and large telcos.
MTNL, however, suggested a revenue share model with OTT service providers, to compensate infrastructure cost, spectrum fee, license fee and other corporate taxes borne by telcos.
"The terms/quantum for such revenue sharing arrangement should be decided by the regulator (in absolute terms and not ceilings) and should not be left to negotiations between TSPs and OTT service providers," MTNL added.
Telecom operators including Airtel, Vodafone, RCom as well as associations such as COAI have proposed to bring OTT communications services under a licencing regime. The telecom operators also said they should be allowed to offer services based on mutual agreements with the OTT players.
Internet service providers though said that bringing OTT players under a licensing regime will result in "negative unforeseen consequences" for technology start-ups and ecosystem.
A major public uproar was witnessed recently, especially on social media, alleging violation of net neutrality principle by platforms like Airtel Zero and Internet.org, where Facebook has partnered with Reliance Communications in India.
NEW DELHI: State-run MTNL has said Bharti Airtel's 'zero rating plan' and RCom's 'internet.org' scheme defeat the basic concept of net neutrality and such pacts should not be allowed as they affect economic interests of small telecom operators."In Airtel 'zero rating plan' and Reliance 'internet.org' these operators have directly negotiated with the application providers. MTNL is of the view that in any case, direct negotiations between OTT players and TSPs should not be allowed," the telecom operator said in its counter comments submitted to sectoral regulator TRAI.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on March 27 came out with a consultation paper on over-the-top (OTT) players such as WhatsApp and Skype with April 24 and May 8 as the last dates for submission of comments and counter comments, respectively.
The regulator received over 10 lakh comments from various telecom firms, associations and individuals while the number of counter-comments stood at 42.
TRAI, which is examining the comments, is yet to give its final recommendations on the Net Neutrality.
MTNL in its comments said that if direct negotiations are allowed, regional operators not being in position to negotiate with established over-the-top (OTT) players may result in denial of access to such OTT services to their subscribers or the users have to pay a higher cost.
"In any of the cases, the basic concept of net neutrality i.e. 'No discrimination/favour for any specific OTT service/s in terms of cost and access to subscribers' will be defeated," MTNL said.
The operator, which offers services in Delhi and Mumbai, said if direct negotiations are allowed, economic interests of small regional operators, restricted with limited licensed service area will be badly affected.
"The small operators having limited operating presence and subscriber base, will not have bargaining power to negotiate with OTT service providers, as compared to large players having wider geographical presence of operations," MTNL said.
The operator said situation may not provide an equitable opportunity to all players and will lead to exploitation of small regional operators by OTT service providers and large telcos.
MTNL, however, suggested a revenue share model with OTT service providers, to compensate infrastructure cost, spectrum fee, license fee and other corporate taxes borne by telcos.
"The terms/quantum for such revenue sharing arrangement should be decided by the regulator (in absolute terms and not ceilings) and should not be left to negotiations between TSPs and OTT service providers," MTNL added.
Telecom operators including Airtel, Vodafone, RCom as well as associations such as COAI have proposed to bring OTT communications services under a licencing regime. The telecom operators also said they should be allowed to offer services based on mutual agreements with the OTT players.
Internet service providers though said that bringing OTT players under a licensing regime will result in "negative unforeseen consequences" for technology start-ups and ecosystem.
A major public uproar was witnessed recently, especially on social media, alleging violation of net neutrality principle by platforms like Airtel Zero and Internet.org, where Facebook has partnered with Reliance Communications in India.
Car bomb blast near Kabul airport kills 3
-
KABUL: A car bomb rammed a convoy of foreign troops near the main airport in Afghanistan's capital on Sunday, killing at least three civilians in the latest attack in the city, police and a witness said.
The Nato force in Afghanistan said it could not confirm if any of its vehicles had been hit.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Taliban insurgents have launched a wave of attacks around the country since the drawdown of most foreign troops last year to a small training force.
Police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi said a suicide bomber in a Toyota Corolla rammed a convoy of foreign troops on the road from Kabul's main airport to a NATO military installation nearby.
The bomber struck about 200 metres from the main airport entrance along the road leading to NATO's adjacent base. Reuters TV footage showed the mangled remains of the car.
Rescuers carried wounded Afghan civilians from the scene, which police cordoned off.
Shopkeeper Fraidon Khan said he witnessed the car slam into a convoy of foreigners.
"I saw three dead bodies. One of them was a child and two were women," he said.
A spokesman for Nato's Resolute Support mission said there was no early confirmation that a coalition vehicle had been hit and referred queries to the Afghan Ministry of Interior.
"It just happened, so we're still tracking it," said public affairs officer Armando B. Perez.
KABUL: A car bomb rammed a convoy of foreign troops near the main airport in Afghanistan's capital on Sunday, killing at least three civilians in the latest attack in the city, police and a witness said. The Nato force in Afghanistan said it could not confirm if any of its vehicles had been hit.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Taliban insurgents have launched a wave of attacks around the country since the drawdown of most foreign troops last year to a small training force.
Police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi said a suicide bomber in a Toyota Corolla rammed a convoy of foreign troops on the road from Kabul's main airport to a NATO military installation nearby.
The bomber struck about 200 metres from the main airport entrance along the road leading to NATO's adjacent base. Reuters TV footage showed the mangled remains of the car.
Rescuers carried wounded Afghan civilians from the scene, which police cordoned off.
Shopkeeper Fraidon Khan said he witnessed the car slam into a convoy of foreigners.
"I saw three dead bodies. One of them was a child and two were women," he said.
A spokesman for Nato's Resolute Support mission said there was no early confirmation that a coalition vehicle had been hit and referred queries to the Afghan Ministry of Interior.
"It just happened, so we're still tracking it," said public affairs officer Armando B. Perez.
Pope confers sainthood on two Palestinians
-
VATICAN CITY: Two 19th-century nuns on Sunday became the first Palestinians to gain sainthood during an open-air mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St Peter's Square attended by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
The pontiff urged the faithful to follow the "luminous example" of the two 19th-century sisters and two others, from France and Italy, who were canonised along with them on a sunny spring morning.
Marie Alphonsine Ghattas was born in 1843 in Jerusalem during its rule by the Ottoman Empire, and died there during the British mandate period in 1927.
She was beatified — the final step before canonisation — in 2009. Mariam Bawardy was born in Galilee, now in northern Israel, in 1846. She became a nun in France and died in Bethlehem in 1878 and was beatified by pope John Paul II in 1983.
Around 2,000 pilgrims from the Palestinian territories, Israel and Jordan, some waving Palestinian flags, attended the mass as well as Abbas, who had a private audience with the pope on Saturday.
The Vatican on Wednesday officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized just days before the Catholic Church is set to declare two 19th century Palestinian nuns as saints. (Getty Images)
Ghattas, through her focus on women's education and community work, left behind a network of convents, schools and religious centres — a more palpable legacy than Bawardy, who lives on more through the memory of her tough and mysterious life.
For sainthood, the candidate must have lived a holy life, as determined by the Catholic Church, and must usually have at least two miracles to their name, attributable to prayers made to them posthumously.
A miracle that led to Ghattas's canonisation was the resuscitation of a Palestinian engineer in 2009, who was electrocuted and suffered a heart attack, but regained consciousness two days later after relatives prayed for her intercession.
During her life, Ghattas is said to have seen the Virgin Mary in several apparitions, and nuns talk of miracles she performed then, including saving a girl who had fallen down a well by tossing her rosary into the water.
Bawardy, after becoming a nun of the Carmelite order, helped found the Carmelite Monastery in Bethlehem.
Orphaned at a young age and illiterate, she had her throat slit by an angry would-be suitor when she refused to convert to Islam, but a mysterious "nun in blue" is said to have saved her life, the Carmelite order's website says.
She travelled to France to become a nun, then to India to help set up a monastery there, and eventually settled in Bethlehem.
Although there are several saints who lived in the region during Christianity's early days, Bawardy and Ghattas are the first to be canonised from Ottoman-era Palestine.
The canonisation of a third Palestinian — a Salesian monk — is still under review by the Church.
The other two new saints are Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve (1811-1854) and Maria Cristina dell'Immacolata (1856-1906).
De Villeneuve founded the Sisters of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Castres, in southwestern France, while Sister Maria Cristina founded the Oblation Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
Giant portraits of the four women hung from the facade of St Peter's Basilica facing the square.
Francis urged the faithful to "follow in the footsteps" of the four women, whom he called "models of sanctity."
During his meeting with Abbas on Saturday, the pontiff called him an "angel of peace" and the two discussed the peace process with Israel, the Vatican said.
The Vatican said last week it was preparing to sign its first accord with Palestine, two years after recognising it as a state.
VATICAN CITY: Two 19th-century nuns on Sunday became the first Palestinians to gain sainthood during an open-air mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St Peter's Square attended by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.The pontiff urged the faithful to follow the "luminous example" of the two 19th-century sisters and two others, from France and Italy, who were canonised along with them on a sunny spring morning.
Marie Alphonsine Ghattas was born in 1843 in Jerusalem during its rule by the Ottoman Empire, and died there during the British mandate period in 1927.
She was beatified — the final step before canonisation — in 2009. Mariam Bawardy was born in Galilee, now in northern Israel, in 1846. She became a nun in France and died in Bethlehem in 1878 and was beatified by pope John Paul II in 1983.
Around 2,000 pilgrims from the Palestinian territories, Israel and Jordan, some waving Palestinian flags, attended the mass as well as Abbas, who had a private audience with the pope on Saturday.
The Vatican on Wednesday officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized just days before the Catholic Church is set to declare two 19th century Palestinian nuns as saints. (Getty Images)
Ghattas, through her focus on women's education and community work, left behind a network of convents, schools and religious centres — a more palpable legacy than Bawardy, who lives on more through the memory of her tough and mysterious life.
For sainthood, the candidate must have lived a holy life, as determined by the Catholic Church, and must usually have at least two miracles to their name, attributable to prayers made to them posthumously.
A miracle that led to Ghattas's canonisation was the resuscitation of a Palestinian engineer in 2009, who was electrocuted and suffered a heart attack, but regained consciousness two days later after relatives prayed for her intercession.
During her life, Ghattas is said to have seen the Virgin Mary in several apparitions, and nuns talk of miracles she performed then, including saving a girl who had fallen down a well by tossing her rosary into the water.
Bawardy, after becoming a nun of the Carmelite order, helped found the Carmelite Monastery in Bethlehem.
Orphaned at a young age and illiterate, she had her throat slit by an angry would-be suitor when she refused to convert to Islam, but a mysterious "nun in blue" is said to have saved her life, the Carmelite order's website says.
She travelled to France to become a nun, then to India to help set up a monastery there, and eventually settled in Bethlehem.
Although there are several saints who lived in the region during Christianity's early days, Bawardy and Ghattas are the first to be canonised from Ottoman-era Palestine.
The canonisation of a third Palestinian — a Salesian monk — is still under review by the Church.
The other two new saints are Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve (1811-1854) and Maria Cristina dell'Immacolata (1856-1906).
De Villeneuve founded the Sisters of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Castres, in southwestern France, while Sister Maria Cristina founded the Oblation Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
Giant portraits of the four women hung from the facade of St Peter's Basilica facing the square.
Francis urged the faithful to "follow in the footsteps" of the four women, whom he called "models of sanctity."
During his meeting with Abbas on Saturday, the pontiff called him an "angel of peace" and the two discussed the peace process with Israel, the Vatican said.
The Vatican said last week it was preparing to sign its first accord with Palestine, two years after recognising it as a state.
BANK EXAMS SPECIAL - GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
-
1. Surender Singh took over as
the new Director General of which of the following paramilitary forces on May 1,
2015?
1) CRPF
2) BSF
3)
CISF
4) NSG
5) ITBP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Who was conferred the RedInk Award for
Lifetime Achievement for excellence in journalism on April 30, 2015?
1) Arnab
Goswami
2) Prannoy Roy
3) Sreenivasan Jain
4) Shekhar Gupta
5)
Krishna Prasad
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. ‘Varuna’ is a joint naval exercise between India
and?
1) USA
2) Singapore
3) France
4) Japan
5) UK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Who
was appointed the Chairperson of Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) in April 2015?
1) Sai
Paranjpye
2) Nafisa Ali
3) Ekta Kapoor
4) Mukesh Khanna
5) Pankaj
Dheer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania as his Special Envoy for?
1)
Yemen
2) Syria
3) Iraq
4) Afghanistan
5) Pakistan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Who was
named the honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in
December 2014?
1) N. Ramachandran
2) N. Srinivasan
3) Suresh
Kalmadi
4) Randhir Singh
5) None of these
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Donald Tusk is the
current President of the European Council. He is the former Prime Minister
of?
1) Czech Republic
2) Slovakia
3) Poland
4) Portugal
5)
Slovenia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. The first Regional Rural Bank in India, the Prathama Grameen
Bank, was started in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh in 1975. It was
sponsored by?
1) Punjab National Bank
2) State Bank of India
3) Indian
Bank
4) Syndicate Bank
5) Dena Bank
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. What does the letter ‘S’
denote in the term IFSC?
1) Subscriber
2) State
3) Station
4)
Source
5) System
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Who is the present Director General of National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF)?
1) O.P. Singh
2) A.P. Maheshwari
3) D.K. Pandey
4)
R.K. Prachanda
5) Ramesh P. Singh
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. The National Disaster Response
Force consists of ten battalions from?
1) CRPF
2) BSF
3) CISF
4)
ITBP
5) All the above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Who is the present Chairman of the Press Council of India
(PCI)?
1) Justice P.B. Sawant
2) Justice C.K. Prasad
3) Justice R.S.
Sarkaria
4) Justice A.N. Sen
5) Justice Markandey Katju
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. TVS
Company Chairman Venu Srinivasan has been conferred the title of honorary
citizen of Busan, the second largest city in?
1) Japan
2) China
3)
South Korea
4) Thailand
5) None of these
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Who was appointed as
the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in November
2014?
1) Manbir Singh
2) Amar Pratap Singh
3) D.K. Dewan
4) Deepak
Gupta
5) Vinay Mittal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. A.R. Antulay died in December 2014. He was
the former Chief Minister of?
1) Karnataka
2) Goa
3) Odisha
4)
Bihar
5) Maharashtra
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. The United Nations General Assembly declared which of the
following days as the World Soil Day?
1) June 5
2) July 5
3) November
5
4) October 5
5) December 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Jarbom Gamlin died on 2014
November 30. He was the former Chief Minister of?
1) Sikkim
2)
Nagaland
3) Arunachal Pradesh
4) Tripura
5) Manipur
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers
1) 3 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4
5) 1 6) 4 7) 3 8) 4 9) 5 10) 1
11) 5 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 5 17)
3
1. Surender Singh took over as
the new Director General of which of the following paramilitary forces on May 1,
2015?
1) CRPF
2) BSF
3) CISF
4) NSG
5) ITBP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Who was conferred the RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement for excellence in journalism on April 30, 2015?
1) Arnab Goswami
2) Prannoy Roy
3) Sreenivasan Jain
4) Shekhar Gupta
5) Krishna Prasad
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. ‘Varuna’ is a joint naval exercise between India and?
1) USA
2) Singapore
3) France
4) Japan
5) UK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Who was appointed the Chairperson of Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) in April 2015?
1) Sai Paranjpye
2) Nafisa Ali
3) Ekta Kapoor
4) Mukesh Khanna
5) Pankaj Dheer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania as his Special Envoy for?
1) Yemen
2) Syria
3) Iraq
4) Afghanistan
5) Pakistan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Who was named the honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2014?
1) N. Ramachandran
2) N. Srinivasan
3) Suresh Kalmadi
4) Randhir Singh
5) None of these
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Donald Tusk is the current President of the European Council. He is the former Prime Minister of?
1) Czech Republic
2) Slovakia
3) Poland
4) Portugal
5) Slovenia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. The first Regional Rural Bank in India, the Prathama Grameen Bank, was started in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh in 1975. It was sponsored by?
1) Punjab National Bank
2) State Bank of India
3) Indian Bank
4) Syndicate Bank
5) Dena Bank
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. What does the letter ‘S’ denote in the term IFSC?
1) Subscriber
2) State
3) Station
4) Source
5) System
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Who is the present Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)?
1) O.P. Singh
2) A.P. Maheshwari
3) D.K. Pandey
4) R.K. Prachanda
5) Ramesh P. Singh
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. The National Disaster Response Force consists of ten battalions from?
1) CRPF
2) BSF
3) CISF
4) ITBP
5) All the above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Who is the present Chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI)?
1) Justice P.B. Sawant
2) Justice C.K. Prasad
3) Justice R.S. Sarkaria
4) Justice A.N. Sen
5) Justice Markandey Katju
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. TVS Company Chairman Venu Srinivasan has been conferred the title of honorary citizen of Busan, the second largest city in?
1) Japan
2) China
3) South Korea
4) Thailand
5) None of these
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Who was appointed as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in November 2014?
1) Manbir Singh
2) Amar Pratap Singh
3) D.K. Dewan
4) Deepak Gupta
5) Vinay Mittal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. A.R. Antulay died in December 2014. He was the former Chief Minister of?
1) Karnataka
2) Goa
3) Odisha
4) Bihar
5) Maharashtra
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. The United Nations General Assembly declared which of the following days as the World Soil Day?
1) June 5
2) July 5
3) November 5
4) October 5
5) December 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Jarbom Gamlin died on 2014 November 30. He was the former Chief Minister of?
1) Sikkim
2) Nagaland
3) Arunachal Pradesh
4) Tripura
5) Manipur
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers
1) 3 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 1 6) 4 7) 3 8) 4 9) 5 10) 1
11) 5 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 5 17) 3
1) CRPF
2) BSF
3) CISF
4) NSG
5) ITBP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Who was conferred the RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement for excellence in journalism on April 30, 2015?
1) Arnab Goswami
2) Prannoy Roy
3) Sreenivasan Jain
4) Shekhar Gupta
5) Krishna Prasad
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. ‘Varuna’ is a joint naval exercise between India and?
1) USA
2) Singapore
3) France
4) Japan
5) UK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Who was appointed the Chairperson of Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) in April 2015?
1) Sai Paranjpye
2) Nafisa Ali
3) Ekta Kapoor
4) Mukesh Khanna
5) Pankaj Dheer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania as his Special Envoy for?
1) Yemen
2) Syria
3) Iraq
4) Afghanistan
5) Pakistan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Who was named the honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2014?
1) N. Ramachandran
2) N. Srinivasan
3) Suresh Kalmadi
4) Randhir Singh
5) None of these
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Donald Tusk is the current President of the European Council. He is the former Prime Minister of?
1) Czech Republic
2) Slovakia
3) Poland
4) Portugal
5) Slovenia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. The first Regional Rural Bank in India, the Prathama Grameen Bank, was started in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh in 1975. It was sponsored by?
1) Punjab National Bank
2) State Bank of India
3) Indian Bank
4) Syndicate Bank
5) Dena Bank
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. What does the letter ‘S’ denote in the term IFSC?
1) Subscriber
2) State
3) Station
4) Source
5) System
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Who is the present Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)?
1) O.P. Singh
2) A.P. Maheshwari
3) D.K. Pandey
4) R.K. Prachanda
5) Ramesh P. Singh
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. The National Disaster Response Force consists of ten battalions from?
1) CRPF
2) BSF
3) CISF
4) ITBP
5) All the above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Who is the present Chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI)?
1) Justice P.B. Sawant
2) Justice C.K. Prasad
3) Justice R.S. Sarkaria
4) Justice A.N. Sen
5) Justice Markandey Katju
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. TVS Company Chairman Venu Srinivasan has been conferred the title of honorary citizen of Busan, the second largest city in?
1) Japan
2) China
3) South Korea
4) Thailand
5) None of these
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Who was appointed as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in November 2014?
1) Manbir Singh
2) Amar Pratap Singh
3) D.K. Dewan
4) Deepak Gupta
5) Vinay Mittal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. A.R. Antulay died in December 2014. He was the former Chief Minister of?
1) Karnataka
2) Goa
3) Odisha
4) Bihar
5) Maharashtra
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. The United Nations General Assembly declared which of the following days as the World Soil Day?
1) June 5
2) July 5
3) November 5
4) October 5
5) December 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Jarbom Gamlin died on 2014 November 30. He was the former Chief Minister of?
1) Sikkim
2) Nagaland
3) Arunachal Pradesh
4) Tripura
5) Manipur
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers
1) 3 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 1 6) 4 7) 3 8) 4 9) 5 10) 1
11) 5 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 5 17) 3
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