General Affairs
PM Modi greets nation on harvest festivals, says diversity is India's greatest strength
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended his greetings to people of various communities as they celebrate harvest festivals, and said diversity is India's greatest strength. PM Modi in a series of tweets greeted people on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu and Uttarayan.
Today people across India are celebrating various festivals. My greetings to everyone celebrating these auspicious festivals, tweeted Modi.
May these festivals bring abundance of happiness and prosperity in the lives of our hardworking farmers, Modi said.
"These and many other festivals celebrated across India that add great colour and happiness in our lives. This diversity is India's greatest strength."
Modi also greeted people on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and wished that this day bring joy and prosperity in everyone's lives.
He wished Tamil people a happy and blessed Pongal, greeted Gujaratis for Uttarayan and people of Assam on the occasion of Magh Bihu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended his greetings to people of various communities as they celebrate harvest festivals, and said diversity is India's greatest strength. PM Modi in a series of tweets greeted people on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu and Uttarayan.
Today people across India are celebrating various festivals. My greetings to everyone celebrating these auspicious festivals, tweeted Modi.
May these festivals bring abundance of happiness and prosperity in the lives of our hardworking farmers, Modi said.
"These and many other festivals celebrated across India that add great colour and happiness in our lives. This diversity is India's greatest strength."
Modi also greeted people on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and wished that this day bring joy and prosperity in everyone's lives.
He wished Tamil people a happy and blessed Pongal, greeted Gujaratis for Uttarayan and people of Assam on the occasion of Magh Bihu.
MHA asks paramilitary forces to address grievances of jawans
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The Home Ministry today directed all paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redressal of jawans' grievances and inform everyone about the existing mechanism to resolve their problems in the wake of a personnel complaining about "poor quality" of food being served in BSF.
In a communication, the Home Ministry told BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB, ITBP, NSG and Assam Rifles to conduct independent inquiry once a complaint from any jawan is received on any matter and try to resolve it as early as possible. The seven paramilitary forces have been asked to inform their personnel about the existing grievance redressal cell and register complaints, if any, without any fear, official sources said.
JAWANS SHOULD NOT BE HARASSED: MHA
The forces were also told that no jawan should be harassed by their superiors if a complaint is lodged by him or her. The paramilitary forces were told to accept complaints of jawans through e-letters. Among the seven forces, one has already started receiving the complaints through e-letter, other six have been told to follow suit, sources said.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that all service personnel should take precautions while posting anything on social media. "Jawans will be told to be cautious while using social media so that country's security is not compromised and morale of the forces is not affected," he told reporters here. Sources said guidelines on using social media by paramilitary personnel would be re-issued.
As per the social media guidelines, a jawan has to take permission from superior officer before posting any content, picture, video thereon. No content related to security affairs should be uploaded on social media and no secret information, picture should be uploaded by any paramilitary personnel. All paramilitary personnel must be extremely cautious while using Tweeter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram etc., sources said.
BSF JAWAN COMPLAINS
BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav in a video that was uploaded on social networking sites had complained about poor quality of food being served to them. The jawan, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying a rifle, claimed that while government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers "sell it off" in an "illegal" manner in the market and the personnel have to suffer.
He also posted other videos in which he claimed that the quality of food served was not good. The BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of ration in Yadav's post and security personnel deployed along the border never complained about food.
The Home Ministry today directed all paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redressal of jawans' grievances and inform everyone about the existing mechanism to resolve their problems in the wake of a personnel complaining about "poor quality" of food being served in BSF.
In a communication, the Home Ministry told BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB, ITBP, NSG and Assam Rifles to conduct independent inquiry once a complaint from any jawan is received on any matter and try to resolve it as early as possible. The seven paramilitary forces have been asked to inform their personnel about the existing grievance redressal cell and register complaints, if any, without any fear, official sources said.
JAWANS SHOULD NOT BE HARASSED: MHA
The forces were also told that no jawan should be harassed by their superiors if a complaint is lodged by him or her. The paramilitary forces were told to accept complaints of jawans through e-letters. Among the seven forces, one has already started receiving the complaints through e-letter, other six have been told to follow suit, sources said.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that all service personnel should take precautions while posting anything on social media. "Jawans will be told to be cautious while using social media so that country's security is not compromised and morale of the forces is not affected," he told reporters here. Sources said guidelines on using social media by paramilitary personnel would be re-issued.
As per the social media guidelines, a jawan has to take permission from superior officer before posting any content, picture, video thereon. No content related to security affairs should be uploaded on social media and no secret information, picture should be uploaded by any paramilitary personnel. All paramilitary personnel must be extremely cautious while using Tweeter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram etc., sources said.
BSF JAWAN COMPLAINS
BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav in a video that was uploaded on social networking sites had complained about poor quality of food being served to them. The jawan, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying a rifle, claimed that while government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers "sell it off" in an "illegal" manner in the market and the personnel have to suffer.
He also posted other videos in which he claimed that the quality of food served was not good. The BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of ration in Yadav's post and security personnel deployed along the border never complained about food.
Will have to do same task as men, says Gen Bipin Rawat on frontline combat role for women
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Asserting that equal opportunity brings equal responsibility, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said it's up to women to decide if they they are willing to join men in frontline combat role without separate and additional facilities.
He mentioned that when out on tanks, the men sleep under the tank during the night with no separate facility.
Noting that women are present in combat arms of the army except on the the frontlines, General Rawat reminded that there are no toilet facilities when they go out on patrol.
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW :
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"You have to see society as whole. I have said, that if we induct women into combat role, they will have to share equal responsibility like their male counterparts because equal opportunity must come with equal responsibility. Which means that they will have to perform exactly the same task," he said addressing his first annual conference after taking over as Chief of Army Staff on December 31.
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Giving the example of soldiers in tanks, he said there is a unit of three personnel in each of them and when they go out, or are in a combat, they just sleep under the tank.
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"The three men crew have a stove. They cook and sleep under that tank. That is how they do," he said, adding there is no toilet facility or separate accommodation given to them.
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"So, if all three in the tank, if it is one woman or two women and a male, if they are all willing to sleep under the tank and if the women folk are willing to accept it," he said citing another example.
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He said patrol can be for 20-25 days and the longest one to the border was in Arunachal Pradesh for 35 days.
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"Now at night, when you halt, all that happens is a blue sheet is pulled out and everybody sleeps under it together.
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"There is no toilet. Everybody gets his bottle, he goes out, God knows where, and he returns after some time. If women are willing to move out in that environment, the women folk themselves need to take a call. Once the women are willing to take this kind of call, we will address this issue," he said.
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He said rather than thrusting it down, one has to look at the society and think.
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While women are inducted into the Corps of Engineers and Signals, they have been left out of the Infantry, Armoured corps and Mechanised infantry.
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The Air Force has already inducted women into the combat role but are not likely to post them at forward bases.
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The navy has allowed women to fly all aircraft not operating from an aircraft carrier since they don't have separate facilities on board as of now. However, future ships are being designed keeping in mind that women may join them on board.
Asserting that equal opportunity brings equal responsibility, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said it's up to women to decide if they they are willing to join men in frontline combat role without separate and additional facilities.
He mentioned that when out on tanks, the men sleep under the tank during the night with no separate facility.
Noting that women are present in combat arms of the army except on the the frontlines, General Rawat reminded that there are no toilet facilities when they go out on patrol.
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW :
- "You have to see society as whole. I have said, that if we induct women into combat role, they will have to share equal responsibility like their male counterparts because equal opportunity must come with equal responsibility. Which means that they will have to perform exactly the same task," he said addressing his first annual conference after taking over as Chief of Army Staff on December 31.
- Giving the example of soldiers in tanks, he said there is a unit of three personnel in each of them and when they go out, or are in a combat, they just sleep under the tank.
- "The three men crew have a stove. They cook and sleep under that tank. That is how they do," he said, adding there is no toilet facility or separate accommodation given to them.
- "So, if all three in the tank, if it is one woman or two women and a male, if they are all willing to sleep under the tank and if the women folk are willing to accept it," he said citing another example.
- He said patrol can be for 20-25 days and the longest one to the border was in Arunachal Pradesh for 35 days.
- "Now at night, when you halt, all that happens is a blue sheet is pulled out and everybody sleeps under it together.
- "There is no toilet. Everybody gets his bottle, he goes out, God knows where, and he returns after some time. If women are willing to move out in that environment, the women folk themselves need to take a call. Once the women are willing to take this kind of call, we will address this issue," he said.
- He said rather than thrusting it down, one has to look at the society and think.
- While women are inducted into the Corps of Engineers and Signals, they have been left out of the Infantry, Armoured corps and Mechanised infantry.
- The Air Force has already inducted women into the combat role but are not likely to post them at forward bases.
- The navy has allowed women to fly all aircraft not operating from an aircraft carrier since they don't have separate facilities on board as of now. However, future ships are being designed keeping in mind that women may join them on board.
Lalu applies dahi ka tika for Nitish, Bihar CM says there is no rift in grand alliance
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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today visited RJD President Lalu Prasad's residence on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Nitish was invited to the "dahi-chura" feast by Lalu which is a annual feature at his home. Interestingly, this was Nitish Kumar's first formal meeting with Lalu after he shared stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5 during Prakash Parv celebrations in Patna.
During the 30 minutes stay of Nitish at former CM Rabri Devi's official residence, Lalu and his family played a perfect host to Bihar CM. They served him all the delicacies including dahi, chura, and tilkut. After the festivities were over, Lalu in his distinctive style applied dahi ka tika on Nitish's forehead. Lalu had last year also during Makar Sankranti festival applied the tilak on Nitish's forehead after the grand alliance government had come to power.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
- After Lalu applied dahi ka tilak he exuded confidence that Nitish Kumar's government was performing well and dismissed rumors of any kind of rift in the grand alliance, especially after PM Modi praised Nitish for prohibition last week.
- "Mahagathbandhan government is doing very good work. People keep saying that there is rift in the Mahagathbandhan, see I have applied dahi ka tilak on Nitish's forehead. There is no rift and this has been proved by application of dahi ka tilak" said Lalu Prasad, RJD Supremo.
- Nitish too showcased unity within the grand alliance and asserted that both he and Lalu would continue to work together for development of the state.
- "I am fortunate to have got opportunity to visit Lalu's place on occasion of Makar Sankranti. Lalu has given his complete blessing to me by applying dahi ka tika. We are together trying to take Bihar forward. The kind of mandate people of this state has given to us, we realize that," said Nitish Kumar.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today visited RJD President Lalu Prasad's residence on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Nitish was invited to the "dahi-chura" feast by Lalu which is a annual feature at his home. Interestingly, this was Nitish Kumar's first formal meeting with Lalu after he shared stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5 during Prakash Parv celebrations in Patna.
During the 30 minutes stay of Nitish at former CM Rabri Devi's official residence, Lalu and his family played a perfect host to Bihar CM. They served him all the delicacies including dahi, chura, and tilkut. After the festivities were over, Lalu in his distinctive style applied dahi ka tika on Nitish's forehead. Lalu had last year also during Makar Sankranti festival applied the tilak on Nitish's forehead after the grand alliance government had come to power.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
- After Lalu applied dahi ka tilak he exuded confidence that Nitish Kumar's government was performing well and dismissed rumors of any kind of rift in the grand alliance, especially after PM Modi praised Nitish for prohibition last week.
- "Mahagathbandhan government is doing very good work. People keep saying that there is rift in the Mahagathbandhan, see I have applied dahi ka tilak on Nitish's forehead. There is no rift and this has been proved by application of dahi ka tilak" said Lalu Prasad, RJD Supremo.
- Nitish too showcased unity within the grand alliance and asserted that both he and Lalu would continue to work together for development of the state.
- "I am fortunate to have got opportunity to visit Lalu's place on occasion of Makar Sankranti. Lalu has given his complete blessing to me by applying dahi ka tika. We are together trying to take Bihar forward. The kind of mandate people of this state has given to us, we realize that," said Nitish Kumar.
India's surgical strike was a calibrate and responsible move: US Assistant Secretary of State
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Just when India's new Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that India will be ready to carry out more surgical strikes if needed against terror launchpads in PoK, the United States (US) has supported India's right to defend itself.
For the first time since the surgical strikes were carried out by India following the Uri terror attacks, US has spoken out calling India's response a calibrated and responsible one.
A key member of Barack Obama's diplomatic team, Nisha Biswal said that India should act when it is needed to defend its people but also prevent escalation. The US Assistant Secretary of State spoke exclusively to India Today.
US DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST HAFIZ SAEED
United States has demanded action against Hafiz Saeed and the terror groups in Pakistan. The outgoing US Assistant Secretary of State clarified that the US justice department placing a bounty for evidence against Hafiz Saeed followed a clear understanding of his role in the Mumbai attack.
Biswal stressed that action needs to be taken against Hafiz and others and the incoming Trump administration will continue to ask Pakistan to do the same.
"US DISAPPOINTED WITH BEIJING'S MOVE"
United States has also spoken out on China blocking India's move to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. In an exclusive conversation before she leaves office, Nisha Biswal, Obama's top appointee in the State Department said US is very disappointed with Beijing's move.
China had initially put India's resolution at the Security Council's 1267 committee on technical hold. And later despite support of other co-sponsors like US,UK to the resolution, China used its veto to block the move on December 30 last year.
Just when India's new Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that India will be ready to carry out more surgical strikes if needed against terror launchpads in PoK, the United States (US) has supported India's right to defend itself.
For the first time since the surgical strikes were carried out by India following the Uri terror attacks, US has spoken out calling India's response a calibrated and responsible one.
A key member of Barack Obama's diplomatic team, Nisha Biswal said that India should act when it is needed to defend its people but also prevent escalation. The US Assistant Secretary of State spoke exclusively to India Today.
US DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST HAFIZ SAEED
United States has demanded action against Hafiz Saeed and the terror groups in Pakistan. The outgoing US Assistant Secretary of State clarified that the US justice department placing a bounty for evidence against Hafiz Saeed followed a clear understanding of his role in the Mumbai attack.
"US DISAPPOINTED WITH BEIJING'S MOVE"
United States has also spoken out on China blocking India's move to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. In an exclusive conversation before she leaves office, Nisha Biswal, Obama's top appointee in the State Department said US is very disappointed with Beijing's move.
China had initially put India's resolution at the Security Council's 1267 committee on technical hold. And later despite support of other co-sponsors like US,UK to the resolution, China used its veto to block the move on December 30 last year.
Business Affairs
BRICS nations establishing themselves as economic force: K V Kamath
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BRICS countries are establishing themselves as an economic force, eminent Indian banker and New Development Bank chief K V Kamath has said, expressing confidence that the cooperation among the five-nation bloc will be further strengthened during the Chinese presidency this year.
With China to host the ninth BRICS annual summit in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen in September, Kamath said Shanghai-based NDB, established by the bloc, plans to showcase its progress to the leaders of the five countries.
The eminent banker said he believes the Xiamen summit will let people know where the BRICS countries stand today, their current agenda and "how we could benefit by working in a cooperative manner."
"Importantly, the summit comes at a time when you can clearly see the five countries establishing themselves as an economic force," he told state-run Xinhua news agency.
He said the cooperation among BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- will be strengthened during Chinese presidency over the bloc in 2017.
"The Chinese government has been very hospitable towards the NDB, enabling us to set up and operate the bank in a very short time," Kamath said.
"All of these would not have been possible without the support and guidance we received from China," he said.
This year opens the second decade of the emerging-market bloc.
In the first decade of its existence, BRICS moved forward on the economic front establishing NDB, which was established with initial subscribed capital of USD 50 billion with total paid- in capital of USD 10 billion.
The bank has started disbursing loans for various green infrastructure projects in the five countries.
In December 2016, the NDB signed its first loan agreement, providing 525 million yuan (USD 76 million) for a solar power project in Shanghai.
"The fact we were able to appraise our first project in a record time has set a new benchmark for the NDB to follow," he said.
Last year, the NDB issued three billion yuan worth of five-year green bonds, its first bond to raise funds worldwide for clean energy projects.
BRICS countries are establishing themselves as an economic force, eminent Indian banker and New Development Bank chief K V Kamath has said, expressing confidence that the cooperation among the five-nation bloc will be further strengthened during the Chinese presidency this year.
With China to host the ninth BRICS annual summit in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen in September, Kamath said Shanghai-based NDB, established by the bloc, plans to showcase its progress to the leaders of the five countries.
The eminent banker said he believes the Xiamen summit will let people know where the BRICS countries stand today, their current agenda and "how we could benefit by working in a cooperative manner."
"Importantly, the summit comes at a time when you can clearly see the five countries establishing themselves as an economic force," he told state-run Xinhua news agency.
He said the cooperation among BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- will be strengthened during Chinese presidency over the bloc in 2017.
"The Chinese government has been very hospitable towards the NDB, enabling us to set up and operate the bank in a very short time," Kamath said.
"All of these would not have been possible without the support and guidance we received from China," he said.
This year opens the second decade of the emerging-market bloc.
In the first decade of its existence, BRICS moved forward on the economic front establishing NDB, which was established with initial subscribed capital of USD 50 billion with total paid- in capital of USD 10 billion.
The bank has started disbursing loans for various green infrastructure projects in the five countries.
In December 2016, the NDB signed its first loan agreement, providing 525 million yuan (USD 76 million) for a solar power project in Shanghai.
"The fact we were able to appraise our first project in a record time has set a new benchmark for the NDB to follow," he said.
Last year, the NDB issued three billion yuan worth of five-year green bonds, its first bond to raise funds worldwide for clean energy projects.
Autonomy of RBI has been 'dented beyond repair': RBI staff write to Urjit Patel
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Feeling "humiliated" by events since demonetisation, RBI employees on Friday wrote to Governor Urjit Patel protesting against operational "mismanagement" in the exercise and Government impinging its autonomy by appointing an official for currency coordination.
In a letter, they said autonomy and image of RBI has been "dented beyond repair" due to mismanagement and termed appointment of a senior Finance Ministry official as a "blatant encroachment" of its exclusive turf of currency management.
"An image of efficiency and independence that RBI assiduously built up over decades by the strenuous efforts of its staff and judicious policy making has gone into smithereens in no time. We feel extremely pained," the United Forum of Reserve Bank Officers and Employees said in the letter addressed to Patel.
Commenting on "mismanagement" since November 8, when note ban was announced, and the criticism from different quarters, the letter said, "Its (RBIs) autonomy and image have been dented beyond repair."
At least two of the four signatories --- Samir Ghosh of All India Reserve Bank Employees Association and Suryakant Mahadik of All India Reserve Bank Workers Federation --- confirmed the letter. The other signatories are C M Paulsil of All India Reserve Bank Officers Association and R N Vatsa of RBI Officers Association.
The forum represents over 18,000 employees of the RBI across the ranks, Ghosh said.
The letter said appointment of an officer to coordinate currency management is a "blatant encroachment" on the exclusive jurisdiction of the RBI on currency and accused the Government of "impinging on RBI autonomy".
"May we request that as the Governor of RBI, its highest functionary and protector of its autonomy and prestige, you will please do the needful urgently to do away with this unwarranted interference from the Ministry of Finance, and assure the staff accordingly, as the staff feel humiliated," it said, soliciting "urgent action".
The RBI has been discharging the role of currency management for over eight decades since 1935, it said, adding the central bank does not need "any assistance" and the interference from FinMin is "absolutely unacceptable and deplorable".
The letter comes days after concerns about RBIs functioning being raised by at least three former Governors -- Manmohan Singh (former PM), Y V Reddy and Bimal Jalan. Former Deputy Governors, including Usha Thorat and K C Chakrabarty, have also voiced their concerns.
The letter said the RBI staff has carried out its job excellently following the move to ban 87 per cent of the outstanding currency by the Government.
Feeling "humiliated" by events since demonetisation, RBI employees on Friday wrote to Governor Urjit Patel protesting against operational "mismanagement" in the exercise and Government impinging its autonomy by appointing an official for currency coordination.
In a letter, they said autonomy and image of RBI has been "dented beyond repair" due to mismanagement and termed appointment of a senior Finance Ministry official as a "blatant encroachment" of its exclusive turf of currency management.
"An image of efficiency and independence that RBI assiduously built up over decades by the strenuous efforts of its staff and judicious policy making has gone into smithereens in no time. We feel extremely pained," the United Forum of Reserve Bank Officers and Employees said in the letter addressed to Patel.
Commenting on "mismanagement" since November 8, when note ban was announced, and the criticism from different quarters, the letter said, "Its (RBIs) autonomy and image have been dented beyond repair."
At least two of the four signatories --- Samir Ghosh of All India Reserve Bank Employees Association and Suryakant Mahadik of All India Reserve Bank Workers Federation --- confirmed the letter. The other signatories are C M Paulsil of All India Reserve Bank Officers Association and R N Vatsa of RBI Officers Association.
The forum represents over 18,000 employees of the RBI across the ranks, Ghosh said.
The letter said appointment of an officer to coordinate currency management is a "blatant encroachment" on the exclusive jurisdiction of the RBI on currency and accused the Government of "impinging on RBI autonomy".
"May we request that as the Governor of RBI, its highest functionary and protector of its autonomy and prestige, you will please do the needful urgently to do away with this unwarranted interference from the Ministry of Finance, and assure the staff accordingly, as the staff feel humiliated," it said, soliciting "urgent action".
The RBI has been discharging the role of currency management for over eight decades since 1935, it said, adding the central bank does not need "any assistance" and the interference from FinMin is "absolutely unacceptable and deplorable".
The letter comes days after concerns about RBIs functioning being raised by at least three former Governors -- Manmohan Singh (former PM), Y V Reddy and Bimal Jalan. Former Deputy Governors, including Usha Thorat and K C Chakrabarty, have also voiced their concerns.
The letter said the RBI staff has carried out its job excellently following the move to ban 87 per cent of the outstanding currency by the Government.
Govt issuing new-look and tamper-proof PAN cards
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The Government is issuing newly designed PAN (Permanent Account Number) cards that have added security features to make them tamper-proof and with contents written in both Hindi and English, a senior Income-Tax Department official said.
The distribution of new-look PAN cards, being printed by NSDL and UTIITSL (UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Ltd), started since January 1. The cards are being issued to new applicants but existing ones can only apply for them.
"The distribution of new PAN cards kicked off on January 1. However, these are only for the fresh lot of PAN card applicants," the official told PTI here.
"We have automated the data and made the PAN cards error-free," he said, adding, "In case existing cardholders apply for a fresh PAN card, they will be issued the newly designed cards."
Keeping in view the Rajbhasha policy of the Government, we have made fixed contents of the new PAN cards bilingual in which the headers are in English and Hindi, he said.
The Government has added a new feature to the card, known as Quick Response Code, which will help in verification process.
The code will help in providing all details of the cardholder in one go as when the document is produced before any authority. Hence, no room will be left for the cardholder to either tamper or give any kind of wrong information relating to the card, the official said.
PAN cards are mandatory for any transaction above Rs 2 lakh and for a lot of other activities like opening of a bank account and as identity proof. There are currently more than 25 crore PAN cardholders in the country.
As per Government estimate, every year 2.5 crore people across the country apply for PAN cards.
The Government is issuing newly designed PAN (Permanent Account Number) cards that have added security features to make them tamper-proof and with contents written in both Hindi and English, a senior Income-Tax Department official said.
The distribution of new-look PAN cards, being printed by NSDL and UTIITSL (UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Ltd), started since January 1. The cards are being issued to new applicants but existing ones can only apply for them.
"The distribution of new PAN cards kicked off on January 1. However, these are only for the fresh lot of PAN card applicants," the official told PTI here.
"We have automated the data and made the PAN cards error-free," he said, adding, "In case existing cardholders apply for a fresh PAN card, they will be issued the newly designed cards."
Keeping in view the Rajbhasha policy of the Government, we have made fixed contents of the new PAN cards bilingual in which the headers are in English and Hindi, he said.
The Government has added a new feature to the card, known as Quick Response Code, which will help in verification process.
The code will help in providing all details of the cardholder in one go as when the document is produced before any authority. Hence, no room will be left for the cardholder to either tamper or give any kind of wrong information relating to the card, the official said.
PAN cards are mandatory for any transaction above Rs 2 lakh and for a lot of other activities like opening of a bank account and as identity proof. There are currently more than 25 crore PAN cardholders in the country.
As per Government estimate, every year 2.5 crore people across the country apply for PAN cards.
Flipkart reshuffle: Investors vs Founders
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The appointment of Kalyan Krishnamurthy as CEO of Flipkart last week led to a certain amount of angst in social media, especially from founders of other start-ups and employees in the e-commerce space. The appointment was seen as a big investor - Tiger Global - flexing its muscles in the management of Flipkart. Till last year, the founders, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal had a largely free hand. However, last year things changed somewhat.
Sachin Bansal, whose focus was on growth was made the executive chairman while Binny Bansal took charge as CEO. The buzz was that Binny Bansal was taking on the CEO role at the behest of investors who wanted costs to be reined in and operations tightened. Now Binny Bansal has been elevated to the role of group CEO, whatever that entails. While Kalyan Krishnamurthy is probably going to be in charge of day to day operational decisions as the CEO.
Krishnamurthy's elevation has also seen the exits of a few other senior people in Flipkart. The buzz is that as the valuations of Flipkart has dropped, and as Amazon India shows an insatiable appetite for spending money to expand, investors in Flipkart are becoming more cautious.
At any rate, investors flexing their muscles and taking charge is not unknown, either in India or globally. In the US, investors even forced out Steve Jobs from Apple in the early years because they felt he was not the right person to lead it. They have forced out many other managements.
In India, the much talked about case in 2015 was the exit of Rahul Yadav, the co founder and driving force behind Housing.com. The investors who had put in enormous amounts of money had got tired of Yadav's behaviour and they wanted him out. They brought in Jason Kothari as CEO for the company.
(PropTiger, another real estate company has just announced an all stock merger with Housing.com and Jason Kothari is now joining Snapdeal, another company in which Softbank, the lead investor of Housing, has a significant stake).
But these are not the only examples. In most of the cases of acquisitions and consolidation of in different e-commerce arenas, the nudge has invariably come from investors. For example, the Flipkart deal with Letsbuy was aided by common investors. In other cases also, investors have often nudged a company to sell out or get acquired by a dominant player if they think that exits are going to be difficult.
While it is hard not to feel a certain sympathy for founders who have slaved day and night and taken all sorts of risks to build up their companies and who have a very clear vision of where they want the company to go, one should also understand the other side of the picture. Professional investors and venture capital firms give significant funds to start ups because they believe in the founder's vision.
However, they also need to watch out for their own interests. A huge majority of start ups fail, and only a few go on to become successes. Many investors are willing to wait 5 to 7 years to see returns - and even more if they think the start up is going to dominate the industry - but they eventually want an exit at a profit.
They also know that start up founders often have great passion and ideas, but do not have the management skills to manage firms once they become big enough. One of the things that big investors and venture capitalists bring to the table while investing in a start up is the kind of management depth and expertise they can call upon or the relationships they can forge with other players in the ecosystems. This is why even founders are choosy about whom they raise money from. Quite often, it is not just the money but also the contacts and other advantages the investor can bring in that makes the difference.
In good times, the interests of the founders and the investors are perfectly aligned. When the environment becomes tougher though, the interests diverge subtly. Founders often want to go for broke, and dominate a sector even if it means losing money in the short and medium run. Investors are often willing to lose money as well if growth is coming, but they also want to see that their money is being spent prudently, if the war for market share is likely to be long and hard. This is when investors start flexing their muscles and take a greater interest in the management of the start-ups they have founded.
In India, this process started last year in the current entrepreneurial round. Investors started taking a more active role in many companies they had put money in. And this trend is only likely to accelerate in 2017. Founders should be prepared for that.
The appointment of Kalyan Krishnamurthy as CEO of Flipkart last week led to a certain amount of angst in social media, especially from founders of other start-ups and employees in the e-commerce space. The appointment was seen as a big investor - Tiger Global - flexing its muscles in the management of Flipkart. Till last year, the founders, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal had a largely free hand. However, last year things changed somewhat.
Sachin Bansal, whose focus was on growth was made the executive chairman while Binny Bansal took charge as CEO. The buzz was that Binny Bansal was taking on the CEO role at the behest of investors who wanted costs to be reined in and operations tightened. Now Binny Bansal has been elevated to the role of group CEO, whatever that entails. While Kalyan Krishnamurthy is probably going to be in charge of day to day operational decisions as the CEO.
Krishnamurthy's elevation has also seen the exits of a few other senior people in Flipkart. The buzz is that as the valuations of Flipkart has dropped, and as Amazon India shows an insatiable appetite for spending money to expand, investors in Flipkart are becoming more cautious.
At any rate, investors flexing their muscles and taking charge is not unknown, either in India or globally. In the US, investors even forced out Steve Jobs from Apple in the early years because they felt he was not the right person to lead it. They have forced out many other managements.
In India, the much talked about case in 2015 was the exit of Rahul Yadav, the co founder and driving force behind Housing.com. The investors who had put in enormous amounts of money had got tired of Yadav's behaviour and they wanted him out. They brought in Jason Kothari as CEO for the company.
(PropTiger, another real estate company has just announced an all stock merger with Housing.com and Jason Kothari is now joining Snapdeal, another company in which Softbank, the lead investor of Housing, has a significant stake).
But these are not the only examples. In most of the cases of acquisitions and consolidation of in different e-commerce arenas, the nudge has invariably come from investors. For example, the Flipkart deal with Letsbuy was aided by common investors. In other cases also, investors have often nudged a company to sell out or get acquired by a dominant player if they think that exits are going to be difficult.
While it is hard not to feel a certain sympathy for founders who have slaved day and night and taken all sorts of risks to build up their companies and who have a very clear vision of where they want the company to go, one should also understand the other side of the picture. Professional investors and venture capital firms give significant funds to start ups because they believe in the founder's vision.
However, they also need to watch out for their own interests. A huge majority of start ups fail, and only a few go on to become successes. Many investors are willing to wait 5 to 7 years to see returns - and even more if they think the start up is going to dominate the industry - but they eventually want an exit at a profit.
They also know that start up founders often have great passion and ideas, but do not have the management skills to manage firms once they become big enough. One of the things that big investors and venture capitalists bring to the table while investing in a start up is the kind of management depth and expertise they can call upon or the relationships they can forge with other players in the ecosystems. This is why even founders are choosy about whom they raise money from. Quite often, it is not just the money but also the contacts and other advantages the investor can bring in that makes the difference.
In good times, the interests of the founders and the investors are perfectly aligned. When the environment becomes tougher though, the interests diverge subtly. Founders often want to go for broke, and dominate a sector even if it means losing money in the short and medium run. Investors are often willing to lose money as well if growth is coming, but they also want to see that their money is being spent prudently, if the war for market share is likely to be long and hard. This is when investors start flexing their muscles and take a greater interest in the management of the start-ups they have founded.
In India, this process started last year in the current entrepreneurial round. Investors started taking a more active role in many companies they had put money in. And this trend is only likely to accelerate in 2017. Founders should be prepared for that.
Axis Bank cuts lending rate by up to 70 bps
-
Country's third-largest private sector lender Axis Bank on Friday cut its interest offering by up to 0.70 per cent, following similar moves by all the major players in the system due to high liquidity post demonetisation.
The Shikha Sharma-led bank cut its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) for one year tenure-which serves as the benchmark for a slew of loans including home loans-by 0.65 per cent to 8.25 per cent, it said in a statement.
The new rates, decided by the bank's asset liability committee which met on Friday, are effective from January 18.
"We have passed the entire benefit accruing from a surge in the current and savings account and a drop in deposit rates to the borrowers," its head of treasury Shashikant Rathi said.
He added that the bank had effected a cut of between 0.75-1 per cent in its deposit offerings right after the November 8 government announcement to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which has led to a surge in the low-cost current and saving account deposits.
When asked about his outlook, Rathi said there is no more room for a cut at present and any further action hinges on events like a cut by RBI in its key rates or a surge in low-cost deposits. The bank had also cut its ase rate by over 0.10 per cent earlier this month. MCLR replaced the base rate in April last year for a better transmission of the RBI's policy actions in borrower costs.
He said 30 per cent of the bank's loan book is on the MCLR-based system, but the number is very dynamic as more people are switching to the lower-priced MCLR rates at a faster pace.
The bank's overnight MCLR has come down by a similar 0.65 per cent to 7.90 per cent while the highest cut of 0.70 per cent has been effected in the 3 month and 6 months MCLR which has been reviewed to 8.05 per cent and 8.15 per cent, respectively.
Country's largest lender SBI led the pack by first announcing a very sharp reduction of 0.90 per cent in its MCLR on January 2. Its one year MCLR stands at 8 per cent, while the overnight MCLR is 7.75 per cent. Others including Axis' private sector lenders like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank followed suit.
Country's third-largest private sector lender Axis Bank on Friday cut its interest offering by up to 0.70 per cent, following similar moves by all the major players in the system due to high liquidity post demonetisation.
The Shikha Sharma-led bank cut its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) for one year tenure-which serves as the benchmark for a slew of loans including home loans-by 0.65 per cent to 8.25 per cent, it said in a statement.
The new rates, decided by the bank's asset liability committee which met on Friday, are effective from January 18.
"We have passed the entire benefit accruing from a surge in the current and savings account and a drop in deposit rates to the borrowers," its head of treasury Shashikant Rathi said.
He added that the bank had effected a cut of between 0.75-1 per cent in its deposit offerings right after the November 8 government announcement to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which has led to a surge in the low-cost current and saving account deposits.
When asked about his outlook, Rathi said there is no more room for a cut at present and any further action hinges on events like a cut by RBI in its key rates or a surge in low-cost deposits. The bank had also cut its ase rate by over 0.10 per cent earlier this month. MCLR replaced the base rate in April last year for a better transmission of the RBI's policy actions in borrower costs.
He said 30 per cent of the bank's loan book is on the MCLR-based system, but the number is very dynamic as more people are switching to the lower-priced MCLR rates at a faster pace.
The bank's overnight MCLR has come down by a similar 0.65 per cent to 7.90 per cent while the highest cut of 0.70 per cent has been effected in the 3 month and 6 months MCLR which has been reviewed to 8.05 per cent and 8.15 per cent, respectively.
Country's largest lender SBI led the pack by first announcing a very sharp reduction of 0.90 per cent in its MCLR on January 2. Its one year MCLR stands at 8 per cent, while the overnight MCLR is 7.75 per cent. Others including Axis' private sector lenders like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank followed suit.
General Awareness
General Awareness Practice MCQs for all Bank Exams
-
1. Najeeb Jung resigned as the Lieutenant-Governor of which of the following Union Territories on December 22, 2016?
1) Puducherry
2) Delhi
3) Lakshadweep
4) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
5) None of these
2. Doris Leuthard was elected as the President of which of the following
countries on December 7, 2016?
1) Latvia
2) Switzerland
3) Lithuania
4) Bulgaria
5) Estonia
3. Who was crowned Miss World 2016?
1) Yaritza Reyes (Dominican Republic)
2) Natasha Mannuela (Indonesia)
3) Stephanie Del Valle (Puerto Rico)
4) Catriona Gray (Philippines)
5) Lenty Frans (Belgium)
4. Who was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year on December 22, 2016?
1) David Warner
2) A.B. de Villiers
3) Chris Gayle
4) Quinton de Kock
5) Virat Kohli
5. John Ashe passed away recently. He was former?
1) UNGA President
2) UNESCO Director General
3) WTO Director General
4) IMF Managing Director
5) World Bank President
6. Which of the following districts in Assam is India's first island district?
1) Biswanath
2) Sivasagar
3) Majuli
4) Hojai
5) Nagaon
7. Who is the present President of Panama?
1) Daniel Ortega
2) Isabel Saint Malo
3) Ricardo Martinelli
4) Juan Manuel Santos
5) Juan Carlos Varela
8. Cosco container ship became the first to travel through the Panama Canal's newly expanded locks on June 26, 2016. It belongs to?
1) Russia
2) USA
3) Japan
4) China
5) Brazil
9. Who won the women's singles title of the Australian Open Super Series Badminton tournament in
June 2016?
1) P.V. Sindhu
2) Saina Nehwal
3) Sun Yu
4) Ruthvika Shivani
5) Carolina Marin
10. Which country won the 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy held in London?
1) Australia
2) India
3) Germany
4) Netherlands
5) Spain
11. Arktika is a nuclear-powered icebreaker ship. It is launched by?
1) Russia
2) China
3) Japan
4) USA
5) Denmark
12. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a
human pilot aboard. Which of the following drones belong/s to the USA?
1) Predator
2) Reaper
3) Global Hawk
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
13. Terrorists killed 44 people at the Ataturk Airport on June 28, 2016. It is the main international airport serving?
1) Tehran
2) Baghdad
3) Istanbul
4) Damascus
5) Jerusalem
14. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket (PSLV-C34) launched how many satellites in a single
mission on June 22, 2016?
1) 22
2) 18
3) 17
4) 20
5) 24
15. The record for the most number of satellites launched in a single mission belongs to which of the
following countries?
1) USA
2) Japan
3) UK
4) China
5) Russia
16. What is the name of the ISRO's commercial arm?
1) Planet Labs
2) Astrium
3) Antrix Corporation
4) Intelsat
5) Inmarsat
17. At the 2016 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards ceremony who was honored with
the Woman of the Year Award?
1) Sridevi
2) Deepika Padukone
3) Kangana Ranaut
4) Priyanka Chopra
5) Moushmi Chatterjee
18. Which of the following is a French-origin fighter aircraft?
1) Tejas
2) Sukhoi-30
3) MiG-21
4) Mirage-2000
5) Chengdu J-7
19. Ranu Langthasa has been appointed the first woman Chairperson of the North Cachar Hills
Autonomous Council (NCHAC) in?
1) Arunachal Pradesh
2) West Bengal
3) Assam
4) Tripura
5) Meghalaya
20. Four Indian-Americans were honored with the Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award
2016. Who among the following is not one of them?
1) Sundar Pichai
2) Hari Sreenivasan
3) Vikram Malhotra
4) Bharati Mukherjee
5) Indra Nooyi
21. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali passed away recently. He belonged to?
1) USA
2) Cuba
3) Jamaica
4) Egypt
5) Nigeria
22. The 17th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony was held in June 2016 in?
1) Colombo
2) Madrid
3) London
4) Toronto
5) Sydney
23. Who was awarded the 25th G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research in June 2016?
1) Ashoke Sen
2) Dipankar Das Sharma
3) Sanjay Mittal
4) Raghavan Varadarajan
5) None of these
24. Who among the following coaches was chosen for the Mohun Bagan Ratna award for his contribution to the Mohun Bagan football Club?
1) Armando Colaco
2) Amal Dutta
3) Santosh Kashyap
4) Syed Nayeemuddin
5) None of these
25. Which film won the Best Film award at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2016?
1) Jolly LLB
2) Thithi
3) Bahubali
4) Bajirao Mastani
5) None of these
26. Gordie Howe, one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time, passed away recently. He
belonged to?
1) Iceland
2) Norway
3) Canada
4) Sweden
5) None of these
27. Desert Eagle II was held recently. It was the second in the series of bilateral exercises between
Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Air Force of?
1) Saudi Arabia
2) Oman
3) Qatar
4) United Arab Emirates
5) Iraq
28. The Defense Ministry has given its approval for the purchase of 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers
(ULH) guns from?
1) USA
2) Australia
3) Israel
4) Ireland
5) New Zealand
29. In June 2016 India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as
its?
1) 33rd member
2) 34th member
3) 35th member
4) 36th member
5) 37th member
30. In which year was the Missile Technology Control Regime established?
1) 1985
2) 1986
3) 1987
4) 1988
5) 1989
31. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off Champaran Satyagrah Express in Motihari in?
1) Bihar
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) Jharkhand
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) None of these
32. The plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was held in June 2016 in?
1) Beijing
2) Seoul
3) Tokyo
4) Geneva
5) The Hague
33. The Nuclear Suppliers Group consists of how many members?
1) 45
2) 46
3) 48
4) 44
5) 43
34. Which country was elected as Chair of a permanent committee of the United Nations for the first
time recently?
1) Yemen
2) Syria
3) Lebanon
4) Israel
5) Iraq
35. The United Nations General Assembly elected five non-permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council in June 2016. Which of the following countries is not one of them?
1) Ethiopia
2) Bolivia
3) Sweden
4) Kazakhstan
5) India
36. India is a member of which of the following international groupings?
1) Nuclear Suppliers Group
2) The Australia Group
3) The Wassenaar Arrangement
4) All 1, 2 and 3
5) None of these
37. Which of the following groups was established in response to India's first nuclear tests in 1974?
1) G7
2) NSG
3) G4
4) IAEA
5) None of these
38. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second International Yoga Day celebrations on
June 21, 2016 in?
1) New Delhi
2) Pune
3) Gandhinagar
4) Chandigarh
5) Panipat
39. Calder Memorial Trophy is associated with which of the following sports?
1) Golf
2) Rugby
3) Ice Hockey
4) Polo
5) Baseball
40. Who is the author of the book "A Life in Diplomacy"?
1) Sujatha Singh
2) Nirupama Rao
3) Shiv Shankar Menon
4) M.K. Rasgotra
5) Vikas Swarup
ANSWERS:
1) 2 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 1 6) 3 7) 5 8) 4 9) 2 10) 1
11) 1 12) 5 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 3 17) 4 18) 4 19) 3 20) 5
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 4 25) 2 26) 3 27) 4 28) 1 29) 3 30) 3
31) 1 32) 2 33) 3 34) 4 35) 5 36) 5 37) 2 38) 4 39) 3 40) 4
1. Najeeb Jung resigned as the Lieutenant-Governor of which of the following Union Territories on December 22, 2016?
1) Puducherry
2) Delhi
3) Lakshadweep
4) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
5) None of these
2. Doris Leuthard was elected as the President of which of the following
countries on December 7, 2016?
1) Latvia
2) Switzerland
3) Lithuania
4) Bulgaria
5) Estonia
3. Who was crowned Miss World 2016?
1) Yaritza Reyes (Dominican Republic)
2) Natasha Mannuela (Indonesia)
3) Stephanie Del Valle (Puerto Rico)
4) Catriona Gray (Philippines)
5) Lenty Frans (Belgium)
4. Who was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year on December 22, 2016?
1) David Warner
2) A.B. de Villiers
3) Chris Gayle
4) Quinton de Kock
5) Virat Kohli
5. John Ashe passed away recently. He was former?
1) UNGA President
2) UNESCO Director General
3) WTO Director General
4) IMF Managing Director
5) World Bank President
6. Which of the following districts in Assam is India's first island district?
1) Biswanath
2) Sivasagar
3) Majuli
4) Hojai
5) Nagaon
7. Who is the present President of Panama?
1) Daniel Ortega
2) Isabel Saint Malo
3) Ricardo Martinelli
4) Juan Manuel Santos
5) Juan Carlos Varela
8. Cosco container ship became the first to travel through the Panama Canal's newly expanded locks on June 26, 2016. It belongs to?
1) Russia
2) USA
3) Japan
4) China
5) Brazil
9. Who won the women's singles title of the Australian Open Super Series Badminton tournament in
June 2016?
1) P.V. Sindhu
2) Saina Nehwal
3) Sun Yu
4) Ruthvika Shivani
5) Carolina Marin
10. Which country won the 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy held in London?
1) Australia
2) India
3) Germany
4) Netherlands
5) Spain
11. Arktika is a nuclear-powered icebreaker ship. It is launched by?
1) Russia
2) China
3) Japan
4) USA
5) Denmark
12. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a
human pilot aboard. Which of the following drones belong/s to the USA?
1) Predator
2) Reaper
3) Global Hawk
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
13. Terrorists killed 44 people at the Ataturk Airport on June 28, 2016. It is the main international airport serving?
1) Tehran
2) Baghdad
3) Istanbul
4) Damascus
5) Jerusalem
14. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket (PSLV-C34) launched how many satellites in a single
mission on June 22, 2016?
1) 22
2) 18
3) 17
4) 20
5) 24
15. The record for the most number of satellites launched in a single mission belongs to which of the
following countries?
1) USA
2) Japan
3) UK
4) China
5) Russia
16. What is the name of the ISRO's commercial arm?
1) Planet Labs
2) Astrium
3) Antrix Corporation
4) Intelsat
5) Inmarsat
17. At the 2016 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards ceremony who was honored with
the Woman of the Year Award?
1) Sridevi
2) Deepika Padukone
3) Kangana Ranaut
4) Priyanka Chopra
5) Moushmi Chatterjee
18. Which of the following is a French-origin fighter aircraft?
1) Tejas
2) Sukhoi-30
3) MiG-21
4) Mirage-2000
5) Chengdu J-7
19. Ranu Langthasa has been appointed the first woman Chairperson of the North Cachar Hills
Autonomous Council (NCHAC) in?
1) Arunachal Pradesh
2) West Bengal
3) Assam
4) Tripura
5) Meghalaya
20. Four Indian-Americans were honored with the Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award
2016. Who among the following is not one of them?
1) Sundar Pichai
2) Hari Sreenivasan
3) Vikram Malhotra
4) Bharati Mukherjee
5) Indra Nooyi
21. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali passed away recently. He belonged to?
1) USA
2) Cuba
3) Jamaica
4) Egypt
5) Nigeria
22. The 17th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony was held in June 2016 in?
1) Colombo
2) Madrid
3) London
4) Toronto
5) Sydney
23. Who was awarded the 25th G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research in June 2016?
1) Ashoke Sen
2) Dipankar Das Sharma
3) Sanjay Mittal
4) Raghavan Varadarajan
5) None of these
24. Who among the following coaches was chosen for the Mohun Bagan Ratna award for his contribution to the Mohun Bagan football Club?
1) Armando Colaco
2) Amal Dutta
3) Santosh Kashyap
4) Syed Nayeemuddin
5) None of these
25. Which film won the Best Film award at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2016?
1) Jolly LLB
2) Thithi
3) Bahubali
4) Bajirao Mastani
5) None of these
26. Gordie Howe, one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time, passed away recently. He
belonged to?
1) Iceland
2) Norway
3) Canada
4) Sweden
5) None of these
27. Desert Eagle II was held recently. It was the second in the series of bilateral exercises between
Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Air Force of?
1) Saudi Arabia
2) Oman
3) Qatar
4) United Arab Emirates
5) Iraq
28. The Defense Ministry has given its approval for the purchase of 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers
(ULH) guns from?
1) USA
2) Australia
3) Israel
4) Ireland
5) New Zealand
29. In June 2016 India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as
its?
1) 33rd member
2) 34th member
3) 35th member
4) 36th member
5) 37th member
30. In which year was the Missile Technology Control Regime established?
1) 1985
2) 1986
3) 1987
4) 1988
5) 1989
31. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off Champaran Satyagrah Express in Motihari in?
1) Bihar
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) Jharkhand
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) None of these
32. The plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was held in June 2016 in?
1) Beijing
2) Seoul
3) Tokyo
4) Geneva
5) The Hague
33. The Nuclear Suppliers Group consists of how many members?
1) 45
2) 46
3) 48
4) 44
5) 43
34. Which country was elected as Chair of a permanent committee of the United Nations for the first
time recently?
1) Yemen
2) Syria
3) Lebanon
4) Israel
5) Iraq
35. The United Nations General Assembly elected five non-permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council in June 2016. Which of the following countries is not one of them?
1) Ethiopia
2) Bolivia
3) Sweden
4) Kazakhstan
5) India
36. India is a member of which of the following international groupings?
1) Nuclear Suppliers Group
2) The Australia Group
3) The Wassenaar Arrangement
4) All 1, 2 and 3
5) None of these
37. Which of the following groups was established in response to India's first nuclear tests in 1974?
1) G7
2) NSG
3) G4
4) IAEA
5) None of these
38. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second International Yoga Day celebrations on
June 21, 2016 in?
1) New Delhi
2) Pune
3) Gandhinagar
4) Chandigarh
5) Panipat
39. Calder Memorial Trophy is associated with which of the following sports?
1) Golf
2) Rugby
3) Ice Hockey
4) Polo
5) Baseball
40. Who is the author of the book "A Life in Diplomacy"?
1) Sujatha Singh
2) Nirupama Rao
3) Shiv Shankar Menon
4) M.K. Rasgotra
5) Vikas Swarup
ANSWERS:
1) 2 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 1 6) 3 7) 5 8) 4 9) 2 10) 1
11) 1 12) 5 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 3 17) 4 18) 4 19) 3 20) 5
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 4 25) 2 26) 3 27) 4 28) 1 29) 3 30) 3
31) 1 32) 2 33) 3 34) 4 35) 5 36) 5 37) 2 38) 4 39) 3 40) 4
1) Puducherry
2) Delhi
3) Lakshadweep
4) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
5) None of these
2. Doris Leuthard was elected as the President of which of the following
countries on December 7, 2016?
1) Latvia
2) Switzerland
3) Lithuania
4) Bulgaria
5) Estonia
3. Who was crowned Miss World 2016?
1) Yaritza Reyes (Dominican Republic)
2) Natasha Mannuela (Indonesia)
3) Stephanie Del Valle (Puerto Rico)
4) Catriona Gray (Philippines)
5) Lenty Frans (Belgium)
4. Who was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year on December 22, 2016?
1) David Warner
2) A.B. de Villiers
3) Chris Gayle
4) Quinton de Kock
5) Virat Kohli
5. John Ashe passed away recently. He was former?
1) UNGA President
2) UNESCO Director General
3) WTO Director General
4) IMF Managing Director
5) World Bank President
6. Which of the following districts in Assam is India's first island district?
1) Biswanath
2) Sivasagar
3) Majuli
4) Hojai
5) Nagaon
7. Who is the present President of Panama?
1) Daniel Ortega
2) Isabel Saint Malo
3) Ricardo Martinelli
4) Juan Manuel Santos
5) Juan Carlos Varela
8. Cosco container ship became the first to travel through the Panama Canal's newly expanded locks on June 26, 2016. It belongs to?
1) Russia
2) USA
3) Japan
4) China
5) Brazil
9. Who won the women's singles title of the Australian Open Super Series Badminton tournament in
June 2016?
1) P.V. Sindhu
2) Saina Nehwal
3) Sun Yu
4) Ruthvika Shivani
5) Carolina Marin
10. Which country won the 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy held in London?
1) Australia
2) India
3) Germany
4) Netherlands
5) Spain
11. Arktika is a nuclear-powered icebreaker ship. It is launched by?
1) Russia
2) China
3) Japan
4) USA
5) Denmark
12. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a
human pilot aboard. Which of the following drones belong/s to the USA?
1) Predator
2) Reaper
3) Global Hawk
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
13. Terrorists killed 44 people at the Ataturk Airport on June 28, 2016. It is the main international airport serving?
1) Tehran
2) Baghdad
3) Istanbul
4) Damascus
5) Jerusalem
14. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket (PSLV-C34) launched how many satellites in a single
mission on June 22, 2016?
1) 22
2) 18
3) 17
4) 20
5) 24
15. The record for the most number of satellites launched in a single mission belongs to which of the
following countries?
1) USA
2) Japan
3) UK
4) China
5) Russia
16. What is the name of the ISRO's commercial arm?
1) Planet Labs
2) Astrium
3) Antrix Corporation
4) Intelsat
5) Inmarsat
17. At the 2016 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards ceremony who was honored with
the Woman of the Year Award?
1) Sridevi
2) Deepika Padukone
3) Kangana Ranaut
4) Priyanka Chopra
5) Moushmi Chatterjee
18. Which of the following is a French-origin fighter aircraft?
1) Tejas
2) Sukhoi-30
3) MiG-21
4) Mirage-2000
5) Chengdu J-7
19. Ranu Langthasa has been appointed the first woman Chairperson of the North Cachar Hills
Autonomous Council (NCHAC) in?
1) Arunachal Pradesh
2) West Bengal
3) Assam
4) Tripura
5) Meghalaya
20. Four Indian-Americans were honored with the Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award
2016. Who among the following is not one of them?
1) Sundar Pichai
2) Hari Sreenivasan
3) Vikram Malhotra
4) Bharati Mukherjee
5) Indra Nooyi
21. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali passed away recently. He belonged to?
1) USA
2) Cuba
3) Jamaica
4) Egypt
5) Nigeria
22. The 17th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony was held in June 2016 in?
1) Colombo
2) Madrid
3) London
4) Toronto
5) Sydney
23. Who was awarded the 25th G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research in June 2016?
1) Ashoke Sen
2) Dipankar Das Sharma
3) Sanjay Mittal
4) Raghavan Varadarajan
5) None of these
24. Who among the following coaches was chosen for the Mohun Bagan Ratna award for his contribution to the Mohun Bagan football Club?
1) Armando Colaco
2) Amal Dutta
3) Santosh Kashyap
4) Syed Nayeemuddin
5) None of these
25. Which film won the Best Film award at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in June 2016?
1) Jolly LLB
2) Thithi
3) Bahubali
4) Bajirao Mastani
5) None of these
26. Gordie Howe, one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time, passed away recently. He
belonged to?
1) Iceland
2) Norway
3) Canada
4) Sweden
5) None of these
27. Desert Eagle II was held recently. It was the second in the series of bilateral exercises between
Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Air Force of?
1) Saudi Arabia
2) Oman
3) Qatar
4) United Arab Emirates
5) Iraq
28. The Defense Ministry has given its approval for the purchase of 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers
(ULH) guns from?
1) USA
2) Australia
3) Israel
4) Ireland
5) New Zealand
29. In June 2016 India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as
its?
1) 33rd member
2) 34th member
3) 35th member
4) 36th member
5) 37th member
30. In which year was the Missile Technology Control Regime established?
1) 1985
2) 1986
3) 1987
4) 1988
5) 1989
31. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off Champaran Satyagrah Express in Motihari in?
1) Bihar
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) Jharkhand
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) None of these
32. The plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was held in June 2016 in?
1) Beijing
2) Seoul
3) Tokyo
4) Geneva
5) The Hague
33. The Nuclear Suppliers Group consists of how many members?
1) 45
2) 46
3) 48
4) 44
5) 43
34. Which country was elected as Chair of a permanent committee of the United Nations for the first
time recently?
1) Yemen
2) Syria
3) Lebanon
4) Israel
5) Iraq
35. The United Nations General Assembly elected five non-permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council in June 2016. Which of the following countries is not one of them?
1) Ethiopia
2) Bolivia
3) Sweden
4) Kazakhstan
5) India
36. India is a member of which of the following international groupings?
1) Nuclear Suppliers Group
2) The Australia Group
3) The Wassenaar Arrangement
4) All 1, 2 and 3
5) None of these
37. Which of the following groups was established in response to India's first nuclear tests in 1974?
1) G7
2) NSG
3) G4
4) IAEA
5) None of these
38. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second International Yoga Day celebrations on
June 21, 2016 in?
1) New Delhi
2) Pune
3) Gandhinagar
4) Chandigarh
5) Panipat
39. Calder Memorial Trophy is associated with which of the following sports?
1) Golf
2) Rugby
3) Ice Hockey
4) Polo
5) Baseball
40. Who is the author of the book "A Life in Diplomacy"?
1) Sujatha Singh
2) Nirupama Rao
3) Shiv Shankar Menon
4) M.K. Rasgotra
5) Vikas Swarup
ANSWERS:
1) 2 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 1 6) 3 7) 5 8) 4 9) 2 10) 1
11) 1 12) 5 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 3 17) 4 18) 4 19) 3 20) 5
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 4 25) 2 26) 3 27) 4 28) 1 29) 3 30) 3
31) 1 32) 2 33) 3 34) 4 35) 5 36) 5 37) 2 38) 4 39) 3 40) 4
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