General Affairs
'Hardest-Working PM, They Say; This Will Continue': PM Narendra Modi
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Prime Minister Narendra Nodi discarded his fortified SUV to walk a short distance to the BJP office in Delhi today which was surrounded by party workers waiting to celebrate him. As he moved past, flowers rained down on him as elite commandos in combat gear circled their VVIP.
The celebrations for the outsized results in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were turned by the BJP into a launchpad for future elections.
PM Modi thanked the voters of the five states whose results were declared yesterday and used his victory speech to counter criticism. The party has been rebuked by opponents and others for not fielding a single Muslim candidate in Uttar Pradesh. "The BJP government is for those who have voted, (and) not voted for the party... no government has the right to discriminate. People are with or against some party only till the time of voting. Now, the UP government belongs to the people of UP."
Top cabinet ministers, organisational leaders and Chief Ministers of different states were in attendance as Mr Modi was thanked for his leadership.
Political opponents charge his government with rising arrogance. The PM cautioned his party in a speech that was frequently interrupted by cheers of "Modi, Modi" that "We have reached this position after hard work by four generations...winning requires us to be more humble. A tree may grow tall, but it can bend if it bears lots of fruit."
To stress that outright landslide wins which have decimated the opposition will not result in over-confidence, the PM said, "We may makes mistakes, but we will always be well-intentioned. We will work our hardest," he said (his punishing schedule is well-acknowledged), adding that, "I am the first PM who is often asked about working so hard. We will always serve the people."
If there was one over-riding theme to his speech, it was that there is a "New India" that is centered on its youth, and its aspirations, and its willingness to bear difficulties in the larger interest of progress, a reference to his demonetisation drive that was ridiculed by opponents but has been welcomed by the people.
It is now accepted even by rivals that his re-election is certain in 2019. The PM too suggested that he is drafting his agenda for a second term, highlighting that progress on key areas must be delivered "by 2022 - when the country would be celebrating 75 years of independence."
Pro-poor policies like free gas connections for the rural poor have served the BJP well in these elections, and the PM stressed, "There is a need to raise aspirations among the poor to find opportunities to do better."
In concert with this was his focus on development, which he described as "a tough issue to highlight in a campaign...for 50 years, parties have been afraid to use this plank."
His assertion that the BJP is going through a golden period has yesterday as unquestionable evidence. The sea of BJP workers certainly agreed. They cheered him as he walked by. They danced in the street to patriotic songs. And each time they caught a glimpse of him on the plasma screens relaying his speech, they shouted his name.
The celebrations for the outsized results in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were turned by the BJP into a launchpad for future elections.
Top cabinet ministers, organisational leaders and Chief Ministers of different states were in attendance as Mr Modi was thanked for his leadership.
Political opponents charge his government with rising arrogance. The PM cautioned his party in a speech that was frequently interrupted by cheers of "Modi, Modi" that "We have reached this position after hard work by four generations...winning requires us to be more humble. A tree may grow tall, but it can bend if it bears lots of fruit."
To stress that outright landslide wins which have decimated the opposition will not result in over-confidence, the PM said, "We may makes mistakes, but we will always be well-intentioned. We will work our hardest," he said (his punishing schedule is well-acknowledged), adding that, "I am the first PM who is often asked about working so hard. We will always serve the people."
If there was one over-riding theme to his speech, it was that there is a "New India" that is centered on its youth, and its aspirations, and its willingness to bear difficulties in the larger interest of progress, a reference to his demonetisation drive that was ridiculed by opponents but has been welcomed by the people.
It is now accepted even by rivals that his re-election is certain in 2019. The PM too suggested that he is drafting his agenda for a second term, highlighting that progress on key areas must be delivered "by 2022 - when the country would be celebrating 75 years of independence."
Pro-poor policies like free gas connections for the rural poor have served the BJP well in these elections, and the PM stressed, "There is a need to raise aspirations among the poor to find opportunities to do better."
In concert with this was his focus on development, which he described as "a tough issue to highlight in a campaign...for 50 years, parties have been afraid to use this plank."
His assertion that the BJP is going through a golden period has yesterday as unquestionable evidence. The sea of BJP workers certainly agreed. They cheered him as he walked by. They danced in the street to patriotic songs. And each time they caught a glimpse of him on the plasma screens relaying his speech, they shouted his name.
BJP Set To Form Goa Government, Manohar Parrikar As Chief Minister
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The BJP looks ready to retain Goa, despite placing second in the picturesque coastal state. There will be one major change if it forms the government: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to return to his home state as Chief Minister. Together with union minister Nitin Gadkari, he held a long meeting this evening at a five-star hotel where the BJP efficiently collected the additional seven seats it needs from small regional parties. Mr Parrikar then met with Governor Mridula Shah to stake claim.
Mr Gadkari said that Mr Parrikar has not resigned yet as Defence Minister. In Delhi,where the BJP's top leaders are meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said that the party will ask Mr Parrikar to choose whether he would like to move back to Goa.
Goa has 40 seats. The Congress won the most - 17 - but not enough to form the government -the target is 21. The BJP, which is the incumbent, won 13. Its legislators met this morning and unanimously said they want Mr Parrikar to give up his job as Defence Minister to head their government.
So who forms the government depends heavily on regional parties. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party or MGP is a former ally of the BJP (it opted out of the partnership right before the election). It won three seats and has said it will support the BJP if Mr Parrikar is selected by his party as head of the government.
Another regional party Goa Forward, which also won three seats, has provided its support in writing at the meeting this evening.
There are three independents who have been elected -and have the potential to play a crucial role. One of them is allied with the BJP. that gives the BJP the seven extra seats it needs for a majority.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar lost both the constituencies he fought - a sign, the Congress says, of the people's firm rejection of the BJP.
Mr Parrikar, after taking over as Chief Minister, will have to get elected to the Goa legislature within 6 months. He will also have to prove his majority in the legislature.
The Congress's Digvijaya Singh has accused the BJP of wooing defections and horse-trading. But he said that if the Congress does not get enough written support to hit 21 seats, it would "not like" to try and form the government.
Mr Gadkari said that Mr Parrikar has not resigned yet as Defence Minister. In Delhi,where the BJP's top leaders are meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said that the party will ask Mr Parrikar to choose whether he would like to move back to Goa.
So who forms the government depends heavily on regional parties. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party or MGP is a former ally of the BJP (it opted out of the partnership right before the election). It won three seats and has said it will support the BJP if Mr Parrikar is selected by his party as head of the government.
Another regional party Goa Forward, which also won three seats, has provided its support in writing at the meeting this evening.
There are three independents who have been elected -and have the potential to play a crucial role. One of them is allied with the BJP. that gives the BJP the seven extra seats it needs for a majority.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar lost both the constituencies he fought - a sign, the Congress says, of the people's firm rejection of the BJP.
Mr Parrikar, after taking over as Chief Minister, will have to get elected to the Goa legislature within 6 months. He will also have to prove his majority in the legislature.
The Congress's Digvijaya Singh has accused the BJP of wooing defections and horse-trading. But he said that if the Congress does not get enough written support to hit 21 seats, it would "not like" to try and form the government.
No One Responsible For UP Debacle: Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh
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Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav today said no one was responsible for the party's stunning defeat in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, which it fought in alliance with the Congress. The coalition managed to win just 56 of the states 403 seats while the BJP and allies, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scored a landslide win by claiming 325.
"No one is responsible (for the loss). We failed to convince the voters. Uttar Pradesh voted for BJP because of the promises they made. Let's see if they can fulfil the promises. We have lost earlier too, but then formed a government," he said.
Samajwadi Party's campaign for the polls was marked by in-fighting between two camps of the party led by Mulayam Singh and his son Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Voices within the party have also blamed a late alliance with the Congress, opposed by Mulayam Singh but commissioned by Akhilesh.
Akhilesh Yadav, who wrested control of the party from his father amid a bitter power tussle just weeks ahead of the polls, met party workers and leaders today, saying that the Samajwadi Party was not only a party, but an ideology, and that their "struggle will continue."
"You all should reach out to people and strengthen the party again. I will review party's performance and analyse the results. A meeting of all the party candidates and MLAs will be held next week after which we will devise our new strategy," he said.
"No one is responsible (for the loss). We failed to convince the voters. Uttar Pradesh voted for BJP because of the promises they made. Let's see if they can fulfil the promises. We have lost earlier too, but then formed a government," he said.
Samajwadi Party's campaign for the polls was marked by in-fighting between two camps of the party led by Mulayam Singh and his son Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Voices within the party have also blamed a late alliance with the Congress, opposed by Mulayam Singh but commissioned by Akhilesh.
Akhilesh Yadav, who wrested control of the party from his father amid a bitter power tussle just weeks ahead of the polls, met party workers and leaders today, saying that the Samajwadi Party was not only a party, but an ideology, and that their "struggle will continue."
"You all should reach out to people and strengthen the party again. I will review party's performance and analyse the results. A meeting of all the party candidates and MLAs will be held next week after which we will devise our new strategy," he said.
A 'New India' Is Emerging, Tweets Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) big win in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a "new India" is emerging which stands for development.
"A new India is emerging, which is being powered by the strength & skills of 125 crore Indians. This India stands for development (sic)," PM Modi tweeted.
"When we mark 75 years of freedom in 2022, we should have made an India that will make Gandhi Ji, Sardar Patel & Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar proud," he added.
He further encouraged people to take a pledge and express their commitment on the Narendra Modi Mobile App towards building a new India.
The tweets came a day after the BJP spectacular win in Uttar Pradesh that decimated the Samajwadi Party (SP) - Congress alliance and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The party won 312 of the state's 403 seats and its allies bagging 13 seats, taking the overall grand total of the pary to 325.
The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP-Congress alliance bagged just 56 seats and the BSP trailed behind with 19 seats.
The UP election results, whose campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are being seen as a referendum for his notes ban last year.
The BJP also scored a massive victory in Uttarakhand, winning 56 of the 70-member assembly in the state, and the Congress bagging just 11 seats. It also emerged as the second-largest party in both Manipur and Goa, with party chief Amit Shah declaring that the BJP will attempt to form government in both states.
"A new India is emerging, which is being powered by the strength & skills of 125 crore Indians. This India stands for development (sic)," PM Modi tweeted.
"When we mark 75 years of freedom in 2022, we should have made an India that will make Gandhi Ji, Sardar Patel & Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar proud," he added.
The tweets came a day after the BJP spectacular win in Uttar Pradesh that decimated the Samajwadi Party (SP) - Congress alliance and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The party won 312 of the state's 403 seats and its allies bagging 13 seats, taking the overall grand total of the pary to 325.
The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP-Congress alliance bagged just 56 seats and the BSP trailed behind with 19 seats.
The UP election results, whose campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are being seen as a referendum for his notes ban last year.
The BJP also scored a massive victory in Uttarakhand, winning 56 of the 70-member assembly in the state, and the Congress bagging just 11 seats. It also emerged as the second-largest party in both Manipur and Goa, with party chief Amit Shah declaring that the BJP will attempt to form government in both states.
Manohar Parrikar, Nitin Gadkari Meet Possible Allies At Goa 5-Star Hotel
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A meeting is in progress at a 5-Star hotel in Goa to scout possible allies for the BJP, which is trying to form the government despite being well short of majority. The participants include Union minister Manohar Parrikar - whom the party leaders in Goa want back to lead the state - his cabinet colleague Nitin Gadkari and the leaders of regional parties who could be prospective partners.
The local BJP unit has already sent a resolution demanding that the Union Minister be sent to take charge of the state, to the party brass in Delhi. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, a former BJP ally which won three seats, has said it would support the BJP if Mr Parrikar is made the Chief MInister. The BJP is also hoping to get the support of another regional party Goa Forward, which also has three seats each.
The BJP has won 14 seats in the 40-member Goa assembly. It has the support of one independent legislator, but needs 21 to form government. The Congress with 18 seats is the largest party and closer to the majority figure. Both have been trying to get the support of the regional parties since yesterday when election results in five states were announced.
The promise of the very popular Mr Parrikar gives the BJP an edge. Also, because with much in Goa centrally controlled, the smaller parties would prefer to align themselves with the party that rules in Delhi. The MGP was the BJP's pre-election ally in 2012 and they split just before this year's election.
Mr Parrikar along with union minister Nitin Gadkari was also present at the key meeting of BJP legislators this morning. He reportedly left the meeting temporarily when the legislators' resolution was passed.
For Mr Parrikar to become Chief Minister, he will be required to resign as the country's Defence Minister. If sworn in, he will have to, within six months, contest a state assembly seat vacated by one of the newly elected BJP legislators.
BJP sources said Mr Parrikar could fly the BJP's newly elected legislators and those who the party is trying to woo to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Manohar Parrikar had led the BJP to victory in the last assembly election but was pulled out for central duty as defence minister in 2014. His absence left a big void that his successor Laxmikant Parsekar struggled to fill. Mr Parsekar lost his election yesterday.
Mr Parrikar had camped in Goa for the elections and did nothing to quell speculation that he could return as chief minister.
The local BJP unit has already sent a resolution demanding that the Union Minister be sent to take charge of the state, to the party brass in Delhi. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, a former BJP ally which won three seats, has said it would support the BJP if Mr Parrikar is made the Chief MInister. The BJP is also hoping to get the support of another regional party Goa Forward, which also has three seats each.
The promise of the very popular Mr Parrikar gives the BJP an edge. Also, because with much in Goa centrally controlled, the smaller parties would prefer to align themselves with the party that rules in Delhi. The MGP was the BJP's pre-election ally in 2012 and they split just before this year's election.
Mr Parrikar along with union minister Nitin Gadkari was also present at the key meeting of BJP legislators this morning. He reportedly left the meeting temporarily when the legislators' resolution was passed.
For Mr Parrikar to become Chief Minister, he will be required to resign as the country's Defence Minister. If sworn in, he will have to, within six months, contest a state assembly seat vacated by one of the newly elected BJP legislators.
BJP sources said Mr Parrikar could fly the BJP's newly elected legislators and those who the party is trying to woo to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Manohar Parrikar had led the BJP to victory in the last assembly election but was pulled out for central duty as defence minister in 2014. His absence left a big void that his successor Laxmikant Parsekar struggled to fill. Mr Parsekar lost his election yesterday.
Mr Parrikar had camped in Goa for the elections and did nothing to quell speculation that he could return as chief minister.
Business Affairs
Cost Overrun For 287 Infra Projects Hits Rs. 1.66 Lakh Crore
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As many as 287 infrastructure projects worth Rs. 150 crore or above each, including those delayed due to various issues, have seen a cost overrun of Rs. 1.66 lakh crore.
Total original cost of implementation of 1,186 projects was Rs. 14,60,099.70 crore and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be Rs. 16,26,445.47 crore, which reflects cost overrun of Rs. 1,66,345.77 crore (11.39 per cent of the original cost), said the statistics ministry's latest flash report for December 2016.
The 1,186 projects in question include 287 that reported cost overrun and 336 time escalation.
"In April 2016, out of 1,061 projects on the monitor of this ministry, 241 reported cost and 326 time overrun while during December 2016, out of 1,186 projects, 287 reported cost and 336 time overrun," it added.
The flash report provides details on the status of the 1,186 central infrastructure projects that cost Rs. 150 crore and above.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation keeps track of such projects on time and cost overruns through its online computerisation monitoring system (OCMS) based on information provided by project implementation agencies.
According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till December 2016 is Rs. 6,94,056.07 crore, that is 42.67 per cent of the anticipated cost.
In comparison to April 2016, the number of projects reporting cost overrun has increased to 24.20 per cent from 22.71 per cent earlier whereas those facing time delay are down to 28.33 per cent, from the previously 30.73 per cent.
For December, of the 1,186 projects, 336 are delayed in respect of the original schedule and 78 reported additional delay with reference to the previous month. Of these 78, 34 are mega ones that are worth Rs. 1,000 crore and above, it said.
The report attributes the time overrun to a host of issues including delay in land acquisition, forest clearance, supply of equipment, funds constraints, the Maoist incursion, legal cases and law and order situation.
Total original cost of implementation of 1,186 projects was Rs. 14,60,099.70 crore and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be Rs. 16,26,445.47 crore, which reflects cost overrun of Rs. 1,66,345.77 crore (11.39 per cent of the original cost), said the statistics ministry's latest flash report for December 2016.
The 1,186 projects in question include 287 that reported cost overrun and 336 time escalation.
"In April 2016, out of 1,061 projects on the monitor of this ministry, 241 reported cost and 326 time overrun while during December 2016, out of 1,186 projects, 287 reported cost and 336 time overrun," it added.
The flash report provides details on the status of the 1,186 central infrastructure projects that cost Rs. 150 crore and above.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation keeps track of such projects on time and cost overruns through its online computerisation monitoring system (OCMS) based on information provided by project implementation agencies.
According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till December 2016 is Rs. 6,94,056.07 crore, that is 42.67 per cent of the anticipated cost.
In comparison to April 2016, the number of projects reporting cost overrun has increased to 24.20 per cent from 22.71 per cent earlier whereas those facing time delay are down to 28.33 per cent, from the previously 30.73 per cent.
For December, of the 1,186 projects, 336 are delayed in respect of the original schedule and 78 reported additional delay with reference to the previous month. Of these 78, 34 are mega ones that are worth Rs. 1,000 crore and above, it said.
The report attributes the time overrun to a host of issues including delay in land acquisition, forest clearance, supply of equipment, funds constraints, the Maoist incursion, legal cases and law and order situation.
Welspun Steel Gets Green Nod For Rs. 14,690 Crore Gujarat Project
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Welspun Steel Ltd (WSL) has received environmental clearance for setting up an integrated steel plant with production capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum in Gujarat at an estimated cost of Rs. 14,690 crore.
The proposed steel plant, to be set up in Anjar tehsil in Kutch district, aims to provide steady supply of slabs to group company Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL) which makes heavy plates and hot rolled coils.
WCL currently sources slabs from the market.
"The Environment Ministry has given the environment clearance (EC) to WSL for the installation of 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) capacity of integrated steel plant including 1.5 MPTA cement plant and 200 MW of captive power plant," a senior government official said.
The approval has been given based on the recommendations of the Expert Appraisal Committee (Industry-I) of the ministry. The EC is subject to certain conditions, the official added.
Total land required for the project is 231.58 hectares.
The key raw material for the plant would be procured from domestic sources or imported. The capital cost of the project is Rs. 14,690 crore, as per the proposal.
According to WSL, "This integrated steel plant project would provide steady source of slabs for the plate and coil mill of WCL, thereby increasing the financial competitiveness of the Welspun Group."
The project is estimated to be completed in 36-48 months.
WSL manufactures ribbed thermo mechanically treated bar and wire rods in Anjar tehsil, Gujarat. It has a coal-based sponge iron plant with 4 kilns, each of 100 tonnes per day capacity and a 12 MW captive power plant attached to waste heat recovery boilers.
The proposed steel plant, to be set up in Anjar tehsil in Kutch district, aims to provide steady supply of slabs to group company Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL) which makes heavy plates and hot rolled coils.
WCL currently sources slabs from the market.
"The Environment Ministry has given the environment clearance (EC) to WSL for the installation of 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) capacity of integrated steel plant including 1.5 MPTA cement plant and 200 MW of captive power plant," a senior government official said.
The approval has been given based on the recommendations of the Expert Appraisal Committee (Industry-I) of the ministry. The EC is subject to certain conditions, the official added.
Total land required for the project is 231.58 hectares.
The key raw material for the plant would be procured from domestic sources or imported. The capital cost of the project is Rs. 14,690 crore, as per the proposal.
According to WSL, "This integrated steel plant project would provide steady source of slabs for the plate and coil mill of WCL, thereby increasing the financial competitiveness of the Welspun Group."
The project is estimated to be completed in 36-48 months.
WSL manufactures ribbed thermo mechanically treated bar and wire rods in Anjar tehsil, Gujarat. It has a coal-based sponge iron plant with 4 kilns, each of 100 tonnes per day capacity and a 12 MW captive power plant attached to waste heat recovery boilers.
Coal India May Miss Output Target By 20 Million Tonnes This Fiscal: Top Official
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State-owned Coal India is likely to miss the production target by 20 MT and may end up producing up to 578 million tonnes this fiscal due to a string of issues, including evacuation and demand-supply, a top official has said.
The world's largest miner is aiming to ramp up its output to 1 billion tonnes by 2020.
"CIL may miss (production target) by 20 million tonnes (MT) and it (the output) should be between 570-578 MT," Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar told PTI.
The PSU has set a target of 598 MT production in 2016-17.
"Coal India is trying to meet their production target. It has promised me that it will try its best to meet the target and it is geared up," the Secretary said.
Coal India, he said, may not be able to meet the target as the PSU is facing a lot of issues. In Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (a Coal India arm) there were serious problems like resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R).
"There are problems also. Now that I have visited MCL (Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd), WCL (Western Coalfields Ltd), CCL (Central Coalfields Ltd)...there is not much problem in the CCL. In MCL there are serious problems," he said.
The company, he further said, was facing many other issues like delays in coal evacuation. In between, he said, there was less demand of coal by power sector and as a result there was less offtake of fossil fuel.
"But if there is a backlog then what happens is that your inventory starts increasing at your pitheads. If there is more inventory you have to quickly liquidate it else there may be changes of fire. Those are problems," Kumar said.
The world's largest miner is aiming to ramp up its output to 1 billion tonnes by 2020.
"CIL may miss (production target) by 20 million tonnes (MT) and it (the output) should be between 570-578 MT," Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar told PTI.
The PSU has set a target of 598 MT production in 2016-17.
"Coal India is trying to meet their production target. It has promised me that it will try its best to meet the target and it is geared up," the Secretary said.
Coal India, he said, may not be able to meet the target as the PSU is facing a lot of issues. In Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (a Coal India arm) there were serious problems like resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R).
"There are problems also. Now that I have visited MCL (Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd), WCL (Western Coalfields Ltd), CCL (Central Coalfields Ltd)...there is not much problem in the CCL. In MCL there are serious problems," he said.
The company, he further said, was facing many other issues like delays in coal evacuation. In between, he said, there was less demand of coal by power sector and as a result there was less offtake of fossil fuel.
"But if there is a backlog then what happens is that your inventory starts increasing at your pitheads. If there is more inventory you have to quickly liquidate it else there may be changes of fire. Those are problems," Kumar said.
H-1B Visas Could Be A Source Of Tension In Indo-US Ties: Former Diplomat
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"Demonising" the H-1B work visa issue could be a "source of tension" in Indo-US ties, a former top diplomat under the Obama Administration has said, calling for a "rational discourse" on the topic that could affect the lives of thousands of Indians.
"The issue of H1B and the rhetoric that has been flying around all of that, I think is going to be a source of tension," former US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal told PTI.
Her remarks came amidst reports that the Trump administration is initiating steps against it and half a dozen bills have been introduced in the US Congress in this regard.
The former Obama administration diplomat called for a rational discourse on this issue.
"We can all agree that the H-1B program has been an important and necessary program to help both, US and foreign companies meet shortages in high skilled workers. And that this has therefore brought much benefit to the American economy, and to the communities of which these companies both US and foreign operate," she asserted.
"But we can also all agree that there have been some overuses, misuses and abuses of this program," she said, adding some revisions being contemplated would be helpful in trying to ensure that the program is used as intended and not misused.
"What I think is deeply regrettable, is rhetoric both during the campaign and what has been heard from some political leaders and from some communities in constituency within the US is a scapegoating of the program for the kinds of job losses that certain industries and certain communities are experiencing," Biswal said in response to a question.
"It's fundamentally a conflating of issues so that rather than tackling some of the more difficult issues that we as a country need to address in terms of how our economy is changing, in terms of how certain industries and certain types of jobs are frankly not tenable in the long-term. Therefore, we need to think about how to re-structure the American work force and what kind of training and opportunity to provide," Biswal said.
"Rather than having those difficult conversations, what I find very regrettable is a scapegoating and a demonizing of a certain program in a certain category of work, as being the reason why there are job losses, or why there is economic stagnation in certain parts of the country. Because these, you know, foreign workers are coming in and taking our jobs. I find that offensive. I find that disturbing," she alleged.
"I find that at the end of the day what it does is it makes the US, it makes our economy and our society less welcoming, less hospitable. Less vibrant, less dynamic," she said.
The former top American diplomat said that the US would be badly hit if the US is not drawing the talent, the best, the brightest minds from around the world to its shores, whether in temporary capacities, whether in student capacities or in immigrant capacities.
"So, what I would hope is that on the issue of the H1B program, that we can have a rational discourse on what are some of the reforms that would be useful. What are some of the ways in which companies that use that category of skilled labor, can also be committing to building training and opportunities for displaced workers to be able to engage in some of these jobs. And how can we kind of re-frame the discussion in a more constructive and productive way," she said.
"Because otherwise, what you have when you do that kind of scapegoating is you then create vulnerability for those workers and for all immigrant populations," Biswal warned.
"We are starting to see that in the rise in hate crimes, and the rise of violence targeting immigrant communities. And particularly we've seen the uptake on violence against Indians and Indian-Americans in the US. I think that the government and political leaders at the national, at the state, and at the local level have a responsibility to, one, condemn that kind of violence and targeting, and two, to act and speak responsibly about these issues," Biswal said in response to a question.
Biswal said she is worried that there are many people in communities across the country who feel vulnerable and unsafe.
"We are hearing that in the IT community certainly. We're hearing that people are afraid to travel. That even in-country transfers people are afraid to get on airplanes because they think they may be targeted, even though they're here legally," she said.
She said people are worried about how they're perceived in the communities in which they are living and that's deeply unfortunate because it goes against the grain of what America has been for all these years and generations.
"I wish that my concerns had not been actualized. I wish that coming into office that there had been a conservative effort to change the rhetoric and to bring everybody together. But I fear that that has not been the case," she said.
"The issue of H1B and the rhetoric that has been flying around all of that, I think is going to be a source of tension," former US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal told PTI.
Her remarks came amidst reports that the Trump administration is initiating steps against it and half a dozen bills have been introduced in the US Congress in this regard.
The former Obama administration diplomat called for a rational discourse on this issue.
"We can all agree that the H-1B program has been an important and necessary program to help both, US and foreign companies meet shortages in high skilled workers. And that this has therefore brought much benefit to the American economy, and to the communities of which these companies both US and foreign operate," she asserted.
"But we can also all agree that there have been some overuses, misuses and abuses of this program," she said, adding some revisions being contemplated would be helpful in trying to ensure that the program is used as intended and not misused.
"What I think is deeply regrettable, is rhetoric both during the campaign and what has been heard from some political leaders and from some communities in constituency within the US is a scapegoating of the program for the kinds of job losses that certain industries and certain communities are experiencing," Biswal said in response to a question.
"It's fundamentally a conflating of issues so that rather than tackling some of the more difficult issues that we as a country need to address in terms of how our economy is changing, in terms of how certain industries and certain types of jobs are frankly not tenable in the long-term. Therefore, we need to think about how to re-structure the American work force and what kind of training and opportunity to provide," Biswal said.
"Rather than having those difficult conversations, what I find very regrettable is a scapegoating and a demonizing of a certain program in a certain category of work, as being the reason why there are job losses, or why there is economic stagnation in certain parts of the country. Because these, you know, foreign workers are coming in and taking our jobs. I find that offensive. I find that disturbing," she alleged.
"I find that at the end of the day what it does is it makes the US, it makes our economy and our society less welcoming, less hospitable. Less vibrant, less dynamic," she said.
The former top American diplomat said that the US would be badly hit if the US is not drawing the talent, the best, the brightest minds from around the world to its shores, whether in temporary capacities, whether in student capacities or in immigrant capacities.
"So, what I would hope is that on the issue of the H1B program, that we can have a rational discourse on what are some of the reforms that would be useful. What are some of the ways in which companies that use that category of skilled labor, can also be committing to building training and opportunities for displaced workers to be able to engage in some of these jobs. And how can we kind of re-frame the discussion in a more constructive and productive way," she said.
"Because otherwise, what you have when you do that kind of scapegoating is you then create vulnerability for those workers and for all immigrant populations," Biswal warned.
"We are starting to see that in the rise in hate crimes, and the rise of violence targeting immigrant communities. And particularly we've seen the uptake on violence against Indians and Indian-Americans in the US. I think that the government and political leaders at the national, at the state, and at the local level have a responsibility to, one, condemn that kind of violence and targeting, and two, to act and speak responsibly about these issues," Biswal said in response to a question.
Biswal said she is worried that there are many people in communities across the country who feel vulnerable and unsafe.
"We are hearing that in the IT community certainly. We're hearing that people are afraid to travel. That even in-country transfers people are afraid to get on airplanes because they think they may be targeted, even though they're here legally," she said.
She said people are worried about how they're perceived in the communities in which they are living and that's deeply unfortunate because it goes against the grain of what America has been for all these years and generations.
"I wish that my concerns had not been actualized. I wish that coming into office that there had been a conservative effort to change the rhetoric and to bring everybody together. But I fear that that has not been the case," she said.
ICICI Bank, SBI, StanChart Top Bank Frauds List, Says Reserve Bank Data
-
ICICI Bank topped the list of banks that witnessed most number of frauds during April-December period of 2016 with state-owned SBI taking the second spot, RBI data said.
During the first nine months of the current fiscal, as many as 455 fraud cases involving Rs. 1 lakh and above were detected in ICICI Bank, closely followed by SBI (429), Standard Chartered (244) and HDFC Bank (237).
The other banks which reported large number of frauds to the apex bank during the period include Axis Bank (189), Bank of Baroda (176) and Citibank (150).
However, in value terms, frauds involving Rs. 2,236.81 crore were reported in SBI, followed by Punjab National Bank (Rs. 2,250.34 crore) and Axis Bank (Rs. 1,998.49 crore).
The data provided by RBI to the Finance Ministry also revealed the involvement of bank staffs in fraud cases.
In the case of SBI, 64 employees were involved in fraud cases, while it was 49 for HDFC Bank and 35 for Axis Bank.
In all, 450 employees were involved in fraud cases in different public and private sector banks during April-December 2016, in 3,870 cases involving a total value of Rs. 17,750.27 crore.
During the first nine months of the current fiscal, as many as 455 fraud cases involving Rs. 1 lakh and above were detected in ICICI Bank, closely followed by SBI (429), Standard Chartered (244) and HDFC Bank (237).
The other banks which reported large number of frauds to the apex bank during the period include Axis Bank (189), Bank of Baroda (176) and Citibank (150).
However, in value terms, frauds involving Rs. 2,236.81 crore were reported in SBI, followed by Punjab National Bank (Rs. 2,250.34 crore) and Axis Bank (Rs. 1,998.49 crore).
The data provided by RBI to the Finance Ministry also revealed the involvement of bank staffs in fraud cases.
In the case of SBI, 64 employees were involved in fraud cases, while it was 49 for HDFC Bank and 35 for Axis Bank.
In all, 450 employees were involved in fraud cases in different public and private sector banks during April-December 2016, in 3,870 cases involving a total value of Rs. 17,750.27 crore.
General Awareness
BANK EXAMS GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs
-
1. Justice Girish Chandra Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Justice of which High Court?
A) Madras High Court
B) Delhi High Court
C) Guwahati High Court
D) Calcutta High Court
E) Jabalpur High Court
2. Who is appointed chairman of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board?
A) M.S. Sahoo
B) DP Agarwal
C) Geeta Menon
D) Arun Mudghal
E) Deepak Gupta
3. Who is to be honoured with Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement?
A) Hariharan
B) Rajesh Roshan
C) Uttam Singh
D) Anuradha Paudwal
E) None
4. Who was conferred France's prestigious Chevalier dans I'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) award?
A) Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad El-Tayeb
B) Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud
C) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
D) Sajid Nadiadwala
E) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
5. Which life Insurance has launched a 'cancer shield plan' for protection against any possible risk?
A) LIC
B) ICICI Lombard Health Insurance
C) Birla Sun Life Insurance
D) Reliane Life Insurance
E) None
6. Karur Vysya Bank ties up with which of the following bank to strengthen its lending to smaller enterprises?
A) Small Finance Bank
B) Indian Post Payment Bank
C) Yes Bank
D) Indian Bank
E) None
7. Which ministry has appointed ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Ltd as the asset management company for the creation and launch of a new Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)?
A) Ministry of finance
B) Labour ministry
C) Commerce ministry
D) Cabinet ministry
E) None
8. Which bank approved a loan of $631 million for building India's first coastal industrial corridor between Visakhapatnam and Chennai?
A) Asian Infrastructure Development Bank
B) Asian Development Bank
C) World Bank
D) New Development Bank
E) None
9. 'Shanti ki Talaash mein Zindagi' book was written by...
A) Vikram Seth
B) Jhumpa Lahiri
C) Aravind Adiga
D) Radhika Nagrath
E) Upamanyu Chatterjee
10. Max Walker, who recently passes away, belongs to which country?
A) Australia
B) England
C) South Africa
D) New Zealand
E) West Indies
11. Rays Power Infra launches 100 MW solar project in which state?
A) Uttarakhand
B) Kerala
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Assam
E) Tripura
12. Messaging app ALLO was launched by .......
A) Microsoft
B) Oracle
C) BME
D) Google
E) Apple
13. BEL to set up night vision products unit in....
A) Uttarakhand
B) Kerala
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Andhra Pradesh
E) Tripura
14. Which company investments in online food delivery startup Swiggy?
A) Tata arm
B) Amazon
C) Flipkart
D) Swift arsire
E) Rcom
15. Which of the following country has ratified the multilateral convention on administrative assistance in taxation matters?
A) Afghanistan
B) Malaysia
C) New Zealand
D) Switzerland
E) Philippines
16. Name the typhoon which makes landfall in Taiwan is........
A) Megi
B) Meranti
C) Nida
D) Hudood
E) Rauma
17. Vice President Hamid Ansari to address National Assembly of which of the following country?
A) France
B) Tajikistan
C) Kenya
D) China
E) Mali
18. The Ksheer Tester belongs to which of the following ministry?
A) Ministry of Law & Justice, Electronics & Information Technology
B) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
C) Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
D) Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences
E) None of the above
19. Mission Parivar Vikas comes under which of the following ministry?
A) Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Information & Broadcasting
B) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
C) Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
D) Ministry of Women and Child Development
E) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
20. PM approves constitution of how many committees for commemoration of birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay?
A) 3
B) 2
C) 4
D) 5
E) 1
21. Centre released ......... cr for Building Toilets along Ganga.
A) 325
B) 345
C) 315
D) 335
E) 215
22. National Mission on Bioeconomy was launched in Shillong by the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) under which of the following Ministry?
A) Ministry of Finance
B) Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
C) Ministry of Science and Technology
D) Ministry of Bioscience
E) None of the above
23. 'Param-Ishan' supercomputing facility has launched by Union Government in which IIT college recently?
A) IIT Guwahati
B) IIT Madras
C) IIT Indore
D) IIT Delhi
E) IIT Bombay
24. Who inaugurated Punjab 100 - acre mega Food Park at Ludhiana?
A) Ravi Shankar Prasad
B) Sadananda Gowda
C) Narendra Singh Tomar
D) Kalraj Mishra
E) Harsimrat Kaur Badal
25. Which of the following person who has been taken charge as Executive Director in Union Bank of India?
A) Arun Tiwari
B) Vinod Kathuria
C) Raj Kamal Verma
D) Atul Kumar Goel
E) None
26. Recently which of the following metro railway station was renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station?
A) East Course Metro Station
B) Race Course Metro Station
C) North course metro Station
D) MG Metro Station
E) None
27. Name the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carrying three satellites from India, three from Algeria and one each from Canada and the US from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh?
A) C35
B) C36
C) C33
D) C38
E) C34
28. Virat Kohli appointed as the brand ambassador of which of the following bank?
A) Punjab National Bank
B) Indian Overseas Bank
C) Bank of Maharashtra
D) Bank of Baroda
E) None of the above
29. In which country, the world's first child with genes from three people was born?
A) Mexico
B) China
C) USA
D) South Africa
E) Russia
30. North East Connectivity Summit kicks-off in which of the following state?
A) Meghalaya
B) Manipur
C) Arunachal Pradesh
D) Assam
E) Tripura
31. Global Innovation Conference 2017 will be held in which of the following country?
A) Cyprus
B) Denmark
C) Singapore
D) Turkey
E) South Africa
32. What is the theme of 2016 World Tourism Day?
A) Tourism For All - Promoting Universal Accessibility
B) One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities
C) Tourism And Community Development
D) Tourism And Water: Protecting Our Common Future
E) Needs Tourism For All
33. India marked their historic 500th Test over New Zealand in which stadium?
A) Maracana Stadium
B) Green Park Stadium
C) North Harber Stadium
D) Eden Garden Stadium
E) Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium
34. Who won the doubles title of the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo?
A) Martina Hingis & Barbora Strycova
B) Sania Mirza & Martina Hingis
C) T. Bacsinszky & M. Hingis
D) Zhaoxuan Yang & Chen Liang
E) Sania Mirza & Barbora Strycova
35. Which country won Under-18 hockey Asia Cup?
A) India
B) Bangladesh
C) Pakisthan
D) Nepal
E) Bhutan
36. Apollo Hospitals and KOS Group of Italy announced the opening of an exclusive rehabilitation centre for post-operation care to patients in which city?
A) Vijayawada
B) Tirupati
C) Hyderabad
D) Visakhapatnam
E) Warangal
37. Which of the following state get new postal circle?
A) Telangana
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Arunachal Pradesh
38. Which of the following Indian state registers highest unemployment rate in 2015-16?
A) Assam
B) Tripura
C) Telangana
D) Tamil Nadu
E) Sikkim
39. Which of the following city is the wealthiest city in India?
A) Chennai
B) Kochin
C) Mumbai
D) Delhi
E) Hyderabad
40. Name the Indian city, which has the most polluted city in India by WHO?
A) Chennai
B) Mumbai
C) Hyderabad
D) Gwalior
E) Delhi
41. Increase in population during 2001- 11...
A) 172 millions
B) 181 millions
C) 176 millions
D) 193 millions
E) None
42. Which airport was earlier known as Palam International airport?
A) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.
B) Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport.
C) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
D) Indira Gandhi International Airport.
E) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
43. India's First Satellite Launch station built at-
A) Thumba
B) Srihari kota
C) Balasore
D) Ahmedabad
E) Chennai
ANSWERS:
1-D, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D, 5-C, 6-A, 7-A, 8-B, 9-D, 10-A
11-A, 12-D, 13-D, 14-B, 15-D, 16-A, 17-E, 18-D, 19-E, 20-B
21-C, 22-C, 23-A, 24-E, 25-D, 26-B, 27-C, 28-A. 29-A, 30-E
31-D, 32-A, 33-B, 34-E, 35-A, 36-C, 37-A, 38-B, 39-C, 40-D, 41-B, 42-D, 43-A.
1. Justice Girish Chandra Gupta was sworn in as the Chief Justice of which High Court?
A) Madras High Court
B) Delhi High Court
C) Guwahati High Court
D) Calcutta High Court
E) Jabalpur High Court
2. Who is appointed chairman of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board?
A) M.S. Sahoo
B) DP Agarwal
C) Geeta Menon
D) Arun Mudghal
E) Deepak Gupta
3. Who is to be honoured with Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement?
A) Hariharan
B) Rajesh Roshan
C) Uttam Singh
D) Anuradha Paudwal
E) None
4. Who was conferred France's prestigious Chevalier dans I'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) award?
A) Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad El-Tayeb
B) Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud
C) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
D) Sajid Nadiadwala
E) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
5. Which life Insurance has launched a 'cancer shield plan' for protection against any possible risk?
A) LIC
B) ICICI Lombard Health Insurance
C) Birla Sun Life Insurance
D) Reliane Life Insurance
E) None
6. Karur Vysya Bank ties up with which of the following bank to strengthen its lending to smaller enterprises?
A) Small Finance Bank
B) Indian Post Payment Bank
C) Yes Bank
D) Indian Bank
E) None
7. Which ministry has appointed ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Ltd as the asset management company for the creation and launch of a new Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)?
A) Ministry of finance
B) Labour ministry
C) Commerce ministry
D) Cabinet ministry
E) None
8. Which bank approved a loan of $631 million for building India's first coastal industrial corridor between Visakhapatnam and Chennai?
A) Asian Infrastructure Development Bank
B) Asian Development Bank
C) World Bank
D) New Development Bank
E) None
9. 'Shanti ki Talaash mein Zindagi' book was written by...
A) Vikram Seth
B) Jhumpa Lahiri
C) Aravind Adiga
D) Radhika Nagrath
E) Upamanyu Chatterjee
10. Max Walker, who recently passes away, belongs to which country?
A) Australia
B) England
C) South Africa
D) New Zealand
E) West Indies
11. Rays Power Infra launches 100 MW solar project in which state?
A) Uttarakhand
B) Kerala
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Assam
E) Tripura
12. Messaging app ALLO was launched by .......
A) Microsoft
B) Oracle
C) BME
D) Google
E) Apple
13. BEL to set up night vision products unit in....
A) Uttarakhand
B) Kerala
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Andhra Pradesh
E) Tripura
14. Which company investments in online food delivery startup Swiggy?
A) Tata arm
B) Amazon
C) Flipkart
D) Swift arsire
E) Rcom
15. Which of the following country has ratified the multilateral convention on administrative assistance in taxation matters?
A) Afghanistan
B) Malaysia
C) New Zealand
D) Switzerland
E) Philippines
16. Name the typhoon which makes landfall in Taiwan is........
A) Megi
B) Meranti
C) Nida
D) Hudood
E) Rauma
17. Vice President Hamid Ansari to address National Assembly of which of the following country?
A) France
B) Tajikistan
C) Kenya
D) China
E) Mali
18. The Ksheer Tester belongs to which of the following ministry?
A) Ministry of Law & Justice, Electronics & Information Technology
B) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
C) Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
D) Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences
E) None of the above
19. Mission Parivar Vikas comes under which of the following ministry?
A) Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Information & Broadcasting
B) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
C) Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
D) Ministry of Women and Child Development
E) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
20. PM approves constitution of how many committees for commemoration of birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay?
A) 3
B) 2
C) 4
D) 5
E) 1
21. Centre released ......... cr for Building Toilets along Ganga.
A) 325
B) 345
C) 315
D) 335
E) 215
22. National Mission on Bioeconomy was launched in Shillong by the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) under which of the following Ministry?
A) Ministry of Finance
B) Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
C) Ministry of Science and Technology
D) Ministry of Bioscience
E) None of the above
23. 'Param-Ishan' supercomputing facility has launched by Union Government in which IIT college recently?
A) IIT Guwahati
B) IIT Madras
C) IIT Indore
D) IIT Delhi
E) IIT Bombay
24. Who inaugurated Punjab 100 - acre mega Food Park at Ludhiana?
A) Ravi Shankar Prasad
B) Sadananda Gowda
C) Narendra Singh Tomar
D) Kalraj Mishra
E) Harsimrat Kaur Badal
25. Which of the following person who has been taken charge as Executive Director in Union Bank of India?
A) Arun Tiwari
B) Vinod Kathuria
C) Raj Kamal Verma
D) Atul Kumar Goel
E) None
26. Recently which of the following metro railway station was renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station?
A) East Course Metro Station
B) Race Course Metro Station
C) North course metro Station
D) MG Metro Station
E) None
27. Name the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carrying three satellites from India, three from Algeria and one each from Canada and the US from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh?
A) C35
B) C36
C) C33
D) C38
E) C34
28. Virat Kohli appointed as the brand ambassador of which of the following bank?
A) Punjab National Bank
B) Indian Overseas Bank
C) Bank of Maharashtra
D) Bank of Baroda
E) None of the above
29. In which country, the world's first child with genes from three people was born?
A) Mexico
B) China
C) USA
D) South Africa
E) Russia
30. North East Connectivity Summit kicks-off in which of the following state?
A) Meghalaya
B) Manipur
C) Arunachal Pradesh
D) Assam
E) Tripura
31. Global Innovation Conference 2017 will be held in which of the following country?
A) Cyprus
B) Denmark
C) Singapore
D) Turkey
E) South Africa
32. What is the theme of 2016 World Tourism Day?
A) Tourism For All - Promoting Universal Accessibility
B) One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities
C) Tourism And Community Development
D) Tourism And Water: Protecting Our Common Future
E) Needs Tourism For All
33. India marked their historic 500th Test over New Zealand in which stadium?
A) Maracana Stadium
B) Green Park Stadium
C) North Harber Stadium
D) Eden Garden Stadium
E) Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium
34. Who won the doubles title of the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo?
A) Martina Hingis & Barbora Strycova
B) Sania Mirza & Martina Hingis
C) T. Bacsinszky & M. Hingis
D) Zhaoxuan Yang & Chen Liang
E) Sania Mirza & Barbora Strycova
35. Which country won Under-18 hockey Asia Cup?
A) India
B) Bangladesh
C) Pakisthan
D) Nepal
E) Bhutan
36. Apollo Hospitals and KOS Group of Italy announced the opening of an exclusive rehabilitation centre for post-operation care to patients in which city?
A) Vijayawada
B) Tirupati
C) Hyderabad
D) Visakhapatnam
E) Warangal
37. Which of the following state get new postal circle?
A) Telangana
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Arunachal Pradesh
38. Which of the following Indian state registers highest unemployment rate in 2015-16?
A) Assam
B) Tripura
C) Telangana
D) Tamil Nadu
E) Sikkim
39. Which of the following city is the wealthiest city in India?
A) Chennai
B) Kochin
C) Mumbai
D) Delhi
E) Hyderabad
40. Name the Indian city, which has the most polluted city in India by WHO?
A) Chennai
B) Mumbai
C) Hyderabad
D) Gwalior
E) Delhi
41. Increase in population during 2001- 11...
A) 172 millions
B) 181 millions
C) 176 millions
D) 193 millions
E) None
42. Which airport was earlier known as Palam International airport?
A) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.
B) Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport.
C) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
D) Indira Gandhi International Airport.
E) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
43. India's First Satellite Launch station built at-
A) Thumba
B) Srihari kota
C) Balasore
D) Ahmedabad
E) Chennai
ANSWERS:
1-D, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D, 5-C, 6-A, 7-A, 8-B, 9-D, 10-A
11-A, 12-D, 13-D, 14-B, 15-D, 16-A, 17-E, 18-D, 19-E, 20-B
21-C, 22-C, 23-A, 24-E, 25-D, 26-B, 27-C, 28-A. 29-A, 30-E
31-D, 32-A, 33-B, 34-E, 35-A, 36-C, 37-A, 38-B, 39-C, 40-D, 41-B, 42-D, 43-A.
A) Madras High Court
B) Delhi High Court
C) Guwahati High Court
D) Calcutta High Court
E) Jabalpur High Court
2. Who is appointed chairman of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board?
A) M.S. Sahoo
B) DP Agarwal
C) Geeta Menon
D) Arun Mudghal
E) Deepak Gupta
3. Who is to be honoured with Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement?
A) Hariharan
B) Rajesh Roshan
C) Uttam Singh
D) Anuradha Paudwal
E) None
4. Who was conferred France's prestigious Chevalier dans I'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) award?
A) Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad El-Tayeb
B) Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud
C) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
D) Sajid Nadiadwala
E) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
5. Which life Insurance has launched a 'cancer shield plan' for protection against any possible risk?
A) LIC
B) ICICI Lombard Health Insurance
C) Birla Sun Life Insurance
D) Reliane Life Insurance
E) None
6. Karur Vysya Bank ties up with which of the following bank to strengthen its lending to smaller enterprises?
A) Small Finance Bank
B) Indian Post Payment Bank
C) Yes Bank
D) Indian Bank
E) None
7. Which ministry has appointed ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Ltd as the asset management company for the creation and launch of a new Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)?
A) Ministry of finance
B) Labour ministry
C) Commerce ministry
D) Cabinet ministry
E) None
8. Which bank approved a loan of $631 million for building India's first coastal industrial corridor between Visakhapatnam and Chennai?
A) Asian Infrastructure Development Bank
B) Asian Development Bank
C) World Bank
D) New Development Bank
E) None
9. 'Shanti ki Talaash mein Zindagi' book was written by...
A) Vikram Seth
B) Jhumpa Lahiri
C) Aravind Adiga
D) Radhika Nagrath
E) Upamanyu Chatterjee
10. Max Walker, who recently passes away, belongs to which country?
A) Australia
B) England
C) South Africa
D) New Zealand
E) West Indies
11. Rays Power Infra launches 100 MW solar project in which state?
A) Uttarakhand
B) Kerala
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Assam
E) Tripura
12. Messaging app ALLO was launched by .......
A) Microsoft
B) Oracle
C) BME
D) Google
E) Apple
13. BEL to set up night vision products unit in....
A) Uttarakhand
B) Kerala
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Andhra Pradesh
E) Tripura
14. Which company investments in online food delivery startup Swiggy?
A) Tata arm
B) Amazon
C) Flipkart
D) Swift arsire
E) Rcom
15. Which of the following country has ratified the multilateral convention on administrative assistance in taxation matters?
A) Afghanistan
B) Malaysia
C) New Zealand
D) Switzerland
E) Philippines
16. Name the typhoon which makes landfall in Taiwan is........
A) Megi
B) Meranti
C) Nida
D) Hudood
E) Rauma
17. Vice President Hamid Ansari to address National Assembly of which of the following country?
A) France
B) Tajikistan
C) Kenya
D) China
E) Mali
18. The Ksheer Tester belongs to which of the following ministry?
A) Ministry of Law & Justice, Electronics & Information Technology
B) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
C) Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
D) Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences
E) None of the above
19. Mission Parivar Vikas comes under which of the following ministry?
A) Ministry of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Information & Broadcasting
B) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
C) Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
D) Ministry of Women and Child Development
E) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
20. PM approves constitution of how many committees for commemoration of birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay?
A) 3
B) 2
C) 4
D) 5
E) 1
21. Centre released ......... cr for Building Toilets along Ganga.
A) 325
B) 345
C) 315
D) 335
E) 215
22. National Mission on Bioeconomy was launched in Shillong by the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) under which of the following Ministry?
A) Ministry of Finance
B) Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
C) Ministry of Science and Technology
D) Ministry of Bioscience
E) None of the above
23. 'Param-Ishan' supercomputing facility has launched by Union Government in which IIT college recently?
A) IIT Guwahati
B) IIT Madras
C) IIT Indore
D) IIT Delhi
E) IIT Bombay
24. Who inaugurated Punjab 100 - acre mega Food Park at Ludhiana?
A) Ravi Shankar Prasad
B) Sadananda Gowda
C) Narendra Singh Tomar
D) Kalraj Mishra
E) Harsimrat Kaur Badal
25. Which of the following person who has been taken charge as Executive Director in Union Bank of India?
A) Arun Tiwari
B) Vinod Kathuria
C) Raj Kamal Verma
D) Atul Kumar Goel
E) None
26. Recently which of the following metro railway station was renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station?
A) East Course Metro Station
B) Race Course Metro Station
C) North course metro Station
D) MG Metro Station
E) None
27. Name the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carrying three satellites from India, three from Algeria and one each from Canada and the US from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh?
A) C35
B) C36
C) C33
D) C38
E) C34
28. Virat Kohli appointed as the brand ambassador of which of the following bank?
A) Punjab National Bank
B) Indian Overseas Bank
C) Bank of Maharashtra
D) Bank of Baroda
E) None of the above
29. In which country, the world's first child with genes from three people was born?
A) Mexico
B) China
C) USA
D) South Africa
E) Russia
30. North East Connectivity Summit kicks-off in which of the following state?
A) Meghalaya
B) Manipur
C) Arunachal Pradesh
D) Assam
E) Tripura
31. Global Innovation Conference 2017 will be held in which of the following country?
A) Cyprus
B) Denmark
C) Singapore
D) Turkey
E) South Africa
32. What is the theme of 2016 World Tourism Day?
A) Tourism For All - Promoting Universal Accessibility
B) One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities
C) Tourism And Community Development
D) Tourism And Water: Protecting Our Common Future
E) Needs Tourism For All
33. India marked their historic 500th Test over New Zealand in which stadium?
A) Maracana Stadium
B) Green Park Stadium
C) North Harber Stadium
D) Eden Garden Stadium
E) Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium
34. Who won the doubles title of the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo?
A) Martina Hingis & Barbora Strycova
B) Sania Mirza & Martina Hingis
C) T. Bacsinszky & M. Hingis
D) Zhaoxuan Yang & Chen Liang
E) Sania Mirza & Barbora Strycova
35. Which country won Under-18 hockey Asia Cup?
A) India
B) Bangladesh
C) Pakisthan
D) Nepal
E) Bhutan
36. Apollo Hospitals and KOS Group of Italy announced the opening of an exclusive rehabilitation centre for post-operation care to patients in which city?
A) Vijayawada
B) Tirupati
C) Hyderabad
D) Visakhapatnam
E) Warangal
37. Which of the following state get new postal circle?
A) Telangana
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Uttar Pradesh
E) Arunachal Pradesh
38. Which of the following Indian state registers highest unemployment rate in 2015-16?
A) Assam
B) Tripura
C) Telangana
D) Tamil Nadu
E) Sikkim
39. Which of the following city is the wealthiest city in India?
A) Chennai
B) Kochin
C) Mumbai
D) Delhi
E) Hyderabad
40. Name the Indian city, which has the most polluted city in India by WHO?
A) Chennai
B) Mumbai
C) Hyderabad
D) Gwalior
E) Delhi
41. Increase in population during 2001- 11...
A) 172 millions
B) 181 millions
C) 176 millions
D) 193 millions
E) None
42. Which airport was earlier known as Palam International airport?
A) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.
B) Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport.
C) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
D) Indira Gandhi International Airport.
E) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
43. India's First Satellite Launch station built at-
A) Thumba
B) Srihari kota
C) Balasore
D) Ahmedabad
E) Chennai
ANSWERS:
1-D, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D, 5-C, 6-A, 7-A, 8-B, 9-D, 10-A
11-A, 12-D, 13-D, 14-B, 15-D, 16-A, 17-E, 18-D, 19-E, 20-B
21-C, 22-C, 23-A, 24-E, 25-D, 26-B, 27-C, 28-A. 29-A, 30-E
31-D, 32-A, 33-B, 34-E, 35-A, 36-C, 37-A, 38-B, 39-C, 40-D, 41-B, 42-D, 43-A.
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