General Affairs
CRPF Man Dies In Kashmir As Convoy Ambushed, 10-Year-Old Girl Injured
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A personnel of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) was killed and five other troopers and two civilians -- one of them a girl -- were injured when militants attacked a convoy of the paramilitary force in Kashmir on Monday. The terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba has owned responsibility for this attack, which took place on the Sempora Panthachok area of the Jammu-Srinagar highway, on the outskirts of Srinagar. The men were on their way to Srinagar for duty in connection with the upcoming Lok Sabha by-elections.
The injured were taken to the army hospital in Badami Bagh, where Head Constable GD Basappa succumbed to his injuries. Two of the CRPF men were in critical condition, the police said. The other injured, including both the civilians, are out of danger, police said.
The girl, 10-year-old Zainab, a resident of Pampore town, was admitted to Srinagar's Bone and Joint Hospital. The doctors said she was out of danger, saying she had been injured in the leg by a bullet.
Cordon and search operations in the area, barely five km from Srinagar, were called off in the evening as the terrorists reportedly managed to escape.
This was the third terror attack on security forces in Srinagar in as many days.
The incident came less than a day after a police constable was killed and 11 other security personnel -- eight policemen and three CRPF men -- were injured in Srinagar's Nowhatta area. The terrorists had hurled a grenade at the police party.
On April 1, a group of terrorists had opened fire on an army convoy on the Parimpora-Pantha Chowk bypass, injuring two jawans.
The girl, 10-year-old Zainab, a resident of Pampore town, was admitted to Srinagar's Bone and Joint Hospital. The doctors said she was out of danger, saying she had been injured in the leg by a bullet.
Cordon and search operations in the area, barely five km from Srinagar, were called off in the evening as the terrorists reportedly managed to escape.
This was the third terror attack on security forces in Srinagar in as many days.
The incident came less than a day after a police constable was killed and 11 other security personnel -- eight policemen and three CRPF men -- were injured in Srinagar's Nowhatta area. The terrorists had hurled a grenade at the police party.
On April 1, a group of terrorists had opened fire on an army convoy on the Parimpora-Pantha Chowk bypass, injuring two jawans.
India's Best College Is... Government Releases Rankings
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Which are the country's best colleges and universities? The results are out, as decided by the government, which is ranking educational institutions for the second year in row.
Number one across all categories is Indian Institute of Science or IISc in Bengaluru. IIT Madras has retained its position of the best engineering college, ahead of other IITs like Kanpur and Kharagpur.
In the new category of 'Overall Ranking,' IIT Madras has occupied the second position.
Miranda House, a women's college which has strong feminist credentials but has been low-profile in recent years, has beaten the much more sought-after colleges of SRCC and Lady Shri Ram College along with Loyola College of Madras, to win top spot in the newly-added colleges category.
Last year, the government rated colleges that specialise in subjects like engineering and commerce. This time around, however, it has included general colleges that offer all subjects. St Stephen's and Hindu College preferred not to be part of the comparison, though overall, the number of institutions that applied for the competition has gone up. "We have taken various criteria to judge them like research papers, recruitment, and perception," said union minister Prakash Javdekar.
This provided for many surprises like Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma of Delhi University coming out as number five in the entire country, better than the likes of Madras Christian College and Kolkata's St Xaviers.
Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, or JNU, has been ranked the number two university in the country just behind IISc in Bengaluru.
"They didn't get it for shouting slogans for Afzal Guru. They got it for their science department and research," said the minister, referring drily to the controversy in 2015 that saw students arrested on charges of sedition.
Number one across all categories is Indian Institute of Science or IISc in Bengaluru. IIT Madras has retained its position of the best engineering college, ahead of other IITs like Kanpur and Kharagpur.
In the new category of 'Overall Ranking,' IIT Madras has occupied the second position.
Last year, the government rated colleges that specialise in subjects like engineering and commerce. This time around, however, it has included general colleges that offer all subjects. St Stephen's and Hindu College preferred not to be part of the comparison, though overall, the number of institutions that applied for the competition has gone up. "We have taken various criteria to judge them like research papers, recruitment, and perception," said union minister Prakash Javdekar.
This provided for many surprises like Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma of Delhi University coming out as number five in the entire country, better than the likes of Madras Christian College and Kolkata's St Xaviers.
Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, or JNU, has been ranked the number two university in the country just behind IISc in Bengaluru.
"They didn't get it for shouting slogans for Afzal Guru. They got it for their science department and research," said the minister, referring drily to the controversy in 2015 that saw students arrested on charges of sedition.
Fake Rs. 2,000 Notes Seized At Indo-Bangladesh Border
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The Border Security Force (BSF) seized 200 fake currency notes of Rs. 2,000 denomination in two separate cases near the Indo-Bangladesh International Border (IB) in West Bengal. In the first case, a BSF patrol seized fake notes with face value of Rs. 3 lakh near the IB fence gate in the Churiantpur area of Malda last night. The seizure was made after suspected smugglers flung a packet into the Indian side from across the border. The second incident was reported from the Farakka area in Murshidabad district today when the Border Security Force troops intercepted a Jharkhand-based man on a tip-off.
While the smugglers managed to escape taking the benefit of darkness, the patrol party seized the packet which has 150 fake Rs. 2,000 banknotes, the BSF said.
Fifty fake currency notes of Rs. 2,000 was seized from the man, they said.
"Genuine currency totaling Rs. 1,350, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card and a driving licence was recovered from the man identified as R K Mondal (31)," a senior officer said.
Both the cases have been transferred to the local police, they added.
With this, the BSF has so far seized FICN (Fake Indian Currency Note) of face value Rs. 6.96 lakhs in three months near the border area.
The Kaliachak and Malda areas of West Bengal along the border are notorious for FICN smuggling.
In 2016, BSF's South Bengal Frontier (comprising five border districts of West Bengal) had seized fake currency with face value of over Rs. 1.47 crore and arrested 19 smugglers.
The trend is being witnessed post demonetisation too although the trickle is slow, the officer said.
While the smugglers managed to escape taking the benefit of darkness, the patrol party seized the packet which has 150 fake Rs. 2,000 banknotes, the BSF said.
Fifty fake currency notes of Rs. 2,000 was seized from the man, they said.
"Genuine currency totaling Rs. 1,350, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card and a driving licence was recovered from the man identified as R K Mondal (31)," a senior officer said.
Both the cases have been transferred to the local police, they added.
With this, the BSF has so far seized FICN (Fake Indian Currency Note) of face value Rs. 6.96 lakhs in three months near the border area.
The Kaliachak and Malda areas of West Bengal along the border are notorious for FICN smuggling.
In 2016, BSF's South Bengal Frontier (comprising five border districts of West Bengal) had seized fake currency with face value of over Rs. 1.47 crore and arrested 19 smugglers.
The trend is being witnessed post demonetisation too although the trickle is slow, the officer said.
Farm Loan Waiver On Top Of Yogi Adityanath Cabinet's Agenda
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Key issues in the BJP's poll manifesto, especially farm loan waiver, electricity in rural areas and an ordinance on slaughterhouses, are likely to be taken up during the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government's first cabinet meeting in capital city Lucknow tomorrow.
State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said a proposal prepared for farm loan waiver will be presented before the cabinet at its first meeting.
Though state Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh maintained that the agenda of the meeting was yet to be finalised, sources said the government was likely to take a decision on waiving the loans of small and marginal farmers.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the promises made in the BJP's manifesto for the just-concluded state Assembly polls will be on the agenda of the Adityanath government's first cabinet meeting.
"Decisions on a number of important issues will be taken at the cabinet meeting on April 4. The focus will be on honouring the promises made in the party's manifesto," he said.
The BJP, in its Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (manifesto), had promised to waive the loans of small and marginal farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too had said in his campaign speeches that writing off farm loans would be among the foremost tasks of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.
Although there is no Constitutional compulsion of convening the first cabinet meeting within a certain period, traditionally the ruling party has held it within a week or so of forming the government.
The Adityanath government was sworn-in on March 19 and its first cabinet meeting will be held tomorrow, over a fortnight after the swearing-in ceremony.
Government sources said around 2.30 crore farmers in the state suffered losses due to natural calamities in the recent past and were unable to repay loans amounting to about Rs. 62,000 crore.
They also said that it could be difficult to handle the burden of loan waiver in a single financial year and that was one of the reasons to put the cabinet meeting on hold till a way was found to honour the prime minister's poll promise that the BJP government would take a decision on farm loan waiver at its first cabinet meeting.
Besides farm loan waiver, the cabinet is likely to take important decisions regarding legalising slaughterhouses, licenses of meat-sellers, extending more help to the water-scarce Bundelkhand region and sorting out the problems related to Purvanchal -- issues mentioned in BJP's manifesto.
Since the Adityanath government was keen on giving a final shape to the prime minister's promise, it waited for two weeks to make a detailed plan and work out the financial intricacies before putting the official stamp on farm loan waiver, a state Finance department spokesman said.
As the loan amount is huge, the government had to mull various options, including raising loans, to honour the saffron party's commitment.
The spokesman said Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal had been busy holding deliberations with senior officials of his department to honour the pre-poll promise at the earliest. The government will have to pay the banks for farm loan waiver. For that, it will either have to seek funds from the Centre or raise loans on its own, he added.
"Such decisions are not taken in haste. I can assure (you) that a decision will be taken and a large number of farmers will benefit from it," Mr Shahi had told PTI earlier.
Some officers were of the opinion that the cabinet could take a decision and formulate a policy in this regard later, but the chief minister insisted that the decision was taken once the policy was clear, so that there were no hurdles. Following this, senior officers were engaged in working on various options before the cabinet.
State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said a proposal prepared for farm loan waiver will be presented before the cabinet at its first meeting.
Though state Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh maintained that the agenda of the meeting was yet to be finalised, sources said the government was likely to take a decision on waiving the loans of small and marginal farmers.
"Decisions on a number of important issues will be taken at the cabinet meeting on April 4. The focus will be on honouring the promises made in the party's manifesto," he said.
The BJP, in its Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (manifesto), had promised to waive the loans of small and marginal farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too had said in his campaign speeches that writing off farm loans would be among the foremost tasks of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.
Although there is no Constitutional compulsion of convening the first cabinet meeting within a certain period, traditionally the ruling party has held it within a week or so of forming the government.
The Adityanath government was sworn-in on March 19 and its first cabinet meeting will be held tomorrow, over a fortnight after the swearing-in ceremony.
Government sources said around 2.30 crore farmers in the state suffered losses due to natural calamities in the recent past and were unable to repay loans amounting to about Rs. 62,000 crore.
They also said that it could be difficult to handle the burden of loan waiver in a single financial year and that was one of the reasons to put the cabinet meeting on hold till a way was found to honour the prime minister's poll promise that the BJP government would take a decision on farm loan waiver at its first cabinet meeting.
Besides farm loan waiver, the cabinet is likely to take important decisions regarding legalising slaughterhouses, licenses of meat-sellers, extending more help to the water-scarce Bundelkhand region and sorting out the problems related to Purvanchal -- issues mentioned in BJP's manifesto.
Since the Adityanath government was keen on giving a final shape to the prime minister's promise, it waited for two weeks to make a detailed plan and work out the financial intricacies before putting the official stamp on farm loan waiver, a state Finance department spokesman said.
As the loan amount is huge, the government had to mull various options, including raising loans, to honour the saffron party's commitment.
The spokesman said Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal had been busy holding deliberations with senior officials of his department to honour the pre-poll promise at the earliest. The government will have to pay the banks for farm loan waiver. For that, it will either have to seek funds from the Centre or raise loans on its own, he added.
"Such decisions are not taken in haste. I can assure (you) that a decision will be taken and a large number of farmers will benefit from it," Mr Shahi had told PTI earlier.
Some officers were of the opinion that the cabinet could take a decision and formulate a policy in this regard later, but the chief minister insisted that the decision was taken once the policy was clear, so that there were no hurdles. Following this, senior officers were engaged in working on various options before the cabinet.
10 Dead, 47 Injured In St Petersburg Subway Explosions In Russia
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Ten people were killed in Monday's blast on a metro train in St Petersburg and 47 people have been injured, Russian news agency Interfax quoted the country's health minister, Veronika Skvortsova, as saying. Earlier, the Russian National Anti-Terrorist Committee said nine people had been killed in the blast which happened as a train travelled between two metro stations.
Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying the blast, which occurred when the train was between two stations, was caused by a bomb filled with shrapnel.
President Vladimir Putin, who was in the city for a meeting with Belarus's leader, said he was considering all possible causes for the blast, including terrorism and was consulting with security services.
Ambulances and fire engines descended on the concrete-and-glass Sennaya Ploshchad metro station. A helicopter hovered overhead as crowds gathered to observe rescue operations. "I appeal to you citizens of St Petersburg and guests of our city to be alert, attentive and cautious and to behave in a responsible matter in light of events," St Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko said in an address.
An attack on St Petersburg, Russia's old imperial capital, would have some symbolic force for any militant group, especially ISIS or Chechen secessionist rebels. Attacks in the past have largely concentrated on Moscow, including an attack on an airport, a theatre and in 2010 a metro train.
Video showed injured people lying bleeding on a platform, some being treated by emergency services and fellow passengers. Others ran away from the platform amid clouds of smoke, some screaming or holding their hands to their faces.
A huge hole was blown open in the side of a carriage with metal wreckage strewn across the platform. Passengers were seen hammering at the windows of one closed carriage. Russian TV said many had suffered lacerations from glass shards and metal. Russia has been the target of attacks by separatist Islamist Chechen terrorists in past years. ISIS, which has drawn recruits from the ranks of Chechen rebels, has also threatened attacks across Russia in retaliation for Russian military intervention in Syria.
The Russian air force and special forces have been supporting President Bashar al-Assad in fighting rebel groups and ISIS terrorists now being driven out of their Syrian strongholds.
All Stations Closed
St Petersburg emergency services at first said that there had been two explosions. But a source in the emergency services later said that there had been only one but that the explosion had occurred in a tunnel between stations.
The blast occurred at 2:40 pm, well shy of the evening rush hour.
Authorities closed all St Petersburg metro stations. The Moscow metro said it was taking unspecified additional security measures in case of an attack there.
Russia has been on particular alert against Chechen rebels returning from Syria and wary of any attempts to resume attacks that dogged the country several years ago. At least 38 people were killed in 2010 when two female suicide bombers detonated bombs on packed Moscow metro trains.
Over 330 people, half of them children, were killed in 2004 when police stormed a school in southern Russia after a hostage taking by Islamist terrorists. In 2002, 120 hostages were killed when police stormed a Moscow theatre to end another hostage-taking.
Putin, as prime minister, launched a 1999 campaign to crush a separatist government in the Muslim southern region of Chechnya, and as president continued a hard line in suppressing rebellion.
Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying the blast, which occurred when the train was between two stations, was caused by a bomb filled with shrapnel.
Ambulances and fire engines descended on the concrete-and-glass Sennaya Ploshchad metro station. A helicopter hovered overhead as crowds gathered to observe rescue operations. "I appeal to you citizens of St Petersburg and guests of our city to be alert, attentive and cautious and to behave in a responsible matter in light of events," St Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko said in an address.
An attack on St Petersburg, Russia's old imperial capital, would have some symbolic force for any militant group, especially ISIS or Chechen secessionist rebels. Attacks in the past have largely concentrated on Moscow, including an attack on an airport, a theatre and in 2010 a metro train.
Video showed injured people lying bleeding on a platform, some being treated by emergency services and fellow passengers. Others ran away from the platform amid clouds of smoke, some screaming or holding their hands to their faces.
A huge hole was blown open in the side of a carriage with metal wreckage strewn across the platform. Passengers were seen hammering at the windows of one closed carriage. Russian TV said many had suffered lacerations from glass shards and metal. Russia has been the target of attacks by separatist Islamist Chechen terrorists in past years. ISIS, which has drawn recruits from the ranks of Chechen rebels, has also threatened attacks across Russia in retaliation for Russian military intervention in Syria.
The Russian air force and special forces have been supporting President Bashar al-Assad in fighting rebel groups and ISIS terrorists now being driven out of their Syrian strongholds.
All Stations Closed
St Petersburg emergency services at first said that there had been two explosions. But a source in the emergency services later said that there had been only one but that the explosion had occurred in a tunnel between stations.
The blast occurred at 2:40 pm, well shy of the evening rush hour.
Authorities closed all St Petersburg metro stations. The Moscow metro said it was taking unspecified additional security measures in case of an attack there.
Russia has been on particular alert against Chechen rebels returning from Syria and wary of any attempts to resume attacks that dogged the country several years ago. At least 38 people were killed in 2010 when two female suicide bombers detonated bombs on packed Moscow metro trains.
Over 330 people, half of them children, were killed in 2004 when police stormed a school in southern Russia after a hostage taking by Islamist terrorists. In 2002, 120 hostages were killed when police stormed a Moscow theatre to end another hostage-taking.
Putin, as prime minister, launched a 1999 campaign to crush a separatist government in the Muslim southern region of Chechnya, and as president continued a hard line in suppressing rebellion.
Business Affairs
EMIs to go down: SBI cuts benchmark lending rate by 0.15% to 9.10%
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Ahead of the Reserve Bank of Inida (RBI) monetary policy this week, country's largest bank SBI has reduced benchmark lending rate by 0.15 per cent to 9.10 per cent, a move that will lower EMIs for borrowers.
Base rate or the minimum lending rate of the bank has been reduced from 9.25 per cent to 9.10 per cent effective April 1.
The bank has also reduced its base rate by 0.05 per cent to 9.25 per cent.
Similarly, Benchmark Prime Lending Rate (BPLR) has also been reduced by similar percentage points to 13.85 per cent from 14 per cent.
With the reduction, EMIs for the new as well as existing borrowers who have taken housing and car loans at base rate will come down by at least 0.15 per cent.
The new rate is effective from the date the bank merged five of its associates and Bharatiya Mahila Bank putting it on the list of top 50 large banks of the world.
The total customer base of the bank has reached 37 crore with a branch network of around 24,000 and nearly 59,000 ATMs across the country.
The merged entity has a deposit base of more than Rs 26 lakh crore and advances of Rs 18.50 lakh crore.
It is to be noted that the SBI has made changes in signage and logo, with its iconic keyhole set against the background of inky blue.
There have been minor changes in the design and colour of SBI's new look from April 1.
The background to the SBI signboard has been changed from white to inky blue while the SBI logo or the monogram is a few shades lighter than the existing blue.
Ahead of the Reserve Bank of Inida (RBI) monetary policy this week, country's largest bank SBI has reduced benchmark lending rate by 0.15 per cent to 9.10 per cent, a move that will lower EMIs for borrowers.
Base rate or the minimum lending rate of the bank has been reduced from 9.25 per cent to 9.10 per cent effective April 1.
The bank has also reduced its base rate by 0.05 per cent to 9.25 per cent.
Similarly, Benchmark Prime Lending Rate (BPLR) has also been reduced by similar percentage points to 13.85 per cent from 14 per cent.
With the reduction, EMIs for the new as well as existing borrowers who have taken housing and car loans at base rate will come down by at least 0.15 per cent.
The new rate is effective from the date the bank merged five of its associates and Bharatiya Mahila Bank putting it on the list of top 50 large banks of the world.
The total customer base of the bank has reached 37 crore with a branch network of around 24,000 and nearly 59,000 ATMs across the country.
The merged entity has a deposit base of more than Rs 26 lakh crore and advances of Rs 18.50 lakh crore.
It is to be noted that the SBI has made changes in signage and logo, with its iconic keyhole set against the background of inky blue.
There have been minor changes in the design and colour of SBI's new look from April 1.
The background to the SBI signboard has been changed from white to inky blue while the SBI logo or the monogram is a few shades lighter than the existing blue.
Essar sells BPO company Aegis for $275-300 mn
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Ruias-led Essar Group on Monday announced sale of its BPO company Aegis to Singapore-based private equity fund manager Capital Square Partners for an estimated $275 to 300 million.
The sale marks Essar's complete exit from BPO business. Essar had in July 2014 sold Aegis USA Inc, an outsourcing and technology company with operations in the US, the Philippines and Costa Rica, to Teleperformance of Paris for $610 million.
With its US subsidiary gone, Aegis' headcount and revenue were reduced substantially. Since then, Aegis has again grown the business in terms of headcount, revenues, product offerings nd customer base. Aegis had BPO business globally across India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, Peru, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UK. It had 40,000 employees globally, 47 BPOs in these 10 countries and USD 400 million in revenue.
"AGC Holdings Ltd (AGC) Mauritius, a wholly-owned portfolio company of Essar Global Ltd, has entered into a definitive agreement with Capital Square Partners (CSP) to sell 100 per cent of its stake," a company statement said. Though the company did not give the value of the deal, sources said the sale could be in the range of USD 275 to 300 million.
"Net proceeds of this sale will be used to retire Essar's debt," it said adding the transaction is likely to close by June 2017 subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. This marks Essar's complete exit from the BPO business.
Essar entered the BPO business in 2004 with the acquisition of the US-based Aegis Communications Group, with 2,000 employees. In 2014, AGC sold the US unit.
"Since then, Aegis has once again grown the business substantially in terms of headcount, revenues, product offerings and customer base becoming a preferred vendor for many premium clients in key industries, such as telecommunications, technology, media, banking, financial services and insurance, travel and logistics, retail and eCommerce," the statement said.
Uday Gujadhar, Director-AGC, said: "This transaction is in line with our strategy of incubating, building and operating world-class businesses, and being open to monetising them at a premium value when the market conditions are favourable."
Sanjay Chakrabarty and Mukesh Sharda, Managing Partners of CSP, jointly said: "We are excited about the opportunity to work with the Aegis management team in embarking on the next stage of growth, by focusing on innovation and adding our sector knowledge and expertise."
Sandip Sen, Managing Director, Aegis said: "Aegis has established itself as a high value service provider to its customers. We shall continue to provide quality service to our esteemed customers and be an employer of choice." Essar's advisors in the transaction include Axis Capital as financial advisor, and Platinum Partners and Sidley Austin as legal advisors. Shearman & Sterling and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas acted as legal advisors to CSP.
Ruias-led Essar Group on Monday announced sale of its BPO company Aegis to Singapore-based private equity fund manager Capital Square Partners for an estimated $275 to 300 million.
The sale marks Essar's complete exit from BPO business. Essar had in July 2014 sold Aegis USA Inc, an outsourcing and technology company with operations in the US, the Philippines and Costa Rica, to Teleperformance of Paris for $610 million.
With its US subsidiary gone, Aegis' headcount and revenue were reduced substantially. Since then, Aegis has again grown the business in terms of headcount, revenues, product offerings nd customer base. Aegis had BPO business globally across India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, Peru, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UK. It had 40,000 employees globally, 47 BPOs in these 10 countries and USD 400 million in revenue.
"AGC Holdings Ltd (AGC) Mauritius, a wholly-owned portfolio company of Essar Global Ltd, has entered into a definitive agreement with Capital Square Partners (CSP) to sell 100 per cent of its stake," a company statement said. Though the company did not give the value of the deal, sources said the sale could be in the range of USD 275 to 300 million.
"Net proceeds of this sale will be used to retire Essar's debt," it said adding the transaction is likely to close by June 2017 subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. This marks Essar's complete exit from the BPO business.
Essar entered the BPO business in 2004 with the acquisition of the US-based Aegis Communications Group, with 2,000 employees. In 2014, AGC sold the US unit.
"Since then, Aegis has once again grown the business substantially in terms of headcount, revenues, product offerings and customer base becoming a preferred vendor for many premium clients in key industries, such as telecommunications, technology, media, banking, financial services and insurance, travel and logistics, retail and eCommerce," the statement said.
Uday Gujadhar, Director-AGC, said: "This transaction is in line with our strategy of incubating, building and operating world-class businesses, and being open to monetising them at a premium value when the market conditions are favourable."
Sanjay Chakrabarty and Mukesh Sharda, Managing Partners of CSP, jointly said: "We are excited about the opportunity to work with the Aegis management team in embarking on the next stage of growth, by focusing on innovation and adding our sector knowledge and expertise."
Sandip Sen, Managing Director, Aegis said: "Aegis has established itself as a high value service provider to its customers. We shall continue to provide quality service to our esteemed customers and be an employer of choice." Essar's advisors in the transaction include Axis Capital as financial advisor, and Platinum Partners and Sidley Austin as legal advisors. Shearman & Sterling and Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas acted as legal advisors to CSP.
India factory activity at five-month high in March on strong demand - PMI
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Activity in India's manufacturing sector expanded at the fastest pace in five months in March as output and new orders accelerated, according to a private survey that also showed price pressures eased.
The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by IHS Markit, rose to 52.5 in March, from 50.7 in February, the third month in a row that is has been above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.
Output and new orders sub-indexes rose to their highest since October 2016, suggesting the world's fastest growing major economy has largely recovered from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock decision in November to ban high-value currency notes.
The move caused huge disruptions to daily life and businesses in the largely cash-based economy.
The survey also showed encouraging signs on the inflation front, which has come squarely back on the central bank's radar in recent months.
"The favorable demand environment was supported by relatively muted inflationary pressures. Given that input costs rose at a softer pace, a whopping 96 percent of goods producers kept their selling prices unchanged over the month," said His Markit economist Pollyanna De Lima.
Input prices rose at a slower pace compared to February, and there was a corresponding slowdown in the pace of output price rises as well, which likely helped increase demand.
The new orders index rose to a 5-month high of 53.6 from 51.3 the previous month.
Indian inflation picked up pace in February to 3.65 percent, after slowing in the previous month to 3.17 percent, its lowest in at least five years, but it was still below the central bank's 4 percent target.
The Reserve Bank of India shifted its stance to neutral from accommodative and kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.25 percent in its February meeting, opting to wait for more clarity on inflation trends and the impact of demonetization.
Economic growth for the October-December quarter came in at 7.0 percent, a bit slower than the 7.4 percent in the previous quarter but much faster than the 6.4 percent expansion forecast by economists in a Reuters poll, many of whom had expected a sharper hit from the cash crunch.
India's lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed key legislations paving the way for implementation of a nationwide goods and services tax (GST) from July, which is expected to spur economic growth by 1 to 2 percentage points.
Most manufacturing and services items will be taxed at standard rates of 12 percent and 18 percent under the four-slab GST structure.
Activity in India's manufacturing sector expanded at the fastest pace in five months in March as output and new orders accelerated, according to a private survey that also showed price pressures eased.
The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by IHS Markit, rose to 52.5 in March, from 50.7 in February, the third month in a row that is has been above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction.
Output and new orders sub-indexes rose to their highest since October 2016, suggesting the world's fastest growing major economy has largely recovered from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock decision in November to ban high-value currency notes.
The move caused huge disruptions to daily life and businesses in the largely cash-based economy.
The survey also showed encouraging signs on the inflation front, which has come squarely back on the central bank's radar in recent months.
"The favorable demand environment was supported by relatively muted inflationary pressures. Given that input costs rose at a softer pace, a whopping 96 percent of goods producers kept their selling prices unchanged over the month," said His Markit economist Pollyanna De Lima.
Input prices rose at a slower pace compared to February, and there was a corresponding slowdown in the pace of output price rises as well, which likely helped increase demand.
The new orders index rose to a 5-month high of 53.6 from 51.3 the previous month.
Indian inflation picked up pace in February to 3.65 percent, after slowing in the previous month to 3.17 percent, its lowest in at least five years, but it was still below the central bank's 4 percent target.
The Reserve Bank of India shifted its stance to neutral from accommodative and kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.25 percent in its February meeting, opting to wait for more clarity on inflation trends and the impact of demonetization.
Economic growth for the October-December quarter came in at 7.0 percent, a bit slower than the 7.4 percent in the previous quarter but much faster than the 6.4 percent expansion forecast by economists in a Reuters poll, many of whom had expected a sharper hit from the cash crunch.
India's lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed key legislations paving the way for implementation of a nationwide goods and services tax (GST) from July, which is expected to spur economic growth by 1 to 2 percentage points.
Most manufacturing and services items will be taxed at standard rates of 12 percent and 18 percent under the four-slab GST structure.
Unitech shares fall up to 15% after MD Sanjay Chandra arrested for alleged money laundering
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The Unitech stock fell as much as 15 percent after Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing arrested the Managing Director of Unitech Sanjay Chandra and another person on Saturday for allegedly not developing a project despite receiving funds from investors.
At 11:18 am, the stock was trading at Rs 5.03 level, down 9.87 percent on the BSE.
The stock closed at Rs 5.57 on Friday.
Today, it opened at Rs 5.30 level and hit an intra-day low of Rs 4.46 on the BSE.
It closed 9 percent lower to Rs 5.07 on the BSE.
"The accused, Ajay Chandra and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech, have been arrested for not developing a project, Anthea Floors, at Gurugram," a police officer told PTI.
"Ninety-one people have invested Rs 35 crore in the project. The probe into the case is being monitored by a trial court," the officer said. It is learnt that the investors had also approached the Delhi High Court in this regard.
The Unitech stock fell as much as 15 percent after Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing arrested the Managing Director of Unitech Sanjay Chandra and another person on Saturday for allegedly not developing a project despite receiving funds from investors.
At 11:18 am, the stock was trading at Rs 5.03 level, down 9.87 percent on the BSE.
The stock closed at Rs 5.57 on Friday.
Today, it opened at Rs 5.30 level and hit an intra-day low of Rs 4.46 on the BSE.
It closed 9 percent lower to Rs 5.07 on the BSE.
"The accused, Ajay Chandra and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech, have been arrested for not developing a project, Anthea Floors, at Gurugram," a police officer told PTI.
"Ninety-one people have invested Rs 35 crore in the project. The probe into the case is being monitored by a trial court," the officer said. It is learnt that the investors had also approached the Delhi High Court in this regard.
After US, Singapore is blocking visas of Indian IT professionals
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As US gets tough on H-1B visas, Singapore is the latest country which is seeking to restrict access to Indian professionals employed in the information technology sector.
Visas for IT professionals to work in Singapore have dropped "to a trickle", a report in TOI said. This move has prompted the government to put on hold the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) citing violation of the trade pact.
Singapore authorities were insisting on the "economic needs test" (ENT), a functionality in trade terms which argues for compliance with certain economic criteria, to deny access to Indian professionals, the report said.
"This (visa problem) has been lingering for a while but since early-2016, visas are down to a trickle. All Indian companies have received communication on fair consideration, which basically means hiring local people," Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar said.
In 2005, India had signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with Singapore. After the agreement, India's exports to Singapore increased from $4 billion in 2004-05 to $16.9 billion in 2011-12. However, the exports have seen a steep decline since then, going down to $ 7.7 billion in 2015-16.
Singapore received the highest outflow of Indian FDI and it is also the third largest foreign investor in India whereas.
As US gets tough on H-1B visas, Singapore is the latest country which is seeking to restrict access to Indian professionals employed in the information technology sector.
Visas for IT professionals to work in Singapore have dropped "to a trickle", a report in TOI said. This move has prompted the government to put on hold the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) citing violation of the trade pact.
Singapore authorities were insisting on the "economic needs test" (ENT), a functionality in trade terms which argues for compliance with certain economic criteria, to deny access to Indian professionals, the report said.
"This (visa problem) has been lingering for a while but since early-2016, visas are down to a trickle. All Indian companies have received communication on fair consideration, which basically means hiring local people," Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar said.
In 2005, India had signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with Singapore. After the agreement, India's exports to Singapore increased from $4 billion in 2004-05 to $16.9 billion in 2011-12. However, the exports have seen a steep decline since then, going down to $ 7.7 billion in 2015-16.
Singapore received the highest outflow of Indian FDI and it is also the third largest foreign investor in India whereas.
General Awareness
CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ALL BANK EXAMS
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1. Cobra Gold military exercises, Asia's largest multinational drill started on February 14, 2017 at Sattahip, Thailand. Cobra Gold 2017 is the ........ iteration of the military exercise.
a) 30th
b) 32nd
c) 36th
d) 39th
2. 'Indian Panorama Film Festival', the five-day organized at ....
a) Port Blair
b) Majuli
c) Bhimpore
d) Panjim
3. In Kerala, Thanal, a city-based group has launched a helpline for providing technical support in treating organic waste and managing non-biodegradable solid wastes. It is launched at
a) Kochi
b) Kozhikode
c) Thiruvananthapuram
d) Kollam
4. 'Momentum Jharkhand', Global Investor Summit held at
a) Jamshedpur
b) Deoghar
c) Medininagar
d) Ranchi
5. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) of Delhi has won the first prize for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government's Kayakalp awards. The Kayakalp awards were instituted the year...
a) 2014
b) 2015
c) 2016
d) 2017
6. Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has announced to make Khadi Gaon in each Indian state. Who is the Chairman of KVIC?
a) J. P. Toma
b) N. C. Borkataky
c) G. Chandramouli
d) V.K. Saxena
7. Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS II) flagged off on 17th Feb, 2017 from Safdarjung Railway station in Delhi to embark upon its journey across the country. The SECAS II will run till 8th September 2017 and culminate its journey at
a) Ahemdabad
b) Gandhinagar
c) Surat
d) Bhavnagar
8. Name the Bollywood actor named to host the Hindi version of popular international show TED Talks.
a) Shah Rukh Khan
b) Salman Khan
c) Amir Khan
d) Ranbir Kapoor
9. What is India's rank in an annual index of Economic Freedom?
a) 140th
b) 143rd
c) 145th
d) 147th
10. Who has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab?
a) Manpreet Singh
b) Akashdeep Singh
c) Sandeep Singh
d) Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh
11. In which city the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced to host the second round of the Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie between India and Uzbekistan?
a) Bengaluru
b) New Delhi
c) Kochi
d) Lucknow
12. Who has been appointed as India's new High Commissioner to Canada?
a) Avani Kumar Varma
b) Brij Kishore Singh
c) Vikas Swarup
d) Vinay Luthra
13. Which State government has announced to constitute State Tourism Board for expansion of facilities at tourist spots and draw investment in the sector?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Goa
c) Telangana
d) Andhra Pradesh
14. Name the Canadian radio broadcaster, best known as the host of the CBC Radio program 'The Vinyl Cafe', passed away in February 2017.
a) Byron MacGregor
b) David Charles Wish
c) Bob Dawson
d) Andrew Stuart McLean
15. What is the maximum limit up to which the RBI has announced to lend gold to RRBs?
a) Rs.1.50 Lakhs
b) Rs.2.00 Lakhs
c) Rs.2.50 Lakhs
d) Rs.2.75 Lakhs
16. Which bank has launched instant chat services for customers logged in to Citibank Online (CBOL) in India?
a) IndusInd Bank
b) Kotak Mahindra Bank
c) Yes Bank
d) Citi Bank
17. Recently how many new judges were sworn in to the Supreme Court, taking their strength to a high of 28?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Five
d) Seven
18. Which two countries have decided to bring Agreement on Social Security (SSA) for workers' benefit into force in May 2017?
a) India and Norway
b) India and Turkey
c) India and Portugal
d) India and Japan
19. Which state assembly has undergone the motion of a trust vote for the first time in 29 years?
a) Telangana
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Maharashtra
20. For the past three years, Neralu has to be largest citizen-driven tree festival of:
a) Bengaluru
b) Hyderabad
c) Mysuru
d) Lucknow
21. Recently which state government has brought in an additional three lakh acre of agricultural land under its irrigation programme with the objective of helping farmers?
a) Bihar
b) West Bengal
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Maharashtra
22. Who is to be the new chief of capital market regulator SEBI?
a) Prashant Thorbade
b) Anil Kushwaha
c) Ajay Tyagi
d) Rajan Vipul
23. Which bank has provided its customers access to the government's digital locker (DigiLocker) from within its net-banking application?
a) HDFC Bank
b) ICICI Bank
c) Kotak Mahindra Bank
d) SBI
24. Recently which company has become an integrated power company?
a) NTPC
b) BHEL
c) HPCL
d) OIL
25. Which agency is to create first-ever space technology research institutes?
a) ISRO
b) DRDO
c) BARC
d) NASA
26. Indian scientists have designed an insulin-like oral substance, nicknamed:
a) Rani
b) Tripti
c) Dimpi
d) Rajrani
27. Indian Navy inducts first all-women global circumnavigation vessel. Name the vessel.
a) Tarini
b) Shivalik
c) Kumbhir
d) Ashtradharani
28. India has won the silver medal at the women's Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy 2017 held at
a) Manila
b) Ipoh
c) Incheon
d) Vientiane
29. Who is the Chief of Naval Staff?
a) RK Dhowan
b) Surinder Pal Singh Cheema
c) Sunil Lamba
d) Arup Raha
30. Which bank has been awarded with ISO 27001: 2013 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS)?
a) South Indian Bank
b) Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank
c) Nainital Bank
d) Catholic Syrian Bank
31. Ecuador has been in news recently. The capital of Ecuador is....
a) Loja
b) Ibarra
c) Quito
d) Macas
32. Who is the 26th and current United States Secretary of Defense?
a) Jefferson Sessions
b) James Mattis
c) Steven Mnuchin
d) Michael T. Flynn
33. Recently the Assam Government has inaugurated Cancer Hospital in the state. The hospital is attached to which of the medical colleges?
a) Guwahati Medical College
b) Assam Medical College
c) Jorhat Medical College
d) Tezpur Medical College
ANSWERS:
1-c, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d, 5-b, 6-d, 7-b, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-a, 12-c, 13-a, 14-d, 15-b, 16-d, 17-c, 18-c, 19-c, 20-a
21-b, 22-c, 23-c, 24-a, 25-d, 26-c, 27-a, 28-d, 29-c, 30-a, 31-c, 32-b, 33-a
1. Cobra Gold military exercises, Asia's largest multinational drill started on February 14, 2017 at Sattahip, Thailand. Cobra Gold 2017 is the ........ iteration of the military exercise.
a) 30th
b) 32nd
c) 36th
d) 39th
2. 'Indian Panorama Film Festival', the five-day organized at ....
a) Port Blair
b) Majuli
c) Bhimpore
d) Panjim
3. In Kerala, Thanal, a city-based group has launched a helpline for providing technical support in treating organic waste and managing non-biodegradable solid wastes. It is launched at
a) Kochi
b) Kozhikode
c) Thiruvananthapuram
d) Kollam
4. 'Momentum Jharkhand', Global Investor Summit held at
a) Jamshedpur
b) Deoghar
c) Medininagar
d) Ranchi
5. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) of Delhi has won the first prize for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government's Kayakalp awards. The Kayakalp awards were instituted the year...
a) 2014
b) 2015
c) 2016
d) 2017
6. Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has announced to make Khadi Gaon in each Indian state. Who is the Chairman of KVIC?
a) J. P. Toma
b) N. C. Borkataky
c) G. Chandramouli
d) V.K. Saxena
7. Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS II) flagged off on 17th Feb, 2017 from Safdarjung Railway station in Delhi to embark upon its journey across the country. The SECAS II will run till 8th September 2017 and culminate its journey at
a) Ahemdabad
b) Gandhinagar
c) Surat
d) Bhavnagar
8. Name the Bollywood actor named to host the Hindi version of popular international show TED Talks.
a) Shah Rukh Khan
b) Salman Khan
c) Amir Khan
d) Ranbir Kapoor
9. What is India's rank in an annual index of Economic Freedom?
a) 140th
b) 143rd
c) 145th
d) 147th
10. Who has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab?
a) Manpreet Singh
b) Akashdeep Singh
c) Sandeep Singh
d) Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh
11. In which city the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced to host the second round of the Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie between India and Uzbekistan?
a) Bengaluru
b) New Delhi
c) Kochi
d) Lucknow
12. Who has been appointed as India's new High Commissioner to Canada?
a) Avani Kumar Varma
b) Brij Kishore Singh
c) Vikas Swarup
d) Vinay Luthra
13. Which State government has announced to constitute State Tourism Board for expansion of facilities at tourist spots and draw investment in the sector?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Goa
c) Telangana
d) Andhra Pradesh
14. Name the Canadian radio broadcaster, best known as the host of the CBC Radio program 'The Vinyl Cafe', passed away in February 2017.
a) Byron MacGregor
b) David Charles Wish
c) Bob Dawson
d) Andrew Stuart McLean
15. What is the maximum limit up to which the RBI has announced to lend gold to RRBs?
a) Rs.1.50 Lakhs
b) Rs.2.00 Lakhs
c) Rs.2.50 Lakhs
d) Rs.2.75 Lakhs
16. Which bank has launched instant chat services for customers logged in to Citibank Online (CBOL) in India?
a) IndusInd Bank
b) Kotak Mahindra Bank
c) Yes Bank
d) Citi Bank
17. Recently how many new judges were sworn in to the Supreme Court, taking their strength to a high of 28?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Five
d) Seven
18. Which two countries have decided to bring Agreement on Social Security (SSA) for workers' benefit into force in May 2017?
a) India and Norway
b) India and Turkey
c) India and Portugal
d) India and Japan
19. Which state assembly has undergone the motion of a trust vote for the first time in 29 years?
a) Telangana
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Maharashtra
20. For the past three years, Neralu has to be largest citizen-driven tree festival of:
a) Bengaluru
b) Hyderabad
c) Mysuru
d) Lucknow
21. Recently which state government has brought in an additional three lakh acre of agricultural land under its irrigation programme with the objective of helping farmers?
a) Bihar
b) West Bengal
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Maharashtra
22. Who is to be the new chief of capital market regulator SEBI?
a) Prashant Thorbade
b) Anil Kushwaha
c) Ajay Tyagi
d) Rajan Vipul
23. Which bank has provided its customers access to the government's digital locker (DigiLocker) from within its net-banking application?
a) HDFC Bank
b) ICICI Bank
c) Kotak Mahindra Bank
d) SBI
24. Recently which company has become an integrated power company?
a) NTPC
b) BHEL
c) HPCL
d) OIL
25. Which agency is to create first-ever space technology research institutes?
a) ISRO
b) DRDO
c) BARC
d) NASA
26. Indian scientists have designed an insulin-like oral substance, nicknamed:
a) Rani
b) Tripti
c) Dimpi
d) Rajrani
27. Indian Navy inducts first all-women global circumnavigation vessel. Name the vessel.
a) Tarini
b) Shivalik
c) Kumbhir
d) Ashtradharani
28. India has won the silver medal at the women's Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy 2017 held at
a) Manila
b) Ipoh
c) Incheon
d) Vientiane
29. Who is the Chief of Naval Staff?
a) RK Dhowan
b) Surinder Pal Singh Cheema
c) Sunil Lamba
d) Arup Raha
30. Which bank has been awarded with ISO 27001: 2013 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS)?
a) South Indian Bank
b) Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank
c) Nainital Bank
d) Catholic Syrian Bank
31. Ecuador has been in news recently. The capital of Ecuador is....
a) Loja
b) Ibarra
c) Quito
d) Macas
32. Who is the 26th and current United States Secretary of Defense?
a) Jefferson Sessions
b) James Mattis
c) Steven Mnuchin
d) Michael T. Flynn
33. Recently the Assam Government has inaugurated Cancer Hospital in the state. The hospital is attached to which of the medical colleges?
a) Guwahati Medical College
b) Assam Medical College
c) Jorhat Medical College
d) Tezpur Medical College
ANSWERS:
1-c, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d, 5-b, 6-d, 7-b, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-a, 12-c, 13-a, 14-d, 15-b, 16-d, 17-c, 18-c, 19-c, 20-a
21-b, 22-c, 23-c, 24-a, 25-d, 26-c, 27-a, 28-d, 29-c, 30-a, 31-c, 32-b, 33-a
a) 30th
b) 32nd
c) 36th
d) 39th
2. 'Indian Panorama Film Festival', the five-day organized at ....
a) Port Blair
b) Majuli
c) Bhimpore
d) Panjim
3. In Kerala, Thanal, a city-based group has launched a helpline for providing technical support in treating organic waste and managing non-biodegradable solid wastes. It is launched at
a) Kochi
b) Kozhikode
c) Thiruvananthapuram
d) Kollam
4. 'Momentum Jharkhand', Global Investor Summit held at
a) Jamshedpur
b) Deoghar
c) Medininagar
d) Ranchi
5. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) of Delhi has won the first prize for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government's Kayakalp awards. The Kayakalp awards were instituted the year...
a) 2014
b) 2015
c) 2016
d) 2017
6. Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has announced to make Khadi Gaon in each Indian state. Who is the Chairman of KVIC?
a) J. P. Toma
b) N. C. Borkataky
c) G. Chandramouli
d) V.K. Saxena
7. Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS II) flagged off on 17th Feb, 2017 from Safdarjung Railway station in Delhi to embark upon its journey across the country. The SECAS II will run till 8th September 2017 and culminate its journey at
a) Ahemdabad
b) Gandhinagar
c) Surat
d) Bhavnagar
8. Name the Bollywood actor named to host the Hindi version of popular international show TED Talks.
a) Shah Rukh Khan
b) Salman Khan
c) Amir Khan
d) Ranbir Kapoor
9. What is India's rank in an annual index of Economic Freedom?
a) 140th
b) 143rd
c) 145th
d) 147th
10. Who has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab?
a) Manpreet Singh
b) Akashdeep Singh
c) Sandeep Singh
d) Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh
11. In which city the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced to host the second round of the Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie between India and Uzbekistan?
a) Bengaluru
b) New Delhi
c) Kochi
d) Lucknow
12. Who has been appointed as India's new High Commissioner to Canada?
a) Avani Kumar Varma
b) Brij Kishore Singh
c) Vikas Swarup
d) Vinay Luthra
13. Which State government has announced to constitute State Tourism Board for expansion of facilities at tourist spots and draw investment in the sector?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Goa
c) Telangana
d) Andhra Pradesh
14. Name the Canadian radio broadcaster, best known as the host of the CBC Radio program 'The Vinyl Cafe', passed away in February 2017.
a) Byron MacGregor
b) David Charles Wish
c) Bob Dawson
d) Andrew Stuart McLean
15. What is the maximum limit up to which the RBI has announced to lend gold to RRBs?
a) Rs.1.50 Lakhs
b) Rs.2.00 Lakhs
c) Rs.2.50 Lakhs
d) Rs.2.75 Lakhs
16. Which bank has launched instant chat services for customers logged in to Citibank Online (CBOL) in India?
a) IndusInd Bank
b) Kotak Mahindra Bank
c) Yes Bank
d) Citi Bank
17. Recently how many new judges were sworn in to the Supreme Court, taking their strength to a high of 28?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Five
d) Seven
18. Which two countries have decided to bring Agreement on Social Security (SSA) for workers' benefit into force in May 2017?
a) India and Norway
b) India and Turkey
c) India and Portugal
d) India and Japan
19. Which state assembly has undergone the motion of a trust vote for the first time in 29 years?
a) Telangana
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Maharashtra
20. For the past three years, Neralu has to be largest citizen-driven tree festival of:
a) Bengaluru
b) Hyderabad
c) Mysuru
d) Lucknow
21. Recently which state government has brought in an additional three lakh acre of agricultural land under its irrigation programme with the objective of helping farmers?
a) Bihar
b) West Bengal
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Maharashtra
22. Who is to be the new chief of capital market regulator SEBI?
a) Prashant Thorbade
b) Anil Kushwaha
c) Ajay Tyagi
d) Rajan Vipul
23. Which bank has provided its customers access to the government's digital locker (DigiLocker) from within its net-banking application?
a) HDFC Bank
b) ICICI Bank
c) Kotak Mahindra Bank
d) SBI
24. Recently which company has become an integrated power company?
a) NTPC
b) BHEL
c) HPCL
d) OIL
25. Which agency is to create first-ever space technology research institutes?
a) ISRO
b) DRDO
c) BARC
d) NASA
26. Indian scientists have designed an insulin-like oral substance, nicknamed:
a) Rani
b) Tripti
c) Dimpi
d) Rajrani
27. Indian Navy inducts first all-women global circumnavigation vessel. Name the vessel.
a) Tarini
b) Shivalik
c) Kumbhir
d) Ashtradharani
28. India has won the silver medal at the women's Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy 2017 held at
a) Manila
b) Ipoh
c) Incheon
d) Vientiane
29. Who is the Chief of Naval Staff?
a) RK Dhowan
b) Surinder Pal Singh Cheema
c) Sunil Lamba
d) Arup Raha
30. Which bank has been awarded with ISO 27001: 2013 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS)?
a) South Indian Bank
b) Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank
c) Nainital Bank
d) Catholic Syrian Bank
31. Ecuador has been in news recently. The capital of Ecuador is....
a) Loja
b) Ibarra
c) Quito
d) Macas
32. Who is the 26th and current United States Secretary of Defense?
a) Jefferson Sessions
b) James Mattis
c) Steven Mnuchin
d) Michael T. Flynn
33. Recently the Assam Government has inaugurated Cancer Hospital in the state. The hospital is attached to which of the medical colleges?
a) Guwahati Medical College
b) Assam Medical College
c) Jorhat Medical College
d) Tezpur Medical College
ANSWERS:
1-c, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d, 5-b, 6-d, 7-b, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-a, 12-c, 13-a, 14-d, 15-b, 16-d, 17-c, 18-c, 19-c, 20-a
21-b, 22-c, 23-c, 24-a, 25-d, 26-c, 27-a, 28-d, 29-c, 30-a, 31-c, 32-b, 33-a
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