General Affairs
Army Finalises Plan To Induct 800 Women In Military Police
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The Army has finalised a plan to induct women in the military police, seen as a major move towards breaking gender barriers in the force.
Adjutant General of the Army Lt. Gen. Ashwani Kumar said today it planned to induct about 800 women in the military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel.
Another senior official, who did not wish to be named, said some of the women personnel would be gradually stationed in the conflict-torn Kashmir Valley to carry out various kinds of tasks such as frisking of women.
The Adjutant General said the decision to induct women in the Corps of the Military Police was taken keeping in view the "increasing needs for investigation against gender-specific allegations and crime".
The announcement -- also being seen as a step towards the eventual opening up of doors to women in combat roles -- came a day after Nirmala Sitharaman took over as the country's first full-time woman defence minister.
The decision was conveyed to former Army chiefs today by incumbent Gen. Bipin Rawat at the biennial Chiefs' Conclave where they were also apprised of the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan.
"We have finalised the proposal of inducting women in the military police," Adjutant General Kumar told reporters.
In an interview to PTI in June, Gen Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into the military police corps.
Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as the medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army.
The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
The process of induction is likely to start next year.
About their proposed deployment in Kashmir, the senior official said women military personnel would assist in tasks such as frisking women, currently being carried out by women constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
"At present, whenever we have to frisk women, we take the help of local women police personnel," Adjutant General Kumar said.
However, it will be done is a phased manner and will be started with their deployment in peace stations, and then in conflict-prone areas.
The Indian Army is yet to open doors for combat role for women. Very few countries have allowed women in combat roles. The exceptions include Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel.
Adjutant General Kumar also informed the Chiefs Conclave about approval given to a cadre review proposal, which is expected to benefit approximately 1.45 lakh Junior Commissioned Officers/Other Ranks (JCO/OR).
The upgradation is to take place over a span of five years and will endow higher career progressions of JCO/OR. The last cadre review was done in 1984, benefiting 22,000 JCOs/OR.
Adjutant General Kumar also told the Chiefs Conclave that the Defence ministry had agreed to start residential Army Public Schools in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Mamun in Punjab with a capacity of 2000 children each. This, he said, would cater to the growing needs of children of Army personnel of all ranks.
As of now, the Army Welfare Educational Society (AWES) manages 137 schools and 11 professional colleges across the country.
Adjutant General of the Army Lt. Gen. Ashwani Kumar said today it planned to induct about 800 women in the military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel.
Another senior official, who did not wish to be named, said some of the women personnel would be gradually stationed in the conflict-torn Kashmir Valley to carry out various kinds of tasks such as frisking of women.
The Adjutant General said the decision to induct women in the Corps of the Military Police was taken keeping in view the "increasing needs for investigation against gender-specific allegations and crime".
The decision was conveyed to former Army chiefs today by incumbent Gen. Bipin Rawat at the biennial Chiefs' Conclave where they were also apprised of the overall security challenges facing the country, including on the borders with China and Pakistan.
"We have finalised the proposal of inducting women in the military police," Adjutant General Kumar told reporters.
In an interview to PTI in June, Gen Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into the military police corps.
Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as the medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army.
The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
The process of induction is likely to start next year.
About their proposed deployment in Kashmir, the senior official said women military personnel would assist in tasks such as frisking women, currently being carried out by women constables of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
"At present, whenever we have to frisk women, we take the help of local women police personnel," Adjutant General Kumar said.
However, it will be done is a phased manner and will be started with their deployment in peace stations, and then in conflict-prone areas.
The Indian Army is yet to open doors for combat role for women. Very few countries have allowed women in combat roles. The exceptions include Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Israel.
Adjutant General Kumar also informed the Chiefs Conclave about approval given to a cadre review proposal, which is expected to benefit approximately 1.45 lakh Junior Commissioned Officers/Other Ranks (JCO/OR).
The upgradation is to take place over a span of five years and will endow higher career progressions of JCO/OR. The last cadre review was done in 1984, benefiting 22,000 JCOs/OR.
Adjutant General Kumar also told the Chiefs Conclave that the Defence ministry had agreed to start residential Army Public Schools in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Mamun in Punjab with a capacity of 2000 children each. This, he said, would cater to the growing needs of children of Army personnel of all ranks.
As of now, the Army Welfare Educational Society (AWES) manages 137 schools and 11 professional colleges across the country.
India Bars 'Unruly' Passengers From Flying For 3 Months To Over 2 Years
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India has issued new norms barring unruly passengers from flying for a minimum of three months to more than two years depending on the nature of the misdemeanour, the government said on Friday.
The government has issued a no-fly list of unruly passengers after a lawmaker admitted assaulting an official from state-run carrier Air India.
The new rules will be applicable to foreign carriers as well, the government said in a statement, adding that unruly behaviour has been categorised in three levels - verbal, physical and life threatening.
"The concept of no-fly is based on safety of other passengers, crew and the aircraft, and not just on the security threat," the government said.
The government has issued a no-fly list of unruly passengers after a lawmaker admitted assaulting an official from state-run carrier Air India.
The new rules will be applicable to foreign carriers as well, the government said in a statement, adding that unruly behaviour has been categorised in three levels - verbal, physical and life threatening.
"The concept of no-fly is based on safety of other passengers, crew and the aircraft, and not just on the security threat," the government said.
Malaysia Ready To Provide Temporary Shelter For Rohingya Fleeing Violence
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Malaysia's coast guard will not turn away Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar and is willing to provide them temporary shelter, the maritime agency's chief said on Friday.
Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base in Myanmar on August 25. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered an exodus of more than 160,000 to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Malaysia, hundreds of km (miles) to the south on the Andaman Sea, is likely to see more boat people from Myanmar in coming weeks and months because of the renewed violence, said Zulkifli Abu Bakar, the director-general of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency.
However any such voyage would be hazardous for the next few months, because of the annual monsoon.
"We are supposed to provide basic necessities for them to continue their journey and push them away. But at the end of the day, because of humanitarian reasons, we will not be able to do that," Zulkifli told Reuters, adding that no fresh refugees had been seen yet.
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation already home to more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees, will probably house the new arrivals in immigration detention centres, where foreigners without documents are typically held, he said.
Malaysia, which has not signed the U.N. Refugee Convention, treats refugees as illegal migrants.
Thailand has also said it is preparing to receive people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar.
Malaysia will send a humanitarian mission to help refugees seeking shelter at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, Prime Minister Najib Razak said.
The mission, to be led by the Malaysian armed forces, is a "manifestation of Malaysia's strong objection of the continued suppression of the Rohingya community by the Myanmar security forces," Najib said in a statement.
The mission will leave on Saturday to review the situation in refugee camps. Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air will help in the distribution of aid, the statement added.
Malaysia will hold talks with Bangladesh to set up a military hospital at the border, Najib added.
There are about 59,000 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia although unofficial numbers are almost double.
In 2015, mass graves were exhumed at jungle camps on the border between Thailand and Malaysia that were thought to be mainly Rohingya victims of human traffickers.
Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base in Myanmar on August 25. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered an exodus of more than 160,000 to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Malaysia, hundreds of km (miles) to the south on the Andaman Sea, is likely to see more boat people from Myanmar in coming weeks and months because of the renewed violence, said Zulkifli Abu Bakar, the director-general of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency.
However any such voyage would be hazardous for the next few months, because of the annual monsoon.
"We are supposed to provide basic necessities for them to continue their journey and push them away. But at the end of the day, because of humanitarian reasons, we will not be able to do that," Zulkifli told Reuters, adding that no fresh refugees had been seen yet.
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation already home to more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees, will probably house the new arrivals in immigration detention centres, where foreigners without documents are typically held, he said.
Malaysia, which has not signed the U.N. Refugee Convention, treats refugees as illegal migrants.
Thailand has also said it is preparing to receive people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar.
Malaysia will send a humanitarian mission to help refugees seeking shelter at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, Prime Minister Najib Razak said.
The mission, to be led by the Malaysian armed forces, is a "manifestation of Malaysia's strong objection of the continued suppression of the Rohingya community by the Myanmar security forces," Najib said in a statement.
The mission will leave on Saturday to review the situation in refugee camps. Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air will help in the distribution of aid, the statement added.
Malaysia will hold talks with Bangladesh to set up a military hospital at the border, Najib added.
There are about 59,000 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia although unofficial numbers are almost double.
In 2015, mass graves were exhumed at jungle camps on the border between Thailand and Malaysia that were thought to be mainly Rohingya victims of human traffickers.
Enforcement Directorate Likely To Register Money Laundering Case Against Separatist Leaders
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The Enforcement Directorate or ED is likely to register a money laundering case against some separatist leaders facing investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under charges of receiving terror funding from across the border to stoke unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.
An ED official, requesting anonymity, told news agency IANS that the financial probe agency would file a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and also Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against these separatist leaders taking cognizance of the FIR filed by the NIA in the case.
"We are analysing the documents collected from the NIA and planning to register a PMLA and FEMA case against the separatist leaders," the ED official said.
The ED had on June 23 registered money laundering case against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and members of Hurriyat Conference in connection with the alleged terror funding from across the border to stoke unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
Following a Home Ministry order, the NIA on May 30 filed FIR in the case under charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against the Government of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In its FIR, the NIA mentioned that Hafiz Saeed and separatist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat Conference, have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organisations Let, HM, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and other terrorist organisations for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels for funding terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
An ED official, requesting anonymity, told news agency IANS that the financial probe agency would file a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and also Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against these separatist leaders taking cognizance of the FIR filed by the NIA in the case.
"We are analysing the documents collected from the NIA and planning to register a PMLA and FEMA case against the separatist leaders," the ED official said.
The ED had on June 23 registered money laundering case against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and members of Hurriyat Conference in connection with the alleged terror funding from across the border to stoke unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
Following a Home Ministry order, the NIA on May 30 filed FIR in the case under charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against the Government of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In its FIR, the NIA mentioned that Hafiz Saeed and separatist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat Conference, have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organisations Let, HM, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and other terrorist organisations for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels for funding terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ensure No Shutdown Over NEET In Tamil Nadu, Orders Supreme Court
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Large-scale protests against the national entrance exam for medical colleges that disrupts normal life or can lead to violence have been disallowed in Tamil Nadu by the Supreme Court today, a directive that could force the opposition to cancel a series of protests planned against the national examination.
The court on Friday has told the state's top bureaucrat that it was his job to act against anyone involved "in any kind of bandh or activity that disrupts normal life and affects detrimentally affects law and order".
The court's restriction came on a petition that complained about the state-wide agitation, which had erupted after a 17-year-old student, Anitha, committed suicide. The protests, the petition said, were affecting normal life of citizens.
A three-judge bench of the court headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra later made it clear that people were free to protest peacefully.
"We may clearly state here that a peaceful protest or criticism or dissent is different than creation of a law and order situation," the court said in its interim order on Friday.
The court said every citizen had "a fundamental right to peacefully protest and demonstrate" but could not cause a situation that leads to violence and paralyses the law and order situation.
GS Mani, the lawyer who had petitioned the court, told NDTV that he had argued that "in the name of agitations political parties are protesting against the Supreme Court verdict". He also wanted the court to order a judicial inquiry into the death of the student, who had earlier lost a legal battle against the NEET examination in the top court.
Anitha's death had renewed protests against the central exam and sparked huge public anger, many of them by students. She was the daughter of a poor, Dalit daily-wage labourer. The girl, whose dream was to be a doctor, had scored excellent marks in her Class 12 exams and would have easily got into a medical college of her choice under the previous system. But she could not clear the national eligibility exam.
Tamil Nadu, which has close to 40 medical colleges, says the entrance exam places its students at a disadvantage. It is argued that national exam is more apt for students who study in CBSE and penalises poor and rural students who cannot afford the private tuition classes needed to score high in such entrance exams like NEET and JEE, which is used for engineering students.
Days before Anitha died, the Tamil Nadu government had proposed an executive order to exempt Tamil Nadu from the central admission test but the central government did not approve it. The Palaniswami government of the AIADMK in the state and the BJP government at the Centre have been the target of sharp attacks from the opposition that accuse the ruling party of letting down the state's students.
Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran who had earlier announced an agitation against the national entrance exams said he was cancelling protests planned by his faction of the party in deference to the top court's directions.
The court on Friday has told the state's top bureaucrat that it was his job to act against anyone involved "in any kind of bandh or activity that disrupts normal life and affects detrimentally affects law and order".
A three-judge bench of the court headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra later made it clear that people were free to protest peacefully.
"We may clearly state here that a peaceful protest or criticism or dissent is different than creation of a law and order situation," the court said in its interim order on Friday.
The court said every citizen had "a fundamental right to peacefully protest and demonstrate" but could not cause a situation that leads to violence and paralyses the law and order situation.
GS Mani, the lawyer who had petitioned the court, told NDTV that he had argued that "in the name of agitations political parties are protesting against the Supreme Court verdict". He also wanted the court to order a judicial inquiry into the death of the student, who had earlier lost a legal battle against the NEET examination in the top court.
Anitha's death had renewed protests against the central exam and sparked huge public anger, many of them by students. She was the daughter of a poor, Dalit daily-wage labourer. The girl, whose dream was to be a doctor, had scored excellent marks in her Class 12 exams and would have easily got into a medical college of her choice under the previous system. But she could not clear the national eligibility exam.
Tamil Nadu, which has close to 40 medical colleges, says the entrance exam places its students at a disadvantage. It is argued that national exam is more apt for students who study in CBSE and penalises poor and rural students who cannot afford the private tuition classes needed to score high in such entrance exams like NEET and JEE, which is used for engineering students.
Days before Anitha died, the Tamil Nadu government had proposed an executive order to exempt Tamil Nadu from the central admission test but the central government did not approve it. The Palaniswami government of the AIADMK in the state and the BJP government at the Centre have been the target of sharp attacks from the opposition that accuse the ruling party of letting down the state's students.
Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran who had earlier announced an agitation against the national entrance exams said he was cancelling protests planned by his faction of the party in deference to the top court's directions.
Business Affairs
Tea production rises up 3.4% in July
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Country's tea production increased 3.4 per cent to 155.6 million kg in July 2017, compared to 150.5 million kg, in July last year. However, in June the tea production had declined 2.8 per cent .
Overall, the tea production from North India increased by 4.1 per cent, while that from South India declined by 1.3 per cent, as per the data released by the Tea Board of India. Total tea produced by the North Indian tea gardens stood at 136.5 million kg's. South India produced 19.1 million kg's of tea during the month.
The indefinite strike in Darjeeling over demand for Gorkhaland is in its 11th week, hitting its tea production. According to the data, there has been no production of tea in July which is considered one of the peak production seasons. Last year, the tea production was 1.06 million kg in July. Tea production in Darjeeling has been on a standstill since June 2017.
Country's tea production increased 3.4 per cent to 155.6 million kg in July 2017, compared to 150.5 million kg, in July last year. However, in June the tea production had declined 2.8 per cent .
Overall, the tea production from North India increased by 4.1 per cent, while that from South India declined by 1.3 per cent, as per the data released by the Tea Board of India. Total tea produced by the North Indian tea gardens stood at 136.5 million kg's. South India produced 19.1 million kg's of tea during the month.
The indefinite strike in Darjeeling over demand for Gorkhaland is in its 11th week, hitting its tea production. According to the data, there has been no production of tea in July which is considered one of the peak production seasons. Last year, the tea production was 1.06 million kg in July. Tea production in Darjeeling has been on a standstill since June 2017.
Delhi High Court stops Patanjali from airing Chyawanprash ads after Dabur complains
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Days after barring Patanjali Ayurved from airing its soap ads, the Delhi High Court on Friday ordered Baba Ramdev's homegrown brand to stop airing TV advertisements to promote its Chyawanprash products.
The order came after Patanjali's rival Dabur complained about Chyawanprash advertisements denigrating its product. In an interim order, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar restrained ayurvedic firm 'Patanjali' from airing, telecasting and circulating the advertisements in any manner till September 26, the next date of hearing.
"We are prima facie satisfied that an interim protection is necessary in the matter," it said. The bench also issued notice to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and sought their stand on the plea filed by Dabur India Ltd, which claims to be the largest manufacturer of ayurvedic medicine and natural consumer products. Besides seeking a restraining order, Dabur India has also sought a damage of Rs 2.01 crore from Patanjali.
Dabur India moved the larger bench against the September 1 order of a single judge bench refusing its plea that Patanjali be restrained from airing the commercials. Challenging the interim order, Dabur alleged that the single judge had failed to appreciate that the "illegal trade activity" of Patanjali was causing irreparable and incalculable loss to it. It said that Patanjali's "trade dress and packaging" in the advertisements were too similar to Dabur's and any illiterate and semi-literate customer can easily be fooled.
The complaint was about an advertisement on social media in which a bottle with a blurred trademark and name was shown. Dabur submitted that the "trade dress/packaging" for its product had acquired distinctiveness as the consumer at large, particularly those who may not be literate, may recall the features of the "Dabur Chyawanprash".
"The trade dress and the overall get up of Dabur Chyawanprash packaging on account of acquired distinctiveness, constitutes a trademark within the meaning of the Trademarks Act 1999 and thus it ought to be protected and prevented against the dilution, misuse, misappropriation and acts of infringement," Dabur said in its plea. It said it had recently learnt that Patanjali has launched an advertisement campaign to promote its product "Patanjali Chyawanprash".
"The impugned advertisement was uploaded on Facebook page of Patanjali products on August 24, 2017 and on the Youtube channel of the Patanjali on August 25, 2017," the plea said, adding that they feared that this advertisement may be aired and circulated by the respondent on television soon.
Days after barring Patanjali Ayurved from airing its soap ads, the Delhi High Court on Friday ordered Baba Ramdev's homegrown brand to stop airing TV advertisements to promote its Chyawanprash products.
The order came after Patanjali's rival Dabur complained about Chyawanprash advertisements denigrating its product. In an interim order, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar restrained ayurvedic firm 'Patanjali' from airing, telecasting and circulating the advertisements in any manner till September 26, the next date of hearing.
"We are prima facie satisfied that an interim protection is necessary in the matter," it said. The bench also issued notice to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and sought their stand on the plea filed by Dabur India Ltd, which claims to be the largest manufacturer of ayurvedic medicine and natural consumer products. Besides seeking a restraining order, Dabur India has also sought a damage of Rs 2.01 crore from Patanjali.
Dabur India moved the larger bench against the September 1 order of a single judge bench refusing its plea that Patanjali be restrained from airing the commercials. Challenging the interim order, Dabur alleged that the single judge had failed to appreciate that the "illegal trade activity" of Patanjali was causing irreparable and incalculable loss to it. It said that Patanjali's "trade dress and packaging" in the advertisements were too similar to Dabur's and any illiterate and semi-literate customer can easily be fooled.
The complaint was about an advertisement on social media in which a bottle with a blurred trademark and name was shown. Dabur submitted that the "trade dress/packaging" for its product had acquired distinctiveness as the consumer at large, particularly those who may not be literate, may recall the features of the "Dabur Chyawanprash".
"The trade dress and the overall get up of Dabur Chyawanprash packaging on account of acquired distinctiveness, constitutes a trademark within the meaning of the Trademarks Act 1999 and thus it ought to be protected and prevented against the dilution, misuse, misappropriation and acts of infringement," Dabur said in its plea. It said it had recently learnt that Patanjali has launched an advertisement campaign to promote its product "Patanjali Chyawanprash".
"The impugned advertisement was uploaded on Facebook page of Patanjali products on August 24, 2017 and on the Youtube channel of the Patanjali on August 25, 2017," the plea said, adding that they feared that this advertisement may be aired and circulated by the respondent on television soon.
Pakistan's Habib Bank kicked out of New York over terror funding; fined $225 million
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Pakistan's biggest lender Habib Bank has been slapped with a $225 million fine before shutting down in US by New York state's banking regulator, the New York State Department of Financial Services.
The enforcement action by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) on Habib Bank is the first time in the history of New York state when a bank has been ordered to shut down, besides being ordered to pay a hefty fine on charges of suspicious transactions relating to terror funding.
Headquartered in Karachi, the Pakistani government is the majority owner of Habib Bank. The New York banking operations regulator had earlier penalised Habib Bank for over 53 violations allegedly committed at its New York branch.
The regulator had flagged Habib Bank's dealing with Al Rajhi Bank, the largest private bank in Saudi Arabia, saying that a report released by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations had linked its owners to organizations associated with financing terrorism after the 9/11 terrorist attack, including that one of the bank's founders was an early financial benefactor of al Qaeda.
Al Rajhi transactions represents approximately 24 percent of the total number of transactions conducted through the New York Branch of Habib Bank, the regulator said.
Habib Bank had failed to correct serious weaknesses first identified more than a decade ago. By 2015, the DFS found, the bank's compliance function was in an even worse state, lacking the most basic of controls on money-laundering and customer screening, Maria T Vullo, Superintendent of Financial Services, said in the statement of charges.
In what could be a serious indictment of Habib Bank's senior management, the DFS said Habib Bank's recent misconduct has produced grave risks to itself, to banking institutions in New York State and the US, and to the financial system as a whole. Although the Bank has been given more than sufficient opportunity to rectify its deficiencies, it has utterly failed to do so -demonstrating a sheer inability to accomplish remediation, a stubborn unwillingness to do so, or both.
Department's investigation also revealed that Habib Bank completely excluded screening of more than 4,000 transactions, apparently because the parties involved were listed on what is known as a so-called "good guy" list - a list of customers who purportedly have been screened and identified as very low risk. The Department's investigation determined that a 7 substantial number of parties were improperly included on the Habib Bank "good-guy" list.
Around 154 terms included in Habib Bank's "good guy" list corresponded to identical entries that were included on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, which is a list of parties prohibited from transactions by the U.S. Treasury Department. The "good-guy" list included prohibited persons and entities identified on the SDN List. Some of the suspicious transactions at Habib Bank include a transactions involving the leader of a Pakistani terrorist group and a known international arms dealer, the regulator said the statement of charges.
The Department's investigation has identified nearly 200 additional instances of suspicious activity that were never identified or reported by the Branch. These transactions include a variety of suspicious characteristics, such as payments lacking economic purpose (eg. a payment to a technology company for leather goods), it added.
The DFS said in a legal filing last month that it was seeking to fine the Habib Bank up to $630 million for "grave" compliance failures relating to anti-money laundering and sanctions rules at its only U.S. branch.
"DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States without holding it accountable for putting the integrity of the financial services industry and the safety of our nation at risk," Vullo said in a statement.
Pakistan's biggest lender Habib Bank has been slapped with a $225 million fine before shutting down in US by New York state's banking regulator, the New York State Department of Financial Services.
The enforcement action by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) on Habib Bank is the first time in the history of New York state when a bank has been ordered to shut down, besides being ordered to pay a hefty fine on charges of suspicious transactions relating to terror funding.
Headquartered in Karachi, the Pakistani government is the majority owner of Habib Bank. The New York banking operations regulator had earlier penalised Habib Bank for over 53 violations allegedly committed at its New York branch.
The regulator had flagged Habib Bank's dealing with Al Rajhi Bank, the largest private bank in Saudi Arabia, saying that a report released by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations had linked its owners to organizations associated with financing terrorism after the 9/11 terrorist attack, including that one of the bank's founders was an early financial benefactor of al Qaeda.
Al Rajhi transactions represents approximately 24 percent of the total number of transactions conducted through the New York Branch of Habib Bank, the regulator said.
Habib Bank had failed to correct serious weaknesses first identified more than a decade ago. By 2015, the DFS found, the bank's compliance function was in an even worse state, lacking the most basic of controls on money-laundering and customer screening, Maria T Vullo, Superintendent of Financial Services, said in the statement of charges.
In what could be a serious indictment of Habib Bank's senior management, the DFS said Habib Bank's recent misconduct has produced grave risks to itself, to banking institutions in New York State and the US, and to the financial system as a whole. Although the Bank has been given more than sufficient opportunity to rectify its deficiencies, it has utterly failed to do so -demonstrating a sheer inability to accomplish remediation, a stubborn unwillingness to do so, or both.
Department's investigation also revealed that Habib Bank completely excluded screening of more than 4,000 transactions, apparently because the parties involved were listed on what is known as a so-called "good guy" list - a list of customers who purportedly have been screened and identified as very low risk. The Department's investigation determined that a 7 substantial number of parties were improperly included on the Habib Bank "good-guy" list.
Around 154 terms included in Habib Bank's "good guy" list corresponded to identical entries that were included on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, which is a list of parties prohibited from transactions by the U.S. Treasury Department. The "good-guy" list included prohibited persons and entities identified on the SDN List. Some of the suspicious transactions at Habib Bank include a transactions involving the leader of a Pakistani terrorist group and a known international arms dealer, the regulator said the statement of charges.
The Department's investigation has identified nearly 200 additional instances of suspicious activity that were never identified or reported by the Branch. These transactions include a variety of suspicious characteristics, such as payments lacking economic purpose (eg. a payment to a technology company for leather goods), it added.
The DFS said in a legal filing last month that it was seeking to fine the Habib Bank up to $630 million for "grave" compliance failures relating to anti-money laundering and sanctions rules at its only U.S. branch.
"DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States without holding it accountable for putting the integrity of the financial services industry and the safety of our nation at risk," Vullo said in a statement.
Let India grow at 8-10% for 10 years before chest-thumping, says Raghuram Rajan
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With India trailing China on economic growth post demonetisation, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said the government should not have done "chest-thumping" on being the fastest-growing economy without achieving very strong GDP expansion for 10 years.
In an interview to PTI, he said India can lecture the world on things such as culture and history, but on growth, it should do that only after achieving 8-10 per cent rate for 10 years.
Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, courted controversy when in April last year he had called rising India a one-eyed king in the land of blind. BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had then called for his sacking, saying he was "mentally not fully Indian".
Refusing to comment on Swamy's remarks, Rajan said his comment was taken out of context.
"Not that I was forecasting anything, I was merely saying we have to be a little cautious about being too bullish about ourselves. That remark was made in April 2016, every quarter since then, our growth has fallen. So, I would argue in hindsight, and I didn't have any reason to believe that would be the case, but caution was warranted," he maintained.
India's GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June this year, down from 6.1 per cent in preceding three months.
China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters.
He said the pace of expansion needs to pick up to 8 per cent or 9 per cent with higher private investment and revival in exports.
"There are so many other things that we can lecture the rest of the world -- cultural achievements, historical achievements etc, but on growth, let us lecture once we have achieved another 10 years of 8-10 per cent," he advised.
An 8-10 per cent growth for 10 years would be an extraordinary achievement, but that is the growth rate needed for 10 years to reach the level of middle income, he stressed.
"We have done ever since the 1990s on and off 6-7-8 per cent. We need a couple of percentages more on that for 10 years and then, we will be a much bigger economy," he said.
"We should not go chest-thumping. I would prefer that we establish another 10 years of very strong growth of 8-10 per cent."
Rajan, who had predicted the 2008 global financial crisis, said Indian economy still is very small at USD 2.5 trillion, but "we feel we are a big country."
China is five times India's size.
Stating that India and China are not paired anymore, he said in order to be paired, China has to slow down and India has to grow at a rapid pace for the next 10 years.
"Then, people will see us in a more serious light," said Rajan, who was governor of the central bank from September 4, 2013, to September 4, 2016.
With India trailing China on economic growth post demonetisation, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said the government should not have done "chest-thumping" on being the fastest-growing economy without achieving very strong GDP expansion for 10 years.
In an interview to PTI, he said India can lecture the world on things such as culture and history, but on growth, it should do that only after achieving 8-10 per cent rate for 10 years.
Rajan, the only central bank governor in two decades who did not get a second term, courted controversy when in April last year he had called rising India a one-eyed king in the land of blind. BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy had then called for his sacking, saying he was "mentally not fully Indian".
Refusing to comment on Swamy's remarks, Rajan said his comment was taken out of context.
"Not that I was forecasting anything, I was merely saying we have to be a little cautious about being too bullish about ourselves. That remark was made in April 2016, every quarter since then, our growth has fallen. So, I would argue in hindsight, and I didn't have any reason to believe that would be the case, but caution was warranted," he maintained.
India's GDP growth slowed to 5.7 per cent in April-June this year, down from 6.1 per cent in preceding three months.
China clocked 6.5 per cent growth rate in both the quarters.
He said the pace of expansion needs to pick up to 8 per cent or 9 per cent with higher private investment and revival in exports.
"There are so many other things that we can lecture the rest of the world -- cultural achievements, historical achievements etc, but on growth, let us lecture once we have achieved another 10 years of 8-10 per cent," he advised.
An 8-10 per cent growth for 10 years would be an extraordinary achievement, but that is the growth rate needed for 10 years to reach the level of middle income, he stressed.
"We have done ever since the 1990s on and off 6-7-8 per cent. We need a couple of percentages more on that for 10 years and then, we will be a much bigger economy," he said.
"We should not go chest-thumping. I would prefer that we establish another 10 years of very strong growth of 8-10 per cent."
Rajan, who had predicted the 2008 global financial crisis, said Indian economy still is very small at USD 2.5 trillion, but "we feel we are a big country."
China is five times India's size.
Stating that India and China are not paired anymore, he said in order to be paired, China has to slow down and India has to grow at a rapid pace for the next 10 years.
"Then, people will see us in a more serious light," said Rajan, who was governor of the central bank from September 4, 2013, to September 4, 2016.
Gold prices soar to 10-month high of Rs 31,350, dollar weakest since 2015
-
Gold spiralled by Rs 990 to Rs 31,350 at the bullion market here today on the back of positive global trend as the dollar fell to its weakest level since 2015, and tension between North Korea and the US intensified further.
Trading at a 10-month high of Rs 31,350 per ten gram, the metal witnessed the biggest one-day surge this year.
However, demand from local jewellers remained low in view of the ongoing inauspicious fortnight of 'Shradh'.
Silver also rose to Rs 42,000 per kg backed by increased offtake by industrial units and coin makers.
Bullion traders said sentiment got a boost after gold rallied to one-year high in global market as the dollar fell to its weakest level since 2015 in the backdrop of warnings that Hurricane Irma could have devastating impact on the US amid weaker-than-expected jobs data.
Besides, simmering tension between North Korea and the US added to the uptrend. Also, a firm trend at the futures market supported the price rise, they added.
Globally, gold surged 0.31 per cent to USD 1,352.80 an ounce, its highest since September 2016 in Singapore today.
Silver too traded higher by 0.19 per cent to USD 18.13 an ounce.
In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity zoomed by Rs 990 each to Rs 31,350 and Rs 31,200 per ten gram respectively, a level last seen in November 2016.
The precious metal had lost Rs 240 in last two days.
Sovereign, however, held steady at Rs 24,600 per piece of eight gram.
Tracking gold, silver ready went up by Rs 100 to Rs 42,000 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 580 to Rs 41,770 per kg.
Silver coins however remained unaltered at Rs 74,000 for buying and Rs 75,000 for selling of 100 pieces.
Gold spiralled by Rs 990 to Rs 31,350 at the bullion market here today on the back of positive global trend as the dollar fell to its weakest level since 2015, and tension between North Korea and the US intensified further.
Trading at a 10-month high of Rs 31,350 per ten gram, the metal witnessed the biggest one-day surge this year.
However, demand from local jewellers remained low in view of the ongoing inauspicious fortnight of 'Shradh'.
Silver also rose to Rs 42,000 per kg backed by increased offtake by industrial units and coin makers.
Bullion traders said sentiment got a boost after gold rallied to one-year high in global market as the dollar fell to its weakest level since 2015 in the backdrop of warnings that Hurricane Irma could have devastating impact on the US amid weaker-than-expected jobs data.
Besides, simmering tension between North Korea and the US added to the uptrend. Also, a firm trend at the futures market supported the price rise, they added.
Globally, gold surged 0.31 per cent to USD 1,352.80 an ounce, its highest since September 2016 in Singapore today.
Silver too traded higher by 0.19 per cent to USD 18.13 an ounce.
In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity zoomed by Rs 990 each to Rs 31,350 and Rs 31,200 per ten gram respectively, a level last seen in November 2016.
The precious metal had lost Rs 240 in last two days.
Sovereign, however, held steady at Rs 24,600 per piece of eight gram.
Tracking gold, silver ready went up by Rs 100 to Rs 42,000 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 580 to Rs 41,770 per kg.
Silver coins however remained unaltered at Rs 74,000 for buying and Rs 75,000 for selling of 100 pieces.
General Awareness
CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS
-
1. Which among the following Yoga Institutes has been selected as the first recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for outstanding contribution to promotion and development of Yoga in June 2017?
a) Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute
b) Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
c) Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers and Ashrams, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
d) Yoga Institute, Mumbai
2. Who is the current Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of India?
a) T.M. Bhasin
b) K.V. Chowdary
c) Rajiv
d) K. Santhanam
3. Who has been has renominated as its serving candidate at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by India in June 2017?
a) Justice Jasti Chelameswar
b) Justice Ranjan Gogoi
c) Justice Dalveer Bhandari
d) Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
4. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $ 275 million loan on 19th June, 2017 for improving urban services in 64 small towns in the State of which of the following?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Haryana
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Madhya Pradesh
5. Which among the following countries plans to host a summit for start-ups from SAARC nations in 2018?
a) India
b) Nepal
c) Sri Lanka
d) Bangladesh
6. According to Fitch Ratings, India's GDP growth will steadily rise from 7.4% to ........ in 2018-19.
a) 8.2%
b) 7.5%
c) 7.8%
d) 8.0%
7. Which among the following countries became the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention, a move that will help boost trade through smoother movement of goods across territories?
a) Japan
b) Russia
c) Germany
d) India
8. Indian Navy's first indigenously built Floating Dock (FDN-2), developed by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T), and was launched at:
a) L&T's Shipyard in Kattupalli
b) Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam
c) Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai
d) Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa
9. The BIO International Convention 2017 was held in:
a) Dhaka
b) San Diego
c) Tokyo
d) Jakarta
10. Who is the current CEO of International Cricket Council's (ICC)?
a) Zaheer Abbas
b) Shashank Manohar
c) David Richardson
d) Narayanaswami Srinivasan
11. Who earned the dubious distinction of being the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the Supreme Court?
a) Mr. Jasti Chelameswar
b) Mr. Ranjan Gogoi
c) Mr. CS Karnan
d) Mr. Pinaki Chandra Ghose
12. International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on:
a) June 21
b) May 21
c) June 19
d) July 21
13. The 5th International Forum for Technological Development TECHNOPROM- 2017 was held in:
a) Russia
b) USA
c) France
d) Japan
14. The oldest yoga trainer or teacher in the world is .....
a) Elena Brower
b) Seane Corn
c) Tao Porchon-Lynch
d) Amma Nanammal
15. Who among the following is appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to India?
a) Tim Wirth
b) Kenneth Juster
c) Frank E. Loy
d) Paula Dobriansky
16. Who among the following was appointed as Crown Prince of the Saudi Arabia?
a) Mohammed Rehman
b) Mohammed Sultan
c) Mohammed Bin Salman
d) Mohammed Ali Khan
17. Which among the following Municipal Corporations has become the first local body in the country to issue municipal bonds?
a) Hyderabad Municipal Corporation
b) Mumbai Municipal Corporation
c) New Delhi Municipal Corporation
d) Pune Municipal Corporation
18. Name the Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Officer, who has resigned under mounting pressure from investors over his leadership in June 2017.
a) Bob Igor
b) Elon Musk
c) James Dimon
d) Travis Kalanick
19. SEBI has decided to levy a 'Regulatory Fee' of ........... on each subscriber of offshore derivative instrument (ODI), which will have to be collected by the registered foreign portfolio investor (FPI) that issues the ODIs.
a) $2,000
b) $1500
c) $2500
d) $1,000
20. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural ........... and rural ......... have declared themselves as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India.
a) Andhra Pradesh, Odisha
b) Bihar, Sikkim
c) Uttarakhand, Haryana
d) Karnataka, Punjab
21. Who has been selected unanimously as the Opposition candidate for the presidential election to be held in July 2017?
a) Mayawati
b) Meira Kumar
c) Sushilkumar Shinde
d) Sharad Power
22. Who has been taken oath as the Bihar Governor in June 2017?
a) Vijay Kumar Choudhary
b) Keshri Nath Tripathi
c) Rajendra Menon
d) Shankar Sharma
23. Who is the current Prime Minister of Sweden?
a) Fredrik Reinfeldt
b) Stefan Lofven
c) Goran Persson
d) Ingvar Carlsson
24. Which among the following countries has cleared the sale of 22 unmanned Guardian drones to India in June 2017?
a) France
b) Russia
c) USA
d) Germany
25. India signed Loan Agreement for co-financing of part funding through World Bank for USD 240 million and USD 160 Million from AIIB for 24X7 Power for All in:
a) Andhra Pradesh Project
b) Madhya Pradesh Project
c) Uttar Pradesh Project
d) Himachal Pradesh Project
26. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expanded its Oversight Committee - formed to advice banks on which of the following issues?
a) Stressed asset resolution
b) Interest rates
c) Unaccounted money deposited in the bank accounts
d) All of the above
27. RBI has asked banks to resolve .......... high value cases of bad loans within six months or face the prospect of being directed to go in for the new insolvency resolution mechanism as part of the strategy to rein in unacceptable level of non-performing assets (NPAs).
a) 25
b) 55
c) 35
d) 45
28. The Central government has placed an order for 37 lakh doses of a rotavirus vaccine that promises to beat heat issues and requires no refrigeration. Rotavirus, is the leading cause of which of the following diseases?
a) Small Pox
b) Diarrhoea
c) Dengue
d) Polio
29. The Ministry of External affairs celebrated the completion of 50 years of the Passport Act 1967 as the 5th Passport Seva Divas on -
a) 24th May
b) 24th June
c) 24th March
d) 24th April
30. 'City Liveability Index' for measuring the quality of life in 116 major cities was launched by .....
a) NITI Aayog
b) Ministry of Urban Development
c) Central Pollution Control Board of India
d) Both a and c
31. Central government announced another list of 30 cities for development as smart cities taking the total cities picked up so far to 90 under Smart City Mission launched on:
a) July 25, 2016
b) June 25, 2014
c) June 25, 2015
d) April 25, 2015
32. Child victims of cyber crimes can now lodge their complaints at National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)'s POCSO e-box. Which of the following is/ are the cyber crime/ cyber crimes included in complaints?
a) Cyber bullying
b) Cyber stalking
c) Child pornography
d) All of the above
33. How many Arab States or Countries boycotting Qatar over alleged support for terrorism?
a) 6
b) 4
c) 8
d) 7
34. Tata Power, has offered to sell a majority 51% stake in its debt-laden 4,000 megawatt (MW) Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) for just Rs.1. This Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) is located in:
a) Rajasthan
b) Haryana
c) Punjab
d) Gujarat
35. Who among the following is/ are the recipients of this year Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy?
a) Mei Hing Chak
b) Julian Robertson
c) Azim Premji
d) All of the above
36. According to a U.N. 'The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision' report, India to have bigger population than China by...
a) 2050
b) 2030
c) 2024
d) 2075
37. SRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLVC38 successfully launched the 712 kg ........ Series Satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
a) Cartosat-1
b) Cartosat-2
c) Cartosat-3
d) Cartosat-4
38. Which among the following country/ countries cricket team has/ have been granted Test status by the International Cricket Council in June 2017?
a) Afghanistan
b) Ireland
c) UAE
d) Both a and b
39. New 'Incredible India 2.0 campaign' will be launched by which of the following ministries of Government of India?
a) Ministry of External Affairs
b) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
c) Ministry of Tourism
d) Ministry of Science and Technology
40. Name the minister in the Madhya Pradesh, who was disqualified by the Election Commission from membership of any State legislature and contesting polls for the next three years for filing wrong accounts of election expenditure.
a) Gopal Bhargava
b) Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar
c) Narottam Mishra
d) Jayant Mallayya
41. The Government has granted in-principle approval for a greenfield airport at:
a) Jewar in Uttar Pradesh
b) Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh
c) Mangalore in Karnataka
d) Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
42. India and Portugal have signed 11 bilateral agreements recently, who is the current Prime Minister of Portugal?
a) Jorge Sampaio
b) Antonio Costa
c) Pedro Passos Coelho
d) Jose Socrates
43. The annual plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group 2017 was held in:
a) Berne
b) Beijing
c) Rome
d) Moscow
44. Who has become first turbaned Sikh woman Supreme Court judge of Canada in June 2017?
a) Gulab Kaur
b) Parbinderkaur Shergill
c) Bibi Bhag Bhari
d) Sahib Kaur
45. Which space agency is launching a new Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (Chess) sounding rocket on 27 June to study the vast interstellar clouds to understand more about the earliest stages of star formation?
a) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
b) Russian Federal Space Agency
c) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
d) Indian Space Research Organisation
ANSWERS:
1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d, 5-a, 6-b, 7-d, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-c, 12-a, 13-a, 14-c, 15-b, 16-c, 17-d, 18-d, 19-d, 20-c
21-b, 22-b, 23-b, 24-c, 25-a, 26-a, 27-b, 28-b, 29-b, 30-b
31-c, 32-d, 33-b, 34-d, 35-d, 36-c, 37-b, 38-d, 39-c, 40-c
41-a, 42-b, 43-a, 44-b, 45-c
1. Which among the following Yoga Institutes has been selected as the first recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for outstanding contribution to promotion and development of Yoga in June 2017?
a) Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute
b) Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
c) Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers and Ashrams, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
d) Yoga Institute, Mumbai
2. Who is the current Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of India?
a) T.M. Bhasin
b) K.V. Chowdary
c) Rajiv
d) K. Santhanam
3. Who has been has renominated as its serving candidate at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by India in June 2017?
a) Justice Jasti Chelameswar
b) Justice Ranjan Gogoi
c) Justice Dalveer Bhandari
d) Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
4. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $ 275 million loan on 19th June, 2017 for improving urban services in 64 small towns in the State of which of the following?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Haryana
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Madhya Pradesh
5. Which among the following countries plans to host a summit for start-ups from SAARC nations in 2018?
a) India
b) Nepal
c) Sri Lanka
d) Bangladesh
6. According to Fitch Ratings, India's GDP growth will steadily rise from 7.4% to ........ in 2018-19.
a) 8.2%
b) 7.5%
c) 7.8%
d) 8.0%
7. Which among the following countries became the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention, a move that will help boost trade through smoother movement of goods across territories?
a) Japan
b) Russia
c) Germany
d) India
8. Indian Navy's first indigenously built Floating Dock (FDN-2), developed by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T), and was launched at:
a) L&T's Shipyard in Kattupalli
b) Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam
c) Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai
d) Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa
9. The BIO International Convention 2017 was held in:
a) Dhaka
b) San Diego
c) Tokyo
d) Jakarta
10. Who is the current CEO of International Cricket Council's (ICC)?
a) Zaheer Abbas
b) Shashank Manohar
c) David Richardson
d) Narayanaswami Srinivasan
11. Who earned the dubious distinction of being the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the Supreme Court?
a) Mr. Jasti Chelameswar
b) Mr. Ranjan Gogoi
c) Mr. CS Karnan
d) Mr. Pinaki Chandra Ghose
12. International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on:
a) June 21
b) May 21
c) June 19
d) July 21
13. The 5th International Forum for Technological Development TECHNOPROM- 2017 was held in:
a) Russia
b) USA
c) France
d) Japan
14. The oldest yoga trainer or teacher in the world is .....
a) Elena Brower
b) Seane Corn
c) Tao Porchon-Lynch
d) Amma Nanammal
15. Who among the following is appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to India?
a) Tim Wirth
b) Kenneth Juster
c) Frank E. Loy
d) Paula Dobriansky
16. Who among the following was appointed as Crown Prince of the Saudi Arabia?
a) Mohammed Rehman
b) Mohammed Sultan
c) Mohammed Bin Salman
d) Mohammed Ali Khan
17. Which among the following Municipal Corporations has become the first local body in the country to issue municipal bonds?
a) Hyderabad Municipal Corporation
b) Mumbai Municipal Corporation
c) New Delhi Municipal Corporation
d) Pune Municipal Corporation
18. Name the Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Officer, who has resigned under mounting pressure from investors over his leadership in June 2017.
a) Bob Igor
b) Elon Musk
c) James Dimon
d) Travis Kalanick
19. SEBI has decided to levy a 'Regulatory Fee' of ........... on each subscriber of offshore derivative instrument (ODI), which will have to be collected by the registered foreign portfolio investor (FPI) that issues the ODIs.
a) $2,000
b) $1500
c) $2500
d) $1,000
20. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural ........... and rural ......... have declared themselves as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India.
a) Andhra Pradesh, Odisha
b) Bihar, Sikkim
c) Uttarakhand, Haryana
d) Karnataka, Punjab
21. Who has been selected unanimously as the Opposition candidate for the presidential election to be held in July 2017?
a) Mayawati
b) Meira Kumar
c) Sushilkumar Shinde
d) Sharad Power
22. Who has been taken oath as the Bihar Governor in June 2017?
a) Vijay Kumar Choudhary
b) Keshri Nath Tripathi
c) Rajendra Menon
d) Shankar Sharma
23. Who is the current Prime Minister of Sweden?
a) Fredrik Reinfeldt
b) Stefan Lofven
c) Goran Persson
d) Ingvar Carlsson
24. Which among the following countries has cleared the sale of 22 unmanned Guardian drones to India in June 2017?
a) France
b) Russia
c) USA
d) Germany
25. India signed Loan Agreement for co-financing of part funding through World Bank for USD 240 million and USD 160 Million from AIIB for 24X7 Power for All in:
a) Andhra Pradesh Project
b) Madhya Pradesh Project
c) Uttar Pradesh Project
d) Himachal Pradesh Project
26. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expanded its Oversight Committee - formed to advice banks on which of the following issues?
a) Stressed asset resolution
b) Interest rates
c) Unaccounted money deposited in the bank accounts
d) All of the above
27. RBI has asked banks to resolve .......... high value cases of bad loans within six months or face the prospect of being directed to go in for the new insolvency resolution mechanism as part of the strategy to rein in unacceptable level of non-performing assets (NPAs).
a) 25
b) 55
c) 35
d) 45
28. The Central government has placed an order for 37 lakh doses of a rotavirus vaccine that promises to beat heat issues and requires no refrigeration. Rotavirus, is the leading cause of which of the following diseases?
a) Small Pox
b) Diarrhoea
c) Dengue
d) Polio
29. The Ministry of External affairs celebrated the completion of 50 years of the Passport Act 1967 as the 5th Passport Seva Divas on -
a) 24th May
b) 24th June
c) 24th March
d) 24th April
30. 'City Liveability Index' for measuring the quality of life in 116 major cities was launched by .....
a) NITI Aayog
b) Ministry of Urban Development
c) Central Pollution Control Board of India
d) Both a and c
31. Central government announced another list of 30 cities for development as smart cities taking the total cities picked up so far to 90 under Smart City Mission launched on:
a) July 25, 2016
b) June 25, 2014
c) June 25, 2015
d) April 25, 2015
32. Child victims of cyber crimes can now lodge their complaints at National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)'s POCSO e-box. Which of the following is/ are the cyber crime/ cyber crimes included in complaints?
a) Cyber bullying
b) Cyber stalking
c) Child pornography
d) All of the above
33. How many Arab States or Countries boycotting Qatar over alleged support for terrorism?
a) 6
b) 4
c) 8
d) 7
34. Tata Power, has offered to sell a majority 51% stake in its debt-laden 4,000 megawatt (MW) Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) for just Rs.1. This Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) is located in:
a) Rajasthan
b) Haryana
c) Punjab
d) Gujarat
35. Who among the following is/ are the recipients of this year Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy?
a) Mei Hing Chak
b) Julian Robertson
c) Azim Premji
d) All of the above
36. According to a U.N. 'The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision' report, India to have bigger population than China by...
a) 2050
b) 2030
c) 2024
d) 2075
37. SRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLVC38 successfully launched the 712 kg ........ Series Satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
a) Cartosat-1
b) Cartosat-2
c) Cartosat-3
d) Cartosat-4
38. Which among the following country/ countries cricket team has/ have been granted Test status by the International Cricket Council in June 2017?
a) Afghanistan
b) Ireland
c) UAE
d) Both a and b
39. New 'Incredible India 2.0 campaign' will be launched by which of the following ministries of Government of India?
a) Ministry of External Affairs
b) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
c) Ministry of Tourism
d) Ministry of Science and Technology
40. Name the minister in the Madhya Pradesh, who was disqualified by the Election Commission from membership of any State legislature and contesting polls for the next three years for filing wrong accounts of election expenditure.
a) Gopal Bhargava
b) Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar
c) Narottam Mishra
d) Jayant Mallayya
41. The Government has granted in-principle approval for a greenfield airport at:
a) Jewar in Uttar Pradesh
b) Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh
c) Mangalore in Karnataka
d) Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
42. India and Portugal have signed 11 bilateral agreements recently, who is the current Prime Minister of Portugal?
a) Jorge Sampaio
b) Antonio Costa
c) Pedro Passos Coelho
d) Jose Socrates
43. The annual plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group 2017 was held in:
a) Berne
b) Beijing
c) Rome
d) Moscow
44. Who has become first turbaned Sikh woman Supreme Court judge of Canada in June 2017?
a) Gulab Kaur
b) Parbinderkaur Shergill
c) Bibi Bhag Bhari
d) Sahib Kaur
45. Which space agency is launching a new Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (Chess) sounding rocket on 27 June to study the vast interstellar clouds to understand more about the earliest stages of star formation?
a) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
b) Russian Federal Space Agency
c) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
d) Indian Space Research Organisation
ANSWERS:
1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d, 5-a, 6-b, 7-d, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-c, 12-a, 13-a, 14-c, 15-b, 16-c, 17-d, 18-d, 19-d, 20-c
21-b, 22-b, 23-b, 24-c, 25-a, 26-a, 27-b, 28-b, 29-b, 30-b
31-c, 32-d, 33-b, 34-d, 35-d, 36-c, 37-b, 38-d, 39-c, 40-c
41-a, 42-b, 43-a, 44-b, 45-c
a) Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute
b) Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
c) Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers and Ashrams, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
d) Yoga Institute, Mumbai
2. Who is the current Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of India?
a) T.M. Bhasin
b) K.V. Chowdary
c) Rajiv
d) K. Santhanam
3. Who has been has renominated as its serving candidate at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by India in June 2017?
a) Justice Jasti Chelameswar
b) Justice Ranjan Gogoi
c) Justice Dalveer Bhandari
d) Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
4. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $ 275 million loan on 19th June, 2017 for improving urban services in 64 small towns in the State of which of the following?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Haryana
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Madhya Pradesh
5. Which among the following countries plans to host a summit for start-ups from SAARC nations in 2018?
a) India
b) Nepal
c) Sri Lanka
d) Bangladesh
6. According to Fitch Ratings, India's GDP growth will steadily rise from 7.4% to ........ in 2018-19.
a) 8.2%
b) 7.5%
c) 7.8%
d) 8.0%
7. Which among the following countries became the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention, a move that will help boost trade through smoother movement of goods across territories?
a) Japan
b) Russia
c) Germany
d) India
8. Indian Navy's first indigenously built Floating Dock (FDN-2), developed by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T), and was launched at:
a) L&T's Shipyard in Kattupalli
b) Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam
c) Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai
d) Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa
9. The BIO International Convention 2017 was held in:
a) Dhaka
b) San Diego
c) Tokyo
d) Jakarta
10. Who is the current CEO of International Cricket Council's (ICC)?
a) Zaheer Abbas
b) Shashank Manohar
c) David Richardson
d) Narayanaswami Srinivasan
11. Who earned the dubious distinction of being the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the Supreme Court?
a) Mr. Jasti Chelameswar
b) Mr. Ranjan Gogoi
c) Mr. CS Karnan
d) Mr. Pinaki Chandra Ghose
12. International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on:
a) June 21
b) May 21
c) June 19
d) July 21
13. The 5th International Forum for Technological Development TECHNOPROM- 2017 was held in:
a) Russia
b) USA
c) France
d) Japan
14. The oldest yoga trainer or teacher in the world is .....
a) Elena Brower
b) Seane Corn
c) Tao Porchon-Lynch
d) Amma Nanammal
15. Who among the following is appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to India?
a) Tim Wirth
b) Kenneth Juster
c) Frank E. Loy
d) Paula Dobriansky
16. Who among the following was appointed as Crown Prince of the Saudi Arabia?
a) Mohammed Rehman
b) Mohammed Sultan
c) Mohammed Bin Salman
d) Mohammed Ali Khan
17. Which among the following Municipal Corporations has become the first local body in the country to issue municipal bonds?
a) Hyderabad Municipal Corporation
b) Mumbai Municipal Corporation
c) New Delhi Municipal Corporation
d) Pune Municipal Corporation
18. Name the Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Officer, who has resigned under mounting pressure from investors over his leadership in June 2017.
a) Bob Igor
b) Elon Musk
c) James Dimon
d) Travis Kalanick
19. SEBI has decided to levy a 'Regulatory Fee' of ........... on each subscriber of offshore derivative instrument (ODI), which will have to be collected by the registered foreign portfolio investor (FPI) that issues the ODIs.
a) $2,000
b) $1500
c) $2500
d) $1,000
20. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural ........... and rural ......... have declared themselves as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India.
a) Andhra Pradesh, Odisha
b) Bihar, Sikkim
c) Uttarakhand, Haryana
d) Karnataka, Punjab
21. Who has been selected unanimously as the Opposition candidate for the presidential election to be held in July 2017?
a) Mayawati
b) Meira Kumar
c) Sushilkumar Shinde
d) Sharad Power
22. Who has been taken oath as the Bihar Governor in June 2017?
a) Vijay Kumar Choudhary
b) Keshri Nath Tripathi
c) Rajendra Menon
d) Shankar Sharma
23. Who is the current Prime Minister of Sweden?
a) Fredrik Reinfeldt
b) Stefan Lofven
c) Goran Persson
d) Ingvar Carlsson
24. Which among the following countries has cleared the sale of 22 unmanned Guardian drones to India in June 2017?
a) France
b) Russia
c) USA
d) Germany
25. India signed Loan Agreement for co-financing of part funding through World Bank for USD 240 million and USD 160 Million from AIIB for 24X7 Power for All in:
a) Andhra Pradesh Project
b) Madhya Pradesh Project
c) Uttar Pradesh Project
d) Himachal Pradesh Project
26. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expanded its Oversight Committee - formed to advice banks on which of the following issues?
a) Stressed asset resolution
b) Interest rates
c) Unaccounted money deposited in the bank accounts
d) All of the above
27. RBI has asked banks to resolve .......... high value cases of bad loans within six months or face the prospect of being directed to go in for the new insolvency resolution mechanism as part of the strategy to rein in unacceptable level of non-performing assets (NPAs).
a) 25
b) 55
c) 35
d) 45
28. The Central government has placed an order for 37 lakh doses of a rotavirus vaccine that promises to beat heat issues and requires no refrigeration. Rotavirus, is the leading cause of which of the following diseases?
a) Small Pox
b) Diarrhoea
c) Dengue
d) Polio
29. The Ministry of External affairs celebrated the completion of 50 years of the Passport Act 1967 as the 5th Passport Seva Divas on -
a) 24th May
b) 24th June
c) 24th March
d) 24th April
30. 'City Liveability Index' for measuring the quality of life in 116 major cities was launched by .....
a) NITI Aayog
b) Ministry of Urban Development
c) Central Pollution Control Board of India
d) Both a and c
31. Central government announced another list of 30 cities for development as smart cities taking the total cities picked up so far to 90 under Smart City Mission launched on:
a) July 25, 2016
b) June 25, 2014
c) June 25, 2015
d) April 25, 2015
32. Child victims of cyber crimes can now lodge their complaints at National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)'s POCSO e-box. Which of the following is/ are the cyber crime/ cyber crimes included in complaints?
a) Cyber bullying
b) Cyber stalking
c) Child pornography
d) All of the above
33. How many Arab States or Countries boycotting Qatar over alleged support for terrorism?
a) 6
b) 4
c) 8
d) 7
34. Tata Power, has offered to sell a majority 51% stake in its debt-laden 4,000 megawatt (MW) Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) for just Rs.1. This Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) is located in:
a) Rajasthan
b) Haryana
c) Punjab
d) Gujarat
35. Who among the following is/ are the recipients of this year Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy?
a) Mei Hing Chak
b) Julian Robertson
c) Azim Premji
d) All of the above
36. According to a U.N. 'The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision' report, India to have bigger population than China by...
a) 2050
b) 2030
c) 2024
d) 2075
37. SRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLVC38 successfully launched the 712 kg ........ Series Satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
a) Cartosat-1
b) Cartosat-2
c) Cartosat-3
d) Cartosat-4
38. Which among the following country/ countries cricket team has/ have been granted Test status by the International Cricket Council in June 2017?
a) Afghanistan
b) Ireland
c) UAE
d) Both a and b
39. New 'Incredible India 2.0 campaign' will be launched by which of the following ministries of Government of India?
a) Ministry of External Affairs
b) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
c) Ministry of Tourism
d) Ministry of Science and Technology
40. Name the minister in the Madhya Pradesh, who was disqualified by the Election Commission from membership of any State legislature and contesting polls for the next three years for filing wrong accounts of election expenditure.
a) Gopal Bhargava
b) Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar
c) Narottam Mishra
d) Jayant Mallayya
41. The Government has granted in-principle approval for a greenfield airport at:
a) Jewar in Uttar Pradesh
b) Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh
c) Mangalore in Karnataka
d) Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
42. India and Portugal have signed 11 bilateral agreements recently, who is the current Prime Minister of Portugal?
a) Jorge Sampaio
b) Antonio Costa
c) Pedro Passos Coelho
d) Jose Socrates
43. The annual plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group 2017 was held in:
a) Berne
b) Beijing
c) Rome
d) Moscow
44. Who has become first turbaned Sikh woman Supreme Court judge of Canada in June 2017?
a) Gulab Kaur
b) Parbinderkaur Shergill
c) Bibi Bhag Bhari
d) Sahib Kaur
45. Which space agency is launching a new Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (Chess) sounding rocket on 27 June to study the vast interstellar clouds to understand more about the earliest stages of star formation?
a) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
b) Russian Federal Space Agency
c) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
d) Indian Space Research Organisation
ANSWERS:
1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d, 5-a, 6-b, 7-d, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-c, 12-a, 13-a, 14-c, 15-b, 16-c, 17-d, 18-d, 19-d, 20-c
21-b, 22-b, 23-b, 24-c, 25-a, 26-a, 27-b, 28-b, 29-b, 30-b
31-c, 32-d, 33-b, 34-d, 35-d, 36-c, 37-b, 38-d, 39-c, 40-c
41-a, 42-b, 43-a, 44-b, 45-c
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