General Affairs
Nirmala Sitharaman Holds Round Table For 'Energising Make In India' In Defence Sector
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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday interacted with industry representatives from Indian as well as foreign companies in defence sector at a round table on "Energising Make in India".
Ms Sitharaman ordered officers to take time-bound action on key issues raised at the round table, including commercialization of technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO and timely conclusion of procurement proposals.
She also ordered them to take action for the resolution of licensing issue with the home ministry and tax-related matters with the finance ministry, a statement from the defence ministry said.
In the round table, a wide range of issues relating to private participation in defence manufacturing were discussed including matters relating to speeding up of procurement processes, creation of a tiered defence industrial ecosystem and skilling of manpower in the MSME sector, it said.
The present government is fully committed to removing all the stumbling blocks and facilitating private participation in defence manufacturing with the objective of bringing high value foreign investment into the defence sector, building indigenous capabilities and ensuring self-reliance in meeting the country's defence needs, it added.
Ms Sitharaman ordered officers to take time-bound action on key issues raised at the round table, including commercialization of technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO and timely conclusion of procurement proposals.
She also ordered them to take action for the resolution of licensing issue with the home ministry and tax-related matters with the finance ministry, a statement from the defence ministry said.
In the round table, a wide range of issues relating to private participation in defence manufacturing were discussed including matters relating to speeding up of procurement processes, creation of a tiered defence industrial ecosystem and skilling of manpower in the MSME sector, it said.
The present government is fully committed to removing all the stumbling blocks and facilitating private participation in defence manufacturing with the objective of bringing high value foreign investment into the defence sector, building indigenous capabilities and ensuring self-reliance in meeting the country's defence needs, it added.
Won't Form An Alliance With BJP: Nitish Kumar's JD-U On Gujarat Elections
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The Janata Dal-United faction of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today announced it will contest the Gujarat Assembly elections on its own, and not form an alliance with the BJP.
"We will contest the Gujarat Assembly elections on our traditional seats," JD-U General Secretary KC Tyagi told reporters.
He said the party will not form an alliance with the BJP in the state.
"We won't form any alliance with any party, including the BJP," Mr Tyagi said.
He said that earlier when the JD-U was part of the National Democratic Alliance, it had contested the election without any alliance.
The two-phased Gujarat elections are on December 9 and 14. The Nitish faction formed an alliance with the BJP to rule Bihar in July after dumping the RJD and Congress. It has joined the BJP-led NDA.
"We will contest the Gujarat Assembly elections on our traditional seats," JD-U General Secretary KC Tyagi told reporters.
"We won't form any alliance with any party, including the BJP," Mr Tyagi said.
He said that earlier when the JD-U was part of the National Democratic Alliance, it had contested the election without any alliance.
The two-phased Gujarat elections are on December 9 and 14. The Nitish faction formed an alliance with the BJP to rule Bihar in July after dumping the RJD and Congress. It has joined the BJP-led NDA.
Protest By AIIMS Resident Doctors Enters 3rd Day
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A protest by resident doctors of the premier AIIMS against "improper implementation" of the Seventh Central Pay Commission's recommendations entered its third day today.
The protesting doctors continued to work while fasting.
The doctors alleged that revised allowances under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) had been implemented in other central government hospitals including RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital and autonomous institutes such as the Chandigarh-based PGIMER, but doctors at the AIIMS were yet to get the benefits.
Around 2,000 resident doctors taking part in the fast held a peaceful protest from 1 pm to 2 pm in front of the hospital main gate and announced that they would not break their fast until their demands were fulfilled.
They were joined by the nurses' union, officers' association, society of young scientists, students' union and karamchari union among others. "The health minister is not at all interested in the problems of the staff of the AIIMS and there is complete apathy to our demands. This (protest) will continue till we get approval for the release of our revised pay according to the 7th CPC recommendations from the health ministry.
"The government should realise the risk of working without food in hospital settings," AIIMS resident doctors' association president Harjit Singh Bhatti said.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AIIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) said even one-and-a-half years after the implementation of the commission's recommendations and four months of allowance approval in other medical institutes, the AIIMS doctors here still did not get the revised pay because of administrative lapses. "We have remained silent for a long time, hoping for a response from the health ministry. But there has been a complete lack of constructive steps taken by the ministry.
"Being a responsible citizen and a doctor we will not hamper the facilities for patients. In our further action to put our demands forward we will work continuously without consuming food," former AIIMS RDA president Vijay Kumar said.
The protesting doctors continued to work while fasting.
The doctors alleged that revised allowances under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) had been implemented in other central government hospitals including RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital and autonomous institutes such as the Chandigarh-based PGIMER, but doctors at the AIIMS were yet to get the benefits.
Around 2,000 resident doctors taking part in the fast held a peaceful protest from 1 pm to 2 pm in front of the hospital main gate and announced that they would not break their fast until their demands were fulfilled.
They were joined by the nurses' union, officers' association, society of young scientists, students' union and karamchari union among others. "The health minister is not at all interested in the problems of the staff of the AIIMS and there is complete apathy to our demands. This (protest) will continue till we get approval for the release of our revised pay according to the 7th CPC recommendations from the health ministry.
"The government should realise the risk of working without food in hospital settings," AIIMS resident doctors' association president Harjit Singh Bhatti said.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AIIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) said even one-and-a-half years after the implementation of the commission's recommendations and four months of allowance approval in other medical institutes, the AIIMS doctors here still did not get the revised pay because of administrative lapses. "We have remained silent for a long time, hoping for a response from the health ministry. But there has been a complete lack of constructive steps taken by the ministry.
"Being a responsible citizen and a doctor we will not hamper the facilities for patients. In our further action to put our demands forward we will work continuously without consuming food," former AIIMS RDA president Vijay Kumar said.
In Spare Time, Indian Nuclear Scientists Found Way To Clean Sewage Water
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Atomic engineers whose day job is to work on India's atomic reactors are using their spare time to work towards cleaning and treating sewage in a highly efficient manner.
For the first time, nuclear engineers who keep the atomic reactors clean and ensure that microorganisms do not pollute the sanitised, nuclear environment have developed a sewage water treatment plant that is four times cheaper than the conventional ones.
Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam have made the compact, modular sewage treatment plant, which they say, occupies six times less space as compared to the regular ones.
The water that comes out from the sewage treatment plant developed by the nuclear engineers is of a quality that it can be readily used for gardening and irrigation purposes. Well-known British medical journal The Lancet recently said that 2.5 million Indians died due to pollution in 2015. In an eye-opening study, the journal described water pollution as the second biggest killer among all forms of pollution in the country. The plant in Kalpakkam not only treats sewage faster but also more efficiently using some nifty ways in which bacteria that help clean the water are grown as films. These bio-films and living granules help in treatment of the waste water. At present, a pilot scale plant operates in the BARC township in Kalpakkam.
Dr YV Nanacharaiah, a scientist at BARC who worked on the plant said, "This technology relies on the growth of the micro-organisms and it offers better treatment and a reduction in space required for the plant and also reduces operational and capital costs." He said this treatment removes the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), nitrogen and phosphorous contents.
In the next phase, the scientists are hoping to scale it up to a plant that can treat sewage for a small municipality.
Nuclear plants that operate for up to 60 years at a stretch use millions of litres of water and the entire piping system is prone to unwanted growth of bacteria, a process called bio-fouling.
For the first time, nuclear engineers who keep the atomic reactors clean and ensure that microorganisms do not pollute the sanitised, nuclear environment have developed a sewage water treatment plant that is four times cheaper than the conventional ones.
Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam have made the compact, modular sewage treatment plant, which they say, occupies six times less space as compared to the regular ones.
Dr YV Nanacharaiah, a scientist at BARC who worked on the plant said, "This technology relies on the growth of the micro-organisms and it offers better treatment and a reduction in space required for the plant and also reduces operational and capital costs." He said this treatment removes the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), nitrogen and phosphorous contents.
In the next phase, the scientists are hoping to scale it up to a plant that can treat sewage for a small municipality.
Nuclear plants that operate for up to 60 years at a stretch use millions of litres of water and the entire piping system is prone to unwanted growth of bacteria, a process called bio-fouling.
Connectivity Has To Be Open, Equitable: India On Belt And Road Initiative
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A day after China said that it welcomes other countries including India to join its 'One Belt One Road' initiative, which includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the government on Friday said connectivity has to be open and equitable.
"Though India supports connectivity, it has to be open and equitable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in New Delhi.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had on Thursday in Beijing told reporters that, "We welcome other countries including India to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative on the basis of voluntarism."
India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing in May this year where 29 world leaders participated. India abstained from the 'One Belt, One Road' summit to highlight its concerns over the $50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The government on Friday also said it hoped that the direction and the policy set by the Communist Party Congress in China will further promote Sino-India relations and contribute to peace and stability in the region.
The remarks by Mr Kumar came in response to a query on Chinese President Xi Jinping starting his second five-year term and ordering the country's Army to intensify its combat readiness by focusing on how to win wars during the Congress of the Communist party.
"Our Prime Minister had sent his best wishes to President Xi for the success of the Congress before it met and subsequently congratulated him on his re-election as the General Secretary of the Communist Party," he said.
"We hope that the direction and the policy set by the Congress will further promote our bilateral relations and contribute to peace and stability in the region," Mr Kumar said.
"Though India supports connectivity, it has to be open and equitable," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in New Delhi.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had on Thursday in Beijing told reporters that, "We welcome other countries including India to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative on the basis of voluntarism."
The remarks by Mr Kumar came in response to a query on Chinese President Xi Jinping starting his second five-year term and ordering the country's Army to intensify its combat readiness by focusing on how to win wars during the Congress of the Communist party.
"Our Prime Minister had sent his best wishes to President Xi for the success of the Congress before it met and subsequently congratulated him on his re-election as the General Secretary of the Communist Party," he said.
"We hope that the direction and the policy set by the Congress will further promote our bilateral relations and contribute to peace and stability in the region," Mr Kumar said.
Business Affairs
Jeff Bezos surpasses Bill Gates as the world's richest person as Amazon shares soar
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Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos on Friday unseated fellow tech billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as the richest person in the world. Bloomberg on Friday put out its daily ranking of the world's richest people - Bloomberg Billionaires Index - which showed that Jeff Bezos added USD10.4 billion to his net worth as Amazon shares rose 13 percent.
At the close of US markets on Friday, Bezos had a net worth of $93.8 billion, $5.1 billion ahead of Bill Gates, the Bloomberg index showed. This year alone, Amazon founder has added $28.5 billion to his fortune. Jeff Bezos with the total net worth of $93.8 billion tops the Bloomberg Billionaires Index while Bill Gates with the net worth of $88.7 billion is at the second spot.
This is second time when Jeff Bezos has replaced Bill Gates from the world's richest person list. Earlier in July, Bezos had briefly pushed Microsoft co-founder to second spot after Amazon shares jumped 1.6 per cent in a day. Bill Gates had been the world's richest person since 2013. Bezos has benefited from the seemingly boundless expansion of Amazon into new markets. The once-bookseller plans to acquire Whole Foods Market Inc, at the same time it is making strides in the fashion business, Hollywood, enterprise computing and general retail from India to Mexico.
Earlier this year, Bill Gates donated 64 million of the Microsoft's shares worth US$4.6 billion. Reports suggest that this was the largest gift that Gates made since 2000. Bill gates gave away $16 billion worth of Microsoft shares in 1999 and $5.1 billion a year later, according to calculations by Bloomberg. According to a review of two decades worth of Gates Foundation tax returns and annual reports and regulatory filings, Bill and Melinda Gates have given away about $35 billion of stock and cash since 1994.
In 2011, some analysts observed that Bill Gates didn't lose his title as the world's richest-man, he gave it away by billions into his charitable foundation - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2010, Bill Gates had lost his richest person title to Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim. It was the second time when Gates lost his top position since 1995. But financial analyst believed that it was Bill Gates philanthropy that had cost him richest-man title.
Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos on Friday unseated fellow tech billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as the richest person in the world. Bloomberg on Friday put out its daily ranking of the world's richest people - Bloomberg Billionaires Index - which showed that Jeff Bezos added USD10.4 billion to his net worth as Amazon shares rose 13 percent.
At the close of US markets on Friday, Bezos had a net worth of $93.8 billion, $5.1 billion ahead of Bill Gates, the Bloomberg index showed. This year alone, Amazon founder has added $28.5 billion to his fortune. Jeff Bezos with the total net worth of $93.8 billion tops the Bloomberg Billionaires Index while Bill Gates with the net worth of $88.7 billion is at the second spot.
This is second time when Jeff Bezos has replaced Bill Gates from the world's richest person list. Earlier in July, Bezos had briefly pushed Microsoft co-founder to second spot after Amazon shares jumped 1.6 per cent in a day. Bill Gates had been the world's richest person since 2013. Bezos has benefited from the seemingly boundless expansion of Amazon into new markets. The once-bookseller plans to acquire Whole Foods Market Inc, at the same time it is making strides in the fashion business, Hollywood, enterprise computing and general retail from India to Mexico.
Earlier this year, Bill Gates donated 64 million of the Microsoft's shares worth US$4.6 billion. Reports suggest that this was the largest gift that Gates made since 2000. Bill gates gave away $16 billion worth of Microsoft shares in 1999 and $5.1 billion a year later, according to calculations by Bloomberg. According to a review of two decades worth of Gates Foundation tax returns and annual reports and regulatory filings, Bill and Melinda Gates have given away about $35 billion of stock and cash since 1994.
In 2011, some analysts observed that Bill Gates didn't lose his title as the world's richest-man, he gave it away by billions into his charitable foundation - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2010, Bill Gates had lost his richest person title to Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim. It was the second time when Gates lost his top position since 1995. But financial analyst believed that it was Bill Gates philanthropy that had cost him richest-man title.
This is second time when Jeff Bezos has replaced Bill Gates from the world's richest person list. Earlier in July, Bezos had briefly pushed Microsoft co-founder to second spot after Amazon shares jumped 1.6 per cent in a day. Bill Gates had been the world's richest person since 2013. Bezos has benefited from the seemingly boundless expansion of Amazon into new markets. The once-bookseller plans to acquire Whole Foods Market Inc, at the same time it is making strides in the fashion business, Hollywood, enterprise computing and general retail from India to Mexico.
Earlier this year, Bill Gates donated 64 million of the Microsoft's shares worth US$4.6 billion. Reports suggest that this was the largest gift that Gates made since 2000. Bill gates gave away $16 billion worth of Microsoft shares in 1999 and $5.1 billion a year later, according to calculations by Bloomberg. According to a review of two decades worth of Gates Foundation tax returns and annual reports and regulatory filings, Bill and Melinda Gates have given away about $35 billion of stock and cash since 1994.
In 2011, some analysts observed that Bill Gates didn't lose his title as the world's richest-man, he gave it away by billions into his charitable foundation - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2010, Bill Gates had lost his richest person title to Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim. It was the second time when Gates lost his top position since 1995. But financial analyst believed that it was Bill Gates philanthropy that had cost him richest-man title.
Nitin Gadkari urges auto makers to opt for coastal shipping mode
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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today flagged off export of Ashok Leyland trucks by coastal route to Bangladesh, and appealed to automobile manufacturers to opt for coastal shipping mode to transport vehicles. Transportation by road was costly and would pollute the environment even as there was the risk of accidents, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways said.
"That is the reason that we have decided to use waterways and coastal transport. This is going to reduce the cost, save time and at the same time will be very good for environment." "I appeal to all automobile manufacturers to use waterways for transporting their automobiles," he said over video conferencing from Nagpur.
Earlier, he flagged off auto major Ashok Leyland's consignment of 185 trucks transported through the roll-on roll-off (RoRo) coastal movement from Chennai Port to Mongla Port in Bangladesh. He recalled that India had signed a coastal shipping agreement with Bangladesh during Prime Minister Narenda Modi's 2015 visit there.
RoRo service was already happening between Chennai and Kochi and Kochi to Kandla and "this is a great example which is going to inspire and motivate all automobile manufacturers," Gadkari added.
Minister for State for Shipping and Road Transport, Pon Radhakrishnan said export of trucks by Ashok Leyland by sea route to Bangladesh would reduce the time by about 15-20 days as it takes only five days to reach the destination by sea. The benefits include avoiding pollution and possible accidents, the Minister, present at the Chennai Port, added.
Ashok Leyland Managing Director Vinod K Dasari said the company had been exporting trucks to Bangladesh for 40 years using the road route and added that various issues, including congestion at the border and delay in crossing it had prompted them to think of an alternative following which the government suggested the sea route.
"We do about 5,000 vehicles per year for Bangladesh. This is the first lot of 185 vehicles (through RoRo) and hopefully we continue to do more and use this as a route rather than the long (road) route," he said.
The cost-wise benefits of opting for the sea route were still being worked out, he said, adding "I hope it is more profitable and if profitable we will do more."
Meanwhile, a government release said that following the 2015 agreement between the two countries, transportation from Indian ports to Bangladesh ports "is being treated as coastal movement, making it eligible for 40 per cent concession on vessel-related and cargo-related charges." "For coastal movement through RoRo vessels, 80 per cent concession on vessel-related and cargo-related charges are applicable in Indian Ports," it said.
Chennai Port started coastal RoRo service in August 2016 when 800 Hyundai cars were shipped on RoRo vessels from Chennai to Pipavav in Gujarat for local distribution, it said.
"Initiatives like this are aimed at providing innovative logistic chain solutions under Sagarmala. The ultimate objective is to save logistic costs and time of transportation and boosting trade by making Indian goods competitive in international markets," it added.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today flagged off export of Ashok Leyland trucks by coastal route to Bangladesh, and appealed to automobile manufacturers to opt for coastal shipping mode to transport vehicles. Transportation by road was costly and would pollute the environment even as there was the risk of accidents, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways said.
"That is the reason that we have decided to use waterways and coastal transport. This is going to reduce the cost, save time and at the same time will be very good for environment." "I appeal to all automobile manufacturers to use waterways for transporting their automobiles," he said over video conferencing from Nagpur.
Earlier, he flagged off auto major Ashok Leyland's consignment of 185 trucks transported through the roll-on roll-off (RoRo) coastal movement from Chennai Port to Mongla Port in Bangladesh. He recalled that India had signed a coastal shipping agreement with Bangladesh during Prime Minister Narenda Modi's 2015 visit there.
RoRo service was already happening between Chennai and Kochi and Kochi to Kandla and "this is a great example which is going to inspire and motivate all automobile manufacturers," Gadkari added.
Minister for State for Shipping and Road Transport, Pon Radhakrishnan said export of trucks by Ashok Leyland by sea route to Bangladesh would reduce the time by about 15-20 days as it takes only five days to reach the destination by sea. The benefits include avoiding pollution and possible accidents, the Minister, present at the Chennai Port, added.
Ashok Leyland Managing Director Vinod K Dasari said the company had been exporting trucks to Bangladesh for 40 years using the road route and added that various issues, including congestion at the border and delay in crossing it had prompted them to think of an alternative following which the government suggested the sea route.
"We do about 5,000 vehicles per year for Bangladesh. This is the first lot of 185 vehicles (through RoRo) and hopefully we continue to do more and use this as a route rather than the long (road) route," he said.
The cost-wise benefits of opting for the sea route were still being worked out, he said, adding "I hope it is more profitable and if profitable we will do more."
Meanwhile, a government release said that following the 2015 agreement between the two countries, transportation from Indian ports to Bangladesh ports "is being treated as coastal movement, making it eligible for 40 per cent concession on vessel-related and cargo-related charges." "For coastal movement through RoRo vessels, 80 per cent concession on vessel-related and cargo-related charges are applicable in Indian Ports," it said.
Chennai Port started coastal RoRo service in August 2016 when 800 Hyundai cars were shipped on RoRo vessels from Chennai to Pipavav in Gujarat for local distribution, it said.
"Initiatives like this are aimed at providing innovative logistic chain solutions under Sagarmala. The ultimate objective is to save logistic costs and time of transportation and boosting trade by making Indian goods competitive in international markets," it added.
Mobile Aadhar can now be used as ID proof to enter airports, says BCAS
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Mobile Aadhaar can be used as an identity proof to enter airports, while identification documents will not be required for minors accompanied by parents, according to a circular issued by aviation security agency BCAS. Passengers entering airport premises need to produce any one of the ten identity proofs listed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) in its latest communication, which include passport, voter ID card, Aadhaar or m-Aadhaar, PAN card and driving licence.
"In order to ensure that a bonafide passenger is travelling on a valid ticket issued in his/her name as well as to avoid any controversy/argument with the security staff, any of the following photo identity documents shall be carried in original," according to the BCAS circular issued on October 26.
A passbook issued by a nationalised bank, pension card, disability photo identification and service photo ID card of central/state government, PSU, local bodies and private limited company will also be acceptable.
Differently-abled persons will have to produce a disability photo ID or a medical certificate. Students also have the option to furnish a photo identity card issued by a government institute. The order, however, exempts a minor accompanied by a parent or a guardian from producing an identity proof.
"There shall not be any requirement of identity proof in respect of infant/minor accompanied by their parents/guardian who is a bonafide passenger having a valid identity proof," the order adds.
If a passenger is not able to furnish one of the ten documents, then there is also an option to provide an identity certificate issued by a group A gazetted officer of central/ state government. For international passenger the requirement of producing a passport and an air ticket will continue.
Mobile Aadhaar can be used as an identity proof to enter airports, while identification documents will not be required for minors accompanied by parents, according to a circular issued by aviation security agency BCAS. Passengers entering airport premises need to produce any one of the ten identity proofs listed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) in its latest communication, which include passport, voter ID card, Aadhaar or m-Aadhaar, PAN card and driving licence.
"In order to ensure that a bonafide passenger is travelling on a valid ticket issued in his/her name as well as to avoid any controversy/argument with the security staff, any of the following photo identity documents shall be carried in original," according to the BCAS circular issued on October 26.
A passbook issued by a nationalised bank, pension card, disability photo identification and service photo ID card of central/state government, PSU, local bodies and private limited company will also be acceptable.
Differently-abled persons will have to produce a disability photo ID or a medical certificate. Students also have the option to furnish a photo identity card issued by a government institute. The order, however, exempts a minor accompanied by a parent or a guardian from producing an identity proof.
"There shall not be any requirement of identity proof in respect of infant/minor accompanied by their parents/guardian who is a bonafide passenger having a valid identity proof," the order adds.
If a passenger is not able to furnish one of the ten documents, then there is also an option to provide an identity certificate issued by a group A gazetted officer of central/ state government. For international passenger the requirement of producing a passport and an air ticket will continue.
Lower gold prices fail to spark post-Diwali lull in demand
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The physical gold market remained quiet in most Asian centres this week despite a drop in prices with India witnessing a lull in fresh purchases as key festival season demand cooled off in the world's second biggest consumer. Gold prices in India slipped to 29,209 rupees per 10 grams on Friday, the lowest level in about two months.
Prices in India were at a premium of up to $3 an ounce over official domestic prices this week, up from $2 last week. The slight increase in premiums was due to traders looking to cover for purchases made when rates were higher. "After Diwali, demand falters every year. This year, even during Diwali demand was lower than usual," said Daman Prakash Rathod, a director at MNC Bullion, a wholesaler in Chennai.
Last week, Indians celebrated the Diwali and Dhanteras festivals, when buying bullion is considered auspicious. "Jewellers have to replenish inventory after Diwali sales. Since prices are falling, they will do it very slowly," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a private bank. "In the last few days the government was selling gold bonds. Some investors are giving preference to bonds over physical gold due to tax benefits."
Meanwhile, benchmark spot gold prices were headed for an about 1 percent weekly decline, having hit a near three-month low of $1,264.15 on Friday. The drop in rates, however, failed to reignite interest for gold in most Asian hubs.
"In Singapore, several businesses in the region referred to as 'Little India' have said that the festival sales were not great and that it had come down when compared to the Diwali season in the last two years," said Brian Lan, managing director at dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore.
"Physical demand didn't really pick up despite lower prices. While we did have businesses and individuals calling us today due to the price drop, prices had been stagnant for the rest of the week."
Premiums of 50 cents were being charged over the benchmark in Singapore this week, unchanged from the previous week, while in Hong Kong, they rose to the 60 cents to $1.30 range, as against 50 cents last week. "There are sporadic large transactions, by buyers who take advantage of the price level and the low premiums, but overall, the market is quiet," said Joshua Rotbart, managing partner of J. Rotbart & Co in Hong Kong.
In top consumer China, premiums of $6.5-$10 an ounce were being charged over the benchmark, compared with $8-$12 in the previous week.
"There has been some amount of buying in China," said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong. He, however, said there seems to be a shift toward stocks rather than gold in terms of investments. In Japan, gold continued to be sold flat versus the benchmark due to a lack of momentum in local rates.
The physical gold market remained quiet in most Asian centres this week despite a drop in prices with India witnessing a lull in fresh purchases as key festival season demand cooled off in the world's second biggest consumer. Gold prices in India slipped to 29,209 rupees per 10 grams on Friday, the lowest level in about two months.
Prices in India were at a premium of up to $3 an ounce over official domestic prices this week, up from $2 last week. The slight increase in premiums was due to traders looking to cover for purchases made when rates were higher. "After Diwali, demand falters every year. This year, even during Diwali demand was lower than usual," said Daman Prakash Rathod, a director at MNC Bullion, a wholesaler in Chennai.
Last week, Indians celebrated the Diwali and Dhanteras festivals, when buying bullion is considered auspicious. "Jewellers have to replenish inventory after Diwali sales. Since prices are falling, they will do it very slowly," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a private bank. "In the last few days the government was selling gold bonds. Some investors are giving preference to bonds over physical gold due to tax benefits."
Meanwhile, benchmark spot gold prices were headed for an about 1 percent weekly decline, having hit a near three-month low of $1,264.15 on Friday. The drop in rates, however, failed to reignite interest for gold in most Asian hubs.
"In Singapore, several businesses in the region referred to as 'Little India' have said that the festival sales were not great and that it had come down when compared to the Diwali season in the last two years," said Brian Lan, managing director at dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore.
"Physical demand didn't really pick up despite lower prices. While we did have businesses and individuals calling us today due to the price drop, prices had been stagnant for the rest of the week."
Premiums of 50 cents were being charged over the benchmark in Singapore this week, unchanged from the previous week, while in Hong Kong, they rose to the 60 cents to $1.30 range, as against 50 cents last week. "There are sporadic large transactions, by buyers who take advantage of the price level and the low premiums, but overall, the market is quiet," said Joshua Rotbart, managing partner of J. Rotbart & Co in Hong Kong.
In top consumer China, premiums of $6.5-$10 an ounce were being charged over the benchmark, compared with $8-$12 in the previous week.
"There has been some amount of buying in China," said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong. He, however, said there seems to be a shift toward stocks rather than gold in terms of investments. In Japan, gold continued to be sold flat versus the benchmark due to a lack of momentum in local rates.
Bharat 22 ETF to open on November 14, to raise Rs 8,000 crore
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The government will next month launch the Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, to garner about Rs 8,000 crore. The new fund offer (NFO) will open for anchor investors on November 14, while subscription for retail investors would begin from November 15 and continue till November 17, ICICI Prudential MF said in a statement. An upfront discount of 3 per cent would be offered to all category of investors.
Bharat-22 comprises 22 scrips of public sector units, banks and entities in which the government holds a minority stake. "The Bharat 22 ETF is an excellent avenue for investors to participate in some of the best companies with high future growth potential.
"The ETF is well diversified with investments across six core sectors -- basic materials, energy, finance, FMCG, industrial and utilities. It offers good opportunity and prospects for investors and we are confident of an overwhelming response to this NFO," said Neeraj Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
The state-owned companies or PSUs that are part of the new ETF are ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco. It also includes governments strategic holding in Axis Bank, ITC and L&T held through SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India).
The other Central Public Sector Entities on the list are Bharat Electronics, Engineers India, NBCC, NTPC, NHPC, SJVNL, GAIL, PGCIL and NLC India. Only three public sector banks -- SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda -- figure in the Bharat-22 index.
The government is expected to fetch an initial amount of Rs 8,000 crore from the Bharat 22 ETF. ICICI Prudential MF has already filed documents for the new ETF with markets regulator Sebi.
"We believe the ETF offers an attractive long term investment opportunity to partake in the India growth story by way of a diversified blend of companies spread across several sectors and are available at attractive valuations and a good subscription discount," ICICI Prudential MF Managing Director and CEO Nimesh Shah said.
The government had raised about Rs 8,500 crore through the three tranches of CPSE ETF last fiscal. The first CPSE ETF consisted of scrips of 10 PSUs -- ONGC, Coal India, IOC, GAIL (India), Oil India, PFC, Bharat Electronics, REC, Engineers India and Container Corporation of India.
The government will next month launch the Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, to garner about Rs 8,000 crore. The new fund offer (NFO) will open for anchor investors on November 14, while subscription for retail investors would begin from November 15 and continue till November 17, ICICI Prudential MF said in a statement. An upfront discount of 3 per cent would be offered to all category of investors.
Bharat-22 comprises 22 scrips of public sector units, banks and entities in which the government holds a minority stake. "The Bharat 22 ETF is an excellent avenue for investors to participate in some of the best companies with high future growth potential.
"The ETF is well diversified with investments across six core sectors -- basic materials, energy, finance, FMCG, industrial and utilities. It offers good opportunity and prospects for investors and we are confident of an overwhelming response to this NFO," said Neeraj Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
The state-owned companies or PSUs that are part of the new ETF are ONGC, IOC, SBI, BPCL, Coal India and Nalco. It also includes governments strategic holding in Axis Bank, ITC and L&T held through SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India).
The other Central Public Sector Entities on the list are Bharat Electronics, Engineers India, NBCC, NTPC, NHPC, SJVNL, GAIL, PGCIL and NLC India. Only three public sector banks -- SBI, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda -- figure in the Bharat-22 index.
The government is expected to fetch an initial amount of Rs 8,000 crore from the Bharat 22 ETF. ICICI Prudential MF has already filed documents for the new ETF with markets regulator Sebi.
"We believe the ETF offers an attractive long term investment opportunity to partake in the India growth story by way of a diversified blend of companies spread across several sectors and are available at attractive valuations and a good subscription discount," ICICI Prudential MF Managing Director and CEO Nimesh Shah said.
The government had raised about Rs 8,500 crore through the three tranches of CPSE ETF last fiscal. The first CPSE ETF consisted of scrips of 10 PSUs -- ONGC, Coal India, IOC, GAIL (India), Oil India, PFC, Bharat Electronics, REC, Engineers India and Container Corporation of India.
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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