General knowledge

1.Who has been named as the chairman of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) committee on Rio 2016 debacle?
Jitu Rai Ganag Narang Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Abhinav Bindra

2.Which country will be the focused country at the 2016 International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?
Iran South Korea Brazil Spain

3.The book “An Intimate History of Killing: Face to Face Killing in Twentieth Century Warfare” authored by whom?
Bhikhu Parekh Joanna Bourke Fenil Sherdiwala Kirti Rambhatla

4.Who has won the first IEI-IEEE Award for Engineering Excellence-2015?
A S Kiran Kumar G Satheesh Reddy K K Radhakrishnan Avinash Chander

5.Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located in which state of India?
Goa Odisha Tripura Manipur

Current Affairs August 2016 Quiz Questions

1.K K Sreedharan Nair, who died recently, was associated with which field?
Sports Politics Journalism Science

2.Dr. A.R. Kidwai, who recently passed away, was related to which field?
Politics Journalism Photography Painting

3.The conference on “International Arbitration in BRICS: Challenges, Opportunities and Road ahead” will be held in which city of India?
New Delhi Mumbai Jaipur Ahmedabad

4.The first Children Court of South India has launched in which of the following cities?
Kochi Hyderabad Visakhapatnam Chennai

5.India has recently launched Akashvani Maitree channel for the listeners from which of the following neighbouring countries?
Nepal Bangladesh Bhutan Mynamar

GK & Current Affairs – August , 2016

1. Who has been bestowed with the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for 2016?
Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi Antoine Griezmann Gareth Bale

2.“POCSO e-box” has been launched by which Union Ministry for protection of children from sexual offenses?
Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry of Women and Child Development Ministry of Home Affairs Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

3.The 2016 Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF) has started in which of the following cities?
Kolkata Chennai Bengaluru Kochi

4.Who led Indian delegation at the 2016 SAARC Finance Ministers conference?
Sushma Swaraj Shaktikanta Das Amit Mitra Arun Jaitley

5.“Operation Euphrates Shield” has been launched by which country in Syria to end Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) rule?
Jordon Israel Turkey Lebanon

Common Quiz Questions

1.The Durand Cup is associated with which sports?
Football Cricket Basketball Hockey

2.What is the India’s rank on the 2016 World Risk Index?
77th 83rd 67th 56th

3.What is the theme of the 2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas?
Engaging Diaspora – The Indian Growth Story Redefined Engagement With Indian Diaspora Apna Bharat Apna Gaurav: Connecting Across Generations Connecting for a Shared Future: The Indian Diaspora, India and the Pacific

4.The world’s first self-driving taxi service has been launched in which of the following countries?
Japan Singapore Malaysia China

5.Which country will host the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit 2016?
Maldives Pakistan Bangladesh Bhutan

2016 Current Affairs

1.The world’s first hack-proof quantum communication satellite will be launched by which country?
United States Russia France China

2.Who is the newly elected President of Zambia?
Guy Scott Edgar Lungu Michael Sata Hakainde Hichilema

3.What is the theme of the 2016 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM)?
Child Education Women Empowerment Swachh Bharat Nirmal Ganga

4.The sailing campaign “Jal Tarang” has been started from which state of India?
Maharashtra Himachal Pradesh Odisha West Bengal

5.T A Razzaq, who passed away recently, was a script writer of which language?
Tamil Malayalam Telugu Urdu

GK 2016

1. India’s first-ever bio-CNG plant for public vehicles has been inaugurated in which of the following states?
Odisha Maharashtra Chhattisgarh Tamil Nadu

2.India’s first Nuclear Suppliers’ insurance policy for Right to Recourse’ has been launched in which state?
Kerala Maharashtra Karnataka Andhra Pradesh

3.The book “Police and Counter Insurgency — The Untold Story of Tripura’s COIN Campaign” has been authored by whom?
Lalita Babar Kuldeep Kumar Jerry Pinto V.B. Ganesan

4.Who has won gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics men’s singles tennis tournament?
Kei Nishikori Andy Murray Juan Martin Del Potro Novak Djokovic

5.Who has been posthumously honoured with the Ashok Chakra on the 2016 Independence Day?
Hanamanthappa Koppad Havildar Hangpan Dada Niranjan Ek Gursevak Singh

Current Affairs Quiz

1.The first National Conference of Investigating Agencies was held in which of the following cities?
Pune Bengaluru New Delhi Chennai

2.Who has been appointed as the new Governor of Assam?
Loknath Mishra A K Singh Nikhil Kumar Banwarilal Purohit

3.Who has been honoured with the 2016 Tamil Ratna Award?
Bharathi Raja A.R. Rahman Srinivasa Varadhan M.S. Subbulakshmi

4.The book “A Book of Light: When a Loved One Has a Different Mind” has been authored by whom?
Priyank Gupta Jerry Pinto Manjulla Sen Anupama Raju

5.Who has been appointed as the new Governor of Manipur?
Najma Heptullah Prof Jagdish Mukhi VP Singh Badnore Ashwani Kumar

GK & Current Affairs

India has been ranked 66th in the 2016 Global Innovation Index (GII), according to the latest released report by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Sweden, the UK, the US, Finland and Singapore.

The Maharashtra government has recently launched India’s first comprehensive ‘Crime Criminal Tracking Network System’ (CCTNS) through 42 cyber labs in Mumbai on August 15, 2016. Under the CCTNS, all police stations in the state will be linked with one another for sharing information about crimes in their respective jurisdictions and pave the way for a digital police force in Maharashtra.

P Shanmugam, the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI)’s Principal Scientist, has bagged the 2016 Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award for meritorious services in the Higher Education Department of Tamil Nadu at Fort St George in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu, which consists of a certificate, Rs. 5 lakh cheque and 8 gram gold medal.

The 2016 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) youth parliamentarians conference on “Peace and Harmony for Development” has started from August 16 in Islamabad, Pakistan and will continue till August 18. From India, Lok Sabha MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo is leading the 3-member Indian delegation.

Gurdial Singh (83), the world famous prominent Punjabi writer, novelist and short story writer and Jnanpith awardee, has recently passed away at Bathinda, Punjab. His notable works include Anhoe, Addh Chanani Raat, Anhe Ghore Da Daan, etc.

GK Updates August 2016

1.What is the India’s rank in the 2016 Global Innovation Index (GII)?
81 66 78 54

2.India’s first comprehensive “Crime Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS)” has been launched by which state government?
Madhya Pradesh Haryana Maharashtra Odisha

3.Which Indian scientist has bestowed with the 2016 Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam award?
RB Udhayakumar N Subbaiyan P Shanmugam Jayanthi

4.The 2016 SAARC youth parliamentarians conference on “Peace & Harmony for Development” has started in which of the following cities? [A]Karachi [B]New Delhi [C]Kathmandu [D]Islamabad
Karachi New Delhi Kathmandu Islamabad

5.Gurdial Singh, who passed away recently, was a famous writer of which language?
Punjabi Hindi Tamil Odia

CCEA gives nod to development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CEEA) has given its approval for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants. 

In this regard, CCEA has approved a one-time grant of 900 crore rupees spread over three years for an R&D project for the development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants.

 The project was proposed by a consortium of three government entities to reduce coal consumption as well as Carbon di-oxide (CO2) emission. They are 

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL)
• Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR) 
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

Key Facts 

• AUSC technology will enable Indian industries to design, manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal-fired power plants with indigenously developed technology. 
• This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured without any technological collaboration or licensing agreement with foreign companies. 
• Use of this technology in all future large coal-fired power plants will ensure energy security for the country for a longer period as well as greener environment.

Significance 

• Power generation from coal-fired power plants contributes to about 38% of CO2 pollution in the atmosphere. 
• AUSC technology which is still in research stage will help in 20% reduction in CO2 emission at source combined with 20% saving in coal consumption compared to sub-critical plants

Union Cabinet approves liberalization of FDI norms for NBFCs

The Union Cabinet has approved liberalization of foreign investment norms for the non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to improve the ease of doing business. 

Decision in this regard, Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Cabinet has approved 

• Foreign investment in NBFCs can now come under the automatic route provided they are regulated by any of the financial sector regulators. 
• Entities not regulated by any of the regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA etc.)/government agencies will need approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). 
• Minimum capitalisation norms as mandated under FDI policy have been eliminated as most of the regulators have already fixed minimum capitalisation norms.

What is a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)? 

• A NBFC is a financial institution that provides banking services without meeting the legal definition of a bank, i.e. one that does not hold a banking license. 
• It is established as a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 but its operations are often still covered under a country’s banking regulations. 
• NBFCs may be engaged in the business of loans and credit facilities, savings products, investments and money transfer services.

What is difference between banks and NBFCs? 

• NBFCs business activities are akin to that of banks as they can lend and make investments; however there are a few differences between them. 
• NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits. They cannot issue cheques as they do not form part of the payment and settlement system.
• Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.

Novel drug compound inhibiting skin cancer discovered: NCCS Study

Researchers from the Pune-based National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) have successfully isolated cancer stem cells that cause skin cancer. 

They have successfully demonstrated that Andrographolide (a compound) isolated and purified from Andrographis paniculata (a herb) found in India is effective in inhibiting tumour growth both in skin cancer and lung metastasis in mice. 

How did they undertake research? 

• In order to establish that CD133 positive cancer stem cells cause cancer, the researchers had injected these cells subcutaneously into mice. 
• The CD133 positive cancer stem cells that develops tumour faster than non-cancer stem cells.
• It also produces lung metastasis in a different set of mice that received the cells through intravenous injection. The research showed that all the animals injected with CD133 positive cancer stem cells developed skin cancer (melanoma). 
• When the compound Andrographolide was injected in the mice, it inhibiting tumour growth both in skin cancer and lung metastasis. 

Significance of Research 

• The study indicates that the compound Andrographolide has therapeutic potential for the management of cancer stem-cell mediated melanoma growth and lung metastasis. 
• The compound has ability to inhibit CD133 positive cancer stem cells growth which mediates tumour growth and lung metastasis. 
• It also shows enhanced ability to flush out cancer drugs from inside the cells thereby increasing the probability of tumour relapse.

India’s first e-court opened at Hyderabad High Court

India’s first e-court (paperless court) was opened at High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad which is the common high court for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

It was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur who heads the e-Committee of the Supreme Court. Key Features The purpose of e-court is to ensure speedy justice for the litigants.

The e-Courts will ensure easy and better access to justice for public. It will also provide solution for large number of pending cases in the country. 

It will also make the work of judges, advocates and all those related with judiciary a lot more effective Besides, SC judge also announced that India’s first Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) will be also launched in High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad. 

The system will integrate the courts, police stations, prosecution, forensic science laboratories and jails

Kerala Government launches first ever Water Metro project in the country

Kerala Government has launched Kochi Water Metro project, the first ever Water Metro project in the country. It was launched by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kochi. 

The project aims to provide water connectivity to people living between islands in the Kochi agglomeration area and the city. Key Facts Kochi Water Metro project is an integrated water transport project developed as feeder service to the Kochi Metro Rail. 

It will become operational in two years. The project will implemented by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). It will be built at an estimated cost of seven hundred and forty seven crores Rupees. The project is funded by German Development Bank (Kfw). In this regard KMRL has signed agreement with Kfw. 

The Water Metro will connect the islands spread across Kochi backwaters to main city. The project involves construction of jetties, roads and other basic facilities apart from boat services. It would make the urban water transport network in the city modern and safer.

GK 2016

1.Angela Ruggiero, who has been elected as the new chairperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athletes’ Commission, is associated with which sports?
Basketball Ice hockey Football Sprint

2.India’s first underground museum will be opened in which of the following cities?
Patna Ahmedabad New Delhi Jaipur

3.The world’s tallest girder rail bridge will come up in which state of India?
Sikkim Manipur Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir

4.Who has won the 2016 World Martial Arts championship (WMAC)?
Mohit Suri Rohit Khandelwal Vivek Teja Matthew Rose

5.Who is the newly appointed Prime Minister of Tunisia?
Mehdi Jomaa Habib Essid Youssef Chahed Beji Caid Essebsi

GK Quiz

1.Which Indian artist has won the 2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants?
Anita Gopalan Prashant Dixit Rishabh Kumar Mahima Gugalia

2.Which state government has launched citizen governance mobile App “HIM TCP”?
Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir Sikkim Haryana

3.The book “Until the Lions: Echoes from the Mahabharata” has been authored by whom?
Bibek Debroy Anjan Sundaram Hansda Sowendra Karthika Nair

4.The World Economic Forum (WEF) India Economic Summit will be hosted by which city of India?
New Delhi Chennai Kolkata Mumbai

5.The Shaurya Home Loan for Defence Personnel has been launched by which of the following banks?
ICICI Bank State Bank of India Axis Bank HDFC Bank

Current Affairs 2016

1.Which of the following countries has been hit by severe tropical Typhoon Nida?
Japan United States France China

2.Who is the newly elected Prime Minister of Nepal?
Khadga Prasad Oli Pushpa Kamal Dahal Khil Raj Regmi Baburam Bhattarai

3.Ahmed Zewail, who died recently, was the Nobel Laureate in which field?
Chemistry Physics Medicine Peace

4.Which union ministry has launched Twitter Sewa for addressing the complaints of common man in the telecom and postal sectors?
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry of Communications Ministry of Human Resource Development Ministry of Science and Technology

5.Which state has become the first Indian state to approve sewage and waste water policy?
Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan Odisha

General Awareness

1.Who has won the 2016 Formula One German Grand Prix ?
Nico Rosberg Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Daniel Ricciardo

2.Luke Aikins, who became the first person in the world to jump and land without parachute, is belonged to which country?
United Kingdom France Spain United States

3.Which state government of India will launch its Anti Corruption Index to measure the graphs of corruption in all spheres of society?
Odisha Assam Tripura Kerala

4.Which kabaddi team has won the 2016 STAR Sports-ProKabaddi League?
Jaipur Pink Panthers Puneri Paltan Patna Pirates Telugu Titans

5.The Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in which state of India?
Tripura Nagaland Manipur Assam

GK & Current Affairs

1. The Make in India conference will be held in which city of India?
New Delhi Lucknow Bhubaneswar Chennai

2.Who has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?
Varsha Sharma Abhishek Singh Rani Nair Munesh Kumar

3.The book “Tipu Sultan’s Search for Legitimacy: Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain” has been authored by whom?
Tony Joseph Sandi Mann Kate Brittlebank Ananta Ashisha

4.Lokesh Rahul is associated with which sports?
Badminton Cricket Boxing Wrestling

5.The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup will be hosted by which country?
Pakistan Bangladesh India Sri Lanka

India-US joint expedition discovers natural gas in Indian Ocean

Joint expeditions by India and the United States have discovered large, highly enriched accumulations of natural gas hydrate (an icy form of the fuel) in Indian Ocean. 

The discovery was made by the Union Oil Ministry and the US Geological Survey in the Bay of Bengal. It was the result of the most comprehensive gas hydrate field venture in the world to date that comprised of scientists from India, Japan and the US.

Significance 

This is the first of its kind discovery in the Indian Ocean that has the potential to be producible and opens up a new resource to meet needs of energy hungry India. The discovery will help unlock the global energy resource potential of gas hydrates as well as help define the technology needed to safely exploit (extract) them. 

What are Natural gas hydrates? 

• Natural gas hydrates are a naturally occurring, ice-like combination of natural gas and water. 
• They are mainly found in oceans and Polar Regions. Gas hydrates are considered as vast resources of natural gas. They are known to occur in marine sediments on continental shelf margins. 
• Composition: By nature Gas hydrates is mostly methane (CH4). Methane gas hydrate is most stable at the seafloor at water depths beneath about 500 meters. 

Distribution of Gas hydrates 

• The amount of gas within the world’s gas hydrate accumulations is estimated to greatly exceed the volume of all known conventional gas resources.
• In India, gas hydrate resources are estimated at 1,894 trillion cubic meters (tcm) and these deposits occur in Eastern, Western and Andaman offshore areas. 
• It is postulated that gas hydrate deposits along ocean margins are estimated to exceed known petroleum reserves by a factor of three.

Lok Sabha passes Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016

The Lok Sabha passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016 without discussion. 

The bill seeks to amend the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 which provides Lokpal (at Centre) and Lokayukta (at States) statutory backing to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters. 

Key Provisions 

• Enable the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha in the absence of a recognised Leader of Opposition to be a member of the selection committee that would select the ombudsman. 
• Amends section 44 of parent Act that deals with provision of furnishing of details of assets and liabilities of public servants within 30 days of joining the government service. 
• The amendment has removed the period of 30 days. Now the public servants will make declaration of their assets and liabilities in the form and manner as prescribed by government. 
• Gives extension of the time given to public servants and trustees and board members of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to declare their assets and those of their spouses. 
• In this case public servants and trustees and board members of NGOs must be receiving government funds of more than Rs. 1 crore or foreign funding of more than Rs. 10 lakh.
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Union Cabinet approves key changes to GST Constitutional Amendment Bill

• The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the GST (goods & services tax) constitutional amendment Bill in order to incorporate suggestions made by states. 
• This decision follows a crucial meeting of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on GST with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. 

Cabinet has approved 

• Removal of 1% additional tax on inter-state sales as proposed in the Constitutional Bill. 
• Removal of 1% additional manufacturing levy tax by manufacturing States from the Bill. 
• Inclusion of five years compensation clause for state governments for any loss that they may incur. 
• Adjudication of dispute between states and the Union Government by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states. 

Background 

In the meeting of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers, States had agreed that the 1% additional levy be removed from the Bill. They also had agreed to include 100% compensation formula in the Bill for the first five years of the implementation of the GST.

Union Cabinet increases limit for foreign investment in Stock Exchanges from 5% to 15%

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising foreign shareholding limit from current 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges. 

The decision brings the investment limit of foreign entities at par with that of domestic institutions. 

This enhanced limit is for a stock exchange, depository, banking company, insurance company and commodity derivative exchange. 

Additionally, the Union Cabinet also gave its approval for foreign portfolio investors to acquire shares through initial allotment, besides secondary market, in the stock exchanges. 

Implications 

• Enhance global competitiveness of Indian stock exchanges. 
• Enable Indian stock exchanges to acquire and adopt latest technology and global best practices. 
• Pave way for better overall growth and development of the Indian capital market 

Background 

• The Union Cabinet approval is in pursuance of implementation of the 2016-17 Budget Announcement made by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
• Finance Minister had made this announcement with regard to reforms in FDI Policy in order to enhance investment limit for foreign entities in Indian stock exchanges from 5% to 15%.