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Vol. 1 Issue 21 Pages 12 Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Price L 7.00
NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL MOU / AGREEMENT BANKING & ECONOMY

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SPORTS IMPORTANT DAYS / DATES / EVENTS

AWARDS / ACHIEVEMENTS PERSON IN NEWS BULLETIN BOARD PRACTICE CORNER

GOVT. JOB NOTIFICATION MCQ CORNER BASED ON CURRENT AFFAIRS

List of top 5 higher educational institutions in Common Overall Ranking :
Indian Institute of Science, Banglore.

NATIONAL
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
50 additional working days under MGNREGA for 8 states Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi
The Union has declared Kerala drought-hit, along with seven other States.
Top 5 Engineering institute
The declaration was based on a memorandum submitted to the Union Ministry
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
of Agriculture by Kerala Government seeking assistance for drought relief
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
activities.
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Other seven states are Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra
Indian Institute of Tchnology, New Delhi
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
Centre has allowed 50 additional working days in these eight states under Mahatma
Top 5 Management Institute
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) Scheme and shall
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
receive assistance of Rs. 24,000 crore.
Indian Institute of Management, Banglore
Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
First Bio fuel bus launched in Kolkata
Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
A city based company has claimed to have launched the first bio-gas fuelled bus in
Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
Kolkata keeping a flat fare of just Re 1.
Top 5 Universities
All buses will have a flat fare of Re 1 irrespective of the distance, even in excess of
Indian Institute of Science, Banglore (91.81)
40 km
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (86.45)
Presently, the lowest fare in a Kolkata bus is Rs 6.
Banaras Hindu University
The first bus will run a distance of 17 km between Ultadanga and Garia in the
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Banglore
southern fringes of the city and Phoenix India will run the bio-gas service from its
Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal
Corporate Social Responsibility fund.
Top 5 Colleges
Miranda House, Delhi
No of beneficiaries under Ujjwala Yojana crosses 2 crore mark Loyola College, District Chennai
The number of beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for providing free of Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi
cost LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to BPL households has crossed Bishop Heber College, District Tiruchirapalli
2 crore mark in less than a year. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College,New Delhi
The success of the scheme shows that how it is serving as a novel means of Top 5 Pharmacy
women empowerment and achieving the goals of providing clean fuel and a better Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi
life to the people. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali,
About Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab
The Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh
2016 from Maldepur Morh, Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai
Tagline for the schem e: Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research,
Purpose of the schem e: Empower women and protect their health by shifting Hyderabad
them from traditional cooking based on unclean cooking fuels or on fossil
fuels to clean cooking gas.
Government withdraws subsidy to mild hybrids cars
Beneficiary: Under the scheme, an adult woman member of a BPL will be
The government has withdrawn incentives given
given deposit-free LPG connection with financial assistance of Rs 1,600 per
to mild hybrid vehicles under FAME
connection by the Centre.
Indiascheme.
Identification of beneficiaries: It will be through the Socio-Economic Caste
Amildhybrid vehiclehasanelectric motor,
Census (SECC) in consultation with state governments and Union territories.
which on its own cannot run a vehicle
The scheme is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and
butassists normal engine by using recovered
Natural Gas.
energy stored in a battery and helps save fuel.
Aim : 8,000 crore has been earmarked for providing 50 million LPG connections
Mild hybrid technology is different from plug-in
to poor households within 3 years by 2019.
or conventional hybrid vehicles. Mild hybrid vehicles use the energy generated
while applying the brakes and turns it into electric energy that is then stored in a
battery. This energy can then be used to turn the starter motor when the cars
start stop system needs it.
In most cases, a mild hybrid will turn its engine off when at idle or when it comes
to a halt at a traffic signal for instance. Research shows that mild-hybrids are
only 7-15% more fuel efficient as compared to conventional hybrid systems that
can run on pure electric power for short distances too.
FAME India Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles
in India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. The scheme
envisages Rs 795 crore support in the first two fiscals starting with the current
year. It is being administered by the Heavy Industries Ministry.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana launched by the government

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana was launched by the government in Nellore district of
Andhra Pradesh.
The Scheme aims at providing Senior Citizens, belonging to BPL category and
suffering from any of the age related disability/infirmity viz. Low vision, Hearing
IISc ranked Indias top university in 2017 NIRF Survey impairment, Loss of teeth and Locomotor disability, with such assisted-living
devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions, overcoming
The Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bengaluru was adjudged as the best Indian
the disability/infirmity manifested.
university in the 2017 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) released
The Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens will be
by Union Human Resource Development Ministry.
distributed in Camp mode and the Scheme will be implemented through the
This year it is second edition NIRF survey and was released as part of the India
sole implementing agency, Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO),
Rankings 2017 for the Educational Institutions.
(a PSU under M/o SJ&E), which will undertake one year free maintenance of the
NIRF survey is first of its kind of indigenous ranking framework for higher education
aids & assisted living devices.
institutions in the country.
The devices will help the Senior Citizens to overcome their age related physical
NIRF ranking covers six categories of institutions including Universities,
impairment and to lead a dignified and productive life with minimal dependence
Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Architecture, Colleges.
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 02
on care givers or other members of the family.
The ambitious Scheme, first of its kind in the country is expected to benefit
5,20,000SeniorCitizensoveraperiodofthe 3years.
This is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government. The
expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the Senior
Citizens Welfare Fund.
Under the scheme, free of cost distribution of the devices, commensurate with
the extent of disability/infirmity that is manifested among the eligible senior citizens
will take place.
In case of multiple disabilities/infirmities manifested in the same person, the
assistive devices will be given in respect of each disability/impairment.
Beneficiaries in each district will be identified by the State Governments/UT
Administrations through a Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner/
District Collector. As far as possible, 30% of the beneficiaries in each district
shall be women.
Under the Scheme, the following Aids and Assisted-Living Devices will be
provided to eligible elderly beneficiary senior citizens, depending upon their
physical impairment:
Walking sticks Elbow crutches
Walkers / Crutches Tripods / Quadpods
Hearing Aids Artificial Dentures.

Government officially launches BS-IV grade fuels

Government has formally launched Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) grade transportation
fuel across the country to keep carbon emission in check.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a
supply of BS-IV grade fuel in 12 towns through video-conference.
The launch came days after the Supreme Court banned sale and registration of
BS-III vehicles from 1 April, 2017. It sets target of ushering in BS-VI fuel by April
2020 by skipping BS-V fuel.
Drug-eluting stents: It is a peripheral or coronary stent placed into narrowed,
All state-run oil marketing companies will provide BS-IV-compliant fuel at their
53,500 retail fuel stations across the country.
BS-IV fuels
BS-IV fuels contain far less sulphur than BS-III fuel. Sulphur in fuel
makes it dirtier and lowers the efficiency of catalytic converters, which
control emissions.
The BS-IV complaint vehicles release less pollutants Carbon Mono-
oxide (CO), Hydrocarbon (HC), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Sulphur (SOx)
and particulate matter (PM) compared to BS III complaint vehicles.
Bharat stage(BS) emission standards are emission standards instituted by the
Union Government to regulate output of air pollutants from internal combustion
engines and spark ignition engines equipment, including motor vehicles.
The harmful emissions that are identified for regulations in different Bharat Stages
(BS) are carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons (HC), Nitrogen Oxides
(NOx) and Particulate matter (PM).
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Indias longest road tunnel in Jammu
& Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, countrys
longest road tunnel that links Kashmir Valley with Jammu by an all-weather
route.
The 9.2-km-long tunnel passes through the lower Himalayan mountain range
on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 44. It cuts the distance between Jammu
and Srinagar to around 250 km from the current 350 km.
The Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, also known as Patnitop Tunnel has been built at
an altitude of 1,200 meters. It is also Asias longest bi-directional highway tunnel
and worlds sixth road tunnel with a transverse ventilation system enabled and
controlled by ABB software.
It has been built at the cost of Rs. 2,500 crore. It is Indias first tunnel equipped
with world class Integrated Traffic Control System (ITCS) through which ventilation,
signals, fire control, communication and electrical systems are automatically
actuated.
It reduces travel time by three to four hours. It also reduces road distance between
Chenani and Nashri to 10.9 km from earlier long route of 41 km.
The tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity to the Valley and avoid
landslide-prone stretch.
It will help to boost the trade and commerce and tourism in the valley. It also
boasts features like Video Surveillance System, FM Rebroadcast System, Entrance
Detection Control System and Active Firefighting System.
It also features a state-of-the-art ABB ventilation system to ensure that users
have access to fresh air as they drive through it.
The tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity to the Valley and serve as an
alternative to the highway which is closed at the time of snow and rains. It will
help to boost the trade and commerce and tourism in the valley.
It will reduce traffic jams on National Highway-1 A.
Indias first International research centre inaugurated for Foot, Mouth
disease of cattle and buffalos
Indias first International research centre for Foot and Mouth disease of cattle
and buffalos was inaugurated at Argul (Bhubaneswar), Odisha.
The research centre has been constructed in joint collaboration of UNs Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAT).
It has the facility for safe handling and storage of live Foot and Mouth disease
virus that essentially is required for control of the disease and will collect samples
from all over the country to find a cure of the disease.
India is suffering a loss of Rs. 23,000 annually due to Foot and Mouth disease of
cattle and buffalos.
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority increases stent prices
Drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has
increased price of stents by around 2% after taking into account wholesale price
index.
NPPA will increase price of bare metal stents to Rs. 7,400 rupees from Rs. 7,260
and of drug-eluting stent to Rs. 30,180 rupees from Rs. 29,600.
Coronary stent: A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the arteries
that supply blood to the heart. It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of
coronary heart diseases.
Bare-metal stent: It is a mesh-like tube of thin wire used in cardiac arteries was
bare metal often made of 316L stainless steel. More recent stents (2nd generation)
use cobalt chromium alloy.
diseased peripheral or coronary arteries that slowly releases a drug to block cell
proliferation. It is often preferred over bare-metal stents because the latter carry a
higher risk of restenosis, the growth of tissue into the stent resulting in vessel
narrowing.
NPPA: It is nodal government regulatory agency that controls the prices of
pharmaceutical drugs in India. It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of
Chemical and Fertiliser.
Barmer-Munawab, Pipad Road-Bilara rail routes declared as Green
Corridors
The North Western Railway has declared the Barmer-Munawab and Pipad Road-
Bilara rail routes in Rajasthan as Green Corridors. Total number of green corridors
has increased to five.
The 114-km-long Manamadurai Rameswaram stretch of Southern Railway was
Indias first Green corridor. Okha-Kanalus and Porbandar-Wasjaliya railway
sections of Gujarat also have been declared green corridors.
Green Corridor: It ensures zero toilet discharge on rail tracks as part of its
commitment to clean environment under the Swachh Rail-Swachh Bharat initiative.
Trains in the section have been equipped with bio-toilets to ensure zero discharge
of human waste on the rail tracks and preventing corrosion of the tracks.
Bio toilets : Bio-toilets evacuate discharge into a biodigester tank, containing
anaerobic bacteria, fitted underneath the train coach in a small space. The bacteria
convert human faecal matter into water and small amount of gases (including
methane) by process of hydrolysis, acetogenesis, acidogenesis and
methanogenesis.
Indian Railway had developed the environment friendly Bio-toilets, in association
with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and aims to install
human waste discharge free bio-toilets in all its coaches as part of the Swachh
Bharat Mission by September 2019.
Cabinet approves ratification of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973
and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for ratification of the two fundamental
conventions of the International Labour Organization namely:
Minimum Age Convention (No 138)
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182)
Minimum Age Convention:
The Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment,
is a Convention adopted in 1973 by the International Labour Organization.
So far, it has been ratified by 169 countries
It requires ratifying states to pursue a national policy designed to ensure
the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the
minimum age for admission to employment or work.
Countries are free to specify a minimum age for labour, with a minimum
of 15 years.
A declaration of 14 years is also possible when for a specified period of
time. Laws may also permit light work for children aged 1315 (not harming
their health or school work).
The minimum age of 18 years is specified for work which is likely to
jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons. Definitions of
the type of work and derogations are only possible after tripartite
consultations (if such a system exists in the ratifying country).
WorstFormsofChildLabourConvention:
The Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, known in short as the
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, was adopted by the International
Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999.
It has been ratified by 180 countries.
By ratifying this Convention, a country commits itself to taking immediate
action to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour.
TheILOs International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
(IPEC) is responsible for assisting countries in this regard as well as
monitoring compliance. One of the methods used by IPEC to assist
countries in this regard are Time-bound Programmes.
The convention includes forms of child labour, which are predefined
worst forms of child labour. They are also sometimes referred to
asautomatic worst forms of child labour.

Govt. approved Project Saksham
The Government has approved Rs. 2,256 crore outlay for Project Saksham to
bolster the information technology network for the new GST regime.
Project Saksham is the name given to CBECs IT Infrastructure Project. This IT
Infrastructure project will enable not just the implementation of Goods and
Services tax (GST) but also support all existing services in Customs, Central
Excise and Service Tax.
In addition, it will also enable extension of the Indian Customs Single Window
Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) and other taxpayer-friendly initiatives under
Digital Indian and Ease of Doing Business of CBEC.
It will enable setting up of an information exchange mechanism with GSTN
through the use of pre-agreed Application Programming Interface (API) or other
secure methods of message exchange.
INTERNATIONAL
Iceland set to become worlds first country to neutralise gender pay
gap
Iceland is set to become the first country in the world to neutralise gender pay
gap.
In this regard, a bill was introduced in Icelands parliament that makes mandatory
for public and private businesses to prove they offer equal pay to employees.
The bill entails companies and institutions of a certain size (25 or more
employees), to undertake a certification of their equal-pay programmes.
According to World Economic Forum (WEF)s 2015 Global Gender Gap Index
(GGGI), Iceland was ranked first and was followed by fellow Nordic nations
Norway, Finland and Sweden.
India-UAE cultural celebrations festival launched at Abu Dhabi
The India- United Arab Emirates (UAE) cultural celebrations festival was launched
at Abu Dhabi with a tribute video featuring both
Mahatma Gandhi and late Sheikh Zayed bin
Sultan Al Nahyan.
The programme supported by the Ministry of
Culture and Knowledge Development, UAE and
the Indian Business and Professional Group.
India-UAE Cultural Celebrations celebrates the
long-standing relationship between the two
countries and looks to strengthen existing cultural and economic ties.
The initiative proposes to bring some of the diversity of India to the UAE by
bringing artists from both the countries on the same platform to work and
collaborate.
Germany becomes first NATO member to launch cyber command unit
Germany became the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member
country to launch a self-contained cyber command unit dubbed as Cyber and
Information Space Command (Kdo CIR).
It has been designed to shield IT and weapons systems from growing attacks.
The Kdo CIR will be the youngest branch of Germanys military Bundeswehr.
It will operate and protect German militarys own IT infrastructure and computer-
assisted weapons systems, and tackle online threats.
It will also focus on war-game offensive skills and capabilities.
US launches multiple missile strikes in Syria after chemical weapons
attack
The United States has carried out a
missile attack against targets in Syria
in response to a suspected chemical
weapons attack on a rebel-held town
in Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province.
US warships launched between 50 to
60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at
Shayrat Airfiled from where the Syrian
warplanes had carried out the
chemical attacks.
The purpose of strikes was intended to deter the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-
Assad from using chemical weapons again.
The suspected chemical attack had killed 86 people including women and
children in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in northwestern Syria.
Global initiative launched to fight fake news
A global alliance of tech industry and academic organisations has unveiled $14-
million The News Integrity Initiative plans to work together to combat the spread
of fake news and improve public understanding of journalism.
The initiatives mission is to advance news literacy, to increase trust in journalism
around the world and to better inform the public conversation.
Thefounding funders include Facebook and the Craigslist founder Craig
Newmarks philanthropic fund along with the Ford Foundation, the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation, the Tow Foundation, AppNexus, Mozilla and
Betaworks.
Helping the public understand the difference between fraudulent news and
serious journalism will constitute an important element of the effort.
City University of New Yorks journalism school will coordinate research, projects
and events.
Fake news has become a serious issue in the U.S. election campaign, when
clearly fraudulent stories circulated on social media, potentially swaying some
voters.
Concerns also have been raised since then about hoaxes and misinformation
affecting elections in Europe and rise of click farms to generate revenue from
online advertising using made-up news stories.
Japan officially recognises Bitcoin as currency
Japan has officially recognized bitcoin and digital currencies as legal money
along the lines of other fiat currencies with effect from April 1, 2017.
The recognition comes after implementation of a new law amending Banking Act
in Japan for legalizing these currencies. It will help in integration of digital currency
into legal banking system through regulatory scrutiny.
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 03
The recognition means regulations governing banks and financial institutions will
be applicable to crypto-currency and digital currencies exchange platforms
They will be also required to
comply with strict Anti-Money
Laundering (AML) and Know
Your Customer (KYC)
requirements, along with
annual audits.
Other requirements include
meeting the stated capital and
cyber security requirements to
ensure consumer protection.
It also makes these digital
currencies as property of
value, meaning that they can
be used for payment in the broader marketplace and that it may be bought or sold.
Bitcoin is a type of digital currency or virtual currency in which encryption techniques
are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of
funds, operating independently of a central bank.
Virtual currenciesare enjoying growing population in Japan, where domestic
circulation of bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin and others amounted to 185 billion yen ($1.67
billion) in the 2015 2016 fiscal year.
By 2020, the amount of bitcoin in circulation in Japan is expected to reach 1 trillion
yen ($9 billion), the Nikkei Asian Review reports.
Myanmar becomes 7th member of South Asia Sub-regional Economic
Cooperation (SASEC)
Myanmar became the 7th
member of South Asia Sub-
regional Economic
Cooperation (SASEC)
program of Asian
Development Bank (ADB).
It was officially made
member at the SASEC
Finance Ministers meeting
held in New Delhi and chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
SASEC countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri
Lanka coordinate the planning of projects and activities to increase economic
growth by building transport connectivity, facilitating faster and more efficient trade
and promoting cross border power trade.
Myanmars membership in SASEC will offer host of opportunities for realizing
synergies from economic cooperation in the subregion.
Road corridors in Myanmar can provide key gateway between South Asia and
Southeast Asia, while its ports can provide alternate routes and gateways to the
landlocked northeastern region of India.
It has the potential to unleash significant economic potential and bring better
livelihoods to millions in the region after developing multimodal connectivity between
Indias northeastern region, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Transport linkages between South and Southeast Asia will also become more
attractive to businesses once ongoing and planned motor vehicle agreements are
finalized and implemented.
SASEC Vision: It is a new strategic road map to guide the sub-regions development
through 2025.
Israel approves new settlement for first time
Israels Government has approved the first W est Bank settlement in two decades.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took decision in this regard in Security Cabinet
meeting.
The new settlement will be built near the existing settlement of Shilo, which is
nearby to the Amona site, an illegal settler outpost that was demolished in February
2017 under the orders of Israels Supreme Court.
West Bank and east Jerusalem are disputed territories claimed by the Palestinians
which were captured by Israel in 1967, as parts of a future state.
Japan commits 371 billion yen assistance in India
Japan has committed an Official Development Assistance (ODA) of 371 billion yen
(about Rs 21,590 crore) for various infrastructure projects, including the dedicated
freight corridor, in India for the FY 2016-2017.
The total commitment of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ODA during
two financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 is 761.40 billion yen, which is 43.50% of
the total target for five years.
Economic partnership between India and Japan has steadily progressed. It has
further consolidated and strengthened the Strategic and Global Partnership between
India and Japan.
India becomes associate member of International Energy Association
(IEA)
Worlds 3rd largest energy consumer, India has joined International Energy
Association (IAE) as associate member and will also now have a greater say in
global energy issues.
With India as a associate member, IEA now formally covers 70% of the worlds
energy consumption, thus increasing its relevance.
Indias participation will enrich the energy efficiency and renewable sectors of IEA
members and other countries.
India will gain from IEAs data gathering processes, survey methodologies and
range of energy data, which will enable India in the near future to set up its own
robust integrated database agency.
IEA gives an opportunity to India to be the voice of the developing world and
represent the interests of the emerging markets.
It will enable India to be involved in the key committees and dialogues of the IEA.
About International Energy Association (IEA):IEAisaninter-governmental
organization established in 1974 as per framework of the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Members: Presently it has
29 member countries. India is lone associate member of IAE. Headquarters
(Secretariat): Paris, France.
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 04
MOU / AGREEMENT
Union Cabinet approves Collaboration Agreement to support Belmont
Forum Secretariat
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given
its approval for signing of the Collaborative Agreement with French National
Research Agency (ANR), France.
The MoU will be signed for supporting the Belmont Forum Secretariat from
January, 2015 to December, 2017 at a total estimated expenditure of 40,000
Euros.
The Cabinet also approved continued financial support to Belmont Forum
Secretariat beyond 2017.
The Belmont Forum, created in 2009, is a high level group of the worlds major
and emerging funders of global environmental change research and international
science councils.
Members: India, Australia, Brazil, Canada, European Commission, France,
Germany, Japan, Netherland, South Africa, UK and US etc. India is represented
by the Union Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) since 2012.
In order to coordinate the activities of the Belmont, a Secretariat is hosted by one
of the Belmont forum member on rotational basis. ANR, France is hosting the
Secretariat from January, 2015 to December, 2017.
Expenditure for hosting the Secretariat will be borne by Belmont Forum member
countries in kind or cash contribution.
Impact: The Agreement will help to maintain a certain degree of continuity in the
operations of the Forum and also help in smooth coordination of the activities of
Belmont Forum. As India is already participating in 4 Collaborative Research
Actions (CRAs) and Secretariat will be coordinating the activities of Belmont
Forum, Indian scientific community will ultimately benefit from this agreement.
Cabinet approves MoU on Cooperation in the field of Mass Media
between India and Bangladesh
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved
the MoU on Cooperation in the field of Mass Media between India and
Bangladesh.
Salient features of the MoU
Both the countries to facilitate training/study tour of personnel in the field
of mass media and public relations.
Encouraging the exchange of experts in the field of Mass Media
Encourage cooperation between educational, training and research
institutions in the field of Mass Media & Communication. Also facilitating
exchange of publications generated by these institutions.
Co-operation and Sharing experiences in the field of regulations of the
Mass Media activities and statistical data relating to the Mass Media.
Facilitating accredited mass media representatives to set up offices in
the creation of conditions necessary for performance of professional
duties on the basis of reciprocity.
Cabinet approves agreement on Audio Visual Co-Production between
India and Bangladesh
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved
the agreement on Audio Visual Co-Production India and Bangladesh.
Salient features of the Agreement
The Agreement would cover co-production of films, documentaries, and
animations films.
An audio-visual co-production made in accordance with the proposed
Agreement shall be entitled to all the benefits which may be accorded to
any national audio-visual work by both countries in accordance with
their respective laws and regulations.
Itwillleadto exchangeofartandcultureamongthetwocountriesand The operationalization of this MoU will promote people to people contact and
create goodwill and better understanding among the peoples of both
the countries.
Co-productions provide an opportunity to create and showcase our soft
power.
It leadsto generation ofemployment among artistic, technical as well
as non-technical personnel engaged in the arena of Audio-Visual Co-
production including post-production and its marketing, thus adding to
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of both the countries.
The utilization of Indian locales for shooting raises the visibility / prospect
of India as a preferred film shooting destination across the globe.
India has so far entered into audio-visual co-production agreements with Italy,
United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, France, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Canada,
China and the Republic of Korea.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia on cooperation
in the field of Health and Medicine
The Union Cabinet has approved the MoU between India and Australia on
cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
The MoU will involve cooperation through joint initiatives in the Health Sector and
strengthen bilateral ties between both countries.
The main areas of cooperation include the following :
Communicable diseases such as Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Mental Health and Non-Communicable Diseases.
Anti-Microbial Resistance and responding to public health emergencies.
Regulation of Pharmaceuticals,vaccines and medical devices.
Digital Health.
Tobacco Control and
Any other area of cooperation decided mutually by both countries.
Cabinet approves Air Services Agreement between India and Georgia
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of the Air Services Agreement (ASA)
between India and Georgia.
The Agreement between the two countries is based on latest International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) template keeping in view of developments in Civil
Aviation sector.
Its objective is to improve the air connectivity between the two countries.
Presently there is no ASA between these two countries.
ASA is the basic legal framework for any air operation between the two countries.
The features of the Air Services Agreement are as follows:
Both countries shall be entitled to designate one or more airline.
Now the Indian carriers can operate to any points in Georgia from any
points in India. Whereas the carriers of Georgia can establish direct
operation to six points namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Chennai and Goa. Apart from this through routing flexibility any intermediate
and beyond point can also be served by the designated carriers of both
sides.
The designated airlines of either country shall have the right to establish
offices in the territory of the other country for the promotion and sale of air
services.
The designated Airline of each party can enter into cooperative marketing
arrangements with the designated carriers of same party, other party and
that of a Third party. In view of this, it will not only facilitate the direct
connectivity but also connectivity through 3rd country carriers. It will provide
viable options for the carriers of both countries.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bangladesh for fairway
development on two rivers
The Union Cabinet has approved MoU between India and Bangladesh for fairway
development of Ashuganj-Zakiganj stretch of Kushiyara river and Sirajganj-
Daikhawa stretch of Jamuna river.
It will be implemented mainly in the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route by undertaking
necessary dredging jointly by the two countries.
The MoU will considerably reduce the logistics cost of cargo movement to North
Eastern India.
It will also reduce the congestion through the Siliguri Chickens Neck corridor.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and France on Technical
Cooperation in Civil Aviation
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and its French counterpart, Civil
Aviation Authority (DGAC), France to implement Technical Cooperation Program in
civil aviation sector.
The Technical Cooperation Program will be beneficial for enhancement of skills
and expertise of AAIs officers.
This MoU is also beneficial for imparting training of engineers, technicians,
managers etc.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bangladesh in field of judicial
sector cooperation
The Union Cabinet has approved signing of MoU between India and Bangladesh
in the field of judicial sector cooperation.
It is aimed at developing, promoting and strengthening mutual cooperation between
the judiciaries of the two countries.
The MoU provides for promoting mutual interaction among judges and officials at
various levels of the judiciary through exchange visits, training and academic
programmes.
It will also encourage mutual exchange of information on latest developments in
the field of law and justice.
It will enable exchange of knowledge in infrastructure and information technology
in this field.
Cabinet approves MoU on passenger cruise services on the coastal and
protocol routes
The Union Cabinet has approved MoU on passenger cruise services on the coastal
and protocol routes between India and Bangladesh for starting regular movement
of passengers and tourists in water crafts between the two countries.
cooperation between the two countries in respect of economic, social and cultural
advancement.
It will also generate employment opportunities for the people of India and
Bangladesh.
Tripura signed agreements for robust power distribution system
Tripura Government has signed two agreements with the Union Ministry of Power
to enhance power supply in distribution network.
The agreements will enable state to get the benefits under the Central government
scheme.
As per the agreements, state has accepted the provision of Ujjwal Distribution
Assurance Yojana (UDAY) and Transmission Service Agreement of Union Power
Ministry to upgrade the existing transmission network to reduce Aggregate Technical
and Commercial Loss.
India, Malaysia inks 7 agreements
India and Malaysia have inked seven agreements to foster deeper relationship
between the two countries.
The agreements were exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Abdul Razak in New Delhi who was on
six day state visit to India.
Signed agreements are
Air Services Agreement: It is revised ASA with Malaysia signed by both
countries in 1974.
MoU on Cooperation Fertilizers sector: It deals with development of
proposed Urea and Ammonia Manufacturing Plant in Malaysia and offtake
of exisiting surplus urea from Malaysia to India.
MoU on cooperation in Sports: It envisages cooperation through exchange
of sportspersons, instructors, information on sports regimen and training
curricula, etc.
MoU for cooperation in training: It was signed between Malaysian
Human Resource Fund (HRDF) and EDII, Ahmedabad. It envisages
EDII, Ahmedabad to carry out training and other capacity building
programmes, as necessary on behalf of the Human Resource
Development, Malaysia.
MoU on Mutual Recognition of the Educational Qualifications: It was
singed between Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Malaysian
Qualifications Agency (MQA). It establishes recognition of equivalence

of various degrees awarded by educational institutions in both countries
and envisages eventual signing of mutual recognition agreement.
MoU on collaboration in technology development in the field of Palm
Oil: It was signed between Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Indias
Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT).
MoU on implementation of 4th Generation Technology Park in Andhra
Pradesh: It was signed between MIGHT Technology Malaysia and AP
Economic Development Board. The Malaysian industry-government
group for high power technology (MIGHT) will act as facilitator to develop
cluster in AP. As part of park, packing material will be made from recycled
agricultural materials.
Mizoram becomes 27th state to join UDAY scheme
The Centre and Mizoram signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under
Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme for operational improvement of
the states Power Distribution Department.
With the signing of MoU by Mizoram, the total States/ Union territories covered under
UDAY will be 27. Mizoram became 27th state to join Ujwal DISCOM Assurance
Yojana (UDAY) scheme meant for revival of debt-stressed discoms.
The scheme would also allow speedy availability of cheaper power to more than
22 thousand households in the state that are still without electricity.
The availability of 24X7 power to households will boost the economy, provide
more employment opportunities and improve the standard of living of the people
of Mizoram.
Cabinet approves signing of Agreement for CIRDAP establishment
Centre in Hyderabad
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given
its approval for signing of an agreement between the Union Ministry of Rural
Development and Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the
Pacific (CIRDAP) for establishment of CIRDAP Centre at National Institute of
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), Hyderabad.
CIRDAP Centre will give NIRD&PR advantage to have first-hand knowledge of
networking with organizations specialized in rural development programmes
and to build a repository of institutional knowledge for NIRD&PR.
This Centre will also help NIRD&PR to enhance its status in the region through
linkages with other ministries/institutes in the CIRDAP Member Countries
(CMCs).
It will also work on the implementation of integrated rural development, particularly
poverty alleviation programmes within CMC member countries.
CIRDAP:TheCIRDAPisregionalintergovernmentalorganizationinvolvedinrural
development and poverty alleviation. The objective was to assist and expand
CIRDAP membership and its resources, to conduct training research and pilot
projects relevant to South East Asian region. Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Cabinet approves MoU between Forum of Regulators and the National
Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between Forum of Regulators (FOR) and the National
Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in the area of large-
scale Grid Integration of Renewable Energy.
The MoU envisages to promote information exchanges in the areas of Renewable
Energy integration regulations and balancing using gas, storage, and demand-
side approaches, energy imbalance markets.
It will enhance the efforts of Indias power system for better management of
large-scale integration of Renewable Energy into the power grid.
Forum of Regulators: TheForumofRegulatorswasconstitutedbytheMinistry
of Power under provisions of section 166(2) of the Electricity Act, 2003 with the
primary objective of harmonization of regulations in the power sector framed by
the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), State Electricity
Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) and Joint Electricity Regulatory Commissions
(JERCs).
Union Cabinet approves setting up Rail Development Authority
The Union Cabinet has cleared approved setting up an independent rail regulator,
named Rail Development Authority (RDA).
It will be based in Delhi and will be set up
through an executive order.
It will be responsible for recommending
passenger fares, setting performance
standards for rail operations and creating
level playing policy for private sector
participation.
The RDA will be an independent body with
separate budget. The independence is
ensured through separate budget,
appointment and removal process.
It will act within the parameters of the
Railway Act, 1989. It will only make
recommendations to the Railway Ministry
which will take a final call on passenger and
freight fares.
Primary functions:
Tariff determination: RDA will frame
principles, recommend tariffs,
principles for classification of
commodities, frame principles for
social service obligation and
guidelines for track access charges on dedicated freight corridors.
Ensuring fair play: It will ensure level-playing field for all stakeholders. It
will propose modifications and send suggestions or advisory notes on
investment in railways. It will also make suggestions regarding policies
for private investment to ensure reasonable safeguards to PPP investors
to ensure level playing field and resolve disputes regarding future
concession agreements.
Setting standards: It will help to set efficiency and performance
standards and disseminate information in line with global best practices
and benchmarking. It will also collect, analyse and disseminate
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 05
information and statistics concerning the rail sector.
It will have a Chairman and three members with a fixed term of five years. Moreover,
it will be allowed to engage experts from various fields.
They can be removed by the Centre on grounds such as insolvency, misbehaviour,
conviction, physical and mental incapability.
The Chairman and members of the Authority will be appointed by a Search and
Selection Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
The search committee will also include Railway Board Chairman, Department of
Personnel and Training Secretary and Chairman of any regulatory body of Central
Government nominated by the Cabinet Secretary.
BANKING & ECONOMY
RBI cuts clearance time for NEFT transfers to make them faster
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to slash clearance time for National
Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) in an attempt to enhance efficiency of the
electronic payment system and add to customer convenience.
Announcement was made in line with the Vision-2018 for Payment and Settlement
Systems.
Now, the NEFT settlement cycle will be reduced from hourly batches to half hourly
batches.
Besides, 11 additional settlement batches will be introduced at 8.30 am onwards,
taking the total number of half hourly settlement batches during the day to 23.
This move will enhance the efficiency of the NEFT system and add to customer
convenience.
Cabinet approves extension of implementation of CCTNS Project by
one year
The Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
approved t extension of the
implementation phase of the
Crime and Criminals Tracking
Network and Systems (CCTNS)
Project for another year beyond 31
March 2017.
The proposal in this regard was
forwarded by the Union Ministry of
Home Affairs.
The extension will help in
achieving the remaining objectives
of the project comprehensively.
The maintenance phase of the
Project will continue till 2022 as
approved earlier. W ith a total outlay
of Rs. 2000 crore, a sum of Rs.
1550 crore, which was the total
allocation to the project so far, has
been spent till 2016-17.
Crime and Criminals Tracking
Network and Systems (CCTNS)
Project:
CCTNS is a mission mode project under the National e-Governance Plan
of Central Government.
Its aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing
the efficiency and effectiveness of policing by adopting of principle of e-
Governance.
It seeks to create nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-
enabled-state-of-the-art tracking system for investigation of crime and
detection of criminals.
It was originally approved in 2009.
Impact of the CCTNS Project will lead to:
Citizen portals in all states and Centre that will facilitate transparency and
speed in police service delivery, online registration of complaints and
reporting and search of missing persons and stolen goods in
self-service mode.
Pan-India search on complete National Crime and Criminal
database that is accessible to the Investigating Officers
throughout the country.
Search facility will be available to Police in regional languages
for improved inter-state tracking of criminal movement.
Reliable network connectivity to all Police Stations in the country.
National level crime analytics that will be published at, increased
frequency to help policy and law makers in taking data backed
timely actions and in making appropriate policy interventions.
Integration with various e-Governance projects such as Aadhaar,
National Population Register, Vaahan Project of the Ministry of
Surface Transport, Passport Seva and National Emergency
Response System Project thus increasing the synergies and
benefit accrued from these individual systems. It will expedite
various kinds of police verification requests and investigation.
Advanced features such as biometric based identification, trend
and pattern analytics etc. that will be incorporated to enhance hi-
tech investigation capability.
ICJS that will be available to all pillars of the criminal justice
system helping improve its service delivery.
Govt. seeks opinion on changes in RTI Act
The Centre has sought public opinion on proposed amendments
to the Right to Information Act, with respect to the powers of the Central Information
Commission (CIC), filing of applications, complaints and appeals.
Proposed amendments:
An amendment proposes that an applicant can file complaints within
135 days of filing the application under the Act, and in case of delay a
request for condonation will also have to be filed.
There is another provision empowering the CIC to convert a complaint
into a second appeal. Thus, as proposed, it can order the disclosure of
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 06
information on a complaint.
The Commission can also allow an amendment to the complaint during
the hearing, if other remedies have been exhausted.
Also, as suggested, the CIC has been given the power to decide if an
appeal or a complaint can be withdrawn on the applicants request.
However, once the issue has been decided, the withdrawal will not be
allowed.
Five State Banks, Bharatiya Mahila Bank merge with SBI
Five associates and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank have
officially merged with countrys largest lender State
Bank of India (SBI). With this merger, SBI joins the
league of top 50 banks globally in terms of assets.
The five associate banks are: State Bank of Bikaner
and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of
Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of
Travancore.
With this merger, SBIs market share has increased
to 22.5-23% from 17% with total business of over 37
lakh crore rupees.
The merged entity will have to deposit base of more
than Rs. 26 lakh-crore and advances level of Rs 18.50
lakh crore accounting for one-fourth of the deposit
and loan market in the country.
SBI now has 2.77 lakh employees, 50 crore
customers and more than 25,000 branches and
59,000 ATMs. Its total customer base of the SBI now
has reached to 37 crore across the country.
Post-merger, all the customers of associate banks will now enjoy the benefits of
a wide array of digital products and services offered by SBI.
Committee to implement farm loan waiver decision
The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted six-member committee to
implement its decision of waving off farmers agricultural loan.
It will be headed by Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar.
The committee has been asked to coordinate with Nationalized Banks,
Government, Cooperative, and Rural Banks from where farmers have taken
agro loans till March 2016 and formulate the strategy to implement the
governments decision.
It also has been asked to prepare a working plan to arrange financial support to
the banks.
Earlier in its first cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cabinet had
decided to wave off farmers agricultural loan up to Rs. 1 lakh.
It will benefit about 86 lakhs small and marginalized farmers of the state.
India, UK to set up 240 million pound fund for green energy
India and the United Kingdom have decided to set up a 240 million pound Green
Growth Equity Fund to finance clean energy projects in India.
The Green Growth Equity Fund will be a sub-fund of National Infrastructure and
Investment Fund (NIIF).
Decision in this regard was taken at the 9th India-UK Economic and Financial
Dialogue in Delhi.
Both India and UK are going to make a contribution of 120 million pounds each
in the fund which will focus initial investments in Indias rapidly growing energy
and renewables market.
NIIF was set up by India in 2015 to finance greenfield as well as brownfield
projects and stalled projects.
Under GST , Tax Evasion over Rs 5 crore is a non-bailable offence
Under the Central GST (CGST) Act, tax evasion of over Rs 5 crore under the GST
regime will be cognizable and non-bailable offence with the police having authority
to make an arrest without a warrant.
If a person is arrested for a cognizable offence, he
must be informed in writing of the grounds of arrest
and he must be produced before a magistrate within
24 hours of his arrest.
If a person is arrested for a non-cognizable and
bailable offence, the Deputy/ Assistant Commissioner
of CGST/SGST can release him on bail and he will be
subject to the same provisions as an officer in-charge
of a police station under section 436 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973.
If a person does not appear before a CGST/SGST
officer who has issued the summon, he is liable to a penalty of up to Rs 25,000.
The government has set a target date of July 1, 2017 for roll out of the GST, which
will subsume indirect taxes such as central excise, service tax, VAT and other
local levies.
Government launches PowerTex India scheme for powerlooms
The Government has launched PowerTex India, a three-year comprehensive
scheme for Powerloom Sector Development, simultaneously at over 45 locations
in the country.
The PowerTex India scheme aims to boost common infrastructure and
modernisation of the powerloom sector in the country.
Launching the scheme in Bhiwandi, Thane district, Maharashtra, the Union
Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani said that Bhiwandi will be known for
resurgence in Powerloom sector.
The comprehensive scheme has the following components:
In-situ Upgradation of Plain Powerlooms.
Group W orkshed Scheme (GW S).
Yarn Bank Scheme.
Common Facility Centre (CFC).
Pradhan Mantri Credit Scheme for Powerloom W eavers.
Solar Energy Scheme for Powerlooms.
Facilitation, IT, Awareness, Market Development and Publicity for
Powerloom Schemes.
Tex Venture Capital Fund.
Grant-in-Aid and Modernisation & Upgradation of Powerloom Service
Centres (PSCs).
PowerTex India van was also flagged off for publicity of PowerTex scheme across
the country.
CCEA approves amendments in Mega Power Policy 2009 for Provisional
Mega Power projects
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has approved the time period for the provisional Mega projects (25
projects), for furnishing the final Mega certificates to the Tax
authorities be extended to 120 months instead of 60 months
from the date of import.
Developers would be required to keep their Fixed Deposit Receipt
(FDR) or Bank Guarantee (in lieu of duty exemption claimed)
alive.
The CCEA also approved 25 Provisional Mega certified project
for Mega Policy benefits in proportion to the long term PPA (Power
Purchase Agreement) tied up, as permitted under the Mega Power
Policy, once the specified threshold capacity of the project, gets
commissioned.
However, the money realized by the developer, if any, as a result
of release of proportionate Bank Guarantee would first be utilized
towards the repayment of the Bank dues by the developer.
A suitable mechanism will be worked in consultation with
Department of Revenue for operationalisation of release of
proportionate Bank Guarantee.
This is expected to enable developers to competitively bid for
PPAs in future. Once the developer commissions the specified
threshold capacity, proportional mega benefits would facilitate
easing out liquidity crunch with the developers/Banks and improve
the viability of their projects.
Increased power availability will boost overall growth of the country and also ensure
that cost of power to the consumers does not increase.
CCEA allows unrestricted export of all certified organic agricultural
products
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has given its approval for removal of all quantitative ceilings on
individual organic products and allowed unrestricted exports of all organic
agricultural and organic processed products irrespective of any existing or future
restriction/prohibition on the export of their basic product (non-organic).
However, in respect of organic pulses and lentils, in view of their acute shortage in
the country, the quantitative ceiling on exports will continue but enhanced from the
existing 10,000 MT per annum to 50,000 MT per annum.
All organic products exports in the country are certified by Agricultural & Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
Benefits
Removal of quantitative celling on wheat, non-basmati rice, organic sugar
and increasing limit on export of organic pulses is expected to contribute
to Governments objective of doubling the farmers income by 2022.
It will lead to reduction in input costs in farming and gaining premium
price for organic agriculture products and in the process resulting in
increased adoption of organic agriculture by farmers.
A stable export policy on organic agriculture products would complement
various Government programs like National Mission on Sustainable
Agriculture (NSAM), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Organic
Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region (OVCDNER) which
have been taken up to encourage organic agriculture.
CCEA approves amendment to New Urea Policy-2015
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval for
amendment in Para 5 of New Urea Policy (NUP), 2015.
The initiatives aim at working in the direction of promoting the indigenous
production of Fertilizers, and making them available to the farmers in time.
The amendment is related to the production beyond Re-Assessed Capacity
(RAC) and inclusion of Para 8 in NUP 2015 to protect the production beyond
RAC by urea units and boost indigenous urea production in the country.
It also raises ceiling imposed on production beyond RAC during the year 2016-
17 to enable all urea unit to produce additional production which otherwise were
not able due to low Import Parity Price (IPP).
Further, Department of Fertilizers has been authorized to take appropriate
decision in consultation with Department of Expenditure to address any future

fluctuation in IPP that would have adverse impact on the production beyond RAC
by urea units.
New Urea Policy 2015
It was notified in May 2015 with the objective of maximising indigenous
urea production, promoting energy efficiency in the urea units and
rationalizing the subsidy burden on the Government.
Under it, it is mandatory for all the indigenous urea producers to neem
coat 100% of their urea production with the objective of increase
Nitrogen Use Efficiency, promote balanced use of fertilizers and prevent
diversion of urea for purpose other than agriculture.
Indias core sector growth slows to 1% in February
Indias eight core sectors slipped to an over one-year low of 1% in February
2017 compared to 3.4% in January 2016 due to a fall in output of crude oil,
natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser and cement.
The eight core sectors, which contribute 38% to the industrial output, grew 9.7%
in February a year ago.
In February 2016, crude oil output contracted 3.4%, natural gas output by 1.7%,
refinery products output fell 2.3%, fertiliser output declined 5.3%, and cement
output dropped 15.8%. But coal and steel production recorded positive growth
during the month.
The eight core industries comprise close to 37.9% of the weight of items
included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
The electricity has the maximum weight (of 10.32%) among the eight sectors
followed by Steel (6.68%), Petroleum Refinery (5.94%), Crude Oil production
(5.22 %), Coal production (4.38 %), Cement (2.41%), Natural Gas production
(1.71 %) and Fertilizer production (1.25%).
RBI to set up separate Enforcement department
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up a separate enforcement
department from April 3 to oversee possible breaches of rules and take punitive
actions against those who violate them.
The department will develop a broad policy for enforcement and initiate action
against the regulated entities for violation consistent with such policy.
It will serve as a centralised wing to deal with banks only for enforcement action.
SASEC Operational Plan 2016-25 includes nine projects worth $2.4
Billion
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a total of nine projects costing
$2.42 billion as part of the Operational Plan (OP) 2016-2025 of the South Asia
Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program.
The nine projects comprise of two rail projects in Bangladesh worth $890 million,
two economic corridor initiatives (a project and program loan) and a bridge
project in India worth an aggregate of $1.2 billion, trade facilitation and airport
projects in Bhutan worth $27 million and key SASEC road and energy projects
inNepalworth $302 million.
All these projects are aligned with the SASEC OPs thrusts of developing road
and rail links aligned closely with trade routes toward the east, streamlining
trade procedures, and improving energy infrastructure.
These projects will receive ADB financing of $1.43 billion. These nine projects
represent a significant increase compared to the previous 15 years, when the
annual average value of projects approved was only about $500 million.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Government launches Cyber Physical Systems programme
Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched Cyber Physical
Systems (CPS) programme dealing with self-driven cars, autonomous
unmanned vehicles and aircraft navigation systems.
The programme is still at a nascent stage. Rs. 3,000-crore has been has
been conceived for it and it will first take root in some of the Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs).
What is Cyber Physical Systems (CPS)?
CPS is an interdisciplinary field that deals with the deployment of
computer-based systems that do things in the physical world. For
example, self-driven cars produced by Google and Tesla.
It is a mechanism controlled or monitored by computer-based
algorithms, tightly integrated with the internet and its users.
It involves transdisciplinary approaches, merging theory of
cybernetics, design and process science and mechatronics. In it,
physical and software components are deeply intertwined, each
operating on different spatial and temporal scales.
Both exhibit multiple and distinct behavioural modalities, and interact
with each other in a myriad of ways that change with context.
Autonomous unmanned vehicles (UAVs) and aircraft navigation
systems and smart grids (where electricity is optimally distributed on
the basis of calculations in real time by micro-processors) also qualify
as CPS.
Need for CPS programme
CPS is an important technological evolutionary area that needed to
be addressed as it has potential to pose unprecedented challenges
and also stresses to Indias demographic dividend.
It can be turned into a huge opportunity by ensuring that Indias future
workforce is skilled in robotics, artificial intelligence, digital
manufacturing, big data analysis, quantum communication and IoTs.
Tree-living crab species Kani maranjadu found in Kerala
Scientists from the University of Kerala have
discovered a new species of long legged,tree-
dwellingcrabs in Western Ghats of Kerala.
This is the first report of its kind to offer a record of
anarborealcrab aspecies thatlivesintrees. The technique that has been used, namely, X-ray observations, is a new way of
The new species named Kani maranjandu after the
Kani tribe in Kerala, are substantially different from
other congeners.
The characteristic traits of the crab include the
structure of its hard upper shell, its male abdominal
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 07
structureand reproductive parts and diagnostic elongated walking legs.
Madhya Pradesh Government launches MP e-nagarpalika mobile app
Madhya Pradesh government has launched MP e-nagarpalika mobile application
to provide various municipal services online.
The app will offer 378 services like online payment of property tax, birth/ marriage/
death certificates, building permission etc. It will also register complaints related
to water, garbage, streetlights etc. It also has online payment gateway.
The mobile app was launched as part of Rs 225-crore e-nagarpalika project,
under which all municipal services will be made available online on a unified web
platform.
Grassoline may power future flights
In the quest of more sustainable energy sources, scientists have developed
grassoline a biofuel derived from grass that could one day power aircraft.
Researchers investigated methods that can disintegrate and treat grass until it
can be used as a fuel. Due to its vast abundance, grass is the perfect source of
energy.
How was it done?
To improve its biodegradability, the grass is pre-treated at first.
Thenbacteriaareaddedwhich convertthesugarsin thegrassintolactic
acidand its derivatives.
This lactic acid can serve as an intermediate chemical to produce other
compounds such as biodegradable plastics (PLA) or fuels.
The lactic acid was then converted into caproic acid, which was further
converted into decane. Decane can be used in aviation fuel.
Fungus that eats plastic may help clean environment
Scientists have identified a soil fungus, which uses enzymes to rapidly break down
plastic materials. The fungus was found in Pakistan.
Aspergillus tubingensis is a fungus, which
ordinarily lives in the soil. In laboratory trials, the
researchers found that it also grows on the surface
of plastics.
It secretes enzymes onto the surface of the plastic,
and these break the chemical bonds between the
plastic molecules, or polymers.
Using advanced microscopy and spectroscopy
techniques, the team found that the fungus also
uses the physical strength of its mycelia the network of root like filaments grown by
fungi to help break apart the polymers.
SpaceX successfully re-launches its first used Falcon 9 rocket
Elon Musk-led space exploration startup SpaceX has successfully re-launched its
pre-used first stage of Falcon 9 rocket in its bid to drive down costs and speed up
flights.
It marks the first time relaunch of an orbital class rocket.
The Falcon 9 took off from Floridas Kennedy Space Center hoisting a broadcasting
satellite.
This rocket was first used last year, when it was the first Falcon 9 rocket to
successfully land on one of SpaceXs autonomous drone ships at sea.
Scientists for first time saw eclipses of binary star shed light on orbiting
exoplanet
A team of scientists from Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, and University of
Delhi have seen for the first time indications of a massive planet orbiting a low
mass X-ray binary star system.
detecting exoplanets.
The system MXB 1658-298 is an X-ray binary and a part of the constellation
Ophiuchus (serpent bearer).
The system is nearly 30,000 light years away and the planet is expected to be
nearly 8,000 times as massive as the earth.
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 08
X-ray binaries consist of a pair of stars
orbiting each other of which one is compact
one such as a black hole or a neutron star
(in this case, a neutron star).
The neutron star draws matter from its less-
massive companion and generates X-rays
which are detected by detectors placed in
satellites in space.
This discovery is made with a new technique,
X-Ray observation by measuring periodic delays in X-ray eclipses. It is a new
technique of detecting exoplanets and observations are done from space
observatories.
In X-ray binaries, the time in-between eclipses of the source can increase,
decrease and also shows abrupt changes. But in MXB 1658-298, time between
the eclipses increases and decreases periodically.
Centre clears proposal to buy Barak missiles for Indian Navy
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Union Defence Ministry has approved
procurement of a fresh batch of Barak missiles for Naval warships to enhance
Indias maritime capability in view of the changing security dynamics in the Indian
Ocean region.
Barakmissiles are short range Surface-to-Air Missiles(SAM).
The missiles will be procured under Buy Global category from Rafael Advance
Defense Systems Limited of Israel at an approximate cost of around Rs 500
crore. Almost all ships of the navy will be equipped with these missiles.
The new batch of the missiles will replace the current ones deployed in the Indian
Navy which have completed their shelf life.
Israeli-built Barak short-range SAMs are installed on most of the front-line
warships of the India Navy, including the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
DAC also cleared proposal for
procurement of expendable
Bathy thermograph systems
for Indian Navy to detect
temperature changes under
water. The procurement will be
through the foreign military
sales route from the US.
It also approved procurement
of equipment to counter mines
in the sea, a repeat order worth Rs. 311 crore.
About DAC: The DAC is Defence Ministrys highest decision making body for
capital acquisition proposals forwarded by the Indian armed forces. It was set up
in 2001 as part of the post-Kargil reforms in defence sector It approves the long-
term integrated perspective plan for the forces, accords acceptance of necessity
(AON) to begin acquisition proposals, and grants its approval to all major deals
through all their important phases.
Antibiotic resistance: Superbugs can be killed by modifying existing
drugs, scientists discover
Scientists from the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University in the UK
have new way of removing antibodies from the blood stream.
This method has potential to reduce chronic infections that may help humans in
the fight against drug resistant superbugs.
Scientists had used a process known as plasmapheresis that is somewhat like
kidney dialysis. It involved the removal, treatment, and return of blood plasma
from circulation.
It was done five times in a week in order to remove antibody from two patients with
bronchiectasis who had suffered with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infections resistant to many antibiotics.
Using this process, scientists replaced antibodies in these patients with those
from blood donations. This treatment restored ability for the patients blood to kill
their infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.
Antim icrobial resistance (AMR) or superbugs: Antimicrobial resistance happens
when microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites change
when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs. These microorganisms are also
termed as superbugs. As a result, the medicines or drugs become ineffective
and infections persist in the body futher increasing the risk of spread to others.
SPORTS
Sports Ministry approves appointment of Foreign Coaches in Athletics
Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel has approved appointment of two foreign coaches
and two support staff for athletics.
They are Dave Smith, Galina P. Bukharina, Dmitry Kislev and Elmira Kisleva who
have been made upto 2020 Olympics and they will be subject to performance
review annually.
These appointments were recommended by the Foreign Coach Selection
committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Sports.
PV Sindhu reaches career-best World No.2 ranking
Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu (21) jumped three places to achieve a
career-best world number two ranking in the latest Badminton World Federation
(BW F) rankings by earning 75759 points.
With this, she became only the second Indian woman after Saina Nehwal to break
into the top-five of the world rankings.
Sindhu recently had won the India Open title after defeating Carolina Marin of
Spain.
Saina Nehwal was placed at ninth position in the ranking table with 64279 points.
None of the male Indian shuttler figured in the top-10 list.
PV Sindhu wins India Super Series tournament
Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu won the India Open Super Series title in
womens single category.
In the final match, she defeated Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain by
21-19, 21-16 score.
Denmarks Viktor Axelsen had won mens singles title of the tournament after
defeating Chinese Taipeis Tien Chen Chou by 21-13, 21-10 score.
Virat Kohli honoured as Wisdens Leading Cricketer in the World
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli was honoured as the Wisdens Leading
Cricketer in the World for the year 2016.
Besides, he already has been declared W isden India Almanacks Cricketer of the
Year for the second time in its 2017 edition.
Apart from him, Ellyse Perry from Australia was named for Wisden Leading Woman
Cricketer in the World for 2016.
The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World is an annual cricket award selected by
Wisden Cricketers Almanack.
Tamil Nadu wins Deodhar Trophy
Tamil Nadu won the Deodhar Trophy by defeating Parthiv Patel-led India B by 42
runs in the match held at Vizag. With this win, Tamil Nadu became the first state
side to win the three-team one-day tournament.
It makes Tamil Nadu first to win all major domestic crowns such as Ranji Trophy,
Vijay Hazare, Irani and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The Deodhar Trophy is a List A cricket competition in Indian domestic cricket. It is
named after Prof. D. B. Deodhar (known as the Grand Old Man of Indian cricket).
IMPORTANT DAYS / DATES / EVENTS
April 7: World Health Day
The World Health Day (WHD) is observed every year on 7 April to mark the
anniversary of the founding of the W orld Health Organization (WHO).
2017 them e: Depression: Lets talk.
The day focuses on disseminating knowledge and awareness about human health,
increasing life expectancy by adding good health to the lives of people and promoting
healthier living habits across the globe.
The day also provides with a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific
health topic of concern to people all over the world.
It seeks to encourage people to come forward for treatment. Under it, WHO will be
leading a one-year global campaign on depression which is the leading cause of
ill health and disability worldwide.
The goal of the campaign is that people with depression get help.
National Childrens Film Festival held in Vishakhapatnam
The National Childrens Film Festival was held in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
It was the largest film festival for children in the country that gave the audience
quality and wholesome entertainment.
The aim of the 3-day film festival was to expose children to quality cinema and to
introduce novel elements beyond films.
The event was held at VUDA Childrens Theatre and was jointly organized by
Childrens Film Society of India and Andhra Pradesh government.
April 6: International Day of Sports for Development and Peace
The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed
every year on April 6 to recognize the power of sport in promoting peace and its
ability to inspire.
To celebrate this day, United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace
(UNOSDP) has launched digital campaign #WePlayTogether.
The campaign seeks to encourage organizations and individuals who support or
carry out sport for development and peace activities to partake in the
commemoration of the IDSDP.
Assam Government conducts Gunotsav programme
Assam government had conducted four-day long Gunotsav programme to improve
quality of school education in the state.
The quality improvement programme covered over 9 lakh students of 12320 primary
schools in Chirang, Barpeta, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Hailakandi, Kamrup (Metro),
Morigaon and West Karbi Anglong districts of the state.
In it, external evaluators were deputed to the schools for conducting external
evaluation of students to gauge and assess the quality of learning and teachers
and students.
It should be noted that, Gunotsav originally was Gujarat governments initiative
which has been adopted by Assam government.
2017 National conference on Communicating India held in New Delhi
The 2017 National conference on Communicating India was held in New Delhi.
It was organized by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in collaboration
with the India Media Centre, University of W estminster, London, Nehru Memorial
Museum and Library and Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with the
association of Prasar Bharati.
The three main themes of the conference were Telling Indias story to the world,
Communicating via Journalism and Dialogue with Diaspora.
African Development Bank to hold 52nd annual meet in Gujarat
India is hosting 52ndannual meeting of the African Development Bank in

Ahmedabad.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is a multilateral development finance
institution established to contribute to the economic development and social
progress of African countries.
The ADBs mission is to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent
through promoting the investment of public and private capital in projects and
programsthat arelikely tocontribute tothe economicand socialdevelopment of
the region.
India joined the African Development Bank in 1982. The country is a key member of
the institutions 24 Non-Regional Member Countries, which support the African
Development Fund (ADF), the concessional resource window of the Bank.
5 days 19th commonwealth forestry conference to held
The 19th Commonwealth Forestry Conference was held at Forest Research
Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
This is for the second time India hosted the conference after it was hosted for first
time in 1968.
Scientists and experts from 49 member countries of the Commonwealth had
participated in it.
They focused issues on biodiversity conservation and management, livelihood
and economic security from forests, diversification, multiple uses and sustainable
harvest, forest and climate change.
They also shared their ideas and researches on Forests for Prosperity and
Posterity in consonance with Aichi targets of the UN Convention on Conservation
of Biological Diversity (UNC-CBD) and Sustainable Development Goals.
April 5: National Maritime Day
Every year 5th April is being observed as National Maritime Day of India.
2017 was the 54th edition of National Maritime Day.
Theme: Connecting India through Shipping.
Significance of the day: On this day in 1919 navigation history was created when
SS Loyalty, the first ship of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, journeyed to
the United Kingdom. It was a crucial step for India shipping history when sea
routes were controlled by the British.
It should be noted that the World Maritime Day (WMD) is observed on September
29 to highlight the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine
environment.
April 4: International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine
Action
The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed
every year on April 4 to highlight the deadly threat that mines pose to civilians lives
and nations development.
The theme of this year was Needs driven. People Centred.
The day was constituted by United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) by passing
resolution in December 2005.
April 2: World Autism Awareness
The World autism Awareness Day is observed every year on 2 April across the
world to raise awareness about autism and problems faced by people suffering
from it.
It is ninth annual World Autism Awareness Day.
The theme for year 2017 is Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination.
In India, the National Trust, a statutory body under Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, had organised a National Conference on Autism in New Delhi.
AWARDS / ACHIEVEMENTS
President Pranab Mukherjee has posthumously conferred Kirti Chakra, the second
highest peacetime gallantry award on Lance Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar
of Gorkha Rifles. The late Lance Havildar had eliminated four terrorists during an
operation in Jammu and Kashmir in June 2016. President also presented 13
Shaurya Chakras, of which four were posthumous and 45 Distinguished Service
medals that included 15 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 2 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals
and 28 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals.
General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was conferred with honorary
rank of general of Nepal Army. The title was conferred by Nepalese President
Bidhya Devi Bhandari during a special function at the Presidents Office. India and
Nepal have a long tradition of conferring such honorary titles on the chiefs of their
armies since 1950 to signify the close military-to-military ties.
Renowned playback singer, actor and music director S.P. Bala Subramanyam was
awarded the NTR National Film Award for 2012. Besides, Hindi film actress Hema
Malini was awarded the same award for the year 2013. The NTR National Award is
an annual award that recognizes individuals for their lifetime achievements and
contributions to the Cinema of India. It is an honorary Nandi Award in the honour of
film Actor, director, producer, and politician (late) N.T. Rama Rao who also had
served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. It carries a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh
and a citation.
American singer and song writer Bob Dylan has finally accepted 2016 Nobel Prize
for literature since December 2016 awards ceremony. He is the first song writer to
win this prestigious award. He was awarded for creating new poetic expressions
within the great American song tradition. He is first American to win the prize since
novelist Toni Morrison in 1993.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was selected for the US
India Business Council Award of Transformative Chief Minister. He will receive
the award at the second annual West Coast Summit to be held in Menlo Park,
California in May 2017. Electronics and IT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan was also
selected Transformative Leadership Award.
Dawit Isaak, an imprisoned Eritrean-Swedish journalist was awarded the 2017
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. He will be bestowed with
this prestigious award in recognition of his courage, resistance and commitment
to freedom of expression. He will be awarded on World Press Freedom Day (3 May
2017).
Afingerprintpainting,createdby agroupofIndian doctorsasasymbolic Senior IPS Officer Geeta Johari was appointed as new Director General of Police
representation to end frequent attacks against the fraternity, has found place in the
Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds largest such artwork. Titled Ray
of Hope, measuring 469.75 m, the painting was made up of 15 lakh finger
impressions of doctors from different parts of the country, collected over a period of
four months. The record title is in the name of Dr Naveen Koval, an assistant
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 09
professor of Pediatrics at Kannur Medical College, Kerala, who conceptualised
the work and Indian medical association.
64th National Film Awards
The 64th National Film Awards for year 2016 were announced on 07 April 2017.
The 64th National Film Awards in the various categories are as follows
Best Feature Film: Kasaav (Marathi).
Non-Feature Film : Fireflies in the Abyss.
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Sathamanam Bhavathi
Best Direction: Rajesh (Ventilator)
Best Actor: Akhay Kumar (Rustom)
Best Actress: Surabhi Lakshmi (Minnaminungu)
Best Supporting Actress: Zaira Wasim (Dangal)
Best Child Artist: Adhish Praveen (Kunju Daivam), Saj (Noor Islam), Manohara
(Railway Children)
Best stunt choreography: Peter Hein (Pulimurugan)
Best Childrens Film: Dhanak (Hindi)
Best Film on social issue: Pink
Best Male Playback Singer: Sundara Iyer (Joker)
Best Fem ale Playback Singer: Thume jaake
Best Screenplay (original): Syam Pushkaran (Maheshinte Prathikaram)
Best Screenplay (adapted): Sanjay Krishnaji patel (Dashakriya)
Best Editing: Rameshwar Ventilator
Sound designer: Jayadevan (Kaadu Pookunna Neram)
Best production design: 24
Best Costume Designer: Sachin (Marathi film)
Best Environmental film including agriculture: The Tiger who crossed the line
Best Make-up Artist: MK Ramakrishna
Best Music Direction: Babu Padmanabha (Kannada Lama)
Special Mention: Kadvi Hawa (Hindi), Mukthi Bhavan (Hindi), Majirathi Keki
(Assamese), Sonam Kapoor (Neerja).
Special Jury award: Mohanlal( Pulimurugan), Janatha Garage and Munthirivallikal
Thalirkkumbol.
Best feature films in regional languages: Madipur (Tulu), Joker (Tamil), Wrongside
Raju (Gujarati), Pelli Chupulu (Telugu), Dashakriya (Marathi), Bisarjan
(Bengali), Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam), Ke Sara Sara (Konkini),
Reservation (Kannada) and Neerja (Hindi).
About National Film Awards:
The National Film Awards are most prominent film award ceremonies in
India.
It was established in 1954. Since then awarded annually.
Winners in different categories of these awards are selected by the national
panel of Juries appointed by Union Government.
These awards are presented by the President of India in the official
ceremony.
PERSONS IN NEWS
Japanese engineer, Roland founder and pioneer of digital music Ikutaro Kakehashi
passed away in Japan. He was 87. He was best known for founding Roland
Corporation in 1972 as well as his roles in the development of Roland drum
machines and MIDI standard (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). He also had
invented a series of drum machines and synthesizers.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Malvika Sinha as new Executive
Director (ED) following the appointment of B P Kanungo as Deputy Governor. In her
new role, she will look after foreign exchange department, internal debt
management wing and department of government and bank accounts.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Quatrro Raman Roy was appointed as
the new chairman of the National Association of Software and Services Companies
(NASSCOM) for the year 2017-18. He succeeded CP Gurnani, MD & CEO of Tech
Mahindra. Roy is considered one of the poster boys of the Indian business process
outsourcing (BPO) industry. Apart from him, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and
member of the Board in Wipro Ltd Rishad Premji was appointed as the Vice
Chairman of NASSCOM for 2017-18.
Noted author and filmmaker Ajey Jhankar passed away. He was 67. He was known
for his novels such as Sarkarnama and Drohpar. The movie Singularity by
filmmakar Roland Joffe was based on his novel Drohparv. He was the co- He was
also known for his marketing venture Market Missionaries.
The Union Government has appointed Girish Shankar, Secretary of the Department
of Heavy Industry as chairman of newly constituted National Board of Electric Mobility
(NBEM). NBEM aims to promote electric mobility and manufacturing of electric (&
hybrid) vehicles and their components.
Justice Pradeep Nandrajog was sworn in as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High
Court. He was administered oath of Office by Governor Kalyan Singh at Raj Bhawan
in Jaipur.
Vanaja N. Sarna was appointed the new chairman of the Central Board of Excise
and Customs (CBEC). She succeeded Najib Shah. CBEC is the nodal government
agency on Indirect Taxes responsible for administering Customs, Central Excise,
Service Tax and Narcotics in India. Currently it operates and functions under the
aegis of the Department of Revenue of Union Ministry of Finance.
Sunaina Singh was appointed the new vice chancellor of Nalanda University (NU).
Currently, she is vice chancellor of the English and Foreign Language University
(EFLU), Hyderabad. Dr.Vijay Bhatka, father of Indias first supercomputer and
acclaimed scientist, is the Chancellor of the university.
James Rosenquist, a leading pioneer of Pop Art passed away in New York. He was
83. He was known for appropriating industrial painting methods to cultivate his
bold, graphic style. He had transitioned from a commercial sign-painter to a fine
artist.
Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow flag as a symbol for the LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender) community passed away in Kansas, US. He had created
the eight-colour flag in 1978 for New Yorks gay freedom day, which is now the
modern pride parade. The eights colours in the flag are Pink (represented sexuality),
red (symbolised life, orange symbolised healing), yellow (signified sunlight), green
(represented nature), turquoise (symbolised art), indigo (represented harmony)
and violent (represented human spirit).
(DGP) of Gujarat. With this, she became first woman IPS officer to be appointed as
DGP of the state. She will replace P.P. Pandey acting DGP of the state.
Prof. David R. Syiemlieh took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Chairman of the
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He was administered oath by Vinay
 Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 10
Mittal, the senior most Member of the Commission as per clause (1) of Article 316 because of unsustainable farming practices and inadequate industrial controls
of the Constitution. that have led to widespread soil erosion and the almost total destruction of its
BP Kanungo took over as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) forests.
in Mumbai. He was appointed by Government in March 2017 for a period of three The Odisha government is pushing for massive infrastructure improvement around
years. theChilikalagoon.IPEGlobal,whichhasbeenaskedtoprepareatourismmaster
Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passed away. She was plan for the Chilika Lake and its catchment area, with emphasis on preservation
84. She was recognised as one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition of the ecosystem and natural habitat, has proposed 10 key projects with an
and as an innovative exponent of the Jaipur gharana. estimated investment of 757 crore.
K Prithika Yashini became Indias first-ever transgender person to become a police China has asked India to exercise restraint on its plan to link the strategic border
official, after she took charge as sub-inspector in Dharmapuri district in Tamil district of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh with a railway network, saying any unilateral
Nadu. Her appointment was made as per the Madras High Court order delivered in action might complicate the unresolved border issue.
November 2015. Jammu & Kashmir Government has banned the usage of polythene bags below
Rajiv Kumar Chander was appointed as Indias new Ambassador and permanent 50 microns in the state. It also made mandatory to have name, registration number
representative of India to the United Nations (UN) Offices in Geneva. He will succeed of the manufacturer and thickness of the material printed on bag in English. Violator
Ajit Kumar. At present, Chander is the consul general of India in Vancouver. will be liable for punishment up to one month in jail or fine of Rs 5000 or both. The
Ecuadorean leftist Lenin Moreno has won 2017 Presidential election after a tight new guidelines and regulations will facilitate proper recycling of plastic waste,
contest with his right-wing opponent. Moreno won 51.16% of valid votes versus reducing its impact on ecology.
48.84% for conservative challenger Guillermo Lasso, with 99.65% of votes counted. North Korea has fired a ballistic missile from its east coast into the sea off the
IDBI has appointed Mahesh Kumar Jain as the Managing Director & CEO with Peninsula from Sinpo, a port city and submarine base. The missile was launched
immediate effect. Before his role in IDBI, Jain was the Managing Director & Chief at a high angle and reached an altitude of 189 km and flew about 60 kilometres.
Executive Officer of Indian Bank. Its launch comes ahead of a summit between US and Chinese leaders who are
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has worn many hats over the set to discuss North Koreas arms program.
years, worn another feather in his cap today. The Captain Cool has been appointed The Comptroller and Auditor General of India will audit the UN Secretariat in New
as the CEO of Gulf Oil India for a day. The former Indian captain was named as the York, a job which till now was the exclusive domain of developed countries. The CAG
brand ambassador of Gulf Oil back in 2011 and since then has shared a good is the external auditor of several UN organisations and Indias Shashi Kant Sharma
bond with it. is the Chairman of the UN Board of Auditors.
Padayanifestivalwas recentlycelebrated inKerala. Padayani is atraditionalfolk
BULLETIN BOARD danceandaritualartfromthecentralportionoftheIndianstateofKerala.A
ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ordered Mukesh Ambani-led temples. The dance is performed in honor of Bhadrakaali.
Reliance Jio Infocomm to withdraw its complimentary Jio Summer Surprise that The famous Berhampur Thakurani Yatra, one of the biggest festivals of southern
offered 3 months of free services to a user who paid an initial fee. TRAIs order Odisha, has been celebrated with pomp and gaiety. The biannual extravaganza is
comes amid increasing pressure on it from incumbent telcos and the telecom the festival of the weaving community, known as Devangiris, and organised by P
department over the Jios two promotions Welcome Offer and Happy New Year. Durga Prasad Desibehera, whose family has been conducting the festival for
These offers were cleared earlier by the TRAI but had led to a rate war, which had generations.
badly affected telecom industrys finances, leading to a sharp fall in government India has become part of IEA Association that will allow the country play a more
revenue. visible and influential role in the global energy landscape. This does not cast
North India will soon get its first DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) bank for wildlife at the any additional obligation on India, however, gives an opportunity for the country to
Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. In this regard, become the voice of the developing countries.
scientists at IVRI in Bareilly are in the process of collecting the DNA samples of all India was ranked third for the third year in a row in a doping violation report published
kinds of wildlife to set up the bank. It is expected to help in wildlife research and by the W orld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for 2015. WADA is global Non-
also bring down poaching. Governmental Organisation (NGO) that aims at harmonizing anti-doping
Google has rolled out the beta version of its new YouTube Go application in India. regulations in all sports and countries. It is collective initiative led by the Internation.
The application promises to give a better experience of watching videos on a
slower network. It has been designed to be offline first and to improve the experience
of watching videos on a slower network. Users can also keep a tab on data used TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
for streaming or saving videos. It can be downloaded on the Google Play Store in
1)Whom has Verizon Communications c.Bothoftheabove
India. d.Noneoftheabove
appointed to lead its network and
The Union Cabinet has approved closure of the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha technology team?
Yojana (MGPSY) which was set up in 2012 to address the social security-related a.HansVestbergb.HansNorberg 12) Which Indian woman cricketer won the
issues of the Emigration Check Required (ECR)-category workers going abroad c.HansGoldbergd.Noneoftheabove Sydney Thunder Women Player of the
for employment to ECR countries. The subscription under the MGPSY was very Year Award?
low and no new subscription was received for more than a year. Closure of the 2) Which diseases have scientists a.HarmanpreetKaur
scheme will, therefore, obviate the avoidable recurring administrative and record- developed a metabolic calculator for? b.MithaliRaj
a.Heartdisease b.Diabetes c.HarmanpreetRaj
keeping expenditure.
c.Bothoftheabove d.Neitheroftheabove d.MithaliKaur
Micro blogging site Twitter had rolled out Twitter Lite, a data friendly version of the
platform in India. Twitter Lite will use up to 70% less data than the standard version 3) Which company declared TCS as the 13) Which tiger reserve in India became
and load 30% faster on slow or unreliable networks and take up less space on US partner of the year in the the first to introduce a mascot?
devices. It will provide the key features of Twitter such as your timeline, Tweets, commercial category? a.Kanha b.Gir
Direct Messages, trends, profiles, media uploads, notifications, and more. a.RedHatb.DiscoveryEducation c.Mundanthuraid.Ranthambore
Haryana Government has decided to provide one-time grant of Rs 21,000 to all c.WhiteHat d.BlackHat
those families whose third girl child was born on or after August 24, 2015 under the 14) Which two mobile apps have been
Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti scheme. Under the scheme, the eligible families will 4) Which space company launched and launched to regulate road traffic?
retrieved its first recycled rocket on a.Echallan,mVatavaran
receive the amount irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, income and number b.Echallan,mParivahan
30th March 2017?
of sons. Its purpose is to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio and a.SpaceXb.Tesla c.Echallan,mMobile
promote girls education in the state. c.Falcon9d.Noneoftheabove d.Noneoftheabove
The board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cleared a proposal to introduce
banknotes of Rs200 denomination. The decision was taken at the RBI board 5) Who created the rainbow flag, a 15) Who has been honoured with the USIBC
meeting held in Mumbai in March 2017. The process of printing the new Rs 200 symbol of gay pride? Transformative CM award?
notes is likely to begin after June 2017 once the government officially approves the a.GilbertBakerb.GilbertJones a.ManoharParrikar
c.GilbertSmithd.CleveJones b.ChandrababuNaidu
new denomination.
c.Cpt.AmarinderSingh
Internet Service Provider (ISP) Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) Fibernet d.YogiAdityanath
6) US FDA has approved which drug for
has announced the launch of 1Gbps (gigabits per second) wired broadband internet relapsing MS patients and PPMS?
services in Hyderabad, making the City of Pearls Indias first Giga City. The a.Ocrevus 16) Which of the following is/are the new
ACT Fibrenet uses fiber optic technology and its 1 Gbps offers 400 times faster b.Ocrelizumab scheme(s) launched for the powerloom
internet speed than the average speed of 2.5 megabits per second (mbps) in c.Bothaandbarethesame sector?
India. d.Noneoftheabove a.PradhanMantriCreditSchemefor
The Supreme Court has ordered State governments to consider issuing a powerloom weavers
7) Which state has declared cow b.Solar energyscheme forpowerlooms
notification under the Right to Education law, declaring children living with/affected
slaughter punishable with a 14 year c.Boththeabove
by HIV as a disadvantaged group deserving additional rights to help them gain d.Noneoftheabove
jail term?
free and compulsory education, a fundamental right under the Constitution. a.Gujarat b.Rajasthan
The second unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu has c.Haryanad.MP 17) Which Ministry launched a supply of BS-
started commercial generation of power. It had attained its full power generation IV grade fuel in 12 towns?
capacity of 1000 Megawatt in January 2017. Tamil Nadu is expected to get 562MW 8) Who has been appointed the new a.UnionPetroleumandNaturalGas
from second unit also. The nuclear power generation has gone up to 6,780MW in CBEC chairman? b.MOEF
the country with power generation in the second unit. The 1000MW KNPP is built a.VanajaN.Sarna b.NavtejSarna c.MSMEMinistry
c.NajibShah d.Noneoftheabove d.Noneoftheabove
with Russian expertise.
The Union Defence Ministry has allowed Arunachal Pradesh government to use 18) Which is the worlds largest hackathon?
9) Who has been appointed the new
the functional Advance Landing Grounds (ALGs) in the state for civilian purpose. Nalanda University VC? a.SmartIndiaHackathon
The Ziro, Mechuka, Walong, Aalo, Pasighat and Tuting ALGs across the state have a.SunainaMehtab.SunainaSingh b.SmartAsiaHackathon
been developed by the Defence Ministry and are under the direct control of the c.SunainaSinhad.Noneoftheabove c.SmartAmericaHackathon
Indian Air Force (IAF). d.Noneoftheabove
State-run National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has crossed the 10) Which country is set to prohibit mining
milestone of 50 Gigawatts power generation capacity. It achieved this feat after for gold and other metals? 19) Which nations armed forces on April 1,
commissioning of 500 Megawatts unit at Unchahar in Uttar Pradesh, increasing a.SouthAfricab.ElSalvador 2017 launched a cyber command with
c.Canada d.US status of army, air force and navy?
the total installed capacity of NTPC to 50,498. It is Indias largest power generator. a.Germanyb.France
El Salvador has made history after becoming the first country in the world to ban 11) Who has been named Asian Player of c.Britaind.Scotland
metal mining.El Salvador is the most densely populated country in Latin the Year 2016 by AHF?
Americaand, while rainfall is plentiful, holding onto the water is a major issue a.SVSunil 20) What amount of grant-in-aid has the GoI
b.HarmanpreetSingh approved for agro economic research

centres and units beyond this fiscal?
a.INR35croreb.INR15crore
c.INR25crored.INR10crore 39) What are x-ray binaries?
21) What is the record amount GoI has raised
through disinvestment?
a.INR46,237croreb.INR46,247crore
c.INR46,457crored.Noneoftheabove
22) How much has the limit for investment
in FPIs in central government securities
risen by?
a.INR110billionb.INR60billion Nellore called?
c.INR170billiond.INR120billion a.Rashtriya VayoshriYojana
23) Where did the Israel Security Cabinet
approve a new settlement?
a.WestBankb.GazaStrip
c.Palestineterritory d.Bothaandc 41) Which country has refused to allow
e.Alltheabove
24) What low did growth of 8 core sectors of
the country slip to in Feb 2017?
a. 1% b.2%
c.3% d.4%
25) Which state run PSU crossed a power
generation capacity milestone of 50 GW?
a.NALCO b.BALCO
c.NTPC d.Noneoftheabove
26) Which department will RBI open from
April 3 to oversee breaches of rules
and their violation?
a.Enforcementdepartment
b.GrievancesRedressaldepartment
c.Socialwelfaredepartment
d.Financiallawsdepartment
27) What amount of ODA has Japan offered
to India in this fiscal?
a.INR21,590croreb.INR23,590crore
c.INR22,590crored.Noneoftheabove
28) Where has the Union Minister for
Agriculture and Farmers welfare
launched an ICFMD?
a.Arugul,Odisha
b.Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
c.Cuttack,Odisha
d.Noneoftheabove
29) Where has BHEL commissioned an 800
MW supercritical thermal power plant?
a.Raichur,Karnataka b.Raipur,MP
c.Ranchi,Jharkhandd.Noneoftheabove
30) Which Railways has declared rail routes
in Rajasthan as Green Corridors?
a.Northernrailways
b.Westernrailways
c.North western railway
d.Centralrailway
31) Who has authored Indian Railway- The
Weaving of a National Tapestry?
a.BibekDebroy
b.SanjayChadha
c.VidyaKrishnamurthy
d.Alloftheabove
32) Which states CM announced a scheme
of Unnat Jeevan(UJALA) for distribution
of LED lights?
a.HP b.UP
c.MP d.AP
33) Who has been appointed the CMD of
NBHC?
a.ManinderSinghJuneja
b.MajinderSinghJuneja
c.MahinderSinghJuneja
d.ManvinderSinghJuneja
34) Who has been appointed chairperson of
BRICS Business Council?
a.IqbalAli b.IqbalGhate
c.IqbalSurve d.Noneoftheabove
35) Who has been appointed the
Ambassador and Permanent
representative of India to UN in Geneva?
a.RajivKumarChander b.AjitDoval
c.SyedAkbaruddin d.AjitKumar
36) Which fundamental conventions of ILO
have been approved for ratification by
the Union Cabinet?
a.MinimumAgeConvention
b.Convention138and182
c.WorstFormsofChildLabourConvention
d.Alloftheabove
37) Who is the second lady judge to become
CJI of Madras HC?
a.IndiraBanerjee
b.KantaKumarBhatnagar
c.ShamitaDas
d.Noneoftheabove
38) Who is the 7th member to join SASEC in
April 2017?
a.Bhutan b.Myanmar
Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 11
c.Bangladesh d.Sri Lanka 57) Who resigned from micro-blogging Rural Livelihood Mission
website Twitter on April 4, 2017,
marking an exodus of top execs? 77) What was the theme of 2 nd NPDR?
a.Pairofstars orbitingeachother a.AlizaKnox b.Karen Stocks a.MainstreamingDRRinDevelopment:From
b.Blackholeorneutronstarsorbitingless c.ParminderSinghd.Alloftheabove Risk to Resilience.
compact stars b.DisasterRiskReductionforSustainable
c.Pairofplanetsorbitingeachother 58) Which of the following is a US based Development: Making India Resilient by
d.Bothaandb micro investing app? 2030'
e.Noneoftheabove a.Acorns b.Apples c.ReducingDisaster:PartneringTechnology
c.Almonds d.Noneoftheabove d.Noneoftheabove
40) What is the scheme for aids to senior
citizens in BPL families launched in 59) Which professional services company 78) Which river saw a 4 lane bridge and a
acquired UK based Genfour on April 4, multi modal terminals foundation
2017? stone laid in April 2017?
b.RashtriyaAvishkarYojana a.Symantec b.Infosys a.Ganga b.Kaveri
c.RashtriyaKalyanYojana c.Vodafoned.Noneoftheabove c.Mahanadi d.Godavari
d.RashtriyaJanYojana
60) Which of the following is true about the 79) Which element has been used to make
National Investment and Infrastructure a sieve to separate salt from sea water?
foreign professionals in the IT sector Fund? a.Graphene b.Carbon
based on Economic Needs Test? a.Itwasformedin2015 c.Hydrogen d.Helium
a.US b.Australia b.Itfinancesbrownfieldprojects
c.Singapore d.UK c.Itfinancesgreenfieldprojects 80) Which date was declared International
d.Alloftheabove Day of Sport for Development and Peace
42) Which renowned Hindustani vocalist of in 2013?
the Jaipur gharana received the Padma 61) Which state became first state to a.April5 b.April6
Vibhushan in 2002? introduce sending food through post to c.April7 d.April8
a.KishoriAmonkarb.LataMangeshkar PVTGs? 81) What is the value of the reverse repo
c.AshaBhonsle d.Alka Yagnik a.Jharkhand b.Chhattisgarh rate, as per the first RBI bimonthly
c.HimachalPradesh d.Gujarat policy review of 2017-2018?
43) Which business group is selling its BPO a.5.75% b.5.25%
firm Aegis to Capital Square Partners? 62) Which country was third in the number c.6% d.6.25%
a.EssarGroupb.TATAGroup of doping cases according to WADA?
c.BirlaGroup d.GodrejGroup a.Russia b.Pakistan 82) Which telecom major terminated its vice
c.India d.China president and head of alliances Pallab
44) Which country passed a law allowing Mitra for violation of conduct code?
military courts to try civilians? 63) When is National Maritime Day of India a.Vodafone b.Airtel
a.Bahrain b.Syria celebrated? c.RelianceJio d.Rcom
c.Dubaid.Noneoftheabove a.April3 b.April 4
c.April5 d.April 6 83) Who has been appointed RBI ED w.e.f
45) What type of fungus will scientists use April 3, 2017?
to break down plastic materials? 64) Who is a member of NBEM, among a.MalvikaSanghvib.MalvikaSinha
a.Waterfungusb.Airfungus these? c.MalvikaSen d.Noneoftheabove
c.Soilfungusd.Bothbandc a.PawanGoenkab.SudarshanVenu
e.Alltheabove c.VikramKirloskard.Alloftheabove 84) Who is Leading Cricketer of the World
2016 according to Wisden?
46) What is the biofuel derived from grass 65) Which district became the 22nd addition a.ViratKohli b.MSDhoni
called? to West Bengals existing ones? c.SteveWaugh d.IrfanPathan
a.Grassofill b.Grassoline a.Midnapore b.Jhargram
c.Grassofield d.Grassofuel c.Alipore d.Noneoftheabove 85) Amrita University TBI and CCSN have set
up Indias first startup hub for?
47) Which is the first private carrier to use 66) Who has been appointed RBI ED w.e.f a.Cybersecurityb.Onlineoperations
UPI for tickets online? April 3, 2017? c.eCommerced.Mobilebanking
a.SpiceJet b.Jet Airways a.MalvikaSanghvib.MalvikaSinha
c.Indigo d.Go Air c.MalvikaSen d.Noneoftheabove 86) Which department will RBI open from
April 3 to oversee breaches of rules
48) How many member countries are there 67) Who has won the AM Turing Award in and their violation?
in the Commonwealth? 2017? a.Enforcementdepartment
a.35 b.39 a.SteveJobs b.AlanGreenspan b.GrievancesRedressaldepartment
c.37 d.36 c.TimBernersLeed.LinusTorvald c.Socialwelfaredepartment
d.Financiallawsdepartment
49) What value has Indias forest cover 68) An independent regulatory agency for
grown by in the past 30 years, according ______ has been approved by cabinet. 87) India is working with how many
to MoEF? a.Railwaytariffs b.Railwaysafety countries for information exchange on
a.1.81% b.1.82% c.Railwayupgradationd.Railwaysecurity cybercrimes and bilateral cooperation?
c.1.83% d.1.84% a.15 b.16
69) Germany has passed a law to ban c.17 d.18
50) Which state govt on April 3 imposed _________ in April 2017?
blanket ban on polythene below 50 a.Polygamy b.Bigamy 88) Who has been appointed CMD of IDBI on
microns? c.Childmarriage d.Bothaandb April 6, 2017?
a.HP b.Uttarakhand e.Alltheabove a.MelwynOswaldb.PSJayakumar
c.J&K d.Noneoftheabove c.ShikhaSwarupd.Noneoftheabove
70) Which country has floated a nuclear
51) Who was chosen to receive the UNESCO powered multipurpose attack 89) Who has been appointed part time
Freedom Prize on March 30, 2017? submarine Kazan? chairman of Catholic Syrian Bank?
a.DawitIsaakb.BarbaraWalters a.Siberia b.Czechoslovakia a.TSAnantharamanb.TSSubramaniam
c.BobWoodwardd.ChristianeAmanpour c.Russia d.Germany c.TSAnantdev d.Noneoftheabove
52) What does FAME stand for? 71) Who has been appointed the IT industry 90) Which new species of tree dwelling
a.FasterAdoptionandManufacturingof body NASSCOMs Chairman for 2017- crabs have been discovered in Keralas
Hybrid and Electric vehicles 2018? Western Ghats?
b.FasterAdaptationandManufacturingof a.RishadPremjib.RamanRoy a.Kanimaranjandu b.Kalinaranjandu
Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India c.CPGurnani d.Noneoftheabove c.Kalimaranjandu d.Kanimarinjandu
c.FastAdoptionandManufacturingofHybrid
and Electric vehicles in India 72) What is the name of the app launched by 91) NASSCOM has said Indias internet base
d.FasterAdoptionandManufacturingof IIITM-K to track data on flora and fauna? will touch which figure by 2020?
Hydroelectric and Electric vehicles in India a.BIOTA b.IOTA a.720million b.730million
c.BIOAPP d.BIOTECH c.740million d.750million
53) What is Aadhaar going to be used for?
a.Biometric accesstoflyers atairports 73) Which country has launched a new 92) Ratan P Watal is heading a panel to
b.RailIDfortrainjourneys military unit for thwarting cyberattacks? propose promotion of ________.
c.IDforsocial welfare schemes a.Germany b.France a.Cashlesstransactions
d.IDforbanking c.Spain d.Italy b.Onlinetransactions
c.Electronictransactions
54) What marks the start of spring in Tokyo, 74) Which INS is deployed for joint EEZ d.Alloftheabove
Japan? surveillance of Mauritius?
a.Flowering ofsakurablossoms a.INSKaveri b.INSShardul 93) Who replaced R. Gandhi as Deputy
b.Cherryblossomsblooming c.INSVikrant d.Noneoftheabove Governor of RBI?
c.Bothaandbarethesame a.BPKanungo b.SSMundra
d.Productionof cottoncrop 75) What does GARV stand for? c.ViralVAcharyad.Noneoftheabove
a.GrameenVidyutikaram
55) Which plant have BARC scientists b.GramVidyutikaran 94) After a TV channel and website, what
discovered anti-cancer medicines c.GaonVidyutikaran other initiative has been launched to
from? d.Noneoftheabove promote cashless payments?
a.Tulsi b.Neem a.TollfreeHelpline
c.Papaya d.Rampatri 76) What does DAY-NRLM stand for? b.Nationwide SMS service
a.DeenDayalAntyodayaYojanaNational c.Bothoftheabove
56) Which company purchased Bernecker + Urban Livelihood Mission d.Neitheroftheabove
Rainer Industrie-Elektronik, a Swiss b.DeviDayalAntyodayaYojanaNational
major on April 4, 2017? Urban Livelihood Mission 95) Who has been appointed as director on
a.Siemens b.ABB c.DeviDayalAntyodayaYojanaNational the RBI central board?
c.Vodafone d.Symantec Rural Livelihood Mission a.AshokGulati b.RajivKumar
d.DeenDayalAntyodayaYojanaNational c.ManishSabharwal d.Alloftheabove
 Career Sarthi Coverage 1 April - 7 April 2017 Page 12
96) What is VoLTE? 99) What rank does India have in terms of
a.VoiceCallsover4G GDP as a tourist economy? ANSWER
b.Voicecallsover3G a.7thlargesttouristeconomy
b.8thlargesttouristeconomy 01 .(a) 02. (c) 0 3.(a) 04 .(a) 0 5.(a) 06 .(c) 07.(a) 0 8.(a) 0 9.(b ) 10 .(b)
c.Voicecallsover2G
d.Noneoftheabove c.9thlargesttouristeconomy 11 .(a) 12. (a) 1 3.(a) 1 4.(b ) 15 .(b) 16 .(c) 17.(a) 1 8.(a) 19 .(a) 2 0.(c)
d.10thlargesttouristeconomy 2 1.(b) 22. (a) 23 .(d) 24 .(a) 2 5.(c) 26 .(a) 27.(a) 2 8.(a) 29 .(a) 3 0.(c)
97) NASSCOM indicated the software 3 1.(d) 32. (a) 3 3.(a) 34 .(c) 3 5.(a) 36.(d) 37.(a) 38 .(b) 3 9.(d ) 4 0.(a)
services sector will grow at what 100) Which acts were amended by the
percent in 2017-2018? Taxation laws (Amendment) Bill 2017? 41 .(c) 42. (a) 4 3.(a) 44 .(a) 4 5.(a) 46.(b) 4 7.(b ) 48 .(b) 4 9.(b ) 5 0.(c)
a.8-10percentb.6-8percent a.CustomsAct1962 51 .(a) 52. (a) 5 3.(a) 54 .(c) 55 .(d) 56.(b) 57.(a) 5 8.(a) 5 9.(d ) 60 .(d)
c.4-10percentd.6-10percent b.CustomsTariffAct1975 61 .(a) 62. (c) 6 3.(c) 6 4.(d ) 65 .(b) 66.(b) 67.(c) 6 8.(a) 69 .(c) 7 0.(c)
c.CentralExciseAct1944
7 1.(b) 72. (a) 7 3.(a) 7 4.(b ) 7 5.(a) 76.(d) 7 7.(b ) 7 8.(a) 79 .(a) 80 .(b)
98) RBI will create polymer based currency d.Alloftheabove
notes of which denomination? 81 .(c) 8 2.(b ) 83 .(b) 84 .(a) 8 5.(a) 86 .(a) 87.(a) 88 .(d) 89 .(a) 9 0.(a)
a.INR5 b.INR10 9 1.(b) 9 2.(d ) 9 3.(a) 94 .(a) 95 .(d) 96 .(a) 97.(a) 98 .(b) 99 .(a) 1 00. (d)
c.INR20 d.INR25

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