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Monthly GK Digest November 2016

Dear readers, This Monthly GK Digest is a complete docket of important news and events that occurred in a month of November 2016. This file is important for exams like NIACL AO, RBI Assistant, Post Payment Bank, IBPS Clerk VI, IBPS RRB V 2016 Exam and all upcoming Banking & Insurance exams.

Banking & Financial Awareness

1. Which bank recently, launched home loan overdraft facility for salaried customers____ICICI Bank.  ICICI Bank has launched 'ICICI Bank Home Overdraft' facility for salaried customers.  The minimum and maximum loan over the Home Overdraft facility is Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 1 crore.

2. RBI has directed all the banks to dispense more banknotes through ATMs of which denomination___100 rupees notes.  Banks have hence been directed to configure 10% of their ATMs to exclusively dispense currency notes of Rs. 100.

3. What is the rank of India in the global business optimism index, which was issued by Grant Thornton International Business Report____2nd.  India has been ranked 2nd out of 36 nations on the global business optimism index during the third quarter (July-September 2016).

4. Who has been appointed as the new Executive Director (ED) of the Reserve Bank of India ____M Rajeshwar Rao.  He will succeed G Mahalingam .  Rao will look after Department of Statistics and Information Management, Financial markets Operations Department and International Earlier, he was the Chief General Manager, Financial Markets Operations Department.

5. The first ever Agricultural Marketing & Farm Friendly Reforms Index was launched by ___NITI Aayog.  The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs.

6. Four Tier Tax Structure created by GST council under the Goods and Services Tax which are___ 5, 12, 18 and 28 percent. 7. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned loan to help state continue to its drive to improve access to efficient and reliable power in the national capital___$48 million.  The project will help Assam to enhance capacity and efficiency of its power distribution system to improve electricity service to end users. The first tranche loan of $50 million was signed in February 2015.

8. Union Government has decided to launch a clean energy equity fund of ___ 2 billion US dollars. 9. The first company to get RBI approval for debt recast under Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets___ Hindustan Construction Company Limited. 10. The Union Government has signed the loan agreement to improve Assam’s Power Distribution with____Asian Development Bank.

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 Asian Development Bank will provide the second tranche loan of USD 48 million to Assam to help the state expand and upgrade its power distribution system.  This is the second tranche loan of the USD 300 million multi-tranche financing facility for the Assam Power Sector Investment Programme that was approved by the ADB Board in July 2014.

11. Who has announced that Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes will cease to be legal tender___PM Narendra Modi.  The demonetization drive of these two currency units (Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes) was taken to root out the menace of black money and fake currency from the country.  The currency notes of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 rupee will remain unaffected by this decision and remain legal tender.

12. Who has inaugurated Economic Editors’ Conference-2016 in New Delhi____Arun Jaitley.  The Main objective of holding the Conference is to apprise the media persons about the major policy initiatives, achievements and future road map of different participating Departments and Ministries of the Government.  Press Information Bureau (PIB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance is organizing the Conference. 13. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hands over West Bengal govt. list of entities raising money illegally___194.  RBI has also cautioned the state government that in absence of an immediate crackdown, the activities of such entities can trigger another Saradha-like financial scam.  The apex bank has also handed over to the state government supportive documents about these 194 dubious entities.

14. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country increased by how many percent to 5.15 billion Dollar in September 2016___77.5%.  FDI had stood at 2.9 billion Dollar in September last year.  Services received the maximum FDI of 2.29 billion dollar during the first half of this fiscal, followed by telecommunications, trading, computer software and hardware and automobile.

15. India has pledged howw many dollar for development activities across several UN (United Nation) bodies for the year 2017____about 10.95 million.  It including 4.5 million dollar for the UN Development Programme, 1.92 million dollar for the World Food Programme, 1.25 million dollar for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Near East and a million dollars towards UN Women.

16. The Union government has introduced the new series of how many denomination notes at the SBI Parliament Street Branch in New Delhi___500 Rupees.  State Chief Secretaries to identify the rural pockets where availability of cash is a problem and provide all support to the Banks and Post Offices to ensure the last mile distribution is done through mobile banking vans and Banking Correspondents.  Now, Customer can make a complaint to concerned District Magistrate and District Administration for action against such establishments. 17. India’s first banking robot “Lakshmi” has been launched by the Kumbakonam-based ____City Union Bank.  The artificial intelligence powered robot “Lakshmi” can speak English, gesture and engage in a life-like manner in conversations.  The robot can interact with customers on more than 125 subjects including account balance and interest rates on loans. 18. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed the opening of a bank in conventional banks for “gradual” introduction of Sharia-compliant (interest-free) banking in the country_____Islamic window. 19. Global payments & technology company MasterCard has introduced a safe and secure ‘quick response’ (QR) mobile payments solution in India______Masterpass QR.

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 Masterpass QR is a digital wallet service, which allows mobile banking users to safely pay for face- to-face purchases using their smartphones.

20. The RBI has directed banks to waive ATM charges on all transactions done by savings bank customers till __ 30th December 2016. 21. Who has set to launch intelligent banking chat bots to make mobile banking services more conversational_____Axis Bank.  The bank has tied up with Active Intelligence Pte or Active.ai, a Singapore-based fintech platform.  It will enable customers to chat through its mobile banking app and messaging platforms such as Facebook messenger. 22. Recently, The Union Government has decided to permit families celebrating weddings to withdraw____ 2,50,000 rupees. 23. The Union Government reduced the limit of exchange of old 500 and 1000 rupees notes from 4500 rupees to___ 2000 rupees. 24. The Company named as the 2016 Digital Innovator of the Year by GE Digital_____Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). 25. The State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) Group has appointed Chief Executive for its India operations_____ Siby Sebastian.  State Bank of Mauritius, is a bank in Mauritius.  The SBM Group operates four branches in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram.

26. Recently, Several banks including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank slashed their FD rates by up to ___1 %.  Canara Bank announced lowering its deposit rates in the range of 0.05 to 0.25 % while United Bank of India slashed rates of short-term deposits by 1 %.  Largest private lender ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank cut their deposit rates by up to 0.25 %.

27. The Union Government has hiked how many Rs. per quintal in wheat Minimum Support Price (MSP) ____ Rs.100.  The Union Government has hiked the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat by Rs.100 per quintal and pulses by up to Rs. 550 a quintal to boost the output of these Rabi crops and check prices. 28. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has beeen signed between the state Government and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to open STPI centres at four districts in the State____Odisha government.  STPI is a central body established in 1991 by the Indian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.  The objective of encouraging, promoting and boosting the export of software from India 29. India’s rank in the 2017 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)_____20th.  India has been ranked 20th out of 58 nations on the 2017 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI).  The latest publication issued by German watch and Climate Action Network Europe. 30. Who has launched India’s first payment bank_____ Airtel M Commerce Services.  Airtel Bank’s service can be accessed by Airtel customers on their mobile phones through the Airtel Money app, through USSD by dialing *400#.  Both the USSD & IVR options are available in Hindi and English language and work on simple feature phones as well. 31. India has signed bank information sharing deal with the country for the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information between the two countries _____ Switzerland.  India will automatically receive all financial information about its residents, including bank accounts and balances, dividends and interest income and sales proceeds used to calculate capital gains tax, from September 2018.

32. RBI has reduced the monthly cash withdrawal limit from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts____ Rs 10000. 33. Percent of tax that will be levied if the declarant voluntarily declare the undisclosed income_____30%. 34. Bank who has launched contactless debit card based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology_____South Indian Bank. 4 | P a g e

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35. India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 17, as per report by Morgan Stanley____7.3%.  India’s GDP growth forecast has been cut from 7.7% to 7.3% in the FY17 as the government’s move to cancel old high-value notes is expected to adversely impact the near-term economic activity. 36. Airtel Payments Bank Limited recently launched India's first live Payments Bank in ____Rajasthan. 37. Bank has tied-up with Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) to digitize payment of bus tickets for his customers____YES Bank. 38. The 50th anniversary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has been hosted by ___ India.  The purpose of the UNCITRAL is to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law.

Important Date

1. The World Vegan Day is observed on ____ 1st November.  The World Vegan Day is observed every year on 1st November by setting up stalls, hosting potlucks and planting memorial trees to benefit the veganism for humans, non-human animals and the natural environment.

2. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is observed globally on __ 2nd November. 3. The first-ever World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) has been observed on ___ 5th November.  It spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami and shall stress on the importance of early warning systems in order to mitigate damage from the often devastating natural hazard.  The 2016 theme of WTAD is “Effective Education and Evacuation Drills”. 4. International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is observed globally on___ 6th November. 5. The National Cancer Awareness Day is observed every year in India on ___7th November. 6. The World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) is observed _____ 10th November.  The day highlights the important role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.  The 2016 WSDPD is celebrated with the theme “Celebrating Science Centres and Science Museums”.

7. The Public Service Broadcasting Day is observed in India_____ 12th November.  The Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi visited the studio of All India Radio, Delhi for the first and last time.

8. The World Pneumonia Day (WPD) is observed every year on ____12th November.  The day provide an annual forum for the world to stand together and demand action in the fight against pneumonia.  The 2016 theme is “Keep the Promise, Stop Pneumonia Now”

9. Children’s Day is celebrated 14th November every year on the birth anniversary of ___Jawaharlal Nehru.  Children’s Day is celebrated across India to increase awareness of the rights, care and education of children.  Children’s Day (Bal Diwas) was first celebrated in 1964 after the death of Pandit Nehru

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10. The World Diabetes Day (WDD) is observed every year on ____14th November.  The theme of WDD 2016 is “Eyes on Diabetes”.  This year the focus will be on promoting the importance of screening to ensure early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and treatment to reduce the risk of serious complications.

11. The International Day for Tolerance is being observed in the world____16th November.  It is annually observed on 16th November to educate people about the need for tolerance in society and to help them understand the negative effects of intolerance.

12. World Philosophy Day is being observed worldwide on ____ 17th November  The day initiated by UNESCO aims to underline the enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought, for each culture and for each individuals.

13. The World Toilet Day is being observed across the world on ______19th November.  An aim to motivate millions across the world on issues of sanitation.  The theme for 2016 World Toilet Day is ‘toilets and jobs’ focusing on how sanitation or the lack of it can impact people’s livelihoods. 14. The Quami Ekta Week is being observed across the country____19th to 25th Nov.  The week is observed to highlight the strength and resilience of the nation to withstand any potential threats to the secular fabric.  District administrations will hold programs that promote secularity and non-violence. 15. The Universal Children’s Day was observed across the world on ____20th November.  Universal Children’s Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children.  UN (United Nations) Universal Children’s Day was established in 1954. 16. The United Nations' (UN) World Television Day is annually observed in many places around the world on ____ 21st November.  United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day commemorating the date on which the first World Television Forum was held in 1996.  The day recognizes that television plays a major role in presenting different issue that affect people. 17. The 2016 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed every year on _____25th November.  The day will raise public awareness of violence against women.  The 2016 theme is “Orange the World – raise funds to end violence against women” in which orange colour designated the UNiTE campaign to symbolize a brighter future without violence. 18. The Constitution Day is celebrated every year on ______26th November.  On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India and it came into effect on 26 January 1950.

19. The National Milk Day (NMD) is celebrated on _____ 26th November.  The National Milk Day (NMD) is celebrated every year on 26th November to mark the birth anniversary father of India’s White Revolution Dr. Verghese Kurien.

New Appointments

1. Who has been appointed as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)___Sushil Chandra.  Sushil Chandra is the newly appointed chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex policy making body for the Income Tax department.  He succeeded Rani Singh Nair.  The CBDT has six members apart from the chairman and is responsible for framing policy and administrative issues related to direct taxes and the Income Tax department. 6 | P a g e

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2. Who has appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon___Sanjiv Arora. 3. Who has been appointed as a Brand Ambassador for “Swachh Rail Mission” of Indian Railway to promote cleanliness at rail premises___Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak.  Indian Railways had tied up with Sulabh International to clean some important railway stations across the country as part of the mission with an aim to promote cleanliness at rail premises.  Sulabh International had started cleaning and maintenance of five important railway stations Gorakhpur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad,Old Delhi and Gwalior from September 2016. 4. India-born has become the first Sikh to be appointed to the Canadian Senate___ Sarabjit Singh Marwah.  He becomes the only Indian-origin member of the Canadian Senate.  He is third Sikh person in the Canadian parliament after Defence Minister Harjeet Sajjan and Science Minister Navdeep Bains. 5. Who has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of South Korea____Kim Byong-joon.  He succeeded Hwang Kyo-ahn  He was sacked as Prime Minister amid the 2016 South Korean political scandal as President Park Geun-hye tried to rebuild confidence in her administration

6. Indian lawyer has been elected to United Nation’s International Law Commission____Aniruddha Rajput.  Rajput is among the 34 individuals elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as members of the International Law Commission.  The elected members will serve a term of five-year terms with the Geneva-based body.

7. Who has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Switzerland tourism___Ranveer Singh.  He has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Switzerland tourism’s campaign for 2017 'Nature wants you back'.

8. Who has been appointed as the new CEO and MD of Bank of Baroda Capital Markets Ltd._____Ratnesh Kumar.  Kumar has also held the position of CEO of Standard Chartered Securities India.  BOB Capital Market Ltd is the investment banking subsidiary of the state run, Bank of Baroda.

9. Who has been appointed as Executive Director by RBI (Reserve Bank of India)____Rajeshwar Rao.  Mr. Rao has been appointed to look after the Department of Statistics and Information Management, Financial Markets Operation Department and International Department.  The appointment was made after G Mahalingam opted for voluntary retirement from the central bank.

10. Who has been appointed as CEO – Retail by Airtel___Vani Venkatesh.  She will look after Airtel’s retail strategy to deliver a seamless customer experience.  The appointment was made by Bharti Airtel after Rohit Malhotra stepped down from the post.

11. Who will become the 45th United States President after a stunning victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton___ Donald Trump.  Mr. Trump’s shock victory in Wiscons in that put him over the 270 out of 538 electoral college votes needed to win the White House.  He is scheduled to take office as the 45th President on 20th January, 2017.  He was born and raised in New York City and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. 7 | P a g e

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12. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of Fund Trustee and Advisory Commission of Kerala(FTAC)___Vinod Rai.  He will be entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the funds of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) are properly utilized and the interest of investors is protected.  The FTAC will have a two-year term and the members cannot be removed either by the government or the KIIFB.

13. Who has been nominated as the interim chairman of TCS in place of Cyrus Mistry___Ishaat Hussain.  Currently,Ishaat Hussain serving as the chairman of Voltas and satellite television provider Tata Sky.  Tata Sons owned a 73.26 percent stake in TCS and Mistry whose family controls an 18.41 percent stake in Tata Sons.

14. Who has been elected as the director-general of the International Labour Organization (ILO)____ Guy Ryder.  Guy Ryder has been re-elected Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for a second five-year term that will start officially on October 1,2017.  The headquarters of ILO is at Geneva, Switzerland.

15. Who has been appointed as MD & CEO of Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India_____ Praveen Kumar Sharma.  Sharma is General Manager, State Bank of India.  CERSAI is providing the platform for filing registrations of transactions of securitisation, asset reconstruction and security interest by the banks and financial institutions.

16. Who has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Switzerland tourism___ Ranveer Singh.  The Syrian journalist has been honour for reporting from some of the most perilous zones in his country during the five year war.  The competition was organised by the National Innovation Foundation to focus on the creativity of the children and promote inclusive thinking among them.

17. Who has been elected as the President of the International Hockey Federation(IHF)____ Narinder Batra.  He has defeated David Balbirnie of Ireland and Australia’s Ken Read to become the 12th FIH President and also the first Asian to grab the post.  Batra succeeds Spaniard Leandro Negre, who has been the IHF chief since 2008.

18. Who has been elected as the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)____Meng Hongweiat.  Hongwei will take over the position from his predecessor Mireille Ballestrazzi (France).  He has been elected for a period of four years.  INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 190 member countries.

19. The committee has been constituted by the Supreme Court (SC) to verify the availability of night shelters__Kailash Gambhir committee.  The committee will submit its report within 4 months.  Justice Gambhir is the former Delhi High Court judge.

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20. Who is the new Whole-Time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)___ Gurumoorthy Mahalingam.  He has become the new Whole-Time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a period of 5 years or till the age of 65 years , whichever is earliest.

21. Who will head the eight-member task force that was constituted by RBI to re-calibrate all ATMs functioning in India____ SS Mundra. 22. Who has inaugurated the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2016 at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Bambolim,Panaji,Goa____Venkaiah Naidu.  Veteran filmmaker was the Chief Guest of the IFFI- 2016.  Veteran Korean filmmaker Im Kwon Taek has honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. 23. Harish Bhat has recently replaced Cyrus Mistry as the Chairman of _____The Tata Global Beverages. 24. Who has been appointed as the Managing Director & CEO of Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd____C V R Rajendran.  Currently, Rajendran is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Mutual Funds in lndia.  The Catholic Syrian Bank Limited (CSB) is an Indian private sector bank with its headquarters at Thrissur, Kerala (India).  The bank has a network of over 430 branches and more than 240 ATMs across India. 25. US President-elect Donald Trump has announced National Security Adviser going to his military Adviser ____Michael Flynn.  Mr Flynn is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and former director of the Defence Intelligence Agency.  Flynn served as Mr Trump's top military advisor during the Presidential campaign.  Michael Flynn would not require US Senate confirmation, unlike Sessions and Pompeo. 26. Who has been elected as the President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the year 2017 _____ Pankaj Patel.  Patel is the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Cadila Healthcare Ltd.  He will succeed Harshavardhan Neotia.

27. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)____ Yudhvir Singh Malik.  Yudhvir Singh Malik has been appointed as the Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).  Earlier, Malik was the special secretary in National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. 28. Who has been elected as the new National President of Trade body Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) _____ N V Srinivasan. 29. Who has been appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan____ Lt. Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa.  He will succeed Gen. Raheel Sharif who has formally retired from service.

30. Who has been appointed as the new Delhi chief secretary____ M M Kutty. 31. Who has been appointed the new director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie____ Upma Chawdhry.  She will replace Rajeev Kapoor.  Earlier, she has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary in Himachal Pradesh.

32. Who has been appointed as the Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) ____Lt-General A K Bhatt.

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Important News – India

1. The International Forum on Adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and Learning has started in the city___New Delhi.  It has been started in New Delhi from October 31 and continue till 4th November,2016.  The forum is being organized by International Bureau of Education (IBE), UNESCO in partnership with Google.  The forum targets mainly countries which are implementing the UNESCO developed General Education Quality Analysis Framework (GEQAF). 2. How many people are covered under the National Food Security Act which has been implemented across the country___80 Crore.  The Act has been implemented across India from this month with an annual subsidy of Rs 1,40,000 crore.  Under the Act, beneficiaries are entitled to food grains at highly subsidized rates of rice at three rupees per kg, wheat two rupees and coarse cereals at one rupee. 3. Who will host the 7th session of Conference of Parties (COP7) on tobacco control____ India.  India will host 7th session of Conference of Parties (COP7) on tobacco control from 7th-12th November,2016 at India Exposition Mart in Greater Noida, .  It is the first occasion that a Conference of Parties (COP) meeting is being held in India. 4. 'Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan' scheme has been launched by ____Jagat Prakash.  The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash has launched “Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan” in New Delhi to improve health care facilities for pregnant women.  The scheme will be applicable for pregnant women in all Government hospitals across India. 5. Indian Railways has set the target to achieve 100 % de-carbonisation with 90 % electrification by___ 2021. 6. The Asia’s largest man-made ‘Jungle Safari’ is located at ____Chhattisgarh.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Asia’s largest man-made “Jungle Safari” at Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh.  It is nearly 800-acre Nandanvan Zoo and Safari.  The Jungle Safari would accommodate around 10,000 visitors every day. 7. LinkedIn has signed MoU with a union ministry to create jobs for students___Human Resource Development Ministry.  LinkedIn has signed MoU with Union Ministry of Human Resource Development to create more jobs opportunities for Indian students.  LinkedIn’s ‘Placements’ product will be adopted by all Indian colleges affiliated with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). 8. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched an online survey for Overseas Indian Citizens in collaboration with ___Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).  The purpose of the unique survey is to study and determine the registration and participation rates among overseas electors.  The link of the survay will see at www.everyvotecounts.in. 9. The 9th Annual Meeting of International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) has started in ___New Delhi.  It has organized by Ministry of AYUSH and is inaugurated by Minister of State for AYUSH Sripad Yesso Naik.

10. The 64th edition of International Congress of Aviation and Space medicine (IAASM) has started in ___New Delhi.  The Congress is which is organized by Indian Society of Aviation Medicine (ISAM) and is being attended by more than 300 delegates across the world.  The theme of IASM 2016 is ‘Learn and Overcome’. 11. “Petrotech-2016” the International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition will be held in ____ New Delhi.  It will be held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on 5th December.  The 2016 theme is “Hydrocarbons to fuel the future – Choices and Challenges”.

12. The news channel that was asked by inter-ministerial committee to be taken off air for 24 hours on 10th November 2016 ___NDTV.

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13. Who has launched the “Healthy India Initiative” magazine and “No More Tension” mobile App for promotion of health and to strengthen the health communications programmes in New Delhi____ Jagat Prakash Nadda.  The app was launched for promotion of health and to strengthen the health communications programmes.  Healthy India Magazine will be a quarterly magazine and it will cater to health related information.  The main objective of ‘No More Tension’ is to provide information to users regarding stress such as, what is stress, effects, symptoms and its management.

14. Who has launched “Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana” (PMYY) to scale up an ecosystem of entrepreneurship for youngsters___Rajiv Pratap Rudy.  PMYY is MSDE’s flagship scheme on entrepreneurship education and training.  The scheme spans over five years with a project cost of 499.94 crore rupees.  It will provide entrepreneurship education and training to over 7 lakh students in 5 years through 3,050 institutes.

15. Who has launched ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana‘ in Punjab___Dharmendra Pradhan.  Seven lakh pending families of will be provided free gas connections under the scheme which will make Punjab 100% kitchen smoke-free.  Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is set to extend benefit of the scheme to 1.5 crore beneficiaries during the current financial year 2016-17.

16. Who has inaugurated the world’s largest digital national building initiative “Smart India Hackathon 2017” by handing over a torch to technology students____Prakash Javadekar.  The ‘Smart India Hackathon 2017′ is a pan-India 36-hour nonstop digital programming competition which will take place in more than 20 centres simultaneously.  The Hackathon will have nearly 500 problem statements in all which will be published on innovate.mygov.in.

17. The 36th edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF) has been inaugurated at ______Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.  IITF fair (14th-27th November) will provide information on various schemes including Swachh Bharat Campaign, Clean Ganga Mission, Jan-Dhan Yojana, Skill India, Crop Insurance, Start up and Stand up Campaign.  This year over 150 companies from 27 countries are taking part in the fair and the Partner Country is South Korea while the Focus Country is Belarus.

 The theme of IITF-2016 is “Digital India“. 18. Indian firm has won the 2016 Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance_____ Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).  The award was received by Ashwini Kumar, CEO of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on behalf of SAIL during the 16th London Global Convention on Corporate Governance and Sustainability in London, (UK).

19. Indo-China joint military exercise “Hand-in-Hand-2016” has started in_____ Maharashtra.  India-China Joint Military Training Exercise “Hand-in-Hand 2016” has started at the parade ground in Aundh Military Camp in Pune, Maharashtra.  The purpose of the joint exercise is to share the expertise in drills and practices while tackling insurgency and terrorism and also to promote healthy military to military relations between the and the People’s Liberation Army of China.

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20. Who has been awarded 2016 Digital Innovator of the Year by GE Digital in the Ecosystem Excellence award category at GE’s Minds and Machines event in San Francisco, California____ Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). 21. The 2016 Great Indian Film and Literature Festival (GIFLIF) will be held in____ Haryana.  The three-day-festival will include panel discussions on an array of themes ranging from filmmaking, digital media, advertising, to publishing, literature, script writing and film screenings, besides a play and a music concert. 22. The first Indian state to adopt the Fly Ash Utilization Policy____ Maharashtra.  This policy will create new employment opportunities in the power plant sector and pave way for prosperity by generating Wealth from Waste.  Fly ash will be used to make bricks, blocks, tiles, wall panels, cement and other construction materials. 23. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India has launched revamped Aadhaar toll-free helpline number ____ 1947.  The helpline number will be available 24×7 throughout the year on Interactive voice response system mode (IVRS).  The Call-Centre agents will be available from 7 A.M. to 11 P.M 24. Who has launched the National Student Startup Policy of the second Visitor’s Conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan __President Pranab Mukherjee. 25. Who has inaugurated thematic handicrafts exhibition and ‘pehchan‘ identity cards to artisans in Ahmedabad (Gujarat)____Smriti Irani.  Irani distributed ‘pehchan‘ card to artisans from five clusters (Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Amreli Kalol and Naroda) of Gujarat .  The upgraded Pehchan cards for the artisans will be linked with their Aadhar Card numbers as well as their bank accounts so that they can receive the cash benefits of government schemes directly 26. The train that derailed near Kanpur due to rail fracture___ Indore- Express. 27. The Union Government has allowed National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to disburse Rs. to help cash-starved farmers to sow Rabi crops___Rs. 21,000 crore.  NABARD is an apex development bank in India. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holds the majority stake in it.

28. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully carried out maiden flight of_____RUSTOM – II. 29. India’s longest Expressway has inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav _____ Agra-Lucknow Expressway.  The expressway has been built by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) in a record time (23 months).  The Agra-Lucknow Expressway is six-lane greenfield expressway having the total length of 302- km.and it designed speed of up to 120 km per hour. 30. Guided Missile Destroyer ship commissioned into the Indian Navy ____INS Chennai. 31. India’s first e-assembly constituency ______Palampur.  The Palampur Assembly Constituency has become the India’s first e-assembly constituency at Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

32. India’s first International Children festival will be held in the city ______Mumbai.  India’s first International Children’s festival, will be held at Reliance Jio Garden in Mumbai on January 14 and 15, 2017.

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33. The Indian-origin Portugal Prime Minister will be the chief guest at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)_____Antonio Costa.  14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held from January 7 to 9, 2017 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

34. The 2016 International Tourism Mart has started in the _____Manipur.  The 5th edition of International Tourism Mart-2016 has started at Sanjenthong in Imphal().  The purpose of the event is to highlight the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets. 35. The committee has been constituted by Union Government on Yoga Education in Universities_____H R Nagendra committee.  The 12-member committee has prescribed the curriculum for the following five courses in Yoga.  The committee has prescribed the details of courses to be run and qualification of yoga faculty in its report. 36. The 2016 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) will be held in ____ India.  The 13th edition of World Robot Olympiad (WRO) will be held in Greater Noida(Uttar Pradesh).  The theme for the competition is “Rap the Scrap”, where students would showcase solutions to reduce, manage and recycle waste using robotics technology. 37. “Annapurna Rasoi Programme” will be started in the state to provide quality meal to weaker section______Rajasthan.  It will provide quality meal at cheap price to people belonging to the weaker section and labourers.

38. Indian Railways will introduce an advanced system on its trains to help to reduce train accidents_____Tri-Netra.  Tri-Netra stands for Terrain imaging for diesel drivers infra-red, enhance optical & radar assisted system.

39. India has successfully test-fired its indigenously built nuclear capable Agni-I ballistic missile from a test range off ______Odisha coast.  Agni-I missile is equipped with the sophisticated navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision.  Weighing 12 tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I is designed to carry a payload of more than one tonne. 40. The Union Government has launched portal to track air flights and register complaints____ AirSewa Portal. 41. ‘Indian Police at Your Call’ mobile app has been launched by _____ Narendra Modi.

 The app is a GIS Map based interface for the citizens to locate police stations near to their current location so that they can easily reach the police station in case of emergency.

42. A advisory committee has been formed by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India on service providers____ Mohandas Pai committee.  The 9-member advisory committee on service providers is headed by educationist Mohandas Pai while the panel on corporate insolvency and liquidation is chaired by noted banker Uday Kotak.

States News

1. 'Parippida Mission' has been launched by the state government to ensure housing for all____Kerala.  Under Parppida Mission the government plans to ensure housing for all  At least 1,000 schools are supposed to be elevated to international standards under “Life”, a scheme that will focus on improving liveability conditions. 2. Who will be the first India state to launch cyber police stations in each district to nab cyber criminals___Maharashtra.  Any offence related to cyber crime will be registered in these police stations at the district level.  Cyber police stations will also be set up at police commissioner ate and Range IG offices.

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3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched at Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh_____Saur Sujala Yojana.  It would provide solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers at a subsidized price.  Chhattisgarh would be the first state to implement the scheme. Under the scheme, solar powered irrigation pumps of 3HP and 5HP capacity worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh would be distributed to the farmers by March 31, 2019.  The beneficiaries would get the pumps at the subsidized price. 4. Who has distributed 43,000 bicycles under ‘Sabuj Sathi‘ to class eleventh students of state-run at a function at Jamboni, West Midnapore_____ Ms. Mamata Banerjee. 5. The health awareness campaign ‘Aware and Care’ has been launched by ___ Punjab.  The Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal has launched the ‘Aware and Care’ campaign by flagging off 100 Information Education Communication (IEC) mobile vans.  The basic purpose of IEC vans is to apprise people about the diseases like cancer, hepatitis-C, cervical cancer and the preventive measures to be taken to cure the patients suffering from these

diseases in the early stages. 6. The state government has inked MoU with Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UDAN_____ Assam.  The Assam government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)UDAN to boost State air connectivity.  The State Government shall reduce VAT to 1% or less on ATF at RCS Airports and for RCS flights from other airports located within the state. 7. Who has launched 'Operation school chalo' in South Kashmir____Indian Army.  Indian Army has launched “Operation school chalo” in South under a local slogan ‘Chyem ne zaroorat Daulat-o-ubab, Faqat Gochum School te Kitab.

8. Who has launched Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir Scheme ___ Odisha Government.  ‘Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir (MASS)’ to support rural voters in the ensuing panchayat polls in February.  Under the scheme, the state government would set up legal assistance cells in all 6,812 gram panchayats across the state to provide free legal consultations to deprived sections of the society. 9. The 2016 Urban Mobility India conference has started in ___Gujarat.  The 4-day conference has been organized jointly by Ministry of Urban Development and Gujarat Government.  More than 2500 delegates will discuss climate friendly urban transport systems in the conference 10. Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has laid the foundation stone of 1300 crore rupees Patanjali Herbal and Mega Food Park at ____Balipara. 11. The three-day (9-11th) Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet GRAM has begun in the city of Rajasthan____Jaipur.  The main objective of the meet is to double the income of farmers through various technologies and agriculture activities.  Farmer will be informed about new technology and other agriculture related activities and representatives will share their new technology and agriculture activities with state’s farmers.

12. Who has started Deendayal generic medicine stores to sell generic medicines in the state___Gujarat government.  It will remain open 24 hours and sell around 1,000 generic drugs to the poor patients at 40 to 80 % lower rates.  Mobile application ‘G-Dava‘ will act as a search engine for information on branded and generic medicines, price difference, chemical composition, availability, etc.

13. 1st Indian National Open Accuracy Paragliding takes off in______Himachal Pradesh.  107 pilots from 15 countries took part in the first Indian National Open Accuracy Paragliding Championship at Bir-Billing Dharamsala(Himachal Pradesh).  Nine women paragliders (Indians-3) will also compete in the four-day international meet.

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14. India’s first LNG-powered bus has been launched in the state____Kerala.  The LNG-driven bus has rolled out as part of the Union Government’s plans to use LNG.  Liquefied natural gas is natural gas that has been converted to liquid form for ease of storage or transport.

15. Who has become the first Indian state to adopt a resolution on demonetization of high-value currency notes _____Chhattisgarh.  The decision was taken to flush out black money from the system and to usher in the clean transaction and clean money system.

16. The National Institute of Sowa Rigpa will be established at _____Leh (Jammu & Kashmir).  The Tibetan Medicine system is known as Sowa Rigpa.  The medicine has been recognized by Government of India (GoI) by amending the Indian Medicine Central Council (IMCC) Act, 2010. 17. Who has signed a MoU with the Microsoft India for digital initiatives___ Telangana.  Microsoft India will work with the state government to support the development of cloud and mobile-based solutions and support the use of machine learning and advanced visualization to help solve challenges in the fields of education, agriculture and healthcare. 18. The 2016 Global Citizen India festival has started in the city ____ Mumbai.  The festival will conclude a two-month long campaign in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

19. 'Har Ghar Bijli Lagatar’ scheme has been launched by the state government ____Bihar.  Under the Scheme, 50 lakhs household in would be provided free electricity connection by 2018.  The Scheme aims to cover the rural above poverty line population of Bihar.  Centre’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana has already covered the BPL families. 20. The Chief Minister has flagged-off the Digital India Outreach Campaign Van in the state__ Pema Khandu.  The van will carry out rural outreach campaign in Gram Panchayats, Post offices, CSC, Schools, Business Correspondents, SHGs, Hats across Districts, Sub- Districts and villages.  It will also explain people the benefits and details of the services offered under e-Governance, Healthcare, e-Commerce etc.  The Van will travel for around 10-15 days in a particular district depending on the population coverage. 21. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna -Gramin (PMAY-G) has been launched in the city ____ Agra.  PMAY-G provide affordable houses to all those Indians living below the poverty line by the year 2022.  Under the scheme, Rs. 1, 50,000 will be given for each house which will be equipped with many facilities like kitchen and toilet. Important News – World 1. A joint military training exercise “Sampriti-2016” will be conducted between India and ____ Bangladesh.  The joint military training exercise “Sampriti-2016” will be conducted between India and Bangladesh at Tangail, Dhaka.  The training will culminate with a final validation exercise in which troops of both armies will jointly practice a Counter Terrorist Operation in a controlled and simulated environment. 2. The largest ever space telescope that is expected to be launched by NASA in 2018___James Webb Space Telescope.  The James Webb Space Telescope will be the successor to NASA’s 26-year-old Hubble Space Telescope.  It will be 100 times more powerful than the Hubble probe and may find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe.  The Webb telescope’s infrared cameras are so sensitive that it needs to be shielded from the rays of the Sun.

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3. The 7th edition of Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) has started in ____New Delhi.  The conference has been organized by Government of India (GoI) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

4. Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2018 will be held in____Mongolia. 5. World’s first hydrogen-powered and zero-emission passenger train has been unveiled in ___Germany. 6. Mission of NASA that created Guinness World Record for highest altitude fix of GPS signal ____ Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission.  This space record has been set by the 4 MMS satellites by using GPS navigation at an altitude of 43,500 miles (70,000 kilometers) above Earth’s surface.

7. Who has decided to procure ten diesel engines from RITES India Ltd.____Sri Lankan government.  The engines will be purchased at a cost of 4.25 million US dollars each and will be supplied over the period of next two years.  Over 1 billion US dollars of LoC has been extended to Sri Lanka for various railway projects.

8. 2nd BRICS Communication Ministers meeting was held in _____Bengaluru.  The meeting will discuss ways to improve collaboration in the field of digital economy, future communications, mobile technology among other things.  The High-Level delegation from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will deliberate for greater cooperation in Telecommunication and ICT sectors.

9. The Union Government has issued guidelines for suspension or banning of business dealings in___ Armament Sector.  The Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) has approved the guidelines for suspension or banning of business dealings with arms companies.  The Union Government will no longer impose blanket bans on armament companies suspected of corruption.

10. The two newly identified biomarkers that will help in easy diagnosis of drug resistant Tuberculosis____miR-16 and miR- 155.  Researchers has identified two biomarkers in serum samples that could help in TB diagnosis and TB disease prognosis.  The identified microRNA biomarkers could be used for drug-sensitive pulmonary TB and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients.

11. Who has successfully launched a navigation satellite XPNAV-1 ___ China.  The satellite will undergo tests on its detector functions and space environment adaptability.  The satellite will help reduce the spacecraft’s reliance on ground-based navigation methods and is expected to lead to autonomous spacecraft navigation in the future.

12. Who has announced the national rollout of an online programme for preschoolers to learn foreign languages for promoting languages other than English, including Hindi from next year onward___Australia.  The government would extend the programme to offer Australian preschoolers the opportunity to learn Italian and Spanish in 2017 and Hindi and Modern Greek in 2018.

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13. Who has become the first non-NPT country with which Japan has signed a Civil Nuclear Agreement___India.  The deal would allow Japan to export nuclear technology to India and boost bilateral economic and facilitate US-based players to set up atomic plants in India.  India has already signed civil nuclear deal with ten other countries (United States, Russia, Mongolia,South Korea, France, Australia, Namibia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Canada). 14. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum’s Week started at ___Lima in Peru.  It will bring together leaders of world’s largest economies, businessmen and investors.  A creation of Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific is one of the main topics on the agenda of the 2016 APEC Summit that is widely seen as the premier business event drawing together business and economic leaders of 21 Pacific Rim countries.

15. Who has become an Associate Member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN)___India.  CERN is the world's largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.

16. The 2016 World Internet Conference will kick off in _____ Wuzhen.  More than 120 countries, including 8 top foreign leaders will attend the conference.  Delegates will be discussing the creation of an online community of shared destiny which features innovation.  The World Internet Conference (Wuzhen Summit) is an annual event, first held in 2014. 17. 'hindirantrade.org' has been launched a trade portal between India and ____Iran.  The purpose of the trade portal is to disseminate information relevant to Indo-Iran Trade and to provide an e-marketplace for the buyers and sellers of the two countries.

18. “2016 Raad ul Barq” military exercise has been conducted by the country____ Pakistan.  Showcase the combat readiness of the country’s defence line with live firepower demonstration using heavy artillery fighter jets and air defence weapon.

19. The 2016 World Travel Market (WTM), the leading global event for the travel industry, has started in ____London, United Kingdom (UK).  Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (GoI) has participated as Official Premier Partner at WTM London 2016.

20. The world’s fastest supercomputer title, as per recently released semiannual Top 500 list of supercomputers____ Sunway Taihulight.  It is developed by the China’s National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology (NRCPC).  The Supercomputer is the capable of performing 93 million billion calculations per second. 21. The BBC World Service will launch how many language services as part of its biggest expansion since the 1940s____11 language.  The new languages will be Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Gujarati, Igbo, Korean, Marathi, Pidgin, Punjabi, Telugu, Tigrinya, and Yoruba.  The first new services are expected to launch in 2017. 22. “Smart Water Distribution Monitoring” web portal has been launched by ____ Andhra Pradesh govt.  The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system helps in reduction of water wastage as well as ensure seamless supply to the households.

23. India has signed double tax avoidance agreement with ____Cyprus. 24. Recently, India has become an Associate Member State of ______European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). 25. The country will chair the 2017 Energy Club of Shanghai Cooperation Organization is _____Turkey. 26. The theme of the 13th World Robot Olympiad that will be held for the first time in India is _____Rap the Scrap. 27. The Indian Dairy brand to debut online through Amazon in the United States____Amul. 17 | P a g e

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28. The Company who has launched the photo scanning app named PhotoScan_____ Google 29. The 2016 Wangala harvest festival has celebrated by tribe of North-East India____ Garo tribe.  The festival marks the end of the agricultural year. It is an act of thanksgiving to the sun god of fertility “Misi-A-Gilpa-Saljong-Galapa”.

30. India’s first underwater festival has been held in the city ____ Pune.  The purpose of the festival was to promote awareness about the state of marine life and encourage people to conserve it.

31. India’s first digital and cashless village “Akodara” is located in the state ______Gujarat.  India’s first digital and cashless village “Akodara” is located at Sabarkantha district in Gujarat.

32. India’s first and Asia’s longest cycle highway has been opened in which state of India_____ Uttar Pradesh. 33. The Union textile minister Smriti Irani has inaugurated thematic handicrafts exhibition and launched a scheme of textile ministry 'pehchan' identity cards for _____ Artisans. 34. State Government has made fitting of auto-dippers mandatory in four-wheel transport vehicles as a road safety measure is____ Haryana. 35. Indian state will become the first Indian state to go cashless___ Goa.  People will be able to buy perishables such as fish, meat, vegetable or anything else at the press of a button on their mobile.

36. The National Green Tribunal has ordered environment audit of all the government buildings of ____Delhi. 37. The state that launched the Smart Water Distribution Monitoring web portal is _____ Andhra Pradesh. 38. The Union Government in association with the North-Eastern States and West Bengal organized the International Tourism Mart in______Manipur. 34. The world’s first Bollywood Park theme park has opened in____ Dubai(UAE).  The theme park will have 16 cinematic rides, six themed restaurants and a choice of 30 live shows that are inspired by contemporary and classic blockbusters  The vibrant cultural-rich park boasts cinemas, a theatre, rides, simulators and 4D shows of popular Hindi movies. 35. Who has launched the world’s longest super-secure quantum communication line ____ China.

Books & Authors

1. The book “The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology” has been authored by_____Ray Kurzweil.  It is a non-fiction book about artificial intelligence and the future of humanity.

2. The book “Immortal: Death is certain for all who are born…or is it?” has been authored by ____Krishna Udayasankar.  It is the story of Asvatthama, the cursed immortal warrior from the Mahabharata, who is wandering on the Earth in the guise of Professor Bharadvaj.

3. The book ‘Harp’ has been authored by ____Nidhi Dalmia.  It is the story of Ashok who is caught between what is expected of him and what he wants it to be, which makes the book totally relatable to one’s life as most of us have been there or are there.

4. The book 'Game Goes On' has been authored by ___Alan McGilvray.  The book is based on his more than 50 years of the involvement with the game of cricket.

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5. The book authored by Shashi Tharoor has been launched by Vice President M. Hamid Ansari___ An Era of Darkness – The British Empire.  The book points out the detailed account of Colonial rule in the country and the way its shadow affected Modern India.

6. The book “Beyond the Last Blue Mountain: A Life Of J. R. D. Tata” has been authored ______R M Lala.  It is the biography of J.R.D. Tata, the patriarch of the biggest industrial house in India.

7. Mike McCormack from Ireland has won the 2016 Goldsmiths Prize for his novel _____Solar Bones.  It is awarded to a book that is deemed genuinely novel and which embodies the spirit of invention that characterizes the genre at its best.

8. The book ‘SRK – 25 Years of a Life’ has been authored by ______Samar Khan.  The book traces the journey of the Bollywood superstar through all his directors’ eyes.  The thought behind the book was to show why his directors thought of such iconic characters for Shah Rukh.

9. Who is the author of “The Burning Forest: India’s War in Bastar” ___ Nandini Sundar.  Through book, the poet draws on many years of research in the beautiful and war-torn region of Bastar.

10. The book “Water for Elephants” has been authored by ______Sara Gruen.  The novel presents us with a fascinating history of the American circus as well as a painful look at the time known as “The Great Depression”.

11. The book “A Season of Ghosts” has been authored by ____Ruskin Bond.  It is an entertaining book, which have interesting short stories about the mists and mellow magic of Bond’s beloved mountains.

12. The Indian actor has launched the book titled ‘The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad’ ______Twinkle Khanna. 13. The book “The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of The House of Travancore” has been authored by ______Manu S. Pillai.  The author traces the rise and fall of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi.

14. The book “How to Steal a Ghost@Manipal” has been authored by ____ Shweta Taneja.  The novel about paranormal adventure, full of romance, jealousy, folklore, gadgets and ghosts.

15. The book “Midnight’s Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India’s Partition” has been authored by ____Nisid Hajari.  It’s a fast-moving and highly readable account of the violence that accompanied the partition of India in 1947.

16. The book ‘Conflicts of Interest: My Journey through India's Green Movement’ has been authored by____ Sunita Narain.

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17. The book “Banaras City of Light” has been authored by _____ Diana L. Eck.  It is about the spiritual and historical aspects of the city.

18. The book “Swimmer Among the Stars” has been authored by____ Kanishk Tharoor.  It transports one into a different world, especially with its minute details, achieving the near- impossible with words.

19. The book “The Immortals of Meluha” has been authored by ______Amish Tripathi.  The book is based on the belief that perhaps the actions, the deeds and karma are the only deciding factors in transforming an ordinary man to Mahadev – God of Gods.

20. The book “Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South Asia” has been authored by ____ Partha Ghosh. 21. The author of the book titled Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India is _____ Akshaya Mukul.

Honours & Award

1. Who has won the crown of 2016 Miss Earth____Katherine Espin.  Katherine Elizabeth Espín of Ecuador has won the crown of 2016 Miss Earth at the Mall of Asia Arena, Philippines.  She competed with 83 delegates from around the world for the prestigious and coveted beauty title with the theme “Empowered to make a Change”. 2. As per recently released Forbes Fab 40 the most valued Indian athlete____Mahendra Singh Dhoni.  India’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been named as the top most valued athlete in India, as per the released Forbes Fab 40.  Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer has been named as the most valued athlete in the world. 3. Who has awarded eight scientists International Prize for Water at a ceremony at United Nations headquarters in New York___ Saudi Arabia.  The prize was established in 2002 named after Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz.  The aims to provide recognition to scientists and others whose work creatively addresses the problem of water scarcity.  The prizes come with cash awards ranging from one million Saudi riyals ($266,000) to half a million riyals ($133,000). 4. Bollywood personality will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) 2016___Rekha.  13th edition of Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will be held from 7th-14th December,2016.

5. Who will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 International Film Festival of India (IFFI)____Kwon Taek Im.  Kwon Taek Im is the renowned South Korean director.  He will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 47th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. 6. Who has presented the awarded Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam INGITE Awards to the children who won the IGNITE competition ______President Pranab Mukherji.  The competition was organised by the National Innovation Foundation to focus on the creativity of the children and promote inclusive thinking among them.

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7. Who has been awarded with 2016 RSF–TV5 Monde Press Freedom Prize awarded______Hadi Abdullah.  The Syrian journalist has been honour for reporting from some of the most perilous zones in his country during the five year war.  The competition was organised by the National Innovation Foundation to focus on the creativity of the children and promote inclusive thinking among them.

8. Who will be honored with Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award___Amitav Ghosh.  Indian-American fiction author Amitav Ghosh has been named for 2016 Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Indian literary space.  The award will be presented to him at the upcoming Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest’s annual awards ceremony scheduled for 20th November in Mumbai. 9. Famous Tunisian leader has been conferred with the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Awards for promoting Gandhian values outside India is ___ Sheikh Rached Ghannouchis.  The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation honoured awardees on the 39th edition of the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards.  The four winners were awarded for their work in the fields of constructive work, application of science & technology for rural development, development and welfare of women and children and international award for promoting Gandhian values outside India. 10. Who has been awarded the Uttarakhand Ratna award_____Narayan Dutt Tiwari.  He recognized for his “outstanding contribution” to the state development.  Narayan Dutt Tiwari was thrice Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (1976–77, 1984–85, 1988–89) and once Chief Minister of Uttarakhand (2002–2007).

11. Who has been anointed as Business Person of the Year for 2016____ Mark Zuckerberg.  Zuckerberg’s social network Facebook is used by nearly 1.8 billion people around the world.  Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has recognised second for dominating e-commerce and for breaking new ground by developing products such as the Amazon Echo.

12. Who will be honoured with the Tata Literature Live! Poet Laureate Award for 2016____ Gulzar.  The award carries a citation, plaque and cash prize and will be presented to him at Tata Literature Live!’s annual awards ceremony to be held on November 17, 2016 at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point, Mumbai.

13. Madhya Pradesh government’s prestigious Rashtriya will be given to eminent theatre artists_____Raj Bisaria and Banshi Kaul.  The committee unanimously chose Shri Raj Bisaria and Shri Banshi Kaul for the awards unanimously for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17 respectively.  Both the dramatists, to be awarded with Rashtriya Kalidas Samman, are known for long -cherished practice, excellence and continuous creative activeness in the country.

14. An Indian-origin man in South Africa has been awarded the prestigious Global Citizen Award by international citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners ____ Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman.  Sooliman is the founder of the internationally-lauded Gift of the Givers Foundation.  The award consists of a specially-made commemorative medal, an award certificate and a $ 50,000 monetary prize, of which $ 25,000 is donated to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

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15. Who has been chosen for the 2016 Rolex Awards for Enterprise _____ Sonam Wangchuk.  She is the famous educationist and social scientist from .  The Rolex Award funds will support his Ice-stupas project and promote ice stupas as a climate- change adaptation and desert-greening technique. 16. Who has conferred this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution in the field of Indian classical music___Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia.  The award was presented by Lt. Governor Delhi Najeeb Jung.

17. Who has been honored with the 2016 Centenary Indian Film Personality of the year award at the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2016 at Panaji in Goa____ SP Balasubrahmaniam.  In the 2016 IFFI, South Korea will be the focus country.

18. Who has been conferred the prestigious Mother Teresa International Award by the Mumbai-based NGO Harmony Foundation____Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  The Mother Teresa Awards are to honour individuals and organisation that promote peace, equality and social justice and aim to encourage the cause of justice and peaceful coexistence while providing an impetus for society to imbibe these values. 19. Who has awarded IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea___Radhika Menon.  Menon has honoured with the prestigious award for her role in the rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal in June 2015.  She has become the first female to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. 20. The senior journalist has been awarded the 2016 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize____ Akshaya Mukul.  He has been awarded for his book “Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India”.  The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize was set up in 2008 to encourage authors from the sub-continent.

21. Who has been honored with the 2016 Dr. Nagendra Singh Internal Peace award____ Sri Sri Ravishankar.  He has been awarded for his efforts in ensuring world peace at a function at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.  The award has been instituted in the memory of Dr. Nagendra Singh, the first Indian judge at International Court of Justice, Hague. 22. Who has been conferred the first ‘World Sanskrit Award’ _____ Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.  Thailand Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been conferred the first ‘World Sanskrit Award’ for her contribution towards promotion of the language.

23. Who has been honoured with the CPJ’s 2016 International Press Freedom Award_____ Malini Subramaniam.  Subramaniam has won the award for reporting on human rights violations by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, despite facing threats and censure from authorities.

24. Indian film has been nominated as Indian entry for ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal___Allama.  The film “Allama” has been directed by T.S. Nagabharana.  It is about 12th century metaphysician.

25. Indian institution has been ranked as the top institution in India by QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017_____ IIT Kharagpur. 26. Who has won the “Best Performance by an Actor” award at the 2016 Asia Pacific Screen Awards_____ .  He has won the “Best Performance by an Actor” at the 10th edition of Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) for his performance as Professor Siras in “Aligarh” directed by Hansal Mehta.

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27. Indian boxer to be honored with ‘Legends Award’ by International Boxing Association (AIBA)______M C Mary Kom.  She will be honored with ‘Legends Award’ by International Boxing Association (AIBA) on December 20,2016.

28. Indian short film has won the award at the 2016 UNESCO Salon Youth Video Competition_____ Magical Piano.  “Magical Piano” is story about a child who receives a magical piano for his birthday.

29. The film has won the Golden Peacock award at the 2016 International Film Festival of India (IFFI)____ Daughter.  The film is a family drama set in southern Iran that brings out inter-generational conflict between a strict father and a young daughter. It has been directed by Reza Mirkarimi.  The film also won the best actor male award for Farhad Aslani, who won the Silver Peacock prize and Rs.10 lakh in cash. 30. Who will be honored with the 2nd Indian Council for Cultural Relations ‘Distinguished Indologist’ Award _____ Yu Long Yu.  The award has been instituted by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to recognize eminent Indologists working abroad.

31. Who has won the Infosys Prize 2016 for Humanities_____ Sunit Amrith. 32. Who has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 Raymond Crossward Book award___ Ruskin Bond.

Obituaries 1. The first chief architect of Chandigarh has passed away in Chandigarh___MN Sharma.  He was the first chief architect of Chandigarh, who closely worked with legendary Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier.  Sharma was the recipient of many national and international awards for his valuable contribution, including the award of the Institute of Life (France) for creating the best environment for the common man in 1973. 2. The Italian sculptor who designed and created the FIFA World Cup trophy in 1971 has passed away in Milan, Italy___Silvio Gazzaniga.  He was also known as 'Mr. Cups' as he designed UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.  The FIFA World Cup trophy is 18-carat solid gold trophy weighs approximately 6 kg.

3. Padma Shri singer and composer of Sri Lanka passed away in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka____Pandit Amaradeva.  He was the recipient of many international honours, including Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Shri, for his contribution to music.

4. Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister passes away_____Mangat Ram Sharma.  Sharma was the Deputy Chief Minister in led government and later served as Health Minister in 2008 in the dispensation headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad.

5. Former NASA scientist, Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi has recently passed away in Surat, Gujarat___Kanubhai Gandhi.  Kanubhai was the son Ramdas Gandhi.  He came back to India in 2014 after a four-decade long stay in the US.

6. First woman chief minister of Goa who passed away recently ___Shashikala Kakodkar. 7. The First female U.S. Attorney General who passes away____Janet Reno.  Janet Wood Reno served as the Attorney General of the United States from 1993 until 2001  She was also the second-longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history, after William Wirt.

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8. Canadian singer-songwriter who seamlessly blended spirituality and sexuality in songs like Hallelujah, Suzanne and Bird on a Wire has passed away ____Leonard Cohen.  He also wrote novels such as The Favourite Game (1963) and Beautiful Losers (1966).  In 1967 he released Songs Of Leonard Cohen and followed it with Songs From A Room in 1969 and Songs Of Love And Hate (1971).

9. Noted geophysicist who passed away in Hyderabad______Janardhan Negi  Negi was the former Director-grade scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).  He was also known for making the outstanding contribution in understanding earthquakes, mass extinctions, especially dinosaurs and the movement of the Indian sub-continent plates.

10. Irish novelist and playwright has passed away recently _____ William Trevor.  He won the Whitbread Prize thrice and was nominated five times for the Booker Prize.

11. Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor has passed away at the Army Research and Referral hospital in New Delhi____ Lt. Gen Srinivas Kumar Sinha.  He led the first batch of Indian troops who entered J&K when Pakistan raiders invaded in 1947.  Sinha also served as India's Ambassador to and as the Governor of Assam.

12. China’s first woman pilot of a J-10 fighter jet has died in a flying accident___ Yu Xu.  She was a member of the 1st August aerobatics team of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

13. Veteran Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister who has recently passed away in Lucknow_____ Ram Naresh Yadav.  He had served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (in 1977) when Janata Dal formed the government in Uttar Pradesh.  He was appointed as Madhya Pradesh Governor by the then UPA government in September 2011.

14. The famous surgeon who performed world’s first artificial heart transplant_____ Denton Cooley.  Cooley was the founder of Texas Heart Institute and pioneered many techniques that are still used in cardiovascular surgery,

15. The Irish author one of the greatest short story writers has passed away recently at Somerset in England___ William Trevor. 16. Music Legendary has recently passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu_____ M.Balamuralikrishna.  He penned about 300 kirtanas and many Universities decorated him with honorary doctorates.  He was also a recipient of Filmfare awards and National Film Awards for best music direction and playback singing. 17. A physicist and ex- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief has passed away in Karnataka____ Prof. MGK Menon.  He played a prominent role in the development of science and technology in India over the last five decades.  He was also a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London.

18. The renowned Marathi author and Sahitya akademi awardee has passed away in Pune, Maharashtra_____ Anand Yadav.

 He has penned around 40 books which comprise collection of essays, poems, criticism, etc.

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Sports News

1. Who has won the 2016 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix______Lewis Hamilton.  Hamilton has won the 2016 Formula One Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

2. Indian shuttler has won the 2016 Bahrain International challenger Men’s singles badminton tournament____ Pratul Joshi.  Joshi has clinched his maiden International title by notching up a win over Aditya Joshi in the finals of the Bahrain International Challenge Badminton tournament at Segayya in Bahrain.

3. Who has won the 4th edition of the 2016 Asian Women’s Hockey Champions trophy-2016 ___ India.  India has defeated China in the final by 2-1 in Singapore.  This is first time that Indian women’s hockey team has won the Asian Champions Trophy competition. 4. Who has won 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy____ Petra Kvitova.  The Czech Player Petra Kvitova defeated the Ukranian player, Elina Svitolina in Zhuhai, China.

5. Who has scored fastest hundred in Indian first class cricket___Rishabh Pant.  The wicketkeeper and batsman from Delhi was playing in the Ranji Trophy against Jharkhand.  He hit the century off 48 balls.

6. Who has won the 33rd Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament by defeating Haryana _____Western Railways women’s team.  The winners were presented a cash award of 1 lakh rupee and trophy and runners-up got 75000 rupees and Trophy.  Jaspreet Kaur of Haryana XI was declared the best player of the tournament.

7. Who has reclaimed the World Boxing Organization welterweight title for the third time in Las Vegas, USA___Filipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao.  He was given unanimous decision victory over former champion Jesse Vargas in his comeback fight.  Earlier, Pacquiao won the WBO title for the first time in 2010 when he beat Miguel Cotto.

8. India wushu team has bagged how many medals in the eighth Sanda World Cup held at Xian, China__ five medals.  World silver medalist Y Sanathoi Devi (Arjuna Awardee) has won the silver for India in 52kg category after losing to China’s Luan Zhang .  Uchit Sharma (52kg), Suraya Bhanu Pratap Singh (60kg) and Monika (56kg) categories secured the silver medal.  Pooja Kadian (75kg) category secured the lone bronze medal.

9. Indian shuttler has finished runners-up at Bitburger Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament at Saarbrucken in Germany__Sourabh Verma.  Sourabh went down 19-21 20-22 fighting to Shi Yuqi (World No.16) of China in a clash of the Bitburger Open tournament.  It was his 3rd runners-up finish this season.

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10. Who will be once again goodwill ambassador when her doping ban expires in April next year and she returns to International Tennis competition___Maria Sharapova.  The UN Development Programme (UNDP) appointed the tennis star as a goodwill ambassador in February 2007, but suspended her in March after her she failed a drug test.  Earlier, Sharapova’s 24 months ban for testing positive for Meldonium was cut to 15 months by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for sport..

11. Who has won 33rd Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament for the first time by beating Army XI___Punjab National Bank of Delhi.  Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Delhi has won 33rd IndianOil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament for the first time by beating Army XI with a 6-5 at Burlton Park in Jalandhar (Punjab).  The decision of the match came from penalty shootouts.

12. The Women’s carrom team has defeated Sri Lanka to win the gold at the 7th World Carrom Championship in Birmingham (UK)___India.  S. Apoorwa and Kumari brought the first gold medals in the women’s doubles event of the World championship.

13. Who will host the 2018 Invictus Games for wounded military personnel____ Australia.  More than 500 serving and former personnel from 17 nations will compete in the multi- sports competition in Sydney(Australia).  Athletes, who have been wounded, injured (become ill in service) will compete in both individual and team sports including swimming, archery, cycling, track and field and wheelchair rugby. 14. Who has become the brand ambassador for T20 Blind Cricket World Cup 2017______Rahul Dravid.  The tournament will be played from January 28th January to 12th February 2017.

15. Who has won the 2016 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix_____Lewis Hamilton.  A Mercedes Formula One racing driver from England has won the 2016 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Brazil.  It is his 9th win in 2016 season and the 52nd of his career.

16. Who has become the first Indian woman to win a Ladies European Tour title at Gurugram (Haryana)____ Aditi Ashok.  Aditi won a prize purse of 60,000 Dollar, propelling her to the top spot in the Rookie of the Year rankings.  The 18-year-old Olympian held her nerve to get the better of American Brittany Lincicome and Spain’s Belen Mozo.

17. Indian chess grandmaster has won the 2016 Champions Showdown_____ Viswanathan Anand.  Anand has won the 2016 Champions Showdown in Saint Louis, USA.  The tournament saw each competitor play 24 matches, including two classical round robins, two rapid round robins and four blitz round robins. 18. The Indian Golfer grabbed the title at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club___S.S.P. Chawrasia.  He will be awarded 1 million US Dollars for the win.

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19. The International Master has won the National Women Premier Championship for the third time____Padmini Rout. 20. Who has won the 9th edition of men’s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon(ADHM) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium_____ Eliud Kipchoge.  Over 34 thousand participants from across the world participated in the marathon.  Both the men’s and women’s elite winners won $27,000 for their victories.

21. Indian senior women's hockey team captain in the Test Series against Australia to be played at Melbourne from 23rd November to 30th November___ Vandana Katariya. 22. Who has clinched the gold medal in men’s trap event at the 60th National Shooting Championship for Shotgun in Jaipur___ Manavjit Singh.  He defeated silver winner Raninder Singh (Odhisa), 14-13, to seal the top spot in his favour.  Young Kynan Chenai (Telengana) who represented India at the Rio Olympics, bagged the bronze medal beating Adhiraj Singh Rathore of Rajasthan 14-12 23. Who has won the BWF Superseries Premier title at the China Open badminton tournament in Fuzhou China____PV Sindhu.  Olympic silver medallist P.V. Sindhu (21-year) battled past Sun Yu to win her first BWF Superseries Premier title at the China Open badminton tournament in Fuzhou, China.  Sindhu won the first game 21-11 but lost the next 17-21 before registering a 21-11 triumph in the final game to clinch the title. 24. The Indian golfer has won the inaugural Qatar Ladies Open is ____Aditi Ashok. 25. Who has won the women’s singles title at 2016 Hong Kong Open Super Series ___Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei). 26. Who has won the men’s singles title at 2016 Hong Kong Open Super Series _____ Ng Ka Long Angus. 27. A special court in Mumbai has allowed Enforcement Directorate (ED) to send a Letter of Request to the British government for execution of a non-bailable warrant against___Lalit Modi. 28. Who has won the gold medal in men's trap event at the 60th National Shooting Championship for Shotgun in Jaipur____ Manavjit Singh Sandhu. 29. Indian golfer has won 2016 BANK BRI-JCB Open______Gaganjeet Bhullar.  Indian professional golfer has won the $300,000 BANK BRI-JCB Indonesia Open for the 2nd time.

30. Who has won the 2016 Davis Cup tennis tournament ____ Argentina.  The Argentina Davis Cup team has won the 2016 edition of Davis Cup tennis tournament by defeating Croatia in the final by 3-2 in Zagreb, Croatia. It is their first Davis Cup title.

31. Indian snooker has won bronze at IBSF World Snooker Championship 2016____ Pankaj Advani.  Advani is the only player in the world to compete at the world championship level in both sports and be successful in all the formats of both billiards and snooker.

32. Head of the newly constituted committee of chief ministers on demonetization _____ N Chandrababu. 33. Who has won the 2016 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix____ Lewis Hamilton.  A British Formula One racing driver from England Lewis Hamilton has won the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

34. Who has become the third Indian boxer ever to bag gold at the AIBA Youth World Championships___Sachin Singh.  Sachin recorded a stunning unanimous victory over Cuban national champion Jorge Grinan at St Peterburg, Russia.  Earlier, Naman Tanwar (91 kg) had settled for a bronze after losing in the semifinal.

Best wishes for your exams!

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