WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEKS 31/52 & 32/52 (30 JULY – 12 AUG 2017)
1. RBI released 3rd Bi-Monthly Policy Statements – Reduced Key Policy Rates by 25 bps (a) On 02 Aug 2017, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) chaired by RBI Governor Urjit Patel released 3rd Bi- Monthly Policy Statements for the FY 2017-18 to be effective for the periods between 01 August and 30 Sept 2017. (b) The Repo Rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) was reduced by 25 bps from 6.25 % to 6 % and accordingly Reverse Repo Rate under LAF adjusted at 5.75 % from 6.00 % by reducing 25 bps. (c) The current Repo Rate is the lowest in 7 years since November 2010 and the RBI had last cut the key policy rates in October 2016. (d) Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate, the Rate at which Banks borrows Overnight Funds from RBI against Approved Government Securities has been reduced by 25 bps and adjusted to 6.25 %. (e) In lines with the Rate cut, Bank Rate, the Long Tern Borrowing Rate of RBI has also been adjusted to 6.25 % by reducing 25 bps from 6.50 %. (f) CRR as Reserve Requirement for Scheduled Banks remained unchanged at 4 % of the Net Demand and Time Liability (NDTL) since 09 Feb 2013. (g) Other Reserve Requirement for Commercial Banks including Regional Rural Banks, Payment Bank and Small Finance Bank i. e. SLR has been retained (no change) at 20 %. The SLR was last reduced by 0.50 % (50 bps) to 20.00 % effecting from the fortnight commencing 24 June 2017. (h) It is to note that, according to Section 24 and Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, all Commercial Banks, Cooperative Banks (Primary Urban, State and Central Cooperative Banks) including Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks are required to maintain SLR Holdings of Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL).
2. RBI to form Panel for Setting up of Public Credit Registry (a) On 02 Aug 2017, the RBI has announced to set up a Task Force to provide a Roadmap for Development of a Database of Credit Information for India known as “Public Credit Registry” that is accessible to all Stakeholders. (b) The Taskforce will evaluate the existing Public and Private Infrastructure for Credit Information, Assess any Data Gaps, Study the best International Practices and provide any roadmap for Development of near Real time Public Credit Registry of India. (c) Main aim of setting up of the Public Credit Registry is to improve transparency in Credit Markets and to facilitate better early Intervention as well as Risk-Based Counter Cyclical Provisioning. (d) The Public Credit Registry will also improve Credit Assessment by Financial Lenders to make Credit Market more efficient. (e) Presently, there are four Credit Bureaus or Credit Information Companies namely CIBIL, Equifax, Experian and CRIF Highmark in India, which are regulated by RBI under Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 (CICRA 2005). (f) It is to note that, the RBI has created Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) to cater to the supervisory needs by tracking large exposures under which it maintains a Database through a comprehensive Basic Statistical Return (BSR-1) with Current Account level information on Large Credits.
3. Union Finance Ministry extended the deadline for Linking Aadhaar with PAN to 31 August (a) On 31 July 2017, the Union Finance Ministry has extended the deadline for Tax Payers for linking Aadhaar Number with the PAN Card till 31 August 2017. Earlier, the deadline was till 31 July 2017. (b) The Union Ministry also extended the deadline for Filling of Income Tax Return till 5 August 2017 instead the standard procedure of 31 July 2017. (c) Further, it has said that the Returns will not be processed until these two numbers are linked. (d) As per earlier guidelines, the linking of Aadhaar Number with the Permanent Account Number of a taxpayer was made mandatory for the filing of an ITR beginning 01 July 2017.
4. RBI constituted Internal Study Group to study various aspects of MCLR System (a) On 02 July 2017, the RBI constituted an Internal Study Group to study various aspects of the MCLR system from the perspective of improving the Monetary Transmission and exploring linking of the Bank Lending Rates directly to Market Determined Benchmarks. (b) The Marginal Cost of Funds Based Lending Rate (MCLR) system introduced in April 2016 for improving the Monetary Transmission and an advance over the Base Rate system. (c) The MCLR is applicable to all Scheduled Commercial Banks only for a short term borrowing of tenor less than one year and Bank calculates all operating cost as a percentage of Marginal Cost of Funds for computing MCLR. (d) The Group will submit the report by 31 September 2017.
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
5. Lok Sabha passed Bill to Raise NABARD’s Capital to Rs. 30,000 crore (a) On 3 Aug 2017, the Lok Sabha passed the NABARD (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to enable exit of RBI from NABARD’s Shareholdings and increase its Authorised Capital six times to Rs. 30,000 crore. (b) The Bill is considered as a major step towards Doubling Farmers Income by 2022. (c) The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is a premier Organisation established in 1982 following the recommendation of Shivaraman Committee.
6. Venkaiah Naidu elected as 13th Vice-President of India (a) On 4 Aug 2017, NDA Nominee and former Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu elected as the 13th Vice-President of India defeating UPA candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi. (b) He will replace the incumbent Hamid Ansari, who was in his second term since 7 August 2012 and was re- elected during the 2012 Vice-Presidential Poll against NDA Nominee Jaswant Singh. (c) The Vice-President of India is the second highest Constitutional Office Bearer after President. (d) Article 63 of the Constitution of India provides that “there shall be a Vice-President of India”. (e) The Vice-President of India is also the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. (f) Further, the Vice-Presidential election lie with the Election Commission of India as per the Article 324 of the Constitution of India read in-conjunction with the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974 i.e. the Responsibility of the Superintendence, Direction and Control given to the Election Commission of India.
7. Economist Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog (a) On 5 Aug 2017, the Union Government appointed Economist Rajiv Kumar as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog. (b) Rajiv Kumar will replace Arvind Panagariya who had resigned from his post on 01 August. He was appointed to the post in January 2015 when NITI Aayog was formed. (c) Dr. Vinod Paul of AIIMS has also been appointed as a full time member in the NITI Aayog.
8. Mandatory of Aadhaar Card for Registration of Death (a) On 4 Aug 2017, the Union Government made Aadhaar Number or Enrolment Id Number mandatory for issuance of Death Certificates. (b) The new rule will come into effect from 01 October 2017 and will be applicable for the residents of all states except J & K, Assam and Meghalaya. (c) The use of Aadhaar Number for the applicants of Death Certificate will result in ensuring Accuracy of the details provided by the Relatives, Dependents, and Acquaintances of the Deceased and will also provide an effective method to prevent Identity Fraud.
9. Nepal to host BIMSTEC Meeting in August 2017 (a) On 11 May 2017, the Kathmandu City in Nepal hosted 4th edition of BIMSTEC Summit, 2017 attended by seven member countries to review the progress made by the group and to recommend future course of action to strengthen Regional Cooperation among the group. (b) BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. (c) The BIMSTEC is the Sub-Regional Group of seven countries in South Asia and South East Asia located in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. (d) It was constituted on 6 June 1997 and its headquarters is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (e) Member Countries of BIMSTEC are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka (South Asian Countries) and South East Asian Countries are Myanmar and Thailand.
10. WPI Base Year revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 (a) On 4 Aug 2017, the Union Government announced the revision of the Base Year to calculate the All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from 2004-05 to 2011-12. (b) The new series of WPI will take effective from April 2017. (c) The revision of Base Year has been aligned with the Base Year of other Macro-Economic Indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Index of Industrial Production (IIP). (d) Further, the number of items in the basket has been increased from 676 to 697. (e) The WPI is the price of a representative basket of wholesale goods and is a measure of Inflation.
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
11. Mohammad Mustafa appointed as new CMD of SIDBI (a) On 4 Aug 2017, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Mohammad Mustafa as new Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for a period of three years. (b) Prior to his new appointment, he was working as Joint Secretary in Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance. (c) He will succeed the incumbent Kshatrapati Shivaji. (d) Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) was set up on 2 April 1990 as an Independent Specialised Financial Institution aimed to aid the Growth and Development of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSME) in India following the enactment of SIDBI Act, 1989. (e) The headquarters of SIDBI is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. (f) The SIDBI has various subsidiaries such as Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), SIDBI Venture Capital Limited, Rating Agency for SME – SMERA and SME Asset Reconstruction Company (ISARC).
12. MobiKwik and Bajaj Finance to launch India’s first Debit-Credit Mobile Wallet (a) On 4 Aug 2017, Payment System and Digital Wallet Services provider MobiKwik has tied up with Bajaj Finance Limited to launch India’s first Debit and Credit Digital Wallet. (b) The Digital Debit and Credit Wallet will enable the customers to avail instant purchases and payment options via a Credit facility through the Application. (c) MobiKwik is an Indian Company based at Gurgaon, New Delhi founded in 2009 that provides Mobile Phone based Payment System.
13. Christopher Wray appointed as new Director of USA’s Domestic Intelligence Agency FBI (a) On 3 Aug 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Christopher Wray as the new Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation – the United States of America’s Domestic Intelligence Agency. (b) He will was succeed James Comey. (c) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), formerly known as the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) is the Domestic Intelligence and Security Service of the United States and its Principal Federal Law Enforcement Agency.
14. Hassan Rouhani appointed as Iran’s President for Second Term (a) On 5 Aug 2017, Hassan Rouhani officially sworn-in as the President of Iran for a second year term. (b) He had won the Presidential Election in May 2017 defeating his political contender Ebrahim Raeisi. (c) He was first elected as the President of Iran in 2013.
15. Union Cabinet constituted BN Srikrishna Panel to Study “Issues related to Data Protection” (a) On 31 Jul 2017, the Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) constituted a ten member Expert Committee to “Study and Identify Key Data Protection Issue”. (b) The Committee is headed by Retired Supreme Court Justice BN Krishna. (c) The Committee will study and identify key Data Protection issues, Recommend methods for addressing them and to suggest a Draft Data Protection Bill with a view to “Privacy Rights in terms of Aadhaar Data”. (d) The Committee will redefine the mechanism as envisages under the Article 21 to the Indian Constitution, which defines that Protection of Life and Personal Liberty wherein it is given that “No Person shall be deprived of his Life or Personal Liberty except according to procedure established by Law”.
16. Medical Devices to carry MRP on Packs effecting from 01 January 2018 (a) On 01 Aug 2017, the Union Government has announced that the Medical Devices such as Heart Valves, Surgical Dressings, Condoms, Stents, Disposable Hypodermic Syringes and Orthopedic Implants will have to mandatorily carry Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on Packages effecting from 01 January 2018. (b) The Union Government has made such decision following the amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. (c) Under the amended rule, it has envisaged that, every Package must bear the Name, Address, Telephone Number, E-mail of Persons or of Office that can be contacted in case of Consumer Complaints. The amended rules shall be applicable to e-Commerce Companies also.
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
17. NOTA to be applicable for Gujarat Rajya Sabha Elections for the first time (a) On 3 Aug 2017, the Supreme Court has refused to stay the Poll Panel’s Notification allowing “None of the Above (NOTA)” provision in the upcoming Rajya Sabha Polls in Gujarat. (b) The Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra has issued such order in retaliation to a petition filed by the Gujarat Congress. (c) It is to note that, the direction to have NOTA in the Elections was enforced in January 2014 after the Supreme Court in 2013 made it mandatory to have the option in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
18. SEBI constituted K Viswanathan Committee on “Fair Market Conduct” (a) On 01 Aug 2017, the Security Market Regulator SEBI has constituted a high level committee headed by TK Viswanathan on ”Fair Market Conduct” and to Suggest Measures to Curb Market Manipulation and Insider Trading. (b) The Committee also comprises representatives of Law Firms, Mutual Funds, Brokers, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) and Stock Exchanges. (c) The Committee has been tasked with suggesting improvements to the existing SEBI norms including on Insider Trading and Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices (FUTP). (d) Insider Trading is defined as a Malpractice wherein Trade of a Company's Securities is undertaken by people who by virtue of their work have access to the otherwise Non-Public Information which can be crucial for making Investment decisions.
19. LPG Prices to increase Rs. 4 every Month and Subsidies to be stopped by March 2018 (a) On 31 Jul 2017 the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has authorised the PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to continue the effective price of Subsidised Domestic LPG by Rs. 4 per Cylinder per month excluding VAT/GST effecting from 01 June 2017 in order to finally eliminate subsidies by March 2018. However, Post-GST, a 5 % Tax was levied on subsidised LPG. (b) Further, the Ministry has also asked State Oil Companies to increase the prices of subsidised Kerosene by 25 paise every month to completely do away with the subsidy on the fuel.
20. Paris to host Olympic in 2024 and Loss Angeles in 2028 (a) On 31 Jul 2017, Lausanne, Switzerland based International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the bid of Paris to host the Summer Olympics in 2014 and Los Angeles bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2028. (b) The Paris had hosted the game for the first time in 1932 and Los Angeles had hosted the Summer Olympics for the third time in 1984. (c) The 2020 edition of Summer Olympics will be hosted in Tokyo, Japan.
21. Dhirendra Swarup appointed as new Chairman of BSE (a) On 1 Aug 2017, the Capital and Stock Market Regulator SEBI has appointed Dhirendra Swarup as the new Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). (b) He will replace the incumbent Chairman Sudhakar Rao. (c) Prior to his new post, Dhirendra Swarup was working as Public Interest Director at the BSE.
22. Aadhaar-PAN linking extended from 05 August till 31 August 2017 (a) On 31 July 2017, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has extended the last date for tax-payers to link their respective Aadhaar Cards to PAN Database till 31 August 2017 instead of earlier deadline was till 31 July 2017. (b) Further the Apex Board for Direct Taxes has notified that the Process for Income Tax Return shall begin once the Aadhaar-PAN linking is completed.
23. RBI imposed Rs. 10 million Penalties on Union Bank of India for Non-Compliance of KYC (a) On 26 July 2017, the RBI imposed a Monetary Penalty of Rs. 10 million (1 crore Rupees) on Union Bank for Non- Compliance with the directions issued by the RBI on Know Your Customers (KYC) norms. (b) This Penalty has been imposed in Exercise of Powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47A (1) (c) read in conjunction with Section 46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, taking into account on “Failure of the Bank” to adhere to certain directions issued by RBI with regards to KYC-Compliance. (c) It is to note that, the RBI had received a complaint regarding huge Cash Withdrawals from few accounts maintained with the Union Bank of India and following the examination of documentary evidence, the Union Bank of India was issued a Show Cause Notice as to “why penalty should not be imposed for Non-Compliance with directions issued by RBI”. After considering the Bank’s reply, RBI came to the conclusion that the aforesaid charge of Non- Compliance with RBI directions was substantiated and warranted imposition of Monetary Penalty.
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
24. India topped the list of Digital Evolution Index, 2017 (a) India has been ranked first among the 60 countries in the Digital Evolution Index, 2017 released by Tufts University in partnership with MasterCard. (b) Norway has been ranked as 2nd followed by Sweden and Switzerland. (c) The ranking of countries was prepared based on potential of Digital Payments based on four parameters such as Supply, Consumer Demand, Institutional Environment and Innovation.
25. Sanjaya Baru appointed as new Secretary General of FICCI (a) On 01 Aug 2017, Sanjaya Baru appointed as the new Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) effecting from 01 September 2017. (b) He will succeed A Didar Singh, who will complete his five year term on 31 Aug 2017. (c) Pankaj Patel is currently holding the post of President of FICCI. (d) FICCI is an association of Business Organisations in India established in 1927 with headquarters in New Delhi.
26. World Day against Trafficking in Persons observed on 30 July (a) On 30 July 2017, United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons was observed across the world. (b) The day was observed to raise awareness of the plight of Human Trafficking victims and promote and protect their rights. (c) The theme of World Day against Trafficking in Persons, 2017 was “Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons”.
27. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi appointed as new Prime Minister of Pakistan (a) The Pakistan National Assembly elected Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) Nominee Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. (b) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has succeeded Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after found Guilty of Corruption Charges in the Panama Papers Case and was removed from his post on 28 July 2017. (c) The Panama Papers Case or the Panama Gate Case was a Legal Case under hearing before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 11.5 million leaked documents involving Nawaz Sharif, his family and eight Offshore Companies for the charges of Money Laundering, Fraud, Tax Evasion and Corruption which was leaked in 2015 by an anonymous source.
28. Justice Dipak Misra appointed as the new and next CJI (a) The Union Cabinet approved the appointment of Justice Dipak Misra as the new and 45th Chief Justice of India. (b) He will succeed the incumbent and 44th CJI Justice JS Khehar who is retiring on 27 August 2017.
29. ICICI Bank launched India’s first Instant Credit Card Service (a) On 9 Aug 2017, largest Private Sector Bank ICICI Bank launched India’s first Instant Credit Card Services enabling its Savings Bank Customers to get a Credit Card instantly. (b) The Digital and Paperless Service will be available round the clock on all days through Bank’s Internet Banking Platform with a Credit Limit of Rs. 4 lakhs based pre-checked Bureau Scores.
30. Rajya Sabha passed Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (a) On 10 Aug 2017, Rajya Sabha passed Banking Regulator (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which will empower the RBI to deal with the Stressed Assets in the Banking Sector which is currently estimated at Rs. 8 lakh crores. (b) The Bill is aimed to amend the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and will replace the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which was promoted on 4 May 2017 to address the NPA issues. (c) It is to note that, in June 2017, the RBI had identified 12 large Loan Defaulters which account around 25 % of India’s NPAs and had informed concerning Banks to take up Insolvency Proceedings against them under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
31. India ranked 43rd in 2017 Global Retirement Index – Norway topped the Index (a) India has been ranked 43rd position in the 2017 edition of Global retirement Index released by the French Asset Management Company Natixis Global. (b) The Index was prepared taking 43 Countries worldwide on the basis of four factors such as Material Well-being, Finances, Health and Quality of Life. (c) The Global retirement Index, 2017 has been topped by Norway followed by Switzerland and Iceland in second and third positions respectively.
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
32. David Rasquinha appointed as the new Managing Director of Exim Bank (a) On 11 Aug 2017, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved David Rasquinha’s appointment as the Managing Director of EXIM Bank for a period of three years. (b) He will replace Yeduvendra Mathur who was working as the Managing Director since 20 February 2014. (c) At present, David Rasquinha is working as the Deputy Managing Director of the Export Import Bank. (d) Export Import Bank of India is the premier Export Finance Institution in India established on 01 January 1982 under Export Import Bank of India Act, 1981. Its headquarters is located in Mumbai.
33. Dilip Asbe appointed as Acting CEO of NPCI (a) Dilip Asbe has been appointed as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of National Payments Corporation of India. (b) He will replace AP Hota, the founding MD & CEO of NPCI, who is retiring on 10 August 2017. (c) Currently, Dilip Asbe is working as Chief Operating Officer of NPCI.
34. Prasoon Joshi appointed as new Chairperson of CBFC replacing Pahlaj Nihalani (a) On 11 Aug 2017, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting appointed Prasoon Joshi as the new Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a period of three years with immediate effect following the incumbent Chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani was removed from his post. (b) Pahlaj Nihalani was appointed to the post in January 2015 and his term was till January 2018. (c) The appointment of Prasoon Joshi was in lines with the powers conferred by Section 3 (1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 read with Rule 3 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983.
35. Norway has world’s Fastest Mobile Internet (a) According to the report released by the Global Broadband Testing Ookla, Norway has the fastest Mobile Internet in the World. (b) The Netherlands and Hungary has been ranked second and third on the list of the world’s fastest mobile networks. (c) Ookla is a Global Standard Testing Laboratory for Internet Metrics founded in 2006 based at Washington DC.
36. India INX received final approval from SEBI to commence Trading in Gold Options Contracts (a) India International Exchange (India INX) has received final approval from the Security Market Regulator SEBI to commence trading in Gold Options Contracts effecting from 30 August 2017. (b) The India INX is a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and is located at the International Financial Services Centre at Gift City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
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WEEKLY OBJECTIVE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ON CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEKS 31/52 & 32/52 (30 JULY – 12 AUGUST 2017)
1. Name the Indian Airport which became the 1st in the World to be completely powered by Solar Energy? (1) Mumbai Airport (2) Cochin Airport (3) Hyderabad Airport (4) New Delhi Airport (5) None
2. Recently, the Union Government has approved a Proposal to rename which among the following Railway Station in India as Deen Dayal Upadhaya Railway Station? (1) Lucknow (2) Raipur (3) Jhansi (4) Mughalsarai (5) Varanasi
3. Ankur Mittal was recently in news to win an Individual Gold in Men’s event. He is associated with ____? (1) Golf (2) Swimming (3) Shooting (4) Athletics (5) None of these
4. Who is the Author of “The Casual Vacancy”? (1) JK Rowling (2) Daniel Radcliffe (3) Emma Watson (4) Jorge Arantes (5) Rupert Grint
5. Recently, the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) has launched “Agri Udaan” Programme, under which selected Start-ups will be trained to develop Innovative Agriculture Products. The Research Institute is located in which place? (1) Noida, UP (2) Hyderabad (3) Nagpur (4) Thiruvananthapuram (5) Varanasi
6. Recently, Harmanpreet Kaur appointed as Deputy Superintendent in the Punjab State Police under Sports Quota. She is associated with Sports/Game? (1) Hockey (2) Athletics (3) Shooting (4) Badminton (5) Cricket
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
7. Recently, eminent Instrumentalist Ustad Hussain Sayeeduddin Dagar passed away. He was associated with which among the following Instrument/profession? (1) Sitar (2) Veena (3) Sarod (4) Classical Vocalist (5) Folk Music/Thumri
8. “Pandavani” is a Folk Singing style popularly observed in which among the following State? (1) Chhattisgarh (2) Madhya Pradesh (3) Assam (4) Mizoram (5) Manipur
9. Recently, which State Government has passed a Legislative Bill to reclassify Coconut as a Tree ensuring its legal protection? (1) Haryana (2) Andhra Pradesh (3) Kerala (4) Goa (5) None of these
10. “Yudh Abhyas” is a Joint Military Exercise is set to be conducted in September 2017 between India and which among the following Country? (1) USA (2) France (3) Russia (4) Japan (5) Nepal
11. Which Country harbours the headquarters of International Astronomical Union (IAU)? (1) Russia (2) Japan (3) France (4) USA (5) None of these
12. Recently, BitBay, one of the top ten Crypto-Currency Trading Platforms in the World has launched a dedicated platform for Trade and Exchange of Digital Currencies such as Bitcoins and Litecoin in India. The headquarters of International Bitcoin Exchange BitBay is located in which country? (1) Norway (2) Poland (3) Switzerland (4) USA (5) China
13. On which date, World Biofuel Day is observed across the world? (1) 11 August (2) 8 August (3) 13 August (4) 10 August (5) None of these
14. Name the place where Chitkara University is located? (1) Hyderabad (2) Chennai (3) Punjab (4) Raipur (5) None of these
15. Name the Online Social Media and Social Networking Services Site recently launched Video Platform named as “Watch”? (1) YouTube (2) Hike (3) Facebook (4) WhatsApp (5) OneNote
16. On which date, the World Elephant Day is observed across the globe? (1) 10 August (2) 12 August (3) 11 August (4) 9 August (5) None of these
17. Name the State Government which has recently partnered with Facebook to launch “SheMeansBusiness” Programme to train women Entrepreneurs and Self Help Group (SHG) members on Digital Marketing Skills? (1) Tamil Nadu (2) Haryana (3) Madhya Pradesh (4) Odisha (5) Uttar Pradesh
18. Recently, the fiction “The Obelisk Gate” won the Hugo Award for Best Novel for the year 2017. Who is the Author of the Fiction? (1) Nora K Jemisin (2) Dan Brown (3) Ken Follett (4) Paulo Coelho (5) James Patterson
19. India’s first Aviation University to be inaugurated in which State? (1) Maharashtra (2) Karnataka (3) Uttar Pradesh (4) Tamil Nadu (5) Telengana
20. Rogers Cup is associated which Game/Sports? (1) Football (2) Tennis (3) Badminton (4) Shooting (5) None of these
21. The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is an Indian Think-tank and one of the National Social Science Research Institutes that focuses on Public Policies. It is located in which place? (1) Hyderabad (2) New Delhi (3) Bengaluru (4) Kolkata (5) None of these
22. “Zamato” is an International Online Service provider for ______? (Choose most appropriate option) (1) Online Restaurant Search (2) Online Bill Payment Services (3) Credit Card Services (4) Online Loan provider (5) Online Expedia
23. Where is the headquarters of Citibank – A Financial Services Multinational Group? (1) Mexico (2) Russia (3) UAE (4) India (5) None of these
24. Buenos Aires is the Capital City of ______? (1) Poland (2) Jamaica (3) Mexico (4) Argentina (5) None of these
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WEEKLY UPDATED CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR WEEK 31/52 & 32/52
25. During the 3rd Bi-Monthly Policy Statement review, the Reverse Repo Rate under LAF fixed at ______? (1) 5.75 % (2) 6.00 % (3) 6.25 % (4) 5.50 % (5) None of these
26. Who has been appointed as the new Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog recently? (1) Vinod Paul (2) Vijay Mathur (3) Rajiv Kumar (4) Manish Mishra (5) None of these
27. Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the Aadhaar Card mandatory for issuance of Death Certificate. This new rule will be effective from ______? (1) 01 Dec 2017 (2) 01 Jan 2018 (3) 01 Oct 2017 (4) 01 Aug 2017 (5) None of these
28. Which among the following Country is not a member of BIMSTEC Group? (1) Sri Lanka (2) Malaysia (3) Thailand (4) Bangladesh (5) India
29. Which among the following is the measure of Inflation in India? (1) CPI (2) GDP (3) PPI (4) WPI (5) None of these
30. Who has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of SIDBI recently? (1) Rajiv Kumar (2) Mohammad Mustafa (3) Rajiv Jain (4) Vishal Chander (5) None of these
31. Recently, the Bajaj Finance Limited along with which Digital Payment Service Firm has tied up to launch India’s first Debit-Credit Digital Wallet? (1) Reliance Jio (2) Justrechargeit (3) PayTm (4) MobiKwik (5) None of these
32. Recently, the Union Government has constituted the expert committee to study Issues related to Privacy Data Protection under the chairmanship of ______? (1) Ashish Mathur (2) BN Krishna (3) BN Srikrishna (4) Rajiv Goel (5) TK Viswanathan
33. As per the Union Government’s guidelines, all medical devices to carry MRP on Packages from ______? (1) 01 Oct 2017 (2) 01 Jan 2018 (3) 01 Apr 2018 (4) 01 Dec 2017 (5) None of these
34. Recently, the SEBI has constituted a high level committee to suggest measures on Fair Market Conduct under the chairmanship of ______? (1) Ashish Mathur (2) BN Krishna (3) BN Srikrishna (4) Rajiv Goel (5) TK Viswanathan
35. Which Country has been awarded to host the Summer Olympics in 2024? (1) France (2) Japan (3) USA (4) Brazil (5) None of these
36. Who has been appointed as new Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)? (1) Vikram Limaye (2) Dhirendra Swarup (3) Sudhakar Rao (4) Sanjay Baru (5) None of these
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ANSWER KEYS TO WEEKLY OBJECTIVE MCQs ON CURRENT AFFAIRS: FOR WEEKS 31/52 & 32/52 (30 JULY – 12 AUGUST 2017)
Q. NO. ANSWER Q. NO. ANSWER Q. NO. ANSWER Q. NO. ANSWER 1. 2 2. 4 3. 3 4. 1 5. 2 6. 5 7. 4 8. 1 9. 4 10. 1 11. 3 12. 2 13. 4 14. 3 15. 3 16. 2 17. 4 18. 1 19. 3 20. 2 21. 2 22. 1 23. 5 24. 4 25. 1 26. 3 27. 3 28. 2 29. 4 30. 2 31. 4 32. 3 33. 2 34. 5 35. 1 36. 2
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