OCTOBERTHIRD WEEK Q1.The Sampoorna Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana was launched recently by the Union Minister for Communications ? Manoj Sinha 1. Communications Minister Manoj Sinha launched the Sampoorna Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana and an initiative for expansion of clientele base of Postal Life Insurance (PLI). 2. Under the scheme for expansion of PLI, benefits of Postal Life Insurance (PLI) will no more be confined to government and semi-government employees, but will also be available to professionals such as doctors, engineers, management consultants, charted accountants, architects, lawyers, bankers etc. 3. Under the Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana, at least one village having a minimum of 100 households will be identified in each of the revenue districts of the country. Q2.Who is the present Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar islands? Admiral DK Joshi 1. Lt. Governor of A&N Devendra Kumar Joshi has launched ‘Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana’ at DBRAIT auditorium in Port Blair. 2. ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ celebration coordination with the A&N State Social Welfare Board culminated with a valedictory function. 3. ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ Abhiyan has been implemented keeping in mind the need for the upliftment of girl child and women empowerment which was initiated under the aegis of three Ministries. Q3.The world’s largest combustion research centre has inaugurated in which IIT institute? IIT Madras 1. The world’s largest combustion research center was inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) in Tamil Nadu. The National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) was inaugurated by NITI Aayog member VK Saraswat. http://www.currentaffairsfunda.com/ 2. It will provide an impetus to research in 'Alternative Energy and Environmental Protection' by focusing on effective utilisation of combustion as a means of thermo-chemical energy conversion. Q4.Which of the following has become the first Indian Oil Marketing Company (OMC) to launch lubricants in Myanmar? Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) 1. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has become the first Oil Marketing Company (OMC) from India to mark its presence in the lubricant market in Myanmar and to lend more visibility and awareness to the brand. 2. Having achieved the number one position in the domestic market, HP Lubricants sought to prove itself in foreign shore by venturing into Myanmar. 3. Mr. M K Surana is the present Chairman & Managing Director of HPCL. Q5.The joint training exercise “Mitra Shakti 2017” has started between India and which country? Sri Lanka 1. The fifth India-Sri Lanka Joint Training Exercise (JTE) MITRA SHAKTI 2017 started with a grand Opening Ceremony conducted at Aundh Military Station, Pune. 2. The 14 Day exercise is based on Counter Terrorist Operations and an Infantry company from both the countries is participating in the same. 3. General Bipin Rawat is the 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army. 4. Nirmala Sitharaman is the Present Defence Minister of India. Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Currency: Sri Lankan rupee Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe Q6.The US and Israel have announced to withdraw from the UNESCO. The cultural organisation is headquartered in______ Paris 1. The US and Israel announced their withdrawal from the UN’s cultural agency UNESCO after Washington accused it of anti-Israeli bias. 2. The withdrawal of the United States, which is meant to provide a fifth of Unesco’s funding, is a major blow for the Paris-based organization. 3. UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites such as the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria and the Grand Canyon National Park. Irina Bokova is the Present Director-General of UNESCO. http://www.currentaffairsfunda.com/ Q7.Which state assembly has become the first in India to call motions online? Rajasthan 1. Going digital, the Rajasthan assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators to send them to the state government. 2. The system is expected to save time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, and also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues. Kalyan Singh is the present Governor of Rajasthan. Q8.Which of the following is the newest anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette commissioned into the Indian Navy recently? INS Kiltan 1. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has commissioned an indigenously- built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. 2. This is the third of the four Kamorta-class corvettes being built under Project 28. 3. INS Kiltan has been designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organization Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata. 4. Kiltan is the latest indigenous warship after Shivalik class, Kolkata class and sister ships. Admiral Sunil Lanba is present Navy chief. Q9.The island nation of Vanuatu has announced to accept payments in Bitcoin for its citizenship program. The capital city of Vanuatu is _____ Port Vila 1. The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has become host to the world’s first government to accept bitcoin in exchange for citizenship. 2. The Chairman of the Vanuatu Information Center (VIC)– which oversees Vanuatu citizenship applications - Geoffrey Bond, had sent an official request earlier this month seeking permission to accept bitcoin as a form of payment. Capital: Port Vila Currency: Vanuatu vatu President: Tallis Obed Moses http://www.currentaffairsfunda.com/ Q10.Who is the youngest Indian actor to have his statue at the Madame Tussauds museum ? Varun Dhawan 1. Actor Varun Dhawan will get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, making him the youngest Indian actor to have his statue at the museum. 2. Varun Dhawan had made his acting debut with 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year 3. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France. Q11.Which country is hosting the 6th annual LNG Producers Consumer Conference – 2017? Japan 1. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is on a three- day visit to Japan to participate in the 6th annual LNG Producers Consumer Conference. 2. The visit is important to enhance the bilateral engagements in the Oil and Gas sectors within the overall framework of India-Japan Energy Dialogue. 3. Energy Ministers from Qatar, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Japan and other leading hydrocarbon experts will participate in the Conference. Capital: Tokyo Currency: Japanese yen Prime minister: Shinzō Abe Q12.India’s first-ever All India Institute of Ayurveda has come up in which city? New Delhi 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi, on the occasion of the 2nd Ayurveda Day. 2. It is the first institute under the Ministry of AYUSH with a National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation. The institute will have separate Yoga, Panchakarma, and Kriya Kalpa units . Shripad Yasso Naik is the Minister of AYUSH. Q13.The AYUSH Festival of Stamps 2017 has started in which city? Panaji 1. The AYUSH Festival of Stamps 2017 has been inaugurated the two days exhibition event at Maquinez Palace, Panaji. http://www.currentaffairsfunda.com/ 2. The event jointly organised by the Goa Postal Region, Indian postal department, and the ministry of AYUSH. 3. The objective of the first-of-its-kind festival is to promote healthy hobbies such as stamp collection among students and healthy lifestyle habits. Q14.__________ has launched a programme, Prerna, to empower women working in the agriculture sector by promoting efficient and ergonomic farm tools and equipment. Mahindra & Mahindra 1. Mahindra & Mahindra has launched a program, Prerna, to empower women working in the agriculture sector by promoting efficient and ergonomic farm tools and equipment. 2. The project will be initially launched in the state of Odisha, with the intention to positively impact the lives of over 1,500 families across 30- plus villages. 3. The first project under Prerna is a collaboration between Mahindra & Mahindra, the Central Institution for Women in Agriculture (CIWA), a department of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Q15.Which e-commerce company has tied up with Union Ministry of Textile to promote handloom industry? Myntra 1. E-commerce major Myntra launched its CSR initiative in association with the Union Textile Ministry, to work directly with weavers and elevate their economic stature. 2. With an initiative to uplift the handloom products in India, the company (Myntra) is committing itself along with some of its partner brands to bring artisans and their products online, providing them access to new customers and opportunities. Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani is the Minister of Textiles of India. Q16.What does NIIF stands for? National Investment and Infrastructure Fund 1. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India has signed an investment agreement worth $1 billion with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). 2. The government has set up NIIF with the aim to attract investments from both domestic and international sources for infrastructure development in commercially viable projects. 3. As part of the comprehensive partnership agreement, ADIA will become the first institutional investor in NIIF’s Master Fund and a shareholder in National Investment and Infrastructure Limited, the NIIF’s investment management company. http://www.currentaffairsfunda.com/ Sujoy Bose is the CEO of NIIF. Q17.Who is the author of the book “Beyond the Dream Girl”? Ram Kamal Mukherjee 1. Actress Deepika Padukone launched Hema Malini's biography 'Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl' on the occasion of Hema's 69th birthday. 2. The biography has been penned by journalist turned writer Ram Kamal Mukherjee.