28th April 2015 Daily Current Affairs Updates

1) Parliament passed amendment to Regional Rural Banks Bill:

--> A bill to amend the Regional Rural Banks Act was passed by Parliament on 28 April 2015, with government saying it was necessary to empower such financial institutions  which are the "jewel in the crown" of the country's financial system.

--> The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which got the assent of the Rajya Sabha by voice vote on 28 April 2015, seeks to help Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) raise  their authorised capital and will enable them to mop up funds from capital market to help strengthen them.

--> Lok Sabha had earlier passed the Bill in December last.

2) Parliament passed Payments and Settlement Bill, 2014:

--> Parliament has passed Payments and Settlement Bill, 2014.

--> It was first passed in Lok Sabha on December 9, 2014 and later in Rajya Sabha on April 27, 2015.

--> The bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

3) Raja Rajeswari is New York's first Indian-American woman judge:

--> Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari has been sworn-in as a criminal court judge in New York by Mayor Bill de Blasio, becoming the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in New York City.

--> Ms. Rajeswari took the oath of office at a ceremony in New York City along with 27 other judges appointed earlier this month to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are part of the New York State Unified Court System.

--> The mayor appoints judges to 10-year terms in the New York City Criminal Court and the Family Court within the city. 

4) Indigenous cryogenic engine tested successfully by ISRO:

--> Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine.

--> The powerful version of the cryogenic engine was tested successfully at ISRO’s propulsion complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

--> This engine will allow launch vehicles to carry satellites of up to capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit.

--> It will also give boost to India’s interplanetary probes and manned space missions.

5) Novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won Commonwealth Short Story Prize:

--> Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo has won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia region for "Umbrella Man", a tale of surreal meditation on mental health and the environment, organisers said.

--> Born in Srinagar in 1974, Gigoo's first novel "The Garden of Solitude" was first published in 2011. He has also written two poetry books, "Fall and Other Poems" (1994) and "Reflections" (1995).

6) Narendra Modi the 3rd most followed world leader on Twitter:

--> US President Barack Obama is still by far the most followed world leader on Twitter, but Pope Francis is considered the most influential by the number of his messages retweeted.

--> The annual Twiplomacy analysis of Twitter accounts released Tuesday by PR firm Burson-Marsteller shows nearly 57 million people following Obama.

--> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nearly 11 million followers (3rd most followed).

7) Railways won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship:

--> Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) on 28 April 2015 won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship 2015.

--> In the final match played in Pune, Maharashtra, Railways defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey (UPH) by 5-3.

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Daily GK Updates: 28 April 2015

) The book titled ‘Forge Your Future’ has been authored by? - Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 

2) The preamble to our Constitution proclaims that ‘We the people of India have established? - A Sovereign, Socialistic, Secular, Democratic, Republic

3) Which gas reacts with hydrocarbon to create smog? - Nitrogen dioxide

4) Delhi was made Union territory in which year? - 1956

5) Which principle states that when a body is partially or totally immersed in a fluid, it experiences an upward thrust equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it? - Archimedes

6) The liquid drops or gas bubbles are always spherical due to? - Surface tension

7) Arakan Yoma is the extension of the Himalayas located in? - Myanmar

8) After the transfer of power to British crown, who was appointed the first Viceroy of India? - Lord Curzon

9) Who is the author of the book ‘Imaging India’? - Nandan Nilekani

10) Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe human disease and has been declared as ‘Global Health Emergency’ by WHO. Ebola virus takes its name from a? - River in democratic republic in congo

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 27 April 2015

1) Afghan President arrived in India on 3-day visit:

--> Ashraf Ghani arrived in India on his first state visit to India, seven months after took over as Afghanistan President.

--> After he assumed his office he visited China and Pakistan.

--> He has already met Modi during the SAARC summit in Kathmandu in November 2014.

2) ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dead:

--> Radio Iran has claimed that ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died.

--> Al-Baghdadi, believed to be in his 40s, had a $10 million US bounty on his head.

--> Since taking the reins of the Islamic State in 2010, he had transformed it from a local branch of al-Qaida into an independent transnational military force, positioning himself as perhaps the pre-eminent figure in the global jihadist community.

3) Capgemini acquires IGATE for $4 bn:

--> The Paris-headquartered Capgemini has announced the acquisition of New Jersey-based IGATE, which has operations in India, for $4 billion in cash.

--> The deal, one of the largest in the Indian information technology sector, will see the exit of IGATE co-founders Ashok Trivedi and Sunil Wadhwani, along with private equity firm Apax Partners.

4) Badminton player Lee Chong Wei gets backdated doping ban:

--> Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei was handed a backdated eight-month ban for doping by the Badminton World Federation on 27 April 2015.

--> The 32-year-old Malaysian, twice an Olympic silver medallist, had been under a provisional suspension since November after testing positive for anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone during the world championships three months earlier.

5) Loretta Lynch sworn-in as the Attorney General of US:

--> Loretta Lynch was sworn in on 27 April 2015 as the 83rd Attorney-General, becoming the first African-American woman to serve as the top U.S. law enforcement official.

--> Vice-President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Ms. Lynch (55) at a Justice Department ceremony.

--> Ms. Lynch replaces Eric Holder, who left the job after six years as head of the department.

6) Sudan President Omar al-Bashir re-elected:

--> Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election by securing 94 per cent of the vote.

--> With this win he will have additional term of five years in office which will extend his current 25-year rule.

--> He is in power since 1989.

--> In this election Omar’s National Congress Party (NCP) also won 323 of 426 parliamentary seats.

7) INS Tarangini departed for “Lokayan-2015”:

--> INS Tarangini the Sail Training Ship of Indian Navy left from Kochi on an eight month voyage through Europe to participate in the annual Tall Ship Races and other events organised under the aegis of Sail Training International.

--> This year’s Tall Ship Races will be conducted primarily off the coast of United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Netherlands.

--> INS Tarangini, a three masted barque,built in Goa Shipyard Ltd and commissioned on 11 Nov 1997, is manned by 06 officers, 40 sailors and 30 trainees.

--> The theme for LOKAYAN -15 has been chosen as “TACKING FOR A BROADER REACH”.

8) India crowned champions at President's Cup Boxing Tournament:

--> Rakesh Kumar (69kg) and Harpal Singh (75kg) struck gold as India were crowned champions for the first time in the 22nd President's Cup Boxing Tournament in Palembang, Indonesia.

--> The Indian team logged 33 points to finish ahead of second-placed Mongolia after Rakesh and Harpal's gold medals took the country's total tally to four gold and a bronze at the end of the event. 

9) China`s Lin Dan won men`s title at Asia Championships:

--> China`s Lin Dan won the men`s singles at the Badminton Asia Championships in China on 26 April 2015, defending his title won last year in South Korea and adding another crown to an illustrious career.

--> Lin, the No. 2 seed, defeated compatriot Tian Houwei 21-19, 21-8 in a match that lasted 50 minutes in the central city of Wuhan.

--> In women`s singles, seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand came from behind to upset top seed Li Xuerui of China 20-22, 23-21, 21-12 in a match that lasted 76 minutes.

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Current Affairs MCQ: 27 April 2015

1) Haryana’s Ashish Jakhar on 17 April 2015 set a national youth record in boys’ hammer throw in the 12th National Youth Athletics Championships held at?

(A) Punjab

(B) Goa

(C) Maharashtra

(D) Kerala

2) World Heritage Day was observed on?

(A) 24 April

(B) 14 April

(C) 21 April

(D) 18 April

3) Who recently took charge as the new spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry?

(A) Syed Akbaruddin

(B) S Jaishankar

(C) Arun Kumar Singh

(D) Vikas Swarup 

4) Which Bollywood classic film was on 18 April 2015 released in Pakistan after 40 years of its release in India?

(A) Sholay

(B) Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge

(C) Chandi Chauk

(D) Dastan

5) Aroon Purie, who was recently chosen as the 'Editor of the Year' is the Editor-in-Chief of which group?

(A) The Hindu

(B) Times of India

(C) India Today

(D) NDTV

6) 'Godse' is no longer unparliamentary except in reference to 'Nathuram Godse', Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has ruled recently. In which year Parliament had banned the use of the word?

(A) 1950

(B) 1976

(C) 1956

(D) None of these

7) President Pranab Mukherjee on 18 April 2015 inaugurated the centenary celebration of which High Court?

(A) Patna High Court

(B) Calcutta High Court

(C) Delhi High Court

(D) Bombay High Court

8) Venkadarath Saritha was recently appointed as the first female driver by Transport Corporation of which state?

(A) Kerala

(B) Bihar

(C) Tamil Nadu

(D) Delhi

9) Who assumed charge as the 20th Chief Election Commissioner succeeding H.S. Bramha on 19 April 2015?

(A) Nasim Zaidi

(B) K G Balakrishnan

(C) V S Sampath

(D) None of these

10) Who won Bahrain Grand Prix 2015 recently?

(A) Nico Rosberg

(B) Kimi Raikkonen

(C) Lewis Hamilton

(D) Sebastian Vettel

Answers

1) Ans. (B) Goa

2) Ans. (D) 18 April

3) Ans. (D) Vikas Swarup

4) Ans. (A) Sholay

5) Ans. (C) India Today

6) Ans. (C) 1956

7) Ans. (A) Patna High Court

8) Ans. (D) Delhi

9) Ans. (A) Nasim Zaidi

10) Ans. (C) Lewis Hamilton

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Daily Current Affairs: 26 April 2015

1) Army conducted Akraman-II defense exercise in Rajasthan:

--> The Army on 26 April 2015 conducted a major exercise, 'Akraman-II', in Rajasthan to test a new generation of weaponry and platforms employed in the desert region.

--> The exercise was conducted by the Bhatinda-based Chetak Corps, a part of South Western Command.

--> The exercise also test the capabilities of Indian Air Force in launching deep insertion of airborne and helicopter- borne army units.

2) Norway’s Magnus Carlsen won Shamkir chess tournament:

--> World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway on 26 April 2015 won the Shamkir Chess tournament held in Azerbaijan.

--> In the ninth and final round, he defeated Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in 35 moves and scored seven points.

--> Former world champion Viswanathan Anand finished second in this tournament after he drew against Fabiano Caruana of Italy.

3) Anil Kapoor gets Dinanath Mangeshkar Award:

--> Actor Anil Kapoor was conferred the Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award on the occasion of the death anniversary of singer Lata Mangeshkar's father.

--> He was presented the award by noted historian and writer Babasaheb Purandare.

--> Apart from Anil Kapoor, veteran Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar was also bestowed with the prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2015. 

4) Logo, Slogan and Tagline for the New Education Policy Campaign finalised:

--> Union HRD Minister, Smt Smriti Irani introduced Shri Nawaj Shaikh, the winner of the logo competition for the New Education Policy at the Press Briefing held in New Delhi 0n 24 April 2015.

--> This competition was held through MyGov Platform.

--> Minister while introducing the winner said that for the first time ever the logo designed by a common man of the country and not by any advertising agency or a corporate house has been considered for the New Education Policy campaign.

--> “Nayi Shiksha Neeti Kare Saakaar, Gyaan, Yogyata aur Rojgaar”prepared by Vinod Kumar Maheshwari of Rewari (Haryana) will be the slogan.

--> “Educate Encourage Enlighten”by Ms. Vipitha Devi of Paravur (Kerala) will be the English tagline of the New Education Policy.

5) “Operation Maitri”name given to Indian Army’s relief and rescue operation in Nepal:

--> Operation Maitri” is the name given to the massive rescue and relief launched by the Indian Army in Nepal.

--> It involves medical teams, Engineer Task Forces (consisting of manpower, skid steers and JCBs), blankets and tents and INMARSAT for satellite communications devices.

--> The operation was launched shortly after the 7.9-magnitude quake hit Nepal at 11.56 am on 25 April.

6) Parliamentary panel wants Direct Taxes Code to stay:

--> A Parliamentary panel has rejected the Government's view of there being "no merit" in going ahead with the direct taxes code (DTC).

--> Noting that it was "not convinced" with the Government's reply, the Standing Committee on Finance headed by Veerappa Molly has urged the Modi-Government to go ahead with the DTC.

--> The DTC should be implemented within a stipulated deadline along the lines of the goods and services tax (GST) regime, the Standing Committee said in a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on

7) Ratan Tata bought stake in Chinese Phone Maker Xiaomi:

-->  Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the holding company of the Tata conglomerate, has acquired a stake in Xiaomi Technology.

--> Financial details of the unspecified stake bought by Tata in Xiaomi, the first by an Indian, were not disclosed.

--> Xiaomi, the No. 3 global smartphone maker, was valued at $45 billion after a December funding round.

8) Volkswagen board chairman Ferdinand Piech resigned:

--> Chairman of the board of Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest automaker, has stepped down after clashing with other board members over his criticism of the company's top management.

--> Volkswagen said in a statement that Ferdinand Piech was resigning with immediate effect.

9) Double amputee swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya passed away:

--> India swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya, the only man with amputated legs to cross the English Channel in 1997 died.

--> A double amputee below the knee, who had conquered the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar in 2001 and the Palk Strait in July 2010, was very popular and Indian cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar was one of his admirers.

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25th April 2015 Important Current Affairs Updates

1) Bharatiya Mahila Bank won the Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015:

--> Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) Ltd on 23 April 2015 won the Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015.

--> It was awarded for Technology Implementation in the category of Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank).

--> The award was received by Usha Ananthasubramanian, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BMB at a function held in Hong Kong during the Asian Banker Summit 2015. 

2) Marathi novelist Bhalchandra Nemade presented 50th Jnanpith Award:

--> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 April 2015 presented Jnanpith award to renowned literary figure Bhalchandra Nemade.

--> Speaking after the presentation of the 50th Jnanpeeth Award to Prof Bhalchandra Nemade, the Prime Minister said creative writing has the capacity to touch lives of several generations.

--> Seventy-six-year-old Nemade hails from Jalgaon Maharashtra.

--> Nemade 1963 novel Kosala(Cocoon) which was written in just 16 days changed the dimensions of Marathi novel.

3) Yashwant Sinha gets highest French honour of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur:

--> French Government has honoured former Union Finance Minister and veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha with Officier de la Légion d’Honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honour).

--> It is the highest French civilian distinction bestowed upon him in recognition of his international action taken during his stint as Union Minister of Finance, Minister External Foreign Affairs and for his invaluable contribution to international issues.

4) Indian-origin scientist won Heinz Award:

--> An Indian-origin scientist at MIT Sangeeta Bhatia, who has developed artificial human microlivers for drug testing, has won a prestigious $2,50,000 Heinz award for her work in tissue engineering and disease detection.

--> Sangeeta Bhatia at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been named the recipient of the 2015 Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy, and Employment.

--> The award includes an unrestricted prize of $ 2,50,000.

--> The Heinz Awards annually recognise individuals for their extraordinary contributions to arts and humanities; environment; human condition; public policy; and technology, the economy, and employment.

5) Powerful earthquake rocked Nepal:

--> A powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on Richter scale struck Nepal on 25 April 2015 killing and injuring thousands of people.

--> The quake and a series of serious aftershocks delivered a severe blow to Nepal, one of the world's poorest and least-developed nations.

--> The earthquake with epicentre at Lamjung, around 80 kilometers northwest of Kathmandu, had its impact in Northern India as well.

--> Kathmandu's Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was completely damaged in the quake.

--> The nearly two-century old 9-storey landmark Dharhara tower in the centre of the capital collapsed and several people are feared trapped.

6) World Malaria Day observed:

--> World Malaria Day is observed globally on 25 April 2015.

--> The theme for the 2013-2015 campaign is Invest in the Future. Defeat Malaria.

--> The day is observed to recognise the global efforts to control malaria.

7) Bank of Baroda tied up with UAE Exchange for instant money transfer:

--> Leading Indian public sector bank Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with UAE Exchange to offer Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers an instant cash transfer facility.

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Current Affairs Quiz: 26 April 2015

1) Pakistan and which country have recently agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced defence cooperation?

(A) China

(B) USA

(C) Russia

(D) India

2) Surya Bahadur Thapa who passed away recently was the former Prime Minister of which country?

(A) Nepal

(B) Bhutan

(C) Sri Lanka

(D) Singapore

3) Who was appointed the Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly on 16 April 2015?

(A) Jagdish Pradhan

(B) Vijender Gupta

(C) Om Prakash Sharm

(D) None of these

4) Which player recently became England’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket?

(A) Stuart Board

(B) Joe Root

(C) Alastair Cook

(D) James Anderson

5) According to draft regulations released recently by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Life insurance policies sold through common service centres (CSCs) would have a maximum sum assured of?

(A) Rs 2 lakh

(B) Rs 5 lakh

(C) Rs 10 lakh

(D) Rs 25 lakh

6) World Haemophilia Day was observed globally on?

(A) 15 April

(B) 16 April

(C) 17 April

(D) 18 April

7) Oil India, the nation's second largest state-owned oil explorer, on 17 April 2015 announced that it has commissioned a 54 MW wind energy project in which two states?

(A) Andhra Pradesh and Telengana

(B) Kerala and TamilNadu

(C) Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

(D) Punjab and Haryana

8) Supreme Court on 17 April 2015 appointed whom to head a new investigating team to further probe the IPL-6 spot-fixing and betting scandal?

(A) Vivek Murthy

(B) Vivek Priyadarshi

(C) Ranjib Biswal

(D) None of these

9) RBI recently notified that term deposits of Rs ___ lakh and below must have premature withdrawal facility?

(A) 15 lakhs

(B) 10 lakhs

(C) 5 lakhs

(D) 2 lakhs

10) US President Barack Obama has recently honoured whom with 'Champion of Change' award?

(A) Kailash Satyarthi

(B) Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

(C) Sachin Tendulkar

(D) Satya Nadella

Answers

1) Ans. (C) Russia

2) Ans. (A) Nepal

3) Ans. (B) Vijender Gupta

4) Ans. (D) James Anderson

5) Ans. (A) Rs 2 lakh

6) Ans. (C) 17 April

7) Ans. (C) Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

8) Ans. (B) Vivek Priyadarshi

9) Ans. (A) 15 lakhs

10) Ans. (D) Satya Nadella

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