Daily Current Affairs Updates: 19 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 19 November 2013

1) Manmohan Singh inaugurated Bharatiya Mahila Bank: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the first branch of Bharatiya Mahila Bank in the iconic Air India building at Nariman Point in Mumbai with an area of 5,000 sq ft space on the ground floor. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present at the inaugural ceremony. Usha Ananthasubramanian, who was the Executive Director of Punjab National bank, will be the Chairperson of the bank.

2) National Integration Day: 96th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi: National Integration Day is observed every year on 19th of November all over India. It is celebrated as the birthday anniversary of the first woman prime minister of the India, Indira Gandhi.

3) 74.7% voter turnout in Chhattisgarh phase 2 polls: Chhattisgarh reported a voter turnout of 74.7 per cent in the second phase of the Assembly elections, which covered 72 constituencies. In the 2008 Assembly polls, these 72 constituencies had reported a turnout of 71.09 per cent. In phase 1 (Naxal-hit areas), the final voter turnout was at 75.53 per cent.

4) Angela Merkel to get 2013 Indira Gandhi prize for peace: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be awarded the coveted Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013 with an international jury headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh choosing her. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said the prize was being given to the German leader because of the work done by her for promotion of global economic stability, her commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India and other developing countries.

5) Ratan Tata elected to board of US think tank: Top Indian industrialist Ratan Tata has returned as a board member of East West Centre, a prominent American think tank. Tata, 75, is returning to the board and has worked with the organisation several times between 1993 and 2004. Tata was the Chairman of the Tata group from 1991-2012. He stepped down as the Chairman on December 28, 2012, and now holds the position of Chairman Emeritus of the group.

6) IFFI kicks off in Goa tomorrow (20 Nov 2013): The 44th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that kicks off tomorrow (20 Nov 2013) in Goa will screen 15 Oscar-nominated films from across the world. Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman will be conferred the inaugural Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the festival. The lifetime achievement award will be given to Czech filmmaker Jiri Menzel during the inauguration. Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon will be the chief guest at the inaugural function, which will be attended by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, veteran actors, including Kamal Haasan and Rekha, singer Asha Bhonsle and Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi.

7) Nirupama Rao named visiting fellow at Brown University: Nirupama Rao, the former Indian Ambassador to the US, has been named as the ‘Meera and Vikram Gandhi Fellow’ with the Brown-India initiative at the Watson Institute for International Studies. Rao, who till early this month was India’s top envoy in the US, would use her one-year term at Brown University to write a book, the university said in a statement. Rao, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1973, assumed her responsibilities as ambassador of India to the US in September 2011. Prior to that, Rao was appointed Foreign Secretary, the highest office in the Indian Foreign Service, where she served a two-year term until July 2011. She was also the first woman spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

8) Former Cyprus president Clerides passes away: Two-time former Cypriot president Glafcos Clerides died on Friday, his personal doctor told reporters.

9) Voting began in Nepal to elect new Constituent Assembly: Voting began in Nepal for the Constituent Assembly elections that will write the political fortune of the country and complete a peace process stalled for several years since the end of a decade-long civil war.

10) NASA launches MAVEN to study Mars atmosphere: NASA launched its unmanned MAVEN spacecraft toward Mars to study the Red Planet’s atmosphere for clues as to why Earth’s neighbor lost its warmth and water over time. Arrival at Mars is scheduled for September 2014, with the science mission of the solar-wing paneled orbiter set to begin two months later.

11) World Toilet Day observed on 19 November: The World Toilet Day (WTD) was observed across the world on 19 November 2013. In the world about a third of the world’s people don’t have an access to a decent toilet. The World Toilet Organization created World Toilet Day to raise global awareness of the struggle 2.5 billion face every day without access to proper, clean sanitation.

12) Australia to support India’s membership of Nuclear Supplier Group: Australia will support India’s membership of the Nuclear Supplier Group, the newly appointed Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.

13) Eighth game ends in draw as Carlsen retains two points lead against Anand: World champion Viswanathan Anand got an easy draw with black as challenger Magnus Carlsen continued his march towards the throne after the end of the eighth game of the World Chess Championship on Tuesday.

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IBPS Clerk 2013: Expected Economy/Banking Current Affairs Questions- Part 9

IBPS Clerk 2013: Expected Economy/Banking Current Affairs Questions- Part 9

Friends...there has been little response from your part on the last few parts of this Questions series. Are you finding it useful?? Please comment your suggestions/feedback. Your support is our encouragement... In this post we bring you the part-9 of this question series...that means 90 questions so far covered. These are all expected/sure questions... Prepare well..Competition is very tight this time!!!!!

1) The Reserve Bank set up a three-member committee headed by whom to scrutinise applications for new bank licences in Oct 2013?

(A) Arvind Mayaram

(B) Urijit Patel

(C) Bimal Jalan

(D) B. Sambamurthy

Ans. (C) Bimal Jalan

2) Which state Government launched Video Chat in Prisons in July 2013?

(A) Gujarat

(B) Haryana

(C) Himachal Pradesh

(D) Uttar Pradesh

Ans. (C) Himachal Pradesh

3) Who took over as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank in Oct 2013?

(A) Ashok Reddy Nukala

(B) S.R. Bansal

(C) Rajendra Kumar Saraf

(D) Umesh Chand Asawa

Ans. (B) S.R. Bansal

4) Which Indian City become the first city of North India where ATM facility will be available for people maintaining accounts in co-operative banks recently?

(A) Allahabad

(B) Lukhnow

(C) Rampur

(D) Kanpur

Ans. (C) Rampur

5) Who has been awarded the Asian Business Leaders Award 2013 for his “impressive business credentials” and service to society by London-based Asia House in July 2013?

(A) Azim Premji

(B) Ratan Tata

(C) Adi Godrej

(D) N R Narayana Murthy

Ans. (A) Azim Premji

6) India and _________ have launched major co-operation in power sector with the launch of two projects – a 500 MW grid and 1320 megawatt Maitri MW Thermal station in Oct 2013.

(A) Nepal

(B) Bhutan

(C) Bangladesh

(D) Myanmar

Ans. (C) Bangladesh

7) Who was formally inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Engineering in the US for his “outstanding contributions” to industrial development in India and the world over as announced in Oct 2013?

(A) N R Narayana Mutrhy

(B) Ratan Tata

(C) Azim Premji

(D) Adi Godrej

Ans. (B) Ratan Tata

8) The Supreme Court has proposed a three-member panel headed by whom to examine and probe the IPL spot-fixing scandal in Oct 2013?

(A) Arvind Mayaram

(B) Bimal Jalan

(C) Mukul Mudgal

(D) A.P. Shah

Ans. (C) Mukul Mudgal

9) The Supreme Court has directed Central and the state governments to provide _________ jobs to the disabled persons in Oct 2013.

(A) 3%

(B) 4%

(C) 5%

(D) 6%

Ans. (A) 3%

10) Which Indian Airport was renamed as “Kempegowda” International Airport in July 2013?

(A) Mangalore

(B) Bengaluru

(C) Mysore

(D) Kochin

Ans. (B) Bengaluru

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Bharatiya Mahila Bank inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Bharatiya Mahila Bank inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

>> Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the first branch of Bharatiya Mahila Bank today in the iconic Air India building at Nariman Point in Mumbai with an area of 5,000 sq ft space on the ground floor.

>> UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present at the inaugural ceremony. Sonia Gandhi said that this was an appropriate tribute to the memory of Indira Gandhi, former prime minister on her birth anniversary.

>> Finance Minister P.Chidambaram recollected the promise he had made in his budget speech earlier this year to start a bank for women. Complimenting the start-up team that was guided by M.B.N.Rao, former chairman and managing director, Canara Bank, Chidambaram said that from today, the board of directors of the bank would be a 8-member all-women board. He hoped that the bank would remain not merely a symbol but the substance of empowerment of women.

>> The bank, which is the first bank started in the public sector space by an Act of Parliament (other banks in public sector were nationalised in two tranches in 1969 and 1980) begins with a capital base of Rs 1,000 crore.

>> The bank is being started with seven branches ( Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow) initially. This will soon be followed by two other branches at Delhi and Indore – the delay is in deference to the elections being held there. The bank plans to reach a branch size of 25 in the next four months and thereafter add about 75 banks every year. In due course, overseas branches too will be opened, Chidambaram said.

>> The all-women’s bank will predominantly serve women, though deposits will be taken from men too. The credit growth is expected to be at a compounded annual growth rate of 16.5 per cent during the 2010-2030, while the deposit growth is expected to stay at 14.6 per cent for the 20 years period,” Chidamabarm said at the inauguration of the Bhartiya Mahila Bank on the eve of former and India’s first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary.

>> Usha Ananthasubramanian, who was the Executive Director of Punjab National bank, will be the Chairperson of the bank.

>> According to the Finance Minister, only 28 per cent of the women in India have admitted of have opened a bank account and the per capita credit to women is 80 per cent lower. The all-women’s bank will focus on centres where working women population is significant, including self-help groups.

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Angela Merkel to get 2013 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

Angela Merkel to get 2013 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

>> German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be awarded the coveted Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013 with an international jury headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh choosing her.

>> The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust which said that the award was being given to 59-year-old Merkel for her exemplary leadership in Europe and the world during the financial crisis and her stewardship of German economic growth.

>> The trust said the prize was being given to the German leader because of the work done by her for promotion of global economic stability, her commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India and other developing countries.

>> Ms. Merkel, who became the first woman to be elected as Chancellor of Germany, has been a strong supporter of close relations with India, it said.

>> Her joint declaration with the Indian Prime Minister greatly strengthened the Indo-German relations, leading to inter-governmental consultations during her state visit to India in 2011 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Berlin in 2013 during which the German participation in the ambitious Green Energy Corridors Project was finalised, it added.

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Daily Current Affairs: 18 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs: 18 November 2013

1) Indian Army test-fired advanced version of BrahMos missile: Advanced version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system was successfully test-fired by the Indian Army at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan at 1055 hours on Monday. The block III variant of BrahMos with deep penetration capability was test launched from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher.

2) Volkswagen, Samsung top EU list of world’s top R&D investors: German carmaker Volkswagen is the world’s top private-sector investor in research and development (R&D), followed by South Korean electronics giant Samsung, according to EU data released on Monday. Volkswagen topped the list with 9.5 billion euros ($ 12.8 billion) of R&D investments in 2012, while Samsung stood at 8.3 billion euros.

3) Scott Furssedonn-Wood is new British Deputy High Commissioner: Scott Furssedonn-Wood has taken over as the new British Deputy High Commissioner in Eastern India. He succeeds Sanjay Wadhwani.

4) Apex court seeks DoT’s reply on how to block porn sites: Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) seeking its response as to how to block Web sites with pornographic content in the country, particularly those featuring child pornography. A Bench headed by Justice B.S. Chauhan asked the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, of which DoT is a part, to file its response within three weeks.

5) Mercedes opened first overseas engine plant in Beijing: German auto firm Daimler AG on Monday opened a joint-venture to produce engines for Mercedes-Benz cars in Beijing, its first overseas engine plant for the brand.

6) Russian inventor of the Kalashnikov rifle hospitalised: Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the eponymous submachine gun used worldwide, has been hospitalised for a heart complaint a week after celebrations for his 94th birthday.

7) Boeing 737 crashed in Russia, all 50 on board killed: Russian passenger airliner crashed Sunday night while trying to land at the airport in the city of Kazan, killing all 50 people aboard, officials said. The Boeing 737 belonging to Tatarstan Airlines crashed about 7:20pm local time (2050 IST), an hour after taking off from Moscow. There were no immediate indications of the cause.

8) New volcano discovered under Antarctic ice: In a surprising discovery, scientists have stumbled upon a smouldering volcano, hiding a kilometre beneath the ice sheet in West Antarctica, which may be building up steam for a massive eruption.

9) Anand draws seventh game; Carlsen remains two points ahead: Defending champion Viswanathan Anand could not break through the defenses of challenger Magnus Carlsen and had to be content with a draw in the seventh game of the World Chess Championship. With just five games to go in the 12—game match, Carlsen retains his two point lead with the scoreline now reading 4.5—2.5 in favour of the Norwegian.

10) Rafael Nadal heads ATP rankings: Rafael Nadal maintained first place in the men’s tennis rankings issued by the ATP on Monday. The Spaniard ensured he would end the year as world number one with victory over Stanislas Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Finals in London on November 6.

11) Interim hike of 19% in Govt ad rates for print media: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has granted an interim hike of 19 per cent in the existing rates of government ads in print media. This will be effective from October 15, and the decision was taken in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Election Commission of India.

12) SBT counters for senior citizens: State Bank of Travancore (SBT) has introduced dedicated counters to facilitate easier banking for senior citizens.

13) KVB opened 1st ultra small branch: Karur Vysya bank has launched its first ultra small branch at Balarajapuram village in Karur district.

14) Sachin chapter soon in Maharashtra school text books: School students in Maharashtra would get to learn about the ‘God’ of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, as part of their curriculum activities from next academic year. “The government is considering adding Tendulkar in school syllabus so that children are inspired by his life and achievements,” school education minister Rajendra Darda said.

15) Parliament winter session from Dec 5-20: Winter Session of Parliament will be held from December 5-20. An official announcement said the President has summoned the two Houses of Parliament to meet on December 5.

16) Waheeda Rehman to receive first Centenary film award at IFFI: Waheeda Rehman, the veteran actress of Bollywood will be conferred with the inaugural Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2013 at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 20 November 2013.The award has been instituted by the Government of India to mark the 100 years of Indian Cinema. It includes a prize amount of 10 lakh rupees and a citation.

17) Bolt and Fraser-Pryce were crowned World Athletes of 2013: The Jamaican sprinters, Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were crowned the male and female World Athletes of the Year, 2013 on 16 November 2013. They were selected as the world athletes of the year by the sport's governing IAAF at a ceremony in Monaco.

18) Rapid Metro-India's First Private Metro service started operation from Gurgaon, Haryana: Rapid Metro-India's First Private Metro service started operation from Gurgaon, Haryana on 14 November 2013. Rapid Metro is India's first fully privately financed Metro system connecting NH-8 to Delhi Metro via Cyber City, Gurgaon.

19) Sebastian Vettel won the United States Grand Prix for record 8th successive victory: Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull’s team on 17 November 2013 won United States Grand Prix. France's Romain Grosjean in Lotus was second with Red Bull's Mark Webber took the third place.

20) Doris Lessing, Nobel Prize-Winning Author, Died at 94: British Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing was died on 17 November 2013 at London. She was 94 years old.

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IBPS Clerk 2013: Expected Economy/Banking Current Affairs Questions- Part 8

IBPS Clerk 2013: Expected Economy/Banking Current Affairs Questions- Part 8

Friends…here is the Part-8 of our Economy/Banking Current Affairs Questions for IBPS Clerk Exam 2013….

1. India’s core sector growth stood at ___________ in August as published in Oct 2013)?

(A) 3.7%

(B) 3.1%

(C) 6.5%

(D) 2.3%

Ans. (A) 3.7%

2. Who took over charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Oct 2013?

(A) SB Nayar

(B) S Varadarajan

(C) R K Singhon

(D) B Ashok

Ans. (B) S Varadarajan

3. Which IT Services Company acquired the Equinox Consulting, a financial services consulting firm based in France, in Oct 2013?

(A) Cognizant

(B) TCS

(C) Infosys

(D) Wipro

Ans. (A) Cognizant

4. Which country has topped the global chart of remittances with a whopping USD 71 billion in remittances in 2013?

(A) China

(B) Philippines

(C) Mexico

(D) India

Ans. (D) India

5. ECB has kept its benchmark interest rate on hold at ________ in Oct 2013.

(A) 0.5%

(B) 0.25%

(C) 0.75%

(D) 1%

Ans. (A) 0.5%

6. Who has been appointed chairman of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), a regional rural bank sponsored by Syndicate Bank, in Oct 2013?

(A) Ashok Reddy Nukala

(B) S.R. Bansal

(C) Rajendra Kumar Saraf

(D) Umesh Chand Asawa

Ans. (A) Ashok Reddy Nukala

7. Which IT Company acquire ValueSource NV, a subsidiary of Belgium-based integrated bank insurance group KBC, as part of a five-year contract with the group in Oct 2013?

(A) Cognizant

(B) TCS

(C) Infosys

(D) Wipro

Ans. (A) Cognizant

8. India has been ranked at ______ position out of 122 countries on global Human Capital Index published by the World Economic Forum in Oct 2013.

(A) 78th

(B) 85th

(C) 88th

(D) 66th

Ans. (A) 78th

9. Government of India has appointed a four member committee headed by whom to clear the ambiguity between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) terms in Oct 2013?

(A) Bimal Jalan

(B) Mukul Mudgal

(C) Arvind Mayaram

(D) A.P. Shah

Ans. (C) Arvind Mayaram

10. The Government of India launched a unique project to put 100 most important Indian heritage sites online in collaboration with which IT/Internet giant in Oct 2013?

(A) Google

(B) Yahoo

(C) Microsoft

(D) Amazon

Ans. (A) Google

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IBPS Specialist Officers CWE III Notification Published

IBPS Specialist Officers CWE III Notification Published

Friends.....Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has today published the notification for IBPS Specialist Officers CWE III. The online exam is tentatively scheduled in February 2014 as per the notification. Online registration starts on 25 November 2013 and ends on 14 December 2013. Details are as follows:

Name of the Post: IBPS Specialist Officers CWE III 2013

Details of Posts: 

PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS: 

Important Dates : 

Online Registration: 25.11.2013 to 14.12.2013

Payment of Application Fees Online: 25.11.2013 to 16.12.2013

Download of Call letter for CWE After: 28.01.2014

Online CWE (Tentative dates)- some/ all/ additional dates as the need arises: 08.02.2014/ 09.02.2014

Sharing of result status of CWE: February 2014

Download of call letters for Interview: March 2014

Conduct of Interview: March/ April 2014

Allotment: April 2014

Click Here to view detailed notification

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Job Highlights this Week: (16 November - 22 November 2013)- Employment News

Job Highlights this Week: (16 November - 22 November 2013)- Employment News

01. Andaman and Nicobar Administration requires 422 Post Graduate Teacher, Graduate Trained Teacher & Primary School Teacher. Last Date – 25.11.2013

02. Indian Ordnance Factories, Jabalpur (M. P.) invites applications for the posts of Examiner Engineer, Fitter & Machinist. No. of Vacancies–342. Last Date-21 days from the date of Publication.

03. State Bank of India requires 76 Armourer, Control Room Operator & Pharmacist. Last Date – 22.11.2013

04. Staff Selection Commission (SSC) invites applications for the posts of Multi Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff. Last Date-13.12.2013.

05. Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali requires 44 Scientists, Chief Finance and Administrative Officer & Stenographer. Last Date–16.12.2013.

06. Department of Water Supply & Sanitation, Government of Punjab invites applications for the posts of 150 Junior Engineer & Junior Draughtsman. Last Date-29.11.2013

Source: Employment News

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