Current Affairs & GK Quiz: 11 January 2014

1) Which Indian railway station's platform number one has become the world’s longest platform as announced by Limca Book of Records on 11 January 2014?

(A) Howrah railway Station, West Bengal

(B) Gorakhpur railway station, Uttar Pradesh

(C) Thiruvananthapuram Central station, Kerala

(D) Secunderabad Railway Station, Andhra Pradesh

2) What is the minimum age limit to contest Rajya sabha elections?

(A) 25 years

(B) 30 years

(C) 35 years

(D) 27 years

3) World Hindi Day was observed on which day of January every year?

(A) January 10

(B) January 11

(C) January 8

(D) January 9

4) Which of the following organization did complete its 50 years in 2013?

(A) Intelligence Bureau

(B) Press Trust of India

(C) Central Bureau of Investigation

(D) Indo-Tibetan Border Police

5) Name India's first gun for women that rolls out of Indian Ordnance Factory, Kanpur recently (Jan 2014)?

(A) Nirbhaya

(B) Athmaraksha

(C) Nirbheek

(D) Raksha

6) Which of the following was the first non-citizen to be awarded the 'Bharat Ratna'?

(A) Nelson Mandela

(B) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

(C) Amartya Sen

(D) Leonid Brezhnev

7) Mahatma Gandhi's grand-daughter Ela Gandhi, Australian senator of Indian origin Lisa Maria Singh and Ramkrishna Mission in Fiji are among the recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2014. What is the total number of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees 2014?

(A) 10

(B) 13

(C) 5

(D) 8

 

8) Which one of the following is the only book in History to win Man Booker, Best of Bookers (1993) and Booker of Bookers (2008) prizes?

(A) The Siege of Krishnapur

(B) Midnight's Children

(C) Oscar and Lucinda

(D) Disgrace

9) Meena Kandasamy was conferred with the 3rd Mayilamma award for her contribution to social causes and women empowerment on 10 January 2014. She is the famous  poetess in which language?

(A) Malayalam

(B) Hindi

(C) Bengali

(D) Tamil

10) Which one of the four is the oldest Grand Slam in Tennis?

(A) Wimbledon

(B) French Open

(C) Australian Open

(D) US Open

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Daily Current Affairs: 12 January 2014

1) Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary celebrated: The 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated with fervour throughout the country. It was also celebrated as National Youth Day.  In 1984 the Government of India declared the day as the National Youth Day and since 1985 the event is celebrated in India every year. Also the year-long commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda formally came to a close on Sunday with functions organised at various places in the country.

2) Sheikh Hasina sworn in as Bangladesh's Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina was on Sunday sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the third time along with her 48 cabinet members, who include 29 ministers, 17 state ministers and two deputy ministers. President Abdul Hamid administered the oath of office of the prime minister to Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and to the new members of the cabinet in the afternoon at Bangabhaban.

3) RBI to examine proposal for limiting free ATM transactions: The Reserve Bank will consider reducing the number of free ATM withdrawals, as recommended by Indian Banks' Association, in an effort to cut down on cash transactions in the economy. "We will examine that (IBA recommendation of cutting down number of free ATM transaction to 5 per month). Many other proposals have come. The whole idea is that people are using too much of cash and adding to the costs. We will examine all those issue," RBI Deputy Governor H R Khan said.

4) More than 25,000 flee Indonesian volcano: More than 25,000 people have fled their homes following a series of eruptions and lava flows from a volcano in Indonesia, an official said. Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra sent hot rocks and ash up to 5,000 metres in the air “several times” yesterday, National Disaster Mitigation Agency emergency response director Tri Budiarto told AFP.

5) Team India leaves for New Zealand; to play 2 Tests, 5 ODIs: The Indian squad led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni left for New Zealand from Mumbai on Sunday for a five-match ODI series followed by a best-of-two Test rubber against the hosts. The limited overs contest will start on January 19 at Napier and conclude on January 31 at Wellington with the other three games to be held at Hamilton (January 22), Auckland (January 25) and Hamilton (January 28). The Test series would be held after that with the opener scheduled from February 6-10 (Auckland) followed by the second and final match at Wellington (February 14-18).

6) SEBI chief set to get two more years at the helm: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman U.K. Sinha is set to get two years’ extension when his three-year term ends next month. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to sign the order any time from now,” a senior Government official told press.

7) EPFO likely to announce 8.5% interest on Monday on provident fund deposits: Retirement fund body EPFO is likely to retain 8.5 per cent interest on provident fund deposits for its over 5 crore subscribers in 2013-14 on Monday .

8) Bill Gates most admired in world, Sachin 5th: Poll- Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been named as the most admired person on the planet with cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar fifth on a list of 30 people compiled after a poll in 13 countries, including India. Sachin, 40, was fifth with six other Indians featuring in the list- BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (7th), Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan (9th), former President Abdul Kalam (10th), social activist Anna Hazare (14th), Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (18th) and business tycoon Ratan Tata (30th).

9) Jaguar Land Rover posts record sales in 2013: Jaguar Land Rover, the largest car manufacturer in Britain, achieved record global sales in 2013, the Indian-owned luxury carmaker said on Sunday.

10) New Zealand thrash India 3-1 in World Hockey League: India disastrous campaign at Hero Hockey World League Final continued as they lost 1-3 to New Zealand to succumb to their second straight defeat in Pool A at the floodlit Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

11) Bengal trump Railways, enter Ranji semis: A spirited Bengal downed bitter foes Railways by 48 runs in their match to set up a Ranji Trophy semifinal clash against Maharashtra, at the Eden Gardens.

12) President greets nation on Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal:  President Pranab Mukherjee Sunday greeted the nation ahead of the festivals of Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal. In his message, he said: "On the joyous occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal, I convey my greetings and best wishes to all citizens of India and wish them prosperity and happiness."

13) Kapil Dev conferred with BCCI 'Lifetime Achievement Award': Former India captain Kapil Dev was today honoured with the C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI at its seventh annual awards ceremony in Mumbai on 11 January 2014. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was bestowed with the Polly Umrigar Award for being the best international cricket last season.

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Complete Current Affairs December 2013: PDF Download

Friends..Here is the complete Current Affairs PDF of December 2013.

Some of the important happenings During December 2013 were: Ms. Sushma Singh's appointment as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India, Alyz Henrich becoming Miss Earth 2013, India chosen as the host country for Under-17 FIFA World Cup, Death of anti-apartheid revolutionary of South Africa Nelson Mandela, PV Sindhu winning Macau Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton Tournament, Cheteshwar Pujara bagging the Emerging Cricketer of the Year trophy, BJP winning the state assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) presence in Delhi assembly polls, India winning World Kabaddi Cup for fourth consecutive time defeating Pakistan, 48-39, Pope Francis becoming Time Magazine Person of the Year 2013, Usha Sangwan's appointment as the first woman managing director of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), Devyani Khobragade related issues, Kapil Dev's selection for the BCCI’s prestigious Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award for the year 2013, Angela Merkel elected as the German Chancellor for third term by the German Parliament, Arvind Kejriwal swearing in as the 7th Chief Minister of Delhi, Deepika Kumari winning sixth consecutive title at the 34th National Archery Championships, Jacques Kallis retirement from test and first class cricket, Mikhail Kalashnikov the inventor of the AK47 weapon's death, Sidharth Birla becoming president of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), First human artificial heart implantation in France, Zaheer Khan becoming fourth Indian bowler to claim 300 wickets in Test Cricket & Arup Raha taking over as the 24th chief of the Indian Air Force all happened during December 2013. Download the PDF from link below. This will surely help you in all upcoming Competitive Exams. Please comment your suggestions/fedback for further improvement.

If any problem in downloading mail us at Currentaffairs4examz@gmail.com 

Download as PDF- Click Here

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List of International Airports in India- PDF Download

International Airports in India have been in news many a time recently. Mainly because of the following importance:

1) Bangalore International Airport was on 14 December 2013  named after Bangalore's founder Kempegowda, a chieftain who ruled the city in the 16th century under the Vijayanagara empire. It is presently known as Kempegowda International Airport.

2) Recently, Bhubaneshwar and Imphal airports were declared as international airports by the Union Cabinet to encourage economic development and boost international tourism.

3) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, has been awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ for safety management by the British Safety Council for health and safety works at the airport on 15 December 2013.

Here is the complete list of International Airports in India which is ueful for all types of Competitive Exams.

Name of the Airport	City it Serve	State
Veer Savarkar International Airport	Port Blair	Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Visakhapatnam Airport	Visakhapatnam	Andhra Pradesh
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport	Hyderabad	Andhra Pradesh
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport	Guwahati	Assam
Indira Gandhi International Airport	New Delhi	Delhi
Goa International Airport	whole state	Goa
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport	Ahmedabad	Gujarat
Kempegowda International Airport	Bengaluru	Karnataka
Mangalore International Airport	Mangalore	Karnataka
Cochin International Airport	Kochi	Kerala
Calicut International Airport	Kozhikode	Kerala
Trivandrum International Airport	Thiruvananthapuram	Kerala
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport	Mumbai	Maharashtra
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport	Nagpur	Maharashtra
Tulihal Airport	Imphal	Manipur
Biju Patnaik International Airport	Bhubaneswar	Odisha
Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport	Amritsar	Punjab
Jaipur International Airport	Jaipur	Rajasthan
Chennai International Airport	Chennai	Tamil Nadu
Coimbatore International Airport	Coimbatore	Tamil Nadu
Tiruchirapalli International Airport	Tiruchirapalli	Tamil Nadu
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport	Lucknow	Uttar Pradesh
Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport	Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport	Kolkata	West Bengal

Download as PDF- Click Here

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Know about 'Polar Vortex'- 2014's Trending Word in News and Social media

>> In past few days the words ‘Polar Vortex’ and ‘arctic blast’ are trending in news and social media all over. Weather experts are arguing about the expansion of Arctic cold air and the beginning of ‘global cooling’ on earth. However it is debatable as what it has to do with the climate change.

>> So what really is the ‘Polar Vortex’ and how does it occur? A Polar Vortex is an enormous system of strong and swirling air normally moving counter clock wise around the northern pole, usually in two areas: Canada's Baffin Island and northeast Siberia. It generally contains polar cold air, otherwise known as a polar low-pressure system.

>> The wind within the vortex is the locking system that hinders the bitter cold air to spread beyond the Arctic Circle. But occasionally the polar vortex takes a break and leaves the Northern Hemisphere and starts moving toward south. And once the vortex is distorted it generates a jet stream which moves towards the southern latitudes and brings along the bone-chilling Arctic air.

>> The Polar Vortex cannot be classified as an ice storm as it can get distorted and plunge farther south spilling cold air all across. Otherwise known as the Arctic Oscillation, the Vortex has an inclination of bringing in major cold outbreaks on its way. This is the reason why people are perhaps experiencing sort of ‘Ice age’ in US and Canada.

>> The polar vortex generally affects places that come under the Northern Hemisphere including North America, Europe and Asia. Once the Vortex is anchored, the upper-level disturbance merges and starts dipping towards the south west and therefore unleashes an ‘Arctic blast’ towards South and East. And once it completely sets in, the central, southern and eastern parts of the US turns into a deep freeze.

>> Weather experts categorically warn people to keep themselves indoor as the temperature can nosedive way below sub-zero and the air chill too can reach -60 degree. Such extreme weather can freeze bare skin within 5 minutes which is why people are being advised to wear layers of clothing while venturing outside.

>> The combination of bitter cold air and strong winds will generate low wind chill resulting in frostbite and also causes hypothermia or death. Frostbite commonly affects the fingers, toes, ear lobes and the nose while in separate cases it leads to amputation of limbs if not treated in time.

>> Bone-chilling wind can also cause hypothermia where the body temperature dives down to lowest and freezes the heart. The bitter wind chill turns the air fatally chilling and cools thing really fast though it takes time to freeze. Mostly animals and bird fall prey to the unusually cold climate.

>> Extreme cold condition can also damage car batteries and can decrease the battery life of mobile phones.

>> Deep freeze condition can also cause power outage and water pipes to get frozen and then burst adding to woos of the people and the administration. The stubborn cold weather has resulted in cancellation of more than 1000 flights apart from hindering the bus and rail services.

>> Experts are arguing about whether the event is a side effect of global warming or not as the ‘Arctic blast’ is a result of an extreme distortion of the jet stream resulting in wider areas getting the cold pinch. But the ‘Polar Vortex’ never lasts long as it tends to return home back to the Northern Hemisphere.

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General Knowledge & Current Affairs Quiz- 10 January 2014

1) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 10 January 2014 inaugurated the state-of-the-art Terminal 2 or T2 at which International Airport?

(A) Chhatrapathi Sivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai

(B) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

(C) Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

(D) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata

2) Name the programme for young persons of Overseas Indians introduced by Government of India in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) on 8 January 2014?

(A) Your country India programme

(B) Invest in India programme

(C) Know India programme

(D) Young India programme

3) Name the Director of Bollywood film 'Yaariyan' which got released on January 10, 2014?

(A) Deepak Grewal

(B) Pinky Basrao

(C) Bhushan Kumar

(D) Divya Khosla Kumar

4) Which country on 8 January 2014 invited Indian Institutes of Technology to open its centre in that country?

(A) China

(B) Malaysia

(C) Sril Lanka

(D) Australia

5) Biz Stone, Co- Founder of which social networking site unveiled a new mobile service called Jelly on 8 January 2014?

(A) Facebook

(B) Linkedin

(C) Twitter

(D) Dropbox

6) Which city was the capital of Nigeria, before Abuja officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991?

(A)Lagos

(B)Calabar

(C)Apapa

(D)Burutu

7) Who among the following established Ramakrishna Mission?

(A)Swami Vivekananda

(B)Swami Ashokananda

(C)Swami Nityaswarupananda

(D)Swami Kirtidananda

8) Till now how many people have won both Bharat Ratna & Dada Saheb Phalke Award?

(A)1

(B)2

(C)3

(D)4

9) In which year the Consumer protection act was implemented in India?

(A)1987

(B)1989

(C)1992

(D)1993

10) In context with the Real Time Gross Settlement which is maintained by the RBI in India, what is the number of characters in the alphanumeric codes provided to each bank connected with Core Banking System?

A)8

(B)9

(C)10

(D)11

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