Current Affairs Quiz Questions: 29 & 30 January 2014

1) Which country emerged overall champions with a rich haul of 92 medals (37 Gold, 27 Silver and 28 Bronze) in the 3rd Lusofonia Games 2014 which concluded at Goa on 29 January 2014?

(A) Portugal

(B) Brazil

(C) India

(D) Macau

2) In a first of its kind venture, six public sector undertakings (PSUs) including state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) on 29 January 2014 announced joining hands to set up world’s largest 4,000 MW ultra mega solar power project in which state?

(A) Maharashtra

(B) Punjab

(C) Gujarat

(D) Rajasthan

3) Google is set to sell Motorola's smartphone business to which company, the world's largest maker of personal computers for $2.9 billion, as announced on 30 Jan 2014?

(A) Wipro

(B) Lenovo

(C) Samsung

(D) Acer

4) Union Government on 30 Jan 2014 raised the quota of subsidised LPG to how many cylinders per household in a year from nine at present and also put on hold paying users the subsidy into bank accounts using Aadhaar platform?

(A) 10

(B) 14

(C) 11

(D) 12

5) Nation on 30 January 2014 paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his .....th death anniversary?

(A) 66

(B) 65

(C) 64

(D) 60

6) Kathy Cross on 30 January 2014 became the first woman to be inducted in an ICC umpires' panel. She is from which country?

(A) Australia

(B) New Zealand

(C) England

(D) South Africa

7) Indian Rupee became legal tender in which country on 30 January 2014 alongwith the currencies of China, Japan and Australia?

(A) Indonesia

(B) Egypt

(C) Zimbabwe

(D) Maldives

8)  India Post on 30 January 2014 announced an ambitious plan to install as many as 3,000 ATMs and 1.35 lakh micro-ATMs at its post offices across the country for savings account holders.  India Post comes under which ministry in Union Government?

(A) Minstry of Posts

(B) Ministry of Human Resource Development

(C) Ministry of Communication & IT

(C) Minystry of Labour

9) Officers of the three premier services - IAS, IPS and IFoS - will now spend a minimum of how many years at each posting and new appointments/transfer will only be done upon the recommendation of a civil services board as per the new rules announced on 30 January 2014?

(A) 5

(B) 4

(C) 3

(D) 2

10) Google has on 30 Jan 2014 decided to sell Motorola phone business to Lenovo for $2.9 billion. In which year Google acquired Motorola?

(A) 2012

(B) 2011

(C) 2010

(D) 2013

Answers

1) Ans. (C) India

2) Ans. (D) Rajasthan

3) Ans. (B) Lenovo

4) Ans. (D) 12

5) Ans. (A) 66

6) Ans. (B) New Zealand

7) Ans. (C) Zimbabwe

8) Ans. (C) Ministry of Communication & IT

9) Ans. (D) 2

10) Ans. (A) 2012

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Bharat Ratna Presented to Prof. CNR Rao and Sachin Tendulkar

>> Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist CNR Rao were conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee in a glittering ceremony in the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

>> The two joined the list of 41 eminent personalities, who have been conferred with the Bharat Ratna in recognition for their contribution to the society.

>> Tendulkar, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha last year, is the first sportsperson and the youngest recipient of the award.

>> Rao, 79, is the fourth scientist after C.V. Raman, M. Visvesvaraya and former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to get the Bharat Ratna.

>> Tendulkar, who retired from all forms of cricket last November, is the one most accomplished cricketers in the world, finishing his illustrious career with a fair clutch of records. He has 15,921 runs from a record 200 Test matches at an average of 53.58 and 51 centuries.

>> Rao is one of India's most renowned scientists and is known for his work in solid state and structural chemistry and has contributed immensely to the field in the last five decades. He is the honorary president of Bangalore's Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, which he founded in 1989. Rao was also appointed the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister in January 2005. He is also the director of the International Centre for Materials Science (ICMS).

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Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur appointed to head 7th Central Pay Commission

Prime Minister Approved Composition of 7th Central Pay Commission Under the Chairmanship of Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur, Retired Judge of the Supreme Court and Retired Chairman, Armed Forces Tribunal

The Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram has issued the following statement:

            “The Prime Minister has approved the composition of the 7th Central Pay Commission as follows:

1. Shri Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur  -   Chairman          

            (Retired Judge of the Supreme Court and Retired

            Chairman, Armed Forces Tribunal)

2.    Shri Vivek Rae    -  Member (Full Time)

            (Secretary, Petroleum & Natural Gas)

3.   Dr. Rathin Roy   -      Member (Part Time)

            (Director, NIPFP)

4.    Smt. Meena Agarwal      -       Secretary

            (OSD, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance)”

Source: PIB

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Current Affairs updates daily: 03 February 2014

1) Facebook celebrated its 10th birthday:  Facebook — with more than 1.2 billion users worldwide — celebrated its 10th birthday amidst challenges of keeping its original base of young users with new innovative social networks coming to the fore. The company was launched by Mark Zuckerberg on February 4, 2004, from Harvard University. The site was conceived as a way to connect students, and let them build an online identity for themselves, ‘Computer World’ reported.

2) Delhi govt cleared Jan Lokpal Bill:  Delhi Cabinet on Monday cleared the draft of the much talked-about Jan Lokpal bill which provides for covering all public servants — from chief minister to Group D employees — and seeks life term as maximum punishment for those found guilty of corruption. The bill provides for a legal right of protection to “honest” officials, whistleblowers and witnesses besides having provisions for time-bound investigation and trial of corruption cases.

3) Railways to implement indigenous technology to prevent mishap: With anti-collision systems installed earlier achieving partial success, Railways on Monday announced installation of an indigenous and efficient technology to prevent train mishaps. The Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) has shown positive results during its run as a pilot project in South Central zone, a Railways official said.

4) German President on six-day visit from Tuesday: German President Joachim Guack will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday on a six-day state visit to India during which he will hold talks with the top leadership and discuss ways to enhance bilateral ties. Briefing reporters on the visit, German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner said Guack will be accompanied by a 80-member delegation, including 15 business leaders, during his India stay which was "the highest ceremonial gesture between the two sides".

5) Sundar Pichai now front-runner for Microsoft CEO job: Executive Satya Nadella appears most likely to be named Microsoft’s new CEO but the name of another India-born technology executive is doing the rounds as a candidate for the top job. Sundar Pichai, the 42-year-old head executive for Google Chrome and Apps, is the “top choice” for the the position of Microsoft CEO and negotiations with him are on in full swing, SiliconANGLE, a media Web site that focuses on the technology industry, said.

6) Gulam Nabi Azad laid foundation stone for new facilities in AIIMS: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday laid the foundation stone of two blocks at the AIIMS that will add facilities of 600 beds and 24 operating theatres at a total cost of Rs 255 crores.

7) Serena Williams continues to dominate WTA tennis rankings: Serena Williams retained her commanding advantage at the top of the WTA women’s tennis rankings issued on Monday. Williams remains on 13,000 points, well clear of next challengers Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) on 6,581 and Australian Open winner Li Na on 6,570. 

8) Teresa Kho is ADB's new Country Director for India:  The Asian Development Bank has a new Country Director for India in Teresa Kho. Kho, who assumed charge as Country Director for India on Monday, was previously heading the Bangladesh Resident Mission of ADB.

9) Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour died: Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York apartment yesterday, a law enforcement official said. He was 46. Hoffman won an Oscar for best actor in 2006 for “Capote” and was seen as one of the pre-eminent actors of his generation. He was a character actor with over 60 film credits to his name, including Magnolia, The Master, Boogie Nights, the Big Lebowski, Mission Impossible.

10) Azad Given Additional Charge of Water Resources Ministry: Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will hold additional charge of Water Resources Ministry following the resignation of Harish Rawat, who has become Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.       

11) Rafa retained No.1 ranking: Rafael Nadal remains top of the men’s ATP tennis rankings released on Monday. The Spaniard tops the standings ahead of Serbia’s Novak Djokavic and Australian Open winner Statislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

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Direct Recruitment to the cadre of Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) in Tamilnadu Postal Circle

Tamil Nadu Postal Circle has invited applications from the eligible candidates for filling up the posts of Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) in Postal/Railway Mail Service Divisions/Other Units in Tamilnadu Circle in the pay band of Rs. 5200-20200 with Grade Pay Rs.1800 + admissible allowances.

Post Name: Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS)

Total Vacancies: 227 (GEN-16, OBC-53, SC-12, ST-01) PH-18, Ex-SM- 93

Pay Scale: Pay Band Rs. 5200-20200 with Grade Pay of Rs. 1800 + admissible allowances

Age limit: 18-27 years

Educational Qualification required:

>>For Administrative offices: Matriculation or Equivalent or ITI from recognized Boards.

(Equivalent qualification will be accepted subject to verification of the approving authority).

>. For Subordinate offices : Matriculation or ITI from recognized Boards.

Pattern and Syllabus for the examination:

Candidates will be subjected to an Aptitude Test (Multiple Choice Questions) of the level of 10th class/Matriculation covering subjects/topics mentioned in advertisement.

Qualifying Marks:

a. Parts A and B - Minimum 10 marks for OC, 8 marks for SC/ST and 9 marks

for OBC candidates in each part.

b. Parts C (Two segments) - Minimum 10 marks for OC, 8 marks for SC/ST and

9 marks for OBC candidates in each segment.

c. 40 marks for OC, 33 marks for SC/ST and 37 marks for OBC candidates in

aggregate.

Application Fee: Rs. 25/- mandatory for all candidates.

Examination Fee: Rs. 175/-

Last date for receipt of application is 05.03.2014.

How to Apply: Candidates should apply only in the format prescribed by the

Department (Annexure – 1). Applications can be downloaded from the website namely www.tamilnadupost.nic.in or www.indiapost.gov.in

Download Advertisement: Click Here

Download Application Form: Click Here

Info: www.sapost.blogspot.in

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Daily Current Affairs & GK Quiz: 28 January 2014

1) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 28 January 2014 decided to increase the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility by 25 basis points. What is the present repo rate?

(A) 7.25%

(B) 8%

(C) 7.50%

(D) 8.25%

2) Which pigment gives plants and leaves their green colour?

(A)Betalain

(B)Chlorophyll

(C)Carotenoid

(D)Anthocyanin

3) Which country became the first country in South Asia to ban the testing of cosmetics and its ingredients on animals on 28 Jan 2014?

(A) Japan

(B) China

(C) Nepal

(D) India

4) Name the American folk singer, activist & Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner who passed away on 27 Jan 2014?

(A) Pete Seeger

(B) Sebastian Iguno

(C) Peter Parker

(D) Louis Peter

 

5) Which mythological weapon is depicted on the Param Vir Chakra medal?

(A)Vajra

(B)Khatvanga

(C)Sudarshan Chakra

(D)Kaumodaki

6) Name the cabinet minister of Social Justice and Empowerment ministry who resigned on 28 January 2014 from union cabinet?

(A) Jayanti Natarajan

(B) Jayaram Ramesh

(C) Kumari Selja

(D) Sachin Pilot

7) Who was popularly known as the 'Iron Man of India'?

(A)Bhagat Singh

(B)Chandrashekhar Azad

(C)Veer Savarkar

(D)Vallabhbhai Patel

8) Name the high performance computing system of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which was unveiled on 28 January 2014?

(A) Yuva-2

(B) Dhruva-3

(C) Anurag-3

(D) Saral-2

9)  To put out the fire, which gas is released by Fire Extinguishers?

(A)Oxygen

(B)Hydrogen

(C)Carbon dioxide

(D)Carbon monoxide

10)  Mykola Azarov who resigned on 28 January 2014 in order to facilitate peaceful settlement of the political crisis was the Prime Minister of which country?

(A) Libya

(B) Ukraine

(C) Egypt

(D) Tunisia

  

Answers

1) Ans. (B) 8%

2) Ans. (B) Chlorophyll

3) Ans. (D) India

4) Ans. (A) Pete Seeger

5) Ans. (A)Vajra

6) Ans. (C) Kumari Selja

7) Ans. (D)Vallabhbhai Patel

8) Ans. (B) Dhruva-3

9) Ans. (C)Carbon dioxide

10) Ans. (B) Ukraine

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Daily Current Affairs: 02 February 2014

1) Karnataka beat Maharashtra to win their 7th Ranji Trophy: Favourites Karnataka deservedly won their seventh Ranji Trophy title after beating a spirited Maharashtra side by seven wickets on the fifth and concluding day of the final match on Sunday. Chasing a modest victory target of 157 in little over two sessions, Karnataka batsmen reached the destination with ease as they knocked off the runs in 40.5 overs. Karnataka is lifting the Ranji trophy after 15-year wait.

2) Harish Rawat takes oath as new CM of Uttarakhand:  Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Saturday took oath as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after he was named for the post by the Congress Party. Uttarakhand governor Aziz Qureshi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Rawat.

3) 12 Indian sailors missing as ship sinks off Yemen: A total of 12 Indian sailors have been missing since their cargo ship sank off the coast of Yemen`s Hadramout province, authorities said.

4) Former Mumbai top cop Satyapal Singh joins BJP: Former Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh, who had resigned last week, on Sunday joined BJP saying he left a "good chair" to take part in the "remaking" of the country.

5) Sukhoi fighters ‘will test out’ BrahMos missiles: The supersonic BrahMos missiles will be fitted on to Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and will be ready for live flight tests by the year end before being inducted into the air force.

6) Voting ends in Thailand:  Voters went to the polls in 89 per cent of Thailand’s 375 constituencies nationwide on Sunday, in an election marred by an opposition boycott and efforts by protesters to block the process. There were no reports of violence Sunday, although a clash on Saturday between opposing groups in northern Bangkok left seven injured.

7) Youth slaps Haryana CM in full public view, held:  A youth slapped Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was riding an open jeep, in full public view in Panipat this evening and was taken into custody immediately. The Chief Minister had gone to Panipat, some 80-km from Delhi, to inaugurate and lay foundation stone of various projects. As Hooda’s Maruti Gypsy was making its way through the crowded places, a youth identified as Kamal Mukhija broke the security ring and slapped the Chief Minister.

8) Antony inaugurated work on Kannur airport:  Defence Minister A K Antony on Sunday launched work on Kannur airport which will be the fourth international airport of Kerala. Speaking after the ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony of the first phase of the Rs. 1,590 crore project, he said commencement of the work marked the realisation of a long-cherished dream of the region.The agreement between the state government and L&T Mumbai to undertake the first phase was finalised in November last. Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Nedumbassery in Kochi are the international airports in the state now.

9) AIADMK, CPI announced alliance for LS polls: Attempting to form a "secular and democratic alternative" to dethrone Congress from power at the Centre, AIADMK and CPI on Sunday announced their decision to enter into an alliance ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls.

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Current Affairs Quiz for exams: 26 & 27 January 2014

1) Who among the following won the Australian Open 2014 men's singles title on 26 Jan 2014?

(A) Roger Federer

(B) Stanislas Wawrinka

(C) Rafael Nadal

(D) Andy Murray

 2) 4th National Voters Day was observed across the country on January 25th. What was the theme for the day this year?

(A) Vote for Democracy

(B) Inclusion

(B) Greater Participation for a Stronger Democracy

(D) Ethical Voting

3) Which among the following day was observed across the world on January 26th?

(A) World Leprosy Day

(B) World Literacy Day

(C) World Literature Day

(D) World Laughter Day

4) Which city on 25 January 2014 became the first in India to offer free Wi-Fi spots for the public?

(A) Chennai

(B) Kolkata

(C) Bangalore

(D) Mumbai

5) After the third one-day international (ODI) of the India-New Zealand series at Auckland on 25 January 2014 ended in a nail-biting tie, MS Dhoni created history by becoming the ............ ODI captain to have participated in four tied matches?

(A) First

(B) Second

(C) Third

(D) Fourth

6)  Karl Slym, who passed away on 26 January 2014 in Bangkok, was the Managing Director associated with which Indian automobile company?

(A) Ashok Leyland

(B) Hero MotoCorp

(C) Tata Motors

(D) Hindustan motors

7) Who won the Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold badminton crown ( event held in  Lucknow) on 26 January 2014?

(A) PV Sindhu

(B) Saina Nehwal

(C) Ashwani Ponappa

(D) Jwala Gutta

8) India languishes at ......th place out of 178 countries globally in 'Environment Performance Index 2014 released recently in Jan 2014?

(A) 177

(B) 150

(C) 164

(D) 155

9) Civil Aviation Ministry removed restrictions on operations of Airbus A-380 in India on 27 January 2014. This large aircraft is now allowed to operate in how many  airports equipped to handle them?

(A) Four

(B) Five

(C) Two

(D) Seven

10) National Innovation Council (NInC) and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) come together to set up 'India Inclusive Innovation Fund' (IIIF) on 27 Jan 2014. Who is the minister in charge of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)?

(A) V Narayanaswamy

(B) Kumari Shelja

(C) K.H. Muniyappa

(D) Gulam Nazbi Azad

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Daily Current Affairs: 01 February 2014

1) India's first Monorail takes off: After years of delays and overcoming many a operational hiccups, the country's first Monorail finally made its debut in Mumbai on Saturday with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan inaugurating the service. The 8.9-kilometre long monorail service between Wadala and Chembur in the central-eastern suburbs of the metropolis will become operational after a delay of over two years. The commercial operations will begin from Sunday onwards. To begin with, the services will operate with four coaches having a combined carrying capacity of 2,300 passengers at every 15 minutes. The project has been executed by a consortium of engineering major Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) and Malaysian firm Scomi Engineering and owned and operated by MMRDA.

2) Asia's first SBTF commissioned into Indian Navy at Goa:  India has joined the elite group of nations when the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) was commissioned into the Indian Navy at INS Hansa in Panaji, Goa, a naval official said. This is the third such facility in the world, after the United States and Ukraine. The SBTF, which was commissioned recently, is primarily used for flight testing of naval aircraft that operate from aircraft carriers.

3) Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) gets new MD: Dr. Manoj Vaish has taken charge as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MCX. His appointment has been approved by FMC for three years. Prior to joining MCX, Vaish was the Managing Director & CEO of NSDL Database Management.

4) Kohli inches closer to top spot in ICC ODI rankings: Virat Kohli's individual brilliance during India's disastrous show in the lost ODI series against New Zealand has helped the young batsman inch closer to the top spot in the latest ICC rankings issued on Saturday. That performance fetched him 11 ratings points in the ICC list, taking his overall tally to 870, just two points behind number-one ranked AB de Villiers.

5) Harish Rawat to be new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Harish Rawat will be the new Chief Minster of Uttrarakhan. He has been elected leader of the state Congress Legislative Party at its meeting in Dehradun on Saturday.

6) Mother and child tracking centre inaugurated: A ‘Mother and Child Tracking Facilitation Centre’ was inaugurated by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad in Delhi. This centre, set up with the support of GVK EMRI, tracks the health of pregnant women and newborn.

7) Takkar assumes charge as Dena Bank ED: Dena Bank has a new Executive Director in R.K. Takkar. Takkar assumed charge as the Executive Director on Saturday. Prior to this, he was General Manager at Oriental Bank of Commerce. He had joined Oriental Bank of Commerce in May 1979 as a Probationary Officer.

8) NBA: Silver takes over as commissioner- A new era began for the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Saturday when David Stern's 30-year run as commissioner ended with his deputy, Adam Silver, taking over the helm.

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Postal Assistant- Circle and Regional Offices (PA CO/RO) Group ‘C’ Post Recruitment Rules, 2014

Department of Posts has changed the Recruitment Rules for selecting Postal Assistants in Circle and Regional Offices (PA CO/RO) and has been published in the official Gazette of India dated 27 January 2014. The new recruitment rule will be called Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Department of Posts, Circle and Regional Offices, Postal Assistant, Group ‘C’ Post Recruitment Rules, 2014. It will replace the existing Department of Posts (Postal Assistant in Circle and Regional Offices) Recruitment Rules, 1996.

Click Here to see the official gazette.

And the good news for Postal Assistant Aspirants is that this time the vacancies will be more in this cadre. During the last recruitment conducted by CMC limited for filling the vacancies of the year 2011 & 2012, recruitment for PA (CO/RO) were not called in any of the circles as the new recruitment rules were not cleared. So in the next recruitment vacancies have to be filled for the year 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014. Recruitment can be expected very soon as the Recruitment rules are now out. Keep visiting this blog for latest updates!!!

Click Here to see Postal/Sorting Assistant (PA/SA) Recruitment (Amendment) Rules, 2014

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Postal/Sorting Assistant (PA/SA) Recruitment (Amendment) Rules, 2014

Friends... Happy News for all Postal/Sorting Assistant Aspirants. Department of Posts has amended the Postal Assistants and Sorting Assistants(PA/SA) (Group C non- Gazetted), Recruitment Rules, 2011.

Earlier to be eligible for applying to the post of PA/SA:

1) General Candidates had to secure at least 60% marks in their 10+2 exam

2) Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates had to secure at least 55% marks in their 10+2 exam

3) Schedule Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) candidates had to secure at least 45% marks in their 10+2 exam

But as per the new amendment, a pass in 10+2 or 12th class will be sufficient to be eligible for applying for the post. The official extraordinary gazette in this regard has been published by Government of India on 27 January 2014.

Click Here to see the official gazette.

The above amendment has also been made in respect of Postal Assistant in Savings Bank Control and Internal Check Organisations, (PA SBCO) Group C non-Gazetted posts Recruitment Rules, 2012 also.

Click Here to see the official gazette.

Further new recruitment rules for Postal Assistants in Circle/Regional Offices - PA(CO/RO) have been published & will be known as Department of Posts, Circle and Regional Offices, Postal Assistant, Group ‘C’ Post Recruitment Rules, 2014. Click Here for details.

So with these amendments published we can expect PA/SA recruitment for filling the vacancies of the year 2013 & 2014 very soon. As per the Calendar of Exams published by DoP, recruitment for PA/SA is tentatively scheduled for March 2014. Whether it happens as per the schedule is a big question...we can expect another recruitment soon. Keep visiting this blog...we will be updating you the latest status!!!

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