General Knowledge & Current Affairs Quiz: 31 January 2014

1) Vijay Bahuguna on 31 January 2014 resigned from the post of Chief Minister of which state?

(A) Sikkim

(B) Assam

(C) Uttarakhand

(D) Jharkhand

2) Which element is not present in Sugar?

(A) Carbon

(B) Oxygen

(C) Hydrogen

(D) Nitrogen

3) Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, famous music director and singer Bappi Lahiri joined which political party on 31 January 2014?

(A) Indian National Congress

(B) BJP

(C) Aam Admi Party

(D) NCP

4) In which city is the Chhattisgarh High Court located?

(A) Bhilai

(B) Raipur

(C) Bilaspur

(D) Jagdalpur

5) Following Delhi which state government on 31 Jan 2014 scrapped the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retailing?

(A) Madhya Pradesh

(B) Gujarat

(C) Uttar Pradesh

(D) Rajasthan

6) To which ocean does Panama Canal connect the Pacific Ocean?

(A) Arctic Ocean

(B) Antarctic Ocean

(C) Atlantic Ocean

(D) Indian Ocean

7) Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the .......th fastest batsman to complete 8,000 runs in one-day cricket on 31 Jan 2014?

(A) Fourth

(B) Third

(C) Second

(D) First

8) Which ancient Indian physician is known as the 'Father of Modern Plastic Surgery'?

(A) Charak

(B) Madhav

(C) Sushruta

(D) Patanjali

9) Who was nominated as the new Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) by U.S. President Barack Obama on 31 January 2014?

(A) James Adam

(B) Michael Rogers

(C) Robert Edgeve

(D) Adam Vogers

10) Apart from Delhi, which other Union Territory has its own elected Vidhan Sabha and the executive council of ministers headed by a Chief Minister ?

(A) Daman and Diu

(B) Dadra and Nagar Haveli

(C) Lakshadweep

(D) Pondicherry

Answers

1) Ans. (C) Uttarakhand

2) Ans. (D) Nitrogen

3) Ans. (B) BJP

4) Ans. (C) Bilaspur

5) Ans. (D) Rajasthan

6) Ans. (C) Atlantic Ocean

7) Ans. (A) Fourth

8) Ans. (C) Sushruta

9) Ans. (B) Michael Rogers

10) Ans. (D) Pondicherry

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January 2014 Current Affairs PDF Download (Last Week)

Latest Current Affairs from Last Week of January 2014 in PDF- useful for all competitive Examinations!!!!!

Prepared by: http://www.currentaffairs4examz.com

January 2013 Current Affairs Questions and Answers for preparing Exams| IBPS SO III| SSC CGL 2014| UPSC | Civil Services | Bank | LD Clerk and all other Competitive Examinations.

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Q1. Who won the Australian Open men’s singles title on 26 January 2014 by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in Melbourne?

Ans. Stanislas Wawrinka

Note: This is the maiden Grand Slam crown of eighth seeded, Wawrinka. This is the first victory of Wawrinka over Nadal in 13 career meetings. Li Na of China won the women’s singles title by defeating Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (3), 6-0 on 25 January 2014.

Q2. India’s first monorail service was inaugurated at which city on 1 February 2014?

Ans. Mumbai

Note: It was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. The First phase of Mumbai Monorail is comprised of 8.9 km long Wadala-Chembur section. The Project is implemented by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority with an association of Larsen and Toubro and a Malaysian infrastructure firm Scomi Engineering.

Q3. Union Government raised the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders to 12 cylinders per household from existing ....... cylinders in a year on 30 January 2014?

Ans. 9

Note: The hike will be effective from April 2014. Union government had also decided to put on hold linking the Aadhaar platform to the Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) scheme.

Q4. Who has resigned as the Chief Minister of Uttrakhand on 31 January 2014?

Ans. Vijay Bahuguna

Note: The resignation follows a meeting of senior party leaders of the party in Delhi on 29 January 2014 that was headed by Congress President, Sonia Gandhi.

Q5. Who have been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by Union Government on the eve of Republic Day 2014?

Ans. Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar (Science and Engineering) & Shri B.K.S. Iyengar(Yoga Guru)

Read complete list: Click Here

Q6. Who won the Syed Modi International India Grand Prix title 2014 on 26 January 2014?

Ans. Saina Nehwal

Note: Sania beat P V Sindhu 21-14, 21-17 in the final held at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

Q7. Which team won the 35th Football Federation Cup on 25 January 2014 in the final held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Cochin?

Ans. Churchill Brothers. Churchill Brothers beat Sporting Clube de Goa 3-1 to lift their maiden Federation Cup.

Q8. Name the managing director of Tata Motors who died on 26 January 2014 after falling from a hotel building in Bangkok?

Ans. Karl Slym

Q9. 59th Idea Filmfare Awards were given away on 24 January 2014. Which film won the best film for 2013?

Ans. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Note: Best Actor was given to Farhaan Akhtar for his performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Deepika Padukone on the other hand was adjudged as the Best Actress for Ramleela.

Q10. Which bank has launched its channel on Youtube on 24 January 2014?

Ans. State Bank of India

Q11. Who on 25 January 2014 became the first captain to be involved in four tied One Day International matches?

Ans. MS Dhoni

Note: This was after third match of India-New Zealand ODI series tied.

Q12. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the Repo rate under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) by ...... basis points to 8 percent on its third quarter monetary policy review recently?

Ans. 25

Q13. Which country became the first country in South Asia to ban the testing of cosmetics and its ingredients on animals on 27 January 2014?

Ans. India

Q14. First cantilever bridge of India, Pamban Railway Bridge, completed its ......... years on 27 Jan 2014?

Ans. 100

Note:  On the occasion former President of India A. P. J Abdul Kalam inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Pamban Bridge.

Q15. Who was conferred with the 2014 Ramanujan Mathematics Award in Rajkot on 27 January 2014?

Ans. Anand Kumar

Note: He is a mathematician and founder of Super30 classes. Ramanujan Mathematics Award is an annual award that is given to a person who has at least three papers published in international journals and is involved in teaching mathematics.

Q16. Who became the first woman to be appointed in an International Cricket Council (ICC) umpires panel on 30 January 2014?

Ans. Kathy Cross of New Zealand

Q17. Which state on on 1 February 2014 scrapped its approval for the foreign direct investment in multi-brand retailing following Delhi?

Ans. Rajasthan

Note: The approval was given earlier by the previous Congress state government led by former Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot.

Q18. India overtook which country to become the third largest crude oil importer in the World as per the data released by Reuters on 30 January 2014?

Ans. Japan

Q19. Which NIT developed a commercially viable technology for efficiently rendering common polymer, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into a liquid fuel recently?

Ans. National Institute of Technology, Odisha

Q20. Which country recently announced Indian rupee as a legal tender on 29 January 2014?

Ans. Zimbabwe

Q21. Name the indigenous High Performance Computing System inaugurated at Advanced Numerical Research and Analysis Group (ANURAG) in Hyderabad on 25 January 2014?

Ans. Dhruva-3

Q22. Union Government of India on the eve of the 65th Republic Day function announced the Padma Awards 2014. A total of how many persons conferred the Padma Awards?

Ans. 127

Q23. Civil Aviation Ministry decided to remove restrictions on flights of Airbus A-380 to India on 27 January 2014. This large aircraft is now allowed to operate in how many airports equipped to handle them?

Ans. Four

Note: They are Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Q24. India ranked .......th in global Environment Performance Index released on 25 January 2014?

Ans. 155

Q25. Name the pioneer of Swiss watch, a watch brand of his name, who died at the age of 87 on 27 January 2014?

Ans. Raymond Weil

Q26. The British start-up DeepMind Technologies – an artificial intelligence company was on 27 January 2014 purchased by?

Ans. Google

Q27. New Zealand on 31 January 2014 won the five ODI Series of 5 matches against India by which margin?

Ans. 4-0

Note: India has lost 04 games and tied one but could not manage to win a single game.

Q28. Who has been nominated as the Director of National Security Agency(NSA) by the US president Barack Obama on  30 January 2014?

Ans. Michael Rogers

Q29. Union Government decided to amend the rules governing IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officers to assure them at least .......... years in a given posting on 30 January 2014?

Ans. Two

Q30. Whose score of 203.8 in 10 m Air Pistol set at the Munich World Cup in November 2013 was recognized as World record on 30 January 2014?

Ans. Heena Sandhu

Note: The declaration of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) came following the adoption of new format. Heena, thus, became the first Indian woman ever to hold the world record in Shooting World Cup.

Q31. Who took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Shipping Corporation of India on 28 January 2014?

Ans. Arun Kumar Gupta

Q32. Who has been appointed as MD&CEO of non telecom businesses of Bharti Enterprises?

Ans. Manoj Kohli

Q33. Name the Ukraine's Prime Minister who resigned on 28 January 2014 in order to facilitate peaceful settlement of the political crisis?

Ans. Mykola Azarov

Q34. Recording Academy announced the 56th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on 26 January 2014.Which album won the Album of the year award?

Ans. Random Access Memories

Q35. Economic growth for 2012-13 lowered to ....... percent from 5 percent estimated earlier by Union Government of India on 31 January 2014?

Ans. 4.5

Q36. Union Cabinet on 30 January 2014 gave its approval for making amendments in the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in ....... states and three Union Territories?

Ans. 13

Q37. Which company unveiled a 150cc hybrid diesel concept motorcycle RNT on 29 January 2014?

Ans. Hero MotoCorp

Q38. Who has been appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of Tata Global Beverages Limited (TGBL) on 29 January 2014?

Ans. Ajoy Misra

Q39. Who has been designed as MD& CEO of India and South Asia including Srilanka and Bangladesh announced by the Bharti Enterprises recently?

Ans. Gopal Vittal

Q40. World’s first 3D-printer Objet500 Connex3 was launched on 28 January 2014. It was manufactured by which company?

Ans. Stratasys

Note: It was a USA based company.

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RBI Recruitment 2014 for Junior Engineer

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has invited applications from eligible Indian citizens for the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) and the Post of Junior Engineer (Electrical). Interested Candidates may apply online from 30th January, 2014 to 20th February, 2014.

 

RBI Recruitment 2014 complete vacancy details:

Number of vacancies : 23

1. Junior Engineer (Civil) : 09 posts

2. Junior Engineer (Electrical) : 14 posts

Important Dates :

Starting date for submission of Online application : 30th Jan, 2014

Last date for submission of Online application : 20th Feb, 2014

Date for Payment of Examination Fees: 01st Feb to 25th Feb, 2014

Date of Online Test: 30th March, 2014

Educational Qualification :

1. For Jr. Engineer (Civil) : Min. 3 years Diploma in Civil Engineering from a recognized Institute with min. 65% marks (55% for SC/ST/PWD) or Degree in Civil Engg with min. 55% marks (45% for SC/ST/PWD).

2. For Jr. Engineer (Electrical) : Min. 3 years Diploma in Electrical orElectrical and Electronic Engineering from a recognized Institute with min. 65% marks (55% for SC/ST/PWD) or Degree in Electrical orElectrical and Electronic Engineering with 55% marks (45% for SC/ST/PWD).

Age limit: Candidates age should be between 20 years and 30 years . Candidates born not earlier than 02/02/1984 and not later than 01/02/1994 are only eligible to apply.

Selection Process: Selection will be through Online Examination and Interview . Online Examination for 200 marks will be held on 30th March, 2014.

Monthly Gross Emoluments :

1. For Junior Engineer : Rs. 30,929/-

Mode of Payment: Candidates have the option of making the payment of requisite fees either through the ONLINE mode or the OFFLINE mode.

Application Fee :

1. General and OBC candidates are required to Pay Rs. 600( Exam fee of Rs. 550 + Intimation charges of Rs. 50).

2. SC/ST/PWD/Ex-Serviceman Candidates are required to pay Rs. 50 Only.

How to Apply: Before applying Online, candidates should have their canned photograph and signature and also keep their credit /debit card/net banking details for Online Payment. Candidates are requested to apply Online through Bank’s website www.rbi.org.in

Click here to read the Official notification.

Click here to Apply online.

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AP VRO VRA Answer Key 2014

Government of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Commissioner of Land Administration has conducted the Written Examination on 02nd February, 2014 on various center forVRO , VRA Post. CCLA has uploaded the AP VRO VRA Answer key 2014 on its official portal www.ccla.cgg.gov.in on 04 February 2014 so that appeared candidates can match their Answers with officially published Answer Sheet/ Solutions 2014.

Click here to Download the AP VRO VRA Answer key 2014.

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 04 February 2014

1) Justice Mathur to head 7th Central Pay Commission: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved composition of the 7th Pay Commission, which will revise the salaries of over 50 lakh central government employees. "The Prime Minister has approved the composition of the 7th Central Pay Commission," the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Former Supreme Court Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur has been appointed as chairman of the Commission, with Oil Secretary Vivek Rae as full time Member. Rathin Roy (Director, NIPFP) will be part-time Member and Meena Agarwal (OSD, Department of Expenditure) its Secretary. The sixth Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1,2006, the fifth from January 1, 1996 and fourth from January 1, 1986. 7th Central Pay Commission is expected to be implemented from 1 January 2016.

2) Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella named Microsoft CEO: Microsoft's board on Tuesday named Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella as chief executive of the legendary tech giant that has given the world products which have become household names like Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook Express. The announcement elevates Nadella, an offspring of the Indian system, to one of the highest-profile corporate jobs globally. Nadella, 46, will be only the third CEO of Microsoft after founder Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, the man he is succeeding.

3) Bharat Ratna conferred on Sachin Tendulkar, Prof CNR Rao : Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, was conferred on legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Prof C N R Rao on Tuesday. President Pranab Mukherjee presented the honours at a brief function at Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Durbar Hall attended by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Union ministers, Sachin’s wife Anjali, daughter Sara and a host of dignitaries. Master batsman Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket on November 16 last year, is the first sportsman to be bestowed with the honour.  Prof Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao is the third scientist after CV Raman and former President APJ Abdul Kalam to be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.  He currently serves as the Head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. The Bharat Ratna was announced after a gap of four years with Hindustani music doyen Bhimsen Joshi being the last recipient in 2009.

4) World Cancer Day observed across the world: The World Cancer Day 2014 was observed across the world on 4 February 2014 with its focus on Target 5 of the World Cancer Declaration: Reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer, under the tagline Debunk the myths. This day is observed to raise the collective voices for improving the general knowledge around cancer and dismiss the misconceptions about the disease.

5) 4 more States identified for Aadhaar enrolment: Aadhaar enrolment in four States — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand — will be carried out in addition to enrolment by the Registrar General of India (RGI). A decision to this effect was taken on Tuesday by the Cabinet Committee on Unique Identification Authority of India (CC UIDAI), which approved reallocation of States for Aadhaar enrolment.

6) Basant Panchmi celebrated: Thousands of devout Hindus took a holy bath and dip in the sacred waters of 'Sangam', the confluence of River Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, on Tuesday in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, on the occasion of Basant Panchmi, a festival that marks the onset of spring. The festival glorifies Hindu Goddess Saraswati, patron of knowledge, music and the arts.

7) Sibal launches GI Cloud to utilize benefits of cloud computing: Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday launched the GI Cloud to utilize the benefits of cloud computing in the country. The facility will ensure optimum utilization of the infrastructure and speed up the development and deployment of eGovernance applications.

8) Bihar First Woman Muslim Minister Resigned: In a setback to Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, Social Welfare minister Parveen Amanullah resigned on Tuesday from the Cabinet.Ms. Parveen sent her resignation letter to the Chief Minister.  Ms. Parveen told reporters that she was finding it difficult to work in the present system and also announced to quit membership of the JD(U).

9) World Wetlands Day observed on 2 Feb 2014: World Wetlands Day' has been observed across the globe on February 2nd with the theme Wetlands and agriculture: partners for growth.

10) Janet Yellen sworn in as first woman to chair US Federal Reserve: Janet Yellen has been sworn in as chair of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve on 4 February 2014. Ms. Yellen was sworn in by Fed governor Daniel Tarullo, the bank said. She succeeds Ben Bernanke, whose term ended Friday.

11) Speed Post Launched Special Service for the Delivery of Delhi High Court Notices/ Summons: Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications & Information Technology, here today launched a special service of the Speed Post for booking and delivery of Notices/ Summons of the High Court of Delhi with ‘Proof of Delivery’ (PoD) facility. The ‘PoD’ in its return transmission will also be booked under Speed Post Service. Shri Justice N.V. Ramana , Chief Justice, High Court of Delhi, was the Guest of honour at the launch function held in the High Court premises.

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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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