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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Lok Sabha elections to be held in 9 phases from April 7 to May 12, counting on May 16

>> The Election Commission on Wednesday announced the schedule for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections saying they will be held in nine phases from April 7, 2014 to May 12, 2014.

>> Chief election commissioner VS Sampath announced the dates in a press conference. The two election commissioners HS Brahma and SNA Zaidi were also present.

>> The counting of votes to be held on May 16 and will be over in a day, Sampath told reporters.

>> The first date of poll shall be on April 7, 2014 which will be held in two states and six parliamentary constituencies will be covered. The second phase of poll on April 9 will cover seven constituencies in five states. The third phase on April 10 to cover 92 constituencies in 14 states and the fourth day of poll on April 12 to cover three states and five constituencies.

>> The fifth will be on April 17 which will cover 13 states and UTs and 122 constituencies and sixth phase will be on April 24, covering 12 states and 117 constituencies.

>> The seventh phase will be held on April 30 to cover nine states and 89 constituencies, eighth phase on May 7 will cover seven states and 64 constituencies and the last and ninth phase on will be on May 12 and cover 3 states and 41 constituencies.

Model Code of Conduct in effect!!
>> The model code of conduct has come into immediate effect. It prevents the government from making any decisions that can be seen as influencing voters. It also prohibits political parties from making unsubstantiated allegations against opponents.

>> Chief election commissioner said that the total number of electorate this year stands at 81.4 crore and has increased by 10 crore as compared to the last parliamentary elections in 2009.

>> The chief election commissioner also said there has been a 12% increase in the number of polling stations in the country with 9,30,000 stations this year. There were 8.3 lakh stations in the last elections.

>> Andhra Pradesh, including the regions comprising Telangana, Odisha and Sikkim will go to polls to elect new assemblies.Election commissioner Brahma said that all Maoist-hit areas will be covered in a single day across India.

>> The decision to announce the dates to elect 543 members to Lok Sabha was taken after a series of meeting by Sampath on Tuesday and firming up of the security plan.

>> In a first for general elections, voters will also be able to reject all candidates with None Of The Above (NOTA) buttons on 1.5 million electronic voting machines (EVMs).The EC will also experiment with verifiable paper trail system with EVMs in about 10,000 polling booths.

Here is the Lok Sabha Poll Schedule for each state

STATE / UT
DATE
STATE / UT
DATE
Andhra Pradesh
April 30, May 7
Arunchal Pradesh
April 9
Assam
April 7, 12, 24
Bihar
April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12
Goa
April 17
Gujarat
April 30
Haryana
April 10
Himachal Pradesh
May 7
Jammu & Kashmir
April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7
Karnataka
April 17
Kerala
April 10
Madhya Pradesh
April 10, 17, 24
Maharashtra
April 10, 17, 24
Manipur
April 9, 17
Meghalaya
April 9
Mizoram
April 9
Nagaland
April 9
Odisha
April 10, 17
Punjab
April 30
Rajasthan
April 17, 24
Sikkim
April 12
Tamil Nadu
April 24
Tripura
April 7, 12
Uttar Pradesh
April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12
West Bengal
April 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12
Chhattisgarh
April 10, 17, 24
Jharkhand
April 10, 17, 24
Uttarakhand
May 7
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
April 10
Chandigarh
April 10
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
April 30
Daman & Diu
April 30

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

GK and Current Affairs Quiz: 23 & 24 February 2014

1) What was the motto of Sochi Winter Olympics 2014?
(A) Citius, Altius, Fortius
(B) Hot. Cool. Yours
(C) True Spirit
(D) Inspire a generation

2) Pyeongchang city will host the next winter olympics in 2018. It is in which country?
(A) Finland
(B) China
(C) Scotland
(D) South Korea

3) Which municipality in Kerala on 23 Feb 2014 became the first municipal body in the country to win an ISO certification for quality management?
(A) Malappuram
(B) Cannanore
(C) Attingal
(D) Palakkad


4) Which African country’s President on 24 February 2014 signed a controversial anti-gay bill that allows harsh penalties for homosexual offenses?
(A) Zimbabwe
(B) Sudan
(C) Uganda
(D) Kenya

5) Which team lifted 2nd edition of Hockey India League cup on 23 February 2014?
(A) Mumbai Magicians
(B) Delhi Wave Riders
(C) Ranchi Rhinos
(D) Punjab Warriors

6) India’s first all-women bank Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) recently (Feb 2014) tied up with which public-sector general insurance company for launching 3 health insurance products for women account holders of the bank?
(A) New India Assurance
(B) United India Insurance
(C) National Insurance Company
(D) The Oriental Insurance

7) Name the first ever Android-based phone series to be manufactured by Nokia as announced on 24 February 2014?
(A) S- series
(B) X-Series
(C) B- Series
(D) N Series

8) Who was the first cricketer in the world to score 10,000 runs in Test Cricket?
(A) Brian Lara
(B) Allan Border
(C) Steve Waugh
(D) Sunil Gavaskar

9) To preserve the filaments at high temprature, which gas is filled in the electric bulbs?
(A) Argon
(B) Helium
(C) Krypton
(D) Xenon

10) The insulin, a necessary harmone to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood, is produced by which endocrine gland in human body?
(A) Thyroid
(B) Adrenal
(C) Pancreas
(D) Pituitary

1) Ans. (B) Hot. Cool. Yours
2) Ans. (D) South Korea
3) Ans. (A) Malappuram
4) Ans. (C) Uganda
5) Ans. (B) Delhi Wave Riders
6) Ans. (A) New India Assurance
7) Ans. (B) X-Series
8) Ans. (D) Sunil Gavaskar
9) Ans. (A) Argon
10) Ans. (C) Pancreas

Daily Current Affairs: 04 March 2014

1) Sheila Dikshit appointed new Kerala governor: Former Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit was on Tuesday named as governor of Kerala. She replaces Nikhil Kumar, who has held the post since March 2013. Dikshit's appointment as governor of the southern state came after Kumar stepped down amid speculation that he may contest the Lok Sabha poll from Bihar. Dikshit served as Delhi's chief minister from 1998 to 2013 before she lost to Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal in the December 2013 assembly polls. She lost her assembly seat by over 20,000 votes.


2) Graeme Smith announced shock retirement from cricket: South African cricketer Graeme Smith has announced he will retire from all forms of international cricket at the conclusion of the final Test against Australia in Cape Town. Smith, 33, is playing his 117th Test match - 109 of which have been as captain, a world record - and currently stands on 9257 runs. He won 53 of the matches as captain another world record.

3) Interest rates on FDs offered by post offices hiked, PPF rate unchanged: A day ahead of Lok Sabha polls announcement, the government on Tuesday decided to hike interest rates on fixed deposit schemes offered by post offices by up to 0.2 per cent. The interest rate on popular PPF (public provident fund) has, however, been kept unchanged at 8.7 per cent. New interest rates on small savings schemes will come into effect from April 1, an official release said. The decision to hike interest rates, which is in line with the recommendations of Shyamala Gopinath Committee, will make small savings schemes more attractive and returns would be in sync with market rates.

4) On June 2, Telangana will officially become India's 29th state: The Centre has fixed June 2 as the formation day for Telangana, the country’s 29th state. The Union home ministry is issuing a formal notification late Tuesday night announcing June 2 as the "appointed date" when the states of Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh formally come into existence, splitting the undivided state of Andhra Pradesh. The decision came after a meeting between home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and President Pranab Mukherjee late on Tuesday evening. The central government has already issued a gazette notification on the formation of the 29th state of the country. This came after Parliament gave its approval on February 20 for the creation of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.


5) Bill Gates again declared as most richest man of the world: The surging price of Microsoft shares returned US tech tycoon Bill Gates back to the top of Forbes’s world’s billionaires list, with his $76 billion beating out Mexico’s Carlos Slim’s $72 billion. Gates is back at the top spot after a four-year hiatus, reclaiming the title of world's richest person from Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who had ranked number 1 for the previous four years. With a networth of USD 18.6 billion, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chief Mukesh Ambani leads the pack of 56 billionaires based in India featured on the list.

6) Hockey India granted National Sports Federation status by Government: Hockey India’s (HI) bid to be the sole body of governance for the national sport in the country has got a shot in the arm after the Government of India recently accorded it the status of a National Sports Federation (NSF). HI, which was derecognised by the Union Sports Ministry in 2012 for not adhering to government guidelines, internal disputes and mismanagement, has finally been recognised as the sole body for the promotion of hockey in the country by the government.

7) First Goan woman judge in Bombay High Court: Judge Anuja Prabhudessai has on Monday became the first woman from Goa to be sworn-in as Judge of the (Bombay) High Court. For 52 year-old Ms. Prabhudessai, the journey to this position has been a cumbersome one. She was served a suspension order four years back, which many in legal circles suspected to be a systematic ploy to sideline her and abort her impending elevation as judge of the Bombay High Court, as she was the senior most District and Sessions judge at that juncture.

8) New chief for IREDA: KS Popli has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. IREDA is Government-owned agency under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy that is mandated to promote, develop and extend financial assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

9) 'Horrendous' two-finger test on rape victims banned: The central government has prohibited the two-finger test performed on rape victims and asked all hospitals to set up a designated room for their forensic and medical examination. These guidelines are among the many announced by the Union health ministry for treating rape victims. The Department of Health Research (DHR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with the help of experts formulated this set of national guidelines for dealing with criminal assault cases.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 03 March 2014

1) Oscars 2014 announced: ‘12 Years a Slave’ bags best picture- The 86th Annual Academy Oscar Awards 2014 was announced on 2 March 2014 with historical drama "12 Years a Slave" winning best picture. Hi-tech space thriller Gravity won a leading seven awards in the ceremony. Alfonso Cuaron won the Best director award for Gravity. Matthew McConaughey won the best actor award for “Dallas Buyers Club” while Cate Blanchett won the best actress award for “Blue Jasmine”. See complete list of winners click here.

2) Date for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes extended to January 1, 2015: “The Reserve Bank of India has extended the date for exchanging the pre-2005 banknotes to January 01, 2015. It has also advised banks to facilitate the exchange of these notes for full value and without causing any inconvenience whatsoever to the public,” a statement by the central bank said. The Reserve Bank has also clarified that people can use these notes freely for any transaction till the new timeline.

3) Srilanka enters finals of Asia Cup 2014: In-form Sri Lanka sailed into the summit clash of the Asia Cup cricket tournament with a resounding 129-run victory over minnows Afghanistan on Monday.

4) Workdays for tribals under MNREGA raised from 100 to 150: Union Government of India on 28 February 2014 raised the number of workdays under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005) from 100 days to 150 days. This hike in the workdays will benefit 14 lakh families in India and the decision Union Cabinet will come into effect from April 2014.

5) Manmohan Singh arrived in Myanmar for BIMSTEC summit: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Myanmar on Monday to attend the  Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, making a strong pitch for giving a fillip to India's Look East policy and explore ways to enhance connectivity, transport, trade, tourism and other linkages to all the northeastern states.


6) Kalyan Singh made BJP vice-president: The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, who rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, was appointed national vice-president. Party president Rajnath Singh announced Mr. Singh’s new appointment on Monday. Mr. Singh was the Chief Minister when the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992.

7) Railways launched SMS alert service for waitlisted passengers:  Now you will no longer have to dial 139 or visit the rail website to check the status of your waitlisted ticket as the railways will now send booking status messages to passengers on mobile phones, if the tickets get confirmed before the journey. "For the last 10 days the trial was going on and on Monday we formally launched the SMS alert service for all passengers whose waitlisted tickets get confirmed," minister of state for railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

8)  Justice KT Thomas quits as head of Lokpal search committee: In a major embarrassment to the Congress government at the Centre, Justice KT Thomas has quit as the head of the Lokpal Committee Search Panel, reports said on Monday. According to reports, Justice Thomas, who was the head of the panel to search nine members of the Lokpal or national anti-corruption ombudsman, has sent his resignation letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) expressing his inability to continue with his job.

9) Arvind Bhat lifts German Open title: Veteran Indian shuttler Arvind Bhat ended a seven-year title drought as he clinched the German Open Grand Prix Gold with a grueling three-game upset triumph over 12th seed Dane Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in the men's singles final Germany.

10) Delhi HC set to get first woman Chief Justice: The Delhi High Court is set to get its first woman Chief Justice with the Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam, recommending the name of current Andhra Pradesh High Court judge — Justice G Rohini — as the next Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

IBPS Specialist officer III Interview Schedule Published

Friends... IBPS has issued the notification on the date of common interview of IBPS Specialist officer III. IBPS has conducted the exam for Specialist Officers on 8th and 9th February 2014 and results were published on 21 February 2014. As per the schedule published, interviews are starting from 18th March 2014. Dates mentioned are as follows:

>> Download of call letters for Interview:  After 04.03.2014
>> Conduct of Interview:   18th March 2014 onwards
>> Provisional Allotment: On or after 01.04.2014


View official Notification: Click Here

Clarification on fresh attempts and age relaxation in Civil Services Examination

Friends...As you are aware recently Government has announced relaxation in age and number of attempts for appearing in the Civil Service Examination. Now the Department of Personnel & Training has issued orders in this regard and the same is as follows:
View Official Order: Click Here

Employment News this week: Job Highlights (01st – 07th March 2014)

1.  Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited
No. of the Post – 99
Name of Post – Junior Scientific Assistant (GR-II), Surveyor (Civil) & Accountant
Last Date : 31.03.2014

2. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Name of the Post - Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Electronics, Mechanical & Computer Science)
No. of the Post – 102
Last Date : 13.03.2014

3. Public Service Commission, Uttar Pradesh
No. of Vacancies - 1280 Lecturers
Last Date : 11.03.2014

4.  Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force
No. of Vacancies – 260
Name of the Post - Asst. Sub-Inspector, Head Constable and Constables in various discipline
Last Date : 31.03.2014

5.  Assam Gramin Vikash Bank
No. of Vacancies –215
Name of the Post - Officer Scale-II, Officer Scale-I and Office Asst.
Last Date : 10.03.2014

6. Cochin Shipyard Limited
No. of Vacancies – 228
Name of the Post - Accountant, Junior Technical Assistant, Welder cum Fitter, Fitter, Painter etc.
Last Date : 10.03.2014

7.  Satyawati College (Evening)
Name of Post – Assistant Professor
No. of Vacancies – 42

Last Date – 08.03.2014

Source: www.employmentnews.gov.in

Monday, March 3, 2014

Current Affairs Quiz Questions: 22 February 2014

1) Matteo Renzi has sworn in as youngest Prime Minister of which country on 22 February 2014?
(A) Italy
(B) France
(C) Spain
(D) Egypt

2) Defending champions India was crashed out of the Under-19 World cup cricket with the defeat against which country in the quarter finals on 22 Feb 2014?
(A) South Africa
(B) Pakistan
(C) Australia
(D) England

3) Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has recently (Feb 2014) got its name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for measuring the blood pressure of over 8,000 people in a matter of just eight hours during last World Health Day. Vadodara is in which state?
(A) Himachal Pardesh
(B) Gujarat
(C) Haryana
(D) Maharashtra


4) Who has recently (Feb 2014) became the first player in the history of Test cricket to score a half-century in 12 consecutive Tests?
(A) Misbah Ul Haq
(B) Virat Kohli
(C) Alastair Cook
(D) AB De Villiers

5)  Curtains came down on the 22nd Winter Olympics 2014 at Sochi (Russia) on 23 February 2014 with a breathtaking closing ceremony. Which country topped the medals tally?
(A) China
(B) USA
(C) Russia
(D) Norway

6) Which city will be hosting the 23rd Winter Olympics to be held in 2018?
(A) Glasgow, Scotland
(B) Tokyo, Japan
(C) Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
(D) Pyeongchang, South Korea

7) International Mother Language Day observed on 21st February. In which year it was first announced by UNESCO?
(A) 1999
(B) 2003
(C) 2007
(D) 2011

8) Name the Surface-to-air missile which was test fired successfully by Army from Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha recently (Feb 2014)?
(A) Agni
(B) Printhvi
(C) Akash
(D) Saral

9) World's longest free Wi-Fi zone having ......Km stretch has been recently (Feb 2014) opened in Patna, Bihar?
(A) 50
(B) 20
(C) 15
(D) 3

10) Archana Bhargava resigned as CMD of United Bank of India (UBI) recently (Feb 2014). Bank is headquartered in?
(A) Bangalore
(B) Mumbai
(C) Kolkata
(D) Chennai

1) Ans. (A) Italy
2) Ans. (D) England
3) Ans. (B) Gujarat
4) Ans. (D) AB De Villiers
5) Ans. (C) Russia
6) Ans. (D) Pyeongchang, South Korea
7) Ans. (A) 1999
8) Ans. (C) Akash
9) Ans. (B) 20
10) Ans. (C) Kolkata

Oscar Awards 2014: Full list of winners PDF Download

The 86th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the actors, technical achievements, and films of 2013 and took place on March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The ceremony was scheduled one week later than usual to avoid conflict with the broadcast of the 2014 Winter Olympics. During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented awards in 24 categories.


Gravity won seven awards, the most for the ceremony, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón. 12 Years a Slave won three awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o. Dallas Buyers Club also won three awards, becoming the fifth film in history to win both the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto respectively. Other winners included Frozen and The Great Gatsby, with two awards each. Cate Blanchett won the Best Actress award for Blue Jasmine. Other films to win one award were The Great Beauty, Helium, Her, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, Mr Hublot, and 20 Feet from Stardom. Cuarón and Catherine Martin were the only individuals to win multiple awards, with two trophies each. Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE: “12 Years a Slave”

ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, for “Dallas Buyers Club”

ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, for “Blue Jasmine”

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, for “Dallas Buyers Club”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong’o, for “12 Years a Slave”

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, for “Gravity”

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: John Ridley, for “12 Years a Slave”

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Spike Jonze, for “Her”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: “20 Feet from Stardom”

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: “The Great Beauty” (Italy)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: “Frozen”

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”

COSTUME DESIGN: “The Great Gatsby,” Catherine Martin

FILM EDITING: “Gravity,” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: “Dallas Buyers Club,” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews

ORIGINAL SONG: “Let It Go” from “Frozen,” music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

ORIGINAL SCORE: “Gravity,” Steven Price

PRODUCTION DESIGN: “The Great Gatsby,” Catherine Martin (production design) and Beverley Dunn (set decoration)

SOUND EDITING: “Gravity,” Glenn Freemantle

SOUND MIXING: “Gravity,” Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro

VISUAL EFFECTS: “Gravity,” Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk and Neil Corbould

ANIMATED SHORT FILM: “Mr. Hublot”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM: “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”


LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM: “Helium”

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 2 March 2014

1) Cabinet okays inclusion of jats in OBC list: The Cabinet on Sunday approved the inclusion of jats in the central list of OBCs that defines the eligibility for 27% Mandal reservations. Jats can now avail reservation in central jobs and educational institutions, a decision taken by possibly the last Cabinet meeting of UPA-2 in what is a desperate Congress gambit to woo the community ahead of elections.


2) South Africa won maiden ICC U19 Cricket World Cup title: South Africa won its maiden ICC U19 Cricket World Cup title when it defeated two-time former champion Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Fast bowler Corbin Bosch saved his best performance in the tournament for the title match when he claimed four for 15, and wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin collected six catches behind the wickets as Pakistan was bundled out for 131 in 44.3 overs after electing to bat first.
>> South Africa captain Aiden Markram was declared player of the tournament for scoring 370 runs in the tournament, which saw him strike two centuries and one half-century.

3) Pakistan defeated India in Asia Cup match: India paid the price for costly blunders at crucial junctures to suffer a nerve-wracking one-wicket defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Pakistan, who rode on Shahid Afridi's brilliant cameo to virtually assure themselves a berth in the final of the Asia Cup on Sunday. In a tense encounter where fortunes fluctuating from one team to other till very end saw Afridi the turn the game decisively in Pakistan's favour by hitting successive sixes in Ravichandran Ashwin's last over to overhaul India's modest total of 245.

4) Manchester City won Capital One Cup final at Wembley: Manuel Pellegrini won his first trophy as Manchester City manager as his side came from behind to beat Sunderland 3—1 at Wembley in final of Capital One Cup  on Sunday. Fabio Borini put Sunderland ahead after 10 minutes and for the rest of the first half it seemed a major upset was possible. But Yaya Toure stroked in a brilliant 25—yarder to level nine minutes after half—time and three minutes later Samir Nasri fired in with the outside of his right foot from just inside the box.

5) New Pakistan High Commissioner arrived in India: Pakistan High Commissioner-designate Abdul Basit arrived in India on Sunday at a time of a pause in India-Pakistan relations. A career diplomat like his predecessor Salman Bashir, Mr. Basit was Pakistan’s Ambassador to Germany and nominated for this post instead of the earlier choice Syed Ibne Abbas.

6) Nishi Vasudeva takes over as Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd chief: Nishi Vasudeva on 1 March 2014 became the first woman to head a blue-chip PSU when she took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL). Vasudeva, who turns 58 this month, was Director (Marketing) in HPCL before replacing Subir Roy Choudhury as the head of the company. Choudhury retired on 28 Feb 2014 on attaining the superannuation age of 60 years.

7)  Roger Federer won Dubai tennis championship: Roger Federer won singles title of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship by defeating Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4,6-3 in the final.


8) Finance ministry allows EPFO to become stock exchange member: The finance ministry has allowed retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to become a member of a stock exchange although its trustees oppose parking even a part of its over Rs5 lakh crore corpus in equities. The department of economic affairs has issued a notification under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules Act 1957, permitting the EPFO to become a member of a recognised stock exchange, according to a release.