Current Affairs March 2015 PDF: First Week

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1) Who was unanimously elected as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 2 March 2015? - Jagmohan Dalmiya

2) World’s largest and tallest Indian national flag was unfurled on 3 March 2015 at? - Faridabad, Haryana

3) Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar completed his SAARC Yatra of four nations on 4 March 2015. Name the 4 nations which he visited during this yatra? - Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan & Afghanistan.

4) Who was appointed as chairman of National Book Trust (NBT) on 2 March 2015? - Baldev Sharma

5) Which Indian Olympic medalist on 2 March 2015 announced that she will quit boxing after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games? - MC Mary Kom

6) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 March 2015 reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points to? - 7.5 percent

7) BBC on 4 March 2015 released a documentary film India's Daughter, which sparked controversy. This documentary film was directed by? - Leslee Udwin

Note: The film is based on the Delhi gang rape that took place on 16 December 2012.

8) Kathmandu-Varanasi-Kathmandu bus service was on 5 March 2015 flagged off jointly by India and which country? – Nepal

9) Name the Hindi film based on former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad’s life which was launched on 2 March 2015? – Kirket

10) World Wildlife Day was observed on 3 March 2015 with the theme? - Wildlife crime is serious, let’s get serious about wildlife crime.

11) Which cricket team on 4 March 2015 created the World Cup record for highest-ever score of 417 in a match against Afghanistan in Perth? - Australia

Note:  It defeated Afghanistan by 275 runs which was the biggest winning margin in the tournament’s history. The previous record of highest runs in a World Cup match was held by India and it was 413 against Bermuda in 2007.

12) Who was on 3 March 2015 appointed as Chief Secretary of Delhi? - Kewal K Sharma

13) Who recently won the Mo Ibrahim prize for achievement in African leadership for year 2014? - Hifikepunye Pohamba, outgoing Namibian President

14) Election Commission of India (ECI) on 3 March 2015 launched NERPAP throughout India. Expand NERPAP? - National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme

15) G Karthikeyan who passed away on 7 March 2015 was the speaker of which state assembly? – Kerala

Prepared by: www.currentaffairs4examz.com

16) Which Bollywood actress was on 3 March 2015 awarded with the National Award for the Best Representation of the Cause of Safety, Security and Protection of Women and Girl Child by National Institute of Gender Justice (NIGJ)? - Rani Mukerji

17) Lok Sabha on 2 March 2015 passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015 by voice vote. The Bill seeks to amend? - Citizenship Act, 1955

18) Who won the Argentina Open Tennis title on 2 March 2015? - Rafael Nadal.

19) Who won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title on 28 February 2015? - Roger Federer

20) Which state government on 4 March 2015 scrapped the resolution that provided five percent reservations to Muslims in government jobs in the state? – Maharashtra

21) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 March 2015 inaugurated two units of 600 Mega Watt (MW) each of Shree Singaji Thermal Power Project in which state? - Madhya Pradesh

22) President Pranab Mukherjee on 2 March 2015 gave his assent to the Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 1995 in which country? - Maharashtra

Note: This amendment bans slaughter of bulls and bullocks in Maharashtra.

23) Union Government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 20 February 2015 signed an agreement on? - Monetary Policy Framework

24) Which firm on 2 March 2015 acquired Bengaluru-based TaxiForSure in a cash and equity deal worth 200 million US dollars? – Olacabs

25) KS Lavkumar Khachar who died on 3 March 2015 was a famous? - Ornithologist and naturalist

26) Lok Sabha on 3 March 2015 passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 by voice vote.  The Bill seeks to amend? - Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

27) Which e-commerce company on 6 March 2015 acquired mobile ad network AdiQuity? – Flipkart

28) Royal Mint on 2 March 2015 unveiled a new coinage portrait of the Queen Elizabeth II that will appear on coins in which country? – Britain 

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Budget 2015-16 Questions for Exams: Part 2

Read Part 1: Click Here

16) As per Budget 2015-16 proposal, GST (Goods and Services Tax) to be put in place by? - April 1, 2016

17) ____% deduction for contribution to Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga projects were announced in Budget 2015? - 100%

18) Which tax was abolished in Budget 2015? - Wealth Tax

19) Additional ____ % surcharge for the super rich with income of over Rs. 1 crore were announced in Budget 2015? - 2%

20) Tax slabs were not changed in Union Budget 2015-16. True or False? - True

21) Service tax was increased to  ____ per cent in Budget 2015-16? - 14%

22) Rs. _____ crore were announced in Budget 2015 for Rural Infrastructure Development Bank? - 25,000

23) ______ Mission to be established to draw on expertise of entrepreneurs, and researchers to foster scientific innovations? - Atal Innovation Mission

24) AIIMS were announced in which states in Budget 2015-16? - Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Assam.

25) Which is the only state to get IIT as per Budget proposal 2015-16? - Karnataka

26) Indian School of Mines in which place is proposed to be upgraded to IIT? - Dhanbad

27) PG institute of Horticulture was announced in which city? - Amritsar

28) University of Disability Studies was announced for which state? - Kerala

29) Centre of film production, animation and gaming to come up in ? - Arunachal Pradesh

30) IIM were announced in which state? - Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh

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Recent Current Affairs Questions: 28 March 2015

1) New Zealand's Martin Guptill recently hit the highest ever World Cup score of 237 not out against which country in the quarterfinals of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015?

(A) South Africa

(B) West Indies

(C) Zimbabwe

(D) Australia 

2) Who has been recently conferred with Stockholm Water Prize 2015, for his innovative water restoration efforts and extraordinary courage to empower communities in Indian villages?

(A) Rajendra Singh

(B) Dhananjay Singh

(C) Sanjaya Rajaram

(D) Arun Kumar Singh

3) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed annually on?

(A) 21 March

(B) 20 March

(C) 22 March

(D) 19 March

4) World Poetry Day is observed on 21 March every year. This day was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in which year?

(A) 1991

(B) 2004

(C) 1999

(D) 2014

5) Who will be the next editor-in-chief of The Guardian, the Pulitzer prize-winning newspaper, and will be the first woman to run the newspaper in its 194-year history?

(A) Katherine Viner

(B) Jane Martinson

(C) Mary Livermore

(D) Ida Tarbell

6) Renowned poet Yusufali Kechery who passed away on 21 March 2015 is from which language?

(A) Marathi

(B) Telugu

(C) Tamil

(D) Malayalam

7) Which country recently rolled out the World’s First hydrogen-powered Tramcar?

(A) Japan

(B) Taiwan

(C) South Korea

(D) China

8) The 6,000-MW Mithivirdi Nuclear Power Plant in Bhavnagar district of which state recently got coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) nod from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change?

(A) Madhya Pradesh

(B) Gujarat

(C) Bihar

(D) Jammu and Kashmir

9) India has recently overtaken which country to become the third-largest steel producer in the world with a production of 14.56 million tonnes (MT)?

(A) USA

(B) Russia

(C) China

(D) Japan

10) Which tennis player recently won the BNP Paribas Indian Wells final?

(A) Roger Federer

(B) Rafael Nadal

(C) Novak Djokovic

(D) Andy Murray

Answers

1) Ans. (B) West Indies

2) Ans. (A) Rajendra Singh

3) Ans. (A) 21 March

4) Ans. (C) 1999

5) Ans. (A) Katherine Viner

6) Ans. (D) Malayalam

7) Ans. (D) China

8) Ans. (B) Gujarat

9) Ans. (A) USA

10) Ans. (C) Novak Djokovic

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 26 March 2015

1) Vikas Swarup appointed as the new MEA spokesperson:

--> Noted novelist Vikas Swarup, who made his debut with the bestseller novel "Q&A" (on which Slumdog Millionaire was based) is the new official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

--> Ministry of External Affairs is the only one which has full-fledged spokesperson holding regular briefing.

--> Swarup will succeed Syed Akbaruddin who will head for an ambassadorial post.

--> Mr. Vikas Swarup is currently the Joint Secretary (UN-Political) at the MEA in Delhi.

--> Apart from Q & A he has two more novels named Six Suspects and The Accidental Apprentice to his name.

2) Google Inc appointed Ruth Porat as its Chief Financial Officer:

--> The world's largest search engine, Google Inc has hired Ruth Porat as the Chief Financial Officer(CFO) on March 24, 2015.

--> She will succeed Patrick Pichette.

--> She will now directly report to Larry Page, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Google.

3) Justice Ashok Bhushan sworn in Kerala Chief Justice:

--> Justice Ashok Bhushan was on 26 March 2015 sworn in as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.

--> Governor P Sathasivam administered the oath of office to Justice Bhushan, who was serving as acting chief justice of the high court since August last.

--> Justice Bhushan, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh in April, 1979.

--> He was transfered to Kerala High Court and sworn in as a judge on July 10, 2014.

4) Michel Platini re-elected as UEFA President:

--> Michel Platini was re-elected by acclamation as UEFA president for a third term on 24 March 2015.

--> The former France international, who has been president since 2007, was handed another four-year term by delegates of the 54-member nations after standing unopposed.

--> UEFA represents the national football associations of Europe, runs nation and club competitions including the UEFA European Championship, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup.

--> UEFA stands for: Union of European Football Associations

5) India lost to Australia in ICC World Cup Semi final:

--> Defending champions India lost by 95 runs to Australia in the Semi final match of the ICC World Cup 2015 played at Sydney on 26 March 2015.

--> Chasing 329, India faltered after a strong start, losing wickets at regular intervals and folding for 233.

--> Australia will play New Zealand in the World Cup final.

--> Australian batsmen dominated proceedings for the major part to become the first team to post a 300-plus score in a World Cup semifinal.

--> Smith was named Man of the Match.

6) Countdown began for launch of IRNSS-1D:

--> Countdown began on 26 March 2015 for the launch of India’s latest navigation satellite IRNSS-1D onboard PSLV-C-27 on March 28 from Sriharikota that would take the country closer to setting up its own navigation system on par with the GPS of the US.

--> The launch of IRNSS-1D, originally scheduled for launch on March 9, was deferred after an anomaly was found in one of the telemetry transmitters.

--> IRNSS 1D is the fourth in the series of seven satellites, the space agency is planning to launch to put in place the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

--> The first three satellites in the IRNSS series were launched from Sriharikota on July 1, 2013, April 4 and October 16 last year respectively.

7) John F. Nash, Jr. and Louis Nirenberg shared Abel Prize 2015:

--> US mathematician John F Nash Jr and Canada-born American national Louis Nirenberg have been named the joint winners of the Abel Prize for 2015 for their contributions to mathematical sciences, the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters said.

--> The two mathematicians won the prize, dubbed the maths Nobel, "for striking and seminal contributions to the theory of nonlinear partial differential equations and its applications to geometric analysis.

--> Outside mathematics, Nash is best known for a paper he wrote about game theory, the mathematics of decision-making, which ultimately won him the 1994 Nobel Prize for economics and features strongly in the 2001 film about him, "A Beautiful Mind".

--> The Abel prize has been awarded annually since 2003 in memory of the Norwegian mathematics genius Niels Henrik Abel.

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MCQ Current Affairs Quiz: 27 March 2015

1) Which team won the Irani Trophy 2015 by defeating Rest of India by 246 runs on 20 March 2015?

(A) Goa

(B) Tamil Nadu

(C) Maharashtra

(D) Karnataka

2) Which country will host the 2019 FIFA women's World Cup and the Under-20 women's tournament in 2018?

(A) France

(B) Germany

(C) Russia

(D) India

3) Justice Uma Nath Singh was on 19 March 2015 sworn in as Chief Justice of which high court?

(A) Delhi

(B) Kerala

(C) Meghalaya

(D) Karnataka

4) Union Cabinet on 20 March 2015 approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). What is the aim of this flagship scheme?

(A) Development of villages in India

(B) Provide skills training to youth

(C) Total Immunization of Infants

(D) Provide free education to all children 

5) World Sparrow Day is observed every year since 2009 on?

(A) March 20

(B) March 14

(C) March 19

(D) March 21

6) Union Cabinet on 20 March 2015 approved ___ per cent reservation for women in police forces of all union territories?

(A) 49%

(B) 7%

(C) 33%

(D) 50%

7) Which singer recently won the ‘Laadli Voice of the Century’ award in Mumbai?

(A) Shreya Ghoshal

(B) Lata Mangeshkar

(C) Asha Bhosle

(D) K S Chitra

8) Amitabh Bachchan was recently roped in by Union Government as the brand ambassador of campaign against which disease?

(A) Polio

(B) Diarrhea

(C) Autism

(D) Hepatitis B

9) Which country will host the seventh Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in 2016 as announced recently?

(A) China

(B) India

(C) Bhutan

(D) Japan

10) World Poetry Day is observed on?

(A) March 20

(B) March 19

(C) March 22

(D) March 21

Answers

1) Ans. (D) Karnataka

2) Ans. (A) France

3) Ans. (C) Meghalaya

4) Ans. (B) Provide skills training to youth

5) Ans. (A) March 20

6) Ans. (C) 33%

7) Ans. (B) Lata Mangeshkar

8) Ans. (D) Hepatitis B

9) Ans. (B) India

10) Ans. (D) March 21

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25th March 2015 Daily Current Affairs Updates

1) India's Polar vehicle 'PROVe' in North Antarctica operationalised:

--> India's Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle (PROVe) has been successfully operationalized for research in North Antarctica on March 25, 2015.

--> PROVe has been indigenously built by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

--> Union Minister for Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan made the symbolic launch of the PROVe from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) headquarters in Chennai.

2) Delhi HC sets up commercial courts to ensure speedy disposal of trials:

--> The Delhi high court on 25 March 2015 became the first court to set up dedicated commercial divisions within it, in line with recommendation of the Law Commission of India.

--> Saying that the move will streamline civil judicial system and ensure speedy disposal of cases, the HC administration, in a press release said it has launched commercial courts to deal with disputes and also to hear appeals against them.

3) PM Modi launched PRAGATI platform for redressal of grievances:

--> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 March 2015 launched his ambitious multi-purpose and multi-modal platform, PRAGATI, which is aimed at addressing the common man's grievances and monitoring important programmes and projects.

--> Speaking on the occasion, Modi said the step is to ensure that governance in India becomes more efficient and responsive as the whole world is now observing India keenly.

--> PRAGATI which stands for Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation, is a unique integrative and interactive platform. 

4) Kerala FM KM Mani new chairman of GST Empowered Committee:

--> Kerala finance minister KM Mani has been appointed chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on Goods & Services Tax (GST).

--> The GST, a much-awaited reform to replace multiple indirect taxes with one levy, is proposed to be rolled out from April 2016.

--> The empowered committee chairman's post fell vacant after Abdul Rahim Rather, the former finance minister of Jammu & Kashmir, quit following the defeat of the National Conference in state elections held in December.

5) Indian-American author Akhil Sharma won The Folio Prize 2015:

--> Novelist Akhil Sharma’s 2014 novel Family Life has won the Folio Prize 2015.

--> The 43-year old novelist beat writers like Irish novelist Colm Toibin and Scottish writer Ali Smith Coilm to win the £40,000 prize.

--> Family Life, Mr. Sharma’s second novel, took him 13 years to write and was selected by The New York Times as one of their Top Ten Books of the Year for 2014.

--> The Folio Prize recognises the best English-language fiction from around the world, published in the U.K. during a given year, regardless of form, genre or the author’s country of origin.

6) Railways constituted committee to review PPP cell:

--> The ministry of railways has constituted a committee to review the existing Public Private Partnership (PPP) Cell in the railway board on 25 March 2015.

--> The move is in line with the promise that railways minister Suresh Prabhu made during the presentation of the rail budget on 26 February.

--> The committee will be headed by Ajay Shankar, former secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion.

7) Veteran poet Gopaldas Neeraj awarded inaugural National Kavi Pradeep Samman:

--> Noted Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj on 24 March 2015 was awarded with first National Kavi Pradeep Samman.

--> He was presented the award by Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Surendra Patwa at a function held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

--> National Kavi Pradeep Samman was instituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in the memory of late renowned poet and songwriter Kavi Pradeep.

8) Cabinet approved Rs. 4500-Crore National Supercomputing Mission:

--> The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 25 March 2015 approved the launch of the visionary Rs. 4,500-crore National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) aimed to steer India into the league of world class computing power nations.

9) RBI signed $400 million currency swap pact with Sri Lanka:

--> RBI today signed a USD 400 million currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka for three years that will allow the island nation to draw the amount in dollars or euros in multiple tranches.

--> The swap arrangement is intended to provide a backstop line of funding for the SAARC member countries to meet any balance of payments and liquidity crises till long-term arrangements are made.

10) Bangladesh won Women in Parliaments Award:

--> Bangladesh has won the prestigious Women in Parliaments (WIP) Award for regional leadership in the South and Southeast Asia category for closing the gender gap in politics. 

--> The award was presented by WIP Global Forum at annual summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Daily Current Affairs: 24 March 2015

1) Navy commissioned three UAE-supplied naval vessels:

--> The Indian Navy on 24 March 2015 has commissioned three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs) supplied by the UAE's Abu Dhabi Ship Builders (ADSB).

--> The three ships were given pennant numbers T-38, T-39 and T-40.

--> These three ISVs are in addition to the first batch of ISVs commissioned on 04 June 2014 and will constitute the 84th Immediate Support Vessel Squadron based at Visakhapatnam. 

2) Dolly Shivani Cherukuri became the youngest Archer to enter India Book of Records:

--> Three-year-old archer Dolly Shivani Cherukuri of Andhra Pradesh on 24 March 2015 entered the India Book of Records.

--> She entered the list of records by scoring 388 points in the recurve segment in two distances, seven and five meters, at the Volga Archery Academy in Vijayawada.

--> At the time of entering the India Book of Records, she was nine days less than three years.

--> Shivani is the sister of late Indian coach and international archer Cherukuli Lenin, who passed in a road accident soon after the Commonwealth Games 2010.

3) Supreme Court scraped Section 66A of IT Act:

--> Section 66A of the Information Technology Act is unconstitutional in its entirety, the Supreme Court ruled on 24 March 2015 striking down a “draconian” provision that had led to the arrests of many people for posting content deemed to be “allegedly objectionable” on the Internet.

--> Terming liberty of thought and expression as "cardinal", a bench of justices J Chelameswar and R F Nariman said, "The public's right to know is directly affected by section 66A of the Information Technology Act."

--> The first public interest litigation against section 66(A) was filed in 2012, by a then 21-year-old student, Shreya Singhal.

4) 62nd National Awards announced:

--> Kangana Ranaut won the best actress award for her powerful performance in " Queen" at the 62nd National Film Awards where Bollywood movies "Haider" and "Mary Kom" bagged key honours while Chaitanya Tamhane's "Court" was named the best feature film.

--> Kangana Ranaut won her first National award, as best supporting actress, for "Fashion" in 2010.

--> Vijay was declared the best actor for his poignant portrayal of a woman trapped in a man's body in Kannada film "Nanu Avanalla Avalu" (I am not a he, but she).

Click Here to check the complete list of winners.

5) World TB Day observed:

--> World Tuberculosis Day (WTD) 2015 was globally observed on 24 March 2015.

--> The theme for the year 2015 is continuation of the 2014 theme Reach the 3 Million.

--> The main sub-theme and message for the year 2015 is Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone.

--> This day is annually celebrated on 24 March to commemorate the day on which Dr. Robert Koch discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus in 1882.

6) New Zealand beat South Africa by 4 wickets to reach World Cup final:

--> New Zealand scripted history by making their maiden cricket World Cup final appearance with a stunning four-wicket win in a nerve-wrecking last-four clash against the formidable South Africa.

--> Chasing a stiff target of 298 runs in 43 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis rule in the rain-curtailed game, New Zealand crossed the line when Grant Elliot (84) smashed Dale Steyn over long-on for a six with just one ball to spare in a thrilling showdown.

--> Since the inaugural edition in 1975, New Zealand have reached the semifinals of the showpiece event six times, but failed to clear the penultimate hurdle on all the occasions.

7) German airline crashed in French Alps with 150 aboard:

--> Flight 4U 9525 of Germanwings Airbus A320 plane carrying 150 people crashed on 24 March 2015 in a remote area of the French Alps as it flew from Barcelona to Duesseldorf.

--> All 144 passengers and six crew members on board were killed in the worst air disaster in the mainland France in 40 years.

--> The cause of the crash was yet not ascertained though the Black box of the plane has been recovered.

8) Bharti Kher conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France:

--> Artist Bharti Kher of India has been awarded the esteemed 'Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres' (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), which is the highest cultural award of France.

--> French ambassador to India Francois Richier conferred the award to Kher on March 23, 2015, for her contribution in contemporary art landscape.

9) Bengaluru Airport declared as South India's busiest airport:

--> The Kempegowda International Airport (KIAB), Bengaluru, has been named as South India's busiest airport and third largest in the country.

--> The airport, which was opened just seven years ago, overtook Chennai and Hyderabad to become the busiest airport in South India by handling 15 million passengers in one year.

10) Government launched new initiative to interact with citizens via Tweets and SMS:

--> The government of India, in the fourth week of March, 2015, launched the Digital India initiative called Twitter Samvad, which will enable the citizens of the country to have a direct communication with the governmental bodies via Tweets and SMSes.

--> The initiative is aimed at reaching out to masses through the social networking media, facilitating direct communication between the leaders and the citizens and at boosting various nation's e-governance plans.

11) Nine sporting disciplines upgraded to 'high priority' by the Sports Ministry:

--> The Sports Ministry on 23 March, 2015 has categorised nine sporting discipline as the 'high priority sports'.

--> The category comprises of athletics, tennis, wrestling, weightlifting, badminton, archery, hockey, shooting and boxing.

--> The category undertaken by the ministry will be funded for their national and zonal events.

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