Recent Current Affairs for Oriental Insurance Exam 2015

1) Which was awarded the Best Feature Film in the 62nd National Film Awards 2014 announced on 24 March 2015? - Court

2) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 March 2015 launched his ambitious multi-purpose and multi-modal platform, PRAGATI. Expand PRAGATI? - Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation

3) KM Mani was recently appointed as the chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on Goods & Services Tax (GST). KM Mani is the finance minister of which state? - Kerala

4) Indian-American author Akhil Sharma recently won The Folio Prize 2015. He won this award for his Novel? - Family Life

5) Noted Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj on 24 March 2015 was awarded with first National Kavi Pradeep Samman. National Kavi Pradeep Samman was instituted by the Government of? - Madhya Pradesh

6) Who was recently appointed as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs? - Vikas Swarup

7) RBI on 25 March 2015 signed a USD 400 million currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of which country for three years? - Sri Lanka

8) Who bagged the best actress award at the 62nd National Film Awards?  - Kangana Ranaut

9) John F. Nash, Jr. and Louis Nirenberg recently won the Abel Prize 2015 for their contributions to mathematical sciences. Of this, John F. Nash is also a winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in? - Economics

10) Which film has been selected as the Best Hindi Film for the 62nd National Film Awards? - Queen

11) Gandhi Peace Prize for 2014 was recently won by which Organization? - Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

12) Which state recently launched the country's first e-ration card service? - Delhi

13) Which state recently became the first State in the country to fix a minimum educational qualification for contesting elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions? - Rajasthan

14) Which movie has won the best film on environmental conservation/preservation at 62nd national film award?  - Ottaal

15) World Theatre Day (WTD) was celebrated on? - March 27

16) Who was named best actor in the 62nd National Film Awards? - Vijay (For Kannada Film- Nanu Avanalla Avalu)

17) Saina Nehwal created history on 28 March 2015 as she became the first Indian woman shuttler to attain the world number one ranking. Who has the distinction of being the first world No. 1 badminton player from India? - Prakash Padukone

18) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 March 2015 successfully launched India’s fourth navigation satellite named? - IRNSS 1-D

19) Poonam Mahajan recently became the first woman president of which among the following sports Federation? - Basketball Federation of India

20) Which state government recently passed a law that bans the slaughter, trading and unauthorised transportation of camels? - Rajasthan

21) Isro launched India's 4th navigation satellite IRNSS 1D recently using? - PSLV-C27

22) Who was crowned fbb Femina Miss India World 2015 recently? - Aditi Arya

23) Who was recently honoured with Bishwaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award 2015? - Adoor Gopalakrishnan

24) Saina Nehwal recently won women's singles crown of the India Open Super Series Badminton tournament defeating which player? - Ratchanok Intanon

25) Who recently won the men's singles title at the India Open Super Series 2015? - K. Srikanth

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Current Affairs Quiz: 29 April 2015

1) Who was elected as the fifth general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 19 April 2015?

(A) Pinarayi Vijayan

(B) Prakash Karat

(C) S Ramachandran Pillai

(D) Sitaram Yechury

2) Bangladesh cricket team recently recorded their first ever ODI series win against which country?

(A) Pakistan

(B) West Indies

(C) England

(D) Australia

3) Which bank recently launched near-field communications-enabled payment service 'Tap-n-Pay'?

(A) HDFC Bank

(B) State Bank of India

(C) Union Bank of India

(D) ICICI Bank

4) ICICI Bank launched near-field communications-enabled payment service 'Tap-n-Pay' in collaboration with?

(A) Snapdeal

(B) PNB Paribas

(C) Tech Mahindra

(D) Paytm

5) Name Indian Navy’s new missile destroyer ship that was launched on 20 April 2015 at Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai?

(A) INS Visakhapatnam

(B) INS Kolkata

(C) INS Alleppy

(D) None of these

6) Which International news paper won two prestigious Pulitzer prizes on 20 April 2015 for coverage of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa?

(A) BBC

(B) New York Times

(C) Al Jazeera

(D) The Times

7) Rajaji National Park in which state was recently declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve?

(A) Madhya Pradesh

(B) Bihar

(C) Uttarakhand

(D) West Bengal

8) Name the new tournament announced by Cricket South Africa recently?

(A) Africa T20 Cup

(B) African Super series

(C) Africa T20 extravangaza

(D) African Cricket Cup

9) Who was on 20 April 2015, appointed as chief advisor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Anti Corruption & Security Unit (ACSU)?

(A) Vivek Murthy

(B) Karun Sebastain

(C) Vikrant Raju

(D) Neeraj Kumar

10) E-Samiksha online monitoring mechanism was recently launched by?

(A) Railways

(B) India Post

(C) DOPT

(D) Prime Minister's Office

Answers

1) Ans. (D) Sitaram Yechury

2) Ans. (A) Pakistan

3) Ans. (D) ICICI Bank

4) Ans. (C) Tech Mahindra

5) Ans. (A) INS Visakhapatnam

6) Ans. (B) New York Times

7) Ans. (C) Uttarakhand

8) Ans. (A) Africa T20 Cup

9) Ans. (D) Neeraj Kumar

10) Ans. (A) Railways

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28th April 2015 Daily Current Affairs Updates

1) Parliament passed amendment to Regional Rural Banks Bill:

--> A bill to amend the Regional Rural Banks Act was passed by Parliament on 28 April 2015, with government saying it was necessary to empower such financial institutions  which are the "jewel in the crown" of the country's financial system.

--> The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which got the assent of the Rajya Sabha by voice vote on 28 April 2015, seeks to help Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) raise  their authorised capital and will enable them to mop up funds from capital market to help strengthen them.

--> Lok Sabha had earlier passed the Bill in December last.

2) Parliament passed Payments and Settlement Bill, 2014:

--> Parliament has passed Payments and Settlement Bill, 2014.

--> It was first passed in Lok Sabha on December 9, 2014 and later in Rajya Sabha on April 27, 2015.

--> The bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

3) Raja Rajeswari is New York's first Indian-American woman judge:

--> Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari has been sworn-in as a criminal court judge in New York by Mayor Bill de Blasio, becoming the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in New York City.

--> Ms. Rajeswari took the oath of office at a ceremony in New York City along with 27 other judges appointed earlier this month to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are part of the New York State Unified Court System.

--> The mayor appoints judges to 10-year terms in the New York City Criminal Court and the Family Court within the city. 

4) Indigenous cryogenic engine tested successfully by ISRO:

--> Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine.

--> The powerful version of the cryogenic engine was tested successfully at ISRO’s propulsion complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

--> This engine will allow launch vehicles to carry satellites of up to capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit.

--> It will also give boost to India’s interplanetary probes and manned space missions.

5) Novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won Commonwealth Short Story Prize:

--> Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo has won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia region for "Umbrella Man", a tale of surreal meditation on mental health and the environment, organisers said.

--> Born in Srinagar in 1974, Gigoo's first novel "The Garden of Solitude" was first published in 2011. He has also written two poetry books, "Fall and Other Poems" (1994) and "Reflections" (1995).

6) Narendra Modi the 3rd most followed world leader on Twitter:

--> US President Barack Obama is still by far the most followed world leader on Twitter, but Pope Francis is considered the most influential by the number of his messages retweeted.

--> The annual Twiplomacy analysis of Twitter accounts released Tuesday by PR firm Burson-Marsteller shows nearly 57 million people following Obama.

--> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nearly 11 million followers (3rd most followed).

7) Railways won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship:

--> Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) on 28 April 2015 won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship 2015.

--> In the final match played in Pune, Maharashtra, Railways defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey (UPH) by 5-3.

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Employment News: 25th April - 01st May 2015

1. State Bank of India,

Name of Post – Probationary Officers

No. of Vacancies - 2000

Last Date  - 02.05.2015

2. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, Utter Pradesh

Name of Post – Nurse-A, Stipendiary Trainee, Operation Theatre Assistant, X-Ray Technician, Dental Hygienist etc.

No. of Vacancies -20

Last Date -23.05.2015

3. Jawaharalal Nehru University, New Delhi

Name of Post – Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor

No. of Vacancies - 125

Last Date     - 25.05.2015

4. Central Electronics Limited.

Name of Post– Executive Director, General Manager, Assistant. General Manager,

Chief Manager, Sr. Technical Manager etc. No. of Vacancies - 26

 Last Date     - 21 days from date of publication

5. University of Delhi

Name of Post – Professional Assistant, Senior Assistant, Social worker etc.

No. of Vacancies - 299

Last Date  -  within two weeks from the date of publication

6. Union Public Service Commission.

Name of Post– Assistant Commandants (Group-A)

No. of Vacancies - 304

Last Date     - 15.05.2015

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Daily GK Updates: 28 April 2015

) The book titled ‘Forge Your Future’ has been authored by? - Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 

2) The preamble to our Constitution proclaims that ‘We the people of India have established? - A Sovereign, Socialistic, Secular, Democratic, Republic

3) Which gas reacts with hydrocarbon to create smog? - Nitrogen dioxide

4) Delhi was made Union territory in which year? - 1956

5) Which principle states that when a body is partially or totally immersed in a fluid, it experiences an upward thrust equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it? - Archimedes

6) The liquid drops or gas bubbles are always spherical due to? - Surface tension

7) Arakan Yoma is the extension of the Himalayas located in? - Myanmar

8) After the transfer of power to British crown, who was appointed the first Viceroy of India? - Lord Curzon

9) Who is the author of the book ‘Imaging India’? - Nandan Nilekani

10) Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a severe human disease and has been declared as ‘Global Health Emergency’ by WHO. Ebola virus takes its name from a? - River in democratic republic in congo

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 27 April 2015

1) Afghan President arrived in India on 3-day visit:

--> Ashraf Ghani arrived in India on his first state visit to India, seven months after took over as Afghanistan President.

--> After he assumed his office he visited China and Pakistan.

--> He has already met Modi during the SAARC summit in Kathmandu in November 2014.

2) ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dead:

--> Radio Iran has claimed that ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has died.

--> Al-Baghdadi, believed to be in his 40s, had a $10 million US bounty on his head.

--> Since taking the reins of the Islamic State in 2010, he had transformed it from a local branch of al-Qaida into an independent transnational military force, positioning himself as perhaps the pre-eminent figure in the global jihadist community.

3) Capgemini acquires IGATE for $4 bn:

--> The Paris-headquartered Capgemini has announced the acquisition of New Jersey-based IGATE, which has operations in India, for $4 billion in cash.

--> The deal, one of the largest in the Indian information technology sector, will see the exit of IGATE co-founders Ashok Trivedi and Sunil Wadhwani, along with private equity firm Apax Partners.

4) Badminton player Lee Chong Wei gets backdated doping ban:

--> Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei was handed a backdated eight-month ban for doping by the Badminton World Federation on 27 April 2015.

--> The 32-year-old Malaysian, twice an Olympic silver medallist, had been under a provisional suspension since November after testing positive for anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone during the world championships three months earlier.

5) Loretta Lynch sworn-in as the Attorney General of US:

--> Loretta Lynch was sworn in on 27 April 2015 as the 83rd Attorney-General, becoming the first African-American woman to serve as the top U.S. law enforcement official.

--> Vice-President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Ms. Lynch (55) at a Justice Department ceremony.

--> Ms. Lynch replaces Eric Holder, who left the job after six years as head of the department.

6) Sudan President Omar al-Bashir re-elected:

--> Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election by securing 94 per cent of the vote.

--> With this win he will have additional term of five years in office which will extend his current 25-year rule.

--> He is in power since 1989.

--> In this election Omar’s National Congress Party (NCP) also won 323 of 426 parliamentary seats.

7) INS Tarangini departed for “Lokayan-2015”:

--> INS Tarangini the Sail Training Ship of Indian Navy left from Kochi on an eight month voyage through Europe to participate in the annual Tall Ship Races and other events organised under the aegis of Sail Training International.

--> This year’s Tall Ship Races will be conducted primarily off the coast of United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Netherlands.

--> INS Tarangini, a three masted barque,built in Goa Shipyard Ltd and commissioned on 11 Nov 1997, is manned by 06 officers, 40 sailors and 30 trainees.

--> The theme for LOKAYAN -15 has been chosen as “TACKING FOR A BROADER REACH”.

8) India crowned champions at President's Cup Boxing Tournament:

--> Rakesh Kumar (69kg) and Harpal Singh (75kg) struck gold as India were crowned champions for the first time in the 22nd President's Cup Boxing Tournament in Palembang, Indonesia.

--> The Indian team logged 33 points to finish ahead of second-placed Mongolia after Rakesh and Harpal's gold medals took the country's total tally to four gold and a bronze at the end of the event. 

9) China`s Lin Dan won men`s title at Asia Championships:

--> China`s Lin Dan won the men`s singles at the Badminton Asia Championships in China on 26 April 2015, defending his title won last year in South Korea and adding another crown to an illustrious career.

--> Lin, the No. 2 seed, defeated compatriot Tian Houwei 21-19, 21-8 in a match that lasted 50 minutes in the central city of Wuhan.

--> In women`s singles, seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand came from behind to upset top seed Li Xuerui of China 20-22, 23-21, 21-12 in a match that lasted 76 minutes.

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Current Affairs MCQ: 27 April 2015

1) Haryana’s Ashish Jakhar on 17 April 2015 set a national youth record in boys’ hammer throw in the 12th National Youth Athletics Championships held at?

(A) Punjab

(B) Goa

(C) Maharashtra

(D) Kerala

2) World Heritage Day was observed on?

(A) 24 April

(B) 14 April

(C) 21 April

(D) 18 April

3) Who recently took charge as the new spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry?

(A) Syed Akbaruddin

(B) S Jaishankar

(C) Arun Kumar Singh

(D) Vikas Swarup 

4) Which Bollywood classic film was on 18 April 2015 released in Pakistan after 40 years of its release in India?

(A) Sholay

(B) Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge

(C) Chandi Chauk

(D) Dastan

5) Aroon Purie, who was recently chosen as the 'Editor of the Year' is the Editor-in-Chief of which group?

(A) The Hindu

(B) Times of India

(C) India Today

(D) NDTV

6) 'Godse' is no longer unparliamentary except in reference to 'Nathuram Godse', Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has ruled recently. In which year Parliament had banned the use of the word?

(A) 1950

(B) 1976

(C) 1956

(D) None of these

7) President Pranab Mukherjee on 18 April 2015 inaugurated the centenary celebration of which High Court?

(A) Patna High Court

(B) Calcutta High Court

(C) Delhi High Court

(D) Bombay High Court

8) Venkadarath Saritha was recently appointed as the first female driver by Transport Corporation of which state?

(A) Kerala

(B) Bihar

(C) Tamil Nadu

(D) Delhi

9) Who assumed charge as the 20th Chief Election Commissioner succeeding H.S. Bramha on 19 April 2015?

(A) Nasim Zaidi

(B) K G Balakrishnan

(C) V S Sampath

(D) None of these

10) Who won Bahrain Grand Prix 2015 recently?

(A) Nico Rosberg

(B) Kimi Raikkonen

(C) Lewis Hamilton

(D) Sebastian Vettel

Answers

1) Ans. (B) Goa

2) Ans. (D) 18 April

3) Ans. (D) Vikas Swarup

4) Ans. (A) Sholay

5) Ans. (C) India Today

6) Ans. (C) 1956

7) Ans. (A) Patna High Court

8) Ans. (D) Delhi

9) Ans. (A) Nasim Zaidi

10) Ans. (C) Lewis Hamilton

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Daily Current Affairs: 26 April 2015

1) Army conducted Akraman-II defense exercise in Rajasthan:

--> The Army on 26 April 2015 conducted a major exercise, 'Akraman-II', in Rajasthan to test a new generation of weaponry and platforms employed in the desert region.

--> The exercise was conducted by the Bhatinda-based Chetak Corps, a part of South Western Command.

--> The exercise also test the capabilities of Indian Air Force in launching deep insertion of airborne and helicopter- borne army units.

2) Norway’s Magnus Carlsen won Shamkir chess tournament:

--> World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway on 26 April 2015 won the Shamkir Chess tournament held in Azerbaijan.

--> In the ninth and final round, he defeated Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan in 35 moves and scored seven points.

--> Former world champion Viswanathan Anand finished second in this tournament after he drew against Fabiano Caruana of Italy.

3) Anil Kapoor gets Dinanath Mangeshkar Award:

--> Actor Anil Kapoor was conferred the Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award on the occasion of the death anniversary of singer Lata Mangeshkar's father.

--> He was presented the award by noted historian and writer Babasaheb Purandare.

--> Apart from Anil Kapoor, veteran Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar was also bestowed with the prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2015. 

4) Logo, Slogan and Tagline for the New Education Policy Campaign finalised:

--> Union HRD Minister, Smt Smriti Irani introduced Shri Nawaj Shaikh, the winner of the logo competition for the New Education Policy at the Press Briefing held in New Delhi 0n 24 April 2015.

--> This competition was held through MyGov Platform.

--> Minister while introducing the winner said that for the first time ever the logo designed by a common man of the country and not by any advertising agency or a corporate house has been considered for the New Education Policy campaign.

--> “Nayi Shiksha Neeti Kare Saakaar, Gyaan, Yogyata aur Rojgaar”prepared by Vinod Kumar Maheshwari of Rewari (Haryana) will be the slogan.

--> “Educate Encourage Enlighten”by Ms. Vipitha Devi of Paravur (Kerala) will be the English tagline of the New Education Policy.

5) “Operation Maitri”name given to Indian Army’s relief and rescue operation in Nepal:

--> Operation Maitri” is the name given to the massive rescue and relief launched by the Indian Army in Nepal.

--> It involves medical teams, Engineer Task Forces (consisting of manpower, skid steers and JCBs), blankets and tents and INMARSAT for satellite communications devices.

--> The operation was launched shortly after the 7.9-magnitude quake hit Nepal at 11.56 am on 25 April.

6) Parliamentary panel wants Direct Taxes Code to stay:

--> A Parliamentary panel has rejected the Government's view of there being "no merit" in going ahead with the direct taxes code (DTC).

--> Noting that it was "not convinced" with the Government's reply, the Standing Committee on Finance headed by Veerappa Molly has urged the Modi-Government to go ahead with the DTC.

--> The DTC should be implemented within a stipulated deadline along the lines of the goods and services tax (GST) regime, the Standing Committee said in a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on

7) Ratan Tata bought stake in Chinese Phone Maker Xiaomi:

-->  Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the holding company of the Tata conglomerate, has acquired a stake in Xiaomi Technology.

--> Financial details of the unspecified stake bought by Tata in Xiaomi, the first by an Indian, were not disclosed.

--> Xiaomi, the No. 3 global smartphone maker, was valued at $45 billion after a December funding round.

8) Volkswagen board chairman Ferdinand Piech resigned:

--> Chairman of the board of Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest automaker, has stepped down after clashing with other board members over his criticism of the company's top management.

--> Volkswagen said in a statement that Ferdinand Piech was resigning with immediate effect.

9) Double amputee swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya passed away:

--> India swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya, the only man with amputated legs to cross the English Channel in 1997 died.

--> A double amputee below the knee, who had conquered the English Channel, the Strait of Gibraltar in 2001 and the Palk Strait in July 2010, was very popular and Indian cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar was one of his admirers.

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