GK UPDATE: JULY PART-I

1. Who has won the Liberty Medal for the year 2014? A. Michelle Rhee B. Indra Nooyi C. Robert Kiyosaki D. Malala Yousafzai

Ans. D 

BACKGROUND:

Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani education advocate, on 30 June 2014 won the 2014 Liberty Medal given by the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, US. She won the medal for her continued demonstration of courage and resilience in the face of adversity and for serving as a powerful voice for those who have been denied their basic human rights and liberties.

About Malala Yousafzai

• Malala is the survivor of a shot of Taliban at an age of 15. She was shot in October 2012 while advocating for education of girls Malala is also the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
• She was one of the four runner-ups for the Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2013
• She is also the winner of the 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize that is given every five years

About Liberty Medal
The Liberty Medal is an annual medal established in 1988 and is given by the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia. It is given to men and women of courage and conviction who have strived to secure the blessings of liberty to people the world over. The medal is being awarded since 1989 and the first recipient of the medal was Polish Solidarity founder Lech Walesa. Some other recipients of the medal are Muhammad Ali, former President Jimmy Carter, South African leader Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Shimon Peres, Colin Powell and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

2. National Doctors’ Day is observed across India on 1^st July. The day is observed to honour the legendary physician,______. A. Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy B. Dr Abhishek Tiwari C. Dr Padmanesh Shastri D. Dr Shiv Kumar

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

India on 1 July 2014 observed the National Doctors’ Day. The day is observed to honour legendary physician, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy whose birth and death anniversary falls on the same day. On 4 February 1961, he received the Bharat Ratna. The doctors’ day gives an opportunity to raise the awareness about the doctor’s role in our daily lives. 

About Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy

• He was born on 1 July 1882 in Patna and died on 1 July 1962
• He was a legendary physician who also served West Bengal as its second Chief Minister from 1948 to 1962
• Bidhan Roy is often considered the great architect of West Bengal, who founded five eminent cities, Durgapur, Kalyani, Bidhannagar, Ashokenagar and Habra.
• The B.C. Roy National Award was instituted in 1976 for work in the area of medicine, politics, science, philosophy, literature and arts

3. Recently Ladakh International Film Festival was held in Leh. This was its _____ edition. A. 4^TH B. 2^ND C. 7^TH D. 3^RD

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

The third edition of Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF) was held in Leh, Jammu and Kashmir from 27 June to 29 June 2014. The festival screened over 50 films which included among others Bollywood, Iranian and Korean films etc. Bollywood’s Kaafiron Ki Namaaz (The Virgin Arguments) won four awards and Iranian film Wet Letters bagged three awards at the third edition of Ladakh International Film Festival.

4. The US has named a mountain in Antarctica after an Indian-American scientist. Name the scientist. A. Deepak Kapoor B. Akhouri Sinha C. Ahmad J Khan D. Arunesh Kumar

Ans. B 

BACKGROUND:

The United States on 30 June 2014 named a mountain in Antarctica as Mt. Sinha to honour an eminent Indian-American scientist, Akhouri Sinha. The mountain was named in recognition of Sinha’s work done as an explorer in 1971-72. Sinha’s pioneering biological research expedition has provided critical data about animal populations in Antarctica. Mt Sinha is a mountain of 990 meter at the southeast extremity of Erickson Bluffs in the south part of McDonalds Heights. It overlooks lower Kirkpatrick Glacier from the north in Marie Byrd Land. The mountain was named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) and the US Geological Survey. Akhouri was recognised by the US Geological Survey.

About Akhouri Sinha

• He was a member of a team that catalogued population studies of seals, whales and birds in the pack ice of the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas using US Coast Guard Cutters South wind and Glaciers in 1972 and 1974. He was invited to conduct research on reproduction of Antarctic seals by the National Science Foundation Antarctic Program.
• Akhouri Sinha is an adjunct professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota
• He graduated with BSc degree from the Allahabad University in 1954 and MSc degree in Zoology from Patna University in 1956
• Before going to the US, he taught in the Department of Zoology at the Ranchi College from November 1956 to July 1961
• His forefathers migrated to Buxar in Bihar from Delhi after it was invaded by Nadir Shah of Iran in 1739

5. Jagannath Rath Yatra took place recently in ______

Ans. Puri

BACKGROUND:

The annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) began on 29 June 2014 at Puri of Odisha. More than 10 lakh devotees from India and abroad descended to the pilgrim town of Puri for glimpse of the presiding deities of the 12th century shrine of Lord Jagannath. On this day, Lord Jagannath – the Lord of the Universe – along with his siblings, comes out of his sanctum sanctorum to give Darshan to all Devotees belonging to all sects and communities. The Return Rath Yatra (Bahuda Jatra) from Gundicha temple will be held on 7 July 2014.

6. West Bengal Governor, __________, has resigned recently. A. MK Narayanan B. Kamla Beniwal C. Kalyan Singh D. B V Wanchoo

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

M K Narayanan, the Governor of West Bengal on 30 June 2014 tendered his resignation to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Narayanan’s resignation came within a week after being questioned by the CBI as a witness in connection with its probe into 3600-crore rupees VVIP chopper from Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland. He is the first ever person holding a gubernatorial post to be questioned by the agency. He was questioned as at the time of the chopper deal, he was the national security adviser to the Prime Minister. He had presided over a meeting which made changes to technical specifications for VVIP Choppers.

7. PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 240MW Uri-II hydroelectric project. This project belongs to which state? A. Himachal Pradesh B. Jammu and Kashmir C. Tamilnadu D. Arunachal Pradesh

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on 4 July 2014 inaugurated the 240MW Uri-II Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Jammu and Kashmir. This Uri-II project will be able to generate an estimated 1124 million units of hydel-energy annually from its four units of 60 MW each. The Uri-II project is the second power project on the Jhelum River in Uri area and is close to the Line of Control (LoC. in Baramullah district of the state. It is locate on the downstream of the 480-MW Uri-I HEP that is operational whose work was completed in 1997. 

About the Uri-II Hydro Electric Project
The Uri-II Hydro Electric Project has a concrete gravity dam with four spillways of nine meters each. The dam is 52-meter high and 157-meter long. In the process of generating the power, the 4.23-km head race tunnel carries water from the dam to the powerhouse that has four units of 60 MW that is designed to generate 1124 million units of electricity annually. It has been built by NHPC at an expense of 2290 crore rupees. Jammu and Kashmir is a state that has a great potential of generating hydroelectric power (clean and environment-friendly energy) in a great amount.

8. Bihar Governor DY Patil has recently taken additional charge of which of the following states? A. West Bengal B. Gujarat  C. Goa D. Karnataka

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

DY Patil, the Governor of Bihar, on 4 July 2014 assumed the additional charge of West Bengal as the acting Governor. His oath of the office was administered by senior most judge Justice Asim Kumar Bandyopadhya of the Calcutta High Court at a function in Raj Bhawan in Kolkata. Patil took over the charge of the office from MK Narayanan who resigned from the post on 30 June 2014, which was accepted by the President on 4 July 2014. Narayanan became the 24th Governor of West Bengal on 24 January 2010. DY Patil will hold the additional charge of the post as interim arrangement till some permanent Governor is not appointed for the state.

About DY Patil

• He is an educator and a leader of the Indian National Congress from Maharashtra state
• Patil was elected to the Kolhapur Municipal Council as a Congress candidate in 1957 and remained in office until 1962
• He was the member of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha from 1967-78
• He was appointed the Governor of Tripura state on 21 November 2009
• He became Governor of Bihar on 29 May 2013
• He received the Padma Shri award in 1991 for social work

9. Udhampur-Katra rail line was recently inaugurated by the Prime Minister. He also inaugurated the first train from Katra railway station. Name the train. A. Mangalam Express  B. Shree Shakti Express C. Hindustan Express D. Jai Mata Di Express

Ans. B 

BACKGROUND:

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, on 4 July 2014 dedicated 25 km-long Katra-Udhampur railway line of Jammu to the nation. He was on his first visit to the State after becoming the Prime Minister. He inaugurated the first train from Katra railway station and named it as Shree Shakti Express. This train will facilitate pilgrims to visit Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. The train on its route will cross seven tunnels and over 30 small and large bridges. The route from Udhampur and Katra has a small station named Chakrakhwal. The complete project has been developed at an estimated cost of 1132.75 crore rupees. The railway station is situated on the foothills of the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district of the state. The Trikuta Hills nestle the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. While dedicating the Katra-Udhampur rail to the nation, the Prime Minister said that he will take ahead the plan of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for connecting Jammu and Kashmir through Railways. Vajpayee as a Prime Minister emphasized on development of the state to deal with all the sensitive issues in Kashmir.

10. _________, the President of Senegal, has sacked the Prime Minister Aminata Toure. A. Fatou Mamadou B. Macky Sall C. Yacine Lamine D. Astine Aloue

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Senegal President Macky Sall on 4 July 2014 sacked Prime Minister Ms. Aminata Toure. She was sacked due to her failure to win a seat from Dakar in the 2014 local elections. Aminata Toure, 51, headed the Alliance for the Republic (APR) was appointed as Prime Minister in September 2013.  Earlier she was a Justice Minister. Senegal is West African country and is seen as a beacon of democracy in West Africa. It is the only country never to have had a military coup in the West African region. Senegal is a republic with Presidential form of government. The President is elected for a five year term since 2001. Earlier the term was seven years. The President is responsible for appointing local administrators who are responsible to him.

11. B V Wanchoo, recently resigned from the Governorship of which state? A. Gujarat B. Goa C. Uttar Pradesh D. West Bengal

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Bharat Vir Wanchoo, the Governor of Goa resigned on 4 July 2014. He is the fifth Governor to resign in last one month after M K Narayanan (West Bengal), B L Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh) and Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland). Also, he became the second Governor to be quizzed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after M K Narayanan. He is being quizzed as a witness in connection with the alleged irregularities in the 12 helicopters deal meant for VVIPs from AgustaWestland.

About BV Wanchoo

• He is Indian Police Service officer of 1976 batch of West Bengal cadre
• He was appointed Director of the Special Protection Group (SPG) in 2004 and continued in that post till his retirement in 2011
• SPG was created in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It protects the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their families
• He was awarded the Indian Police Medal in 1993 and was awarded President’s Police Medal in 2001
• He became Governor of Goa in May 2012 and his tenure was scheduled to end in 2017 

About the AgustaWestland Deal
The AgustaWestland 3600-crore deal was signed in 2010 and was cancelled in January 2014 by India. The reason for cancellation was allegations that kickbacks were paid by AgustaWestland and its parent company (Italian defence giant Finnmeccanica). The 12 VVIP helicopters, for which the deal was signed was to be used by the President, Prime Minister and others VVIPs.AgustaWestland, the Anglo-Italian helicopter company owned by Italy’s Finmeccanica, is a total capability provider in the vertical lift market. 

12. Olympian and WW II veteran Louis Zamperini died. He belonged to which country? A. USA B. Russia C. UK D. Canada

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Louis Zamperini, a 1936 US Olympic distance runner and World War II veteran, died due to pneumonia on 2 July 2014. He was 97. 

About Louis Zamperini

• He was born on 26 January 1917 in the western New York city of Olean
• He participated in the 5000-meter race at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in which he became famous for running the last lap in 56 seconds despite finishing 8th
• He was also known as Torrance Tornado
• He was an enlisted in the US Army just before the Pearl Harbour incident and participated in WW-II
• He survived on a raft for 47 days and before being captured by the Japanese Army. He spent more than two years as a Prisoner of War

13. China – South Korea bilateral summit was recently held in________.

Ans. Seoul

BACKGROUND:

China – South Korea bilateral summit was held in Seoul on 3 July 2014. The summit was held between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It was held during the Chinese President Xi’s first visit to South Korea since he became the President in 2013. During the summit, both the Presidents agreed to push for the denuclearization of North Korea and issued a Joint Statement. The Main Highlights of the Joint Statement are:

• Two countries agreed for denuclearizing and maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.
• Both the countries also called on all relevant parties to solve major issue through dialogue and negotiation
• The two countries also called on relevant parties to unremittingly promote the process of the six-party talks which was suspended in 2008.
• They also called on all parties to respect one another, strengthen communication and coordination on both bilateral and multilateral levels, and address the concerns of all parties involved, to achieve the goal.
• The Joint Statement also stressed on building mutual trust with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North KoreA. through the Korean Peninsula trust-building process. This will boost the development of South Korea-DPRK relations and safeguard peace of the peninsula.

14. Which country has recently issued multiple entry visas to Indians? A. USA B. Australia C. Germany D. Japan

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Japan on 3 July 2014 issued multiple entry visas for short term stay to Indians. The visas will allow Indian visitors to spend up to 15 days on a visit and the visas are likely to be valid for three years. The multiple entry visas will be issued at the Japanese diplomatic missions in India and also at all the Japanese embassies and Consulate Generals overseas. The decision will increase the number of Indian tourists to Japan and improve convenience in business activities and further development of bilateral exchanges between the two countries. The decision was taken in the backdrop of the announcement made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when he visited India in January 2014. As per the announcement, Japan Government will introduce multiple entry visas to enhance the people to people exchange between the two countries.

15. ADB is going to provide equity investment of 50 million US dollars to which Indian ‘Wind Power’ company? A. ReNew Power B. India Bulls C. GetWind Power Company D. Suzlon

Ans. A 

BACKGROUND:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 3 July 2014 announced to provide 50 million US dollars of equity investment into an Indian company, ReNew Power Ventures Private Limited. The investment will help the company’s growing pipeline of wind power projects which are at various stages of development across India with a total capacity of 1000 megawatts (MW). The Investment will allow ReNew Power to tap into ADB’s extensive network, knowledge, and experience in the field of renewable energy, especially in India. The equity investment of 50 million US dollars into ReNew Power Ventures is a signal to private sector companies that renewable sector in India is ripe for further investment. In 2013, ADB invested 2.3 billion US dollars in clean energy and has pledged to continue investments of at least 2 billion US dollars per year. India relies on expensive imports of coal and natural gas. The Government of India has set a goal of maintaining renewables’ current share of installed capacity through to 2023 and to reduce the dependence on imported fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The investment by ADB will enable Re New Power Company to generate an extra 1000 gigawatt-hours of electricity, which will help eliminate nearly 1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

About ReNew Power
ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd, an Independent Power Producer company, is committed to leading a change in the India’s current energy portfolio by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices and thereby reducing India’s carbon footprint. ReNew Power currently owns and operates nearly 500 MW of clean energy assets across India.

16. __________ is the Twitter handle of the President of India.

Ans. @RashtrapatiBhvn

BACKGROUND:

President Pranab Mukherjee on 1 July 2014 joined Twitter with the handle – @RashtrapatiBhvn (https://twitter.com/RashtrapatiBhvn). He is the first serving president of India to join Twitter. The account is the official Twitter account of Rashtrapati Bhavan and is run by President’s Secretariat and tweets from the President Pranab Mukherjee are signed. People can fallow the President for all the updates about activities and news from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

17. Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France have agreed to resume ceasefire in _______.

Ans. Eastern Ukraine

BACKGROUND:

Four-party meet held in Berlin on 2 July 2014 agreed on a series of step to resume the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. The four-party meet was held between Foreign Ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. The steps include reopening talks before 5 July 2014 with the goal of reaching an unconditional and mutually agreed sustainable cease-fire. The talks will be monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSC) in Europe. During the meet, Russia also agreed to the proposal to grant Ukrainian border guards and OSC representatives’ access to Russian territory. They will take part in controlling two border crossings once the ceasefire is in place.

20 June 2014: Ukraine declared unilateral ceasefire in eastern Ukraine

25 June 2014: Russian Parliament revoked the military intervention in Ukraine

30 June 2014: Ukraine withdrew the ceasefire and declared military action against pro-Russian separatist

2 July 2014: Cease-fire resumed during a four-party meet in Berlin

18. Union Government has introduced four new vaccines as a part of UIP. Expand UIP. A. Usual Interstitial Pneumonia  B. User Interface Process C. University Internship Program D. Universal Immunization Programme

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Union Government on 3 July 2014 introduced four new vaccines as part of India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). These include vaccines against rotavirus, rubella and polio (injectable), along with an adult vaccine against Japanese encephalitis. The adult vaccine against Japanese encephalitis will be introduced in districts with high levels of the disease (in 179 endemic districts in 9 states). The aim of introduction of these lifesaving vaccines is to ensure that the benefits of vaccination reach to all sections of the society, regardless of social and economic status. Till now these are available through private practitioners to only those, who can afford them. The decision to introduce new vaccines was announced by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India after accepting the recommendations made by the National Technical Advisory Group of India (NTAGI). NTAGI, the country’s apex scientific advisory body on immunization recommended the introduction of the new vaccines after numerous scientific studies and comprehensive deliberations.

Importance and impact of these vaccines

• These vaccines will collectively expedite India’s progress on meeting the Millennium Development Goal 4 targets to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by the year 2015 and meet global polio eradication targets
• The recent introduction of the pentavalent vaccine will help in preventing at least 1 lakh infant deaths, deaths of adult in working age group and up to 10 lakhs hospitalization each year

With introduction of these new vaccines, India’s UIP will now provide free vaccines against 13 life threatening diseases to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world. The rotavirus vaccine is an indigenous vaccine of India that has been developed under a public-private partnership by the Union Ministry of Science and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This vaccine will be introduced in a phased manner.

19. Who has been sworn-in as Governor of Chhattisgarh? A. Ram Naresh Yadav B. Gopal Gandhi C. B V Wanchoo D. B L Joshi

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Ram Naresh Yadav was sworn-in as Governor of Chhattisgarh at Raj Bhawan, Raipur on 2 July 2014. Ram Naresh Yadav, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, has been given the additional charge of Chhattisgarh. He was adminsterd oath of secrecy by the Chief Jusitce Yatindra Singh of Bilaspur High Court, Chhattisgarh. Ram replaced Shekhar Dutt, who resigned as the Governor of Chhattisgarh on 18 June 2014.

About Ram Naresh

• Ram Naresh Yadav was born in 1928 in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
• He served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1977 to 1979 from Janata Party.
• He later joined Indian National Congress party.
• He was appointed Governor of Madhya Pradesh in 2011.

20. Former French President, ________ has been charged with corruption and influence peddling. A. Vincent Auriol B. Rene Coty C. Nicolas Sakozy D. Alain Poher

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President of France, on 2 July 2014 was charged with corruption and influence peddling.  Sarkozy was charged on the allegation that he sought insider information from a judge regarding an investigation into illegal campaign financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. With this, Sarkozy became the first French President who was taken into custody in criminal investigation. The ex-President for the second time has lost presidential immunity from legal prosecution. He lost presidential immunity for first time in 2013 but the case was later dropped against him. In case he is convicted of those charges, he could face a sentence of 10 years in prison.

21. Japan has lifted the sanctions that it had placed against__________.

Ans. North Korea

BACKGROUND:

Japan eased several sanctions against North Korea on 3 July 2014. The decision was taken in response to North Korea reopening the investigation to probe decades-old kidnappings of Japanese nationals. North Korea in this regard has set up a Special Investigative Committee which includes about 30 member officials who will look into all the abducted Japanese in North Korea. Japan eased some of its unilateral sanctions though it will continue to abide by resolutions imposed by the UN Security Council. The sanctions lifted includes some travel restrictions on North Koreans, allowing port calls by North Korean ships for humanitarian purposes and restrictions on cash sent to the North.  

22. Indian Railways has successfully conducted a test run of Delhi-Agra semi-high speed train. The normal speed of this train is___ A. 180 Kmph B. 160 Kmph C. 220 Kmph D. 150 Kmph

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Indian Railways on 3 July 2014 successfully conducted a trial run of a semi-high-speed train to make travel faster between Delhi and Agra. This train is equipped with an electronic locomotive of WAP 5400 horse power from the Ghaziabad Loco Shed. It is the country’s fastest train. The train was flagged off from New Delhi Railway Station at 11:45 am, which reached Agra at 1 pm. The speed of this semi-high speed train is 160 kilometer per hour. The semi-high-speed train will come into service from November 2014 and will reduce the travel time between the two destinations by 30 minutes.

23. NASA has launched Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 to track _______. A. Carbon Dioxide B. Oxygen C. Nitrogen D. Carbon Mono Oxide

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

NASA on 2 July 2014 launched Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), a satellite designed to track carbon dioxide which is responsible for global warming. The satellite was launched aboard Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OCO-2 launch mission preparation  was managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and was  handled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. OCO-2 is the first of its kind mission of NASA dedicated to study the atmospheric carbon dioxide over several seasons. The spacecraft was launched to replace the first OCO that did not make it into orbit due to an anomaly in February 2009. The mission worth 468 million US dollars will last for two years. During these two years it is expected to produce detailed readings to provide regional sources of carbon dioxide as well as sinks for the greenhouse gas. The spacecraft carries one instrument and its sole focus is detecting carbon. The instrument is very accurate through which researchers will be able to count the number of carbon dioxide molecules in the layers of the atmosphere and use the data to draw conclusions about how the increasing amount of gas will affect things like the global temperature. OCO-2 is a part of the A-Train, a constellation of five other international Earth-observing satellites and joins the train of polar-orbiting environmental satellites of the Earth. The spacecraft was launched from the west coast of Vandenberg because it is the only way to accomplish a polar orbit from the US.

24. A Coffee-Table book titled “First Citizen: Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhavan” has been released. This book has been published by_____ A. Outlook B. Times of India C. The Week D. India Today

Ans. C 

BACKGROUND:

A coffee-table book titled First Citizen: Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhavan was released on 2 July 2014 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The book’s first copy was received by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India. The book has been published by The Week Magazine and was released by Dr. Karan Singh in the presence of Pranab Mukherjee and Philip Mathew, the Managing Editor of The Week. The foreword of the book has been written by the President in which he has written about The Raisina Hill and the buildings in and around Rashtrapati Bhavan.  The coffee-table book is a compilation of articles that were published in The Week under the column titled First Citizen from January 2013 to May 2014.The book covers:

• Initiatives of President to reach out to citizens on issues concerning them
• President’s tours across the country and abroad
• The new initiatives taken to open up the doors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the common citizen
• The ceremonies associated with the Presidency, the Kitchen and others

25. A First Aid Post was recently inaugurated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. He is the Union Minister for ________. A. Health & Family Welfare B. Rural Development C. Finance D. Railways

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

First Aid Post was launched on 2 June 2014 at Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi. The post was launched to expand the network of health care to its beneficiaries. It was inaugurated by Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Smriti Irani, the Union Minister for Human Resources Development. The First Aid Post will provide first aid services like BP monitoring, dressing and other referral services to about 15000 employees of various ministries posted at Shastri Bhavan and nearby Government offices. The Post was opened under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) which already runs five such health posts in Delhi at:

• Central Secretariat
• Parliament House
• Vitthal Bhai Patel House
• Supreme Court
• Nirman Bhawan

Central GovernmentHealth Scheme(CGHS)
The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) was started as a scheme in New Delhi in 1954 and provides comprehensive health care facilities for the Central Government employees and pensioners and their dependents residing in CGHS covered cities.

26. Supreme Court has directed J&K government to restore which lake?

Ans. Dal Lake

BACKGROUND:

The Supreme Court on 1 July 2014 directed the Jammu and Kashmir government to concentrate on efforts to restore the pristine beauty of the world-famous Dal Lake. A Supreme Court Bench of Justice T S Thakur and Justice C Nagappan gave directions rejecting the plea of the J&K government for discounting the service of Irfan Yasin, the Vice Chairman of the Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA). Besides, the Supreme Court also directed that State government have to obey with all the directions of the High Court of J & K concerning the restoration of Dal Lake and to prevent pollution and encroachments in the periphery of Dal Lake. Earlier, the High Court had directed the state government to appoint a full-time official as the chairperson of the J&K LAWDA but as the deadline for appointment was reaching, the government gave additional charge of the Lake Authority to an already serving official. In the absence of regular chairperson of LAWDA, State government extended the term of Irfan Yasin, Vice Chairman of LAWDA, who was due to superannuate on 31 March 2014. The State government of J&K challenged the directions of High Court in the Supreme Court in the extension of term of Yasin, Vice Chairman of LAWDA.

27. Which Indian pistol shooter was recently ranked No. 1 in the world? A. Anubhav Chawla B. Jitu Rai C. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore D. Amit Chauhan

Ans. B 

BACKGROUND:

Jitu Rai became World Number 1 pistol shooter in the men’s 10m air pistol category. This was revealed by the latest rankings released by the International Shooting Federation (ISSF) on 1 July 2014. Earlier, Rai was ranked 26th in the World but his recent performance in Maribor and Munich Shooting World Cup made him number 1 pistol shooter in the World. At the Maribor Shooting World Cup in June 2014, he won a Gold and a Silver and at the Munich Shooting World Cup in June 2014, he won the Silver medal in 10-meter air pistol.

28. Rajasthan Government has declared which animal as the State animal? A. Dog B. Camel C. Cow D. Elephant

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

State Government of Rajasthan on 30 June 2014 declared Camel as the State animal. The step has been taken to check the diminishing number of camels in the State. The decision to declare Camel as State Animal was taken during a State Cabinet meet held in Bikaner on the last day of Sarkar Aapke Dwar campaign. The Cabinet meet was chaired by Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

29. Bor Wildlife Sanctuary in ________ is going to be the country’s 47th Tiger Reserve. A. Bihar B. Rajasthan C. Maharashtra D. Gujarat

Ans. C 

BACKGROUND:

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 1 July 2014 notified Bor Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve. With this, Bor Wildlife sanctuary will become the 47th Tiger Reserve of India and sixth Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra. The approval aimed at strengthening the conservation efforts of the national animal. In its notification the MoEF declared 13812 hectare area of Bor Sanctuary, New Bor Sanctury and the New Bor Extended Wildlife Sanctuary as a core, critical tiger habitat. The sanctuary will also act as an important corridor between Tadoba-Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves that lies on the boundary of Nagpur and Wardha districts. The notification of Union Government will help the sanctuary to receive funding and technical support to strengthen tiger conservation and eco-development and benefit of local communities residing along the border of the reserve. The proposal to notify Bor Wildlife Sanctuary in Wardha district as  Tiger Reserve was forwarded by Maharashtra Government. The other Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra are Melghat, Pench, Tadoba, Nagzira and Sahyadri.

30. Which of the following banks recently organised ‘The Banking and Economics Conclave 2014’ for the first time in the country? A. Bank of Baroda B. NABARD C. Punjab National Bank D. State Bank of India 

Ans. D

BACKGROUND: 

Country’s largest lender State Bank of India is organising a national level banking conclave for the first time by bringing together Reserve Bank of India and stakeholders to a common platform in order to discuss state of the economy and the banking sector. ‘The Banking and Economics Conclave 2014’ will be inaugurated by Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan in the country’s financial capital here on Tuesday. The conclave will be on the lines of ‘Bancon’, an event organised by Indian Bank‘s Association (IBA) each year. It is the first time that any bank has organised an event of this magnitude. “The country is looking forward with great expectations to a period of transformation, a period of growth that will be the answer to the aspirations of our nation. We at SBI feel this is the right time to bring together various stake holders, thinkers as well as doers to deliberate on the direction of growth so that the potential of the nation can be realised,” SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya told PTI.

31. The recently commissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was originally named as A. Baku B. Kremlin C. Plan D. Mahan 

Ans. A

BACKGROUND: 

INS Vikramaditya (Sanskrit, Vikramāditya meaning “Brave as the Sun“) is a modified Kiev-classaircraft carrier which entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013. She has been renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary 1^st century BC emperor of Ujjain, India. Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet (until the dissolution of the Soviet Union) and Russian Navies before being decommissioned in 1996 as she was too expensive to operate on a post-Cold War budget. The carrier was purchased by India on 20 January 2004 after years of negotiations at a final price of $2.35 billion. The ship successfully completed her sea trials in July 2013 and aviation trials in September 2013. She was formally commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia. On 14 June 2014, Prime Minister of IndiaNarendra Modi formally inducted INS Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy and dedicated it to the Nation

32. Sardar Sarovar Dam is the second largest concrete gravity dam (by volume) in the world. On which river is it situated? A. Narmada B. Chenab C. Sabarmati D. Sutlej 

Ans. A 

BACKGROUND:

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the Narmada River near Navagam, Gujarat in India. It is the largest dam and part of the Narmada Valley Project, a large hydraulic engineering project involving the construction of a series of large irrigation and hydroelectric multi-purpose dams on the Narmada River. The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity. One of the 30 dams planned on river Narmada, Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) is the largest structure to be built. It has a proposed final height of 163 m (535 ft) from foundation. The project will irrigate more than 18,000 km² (6,900 sq mi), most of it in drought prone areas of Kutch and Saurashtra. The dam’s main power plant houses six 200 MW Francis pump-turbines to generate electricity and afford a pumped-storage capability. Additionally, a power plant on the intake for the main canal contains five 50 MW Kaplan turbine-generators. The total installed capacity of the power facilities is 1,450 MW. It is the second largest concrete gravity dam (by volume) after Grand Coulee Dam in the US and has world’s third largest spillway discharging capacity.