5 NOV 2015
1) Applications
for buying sovereign gold bonds of Govt. of India are being accepted from 5
November 2015. The ambitious scheme of sovereign gold bonds instead of
purchasing of physical gold is being launched by which entity? – Reserve
Bank of India (RBI)
Explanation: Sovereign
gold bonds will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India. They will carry the
market value of particular amount of gold it is issued. If the price of gold
increases the value of the bond will also go up, thus benefiting investors.
The applications for these bonds will be accepted from
5 November to 20 November 2015 by the RBI. The bonds will be issued from 26
November 2015.
Investors can buy a minimum of 2 units or 2 grams and
a maximum at 500 grams per fiscal year. Investors will get a fixed rate of
interest of 2.75% per annum (payable every 6 months) on the initial value of
investment.
The bonds have a maturity period of 8 years
, with exit
option from the fifth year. Holdings can be redeemed in multiples of one gram.
2) Who
will be the new Chief Justice of India (CJI), as announced on 4 November 2015?
–Justice Tirath Singh Thakur
Explanation: Justice
Tirath Singh Thakur (Justice T.S. Thakur) will replace Justice H.L. Dattu as
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on 2 December 2015. His name was
recommended by Justice H.L. Dattu on 4 November 2015. However, his Warrant of
Appointment would be issued only after the President gives his approval.
Justice Thakur is the senior-most judge after Justice
Dattu and his appointment as the next CJI also signals that seniority reigns
supreme in the highest judiciary following the revival of the Collegium system.
Justice Thakur will become 43rd CJI of
India and would be in office till 4 January 2017.
3) The
Odisha Government and Ministry of Railways entered into a historic agreement on
4 November 2015 that is likely to lay the track for the first railway line to
reach one of India’s most backward districts. Which district of Odisha is this,
which is often described as “District Zero” by the media? – Nabarangpur
Explanation: Nabarangpur
in southern Odisha is often termed as one of the most backward districts of the
country. Lack of rail connectivity is often listed as the major reason for
area’s backwardness.
On 4 November 2015 a path-breaking agreement for
setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for constructing a 40-km link
connecting the Nabarangpur district headquarters to the nearest station at
Jeypore in neighbouring Koraput district was signed between the Govt. of Odisha
and Indian Railways.
The said rail-link was evidently held up for so long
because it was found to be economically unviable. Odisha Govt. has decided to
go for the SPV model with the state government contributing 51% of the project
cost, including land. This would result in connect Nabarangpur district to rest
of the country.
4) World
Economic Forum’s (WEF) India summit was inaugurated by Union Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley at New Delhi on 4 November 2015. Participants from across various
fields engaged in an intense one-day dialogue during the summit. What was the
theme of this WEF India Summit? –‘Delivering Growth in the New Context’
Explanation: The
WEF India Summit 2015 witnessed participation of more than 250 national
stakeholders and leaders from government, including 8 ministers, business and
civil society. The participants engaged in an intense one-day dialogue looking
at the fast-changing economic, political and social landscape in India.
The participants deliberated on forces of change in
India in the context of five of WEF’s global challenges – a) agriculture and
food security, b) environment and resource security, c) employment, skills and
human capital, d) long-term investing, infrastructure and urban development and
e) financial inclusion.
5) Which
US-based gaming company will acquire King Digital Entertainment, the creator of
the iconic Candy Crush Saga, for $5.9 billion, as disclosed on 3 November 2015?
– Activision Blizzard
Explanation: Activision
Blizzard is the producer of world famous ‘World of Warcraft’ and ‘Call
of Duty’ games. It will acquire King Digital Entertainment for a cash-deal
worth $5.9 billion. The acquisition would make Activision Blizzard a global
leader in interactive entertainment across mobile, console and PC platforms.
Activision Blizzard is offering $18 in cash for each
King share, and the deal is expected to boost Activision’s earnings by about
30%.
The ‘Call of Duty’ series is one of the world’s
best-selling console games, while Candy Crush Saga is among the most popular
games on mobile devices. Video game publishers are switching from the physical
sale of games to digital growth as consumers move from consoles to playing on
smartphones and tablets.
King Digital Entertainment has focused on a business
model that allows users to play a game for free, but pay extra for additional
features.
6 Nov 2015
1) T-Hub,
a start-up incubator built on a public private partnership (PPP) model, was
inaugurated on 5 November 2015 by industrialist Ratan Tata. This start-up
incubator, which is the largest in India till date, has been established in which
city? – Hyderabad
Explanation: With
opening of ‘T-Hub’, a brand new 70,000 square feet facility for giving
motivation push to start-ups, Telangana capital Hyderabad has bid its claim to
become India’s start-up capital. This establishment expects to house over 300
start-ups and have a futuristic workspace for up to 800 people. The Telangana
government has invested Rs 40 crore to build this biggest incubator facility in
the country.
‘T-Hub’ is a PPP (public-private partnership) between
the Government of Telangana, IIIT-Hyderabad, ISB and NALSAR and key private
sector leaders. As many as four angel networks, 30 seed funds and 20 venture
capital funds have been roped in to participate in accelerating the start-up
activity.
2) IMPRINT
India, an initiative to develop a road map for research to solve major
engineering and technology challenges in 10 technology domains relevant for the
country, was launched by President Pranab Mukherjee on 5 November 2015. This is
a joint initiative of which prestigious institutions of the country? – IISc
(Bangalore) and 5 IITs
Explanation: Indian
Institute of Science (Bangalore) and 5 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
have done extensive consultations and arrived at specific themes in each area
of research that has immediate social relevance. This initiative has been named
IMPRINT India, where IMPRINT stands for Impacting Research Innovation and
Technology.
IMPRINT India will motivate India’s technical
institutions to conduct research in 10 areas where the country is heavily dependent
on foreign technology. These 10 areas include health care, information and
communication technology, energy, sustainable habitat, nano-technology
hardware, water resources and river systems, advanced materials, manufacturing,
security & defence and environment & climate.
The idea of launching ‘Imprint India’ originated
during the conference of chairmen, board of governors and directors of IITs,
convened by the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan in August 2014.
It is based on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
suggestion that research done by institutions of national importance must be
linked with immediate requirements of the society at large.
5 IITs involved in this initiative are – IIT
Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras and IIT Bombay.
3) An
India-born former soldier was inducted into the Cabinet of the new Canada Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau on 4 November 2015. What is his name? – Harjit
Singh Sajjan
Explanation: Harjit
Singh Sajjan was named as the Minister of National Defence in the newly
constituted Cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 4 November 2015. Sajjan
was elected to Canadian Parliament for the first time in last month’s election.
Sajjan was born in Punjab (India) in a Sikh family.
His family immigrated to Canada when he was five years old. He grew up in
Vancouver. He joined Vancouver Police Department and worked for 11 years and
later became a regular in Canadian Army. In 2011, he became the first Sikh to
command a Canadian Army regiment when he was named commander of the British
Columbia Regiment.
Sajjan’s appointment as Defence Minister is
illustrative of the younger, more diverse cabinet that new liberal PM Trudeau
had aimed to create.
Sajjan will oversee an anticipated change in Canada’s
military involvement in the battle against militants in Syria and Iraq. Newly
sworn-in Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already said he wants to end
Canada’s air strikes in the region in favour of providing humanitarian help.
4) Maldives
President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country on 4
November 2015. What is the primary reason for declaring 30-day emergency in the
country? – Discovery of explosive devices near President’s official
residence
Explanation: The
tiny Indian Ocean nation of Maldives witnessed frenzy as explosive devices were
discovered near President Abdulla Yameen’s official residence in capital Male.
There also were reports that huge stashes of weapons were stolen from army
stores. These incidents were perceived as a threat to the public and the nation
and the govt. imposed 30-day emergency on 4 November.
It is also worth mentioning that the emergency
declaration came two days before a demonstration planned by the main opposition
party – the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed was
jailed in March 2015 after a widely criticised conviction under anti-terror
laws.
The Maldives has been rocked by political infighting
in recent weeks, with Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb arrested in connection with an
alleged plot to assassinate the president by blowing up his boat.
5) According
to an announcement made by the New and Renewable Energy Ministry on 4 November
2015 which US-based solar power company won a bid to sell solar power in India
at a record low tariff of just Rs. 4.63 per kilowatt-hour? –SunEdison
Explanation: According
to the information disclosed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy,
Missouri-based SunEdison won the auction for a 500 megawatt project in Andhra
Pradesh. What was remarkable about this auction was that it was won for an
all-time low solar tariff of just Rs. 4.63 per kilowatt-hour.
The previous lowest solar tariff in India was about
5.05 rupees per kilowatt-hour for Canadian company SkyPower’s project in Madhya
Pradesh.
This bid is expected to give a big boost to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s push for clean energy to combat climate change as
falling rates could unlock more government support for solar and wind energy.
Japan’s Softbank and iPhone maker Foxconn have already pledged to invest about
$20 billion in solar projects in India.
7-8 Nov 2015
1) History
was created on 7 November 2015 as the first-ever meeting of the Presidents of
China and Taiwan was held on this day. Relations between the two countries have
remained strained since China claimed sovereignty over Taiwan in 1949. This
historic meeting was held at which place? –Singapore
Explanation:
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou held a
landmark meeting in Singapore on 7 November 2015, which was the first ever meeting
between top leaders of the two sides. The meeting focused on relations across
the Taiwan Straits.
Relations between the two countries have remained cold
and tense since China had claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949. This
happened after China’s Nationalist government fled to Taiwan after defeat by
the Communists. Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) nationalists formed their
own government in Taiwan after Mao Zedong’s communists took power in Beijing in
1949.
The Chinese government claims Taiwan as part of its
territory and threatens to counter any move to outright independence by
military force. The relations between the two countries worsened Taiwan lost
its seat at the United Nations (UN) to China in 1971.
Ties with China have improved under President Ma
Ying-jeou, whose Kuomintang (KMT) party is seen as pro-Beijing. However, Ma
suffered a crushing defeat in local elections last year, a result that was
widely seen as a rejection of President Ma’s push for closer ties with China.
2) Union
Govt. on 6 November 2015 imposed how much Swachh Bharat Cess on all services? – 0.5%
Explanation: The
Swachh Bharat cess of 0.5% will be imposed on all services now liable to
service tax from 15 November 2015. The proceeds from this cess will be
exclusively used for Swachh Bharat initiatives.
Apart from this a 2% regional connectivity cess on
international air travel and flights between metros and big cities will also be
imposed. The cess for the creation of the regional connectivity fund (RCF)
corpus will be levied from 1 January 2016 to enable the regional connectivity
scheme to start from 1 April 2016.
3) India
and Russia started their joint-military exercise named ‘INDRA 2015’ from 7
November 2015. This is the seventh edition in a series of annual bilateral exercises
between the two countries. This joint military exercise is being held at which
place in India? – Bikaner (Rajasthan)
Explanation: ‘INDRA
2015’, the 7th edition of the annual series of joint military
exercises between India and Russia commenced on 7 November 2015 at Bikaner. The
exercise will conclude on 20 November 2015.
The joint exercise this year focuses on ‘Counter
Terrorism Operations in Desert Terrain under a United Nations Mandate’. The
joint training would also focus on ensuring a high degree of physical fitness,
tactical drills, techniques and procedures.
During the exercise, participants will engage in a
variety of missions including joint planning, cordon and search operations,
search and rescue, joint tactical drills and special arms skills. The exercise
is being conducted in two phases, namely ‘Combat Conditioning & Tactical
Training’ and ‘Validation’ phases.
4) What
is India’s rank in the recently released Transparency International’s
Corruption Perceptions Index for 2014 which ranks countries on a scale for the
perceived levels of public sector corruption? – 85 (out of 175
countries)
Explanation: In
the study of 175 countries by anti-graft organisation Transparency
International, India was ranked 85. The Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 was
released by Transparency International on 6 November 2015.
India was assigned a score of 38 points out of maximum
score of 100. India’s score grew by two points over last year’s assessment.
Country’s ranking was thus better than China, which was ranked at 100th place
with a total score of 36 points.
The Index rated Denmark as the least corrupt country
with a score of 92. Somalia and North Korea jointly have been rated as the most
corrupt countries with scores of eight.
According to the information disclosed by Transparency
International, not a single country got a perfect score (100) and more than
two-third countries scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100
(very clean). Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public
sector corruption worldwide based on “expert opinion” from around the world.
5) Indian
professional boxer Vijender Singh continued his sensational foray into
professional boxing with a second successive knockout triumph on 7 November
2015. In this bout he knocked-out which British boxer in the first round
itself? – Dean Gillen
Explanation: Vijender
humbled British boxer Dean Gillen in the second fight of his professional
career by a knockout win in just the first round. The bout was held on 7
November at Dublin (Ireland).
Former Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender had started
his professional career in style with a technical knockout win against
Englishman Sonny Whiting.
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