28 Nov2015
1) Test
cricket history was made on 27 November 2015 when the first Day-Night Test
match commenced between Australia and New Zealand from this day. This historic
Test match is being staged at which cricket ground in Australia? – The
Adelaide Oval
Explanation: The
first-ever Day-Night Test Match started on 27 November between hosts Australia
and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval cricket ground in Adelaide. The match
featured pink leather balls and bright flood lights. However, the clothing for
players remained white
The
Day-Night Test match was thus a big departure from tradition, with the
relatively untested pink leather ball replacing the standard red cherry ball in
a format that dates back to the 1870s. Traditionally use of flood lights in
Test matches have been protested by the orthodox cricketing fraternity but the
lights have finally made it to Tests to
increase the interest of spectators in
this format.
The
match started at 2 p.m. (Adelaide local time), instead of late morning, as has
been the tradition. Batting first, New Zealand was dismissed for 202 on the
first day of this historic test.
2) Which
renowned foreign bank on 27 November 2015 announced shutting of its private
banking operations in India? –HSBC
Explanation: HSBC
Holdings Plc., which is Europe’s largest bank, announced shutting of its
private banking operations in India. The decision to close private banking
operations was taken after a strategic review of the business by HSBC group.
According to media reports, HSBC’s private banking business in India has about
70 staff.
HSBC
would offer private banking clients in India the choice to move to HSBC
Premier, the bank’s global retail banking and wealth management platform.
This
marked the exit of another foreign bank from the cut-throat wealth management
business in India, which is Asia’s third-largest economy.
Banks
including Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Morgan Stanley have sold their
onshore India private banking units in the recent past, as part of their global
business restructuring.
3) From
25 November 2015 the Union Govt. extended the usage criterion of the RuPay
debit cards under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) in order to avail
of the in-built insurance cover to 90 days. What was the usage criterion till
now? – 45 days
Explanation: One
of the stipulations of meeting the claim under accidental Death and/or
permanent disablement was that the RuPay Card holder has to carry-out at least
one successful financial or non-financial transaction within 45 days to claim
the insurance claim. This has now been extended to 90 days as this condition
was posing problem to many RuPay Card holders.
Under
PMJDY, RuPay Debit Card with an inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs.1 lakh
is also provided to account holders.
Only
accidents arising on or after November 25 will be considered for the extended
period. Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) 16.54 crore accounts
have been provided a RuPay debit card.
4) Noted
industrialist Mansukhbhai Kothari passed away at the age of 90 at his residence
in Kanpur on 27 November 2015. He was founder of which iconic FMCG brand? – ‘Pan
Parag’
Explanation: Mansukhbhai
Kothari was the founder of ‘Kothari Products Limited’ which produced the iconic
‘Pan Parag’ brand of pan masala. Kothari was instrumental in laying the
foundation of the pan masala industry and making Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) as the
capital of pan masala industry.
He
was born in 1925 in Gujarat. He started his career as a daily wage
labourer after shifting from Gujarat to Kanpur at the tender age of 16. He
later saw huge opportunity in pan masala and after a few attempts founded
Kothari Products Limited as a corporate company.
He
was also involved in numerous philanthropic activities in the field of
education and social emancipation.
5) Who
resigned from the post of the Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical
Research (ICHR), as reported on 27 November 2015? –Prof. Y.Sudershan Rao
Explanation: Prof.
Y.Sudershan Rao was appointed Chairman of the ICHR almost 16 months ago by the
Narendra Modi-led Union Govt. His appointment to a three-year term was
questioned by some eminent historians over his academic credentials.
As
per media reports he resigned because he was unhappy over the denial of an
honorarium of Rs 1.5 lakh a month. This was however denied by Prof. Rao.
Rao
is a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY), the history
wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
ICHR
is an autonomous body of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry and is
engaged in providing direction to the research scholars in their multifarious
topics of historical research through established historians and scholars in
India. It also provides funds to historians. It is based in Delhi with
regional centers in Bangaluru (Karnataka) and Guwahati (Assam).
29-30
NOV 2015
1) The 2-day
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for 2015 (CHOGM 2015) concluded on 29
November 2015. This 24th edition
of the biennial meet of the 53 Commonwealth countries was held in which
country? – Malta
Explanation: CHOGM
was held at the small and picturesque Mediterranean country of Malta from 27 to
29 November 2015. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II declared proceedings
officially open on 27 November.
The
summit which was originally designated to be hosted by Mauritius, was given
instead to Malta when the Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam refused to
attend the CHOGM 2013 over the human rights situation prevailing in the host
country, Sri Lanka. He thus withdrew as the host of the 2015 summit as protocol
had required him to attend the summit in order to personally invite other
member states.
CHOGM
2015 held a special session on climate change and global sustainability as it
was held just before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. The
issue of international terrorism and the European migrant crisis was also
discussed in the meet.
External
Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj represented India in the meeting instead of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
London
will host the next edition of CHOGM in 2018, as the next summit originally
scheduled for 2017 in Vanuatu, was cancelled. It was cancelled as Vanuatu
rescinded its offer to host due to the long-term effects of devastation to the
island nation’s infrastructure caused by Cyclone Pam in March 2015.
2) Who
was elected as the first-ever female Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
on 27 November 2015 during CHOGM 2015? – Patricia Scotland
Explanation: Dominica-born
lawyer Patricia Scotland, who is a former attorney general to the British
government, was elected as the new Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on 27
November during its biennial summit in Malta.
She
thus became the first-ever woman to be elected for running the 53-country
organisation. She will thus replace Indian diplomat Kamalesh Sharma on 1
April 2016, who will complete his second term then.
While
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Commonwealth, the Secretary-General’s
duties involve representing the organisation globally and promoting its values
and principles, chiefly democratic standards and development.
Previous
Commonwealth Secretaries-General have been Arnold Smith of Canada (1965-1975),
Shridath Ramphal of Guyana (1975-1990), Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria
(1990-2000) and Don McKinnon of New Zealand (2000-2008).
3) Who
created boxing history by ending Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko’s 11-year
reign as the world heavyweight champion on 28 November 2015? – Tyson
Fury
Explanation: British
boxer Tyson Fury created a huge upset when he defeated legendary Ukrainian
boxer Wladimir Klitschko’s 11-year reign as the world heavyweight champion
after winning the title fight on 28 November. This bout was held in Dusseldorf
(Germany) and Fury won it on points.
Fury
was awarded the fight 115-112, 115-112 and 116-111 by the three judges to
take Klitschko’s WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO belts.
Wladimir
Klitschko is the second longest reigning heavyweight champion of all time and
has the second most successful title defenses for any heavyweight boxer with
total 23 title defenses in his illustrious career.
4) What
is the name of the Indian-American billionaire philanthropist who unveiled a
path-breaking new invention in the form of a stationary cycle that can generate
free electricity? –Manoj Bhargava
Explanation: Manoj
Bhargava is an India-born billionaire philanthropist who shot to fame with his
5-Hour Energy drink. He has reportedly net worth of around $4 billion. On 28
November 2015 he unveiled his new invention – a stationary cycle that is
capable of generating electricity through pedalling.
The
stationary cycle that was launched by Manoj Bhargava generates power by
pedalling. The pedalling turns a flywheel, which spins a generator that charges
the attached battery. One hour of pedalling can meet a rural household’s
electricity needs for 24 hours, including running lights, a small fan and
charging a cell phone, all without electricity bills, fuel costs or pollution.
The price of one such cycle is expected between Rs. 12,000-15,000 and will
be available by March 2016.
Bhargava
intends to first start selling the product in Uttarakhand and later target rest
of the domestic market. Production of this path-breaking cycle will also be
done in India.
5) In
an important event associated with India’s defence forces, the Long Range
Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM), jointly designed and developed by Israel’s IAI
and India’s DRDO, was successfully flight tested from an Israeli naval platform
on 27 November 2015. What is the Israeli name of this sophisticated missile? – Barack
8
Explanation: LRSAM
(or Barack 8, as it is called in Israel) is an advanced, long-range missile
defence and air defence system. Its main features are long range, active radar
seeker missile, vertical launch and multiple simultaneous engagements.
The
air defence system has been jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) of
Israel. The system was successfully tested from an Israeli Naval Platform,
wherein the missile successfully engaged and destroyed the incoming air target.
Further
Operational Flight Trials (O.F.T) will be conducted shortly from Indian Naval
Platform before induction into the service. It will be inducted into Indian
Naval Ships (P-15A).
6) Indian
badminton ace P V Sindhu won the women’s singles title of Macau Open by
defeating Japan’s Minatsu Mitani in the final held on 29 November 2015. With
this title win, Sindhu achieved which distinction? – She completed a
hat-trick of titles at the Macau Open
Explanation: Two-time
defending champion P V Sindhu won her third consecutive Macau Open title after
defeating sixth seeded Minatsu Mitani by 21-9, 21-23, 21-14 in the finals on 29
November.
She
had earlier advanced to finals of the event with a gruelling three-game triumph
over second seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the semifinals, which she won
21-8, 15-21, 21-16.
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