2nd to 9th Dec 2015
Current affairs
2 dec 2015
1) In
an important development in the field of global solar energy scenario, India
launched an international solar alliance at the ongoing UN Climate Summit
(COP21) at Paris on 30 November 2015. What is the name of this global solar
alliance which seeks to mobilize public finance from richer countries to help
deliver universal global energy access? –International Agency for Solar
Technologies and Applications (IASTA)
Explanation: The
International Agency for Solar Technologies and Applications (IASTA) was
launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the French
president, François Hollande, at the Paris COP21 climate summit. This alliance
comprises of over 120 countries with the primary aim to spread cheap solar
technology across the globe with pooled
policy knowledge.
The
idea behind the establishment of IASTA is that larger markets and bigger
volumes will lead to lower costs, making it possible to spur demand.
IASTA
will have its headquarters in India. The Indian government is investing an
initial $30m in setting up its headquarters in India. The eventual goal is to
raise $400m from membership fees, and international agencies.
Companies
involved in the project include Areva, Engie, Enel, HSBC France and Tata Steel.
It
is worth mentioning that India has emerged as the natural leader for this
alliance, with its ambitious targets to install 175GW of renewable energy by
2022.
2) In
a victory for Beijing’s campaign for recognition as a global economic power,
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) admitted China’s Yuan into its benchmark
currency basket on 30 November 2015. With this Yuan will be added to the
Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket alongside the dollar, euro, pound sterling
and yen. When Yuan will be officially added to the SDR basket to get reserve
currency status? – October 2016
Explanation: The
Yuan (also known as the Renminbi) will have a 10.92% share in the SDR basket
and will officially be included in it from October 2016. This development is
being seen as an important milestone in China’s integration into global
finances and a nod to the progress it has made with reforms.
To
meet the IMF’s criteria, Beijing has undertaken a flurry of reforms in recent
months, including better access for foreigners to Chinese currency markets,
more frequent debt issuance and expanded Yuan trading hours.
To
be included in the SDR basket, the Yuan had to meet the criteria to be freely
usable, or widely used to make international payments and widely traded in
foreign exchange markets, a yardstick it missed at the last review in 2010.
3) The
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its 5th bi-monthly
policy review on 1 December 2015 in which it chose to keep the all-important
Repo Rate unchanged at 6.75%. The RBI made an important disclosure about repo
rate cut benefits transmitted to borrowers by the banks. What disclosure is
this? – Banks transmitted only 0.60% of 1.25% repo rate cut
benefits to borrowers
Explanation: It
is worth mentioning that the RBI has slashed the repo rate cumulatively by 125
basis points since the beginning of calendar year 2015. But it disclosed that
the banks transmitted just 60 points of the 125 point benefit to its borrowers.
However,
the series of rate cuts by the RBI since January seem to have had the desired
impact, with GDP growth rising to 7.4% in the second quarter (July-September)
against 7% in the previous quarter. This apparently allowed RBI to take a
breather and keep the Repo Rate unchanged.
4) First-of-its-kind
on-demand two-wheeler taxi service was launched in which city from 1 November
2015? –Gurgaon
Explanation: The
on-demand two-wheeler taxi service in Gurgaon was launched by M-taxi, a
two-wheeler taxi service provider, which had acquired permit for the service
from the Haryana government to start its operations.
Thus
Gurgaon became the first city in India which has a legalised taxi system. Bike
taxis are better equipped to deal with congestion, traffic, and last mile
connectivity, which are the three major problems that Indian cities are
struggling to cope with. This type of service already exists in countries like
Thailand, Indonesia, and China
M-Taxi’s
pricing starts at Rs. 25 for the first three kilometres, and Rs. 5 for every
subsequent kilometre. Another two-wheeler taxi service, Baxi, has also got
permission from the Haryana government to start its operations.
5) Which
film won the prestigious Golden Peacock award in the 46thInternational Film Festival of India
(IFFI 2015), that concluded on 30 November 2015 at Goa? – “Embrace
of Serpent”(Colombia)
Explanation: Colombian
film ‘Embrace of Serpent’ (Al Abrazo de la Serpiente) was declared the
best film of IFFI 2015. It was awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock award
which carries a sum of Rs. 40 lakh besides the citation.
The
best director award went to Peter Greenaway for ‘Eisenstein’. French
actor Vincent Lindon was adjudged Best Actor for his role in ‘The Measure of
a Man’.
Best
Actress award was shared by five actresses – Gunes Sensoy, Doga Doguslu, Tugba
Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan and Ilyada Akdogan for their roles in Turkish film ‘Mustang’.
Russian
filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Director
Goran Radovavovic’s ‘Enclave’ was conferred the Special Mention Award
for focusing on ethnic conflict in Kosovo and Julia Vargas directed film ‘Sealed
Cargo’ was awarded the Special Jury Award.
The
only Indian name in the winner’s list was that of Bengali filmmaker Kaushik
Ganguly, who was given the inaugural ‘ICFT – UNESCO Fellini Medal’ for his
movie ‘Cinemawala’.
IFFI
2015 was held from 20 to 30 November 2015 at Goa, which is the permanent venue
for this event.
3 dec 2015
1) The
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) invited which Balkan-group country to
join it on 2 December 2015, a development which was highly criticized by
Russia? – Montenegro
Explanation: The
small country of Montenegro came to limelight on 2 December as Foreign Minister
Igor Luksic strode into the conference hall of NATO at its headquarters in
Brussels to loud applause from his peers. Montenegro was thus officially
invited to join NATO, which will be its first expansion since 2009.
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry said the decision to invite Montenegro was not
directed at Russia. Russia opposes any NATO extension to former communist areas
of eastern and southeastern Europe as it is part of an east-west struggle for
influence over former Soviet satellites that is at the centre of the crisis in
Ukraine.
NATO
foreign ministers broke off practical cooperation with Russia in April last
year after Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and sparked the conflict
in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 8,000 people.
The
last expansion of NATO was done in 2009 when Albania and Croatia were inducted
into the organisation to take its membership to 28. NATO is the most prominent
intergovernmental military organisation that was formed in 1949. It is led by
the US and has member countries across North America and Europe.
2) What
is the primary objective of Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) that
was launched on 1 November 2015 by the HRD Ministry? – To improve
the quality of higher education through international collaboration
Explanation: Global
Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) aims at bringing high quality
academicians to participate in delivering courses in Indian institutions. It is
an initiative of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry that was
flagged-off at IIT Kharagpur by Union HRD Ministry Smriti Irani.
Under
GIAN, international academicians of international repute will impart short-term
high-end courses in various knowledge fields. These courses will be undertaken
in Indian institutes and will not be limited to IITs and other such national
institutes.
IIT
Kharagpur has been made the nodal institution of GIAN initiative and the
inaugural courses have also been made available in the institute. These courses
will have a credit-based approach.
The
inaugural course on ‘Orthopaedic Biomechanics: Implants and Biomaterials’ will
be undertaken by professor Nico Verdonschot from Netherlands who is a leading
international figure in the field of computer modelling of orthopedic bio
-mechanics.
3) Which
state has emerged as the biggest economy within Indian states as disclosed in a
latest report released during December 2015 by credit rating agency Brickwork
Ratings? –Maharashtra
Explanation: Brickwork’s
fourth edition of a nationwide multi-state research to analyze finances of all
the Indian states was released on 1 December 2015. This report rated
Maharashtra as the biggest economy within India at Rs 16.87 lakh crore in terms
of gross state domestic product (GSDP). It is followed by Tamil Nadu and Uttar
Pradesh.
The
report mentioned the fact that Maharashtra earns approximately 70% of its total
receipts through tax revenues, which is the highest among the bigger states. In
this aspect it is followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
The
manufacturing sector in Gujarat and Maharashtra accounted for 27.26% and 25.18%
of GSDP respectively in 2014-15. Other states with higher manufacturing sector
share were Tamil Nadu (19.1%), Jharkhand (18.8%) and Haryana (18.1%).
Karnataka
leads in the growth of services sector, largely due to the growth in the
IT/BPO/ KPO sector, followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The
three fastest-growing states were Bihar at 17.06 per cent, MP (16.86%) and Goa
(16.43%). The laggards were Telangana at 5.3%, Punjab (10.16%), Rajasthan
(11%).
Meanwhile,
at a national level, India’s GDP growth rate at 7.3% in 2015 exceeded that of
China, which grew at 6.9%.
4) Tata
Group on 2 December 2015 announced signing up an alliance with a Chinese bank
to provide it with a host of banking services. What is the name of this bank? – Industrial
and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC)
Explanation: Under
the alliance, ICBC will provide the Tata group with financing products, global
cash management, consulting, international trade finance business, investment
banking, foreign exchange, derivatives trading, and other global financial
services. The services will be provided to Tata Group in locations including
India, China, the United States and Europe.
ICBC
is a state-owned Chinese multinational banking company. It is the largest bank
in the world by total assets and by market capitalization.
5) Which
automobile company unveiled its new car ‘Zica’ on 2 December 2015? – Tata
Motors
Explanation: ‘Zica’
is the name of Tata Motors’ entry-level hatchback that was unveiled in Goa by
the company on 2 December. This car is likely to make its debut before the Auto
Expo 2016 kicks in.
This
car’s engine features two driving modes (City and Eco). It’s the first car from
the Tata Motors portfolio to feature variable valve timing.
Tata
Motors is expected to price ‘Zica’ at a very competitive price. It is the
newest car in Tata stable after ‘Bolt’ and ‘Zest’.
4 dec 2015
1) Which
naval air base situated near Chennai came to limelight on 3 December 2015 after
it was chosen as the base to operate limited number of commercial flights to
help stranded passengers? – Rajali naval air station (Arakkonam)
Explanation: The
Rajali naval air station in Arakkonam is around 60 km from Chennai. It was
chosen as the base for operating limited number of commercial flights after
successful test-landing of an Airbus A320 with passengers on 2 December. From 4
December Arakkonam naval base is operating six flights each over the next two
days. Shuttle train services have been made available Chennai airport at every
15 minutes interval.
Rajali
naval air station (officially known as INS Rajali) is an Indian naval air
station located at Arakkonam, some 60 kms away from Chennai. It operates under the
Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, and has the longest military runway
in Asia.
The
Chennai airport has been shut till 6 December due to flooding.
2) Justice
Tirath Singh Thakur took over as the new Chief Justice of India on 3 December
2015. He is ………..Chief Justice of India – 43rd
Explanation: Justice
Tirath Singh Thakur (Justice T.S. Thakur) was administered the oath as the 43rd Chief Justice of India by the
President on 3 December 2015 at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He
took over from incumbent Justice H.L. Dattu who retired a day earlier on 2
December.
He
was the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court till his elevation as the CJI
and had headed the bench which had delivered the verdict to reform cricket
controlling body BCCI in the wake of allegations of betting and spot-fixing
scandal in the IPL.
He
will have the tenure as CJI for a little over one year and would retire on 4
January 2017.
3) Who
was unanimously elected Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly on 2 December
2015? – Vijay Kumar Choudhary
Explanation: Vijay
Kumar Choudhary is a senior leader of the JD (U) and has been a close associate
of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He thus became the 16th Speaker and 14th person to hold the position of the
Speaker of Bihar Assembly.
Choudhary
represents the Sarairanjan assembly segment in Samastipur.
4) Veteran
industrialist and former parliamentarian MAM Ramaswamy, who passed away on 2
December 2015, was associated with which industrial house? –Chettinad
Group
Explanation: Apart
from being a noted industrialist and former parliamentarian, 84-year old MAM
Ramaswamy was also the last King of Chettinad in Tamil Nadu. He was heading the
Chettinad Group as its Chairman till his death. The group has diverse interests
in cement, granite and engineering among others. He represented Karnataka in
the Rajya Sabha from 2004 to 2010.
He
belonged to the Nattukottai Chettiar community, also known as ‘The Rajah
Family’ in the Tamil fraternity. He had very important role in transforming the
Annamalai University (in Chidambaram), that was founded by his family in 1929.
He
was of the most famous professional horse-racer in India and had the record of
over 600 Classics in his name. He also had interests in sports administration.
He was the president of the Indian Hockey Federation and it was during his
stewardship in 1975, India won its World Cup hockey championship.
MAM
Ramaswamy, however, had bitter relations with his adopted son MAMR Muthiah. In
2014 Ramaswamy was eased out from the board of Chettinad Cement by Muthiah-led
group.
5) Insurance
major Sun Life will increase its stake in Birla Sun Life Insurance (BSLI) to
49% from 26% as announced by Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL) on 3 December 2015.
Sun Life is a leading insurance service provider of which country? – Canada
Explanation: BSLI
is one of the leading private life insurance players in India, with the new
business premium market share of 7.9% for the half year ended 30 September
2015.
With
this stake sale Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd (ABNL), the majority stake-holder in the
company will have the remaining 51% stake in the enterprise. The transaction is
expected to close by the end of financial year 2015-16, subject to the customary
closing conditions and the requisite statutory and regulatory approvals in
India and Canada.
The
23% stake sale will fetch ABNL Rs. 1,664 crore, valuing BSLI at Rs. 7,235
crore.
6) “The
Hindu” – one of India’s oldest existing daily newspapers, was not published
from its headquarters Chennai for the first time since 1878 on 2 December 2015.
Why? – Because its workers could not reach its plant due to
harrowing rains and its aftermaths in the city
Explanation: The
2 December 2015 edition of “The Hindu” was not available for Chennaiyans as its
workers could not access the daily’s press situated at Maraimalainagar township
on the outskirts of Chennai city.
Hence,
it was just the first day in reputed daily’s 137-year long history that it was
not published. However the edition of 3 December 2015 was made available as was
done regularly.
Chennai
is passing through the worst rains in last 137 years. The army has been
deployed to rescue thousands of stranded people after days of heavy rains.
Flights from the city’s airport have been indefinitely suspended after flood
waters entered the runway and tarmac areas on 2 December. Over 300 persons have
been killed in the floods in the state.
5 dec 2015
1) The
govt. committee on the proposed goods and services tax (GST) has suggested how
much standard rate of GST as disclosed on 4 December 2015? – 16.9-17.9%
Explanation: The
government-constituted committee on GST headed by Arvind Subramanian, the Chief
Economic Advisor (CEA), submitted its report to Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley on 4 December 2015.
The
committee recommended that the standard GST rate be in the range of 16.9-17.9%.
The standard rate would apply to most goods and services under the new indirect
tax regime.
The
committee also recommended that 1% tax proposed to be levied on the inter-state
trade of goods to help the manufacturing states be done away with. This is one
of the major demands of the Congress. The committee recommended other rates,
with the lowest rate for goods at 12% and the highest rate at 40%. The highest
rate is for demerit goods such as alcohol.
2) The
Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 (BIS Bill, 2015) was adopted by voice
vote by the Lok Sabha on 3 December 2015. What is the main objective of this
Bill? – To extend the ambit of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
by including services, processes and products under it and making it a globally
recognized body
Explanation: BIS
Bill, 2015 proposes to make BIS a national standards body, introduce mandatory
hallmarking of precious metal, prevent misuse of standard marks and provide for
recall of ISI marked products not conforming to relevant standards.
It
is worth mentioning that the BIS is not formally recognised as a national
standards body of the country, though it has been representing India in various
international bodies. The passing of this Bill by the Parliament would thus
enable BIS to formally represent India abroad.
BIS
works under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public
Distribution. It was incorporated in 1986 through the Bureau of Indian
Standards Act, 1986.
3) Ola
– India’s largest app-based taxi aggregator, on 4 December announced joining a
global alliance with three other global taxi aggregators to come up with a
single integrated app to take on Uber. This ambitious global alliance has been
promoted by which two entities who are common investors in these firms? – Softbank
and Alibaba
Explanation: Ola
announced forming an alliance with China’s Didi Kuaidi, US-based Lyft and
Southeast Asia’s GrabTaxi to offer seamless access to cabs on their apps in
these countries. These four taxi aggregators (Ola, Didi Kuaidi, Lyft and
GrabTaxi) will introduce a single integrated app that will allow the partners
to leverage each other’s technology, local market knowledge and business
resources.
The
main objective of this alliance is to strongly take on Uber, their biggest
rival globally. Uber pioneered the asset-light taxi-hailing app concept. It has
drawn investments of $8.21 billion since its inception, but its value is double
that of the combined value of the alliance at $51 billion.
This
global alliance has been promoted by Japan’s SoftBank and China’s leading
online marketplace Alibaba. SoftBank, which counts Ola as one of its
largest portfolio companies in India, has also invested in GrabTaxi and Didi
Kuaidi, while Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has invested in Didi Kuaidi and
Lyft.
4) Which
city of California State in the United States came to news on 2 December 2015
for a deadly mass-shooting incident involving a couple of Pakistani origin in
which 14 people were killed? – San Bernardino
Explanation: Syed
Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, the US-based couple of Pakistani origin, shot
and killed 14 people and injured 21 others at the Inland Regional Center in San
Bernardino on 2 December 2015. This shooting incident was the deadliest in the
U.S. since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut shooting.
Syed
Farook was serving as a health inspector in the San Bernardino County
Department of Public Health. The shooting spree took place at a holiday party
for employees of the Department being held at an auditorium. Farook had attended
the party as an employee and head left it abruptly. He then arrived with his
wife, armed, and opened fire on the party-goers. They then left the spot by an
SUV
The
couple was later killed by police after gunfire was exchanged with them while
in their vehicle. The reason behind the shooting was still unknown.
(Photo
Courtesy : USAtoday.com – AP)
5) During
December 2015 which public sector bank received its Board’s approval to raise
funds by diluting government stake to 52% from the current 65%? – Dena
Bank
Explanation: Dena
Bank’s board of directors gave the nod for capital-raising plans at its meeting
on 3 December 2015. Besides the stake dilution, the bank also plans to raise
capital through additional tier-I bonds of up to Rs. 1,500 crore in one or more
tranches in one or more instruments. Additionally, it will also raise capital
through tier-II bonds of up to Rs. 1,000 crore.
Last
year, the government allowed public sector banks to reduce their stake to 52%
in order to meet capital requirements as per the Basel-III norms. Basel norms,
tailored for Indian banks, mandate a minimum capital adequacy ratio of 9%.
The
law requires that government holding in public sector banks at any point cannot
fall below 51% in order to maintain its public sector character.
6-7 dec 2015
1) Indian
men’s hockey team created history by winning the bronze medal at the FIH Hockey
World League Final on 6 December 2015 as they claimed their first medal at a
major FIH event after 33 years. Which team they defeated in the play-off match?
– Netherlands
Explanation: India
avenged their 3-1 defeat to Netherlands in pool games to come out victorious in
the third-place playoff in the FIH Hockey World League Finals played at Raipur.
India came back from a 2-0 deficit to stun the world No.2.
The
match was tied at 5-5 at the end of regular time (60 minutes) and the match was
decided by penalty shoot-out. India defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in the
penalties to win a historic bronze medal. Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh played
important role in this win making three brilliant saves.
2) Which
team won the FIH Hockey World League title for 2015 on 6 December 2015? –Australia
Explanation: World
champions Australia defeated Belgium by 2-1 to win the prestigious FIH Hockey
World League title 2015 on 6 December 2015. With this win they stamped their
authority in men’s hockey.
Australia,
who finished fourth in the last edition of the tournament two years back,
showed why they are considered as the most consistent team in world hockey.
Australian team took control of the match from the word go to dominate the
world number seven Belgians.
-Belgium
had defeated hosts Indian in the semi-finals to reach the finals while
Australia pipped the Netherlands.
The
tournament was played from 28 November to 6 December 2015 at the Sardar Vallabh
Bhai Patel Stadium in Raipur (Chhattishgarh).
3) In
an important development in India-Pakistan relations, the National Security
Advisor-level talks between the two countries were held on 6 December
2015. These talks were held at which city? – Bangkok
Explanation: Indian
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua
held a four hour meeting in Bangkok on 6 December. The decision to hold the
talks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Pakistani counterpart
Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Summit in Paris on 30
November 2015.
Discussions
covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, and others including
tranquility over the Line of Control, as was disclosed by the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA).
NSA-level
talks were scheduled earlier this year when the two Prime Ministers had met for
a bilateral summit in Russia’s Ufa on the sidelines of a convention. But the
meeting fell through at the last minute over a proposed meeting between
Pakistan’s then National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz and the Kashmiri
separatists.
4) What
is the name of the Karnataka village that came to limelight as it became
India’s first smokeless village during December 2015? – Vyachakurahalli
Explanation: Vyachakurahalli
village (in Gauribidanur taluk of Chikkaballapur district) in Karnataka came to
limelight as it was officially declared as India’s first smokeless village.
This village is around 77 km from Karnataka capital Bengaluru. This came to
reality as all the households in the village gained access to LPG connections.
Altogether 274 households in the village have this facility.
This
became possible as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) piloted the ‘Mission Smokeless
village’ project. For over four decades, firewood had been the only fuel for
the most of the village’s women. Hence cooking was an ordeal for womenfolk with
bouts of cough caused by the soot-filled air in the blackened kitchens.
Now,
the kitchens have got swanky steel gas stoves and red cylinders. On 4 December
2015 the Union petroleum ministry officially declared Vyachakurahalli as
India’s first smokeless village, owing to its conversion from conventional fuel
to LPG.
5) Which
South American country on 5 December 2015 claimed to have found the shipwreck
of a storied Spanish galleon laden with gold and precious stones, which is said
to be the most valuable treasure that has been found in the history of
humanity? – Colombia
Explanation: Colombian
President Juan Manuel Santos made this announcement from the northern port city
of Cartagena, close to where experts made the hugely valuable find.
The
Spanish ship ‘San Jose’ was sunk in June 1708 near the Islas del Rosario, off
Colombia’s Caribbean coast, during combat with British ships attempting to take
its cargo, part of the War of Spanish Succession. It was the main ship in a
treasure fleet carrying gold, silver and other valuable items from Spain’s
American colonies to King Philip V. Only a handful of the ship’s crew of 600
survived when the San Jose sank.
This
ship was found on 27 November 2015 by a team of Colombian and foreign
researchers, including a veteran of the group that discovered the wreck of the
Titanic in 1985. The discovery of this ship ended over 300-year old mystery
surrounding the ship.
6) India’s
Kidambi Srikanth lost in the men’s singles final of Yonex Indonesian Masters
BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament on 6 December 2015. Who won the final against
him? – Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia)
Explanation: Second-seeded
Tommy Sugiarto won the men’s singles final of Indonesian Masters BWF Grand Prix
Gold as he defeated top seeded Kidambi Srikanth (India) by 17-21, 21-13, 24- 22
in a tense final at Maland (Indonesia) on 6 December 2015.
Sugiarto
thus won the gold medal while Kidambi Srikanth had to contend with the silver.
The
2015 Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold was the 20thGrand Prix tournament of the 2015
BWF Grand Prix circuit.
7) The
French car giant Renault will return to Formula 1 of 2016 session as a
constructor, as announced by the company management during December 2015. It
will replace which F1 team from the circuit? – Lotus
Explanation: Renault
sold the team to investment group Genii Capital at the end of 2009 after
deciding to quit as a constructor but remained involved as an engine builder.
The company will now make a comeback in 2016 session as a constructor.
Renault
has won four world drivers’ titles, two as Benetton with Michael Schumacher in
1994 and 1995, and two as Renault with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.
8 dec 2015
1) India
won a historic Test series against South Africa as the hosts romped home with a
whopping 337 runs victory in the fourth and final Test match at Delhi’s Feroz
Shah Kotla on 7 December 2015. With this win India won the four match series by
3-0 following wins at Mohali and Nagpur. Who was adjudged ‘Player of the
Series’ for this historic series win? –R. Ashwin
Explanation: Indian
off-spinner R. Ashwin took 31 wickets during the series to emerge as the main
destroyer of South African attack. He had four 5-wicket hauls in the series.
Ajinkya
Rahane, who became the fifth Indian batsman to score centuries in both innings
of a test match, was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’.
India’s
Test series win was a sweet revenge against visitors who had earlier claimed
both T20 and ODI series. The 4-match test series was known as “Freedom Series”.
India scored emphatic wins at Mohali (by 108 runs), Nagpur (by 124 runs) and
finally at Delhi (by 337 runs) to humiliate South Africans. The second Test at
Bangalore was washed out.
The
3-0 series win also enabled India to climb upto No. 2 from fourth place in the
ICC Test rankings. However, despite this huge loss, South Africa retained their
number 1 position. (Photo Courtesy : firstpost.com)
2) Which
country replaced Mauritius to become the largest source of Foreign Direct
Investments (FDI) into India during the first half of the current fiscal, as
disclosed by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) during
December 2015? – Singapore
Explanation: According
to data from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), during
April-September 2015, India has attracted $6.69 billion (Rs 43,096 crore) FDI
from Singapore while from Mauritius, it received $3.66 billion (Rs 23,490
crore). In the last one year, the FDI inflow from Singapore has more than
doubled from levels of $2.41 billion.
It
is worth mentioning that the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
(DTAA) with Singapore incorporates Limit-of-Benefit (LoB) clause, which has
provided comfort to foreign investors based there to invest in India.
This has triggered more FDI inflows from Singapore.
Overall,
Singapore accounted for 15% of the total FDI India received during April 2000
and September 2015, while Mauritius’ share stood at a commanding 34% during the
same period.
3) On
6 December 2015 Tata Trust entered into 5-year partnership agreement with which
free online education initiative for making localised content accessible to
students across the country? – Khan Academy
Explanation: Khan
Academy is one of the world’s largest free online education initiatives and has
been established by Silicon Valley-based education entrepreneur Salman Khan. It
is a not-for-profit platform with over 30 million users worldwide.
A
former hedge fund analyst, Salman Khan had started tutoring his cousins as a
hobby before turning the idea of providing free online education into a
full-time mission in 2009.
Khan
Academy has now entered into partnership with Tata Trust, led by Chairman Ratan
Tata. While Khan Academy’s English content is already available on YouTube,
through the partnership with Tata Trusts, the Academy plans to make it more
relevant for Indian students in two stages.
The
first stage will involve developing an android app and a technology platform
that enables a seamless user experience across desktop and mobile. The second
stage will involve moving into vernacular languages such as Marathi and Bengali,
targeting rural areas.
4) Chinese
capital Beijing came to news on 7 December 2015. Why? – It issued
its first ever “red alert” for pollution
Explanation:China’s
capital Beijing on 7 December issued its first ever “red alert” for
pollution, as the city government warned that Beijing would be shrouded in
heavy smog from 8 December until 10 December.
In
an online statement, the Beijing city government ordered all outdoor
construction work to stop on red alert days, besides urging schools to close.
The move comes as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned a Paris summit of
nearly 200 nations against a “climate catastrophe”, urging governments to reach
a strong deal to limit global warming.
It
is worth mentioning that China’s leadership has vowed to crack down on
environmental degradation, including the air pollution that blankets many major
cities, following decades of unbridled economic growth.
5) The
8th edition of the
Indo-Russian joint naval exercise commenced in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast
of Andhra Pradesh, from 7 December 2015. This bi-annual exercise is known by
which name? – INDRA
Explanation: INDRA
is the name given to the bi-annual naval exercise held between India and
Russia. The 8th edition of
INDRA is being held off the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the Bay of Bengal from 7
December to 12 December 2015.
Indian
Navy has delegated three combat ships (a frigate, a destroyer and a submarine)
and one logistics ship (a fuel tanker), four planes and helicopters for the
exercise while Russia is being represented by a guided missile cruiser, a
destroyer, a fuel tanker and a salvage tug. The exercise will primarily
practice the protection of surface ships from submarines and fire against
surface and air targets.
The
first edition of INDRA was held in year 2003 when nine Russian warships took
part in first such joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy.
9 dec 2015
1) Indian
Parliament on 7 December 2015 passed an amendment bill that permits the filing
of cases at the place where a cheque is presented for clearance and not the
place of issue in cases pertaining to cheque bouncing. What is the name of this
bill? –Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Explanation: The
Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was passed by the Lok Sabha in
the monsoon session. The bill was finally passed by the Parliament on 7
December as it was passed by the Rajya Sabha.
The
bill seeks to overturn a Supreme Court ruling which said cases have to be
initiated where the cheque-issuing branch was located. It also provides that
cases of cheque bouncing can now be filed only in a court that has jurisdiction
over the bank branch of the payee.
If
a complaint against a person issuing a bounced cheque has been filed in the
court with the appropriate jurisdiction, then all subsequent complaints against
that person will be filed in the same court. The changes in the Negotiable
Instruments Act will have implications for over 1.8 million cheque bounce cases
pending in various courts.
2) Which
are the two new interim franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that will
replace the suspended teams of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, as
announced by the BCCI on 8 December 2015? – Pune and Rajkot
Explanation:
Pune and Rajkot franchises will this replace CSK and RR for a period of two
years. The Pune franchise was bought by Kolkata-based business tycoon Sanjiv
Goenka’s company New Rising, while the Rajkot bid was won by Intex Mobiles.
While
Sanjiv Goenka will shell out Rs. 10 crore per year to the BCCI, Intex Mobiles
will pay Rs. 16 crore for the two-year deal.
The
teams were sold through the reverse bidding process for which the base price
was set at Rs 40 crore and bidders had to quote an amount less than that. The
lowest bidder was given the franchises.
3) In
a blow to Congress party, a Delhi court on 8 December 2015 directed Congress
president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to
appear in person on 19 December in the ‘National Herald’ case. This case,
associated with the now-defunct ‘National Herald’ newspaper has
been filed by which leader? – Dr. Subramanian Swamy
Explanation: BJP
leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy, had knocked the court’s door raising questions
over acquisition of a company that published the now-defunct ‘National
Herald’ newspaper to which Congress gave a loan of over Rs 90 crore. Swami
was then the President of the erstwhile Janata Party.
It
was alleged that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had floated a Section 25 company
called ‘Young Indian’, which acquired Associated Journals, founded by late
Jawaharlal Nehru, that published the National Herald and Quami
Awaz.
4) In
a major setback to President Nicolas Maduro, the opposition won the National
Assembly elections with a comfortable majority in Venezuela as announced by the
National Electoral Council on 7 December 2015. This overturned the nearly two
decades of dominance of the Socialists. What is the name of the opposition
alliance which emerged victorious in these elections? – Democratic
Unity Roundtable
Explanation: Democratic
Unity Roundtable (better known by its Venezuelan acronym MUD) is an alliance of
all opposition streams that was formed in 2008 to unify against the ruling
United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
The
opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable won 112 of the total 167 seats in
Venezuelan the National Assembly, while President Maduro’s ruling PSUV got just
55 seats. It is the worst-ever defeat for the leftist movement founded by
former leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.
The
loss in National Assembly will, however, pose no direct threat to Maduro’s
Presidency. But the win would allow the opposition to pass laws allowing the
release of political prisoners and to reverse appointments to senior legal
positions made by the current government.
However,
under Venezuela’s presidential system the PSUV will still be a powerful force,
as it controls many municipalities. The next presidential election is due in
April 2019.
5) What
is the name of the largest destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy that headed
out to sea for the first time on 7 December 2015? – USS Zumwalt
Explanation: USS
Zumwalt is the name of the newest and the largest destroyer ship ever made for
the U.S. Navy. It is 183 meter tall and weighs almost 15,000 tons. On 7
December this giant ship departed from shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine to
the open Atlantic Ocean through the winding Kennebec River for undergoing sea
trials.
USS
Zumwalt is named after former US naval officer Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. The
huge ship is a guided missile destroyer having incredible stealth capabilities.
Advanced automation will allow the warship to operate with a much smaller crew
size than current destroyers. It will ultimately cost $4.4 billion to the US
exchequer.
Bath
Iron Works will be testing the ship’s performance and making tweaks this
winter. The goal is to deliver it to the Navy sometime next year (2016).
6) What
is the name of the controversial Lokayukta of Karnataka who finally resigned
from his post on 8 December 2015? – Y. Bhaskar Rao
Explanation: Y
Bhaskar Rao, the Lokayukta (or the anti-graft ombudsman) of the state of
Karnataka was in news for an alleged extortion racket in his office that involved
his son. He was on a long leave since July 2015 after his son Ashwin Rao was
arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the case.
He
had become the first-ever Lokayukta in the country to have an impeachment
motion against him by the state Assembly after the opposition parties of the
state petitioned the Karnataka Assembly Speaker K. Thimmappa to initiate the
process for his removal on 17 November 2015.
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