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September 2015:
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS AND EVENTS
According to the report of Financial Times (FT), India in the first half of 2015 has emerged on top of the foreign direct investment league table, overtaking China and the United States. How much FDI India received during this period? | $31 billion |
At which place 17th All-India Government Whips Conference was held? (179 whips from various state assemblies, legislative councils and the two houses of Parliament participated in the All India Whips Conference. It was conducted to prepare a detail plan to ensure smooth running of houses at the state and national levels.) | Vishakapatnam |
Name the Naval warship, the largest-ever warship to be built in India, which was commissioned by defence minister Manohar Parrikar at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai? | INS Kochi |
With inflation running at record lows and the economy in danger of slowing down the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its key repo rate by? (As per RBI announcement on Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for 2015-16, Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) is 6.75%, the Reverse repo rate is 5.75%, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate is 7.75%.) | 50 basis points |
Name the NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman who was appointed as Sherpa for the G20 Summit, replacing Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu? (Sherpa is a senior official responsible for preparing the agenda for leaders to consider during the summit. The next G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled on 15-16 November at Antalya in Turkey.) | Arvind Panagariya |
Name the Governor of West Bengal who was given additional charge of Governor of Tripura recently? | K N Tripathi |
Name the former Indian Cricket Captain who was appointed President of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB)? | Sourav Ganguly |
Who was appointed as Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)? | Stuti Narain Kacker |
Name the marathi film directed by Chaitanya Tamhane which was chosen as India's official entry for the 88th Academy Awards (Oscar) in the Best Foreign Film category? | Court |
By which name Norway-based Telenor Group, which has been operating in India under the brand name Uninor for the last six years, has rebranded its Indian unit? | Telenor |
Name the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former ICC Chief who passed away recently at the age of 75? (He was hailed as the architect of India's rise as the game's financial superpower.) | Jagmohan Dalmiya |
At which place 55th Open National Athletics Championships 2015 was held? | Salt Lake (Kolkata) |
Name the option on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) whose symbol was introduced by the Election Commission recently? (The main objective of the option is to enable electors who do not wish to vote for any of the candidates to exercise their right not to vote for any candidate without violation of the secrecy of their decision.) | NOTA (None of the Above) |
Name the renowned Mohiniyattam dancer and Padma Shri awardee who passed away recently at the age of 74 years? | Kalamandalam Satyabhama |
In respect of which chemical, Ministry of Home Affairs asked Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) not to allow bulk import in loose form on the ground that it poses threat to national security? (As per the directive, the chemical has to be imported in bagged form only irrespective of quantity in each bag and the consignment has to be packed at the point of origin.) | Ammonium Nitrate |
The Central Government announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY). This is a new programme meant to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by __________, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs). | Mining Related Operations |
Retirement fund manager EPFO has decided to increase the benefits under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme from Rs 3.6 lakh to _______? | Rs 6 lakh |
For how many years National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Khaplang was banned by the Union Government? | 5 years |
Name the two rivers which were formally linked with the commissioning of Pattiseema lift irrigation project in Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh? (This project claimed to be the first-ever river interlinking in the country. The project is expected to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of drought-prone Rayalseema region.) | Godavari and Krishna |
Name the Railways shot putter who became the latest Indian athlete to qualify for next year's Olympics when she shattered an 18-year-old national record en route to a sixth title at the 55th National Open Athletics Championship? | Manpreet Kaur |
Under which scheme the Centre has decided to provide additional 50 days of work in drought-hit areas to provide relief to farmers in view of deficit monsoon in various parts of the country? (At present, 100 days of work is provided to rural job card holders under the scheme.) | Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA) |
Name the Director of Bombay Samachar who was unanimously elected Chairman of the Press Trust of India succeeding Mahendra Mohan Gupta? | Hormusji N Cama |
Hindi Diwas was observed across India on? | 14th September |
Name the project under which Google and Indian Railways have partnered to deliver Wi-fi access to around 400 railway stations across India? (Google has collaborated with RailTel for the platform and infrastructure to get started with the project. The project uses Google's Fiber technology.) | Project Nilgiri |
At which place the 10th World Hindi Conference (WHC) was organized from 10-12th September 2015 by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh? (The decision to organize the 10th edition of the Conference in India was taken at the 9th World Hindi Conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2012. First World Hindi Conference was inaugurated on 10 January 1975 by then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. The first conference held from 10th to 12th January 1975 in Nagpur.) | Bhopal |
Name the partner of Leander Paes along with whom he won the US Open Mixed Doubles Title 2015? | Martina Hingis |
The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar, commissioned INS _________, the latest establishment of the Indian Navy today at Karwar, Karnataka. (Karwar is poised to emerge as the Indian Navy’s premier base on the Western seaboard in the not too distant future. Some of the vital naval assets are planned to be based there. INS Vajrakosh will have all the required infrastructure and is manned by specialists to meet these requirements.) | INS Vajrakosh |
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to increase dearness allowance (DA) by ____, for central government employees. | 6% |
Which prize was conferred by President Pranab Mukherjee to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in recognition of its services in transforming India through the use of space technology and space based services? (The award is named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India. It was first awarded in the year 1995. A jury consisting of the Prime Minister of India, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India and two other eminent persons decides the awardee each year.) | Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 |
Name the agriculture expert whose appointment as one of the full-time members in the NITI Aayog was recently approved by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi? (He has been a member of a task force on agriculture development under NITI Aayog which is formulating strategies to give a boost to the agriculture sector. Shri Ramesh Chand has also headed a government panel on Minimum Support Price and has been working as Director of National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NIAP) in New Delhi since 2010.) (The National Institute of Transforming India, NITI Aayog under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been set up in place of place of Planning Commission. It has noted economist Aravind Panagariya as its Vice Chairman while economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO Chief VKSaraswat along with agriculture expert Ramesh Chand now as full time members.) | Prof Ramesh Chand |
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval on the Constitution of the ______________, for a period of three years w.e.f. 1st September 2015 to 31st August, 2018. | 21st Law Commission of India The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body constituted by the Government of lndia from time to time. The Commission was originally constituted in 1955 and is re-constituted every three years. The tenure of the 20th Law Commission was upto 31st August, 2015. |
Name the Indian Stock Exchange which has extended its lead as the world's top exchange in terms of the number of listed companies, outpacing the major global peers like NYSE, Nasdaq and London Stock Exchange by almost 100 per cent? (It had a total of 5,174 companies listed on its platform at the end of last month, outpacing its closed rival Canadian bourse TMX Group by more than 1,000 firms or over 20 per cent, as per the latest data available with the World Federation of Exchange (WFE).) | Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) |
Census of which animal was conducted for the first time in India recently? (According to the census report the total number of spotted animal is 7910. The figure excludes the northeastern region of India. "There are leopards outside the areas we covered. Based on these numbers, we estimate India's total leopard population to be in the range of 12,000 to 14,000," Yadvendradev V Jhala, lead scientist of the tiger census, who presented the leopard figures at Wildlife Institute of India's annual research seminar in Dehradun.) | Leopard |
Name the Bollywood music composer who passed away recently due to cancer at the age of 51? (Some the famous films he gave music to was Aao Pyar Karen, Baabul, Baghban, etc.) | Aadesh Shrivastava |
Teacher's Day was celebrated across India on the birth anniversary of 2nd President of India, Dr S Radhakrishnan, on? | 5th September |
Union Government announced One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for ________. | Ex-servicemen of armed forces |
Name the former President of India in whose memory commemorative coins of Rs 125, Rs 10 was released recently? | Dr S Radhakrishnan |
The High Court of which state directed the state government to ensure that the national flag is hoisted at madrasas across the state on Independence Day and Republic Day? | Allahabad High Court of Uttar Pradesh |
At which place three-day International Buddhist conclave took place in which delegates from 47 countries, including former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, have come to attend? | Bodh Gaya (Bihar) |
Name the painkilling drug that is responsible for the death of vultures in large numbers, reducing them to a critically endangered species in India and other Asian countries and has been recently banned by the Union Ministry of Health? | Diclofenac |
Name India's key missile testing facilities in Odisha which was named after former President APJ Abdul Kalam? | Wheeler Island |
Coins of which denomination will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to commemorate golden jubilee year of Indo-Pak War 1965? | Rs 5 |
Name the Railway Zone has become the first zone in Indian Railways to eliminate all unmanned level crossings from its system by August 31, 2015? | West-Central Railway Zone |
According to the report of industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) the total internet users of India crossed ______ million. Interestingly, 213 million, i.e. over 60 per cent users accessed the worldwide web through mobile devices. | 350 |
Name the App which was recently launched by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu through Video Conferencing from Rail Bhavan, New Delhi? (This app will help in monitoring of Freight Operation.) | PARICHALAN |
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS AND EVENTS
On which day International Translation Day is celebrated every year on the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators? (The celebrations have been promoted by FIT (the International Federation of Translators) ever since it was set up in 1953) | 30th September |
In which planet of the solar system, scientists at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) found strong evidence of liquid water? | Mars |
Who was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Volkswagen Group? | Matthias Muller |
At least 717 pilgrims killed and 863 injured in crush at Mina outside Mecca. Mecca is in which country? | Saudi Arabia |
The social media giant Facebook has rebranded its internet access enabling platform Internet.org as? | Free Basics |
Name the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Volkswagen who has resigned amid a scandal involving software that allowed 11 million of the automaker's diesel vehicles worldwide to cheat emissions tests? | Martin Winterkorn |
What is the name of famous application software whose latest version was released by Microsoft, the latest addition to its cloud-based subscription service Office 365? | Microsoft Office 2016 |
World Heart Day 2015 celebrated with theme "creating heart-healthy environments" was observed across the world on? | 29th September |
Name the typhoon which struck Japan causing more than 100,000 people to leave homes as torrential rains cause widespread disruption in east part of the country? | Etau |
International Literacy Day with the theme "Literacy and Sustainable Societies" was observed across the world on? | 8th September |
The world's 20 leading economies launched a new grouping aimed at boosting the role of women in global economic growth. What is the name of this group? | W20 |
Name the Chinese city which was chosen by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 2022 Asian Games? (The South Korean city of Incheon hosted the last Asian Games in 2014, while Indonesia's Jakarta will play host in 2018.) | Hangzhou |
The UN General Assembly, in resolution A/62/7 (2007) encouraged Governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, and also decided that 15 September of each year should be observed as the International Day of Democracy. What is its theme for the year 2015? | Space for Civil Society |
21st International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed across the world on? (The theme of the celebration is "30 Years of Healing the Ozone Together”. The theme is supported by the slogan "Ozone: All there is between you and UV".) | 16 September 2015 |
Name the Prime Minister of Bangladesh who has been announced as one of the winners of the United Nations Champions of the Earth award in recognition of her country’s initiatives to address climate change? | Sheikh Hasina |
Who sworn in as Australia's 29th Prime Minister ousting longtime rival Tony Abbott? | Malcolm Turnbull |
Name the Indian-American acclaimed writer who was awarded with 2014 National Humanities Medal by Barack Obama? | Jhumpa Lahiri |
World Suicide Prevention Day observed across the world. What was its theme? | Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives |
Name the queen of England who became the longest reigning monarch in U.K. history? (She has lived longer than any of her predecessors, seen a dozen prime ministers come and go, and presided over six decades of British history — from war with Germany to the death of Princess Diana and terror attacks on London.) | Queen Elizabeth II |
International Literacy Day 2015 celebrated across the world on? | 8th September |
Name the coastal city of South Africa which has been chosen to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, making it the first city in Africa to do so? | Durban |
Abbreviations in News:
1. FDI: Foriegn Direct Investment
2. INS: Indian Naval Ship
3. NITI Aayog: National Institution for Transforming India
4. CAB: Cricket Association of Bengal
5. NCPCR: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
6. BCCI: Board of Control for Cricket in India
7. EVM: Electronic Voting Machine
8. DIPP: Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
9. PMKKKY: Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana
10. EPFO: Employees Provident Fund Organisation
11. MGNREGA: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act
12. WHC: World Hindi Conference
13. DA: Dearness Allowance
14. ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation
15. WFE: World Federation of Exchange
16. WII: Wildlife Institute of India
17. OROP: One Rank One Pension
18. IAMAI: Internet and Mobile Association of India
19. NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
20. CEO: Chief Executive Officer
Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched by Government of India
Objective of the Scheme: The objective of PMKKKY scheme will be (a) to implement various developmental and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas that complement the existing ongoing schemes/projects of State and Central Government; (b) to minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of people in mining districts; and (c) to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas.
Care has been taken to include all aspects of living, to ensure substantial improvement in the quality of life. High priority areas like drinking water supply, health care, sanitation, education, skill development, women and child care, welfare of aged and disabled people, skill development and environment conservation will get at least 60 % share of the funds. For creating a supportive and conducive living environment, balance funds will be spent on making roads, bridges, railways, waterways projects, irrigation and alternative energy sources. This way, government is facilitating mainstreaming of the people from lower strata of society, tribals and forest-dwellers who have no wherewithal and are affected the most from mining activities.
The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, mandated the setting up of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations.
Highlights of US Open 2015
The 2015 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 135th edition of the US Open, the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year.
Event | Winner | Runner Up |
Men's Singles | Novak Djokovic (Serbia) | Roger Federer (Switzerland) |
Women's Singles | Flavia Pennetta (Italy) | Roberta Vinci (Italy) |
Men's Doubles | Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) Nicolas Mahut (France) | Jamie Murray (UK) John Peers (Australia) |
Women's Doubles | Sania Mirza (India) Martina Hingis (Switzerland) | Casey Dellacqua (Australia) Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) |
Mixed Doubles | Leander Paes (India) Martina Hingis (Switzerland) | Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) Sam Querrey (US) |