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 2 C ONTENT S
Volume XXII No. 08 Pages : 100 ISSN 0971-9938 AUGUST 2019
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AUGUST 2019
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Letter from
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Chief Editor
Ways to Boost Your
Your
Confidence
Self-confident people are admired by others and inspire confidence in
others. They face their fears head-on and tend
to be risk takers. They know that no matter
what obstacles come their way, they have the
ability to get past them. Self-confident people
tend to see their lives in a positive light even
when things aren't going so well, and they are
typically satisfied with and respect themselves.
Try some of the tips listed below. Don't
just read them and put them on the back
burner. Really begin to practice them daily,
beginning today. You might have to fake it at
first and merely appear to be self-confident, Chief Editor
e
but eventually you will begin to feel the foun- Pritam Singh Bright
in
dation of self-confidence grow within you.
Stay away from negativity and bring on the positivity
az
This is the time to really evaluate your inner circle, including friends and
family. This is a tough one, but it's time to seriously consider getting away
ag
from those individuals who put you down and shred your confidence. Even a
temporary break from Debbie Downer can make a huge difference and help
Change your body language and image M
you make strides toward more self-confidence.
_e
This is where posture, smiling, eye contact, and speech slowly come into
play. Just the simple act of pulling your shoulders back gives others the im-
ee
pression that you are a confident person. Smiling will not only make you feel
better, but will make others feel more comfortable around you. Imagine a
Fr
person with good posture and a smile and you'll be envisioning someone
who is self-confident.
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Look at the person you are speaking to, not at your shoes--keeping eye
contact shows confidence. Last, speak slowly. Research has proved that those
m
who take the time to speak slowly and clearly feel more self-confidence and
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Don't accept failure and get rid of the negative voices in your head
Never give up. Never accept failure. There is a solution to everything, so
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Succeeding through great adversity is a huge confidence booster.
Low self-confidence is often caused by the negative thoughts running through
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you're not good enough, aren't attractive enough, aren't smart enough or ath-
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Be prepared
Learn everything there is to know about your field, job, presentation--what-
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edge to back it up, your self-confidence will soar.
© Copyrights of all articles lie with the Publishers. Win Prizes
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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
5
June-September, 2019 – RRB NTPC CBT - 1 September 23 to 27, 2019 – SSC Junior Engineer
July 01 to 26, 2019 – SSC CHSL (10+2) Tier- I Exam
Exam, 2018 September 27, 2019 – S.I. in CAPFs, Delhi Police and
July 06 & 13, 2019 – LIC ADO Preliminary Exam A.S.I. in CISF Exam (Paper- II)
(Tentative) September - October, 2019 – RRB Level - 1 Posts CBT
July 07, 2019 – CTET Exam 2019
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Exam (Tentative)
Exam
August 02 to September 06, 2019 – SSC Multi-
Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff Exam December 11 to 13, 2019 – S.I. in CAPFs & Delhi
Police, A.S.I. in CISF Exam 2019 (Paper -I)

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August 10, 2019 – LIC ADO Main Exam (Tentative)

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September 22 & 29, 2019 – Office Assistant & December 20, 2019 – SSC CGL Tier - III Exam 2018,
Officer Scale - I Exam SSC Junior Engineer Exam 2018 (Paper - II)

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THINK ACT

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AND
I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. —Michael Jordan
***
M
Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure. —Thomas A. Edison
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***
A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
ee

***
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every
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difficulty. —Winston Churchill

***
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I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. B.D. NATHANI
Visiting/Guest Professor
—Michael Jordan in Multiple Institutes
m

***
/t.

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6
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019

 CBSE 10TH TOPPERS TALK TO YOU
The CBSE Class 10 2019
results were announced on May
6,2019.There are a total of 97
top three rank holders or CBSE
Class 10 toppers. There are 13
Rank 1 toppers, 25 Rank 2
toppers and 59 Rank 3 toppers.
The toppers share their
views regarding preparation
strategies as follows:
Siddhant Pengoriya from
but my teachers asked me to
restrict myself to NCERT books.
And that idea of actually
studying less worked for me”.
“I maintained a schedule of
studying four hours throughout
the year rather than just pulling
up my socks right before the
exams. That is the mantra that
Shivani Lath
helped me score well,” said Taru
Jain from Jaipur, who is among

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the top rankers. regularly in school days but 6

in
Noida’s Lotus Valley School, to 7 hours in examination time.
who has scored 499 marks said, For Kerala’s Bhavana N

az
Asking about his idol, Harsh
“I had expected to do well but Sivadas, 499 marks will work
said, “My role model is my

not this well. My parents’
ideology of marks don’t matter
helped me have a relaxed mind
and perform without any
pressure”.
ag
as a motivational factor in her
cousin brother Harjeet Singh
chasing UPSC dreams.
Parvar. Harjeet always share his
M
“I have to crack the UPSC
exam and join administrative
experience with me. He used
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to guide me and helped me in
services. The marks I have got my studies.”
ee

According to Shivani Lath in class 10 will give me

While Trivandrum region has
from Mayoor School, Noida, motivation that I can perform
got the best pass percentage,
Fr

who has bagged the first rank, well. Had I got less marks I Uttar Pradesh is the best
would have felt demotivated,
e/

“I adopted a ‘no social media’ performing state in terms of

but the result has given me toppers by securing maximum
policy two months before the
m

confidence to give my best in number of first, second and

exam so there were no
/t.

coming years.” third positions in the country.

distractions. Now I can proudly
Harsh Chaudhary, student
s:/

flaunt my result on Facebook.” The state’s toppers list

of Sanskriti Public School, included eight of 13 first
Poorti Srivastava from UP
tp

Baldev (Mathura) has scored rankers, 13 of the 25 second

who has bagged the third rank
92% Marks and illuminated the
ht

said, “There are lot of reference rankers and 19 of the 59 third

name of his family. Harsh
books available in the market
Chaudhary (15) is the youngest
in his family and live with his
mother and sisters in Hathras.
When asked about his aim,
Harsh said,” I wish to join the
National Defence Academy
(NDA) and want to serve the
country.” Harsh aspire to pursue
Maths with science stream as
an optional subject.
Siddhant Pengoria Harsh told us that he used
to study self for 3 to 4 hours
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
7
rankers.A total of 2.25 lakh
students scored above 90 per
cent and 57,256 scored above
95 percent.The top position in
the Children With Special Needs
(CSWN) category, has been
bagged by Kerala’s Dilwin
Prince with 493 marks.Coshin’s
Savan Vishoy and Irene Tresa
Mathews have bagged the
second and third ranks in the
category with 492 and 491
marks respectively.
ht
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 CURRENT Panorama

LATEST WHO’S WHO

LATEST Narendra Modi Amit Shah Rajnath Singh
Prime Minister Home Minister Defence Minister

President: Ram Nath Kovind 18. Shri Dharmendra Minister of Petroleum and Natural

Vice-President: Venkaiah Naidu Pradhan Gas; and Minister of Steel.

Lok Sabha Speaker: Om Birla 19. Shri Mukhtar
Abbas Naqvi Minister of Minority Affairs.
NEW COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 20. Shri Pralhad Joshi Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Min-
Shri Narendra Prime Minister and also in-charge of: ister of Coal; and Minister of Mines.
Modi Ministry of Personnel, Public Griev- 21. Dr. Mahendra Minister of Skill Development
ances and Pensions; Department of Nath Pandey and Entrepreneurship.
Atomic Energy; Department of Space; 22. Shri Arvind Ganpat Minister of Heavy Industries and
and All important policy issues; and Sawant Public Enterprise.
23. Shri Giriraj Singh Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy-

e
All other portfolios not allocated to any
ing and Fisheries.

in
Minister.
24. Shri Gajendra Minister of Jal Shakti.
CABINET MINISTERS Singh Shekhawat

az
1. Shri Raj Nath Singh
Minister of Defence. MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

ag
2. Shri Amit Shah Minister of Home Affairs.
1. Shri Santosh Minister of State (Independent
3. Shri Nitin Jairam Minister of Road Transport
Kumar Gangwar Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and
Gadkari and Highways; and Minister of Micro,

4. Shri D.V.
Small and Medium Enterprises.
Minister of Chemicals and
2.
M
Rao Inderjit Singh
Employment.
Minister of State (Independent Charge)
of the Ministry of Statistics and
_e
Sadananda Gowda Fertilizers. Programme Implementation; and Min-
5. Smt. Nirmala Minister of Finance; and ister of State (Independent Charge) of
ee

Sitharaman Minister of Corporate Affairs. the Ministry of Planning.

6. Shri Ramvilas Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and 3. Shri Shripad Minister of State (Independent
Fr

Paswan Public Distribution. Yesso Naik Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda,

7. Shri Narendra Minister of Agriculture and Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha
Singh Tomar Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Devel- and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); and Min-
e/

opment; and Minister of Panchayati Raj. ister of State in the Ministry of De-
m

8. Shri Ravi Shankar Minister of Law and Justice; fence.

Prasad Minister of Communications; and Min- 4. Dr. Jitendra Singh Minister of State (Independent Charge)
/t.

ister of Electronics and Information of the Ministry of Development of

Technology. North Eastern Region; Minister of State
in the Prime Minister’s Office; Minister
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9. Smt. Harsimrat Minister of Food Processing

Kaur Badal Industries. of State in the Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances and Pensions; Min-
10. Shri Thaawar Minister of Social Justice and
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ister of State in the Department of

Chand Gehlot Empowerment.
Atomic Energy; and Minister of State
ht

11. Dr. Subrahmanyam Minister of External Affairs.

in the Department of Space.
Jaishankar
5. Shri Kiren Rijiju Minister of State (Independent Charge)
12. Shri Ramesh Minister of Human Resource
of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Development. Sports; and Minister of State in the
13. Shri Arjun Munda Minister of Tribal Affairs. Ministry of Minority Affairs.
14. Smt. Smriti Zubin Minister of Women and Child 6. Shri Prahalad Minister of State (Independent
Irani Development; and Minister of Textiles. Singh Patel Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and
15. Dr. Harsh Vardhan Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Minister of Science and Technology; of the Ministry of Tourism.
and 7. Shri Raj Kumar Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Minister of Earth Sciences. Singh of the Ministry of Power; Minister of
16. Shri Prakash Minister of Environment, State (Independent Charge) of the
Javadekar Forest and Climate Change; and Ministry of New and Renewable En-
Minister of Information and Broad- ergy; and Minister of State in the
casting. Ministry of Skill Development and En-
17. Shri Piyush Goyal Minister of Railways; and Minister of trepreneurship.
Commerce and Industry. 8. Shri Hardeep Minister of State (Independent
Singh Puri Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and
*as on 5th July, 2019 Urban Affairs; Minister of State (Inde-
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
9
 pendent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil
Aviation; and Minister of State in the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
9. Shri Mansukh Minister of State (Independent
L. Mandaviya Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping;
and Minister of State in the Ministry
of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
MINISTERS OF STATE
1. Shri Faggansingh Minister of State in the Ministry
Kulaste of Steel.
2. Shri Ashwini Minister of State in the Ministry
Kumar Choubey of Health and Family Welfare.
3. Shri Arjun Ram Minister of State in the Ministry
Meghwal of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister
of State in the Ministry of Heavy In-
dustries and Public Enterprises.
4. General (Retd.) Minister of State in the Ministry
V.K. Singh of Road Transport and Highways.
5. Shri Krishan Pal Ministry of Social Justice and
Minister of State in the Empowerment.
6. Shri Danve Minister of State in the Ministry
Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairy-
ing and Fisheries.
23. Shri Kailash Minister of State in the Ministry
Choudhary of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
24. Sushri Debasree Minister of State in the Ministry
Chaudhuri of Women and Child Development.
CHIEF OF ARMED FORCES

Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces: Ramnath Kovind

Chief of the Army Staff: General Bipin Rawat

Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa

Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Karambir Singh

Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces: Lt. Gen. Amit
Sharma

Chief of Integrated Defence Staff: Lt. Gen. Satish Dua
CONSTITUTIONAL & OTHERS

Rajya Sabha, Chairman: M. Venkaiah Naidu

Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman:
Mr. Harivansh

e
Raosaheb Dadarao of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha:

in
Distribution. M. Thambidurai
7. Shri G. Kishan Minister of State in the Ministry of
Leader of Rajya Sabha: Arun Jaitley

az
Reddy Home Affairs.
Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha): Ghulam Nabi Azad
8. Shri Parshottam Minister of State in the Ministry
Chief Election Commissioner: Sunil Arora

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Rupala of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Comptroller and Auditor-General of India: Rajiv Mehrishi
9. Shri Ramdas Minister of State in the Ministry
Rajya Sabha, Secretary General: Vivek Kumar Agnihotri
Athawale of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Lok Sabha, Secretary General: Snehlata Shrivastava
10. Sadhvi Niranjan
Jyoti
Minister of State in the Ministry of
Rural Development. M JUDICIARY
_e
11. Shri Babul Supriyo Minister of State in the Ministry of

Chief Justice of India: Justice Ranjan Gogoi
Environment, Forest and Climate

Attorney General of India: K.K. Venugopal
ee

Change.
12. Shri Sanjeev Minister of State in the Ministry of
Solicitor General of India: Tushar Mehta
Kumar Balyan Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fish-
Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT): Justice
Fr

eries. Permod Kohli

13. Shri Dhotre Minister of State in the Ministry of
e/

Sanjay Shamrao Human Resource Development; Minis- HEADS OF COMMISSIONS

ter of State in the Ministry of Commu-
m

Chairman, NITI Aayog: Narendra Modi

nications; and Minister of State in the
Ministry of Electronics and Information
Chairman of Union Public Service Commission: Arvind Saxena
/t.

Technology.
Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog: Rajiv Kumar

14. Shri Anurag Singh Minister of State in the Ministry
Chairman, 15th Finance Commission: N.K. Singh
s:/

Thakur of Finance; and Minister of State in

Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Depart-
the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
ment of Atomic Energy: K. N. Vyas
tp

15. Shri Angadi Suresh Minister of State in the Ministry

Channabasappa of Railways.
Chairman, Space Commission and Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO): K. Sivan
ht

16. Shri Nityanand Rai Minister of State in the Ministry of

Home Affairs.
Chairman, 21st Law Commission: Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan
17. Shri Rattan Minister of State in the Ministry
Chairman, National Commission for Minorities: Syed Ghayorul
Lal Kataria of Jal Shakti; and Minister of State in Hasan Rizvi
the Ministry of Social Justice and

Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes: Ram
Empowerment.
Shankar Katheria
18. Shri V. Minister of State in the Ministry

Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes: Dr. Nand
Muraleedharan of External Affairs; and Minister of
State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Kumar Sai
Affairs.
Chairperson, National Commission for Women: Rekha Sharma
19. Smt. Renuka Minister of State in the Ministry
President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission:
Singh Saruta of Tribal Affairs. Justice D. K. Jain
20. Shri Som Parkash Minister of State in the Ministry of
Chairman, National Commission for Backward Classes: Justice
Commerce and Industry. V Eswaraiah
21. Shri Rameswar Minister of State in the Ministry of

Chairman, National Human Rights Commission: H. L. Dattu
Teli Food Processing Industries.
22. Shri Pratap Minister of State in the Ministry
Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India: R S Sharma
Chandra Sarangi of Micro, Small and Medium Enter-
Chairman, National Anti-Profiteering Authority: Badri Narain
prises; and Minister of State in the Sharma
10
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019

OFFICERS OF UNION GOVERNMENT

Cabinet Secretary: Mr. Pradeep Kumar Sinha

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister: Mr. Nripendra Misra

National Security Adviser and Special Adviser to Prime Minis-
ter (Internal Security) : Mr. Ajit Kumar Doval

Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister : Dr. GS Reddy

Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development;
Chairman of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation: G.S. Reddy

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government: Mr.
Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan

Foreign Secretary: Mr. Vijay Keshav Gokhale

Home Secretary: Mr. Rajiv Gauba

Finance Secretary : Mr. A.N. Jha

Chief Economic Advisor : Mr. Arvind Subramanian (Resigned)

Defence Secretary : Mr. Sanjay Mitra

Revenue Secretary : Mr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey

Registrar-General of India and Census Commisioner: Mr. Sailesh

Chief Vigilance Commissioner: Mr. K.V. Chowdary

Director-General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR): President, Indian National Science Academy: Ajay Kumar
Sood
HEADS OF BANKS AND
COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS

Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI): Shaktikanta Das

Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT): Sushil
Chandra

Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI): Ajay
Tyagi

Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs: S. Ramesh

Director, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade: Manoj Pant

Chairman, NABARD: Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI): Rashesh Shah

Chairman, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC): V K Sharma

Chairman, General Insurance Corporation (GIC): Alice Vaidyan

President, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII): Rakesh
Bharati Mittal

e


President, NASSCOM: Debjani Ghosh

in
Chief Information Commissioner: Mr. R K Mathur

President, ASSOCHAM: Sandeep Jajodia
HEADS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANISATIONS

az

Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority:

Director - General, National Investigation Agency (NIA): Subhash Chandra Khuntia

ag
Mr. Yogesh Chander Modi

Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB): Mr. Rajeev Jain
HEADS OF PUBLIC SECTOR UNITS
Maharatna

Director, Central Bureau Investigation (CBI): Alok Kr. Verma
(Resigned)

M
Chairman, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL): Anil Kumar
Chaudhary
_e
Director, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW): Mr. Anil
Dhasmana
Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC): Sanjeev Singh

Director-General, Border Security Force (BSF) : Mr. Rajnikant
Chairman and Managing Director, ONGC: Shashi Shankar
ee

Mishra
Chairman and Managing Director, GAIL (India): BC Tripathi

Director-General, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):
Chairman and Managing Director, Coal India Ltd.: Anil Kumar
Fr

Mr. Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar Jha

Director-General, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
Chairman and Managing Director, National Thermal Power
e/

Mr. Rajesh Ranjan Corporation (NTPC): Gurdeep Singh

m

Director-General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): Mr. R.K.
Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Heavy Electricals Lim-
Pachnanda ited (BHEL): Atul Sobti
/t.

Director-General, Indian Coast Guard: Mr. Rajendra Singh Others

Director-General, Railway Protection Force (RPF) : Mr. Arun
Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Petroleum Corpora-
s:/

Kumar tion (HPCL): M K Surana

Director-General, National Security Guards (NSG): Mr. Sudeep
Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Petroleum Corpora-
tp

Lakhtakia tion Ltd. (BPCI): D Rajkumar

Director General, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses
Chairman and Managing Director, Oil India Limited: Utpal Bora
ht

(IDSA) : Mr. Jayant Prasad
Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Lim-

Director-General, National Cadet Corps (NCC) : Lt. Gen. P.P. ited (BSNL): Anupam K Srivastava
Malhotra
Chairman and Managing Director, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam

Director, Enforcement Directorate: Mr. Karnal Singh Limited (MTNL): PK Purwar

Director-General, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) : Mr. SS Deswal
Chairman, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL): Vinod Kumar

Director General, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Food Corporation of India
Mr. Sanjay Kumar (FCI): Yogendra Tripathi

Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC): Mangu
HEADS OF SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATIONS Singh

Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) : Mr. K N
Chairman and Managing Director, Air India: Pradeep Singh
Vyas Kharola

Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB): Mr. Shiv
Abhilash Bhardwaj HEADS OF BOARDS & COUNCILS

Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) :
Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board: Mrs. Iychettira Prema
Prof. Balram Bhargava Cariappa

Director-General & Secretary, Indian Council of Agricultural
Chairman, Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR):
Research (ICAR) : Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra Prof. Arivind P Jamkhedkar
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
11

AVOID TO DOWNLOAD FROM userupload.net/in,

proapk.net & urlweb.net SPAM WEBSITES

Chairman, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR):
Dr. Braj Bihari Kumar

Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU : Professor Ravindra Kumar

Director, NCERT : Prof Hrushikesh Senapaty

Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) : Mr. S.P.
Singh Parihar

Chairman, Railway Board: Mr. Ashwani Lohani

Chairman, National Shipping Board: Mr. Pradeep Trimbak Rawat

Chairman, Dairy Development: Mr. Dilip Rath
HEADS OF ORGANISATION: ART & FILMS

Chairperson, Sahitya Akademi: Mr. Vishwanath Tiwari

Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi: Mr. Shekhar Sen

Chairperson, Prasar Bharati : Dr. A. Suryaprakash

Chairman, National Film Development Corporation: Mr. Suresh
Gopi

Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification : Mr: Prasoon
Joshi
HEADS OF IMPORTANT OFFICER: WORLD

Secretary-General, United Nations Organisation: Antonio
Guterres (Portugal)

First Deputy Secretary-General, UN: Asharose Migiro

President, World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development): Jim Yong Kim

Managing Director, International Monetary Fund: Christine Lagarde

Director-General, UNESCO: Audrey Azoulay (France)

Director-General, Food and Aericnltural Organisation (FAO):
Jose Graziano da Silva (Brazil)

Executive Director, UNICEF: Henrietta H. Fore

Director General, International Labour Organisation (ILO): Guy
Ryder

Director General, WHO: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,

Head, UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Filippo Grandi

Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Achin Steiner

Secretary-General, Organisation of Economic Cooperation and

Chairperson, Children's Film Society of India : Mr. Mukesh Development (OECD): Angel Gurriya

e
Khanna
President, International Court of Justice: Ronny Abraham

in

President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art (IGNCA):
President, Asian Development Bank: Takehiko Nakao

az
Mr. Ram BahadurRai
Secretary-General, Commonwealth: Patricia Scotland (United

Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademy: Mr. Uttam Pacharne Kingdom)

ag

Director-General, Doordarshan: Smt. Supriya Sahu President, International Cricket Council: Shashank Manohar
(India)

Director-General, AIR: Mr. F. Sheheryar

CEO, International Cricket Council: David Richardson
HEADS OF SPORTS ORGANISATIONS

M
President, European Commission: Jean Claude Juncker (Lux-
embourg)
_e

President, Indian Olympic Association: Mr. Narinder Dhruv Batra

Director-General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):

President, All India Sports Council: Mr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra
Yukio Amano
ee

President, Sports Authority of India: Mr. V K Mittal

Secretary-General, NATO: Jens Stolten-berg (Norway)

Director-General, SAI : Mr. Injeti Srinivas
Director-General, World Trade Organi-sation (WTO): Roberto
Fr

President, All India Football Federation: Mr. Praful Patel Azevedo (Brazil)

President, Hockey India: Mr. Rajinder Singh
Secretary-General, SAARC: Amjed Hussain B Sial
e/

President, Tennis Association of India: Mr. Anil Khanna
President, FIFA: Gianni Infantino
m

Secretary-General, Amnesty International: Salil Shetty

HEADS OF PRESS INSTITUTIONS
/t.

Chairman, Press Council of India: Justice Chandramauli Kumar According to NCERT Syllabus
Prasad
s:/

Director, Press Institute of India: Mr. Sashi Nair *GENERAL

President, Indian Newspapers Society: Ms. Akila Urankar
KNOWLEDGE
tp

Chairman, Press Trust of India: Mr. N. Ravi

Chairperson, Audit Bureau of Circulation ABC): Mr. Debabrata HANDBOOK
ht

Mukherjee 2020

Registrar-General of Newspapers in India: Mr. K. Ganesan
Highlights:
HEADS OF OTHER ORGANISATIONS
India at a Glance

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations: Mr.
Indian History
Syed Akbaruddin
Indian Polity

India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to WTO:
World Geography
Mrs. Anjali Prasad
Indian Geography ` 65.00

Indian Economy

Chairman, University Grant Commission (UGC) : Prof D.P.
Singh

Science & Technology *HINDI EDITION ALSO AVAILABLE

Sports

Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE):

Miscellaneous For VPP, Send Full Amount in Advance to:
Mrs. Anita Karwal

Chairman, All India Council of Technical Edaicatioi, (AICTE) :
Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe

Chairman, UPSC : Mr. Arvind Saxena

Chairman, SSC : Mr. Ashim Khurana
12
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
ENGINEERING COLLEGES 2019
SURVEY
The changing dynamics of
global economy, globalisation,
demographic and constantly
evolving technologies are driving
drastic changes in the role of
engineering in the society. This
demand for engineers with a higher
level of education who are able to
add significantly in the society
through their technical intellect,
their capacity to innovate, their
entrepre-neurial zeal, and their
ability to address the challenges
and needs of nation, is now
increasing.
The engineering colleges and
universities in India have proven
their know-hows and ability by
producing technically competent
engineering graduates. However,
with the changing societal and
business needs, the engineering
colleges must change their
approach to reflect the realities
and demands of a global market
and the importance of developing
/t.
skills for lifelong learning. Thereby,
producing engineers who are not
s:/
only technically strong but also
creative and able to work in teams,
tp
commu-nicate well, and create
ht
products that are useful in the
"real world". The society, industry
and engineering institutions must
collaborate to ensure a sufficient
number of such qualified and
capable engineers to meet industry
and society needs.
According to the latest
statistics, there are 1.5 million
engineers in India and the number
is expected to grow. In spite of
having an engineering degree, not
all to these students have stable
job.
The GKR–Shine International
Inc. Engineering College Survey
2019 is an attempt to bring forth
the mantra for Engineering
Education Institu-tions on how to
remain at the cutting edge in terms
of engineering education,
technology, business skills and
innovation so as to not only meet
the current bussiness needs of
today’s global market but also
prepare their students in readiness
for the changes that are about to
az
take place in the future.
The 21st-century global
ag
market calls for technically
competent, globally sophisticated,
M
culturally aware and innovative
engineering graduates. The need
_e
of the hour is to transform the
engineering education into new
ee
paradigms necessary to meet the
new challenges of the industry.
Fr
The engineering institutes should
aim to renovate engineering from
e/
just being a career option to a true
m
learned profession for the young
minds and industry.
This can be successfully
accom-plished by aligning the
engineering education with the
needs of global market specifically:
METHODOLOGY
• Voluntary Participation: At the
outset, questionnaires framed
in consultation with
professionals from institutes
and industry were sent out to
IIT Mumbai
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
13
the institutes which met the
minimum eligibility criteria of
participation. Out of all
respondents, 120 engineering
institutes were selected for the
survey. Some institutes were
not included because of
insufficient data. The survey
being a voluntary participation,
e
we did not insist on those,
in
who had not shown interest
to participate.
• Validation is Crucial: The next
phase is rigorous verification.
All data received from
institutes were subject to
verification checks, followed
by supple-mentary questions
through e-mails as well as
phone calls. Institutes, which
did not complete the data or
did not respond to the queries
raised against various
discrepancies after all the
attempts were made to
contact them, were not
included in the survey results.
• Parameters and Weightages:
Key factors and parameters
were identified and weightages
were allocated to them. For a
more rigorous quantitative and
qualitative analysis and
assessment, the parameters
were further divided into a
number of sub-parameters.
We arrived at the rating and
ranking results in the last
stage, after analysing and
assessing the data against the
given factors and weightages. The
categorisation of the institutes was
done into several rating groups to
help the institutes know which
category they belong to. The
division of the categories is
defined as
 Super Excellence" having
secured between >=70% to
<80% points
¨ "Top Engineering Colleges of
Eminence" having secured
>=60% to <70% points
¨ "Top Outstanding Engineering
Colleges of Excellence"
¨ “Top Leading Engineering
having secured >=50% to
Colleges of Super Excellence"
<60% points
>=80% points
¨ “Top Engineering Colleges of
¨ "Top Engineering Colleges of
Excellence" having secured
>=40% to <50% points
¨ "Top Promising Engineering
Colleges" having secured
<40% points
We also analysed and ranked
the top Institutes by separate
parameters i.e. By Faculty, By
Placement, By State etc., details
of which are given in tables along
with rating and ranking of
Engineering Colleges Survey 2018
Results.

RANKING OF TOP ENGINEERING COLLEGES

Group Name of the Infrastructure Faculty, Admission, Placements, Total
Rank Engineering College (Physical Research, Curriculum USP, Social Score
& Academic Consul- & Delivery Responsibility, (1700)
(390) tancy, Systems Networking

e
EDP & (250) & Industry

in
Other Interface

az
Programmes (460)
(600)

ag
Ranking of Top Leading Engineering Colleges of Super Excellence
1. Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai 372.20 452.73 224.00 417.89 1466.82
2. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 365.06
M
448.41 220.00 394.65 1428.13
_e
Ranking of Top Engineering Colleges of Super Excellence
1. Delhi Technological University (Formerly 322.63 425.02 209.00 389.38 1346.03
ee

Delhi College of Engineering),

Fr

Shahabad Daulatpur, New Delhi

2. Thapar University Patiala, Punjab 319.71 419.32 207.00 386.08 1332.11
e/

3. Motilal Nehru National Institute 315.86 416.02 206.75 388.65 1327.29

m

of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh

/t.

4. National Institute of Technology, 313.88 419.46 203.01 387.19 1323.55

Surathkal, Karnataka
s:/

5. Ajay Kumar Garg Engineering College, 310.97 420.97 201.00 386.47 1319.42
tp

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

6. College of Engineering, Pune, Maharashtra 314.57 408.64 202.31 386.58 1312.11
ht

7. National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 311.17 409.02 205.24 383.00 1308.43

Odisha
8. DKTE’s Textile and Engineering Institute 305.70 404.55 203,00 385,05 1298.30
Kolhapur Maharashtra
9. Institute of Technology, Nirma University 302.95 395.44 201.93 384.60 1284.93
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
10. University College of Engineering 298.53 396.53 197.00 385.29 1277.35
(Autonomous), Osmania University,
Hyderabad, Telangana
11. Sathyabama University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 293.09 391.31 195.83 380.86 1261.09
Ranking of Top Engineering Colleges of Eminence
1. Sona College of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu 286.64 354.33 3 189.00 347.27 1177.24
14
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
2. Kongu Engineering College, Erode, Tamil Nadu 285.49 351.50 187.00 349.72 1173.71
3. Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, 280.74 349.33 188.52 345.05 1163.63
Rangpo, Sikkim
4. Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, 279.76 347.84 185.00 339.35 1151.95
Erode, Tamil Nadu
5. Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, 277.76 344.06 188.00 336.68 1146.50
Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu
6. The North Cap University (Formerly ITM 281.21 346.89 185.97 331.26 1145.32
University), Gurugram, Haryana
7. K L University Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 278.97 344.31 183.17 330.66 1137.12
8. Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology, 277.61 341.52 184.00 327.56 1130.69
Ranga Reddy, Telangana
9. B.I.T. Sindri, Dhanbad, Jharkhand 280.21 336.96 182.00 329.03 1128.20
10. Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering 278.12 333.40 180.13 330.45 1122.10
College, Mullana - Ambala, Haryana

e
11. IMS Engineering College, 269.68 317.75 176.37 304.47 1068.27

in
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

az
12. IEC Group of Institutions, 267.49 312.34 169.28 303.08 1052.18
Ranking of Outstanding Engineering Colleges of Excellence

ag
1. Veltech High Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr. Sakunthala 255.72 296.75 166.03 285.75 1004.25
Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
2. ICFAI University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 253.14 M293.61 163.11 283.64 993.49
_e
3. Galgotias University, Greater Noida, U.P. 252.94 294.44 164.00 279.26 990.64
ee

4. Malla Reddy College of Engineering & 250.03 292.24 161.29 281.85 985.40
Technology, Secunderabad Telangana
Fr

5. M. Kumarasamy College of Engineering, 251.48 289.20 163.00 277.74 981.43

e/

Karur, Tamil Nadu

6. SCMS School of Engineering and Technology 249.98 285.76 165.89 275.77 977.40
m

Ernakulam, Kerala
/t.

7. Mahendra Engineering College (Autonomous), 248.31 283.28 163.00 278.71 973.29

s:/

Namakkal, Tamil Nadu

8. D. K. T. E. society's Textile & Engineering 246.31 284.64 162.56 276.37 969.88
tp

Institute, Kolhapur, Maharashtra

ht

9. ICFAI University, Hyderabad, Telangana 247.63 281.93 164.84 271.31 965.70

10. Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, 246.26 279.88 162.31 273.31 961.77
Bengaluru, Karnataka
11. Gandhi Institute of Engineering and 244.76 280.93 159.15 274.08 958.91
Technology, Gunupur, Odisha
12. Ganeshi Lal Bajaj Institute of Technology 242.48 278.88 157.52 275.70 954.58
& Management, Greater Noida, U.P.
Ranking of Top Engineering Colleges of Excellence
1. Muthay ammal Engineering College, 205.81 234.09 146.00 244.40 830.30
Namakkal, Tamil Nadu
2. Bheemanna Khandre Institute of Technology, 201.29 232.64 143.00 242.09 819.02
Bhalki, Karnataka
3. IPS Academy, Institute of Engineering 199.33 229.40 145.55 239.68 813.95
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
15
 & Science, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
4. K. E. Society's Rajarambapu Institute 197.01 231.41 144.00 235.21 807.63
of Technology, Sangli, Maharashtra
5. Geetanjali Institute of Technical Studies, 194.75 228.55 142.79 233.76 799.85
Udaipur, Rajasthan
6. College of Agricultural Engineering 195.12 229.16 140.85 230.21 795.35
and Technology, Junagadh Gujarat
7. Greater Noida Institute of Technology, 194.51 226.38 143.22 228.80 792.91
Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
8. Dr. K. N. Modi Institute of Engineering 197.44 227.44 140.33 225.50 790.70
& Technology, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
9. K. S. R. Institute for Engineering 195.20 228.25 140.00 225.44 788.88
& Technology, Namakka1, Tamil Nadu
10. Aditya Institute of Technology and Management, 196.54 225.34 139.00 226.81 787.68
Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh

e
11. I.T.S. Engineering College, Greater Noida, 198.89 223.68 137.88 223.57 784.02

in
Uttar Pradesh

az
12. ABES Engineering College, 192.81 222.81 142.93 216.64 775.18
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

ag
SOME TOP ENGINEERING COLLEGES IN DELHI-NCR
1.
2. M
G.L. Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management —Greater Noida
IMS Engineering College—Ghaziabad
_e
3. Inderprastha Engg. College—Ghaziabad
4. Ajay Kr. Garg Engg. College—Ghaziabad
ee

5. G.N.I.T—Greater Noida

*BANKING
Fr

6. Ansal University—Gurugram
7. United Group of Institutes—Greater Noida
e/

8. Galgotias University— Greater Noida INTERVIEW

m

9. Dronacharya College of Engg.—Gurugram

COMPLETE GUIDE FOR
/t.

10. Amity School of Engg.—Bijwasan

11. Manav Rachana International University—Faridabad CAREER IN BANKING
s:/

12. Aravali College of Engg.—Faridabad Highlights

tp

13. ABES Engg. College—Ghaziabad • Very useful for IBPS

(CWE) P.O. Specialist
14. Accurate Inst. of Management & Technology—Greater Noida
ht

Officers, Clerk SBI

15. Birla Inst. of Technology—Noida and its Associate
16. I.T.S Engg. College—Greater Noida Banks, RBI-NABARD,
Gramin Banks etc.
17. Herlal Inst. of Management & Technology—Greater Noida
• Syllabus and
18. Lord Krishna College of Engg.—Ghaziabad Guidelines for P.O. &
20. SRM Inst. of Management & Technology—Ghaziabad Clerk Exams.
21. Skyline Institutes of Engg. & Technology—Noida • Techniques of
Interview
22. IIMT College of Engg.—Greater Noida • Mock Interview
23. Apeejay Inst. of Technology—Greater Noida • Banking Glossary
` 99.00
24. Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering—New Delhi *HINDI EDITION ALSO AVAILABLE
25. U.P.E.S—New Delhi
26. G.G.S.I.U—New Delhi
27. Delhi Technological University—New Delhi
16
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
 COVER STORY
UNION BUDGET 2019-20
Finance minister Nirmala
Sitharaman presented the Union
Budget 2019-20 in the Parliament
on July 5,2019.The first Budget
of Narendra Modi government’s
second tenure is one for
Sitharaman, who is the second
woman finance minister after Indira
Gandhi.
Key Highlights of the Budget
Taxes:

No change in personal income
tax rates

Petrol, diesel to get pricier:
Govt hike custom duty on fuel,
gold and precious items

Increase in surcharge on su-
per rich: 3% surcharge for Rs
2 crore income; 7% on Rs 5
crore and above

Annual turnover limit for 25%
Corporate tax raised to Rs 400
crore from Rs 250 crore

Taxpayers with annual turn-
over of less than Rs 5 crore
to have to file only quarterly

Direct tax revenue has in-
creased by 78%

Additional Rs 1.5 lakh deduc-
tion on home loans

Interchangeability of PAN and
/t.
Aadhaar for ITR who don’t
have PAN cards
s:/

2% TDS on withdrawals of Rs
1 crore in a year from bank
tp
accounts for business pay-
ments
ht

Govt waives MDR changes on
cashless payment
Economy:

Fiscal deficit in FY19 at 3.3%
of the GDP

Govt will start raising part of
borrowing in foreign currency

Govt external debt to GDP is
among the lowest in the world.
Ease of living:

Rs 3,000 pension per month
for informal sector workers

Aadhaar card under 180 days
for NRIs on arrival in India

Govt to open embassies in
countries where India doesn’t
have a resident diplomatic
az
Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman with MoS Anurag Thakur
ag
mission as yet.
Other Highlights:
M

India to be Open-defecation
free by October 2, 2019
_e

Cargo movement in Ganga will
increase 4 times in 4 years

Every single rural family, ex-
ee
cept those unwilling to take
Fr
connection, to have electric-
ity, LPG connection by 2022

PAN and Aadhaar card made
e/
interchangeable, allowing
m
those who do not have PAN
to file returns

Government to streamline mul-
tiple labour laws into a set of
four labour codes

Study in India programme to
attract foreign students

Govt to liberalise FDI in avia-
tion, media, single brand re-
tail, says Sitharaman

One woman in every SHG to
get loan upto Rs 1 lakh under
Mudra Yojana

RBI to get regulation authority
of housing finance sector

TDS of 2 per cent on cash
withdrawal of more than Rs 1
cr from a bank account

Railway station modernisation
programme to be launched this
year

Proposal to setup exclusive TV
channel for startups

Aadhaar card for NRIs with
Indian passports to be issued
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
17
after their arrival in India,
without waiting for the man-
datory 180 days

New series of coins of Re 1,
2, 5, 10, 20 easily identifiable
for visually challenged to be
made available for public use

Blueprint for a national gas
grid, water grid, i-ways and
airports to be unveiled

Funds raised by startups will
not require any scrutiny by
e
tax department


in
Govt to build 17 iconic sites
to encourage arrival of tour-
ists in India

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana phase 3 to upgrade
1,25,000 km of road length


over the next 5 years
Package for power sector tar-
iff and structural reforms to
be unveiled soon

1.95 cr houses to be con-
structed under Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana (PMAY) from
FY20-22

NRI portfolio route to be
merged with FPI for seamless
investment in stock markets

Govt to liberalise FDI in avia-
tion, media, animation and in-
surance intermediaries

10,000 new farmer producer
organisations to be set up


One hundred new clusters to
be set up in 2019-20 to en-
able 50,000 artisans to come
into economic value chain

Proposal to expand Swachh
Bharat mission to undertake
sustainable solid waste man-
agement in every village

Inter-operable One Nation One
transport card: National trans-
port card for universal travel
which can used on various
modes of transport (road, rail-
ways etc). The card can also
be used as a ATM card for
withdrawing money.

Govt plans to create MRO
(Manufacturing, Repair and
Operate) industry.
 CURRENT Panorama
ECONOMIC SURVEY 2018-19
SURVEY
Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman on July 4, 2019 tabled
the Economic Survey 2018-19,
prepared by Chief Economic Ad-
viser Krishnamurthy Subramanian,
in the Parliament. The Economic
Survey projects the state of health
of the Indian economy and out-
lines the challenges.The Indian
economy is at a 5-year low of
6.8% in 2018-19 and the fourth
quarter growth has slumped to
5.8% which is a 17-quarter low.
Key Highlights of Economic Sur-
vey 2018-19:
State of the Economy in 2018-19:
A Macro View

India still the fastest growing
major economy in 2018-19.

Growth of GDP moderated to
6.8 per cent in 2018-19 from
7.2 per cent in 2017-18.

Inflation contained at 3.4 per
cent in 2018-19.

Non-Performing Assets as per-
centage of Gross Advances re-
duced to 10.1 per cent at end
December 2018 from 11.5 per
cent at end March 2018.

Investment growth recovering
/t.
since 2017-18:

Growth in fixed investment
s:/
picked up from 8.3 per cent
in 2016-17 to 9.3 per cent
tp
next year and further to 10.0
per cent in 2018-19.
ht

Current account deficit man-
ageable at 2.1 percent of GDP.
Fiscal Developments

FY 2018-19 ended with fiscal
deficit at 3.4 per cent of GDP
and debt to GDP ratio of 44.5
per cent (Provisional).

As per cent of GDP, total
Central Government expendi-
ture fell by 0.3 percentage
points in 2018-19 PA over
2017-18:

0.4 percentage point reduc-
tion in revenue expenditure
and 0.1 percentage point in-
crease in capital expenditure.
18
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
az
ag
M
Shifting gears: Private Investment
as the Key Driver of Growth, Jobs,
_e
Exports and Demand

Survey states that pathways
for trickle-down opened up
ee
during the last five years; and
benefits of growth and mac-
Fr
roeconomic stability reached
the bottom of the pyramid.
e/

Sustained real GDP growth
m
rate of 8% needed for a $5
trillion economy by 2024-25.
Policy for Real People, Not Ro-
bots: Leveraging the Behavioral
Economics of “Nudge”

Decisions by real people devi-
ate from impractical robots
theorized in classical econom-
ics.

Behavioral economics provides
insights to ‘nudge’ people to-
wards desirable behavior.
Nourishing Dwarfs to become
Giants: Reorienting policies for
MSME Growth

Survey focuses on enabling
MSMEs to grow for achieving
greater profits, job creation and
enhanced productivity.

Dwarfs (firms with less than
100 workers) despite being
more than 10 years old, ac-
count for more than 50% of
all organized firms in manu-
e
in
facturing by number.
Enabling Inclusive Growth through
Affordable, Reliable and Sustain-
able Energy

2.5 times increase in per capita
energy consumption needed
for India to increase its real
per capita GDP by $5000 at
2010 prices, and enter the
upper-middle income group.

4 times increase in per capita
energy consumption needed
for India to achieve 0.8 Hu-
man Development Index score.

India now stands at 4th in
wind power, 5th in solar power
and 5th in renewable power
installed capacity.
Redesigning a Minimum Wage
System in India for Inclusive
Growth

Survey proposes a well-de-
signed minimum wage system
as a potent tool for protecting
workers and alleviating pov-
erty.

Present minimum wage sys-
tem in India has 1,915 mini-
mum wages for various sched-
uled job categories across
states.

1 in every 3 wage workers in
India not protected by the mini-
mum wage law.
 STUDY ABROAD

STUDY ABROAD

BA CHEL
BACHEL ORS’ IN ACCOUNT
CHELORS’ ANCY
ACCOUNTANCY
Why Study Accountancy? the subject. It is essential for students to get practical
Most of our minds circulate around subjects that and real time examples of the subject in order to
sound very important such as Engineering or Medical absorb concepts easily and also implement them if
Science. Technology does involve understanding of necessary. Almost all the universities abroad follow
complex structures, mechanisms and upgrades but the practical way of teaching any subject for that
there are some simple subjects that play a vital role matter and ensure the students assimilate concepts
in day to day lives as well as on a global scale. For and find a way to implement them in the real world.
example, where Information Technology plays a huge Furthermore, all the colleges abroad have a
part in the development and services of products multicultural society where students come to study
worldwide, there is also the administration part that from all parts of the world. This gives an opportunity
plays a triggering role in the birth of many projects. for the students to interact with different people and

e
Administration part such as finances is a very critical may be even understand the concepts of the

in
criterion in all types of industries across the globe. respective country's financial background, structure

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Every small and big projects start with finance. and data. Study abroad definitely gives a unique
Allocation of budget, resources, actual planning, experience for students to become one with the

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estimated planning are some components that have subject they choose to study. Unlike colleges that
to be mandatorily charted out to the client in order expect students to memorize concepts or write
to arrive at an agreement to start working theories, universities abroad require
on the project. Taxation is another face
of finance. Taxation has become a
M students to really demonstrate the
concepts or apply it with practical
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serious scrutiny in everybody's lives experience. Needless to say, a degree
considering the amount of hidden money attained abroad is always globally
ee

and funds that transacts in the shadow recognized and is given high priority for
every day. Despite the economic employment as the firm/company
Fr

downturns, accountancy is a field that recognizes the experience the graduate

has stayed guaranteed and more stable would have acquired over four years by
e/

than any other field. Unlike other fields studying subjects practically, learning
m

in Business Administration, Finance is a to interact with other students and more

denser area which requires narrow focus importantly, experiencing independent
/t.

and finance graduates get a unique management. All these factors give
CHANPREET SINGH
opportunity to interact with important Director, India & Subcontinent students the edge they need to excel
s:/

decision makers from other outside IAE Global India in this field.
organizations such as stockholders, Courses And Universities
tp

banks, suppliers and more. Relatively, a finance degree Generally, a finance course lets a student acquire
is quite hard and challenging to acquire. This one some skills such as analytical, knowledge of economic
ht

quality can set students apart from students in other models, numerical skills, paying attention to details
fields. Not only do students need to extremely good and accuracy and ability to work with figures and
in calculations, personality is a great driving factor statistics. As far as undergraduate programs in finance
that needs to be acquired by the student over the are concerned, below are some of the popular subjects
course. Only by being inquisitive and outgoing can a student might learn throughout the four year
a student excel in communicating what is necessary program.
and what is not. • Principles of Finance
Why Study Accountancy Abroad ? • Banking
Although the subject might be diverse and might • Investments
have a lot to learn from, the place of study is equally • Corporate Financial Management
critical for a student to walk the right path. A • International Business and Finance
student aspiring to study and master Finance by • Microeconomics and Macro-economics
settling for any university that has the subject will • Managerial Accounting
not suffice. He/she has to aim higher for universities Some universities abroad let students do internships
that not only excel in teaching the subject but also during summer in finance related institutions, namely
provide the infrastructure and environment to learn investment and banking firms. Some programs in
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
19
 STUDY ABROAD
universities also let students focus on a specific sub
discipline inside Finance - Financial planning, financial
services, Risk Management, to name a few.
There are hundreds of colleges around the world
that provide bachelor courses in finance. Most of the
universities are top notch in faculty, infrastructure
and education system. Here are some of the many
top or dream colleges that a potential finance graduate
might want to get into.
• Harvard University
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of Melbourne
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Sydney
• University of Chicago
These are only a handful of the top colleges providing
finance degrees. There are hundreds others that provide
equally good education and that are globally recognized.
A degree attained from any of those universities is
guaranteed to boost a student's career sky high and get
ee
Fr
e/
m
/t.
s:/
tp
ht
20
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
the best place in the early start of the career. However,
it is up to the students to go ahead to choose employment
or study further to master a specific subject under finance.
Either way, this field is set to get a student go places
and start his/her career on a high note.
Pre Requisites And Career Prospects
For a student who is aspiring to take up finance
on an undergraduate level, he/she must have
completed twelve years of education including high
school. However, the scores slab depends on the
university's requirement. Depending on whether the
student has completed education from an English
background, it is required to produce language
proficiency test scores to universities. Tests such
as IELTS and TOEFL are universally accepted in all
universities across all countries. However, some
countries require the language proficiency test
regardless of the background. A consultation directly
e
with the university or an educational planner can
in
help understand on a detailed basis. Employment
opportunities are limitless. Actuary, Stockbroker,
az
Investment Banker and Chartered Accountant are
some of the most popular job options available
ag
across the globe.
M
_e
 CURRENT Panorama

NATIONAL NEWS
All 13 people on board dead in AN-32 crash: IAF power, the Union Cabinet approved a pension scheme
All 13 people on board the AN-32 aircraft which for small-marginal farmers and small retailers and
crashed in Arunachal Pradesh are dead, the IAF said also extended the scope of the direct income support
after a team of rescuers searched the wreckage of scheme for farmers by removing the ceiling of two
the plane in a heavily hectares of land. The Cabinet meeting, which was
forested mountainous chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved
terrain. An IAF official said the new central sector scheme, namely, Pradhan
there were no survivors Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana (PM-KPY), which is a
from the crash of the AN- voluntary and contributory pension scheme for all
32 aircraft. “IAF Pays small and marginal farmers across the country with
tribute to the brave Air- the entry age of 18 to 40 and with a provision of
warriors who lost their life minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 on attaining the

e
during the #An32 crash on age of 60 years. The Central government shall also

in
June 3 and stands by with contribute to the pension fund an equal amount
the families of the victims.

az
matching the farmer’s contribution.
May their soul rest in Addressing a press conference
peace,” an Indian Air Force

ag
after the meeting, new Agriculture
(IAF) spokesperson said. Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said
Those who died in the
crash are
Commander G M Charles,
Wing
M
the government has done away with
the benchmark of two hectares. With
_e
this, two crore farmers who were left
Squadron Leader H Vinod,
out of the scheme (PM-KISAN) will be
Flight Lieutenants L R
ee

benefitted, he said. The Pradhan Mantri Narendra Singh

Thapa, MK Garg, Ashish Tanwar and Sumit Mohanty, Tomar
Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
Warrant officer K K Mishra, Sergeant Anoop Kumar,
Fr

launched by Modi in February provides income support

Corporal Sherin, LAC (leading aircraft man) S K
to small and marginal farmer families with cultivable
Singh, LAC Pankaj, and non combatants Rajesh
e/

Kumar and Putali. The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft land holding up to two hectares across the country
by way of payment of Rs 6,000 per year. “The
m

was going from Jorhat in Assam to Menchuka

advanced landing ground near the border with China revised scheme will cover around two crore more
/t.

on June 3 when it lost contact around half-an-hour farmers who were earlier left out, thus increasing
after taking off. the total number of beneficiaries to 14.5 crore from
s:/

Ajit Doval to stay as NSA, gets cabinet rank with 5- earlier 12.5 crore. Total Rs 87,000 crore will be
year term given to farmers,” said Tomar.
tp

National Security Adviser (NSA) Google Maps launches three new public transport
features in India
ht

Ajit Doval has been re-appointed to

the top post in Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s office for a second five-year
term, with an elevation, the
government said.
Appointed as NSA during Modi’s
first term with a minister of state
Ajit Doval
rank, this time round Doval has been
elevated to the rank of cabinet minister on par with
members of the Cabinet Committee on Security—
home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath
Singh, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and
finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Cabinet clears pension scheme for small farmers,
traders
In its first meeting after the NDA returned to
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
21
Google Maps announced three
India-first features as Google Maps
users will be able to see bus travel
times from live traffic across 10 of
the largest cities in India, get Live
train status for Indian Railways
trains, and get mixed-mode commute suggestions
that now combine auto-rickshaw and public transport.
Announcing the new India-first features, Taylah
Hasaballah, Product Manager, Google Maps said;
“Google Maps is being used by over a billion travellers
to navigate and explore their world, wherever they
are. And we at Google are focused on building Maps
features that will help deliver a more relevant,
accurate, and reliable experience for commuters.”
 Google Maps users can now view bus travel
times based on live traffic. This uses Google’s live
traffic data and public bus schedules to calculate
delays and provide accurate travel times. This is the
first product of its kind, launching first in India,
enabling commuters to know how long the bus trip
will take when factoring in live traffic conditions.
This feature is now live in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai,
Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Chennai, Mysore,
Coimbatore, and Surat. To see this feature, simply
enter your starting location and destination, then tap
the transit tab. The results for bus travel times from
live traffic will include the time in green (when
running on time) or red (when delayed.)
Google Maps can now help users know when
their train is going to arrive by indicating the real-
time live running status.
Facebook launches first interactive game show in India
Social networking giant Facebook announced
its first interactive game show, titled “Confetti” in
India.
Starting June 12, the interactive show will air
from Wednesday to Sunday on Facebook’s dedicated
video platform - Facebook Watch, the company said
in a statement. First launched in the US, the interactive
game will challenge participants to answer pop culture
trivia questions for a chance to win ?3 lakh as cash
prize every day. “This is our first official show in
India and we are excited to see how it will enable
ee
users to engage better and bring communities together
around exceptional, interactive video experiences on
Fr
Facebook,” said Manish Chopra, Director and Head
of Partnerships, Facebook.
e/
The announcement was made in Mumbai on the
sidelines of Facebook’s Social Entertainment Summit.
m
Exclusive to Facebook Watch, the show is already
available in other parts of the world including Canada,
/t.
the UK, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines.
s:/
In 2018, the social networking giant globally rolled
out Facebook Watch as its video-on-demand service
tp
in an attempt to take on its rival YouTube. The video
service allows users to enjoy videos from different
ht
genres, including entertainment, sports and news in
their personalised “Watch Feed” that carries a
collection of recent videos from the pages they
follow.
Mayawati calls off BSP-SP alliance in by-poll elections
Mayawati held a press conference and said that
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is breaking
alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP)
but this ‘break-up’ is not permanent.
Mayawati said that after BSP
introspected elections results in Delhi
and decided to call-off alliance with
Samajwadi Party. She claimed that
Yadav voters didn’t stand with
Mayawati
Samajwadi Party so that this alliance
could not secure votes in Uttar Pradesh.
22
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
Keeping a scope for future she said, this break-
up is not permanent, if required in future, this alliance
may come again. She asked top leaders of SP, ‘If
Yadav didn’t back SP, would they vote for us?’
PM Modi reconstitutes NITI Aayog
Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the
reconstitution of government thinktank NITI Aayog.
While Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar continues in his
post along with members VK
Saraswat, Ramesh Chand and VK Paul,
the ex-officio members now include
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home
Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman and Agriculture
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
However, the name of Bibek Debroy,
a former permanent member, is missing Rajiv Kumar
from the new list. Special invitees to
NITI Aayog include Minister of Road, Transport and
e
Highways Nitin Gadkari; Minister of Social Justice
in
and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot; Minister
of Railways Piyush Goyal; and Minister of Statistics
az
(Independent) Rao Inderjit Singh.
ag
Indian Navy deploys P81 to increase anti-piracy patrol
In an expansion of its Mission Based
M
Deployments (MBD) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR),
the Navy deployed its P-8I long-range maritime
_e
surveillance aircraft for anti-piracy sorties from Salalah
in Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden. “Long-range
maritime reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare
aircraft P-8I undertakes anti-piracy patrol sorties from
Salalah in the Gulf
of Aden and other
piracy prone
areas in keeping
with our MBD
philosophy, to
keep IOR safe and
secure for all,” Navy spokesperson Captain D.K.
Sharma said in a tweet.
The P-8I provided long-range Maritime Domain
Awareness (MDA), Captain Sharma added. Since
2008, India has been conducting anti-piracy patrols
in the commercially crucial Gulf of Aden. This was
the second time the P-8I operated from Salalah for
anti-piracy this year. It was operated from there first
January. Besides escorting Indian flagged vessels,
ships of other countries have also been provided
protection, a defence source said. “No ship under
Indian escort has thus far been hijacked by pirates,”
the source added. Till date the Indian Navy has
escorted 3,440 ships, of which 3,027 were of foreign
flag and 413 Indian flag.
Kathua rape Case: Temple priest among 3 sentenced
to life in jail
The special court in Pathankot convicted six out
of seven people accused in the Kathua rape and
murder case one year after the incident occurred.
Temple priest
and village
head Sanji
Ram, the main
accused in the
case, was
convicted
with 5 others
including two
special police
officers and a
p o l i c e
constable.
The others
who were
convicted
include Sanji
Ram’s juvenile
nephew and
two special police officers Deepak Khajuria and
Surender Verma. Sanji Ram, the caretaker of the
temple where the crime took place, Special Police
Officer Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar, a civilian,
have been convicted under Ranbir Penal Code sections
pertaining to criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping,
gangrape, destruction of evidence, drugging the victim
and common intention. the lawyers said.
They have been sentenced to life imprisonment
and fined Rs 1 lakh each for murder along with 25
years in jail for gangrape, they said. Three accomplices
ee
— Sub Inspector Anand Dutta, Head Constable Tilak
Raj and special police officer Surender Verma — who
Fr
were convicted for destruction of evidence have
e/
been handed over five years imprisonment, they
said.
m
India to hold first ever simulated space warfare
To counter growing threats arising
/t.
from China’s growing space
s:/
capabilities, India will organise its first
ever simulated space warfare exercise
tp
in the last week of July. The
development is significant as it comes
ht
after India constituted an all-new tri-
service Defence Space Agency in
G Satheesh
March following a successful launch Reddy
of an anti-satellite missile under
“Mission Shakti”. All military stakeholders, including
those from the scientific community, will participate
in it, reported Times of India. The purpose of the
exercise is to understand the possible challenges in
space warfare and to counter China’s growing
influence in this domain, which poses a major threat
to India’s national security interest.
China is working aggressively towards
developing its military capabilities in space, which
not only threaten India’s national security but also
pose a threat to the United States’ supremacy in the
outer space.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
23
I&B Ministry institutes Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas
Media Samman
The Narendra Modi Government
has decided to institute the
Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media
Samman in order to encourage the
media to help propagate Yoga during
the run-up to International Yoga Day
on June 21. Announcing this, Union
Information and Broadcasting Minister
Prakash
Prakash Javadekar acknowledged that
Javadekar
the media has been engaged over the
past four years in spreading the benefits of yoga and
the award was being instituted as a further
encouragement.
ASI declares Chaukhandi Stupa as Monument of
National Importance
According to a notification issued by Union
Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of
e
India (ASI) has declared Chaukhandi Stupa as a
in
‘protected area of
az
n a t i o n a l
importance’.
ag
Chaukhandi Stupa
is one of the
M
important ancient
Buddhist site
_e
located in
Sarnath, Uttar
Pradesh (UP). Government sought public feedback
on 8 March 2019 for a period of two months for
declaring the stupa as protected. The stupa got its
name Chaukhandi’ because of its four armed plan.
It is a lofty mound of brick whose square edifice is
surrounded by an octagonal tower. Chaukhandi Stupa
was built to mark the place where Lord Buddha met
his first disciples panchavargiya bhikshus (Budhha’s
five companions) who had previously deserted him
at Rajgir, as he traveled from Bodhgaya to Sarnath.
The stupa is an ancient Buddhist site which evolved
from burial mounds and served as a shrine for a relic
of Buddha. It appears to be in ruins and was originally
constructed in 5th Century AD. It also finds mention
in account of Hiuen Tsang, celebrated Chinese traveler
of 7th century AD.
PM Modi gets Samadhi Buddha statue as gift from
Lankan President
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
received a special gift, a replica of the
Samadhi Buddha Statue, from “special
friend” Sri Lankan President Maithripala
Sirisena after the two leaders met in
Colombo.
“This replica of the Samadhi
Buddha Statue has been hand carved
using white teak. This masterpiece Narendra Modi
has taken almost two years to
complete. The meditation pose is known as Dhyana
Mudra,” Prime Minister’s Office tweeted. “A special
gift from a special friend. President @MaithripalaS
presented PM @narendramodi the Samadhi Buddha
Statue. This is considered to be one of the best
sculptures in the Anuradhapura era. The original
statue was sculptured between the 4th and 7th
centuries AD, “ the tweet read.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Sri Lanka for a
day-long visit and met with President Sirisena and
discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest.
Government launches DBT Tribal web portal
Arjun Munda, the Union minister
for tribal affairs launched e-governance
initiatives for welfare schemes for
scheduled tribes in the form of two
digital portals under the aegis of the
ministry — DBT Tribal and NGO Grants
Online Application and Tracking
System. The move is expected to bring
the implementation of welfare schemes Arjun Munda
for scheduled tribes (STs) under the
purview of e-governance, with greater efficiency
and transparency. The ministry of tribal affairs has
been facing multiple challenges in its functioning.
There is no established mechanism for collecting
data from the States or collating it. Sources in the
ministry said the States would provide data in different
formats and different mechanisms ranging from
printouts to various digital formats, making collation
cumbersome and prone to errors and even
ee
manipulation. Moreover, till the recent Supreme Court
judgement there was no unique ID for tribal students;
Fr
the order has helped minors to get their own bank
accounts.
e/
Cabinet approves President’s rule in J&K for another
m
six months
The Union Cabinet approved the extension of
/t.
President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir for another
s:/
six months, beginning from July 3. Union Minister
Prakash Javadekar made the announcement at a
press briefing in New Delhi. Jammu Kashmir has
tp
been under President’s rule since December 19,
ht
2018. Earlier, it was placed under Governor’s Rule
after the BJP pulled out of the coalition government
with PDP in June last year. Assembly elections in
J&K will be held later this year, with the Election
Commission confirming that the schedule will be
announced after the Amarnath Yatra ends in August.
The Commission had said, “Election Commission,
under Article 324 of the Constitution and other
extant laws/rules etc. have unanimously decided
that holding of Assembly elections in Jammu and
Kashmir shall be considered later in this year.
Kerala tops the list for best performing State in health
Kerala continued to top the list for the best
performing State in the health sector among the 21
large States, while Uttar Pradesh retained the worst
performer tag, according to the second edition of
24
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
NITI Aayog's Health Index released on June 25,
2019.
Kerala, which got an overall score of 74.01,
was followed by Andhra Pradesh (65.13),
Maharashtra (63.99), Gujarat (63.52) and Punjab
(63.01), Himachal Pradesh (62.41), Jammu and
Kashmir 62.37, Karnataka (61.14) and Tamil Nadu
(60.41).
Uttar Pradesh continued to be at the bottom of
the list with its score falling to 28.61. Other States
at the bottom of the list were Bihar (32.11), Odisha
(35.97) and Madhya Pradesh (38.39).The report
'Healthy States, Progressive India: Report on Rank
of States and UTs' has ranking in three categories
- larger States, smaller States and Union Territories
"to ensure comparison among similar entities."
Government sets target of providing clean drinking
water to all by 2024
The Centre has set a target of providing clean
e
drinking water to all by 2024, Jal Shakti Minister
in
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said Tuesday. He said
the government is formulating a plan to provide
az
clean drinking water to nearly 14 crore households.
"The prime minister has set a target and our party
ag
manifesto talks about providing clean drinking water
by 2024. There are nearly 14 crore households
M
where clean drinking water is yet to reach,"
Shekhawat said.
_e
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his poll
campaign, had promised to integrate all ministries
that look after water-related issues into one ministry.
The BJP had also promised to provide clean drinking
water to all households in the country.
India to have its international space station
India plans to have its own space station, and
modalities for it will
be worked out after
the first manned
m i s s i o n ,
Gaganyaan,
scheduled for
August 2022, K.
Sivan, Chairman of
the Indian Space
R e s e a r c h Space Station
Organisation (ISRO)
said. "We want to have a separate space station.
We will launch a small module for microgravity
experiments... that is our ambition," he said,
addressing the media. A detailed report would be
submitted to the government after the Gaganyaan
mission. Dr. Sivan said the proposed space station
is envisaged to weigh 20 tonnes and serve as a
facility where astronauts can stay for 15-20 days,
and it would be placed in an orbit 400 km above
earth. The time frame for launch is 5-7 years after
Gaganyaan, he added.
The ISRO would also join the international space
community for a manned mission to moon and
beyond, Dr. Sivan said.
India ranks 95 in SDG Gender India
India ranked 95th out of 129 countries in a new
index that measures global gender equality looking
at aspects such as poverty, health, education, literacy,
political representation and equality at the workplace.
The Sustainable Development Goals Gender Index
has been developed by UK-based Equal Measures
2030, a joint effort of regional and global organisations
including African Women's Development and
Communication Network, Asian-Pacific Resource and
Research Centre for Women, Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, and International Women's Health
Coalition. The new index includes 51 indicators across
14 of the 17 official Sustainable Development Goals
and covers 129 countries across all regions of the
world.
India's population to cross China's by 2027
As per a United Nations report, India is expected
to add nearly 273 million people between 2019 and
2050 and remain
the most
populated country
through the end of
the current
century. "India is
expected to add
nearly 273 million
people between
2019 and 2050, while the population of Nigeria is
projected to grow by 200 million. Together, these
ee
two countries could account for 23 per cent of the
global population increase to 2050," the report has
Fr
said. Previous UN projections had estimated that
India will surpass China as the world's most populous
e/
country as early as 2022.
m
The 2017 world population report, released by
the UN two years ago, had estimated that the
/t.
population of India will surpass that of China's by
around 2024.
s:/
Centre to raise health Sservices expenditure to 2.5%
of GDP by 2025
tp
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan while
ht
addressing a query during Question Hour in Rajya
Sabha on July 3,2019 announced that Government
has set a target to raise health services expenditure
to 2.5% of country’s GDP (Gross domestic product)
by 2025. He also highlighted that public expenditure
on health services has increased continuously over
the years and continues to increase.The government’s
objective is in line with National Health Policy 2017
which envisages increasing public health expenditure
to 2.5% of GDP by 2025. The policy also recommends
that State governments should spend more than 8%
of their budget on health sector by 2020.
Govt sets up high-powered committee of CMs to
‘transform Indian agriculture’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 1, 2019
constituted a high-powered committee of chief
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
25
ministers for the transformation of agriculture and
raising farmers’ income.The nine-member committee,
headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis, will suggest policy measures, attract
investments and raise growth in food processing.
Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Haryana, Arunachal
Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Union Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayati
Raj Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and NITI Aayog
member Ramesh Chand will be the members of the
committee.
Centre launches water conservation campaign ‘Jal
Shakti Abhiyan’
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat on July 1,2019 launched a campaign for
water conservation and water security. The campaign
will focus on 1,592 “water stressed blocks” in 256
districts.
The Jal Shakti Abhiyan will be centred around
e
five aspects: water conservation and rainwater
in
harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water
bodies, reuse of water and recharge of borewell
az
structures, watershed development and intensive
afforestation.
ag
Aparna Kumar summits Mount Denali, becomes first
IPS officer to complete ‘7 Summits’ challenge
M Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS Officer
_e
Aparna Kumar created history by
becoming the first civil servant and
IPS officer to achieve the incredible
and rare feat of completing ‘7
Summits’ challenge. Kumar hoisted
India’s tricolour on Mount Denali in
Alaska, USA. Mount Denali is the
highest peak of North America standing Aparna Kumar
at 20,310 ft.Kumar, who is ITBP Dehra
Dun Frontier HQ DIG, scaled the summit in her third
attempt.
Rahul Gandhi resigns as Congress President
Rahul Gandhi on July 3,2019 said he quit as
Congress president and had left it to
his party to find a successor soon,
taking responsibility for a second
straight national election defeat.
“Accountability is critical for the future
growth of our party. It is for this
reason that I have resigned as
Congress president,” he said in a letter
he tweeted hours after declaring that Rahul Gandhi
he was no longer the party president.
Rahul Gandhi, who took over as party chief
from his mother Sonia Gandhi in 2017, had quit on
May 25, days after the Congress ended up with just
52 of 543 Lok Sabha seats, pulverized once again
by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP. But
he made it official in his letter on July 4, after which
the designation of “President” also vanished from
his Twitter bio.
 CURRENT Panorama
STATE UPDATES
Tripura panchayat polls to be held
on July 27: SEC
Elections to the three-tier
panchayats in Tripura would be
held on July 27, State Election
Commissioner G. Kameswara Rao
announced on June 26,2019.
Ballot papers would be used in
the polls, the SEC said.
The model code of conduct
came into effect in the respec-
tive panchayat areas from
Wednesday itself. “Elections to
6,111 gram panchayat seats, 419
panchayat samiti seats and 116
zila parishad seats will be held on
July 27,” Mr. Rao said.
Assam leaves out 1.02 lakh per-
sons in additional exclusion list
to draft NRC
Assam government released
an additional exclusion list con-
sisting of names of 1,02,462
persons to the draft National
Register of Citizens (NRC) on June
26, 2019. The names of these
people were included in the draft
citizen’s list published last year
but later found ineligible.
/t.
The draft NRC was published
on July 30, 2018, and included
s:/
the names of 2.9 crore people
out of the total applications of
tp
3.29 crore. Following its publica-
ht
tion, a massive controversy over
the exclusion of 40 lakh people
from the draft NRC.
Himachal Pradesh makes GPS de-
vice must for trekkers
The Himachal Pradesh govern-
ment on June 18,2019 made it
mandatory for trekkers to carry a
GPS device to tackle any exi-
gency. A decision in this regard
was taken at a review meeting
chaired by Additional Chief Sec-
retary Shrikant Baldi here on pre-
paredness for the monsoon.
He said it was important that
trekking and other ‘yatras’ were
26
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
restricted during adverse weather.
“It would be made mandatory for
trekkers to have a GPS device so
that they can be provided all
possible help in case of any emer-
gency,” said Baldi.
Being a disaster-prone state,
it is essential to pay special at-
tention to disseminating weather
advisories and installing early
warning systems in Himachal
Pradesh.
Four TDP Rajya Sabha members
join BJP
az
Less than a month after the
Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh
ag
Assembly polls verdict in which
the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
M
was wiped out, four of its six
Rajya Sabha members, including
_e
Parliamentary Party leader and
former Union Minister Y.S.
ee
Chowdary, on June 20,2019 quit
it to join the BJP.
Fr
Along with Mr. Chowdary,
C.M. Ramesh, T.G. Venkatesh and
e/
Garikapati Mohan Rao have quit
m
the party. The TDP legislative party
in the Rajya Sabha passed a reso-
lution as per the 10th Schedule of
the Constitution, according to
which two-thirds of a legislature
party can shift loyalties without
losing their membership.
Govt distributes free DD set to
people living in border areas of
J-K
In an event organized by
Doordarshan Kashir, Union Minis-
try of Information and Broadcast-
ing on June 22,2019 launched a
spectrum of initiatives for the
state. They distributed free
Doordarshan (DD) set-top boxes
to people living in border areas of
Jammu and Kashmir.
DD Kashir further launched a
news bulletin, Dogri news for the
Jammu region on the channel. It
will be telecasted every day at
6.15 PM on the channel.Governor
of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal
Malik, Union Minister of Informa-
tion and Broadcasting, Prakash
Javadekar and Dr Jitendra Singh,
Minister of State in the Ministry
of Development of North Eastern
Region were present during the
event.
Bombay High Court upholds res-
ervation for Maratha community
e
The Bombay High Court on
in
June 27,2019 upheld reservation
for Marathas in the State but
quashed the 16% quota by call-
ing it “not justifiable”. The court
said it should not exceed 12%
for education and 13% for jobs
as recommended
Maharashtra State Backward
by the
Class Commission (MSBCC).
Welcoming the verdict, Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis said
in the Assembly, “The court has
upheld the extraordinary and ex-
ceptional circumstances men-
tioned in the report to provide
quota to Marathas, due to which
the reservation quantum in the
State has crossed 50%.”
MP govt proposes up to 5-year
jail term for violence by cow vigi-
lantes
The Congress-led Madhya
Pradesh government has approved
a proposal to amend the cow pro-
tection law and award jail terms
ranging from six months to five
years to those who indulge in vio-
lence in the name of cow
vigilantism.The proposal to amend
the MP Cow Progeny Slaughter
Prevention Act, 2004, was cleared
at a cabinet meeting chaired by
Chief Minister Kamal Nath on June
26,2019. State Animal Husbandry
Minister Lakhan Singh Yadav also
confirmed that the proposal to
amend the cow slaughter preven-
tion law has been cleared.
ht
tp
s:/
/t.
m
e/
Fr
ee
_e
M
ag
az
in
e
ht
tp
s:/
/t.
m
e/
Fr
ee
_e
M
ag
az
in
e
 CURRENT Panorama
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
IAEA confirms Iran exceeds enriched uranium stockpile
limit
The UN’s nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) confirmed on July 1,2019 that Iran has
exceeded a limit on its enriched uranium reserves set by
a 2015 nuclear deal.The IAEA “verified on July 1 that
Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile exceeded 300
kilogrammes”, a spokesperson said.
The announcement came after Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Iran had “crossed the
300-kilogramme limit”.Zarif later said Iran’s accumulation
of more enriched uranium than permitted under the deal
was not a violation of the pact, however, since it was
exercising its right to respond to a unilateral US withdrawal
from the agreement last year, after which Washington
reimposed punishing sanctions on Tehran.
New Zealand bans single-use plastic bags
New Zealand officially banned single-use plastic
shopping bags on July 1,2019, introducing hefty fines for
businesses that continue to provide them.Plastic pollution
has become a growing global concern, with a million birds
and more than 100,000 marine mammals injured or killed
every year by becoming entangled in packaging or ingesting
it through the food chain.Companies that break New
ee
Zealand’s ban will face heavy penalties, including fines of
up to NZ$100,000 ($67,000).
Fr
Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years
Japan on July 1,2019 officially
e/
resumed commercial whaling July
1,2019 after more than 30 years
m
of limiting whale hunts to
“scientific” purposes — a policy
/t.
that still resulted in the deaths of
hundreds of whales every year.
s:/
Donald Trump becomes first sitting US President to
enter North Korea
tp
US President Donald Trump became the first sitting
ht
US president to set foot in North Korea on June 30,2019
when he met its leader, Kim Jong Un, in the Demilitarised
Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas and agreed to resume
stalled nuclear talks.
The two men shook hands warmly and expressed
hopes for peace when they met for the third time in just
over a year on the old Cold War frontier that for decades
has symbolised the hostility between their countries, which
are technically still at war.
Russia launches first Arctic train service
The first tourist train traveling through Russia's Arctic
region and on to Norway set off from Saint Petersburg
station with 91 passengers aboard for the inaugural trial
journey. "The Arctic fascinates everybody," said Nurlan
Mukash, executive director of the German Lernidee
Erlebnisreisen tour group behind the project. "This
destination has been covered by Canadian and Norwegian
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
29
tourist agencies but, this has
not been the case for
Russia," he added.
The train, named
"Zarengold" ("The Tsar's
gold" in German) complete
with two restaurant cars will
travel from Saint Petersburg through Petrozavodsk, the
historic town of Kem and Murmansk.
Thailand parliament elects Prayuth Chan-ocha as PM
The leader of the junta that seized
power in Thailand five years ago, Prayuth
Chan-ocha, was chosen by Parliament to
e
be prime minister after an election marred
by charges of manipulation. Mr. Prayuth,
in
a former general who held the title of prime
az
minister during the years of military rule,
won by a combined vote of 500 to 244
Prayuth
ag
in the House of Representatives and Senate.
Chan-ocha
He defeated the opposition nominee,
Thanathorn Juangroon-gruangkit, the leader of the pro-
M
democracy Future Forward Party who was elected to
Parliament but suspended from his seat last month by the
_e
Constitutional Court. Mr. Prayuth, who is not a member
of Parliament, chose not to address the joint session. Mr.
Thanathorn was not allowed to speak before Parliament
but delivered a speech outside the chamber. "I am ready
to be the prime minister of truth," he said. "I am ready
to be the prime minister of change. And I am ready to be
the prime minister to take Thailand to move forward."
Thailand, a constitutional monarchy, has a long history
of military coups and rewritten constitutions.
The junta seized power in 2014, led by Mr. Prayuth,
then a general, after months of paralyzing street protests
in Bangkok by the followers of two rival political factions
that are aligned with the Democrat Party and the Pheu Thai
Party. The junta adopted an interim Constitution, which
gave the head of the regime absolute power over all
branches of government. For years, Thailand was the only
country in the world ruled solely by a military regime until
April, when Sudan's president was toppled in a military
coup. The Thai junta promised elections but it first drafted
a new Constitution that gave the military substantial power
over what would normally be seen as civilian affairs,
including appointing senators, who serve five-year terms.
US approves sale of armed drones,
missile defence systems to India
The Trump administration has approved
the sale of armed drones to India and has
offered integrated air and missile defence
systems aimed at helping the country boost
its military capabilities and protect shared
security interests in the strategically
important Indo-Pacific region. The approval- Donald Trump
cum-offer from the US came in the
aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama terrorist attack in
which 40 Indian soldiers were killed and the increasing
militarisation and assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific
ocean. According to the officials, the Trump administration
is ready to offer its best defence technologies to India.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,
did not reveal when the sale of the armed drones to India
took place. During the June 2017 meeting between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, the
US had agreed to sell surveillance version of the Guardian
drones to India. India was the first non-treaty partner to
be offered a MTCR Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System
the Sea Guardian UAS manufactured by General Atomics.
While the deal is yet to see the light of the day, mainly
because of the delay in decision making process by India
in view of the general elections, the US in recent months
informed New Delhi about its decision to sell armed version
of the Guardian drones.
The deal, if it happens, could be in the range of over
USD 2.5 billion, the industry source said. Close on the
heels of armed drones, which will have its implications in
South Asia and Indo-Pacific region, the US has also offered
its integrated defense missile capabilities to India. While
officials are tight-lipped about it, the offer is said to be
about two of its latest systems: Terminal High Altitude
Area Defense system (THAAD), which is highly effective
when used against long-range ballistic missiles and Patriot
Missile defense system. India, which has already signed
an agreement with Russia to purchase S-400 missile defense
system, is yet to respond to the American offer. The
American offer, which came of its own, is currently being
studied in New Delhi.
ee
Former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari arrested
Former President and co-chairman of
Fr
the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali
Zardari was arrested at his residence in
e/
Islamabad by a team of the National
Accountability Bureau (NAB) for his alleged
m
involvement in a fake bank accounts scam.
His plea for bail extension was rejected by
/t.
the Islamabad High Court. According to
sources, the legal team of Mr. Zardari,
s:/
Asif Ali Zardari
who is also a Member of the National
Assembly, will appeal against this order in
tp
the Supreme Court.
Several people are named as accused in the fake bank
ht
accounts case. They include Mr. Zardari's sister Faryal
Talpur and some of his close associates. The case came
to the fore in 2015 following an investigation by the
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The FIA said fake
accounts were used to park ill-gotten wealth, which was
later sent out of the country through money laundering
channels.
Mount Sinabung Volcano erupts in Indonesia
A huge column of ash was blasted almost five miles
into the sky above
the Indonesian
island of Sumatra
after an active
volcano erupted.
Mount Sinabung
blew for nine
minutes, causing
30
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
panic among the island's residents. Indonesian officials
warned that further volcanic activity was possible, although
the volanco's alert level remained unchanged. "After the
eruption, from midnight until 6 am, there were a few
aftershocks," said Willy, a scientist at a Sinabung
observatory.
Residents have been told to stay indoors and to wear
face masks, if venturing outside, to protect themselves
from volcanic ashfall. Standing at 2,460m tall, Sinabung
was inactive for around 400 years before it erupted in
2010, killing two people. Since then it has become one
of south east Asian nation's most active volcanoes.
China launches rocket from Yellow Sea for first time
China has launched a rocket from a mobile platform
at sea for the first time, sending five commercial satellites
and two others containing experimental technology into
space. The Long March 11 rocket blasted off from a launch
pad onboard a commercial ship in the Yellow Sea off the
coast of Shandong province - the 306th Long March rocket
launch, but the first one at sea. China is the third country
e
after the US and Russia to master sea launch technology.
in
Sea launches offer advantages such as the ability to
position closer to the equator, requiring less fuel to reach
az
orbit and thereby lowering overall launch costs. It also
reduces the possibility of damage on the ground from
ag
falling rocket debris.
Kazakhstan gets new president
M Ruled by the same authoritarian leader
since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union,
_e
Kazakhstan finally has a new president,
with lopsided election results confirming
the victory of the old order's handpicked
candidate in a tightly controlled vote marred
by hundreds of detentions. Results from
vote showed that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,
the governing party's chosen successor to Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev
President Nursultan Nazarbayev, had won
70.7 percent of the vote, far ahead of his nearest rival,
an officially sanctioned opposition candidate, Amirzhan
Kosanov, who received only 16 per cent. The election was
denounced as unfair by observers from the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The organization,
in a statement, said the poll had taken place "in a political
environment dominated by the ruling party" and been
compromised by "irregularities on Election Day and a
disregard for formal procedures" that meant "an honest
count could not be guaranteed."
Mr. Nazarbayev, the country's 78-year-old former
Communist Party chief, announced in March that he was
handing over his presidential powers to Mr. Tokayev, while
retaining his posts as head of the security council and the
governing party. The result and the heavy-handed police
action against peaceful protesters suggest that while the
country's veteran leader has relinquished the presidency,
the system he established during his 28 years in office
remains firmly in place.
India slips 5 places to 141 on Global Peace Index 2019;
Iceland again tops
India's rank has slipped five places to 141 among 163
countries on the Global Peace Index 2019, while Iceland
remains the most peaceful country and Afghanistan the
least peaceful nation, says a report. Australian think tank
Institute for Economics & Peace ranks countries according
to their level of
peacefulness based
on three thematic
domains -- the level
of societal safety and
security, the extent
of ongoing domestic
and international
conflict and the
degree of militarisation. Iceland remains the most peaceful
country in the world, a position it has held since 2008.
It is joined at the top of the Global Peace Index (GPI) by
New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark. Afghanistan
is now the least peaceful country in the world, replacing
Syria, which is now the second least peaceful. South
Sudan, Yemen, and Iraq comprise the remaining five least
peaceful countries.
In South Asia, Bhutan topped the index with 15th
rank, followed by Sri Lanka 72, Nepal 76 and Bangladesh
in developing markets as to adapt to the new technological
possibilities. The Ministers also presented the digital trends
in the broadcasting sector in their respective countries. In
a session on Disinformation and New Media, Mr. Masato
Kajimoto a professor in Journalism, University of Hong
Kong said that those who are engaged in creating the
information disorder are taking full advantage of how trust
can be manipulated as much as information itself. He said
that measures like transparency by the Government and
Media literacy training to teachers will help in combating
misinformation to some extent.
Envisioning the media in the 4th Industrial revolution,
Darren ong, an industry expert said that placing consumer
interests at the centre of decision making is crucial to
online environment. He added that finding new audiences
24x7 and enabling the local content to travel globally
became crucial to any online platform. As per one of the
experts on Radio, delivering 'watchable' radio content is
becoming order of the day. This necessitates that the
talent in Radio should be both heard and seen on multiple

e
101. The neigh-bouring country Pakistan has been ranked social media platforms. Dr. Andrew Yew, a virtual reality
153rd on the index. expert who participated in the summit said that user

in
SCO Summit concludes experience is very important for Virtual reality augmented

az
Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for home after the reality and mixed reality and it is determined by the factors
conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organi-sation (SCO) like interactivity, gestural congruence, spatial awareness

ag
summit in which he discussed the global security situation, and immersion experience. The three day summit began
multilateral eco- in Siem Reap, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister
nomic cooperation, of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen.
people-to-people
exchanges and M
President Xi Jinping conferred with Kyrgyzstan's
highest award
_e
topical issues of Chinese President Xi Jinping was
international and conferred with the highest national award
ee

regional importance. of Kyrgyzstan, which is hosting the 19th

On the sidelines Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
Fr

of the summit, Modi held bilateral meetings with Chinese summit. President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay
President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jeenbekov awarded his Chinese counterpart
e/

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. (Xi Jinping) the Manas Order of the First
He also met Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov
m

Degree, the country's highest national prize,

ahead of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting. China's state-run Xinhua news agency Xi Jinping
Jeenbekov was the Chair of the SCO Summit 2019. Modi
/t.

reported.
also exchanged usual pleasantries with his Pakistani Xi, along with other leaders of the group including
counterpart Imran Khan in the Leaders' Lounge at the
s:/

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the Kyrgyz capital

venue of the summit. to attend the two-day Summit. Speaking at a ceremony
16th Asia Media Summit held in Cambodia
tp

to confer the national honour on Xi, Jeenbekov said he

The 16th Edition of Asia Media Summit (AMS) 2019 appreciates Xi's special contributions to the development
ht

was held in Siem of the Kyrgyzstan-China comprehensive strategic

Reap province, partnership. He said his country will never forget China's
Cambodia from long-running support and assistance. He also said that he
June 12 to June 14, believes that Xi's visit this time will open up a new chapter
2019. It was of bilateral ties between the two countries. In response,
inaugurated by the Xi said the medal has fully demonstrated the Kyrgyz people's
Prime Minister of profound friendship towards the Chinese people, adding
Cambodia, Samdech that he values it very much.
Hun Sen. AMS was
Pakistan secures $3 billion bailout from Qatar
held under the topic
Cash-strapped Pakistan secured a bailout package of
"Media Digitalization Focusing on Developing Markets"
USD 3 billion from oil-rich Qatar, a day after Emir Sheikh
and it gave a call to fight against fake news and cyber-
Tamim bin Hamad concluded his visit to Islamabad and
crimes. It was organized by Cambodian Ministry of
agreed to cooperate in the fields of trade, anti-money
Information in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Institute
laundering and curbing terror financing. Earlier, China gave
for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).
USD 4.6 billion in shape of deposits and commercial loans
In one of the sessions in which Ministers of Information
and Saudi Arabia provided USD 3 billion cash deposit and
from Cambodia, Mayanmar, Bangladesh and Samoa
USD 3.2 billion oil facility on deferred payments. The
participated, the plenary discussed on the current situations
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
31
United Arab Emirates also provided USD 2 billion cash discussed eight themes to ensure Global Sustainable
deposit. Qatar's financial assistance was announced by its Development.The eight themes are "Global Economy",
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al "Trade and Investment", "Innovation", "Enviroment and
Thani. Energy", "Employ-ment", "Women's empowerment",
Russia extends ban on EU Food Imports until end of "Development" and "Health".
2020 Modi visits Maldives, Sri Lanka
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Prime Minister
extending a Russian ban on food imports Narendra Modi said his
from the European Union until the end of visit to the Maldives
2020, according to a government database. and Sri Lanka further
Russia first imposed the embargo on a consolidated ties with
wide range of imports from the EU and two of India's key
other countries in 2014 in retaliation for maritime neighbours in
international sanctions over Moscow's role the Indian Ocean
in the Ukraine crisis, Reuters said. According Vladimir Putin region. The visits to Narendra Modi with Ibrahim Solih
to the Unian Information Agency, the formal Maldives and Sri Lanka
order outlined certain special economic measures the nation - his first since taking office for a second term on 30 May
would take to ensure the security of the Russian Federation. - was in keeping with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy,
Specifically, the decree prohibited a number of imports which gives primacy to India's neighbours in foreign policy.
from various countries for one year. Modi's visit to the two countries comes amid the deep

e
Mauritania holds election for first time in 60 years inroads made by India's strategic rival China into these

in
countries.
For the first time since Mauritania's
independence, its citizens voted for a Modi arrived in Maldives on the first leg of his two-

az
successor to a democratically-elected nation tour. In a special gesture, Modi's visit was accorded
president, though a government insider the status of a "State Visit" - something reserved for

ag
campaigning on a message of continuity is visiting heads of state - by the Maldives government.
heavily tipped to win. Polls opened at 7 Modi's visit is the first bilateral visit to the Maldives by
A.M. in the election to replace President
Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, 62, who since M
an Indian prime minister.
G-20 meeting of finance minister and central Bank
_e
seizing power in a 2008 coup has positioned Md. Ould Governor's 2019
himself as an ally of the West in the fight Abdel Aziz
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attend the two-
ee

against Islamist militants. Located on the northwest African day meeting of G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
coast & bordered to the east by the Sahara Desert, the governors in Japan on June 8 and 9, according to a
country of fewer than 5 million people gained independence
Fr

government official. This was the first overseas visit of

from colonial power France in 1960. Ms. Sitharaman as Finance Minister. Besides Ms.
Pakistan's Forex Reserves decrease by $322-mn to Sitharaman, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das also attend the
e/

stand at $7.2-bn meeting at Fukuoka in Japan. Among other things, the

m

Reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) fell

by $322 million to $7.28 billion on the week ended June
/t.

21, said the bank in a notice issued on June 27, 2019.Of

the total reserves in the country, the ratio of holdings with
s:/

central bank and commercial banks has fallen to 51:49 per

cent compared to 60:40pc on currency, said that people
tp

want to buy dollars to save their reserves and get

profits.March 29.
ht

The rising level of foreign exchange reserves with the

commercial banks' - at $7.069bn as of June 21 - indicates
the interest among investors to buy greenback as the rupee
continues to depreciate.The rupee has lost more than 42pc
since May 2018.
G20 summit 2019
The 2019 G20
Osaka summit was
held on June
28,29, 2019 at the
International
Exhibition Centre in
Osaka,Japan.It is
the first G20
summit to be
hosted by Japan.
The Summit 2019
32
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
meeting focused on risks and challenges being faced by China launches space rocket from yellow Sea for first
the global economy, investment in infrastructure and time
international taxation.
China launched a space
The meeting also deliberated on issues such as
rocket from the sea for the
increasing protectionism and its implication on global growth
first time, its space agency
and trade. The
announced, the latest step
International
in Beijing's push to become
Monetary Fund has
a major space power. The
cut its forecast for
Asian giant now spends
global growth from China’s Space Rocket
more than Russia and Japan
3.6% last year to
on its civil and military space programmes - unveiling
3.3% in 2019. In
ambitious plans for missions to the moon and beyond in
this context, the
the coming decade. A Long March 11 rocket was launched
deliberations
from a ship in the Yellow Sea just after midday, the China
focused on surveillance of global economic risks, global
National Space Administration said in a statement.
imbalances, ageing population and its policy implications,
addressing financial market fragmentation and opportunities
Argentina hosts second Global disability summit
and challenges in financial innovation. The other issues The Government of Argentina Republic, the International
which figured are international taxation in the context of Alliance Disability (IDA) and the Latin American Network
digitised economy, issues concerning shifting of tax liability of Non-Governmental Organizations of Persons with
Disabilities and their Families

e
to low tax jurisdiction and real time exchange of tax-related
information, are likely to come up during the discussion. (RIADIS) hosted the second

in
G-20, which is a group of developing and developed nations, Global Disability Summit in
Buenos Aires from June 6 to 8.

az
include India, the U.S., the U.K., China, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Brazil, France and Australia. The G20 meetings, The objective of the summit was
to deliberate on issues across the

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convened annually since 1999, provides a forum for key
countries in the international financial system to discuss world concerning empowerment
major international economic issues and to coordinate to and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and to
achieve the stable and sustainable growth of the global
economy. M
work out a mechanism for enabling them to live an
independent and dignified life.
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AUGUST 2019 ISSUE ON STAND
ee
Fr

Now Four in One with Biology

e/
m
/t.
s:/
tp
ht

Fashion Design Institutes Survey

International Maths Olympiad

Magnetic effect of Current and Mag-
netics,
Electromagnetic Induction

Chemical Kinetics
Periodic Table

Vectors

Limit & Continuity Etc.
20

For Specimen copy send `20/-

postage
` 80; 1 Year ` 800; 2stamps
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to us
Year ` 1550

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AUGUST 2019
33

 CURRENT Panorama
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
CBDT directs IT officials to resolve pending cases within
30 days
The central board of direct taxes (CBDT) chairman
P C Mody has directed the income-tax
(IT) officials to ensure redressal of
thousands of pending cases and
grievances within a span of 30 days.
As per the data available on the
centralised public grievance redress
and monitoring system (CPGRAMS),
2,647 grievances are still pending to
be resolved. Of which, 855 are pending P.C. Mody
for over 30 days. A similar facility
launched by the CBDT for online redress of taxpayers,
e-nivaran, shows 34,026 cases as pending for
resolution.
Trade processes simplified by Modi govt: Bay Area
Council
Owing to reforms instituted by the Narendra
Modi-led government, barriers in trade have fallen
and many processes have been simplified, the Bay
Area Council, stated its latest report on India, 'The
ee
Bay Area-Silicon Valley and India: Convergence and
Alignment in the Innovation Age'. Noting that India
Fr
is an untapped market for financial services, the
report stated that the Modi government sees mobility,
e/
fintech and a cashless society as keys to financial
empowerment and business growth, providing access
m
for ordinary Indians to credit, insurance, digital
payments and e-commerce. A shift to digital payments
/t.
promises to revolutionise India's economy and in the
s:/
process transform the financial sector, it added.
RBI sets up six-member committee to review ATM
tp
interchange fee
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a six-
ht
member committee, headed by VG Kannan, Chief
Executive, Indian Banks' Association,
to review the ATM interchange fee
structure, with a view to giving a fillip
to ATM deployment in unbanked areas.
The committee will review the existing
structures and patterns of costs,
charges and interchange fees for ATM
transactions. It will also review the
overall patterns of usage of ATMs by V.G. Kannan
cardholders and assess the impact, if
any, on charges and interchange fees.
The committee will assess the entire gamut of
costs in respect of the ATM ecosystem and make
recommendations on the optimal charge/interchange
fee structure and pattern. The five members of the
34
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
committee are: Dilip Asbe, Chief Executive Officer,
National Payments Corporation of India; Giri Kumar
Nair, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India;
S Sampath Kumar, Group Head, Liability Products,
HDFC Bank; K Srinivas, Director, Confederation of
ATM Industry; and Sanjeev Patel, Chief Executive
Officer, Tata Communications Payment Solutions.
AAI signs pact with Boeing to modernise air traffic
management in India
The Airports Authority of India (AAI)
and aerospace major Boeing announced
the signing of a technical assistance
e
agreement to develop an air traffic
in
management roadmap which will
improve airspace utilisation and help
az
maintain efficient aircraft operations.
The comprehensive 10-year commu-
ag
nication, navigation and surveillance/ Guruprasad
air traffic management (CNS/ATM) Mohapatra
M
modernisation roadmap spread over 18
months is being undertaken with a grant from the US
_e
Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).
Nilekani panel suggests 24x7 RTGS, NEFT, elimination
of all charges
To encourage digital payments, the
Nandan Nilekani committee has
suggested a host of measures,
including elimination of charges, round-
the-clock RTGS and NEFT facility, and
duty-free import of point-of-sales
machines. The committee, which was
appointed by the RBI, had submitted
its suggestions on promoting digital Nandan
Nilekani
payments to Governor Shaktikanta Das
last month.
RBI removes charges on NEFT, RTGS transactions
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 6 said
it has done away with charges on NEFT and RTGS
transactions. "In order to provide an impetus to
digital funds movement, it has been decided to do
away with the charges levied by the Reserve Bank
for transactions processed in the RTGS and NEFT
systems. Banks will be required, in turn, to pass
these benefits to their customers. Instructions to
banks in this regard will be issued within a week,"
the central bank said. RTGS is meant for large-value
instantaneous fund transfers while the NEFT is used
for fund transfers up to Rs 2 lakh.
Retail inflation at seven-month high in May
Retail inflation surged to a seven-month high in
May. It is the fourth consecutive monthly rise. But
there is some
good news as the
financial year
2019-20 began
on a positive note
with the industrial
sector registering
3.4 per cent
growth in April.
The data is
critical as the
General Budget is
scheduled to be presented on July 5. Though the
latest monthly data is encouraging, the overall
industrial scenario is not so upbeat, as various sectors,
and in particular the automobile and FMCG sectors,
are facing slowdown in sales — a reason for India
Inc to seek some relief and incentives in the
Budget.Though the rate of retail inflation has gone
up, it is still below 4 per cent, the median rate for
inflation targeting.
RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps to 5.75%
To spur economic activity, which decelerated
sharply in the January-March quarter, the Reserve
Bank India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
ee
Fr
e/
m
/t.
s:/
tp
ht
unanimously decided to cut the policy repo rate by
25 basis points and change the monetary policy
stance from 'neutral' to 'accommodative'. This is the
third time on the trot that the six-member MPC has
decided on a 25-basis points rate cut, making it a hat-
trick of repo rate cuts. The rate cut also comes in
the backdrop of benign retail inflation.
Following the MPC decision, the repo rate now
stands at 5.75 per cent against 6 per cent earlier.
The last time that the repo rate was at 5.75 per cent
was in the July-September 2010 period. The RBI last
had an 'accommodative' monetary policy stance
during the January 2015 to early February 2017
period.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said: "The
unanimous vote reflects the resolve of the MPC to
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
35
act decisively and to act in time…The RBI will ensure
that adequate liquidity is available in the system for
all productive purposes. An accommodative stance
basically means that rate increase is off the table."
Sebi, government sign data sharing deal to keep tabs
on fraud
In an effort to tackle rising instances of fraud,
corporate sector regulators Securities and Exchange
Board of India (Sebi) and the ministry
of corporate affairs (MCA) will sign
a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) for seamless sharing of data
from corporates. This will involve
linkages between the two authorities
and regular exchange of data, Sebi
said in a note. The data will include
details of suspended firms, delisted firms,
shareholding patterns from Sebi and financial
statements filed with the registrar of companies
e
(RoC), returns of allotment of shares and audit reports.
in
Third advance estimates of major crops for 2018-19
az
The 3rd Advance Estimates of production of
major crops for 2018-19 have been released by the
ag
Department of Agriculture, Coope-ration and Farmers
Welfare on June 3, 2019. The assessment of
production of different crops is based on the feedback
M
received from states and validated with information
_e
available from other sources. The estimated
production of various crops as per the 3rd Advance
Estimates for 2018-19 vis-à-vis the comparative
estimates for the years 2005-06 onwards is enclosed.
As per 3rd Advance Estimates, the estimated
production of major crops during 2018-19 is as
under:
• Foodgrains - 283.37 million tonnes.
• Rice - 115.63 million tonnes. (record)
• Wheat - 101.20 million tonnes (record)
• Nutri / Coarse Cereals - 43.33 million tonnes.
• Maize - 27.82 million tonnes.
• Pulses - 23.22 million tonnes.
• Gram - 10.09 million tonnes.
• Tur - 3.50 million tonnes.
• Oilseeds - 31.42 million tonnes.
• Soyabean - 13.74 million tonnes
• Rapeseed and Mustard - 8.78 million tonnes
• Groundnut - 6.50 million tonnes
• Cotton - 27.59 million bales (of 170 kg each)
• Sugarcane - 400.37 million tonnes (record)
As per Third Advance Estimates for 2018-19,
total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated
at 283.37 million tonnes which is higher by 17.62
million tonnes than the previous five years' (2013-
14 to 2017-18) average production of foodgrain.
Total production of Rice during 2018-19 is
estimated at record 115.63 million tonnes. Production
of rice has increased by 2.87 million tonnes than the
production of 112.76 million tonnes during 2017-
18. It is also higher by 7.83 million tonnes than the
five years' average production of 107.80 million
tonnes.
Production of Wheat, estimated at record 101.20
million tonnes, is higher by 1.33 million tonnes as
compared to wheat production of 99.87 million tonnes
achieved during 2017-18. Moreover, the production
of wheat during 2018-19 is higher by 6.59 million
tonnes than the average wheat production of 94.61
million tonnes.
Jalan panel defers report on RBI surplus funds after
lack of consensus
A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee
considering guidelines for transfer of the central
bank's surplus funds to the government delayed
submitting its report, after lack of consensus, officials
said.
The six-member committee led by
former RBI governor Bimal Jalan will
met once more before submitting its
report by the month-end. The
committee was appointed in December
2018 to review the Economic Capital
Framework (ECF) for the Reserve Bank
after the Finance Ministry advised the
central bank to transfer surplus funds Bimal Jalan
to the government. The RBI has over
Rs 9.6 lakh crore surplus capital.
"There may be differences of opinion, but that
is being discussed," said an official about delay in
finalising the report. The ECF panel was mandated
ee
to submit its report to the RBI within 90 days of its
first meeting which took place on January 8. Following
Fr
this, the panel was given a three-month extension.
The other key members of the panel include Rakesh
e/
Mohan, former deputy governor of RBI as the vice-
m
chairman, finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg,
RBI deputy governor N S Vishwanathan, and two
/t.
RBI central board members -- Bharat Doshi and
Sudhir Mankad.
s:/
RBI asks banks to grout ATMs to wall, floor for security
by September
tp
The Reserve Bank has asked banks to ensure
ht
their ATMs are grouted to a wall, pillar, or floor by
September-end, except those installed in high secured
premises such as airports, to enhance security of the
cash vending machines. In 2016, the RBI had set
up a Committee on Currency Movement (CCM) to
review the entire gamut of security of treasure in
transit. Based on the recommendations of the panel,
the central bank has now issued instructions aimed
at mitigating risks in ATM operations and enhancing
security. As part of the security measures, all "ATMs
shall be operated for cash replenishment only with
digital One Time Combination (OTC) locks".
India among top 20 host economies for FDI inflows
in 2017-18
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India grew by
6 per cent to USD 42 billion in 2018, with strong
36
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
inflows in the manufacturing, communication and
financial services sectors, and cross-border merger
and acquisition activities, according to a UN report
that ranked India among the top 20 host economies
for FDI inflows in 2017-18. The World Investment
Report 2019, released by the UN Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said global FDI
flows slid by 13 per cent in 2018 to USD 1.3 trillion
from USD 1.5 trillion the previous year the third
consecutive annual decline.
However, FDI inflows to developing countries in
Asia rose by 3.9 per cent to USD 512 billion in
2018, with growth occurring mainly in China, Hong
Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and other ASEAN
countries, as well as India and Turkey. The Asian
region remained the world's largest FDI recipient,
absorbing 39 per cent of global inflows in 2018, up
from 33 per cent in 2017.
Second advanced estimates of 2018-19 for for
e
Horticulture crops
in
Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and
Farmers Welfare Releases the Second Advanced
az
Estimate (2018-19) of Area and Production of various
Horticulture Crops. Department of Agriculture,
ag
Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has released the
Second Advanced Estimate (2018-19) of Area and
M
Production of various Horticulture Crops, as compiled
from information received from different State/UTs
_e
and source agencies.
Highlights
• The Total Horticulture Production of the country
is estimated to be 314.87 Million Tonnes which
is 1.01% higher than Horticulture Production in
2017-18.
• Fruits Production is estimated to be around 97.38
Million Tonnes, compared to 97.36 Million Tonnes
in last year.
• Vegetables Production is estimated to be around
187.36 Million Tonnes, which is 1.61% higher
than Production in 2017-18.
• Onion Production is estimated to be around 23.28
Million Tonnes, which is slightly higher than
production in 2017-18.
• Potato Production is estimated to be around
52.96 Million Tonnes, which is 3.2% higher than
Production in 2017-18.
• Tomato Production is estimated to be around
19.66 Million Tonnes, which is 0.5%, lower
than Production in 2017-18.
• Spices Production is estimated to be around
8.61 Million Tonnes, which is 6.01% higher than
Production in 2017-18.
PM-kisan Scheme: More than 2 crore Small/Marginal
Farmers have benefited so far
With a view to augment the income of farmers
by providing income support to all Small and Marginal
landholder farmers' families across the country and
to enable them to take care of expenses related to
agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic
needs, the Central Government had started a new
Scheme on 01.02.2019 namely, the Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). The Scheme aims
to provide a payment of Rs 6,000 per year for the
farmers' families with cultivable land holding upto
2 hectare, subject to certain exclusions.
This Rs 6,000 would be released in three 4-
monthly installments of Rs 2,000 over the year. The
scheme is effective from 1.12.2018. The amount is
being released by the Central Government directly
into the bank accounts of the eligible farmers under
Direct Benefit Transfer mode for a period of 4 months
ending on 31.03.2019. Around 12.5 crore farmers
across the country will be benefitted from this
Scheme. Under the scheme, the responsibility of
identification of the eligible beneficiaries rests with
the State Government.
Trade, investment issues to top Mike Pompeo's India
agenda
The United States (US) secretary of state Mike
Pompeo visited
India to prepare
grounds for the
Narendra Modi-
Donald Trump
meeting on the
sidelines of G-20
summit in Osaka,
Japan on 28-29
ee
June 2019. Key
points of discussion
Fr
between the US
secretary of state
e/
and the Prime
m
Minister Narendra Modi include issues related to
trade of goods, services and arms, data localisation
/t.
and e-commerce. India also sees Pompeo's visit as
an opportunity to raise the issue of Iran sanctions.
s:/
The US ended the exemptions from the sanctions
to eight countries including India in May 2019. The
tp
move has put India at a disadvantage because Iranian
ht
oil was cheaper and came with a longer credit period
and better payment arrangement.
Wilful Defaulters in Nationalised Banks up by 60% in
5 years: Gov
The number of wilful defaulters in nationalised
banks has increased by over 60 per cent to 8,582
in five years to March 2019, the government said.
By the end of 2014-15 fiscal, the figure stood at
5,349, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in
a written reply in Lok Sabha. A wilful defaulter is
an entity or a person that has not paid the loan back
despite the ability to repay it. The minister was
replying to a question whether the cases of wilful
defaulters of banks have increased during the last
five years. Rising consistently since 2014-15, the
number of such borrowers increased to 6,575 in
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
37
2015-16; 7,079 in 2016-17 and further to 7,535
in 2017-18. Recovery of ` 7,654 crore has been
done from wilful defaulters' accounts during the last
five financial years, she said. As per data reported
by nationalised banks, till March 31, 2019, suits for
recovery have been filed in 8,121 cases. In cases
involving secured assets, action under the provisions
of SARFAESI Act has been initiated in 6,251 cases.
Centre resolves 615 infra projects worth Rs.22.4 tln:
Finance ministry
The Project Monitoring-Invest India Cell (PMIC)
has resolved 615 projects with an investment of
Rs.22.4 trillion so far, according to the ministry of
finance. A total of 1,038 projects were under PMIC's
review. The issue of 125 projects with an anticipated
investment of Rs.8.2 trillion required no further
intervention from PMIC. Further, around 340 projects
have been partly or fully commissioned with actual
flow of investment to Rs.11.7 trillion while 238
e
projects worth Rs.8.5 trillion are in the pipeline.
in
About 298 projects with an investment of Rs.11
trillion are currently under consideration of PMIC.
az
Among various sectors, power had received the
maximum number of 246 projects that got cleared,
ag
attracting around Rs.13.2 trillion investments,
followed by 201 projects in the road transport and
M
highways sector with an investment of Rs.2.2 trillion.
Unaccounted wealth outside India at USD 216 bln-UD
_e
490 bln: NIPFP, NCAER & NIFM
Various studies conducted by the national institute
of public finance and policy (NIPFP), the national council
of applied economic research (NCAER) and the national
institute of financial management (NIFM) have concluded
that unaccounted wealth held by Indians outside the
country is in the range of USD 216.5 billion to USD
490 billion over various periods between 1980 and
2010. This was part of a report of the standing
committee on finance, 'Status of Unaccounted Income/
Wealth Both Inside and Outside the Country - A Critical
Analysis' tabled in the Lok Sabha.
E-returns filing for AY 2018-19 up by 18.7%: Nirmala
Sitharaman
Over 64.9 million electronic returns were
submitted for assessment year (AY) 2018-19
(financial year 2017-18) as against over 55 million
in assessment year 2017-18, marking an increase
of 18.7 per cent, according to the finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman. The income tax department
processed around 71.9 million income tax returns
(ITRs) in 2018-19 and refunds worth over Rs.1.6
trillion were issued. During 2019-20, the department
has issued Rs.647 billion worth refunds till 18 June
2019, Sitharaman added.
Viral Acharya quits as RBI Deputy Governor six months
before end of his term
Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral
Acharya has resigned from his position six months
before the end of his term, according to sources in
the central bank. Mr. Acharya, who was in charge
of the monetary policy department, reportedly
resigned due to "personal reasons".
His departure is significant as it comes
just a little more than six months after
the resignation of Urjit Patel from the
post of RBI Governor. It is also perhaps
significant that Mr. Patel resigned
shortly before the Bimal Jalan
committee is to submit its report on
whether RBI reserves could be Viral Acharya
transferred to the Centre or not. In
October last, Mr. Acharya created a controversy by
strongly alluding to the encroachment on autonomy
of the central bank by the government. One of the
tension points he highlighted was the treatment of
the RBI reserves.
Insurance Cover for Risk-Prone Crops
Government has conducted several studies to
sector.
SEBI sets up panel to review margins on derivatives
Based on the feedback that the existing margin
requirements in the derivatives segment is pushing
up cost of trading while not managing risk in the
most efficient manner, the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) has decided to review the
current framework of margins in the futures and
options segment.
lnduslnd Bank,Bharat Financial merger to be effective
from July 4
Private sector lender lndusInd Bank and Bharat
Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL) on June 19 said their
merger will be effective from July 4.The National
Company Law Tribunal on June 10, 2019 approved
the Scheme of Arrangement among BFIL, lnduslnd
Bank and Induslnd Financial Inclusion and their
respective shareholders and creditors.
Global Growth to Weaken to 2.6% in 2019, Substantial

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measure and quantify the adverse effects of climate Risks Seen

in
change on agriculture. Extensive field and simulation Global economic growth is forecast to ease to a
studies were carried out in agriculture and allied

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weaker-than-expected
sectors by several network centers consisting of 2.6% in 2019 before
ICAR Institutes such as Indian Agricultural Research

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inching up to 2.7% in
Institute at New Delhi, Central Research Institute for 2020. Growth in
Dryland Agriculture at Hyderabad, Central Marine
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of Horticultural Research, Bangalore etc. and State M
emerging market and
developing economies
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is expected to stabilize
Agricultural Universities, located in different parts of next year as some
the country.
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m

(REBR) 2019.The company, which has more than growth is constrained

50,000 direct and indirect employees in India, has by sluggish investment,
/t.

been steadily been expanding operations over the and risks are tilted to
past five years.
s:/

the downside. These

India imposes higher customs duty on 28 US products risks include rising trade
tp

India on June 15,2019 announced a hike in barriers, renewed

customs duties on as many as 28 US products, financial stress, and
ht

including almond, pulses and walnut, in response to
higher tariffs imposed by Washington on Indian
products like steel and aluminium. The increased
customs duties will come into effect from Sunday,
an official notification said.
DoT panel approves levy of penalty on Airtel, Vodafone
Idea
The Digital Communications Commission, the
highest decision-making body of the Department of
Telecom, has given its approval for imposing penalty
on Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for denial of
interconnection to Reliance Jio when the latter had
entered the market.However, the inter-ministerial
panel has asked the Telecom Regulatory authority
of India (TRAI) to review the penalty amount of
Rs.3,050 crore, given the financial stress in the
38
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
sharper-than-expected slowdowns in several major
economies, the World Bank says in its June 2019
Global Economic Prospects:
Over 1 mln jobs created in April 2019: EPFO
Over one million new subscribers were added in
the formal sector in April 2019, according to the
latest payroll data released by the
employees' provident fund
organisation (EPFO). As per the
release, 6.1 million jobs were created
during 2018-19, while 1.5 million
jobs were created during the seven-
month period starting from
September 2017 to March 2018. In
the twenty-month period since September 2017, April
2019 has the highest net job creation numbers.
Dear Valued Readers ! HAPPY NEWS
We are very pleased to announce that General Knowledge Refresher is going
to introduce School Study material for Class X. We feel this will be a valuable
pack for our readers. Please detach it.

STUDY MATERIAL CLASS-X

MATHEMATICS
Topic Covered : TRIANGLES
Key points • A.A.A similarly criterion, if in two triangles
• Two figures having the same shape but not corresponding angles are equal, then the triangle

e
necessarily the same size are called similar figures. are similar.

in
• All congruent figures are similar but the converse • A.A similarity criterion: if in two angles, two
is not true. angles of one triangle are respectively equal to

az
• If a line is drawn parallel to one side of a triangle the two angles of the other triangle, then the
two triangle are similar.

to intersect the other two sides in distinct points,
then the other two sides are divided in the same
ratio.
• Two polygons having the same number of sides
are similar, if
(i) their corresponding angles are equal and
ee
ag
• S.S.S similarity criterion: if in two triangle,
Mcorresponding sides are in the same ratio, then
the two triangles are similar.
_e
• If one angle of a triangle is equal to one angle
of another triangle and the sides including these

(ii) their corresponding sides are proportional angles are in the same ratio, then the triangles
(i.e., in the same ratio) are similar.
Fr

• If a line divides any two sides of a triangle in • If two triangle are equiangular, then
(i) the ratio of the corresponding sides is same
e/

the same ratio, then the line is parallel to the

third side of the triangle. as the ratio of corresponding medians.
m

• The internal bisector of an angle of triangle

divides the opposiet side internally in the ratio HOW TO WRITE
/t.

of the sides containg the angle. CORRECT ENGLISH

s:/

• If a line through one vertex of a triangle divides

the opposite side in the ratio of other two sides, AVOIDING
tp

then the line bisects the angle at the vertex.

• The external bisector of an angle of a triangle COMMON
ht

divides the opposite side externally in the ratio

of the sides containg the angle.
• The line drawn from the mid-point of one side
of a triangle is parallel of another side bisects
the third side.
• The line joining the mid-points of two sides of
a triangle is papallel to the third side.
• The diagonals of a quadrilateral divides each of
the proportionally, then it is a trapezium.
• Any line parallel to the parallel sides of a trapezium
divides the non-parallel sides proportionally.
• If three or more parallel lines are intersected by
two transversals, then the intercepts mode by
them on the transversal are proportional.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 39
ERRORS
Highlights:
• The book is designed to help students
at all academic and competition levels
• Concept of Basic English Grammar
• Comprehensive coverage on avoiding
Common Errors
• Large number of examples in every
chapter
< 150.00
For VPP Send <50/- as advance to:
 (ii) the ratio of the corresponding sides is same the square of the medians of the traingle.
as the ratio of the corresponding angle bisector • Three times the square of any side of an
segments. equilateral triangle is equal to four times the
(iii) the ratio of the corresponding sides is same square of the altitude.
as the ratio of the corresponding altitudes. SECTION - A
• If one angle of a triangle is equal to one angle 1. In the figure of ∆ABC, D∈PAB, if AD = 2x, DC
of another triangle and the bisectors of there = x + 3, B∈ = 2a –1 and C∈ = x, then find
equal angles divides the opposite side in the the value of x.
same ratio, then the triangle are similar. 2. A parallellogram has vertics P(1,4), Q(7,11),
• If two sides and a median bisecting the third R(a, 4) and S(1, –3), find the value of a.
side of a triangle are respectively proportional 3. In the figures, lPm, ∠OAC = 80°, ∠ODB = 70°
to the two sides and the corresponding median is ∆OCA~∆ODB ?
of another triangle, then the triangle are similar. SECTION - B
• The ratio of the area of two similar triangles is 4. In the figure of ∆ABC~∆DEF. AP bisect ∠CAB
equal to the ratio of and DCQ bisect ∠FDE.
(i) the squares of any two corresponding sides prove that
(ii) the squares of the corresponding altitude.
(iii) the squares of the corresponding medians. AP AB
(a) =
(iv) the squars of the corresponding angle bisector DQ DE

e
segments. (b) ∆CAP ~ ∆FDQ

in
• If the area of two similar triangle are equal, then 5. In the given figures, ∆ÎPOQ and ∆FPOR show that

az
the triangle are congruent i.e., equal and similar ∈FPQR
triangle congruent.
1

ag
• If a perpendicular is drawn from the vertex of 6. In trapezium ∆ABCD with ABPCD, if AB= CD
the right angle of a right triangle to the 3
hypotencus, then the triangles on both sides of
the perpendicular are similar to the whole triangle M
and are (∆AOB) = 21cm2, find ax(∆CoD)
SECTION - C
_e
and also to each other. 7. In a ∆ABC, ∆∈PBC, if AD:DB = 3 : 5, then find
• Pythegoras theorem: In a right triangle, the square are (∆DFE)
ee

of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the

other two sides. ar (∆CFB)
Fr

• Converse of pythagoras theorem: if in a triangle 8. A boy of height 95 cm is walking away from

square of one side is equal to the sum of the base of a lamp post at a speed of 1.5 m/s. if
e/

squares of the other two sides, then the angle the lamp post is 3.8 m above the ground, find
opposite to first side is a right angle. the length of this shadow after 5 seconds.
m

• In any triangle the sum of the square of any two 9. In right angled ∆ABC it D and E, trisect BC, then
prove that 8A∈2 = 3AC2 + 5AD2
/t.

sides is equal to twice the square of half of the

third sides together with the twice of the square SECTION - D
s:/

of the median which bisect the third side. 10. Prove that in a right triangle, the square of the
• Three times the sum of the square of the sides hypotenure is equal to the sum of the squares
tp

of a triangle is equal to four times the sum of of the other two sides.
ht

EXPLANATORY NOTES
3
Q.1. x = 1 1
5 Now ∠A = ∠D = ∠A = ∠D
2 2
Q.2. a = 7
Q.3. Yes, ∆OCA ~ ∆ODB ⇒ ∠BAP = ∠∈Del and ∠CAP = ∠FDQ
Q.4. Since ∆ABC ~ ∆DEF, therefore (a) Thus, in ∆ABP and ∆∈EQ, we have
∠A = ∠D, ∠B = ∠E, ∠C = ∠F ∠BAP = ∠∈Dcl
∠B = ∠∈
So, by AA criteriaon of similarity of triangels we
have
∆ABP ~ ∆D∈d
AB AP
=
D∈ DQ
40 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
 (b) Thus, in ∆CAP and ∆FDQ, we have qr(∆ΑoB)  1 
2
∠CAP = ∠FDQ ⇒ = 
qr(∆CoD)  3 
∠C = ∠F
So, by AA - criterion of similarity of triangles, 21 1
⇒ =
we have qr(∆CoD) 9
∆CAP ~ ∆FDQ
⇒ qr (∆CoD)= 189 cm2
Q.5. In the given figure, D∈POQ and
Q.7. In ∆ABC, we have
DFPOR, show that ∈FPQR
D∈PBC
In ∆POQ, we have
⇒ ∠AD∈ = ∠ABC and
D∈POQ
PD P∈
∴ = ... (i)
DP ∈Q
In ∆POR, we have
DFPOR
PD PF
∴ = ... (ii)
DO FR

e
∠A∈D = ∠ACB

in
from (i) and (ii) we have
Thus in ∆AD∈ and ∆ABC, we have
P∈ PF

az
= ∠A = ∠A (common)
∈Q FR
∠AD∈ = ∠ACB

ag
Thus in ∆PQR
point ∈ and F are dividing sides PQ and PR in and ∠A∈D = ∠ACB
the same ratio. Therefore, by converse of B.P.T
we get
∴
M
∆AD∈ ~ ∆ABC (by A.A.A similarity)
∆AD∈ ~ ∆ABC
_e
AD D∈
⇒ = ... (i)
ee

AB BC
Q.8. Let AB be the lamp post and CD be the boy
Fr

after walking 5 second. Let DE be the length

of his shadow such that
e/

BD = 1.5 × 5 = 7.5 m
m
/t.

∈FPQR
1
s:/

Q.6. Given AB = CD
3
tp

AB 1
⇒ =
CD 3
ht

In ∆AoB and ∆CoD we get

∠AoB = ∠CoD (vertically opposite image)
and ∠OAB = ∠OCD (alternate angle)

qr (∆AoB) AB2
⇒ =
qr (∆CoD) CD2
2
qr (∆AoB)  AB 
⇒ = 
qr(∆CoD)  CD 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 41

 In ∆ABE and CDE, we have
∠B = ∠D
∠E = ∠F
So by AA-criterion of similarity of triangle we get
∆ABE ~∆CDE

ABE and ABC, we get

AD2 = AB2 + BD2
⇒ AD2 = AB2 + x2 ... (i)
and AE2 = AB2 + BE2
AE2 = AB2 + (2x)2
AE2 = AB2 + 4x2 ... (ii)
and AC2 = AB2 + BC2
BE AB AC2 = AB2 + (3x)2
=

e
DE CD AC2 = AB2 + 9x2 ... (iii)

in
Now, 8AE2 – 3AC2 – 5AD2
7.5 + x 3.8
⇒ =
= 8(AB2 + 4 x2 ) − 3(AB2 + 9 x2 ) − 5(AB2 + x2 )

az
x 0.95
= 8AB2 + 32 x2 − (3AB2 + 27 x2 ) − (5AB2 + 5x2 )

ag
⇒ 7.5 × 0.95 + 0.95x = 3.8x

⇒ 7.125 = 2.85x = 8AB2 − 3AB2 − 5AB2 + 32 x2 − 27 x2 − 5 x2

x = 2.5 M=0
_e
Hence, the length of his shadow after 5 second ⇒ 8AE2 − 3A2 − 5AD2 = 0
is 2.5 cm.
ee

we have ⇒ 8AE2 = 3AC2 + 5AD2

Fr

AD 3 BD 5 Q.10. Given 1 A right triangle ABC, right angle at

= ⇒ = B to prove that - AC2 = AB2 + BC2
DB 5 AD 3
e/

Construction: Draw BD ⊥ AC
DB 5 DB + AD 8
m

⇒ +1= +1 ⇒ = Proof: ∆ADB ~ ∆ABC

AD 3 AD 3
/t.

AB 8 AD 3
⇒ = ⇒ =
s:/

AD 3 AB 8
tp

DE 3
∴ = ... (ii) from (i)
BC 8
ht

In ∆DEF and ∆CFB we get

∠EDF = ∠BCF (Alternate angle)
AD AB
∠DFE = ∠CFB (vertically opposite) =
AB AC
Therefore by A.A-similarity criterion we have
⇒ AD.AC = AB2 ...(i)
∆DEF ~ ∆CFB
CD BC
DE2
2 Also, ∆BDC ~ ∆ABC so =
qr (∆DEF) qr(∆DEF)  3  9 BC AC
⇒ = ⇒ =  =
qr (∆CFB) BC2 qr (∆CFB)  8  64 CD.AC = BC2 ...(ii)
Q.9. Since D and E trisect BC, therefore, Adding (i) and (ii) we get
BD = DE = CE AD.AC + CD.AC = AB2 + BC2
Let BD = DE = CE = x, then BE = 2x and AC(AD + CD) = AB2 + BC2
BC = 3x AC.AC= AB2 + BC2
In right triangle ABD, Hence AC2 = AB2 + BC2
42 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
STUDY MATERIAL CLASS-X

SCIENCE - X
PHYSICS
LIGHT (REFRACTION)
• Whenever a light ray undergoes oblique refraction
from one transparent medium to another, the
ray changes its path. It is an account of change
in speed of light on entering the second media.
• Two basic laws of refraction of light are:
(a) The incident ray, the refracted ray and the
normal to the separating surface at the point of
• The principal forcus of a lens is the point on its
principal axis where a beam of light coming
parallel to its principal axis actually converges
to (in case of a convex lens) or appears to
diverge from (in case of a concave lens) after
refraction from the lens.
• A lens has two principal foci F1 and F2, are on

e
incidence, all lie in the same plane. each side of the lens.

in
(b) The ratio of sine of the angle of incidence • The distance of the principal focus from the optical
centre of a lens is called its focal length (f).

az
(i) to the sine of angle of refraction (r) is a
constant. It is known as snell’s law. Thus, • The position of the image formed by a lens can

ag
according to Snell’s law be found by considering any two of the following
rays.
sin i
sin r
= n21 = a constant
M
(i) A ray incident parallel to the principal axis,
after refraction, passes through the principal
_e
Here, n21 is known as the refractive index of focus on other side of lens in a convex lens or
second medium with respect to the first medium. appears to diverge from the principal focus
ee

• Absolute refractive index n of a given medium located on the same side of a concave lens.
is defined as, (ii) A ray of light passing through the principal
Fr

speed of light in vacuum or ar (c) focus in a convex lens or appearing to meet at

n= the principal focus in a concave lens emerges
e/

speed of light in given medium (v)

parallel to the principal axis after refraction.
m

Refractive index is a unitless quantity. Also

absolute refractive index of a medium has a value
/t.

equal to one or greater than one.

• A medium with larger refractive index is called
s:/

optically denser medium and the medium with

lesser refractive index is called optically rarer
tp

medium.
ht

• A ray of light travelling from a rarer medium to

a denser medium bends towards the normal
(i.e., r < i). However, a ray of light travelling
from a densor ot rarer medium bends away from
the normal (i.e., r > i).
• A convex lens converges the incident light beam
and is, thus, known as a converging (or
convergent)lens. A concave lens diverges the
incident light beam and is known as a diverging
(or divergent) lens.
• A straight line passing through the centres of
Part I < 60/-
curvature of a lens is called its principal axis.
• The optical centre of a lens is the point on its
principal axis, a ray of light passing through
which goes undeviated.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 43
 (iii) A ray of light correlating µ, v and f are a in a convex lens. Where is the object sutuated
lens. Accoring to lens formula, we have and where is the image formed ?
6. Name the lens which can be used as a magnifying
1 1 1 glass.
− =
v u f 7. Two thin lenses of powers p1 and p2 are placed
This relation is true for all lenses, but appropriate in contact. What is the power of the combination.
sign convention must be followed for u, v and f. 8. The power of a lens is +5D. Find its focal length
• The magnification (m) produced by a lens is in metres.
given by Short Answer Type Question (2 Marks Each)
9. What is a lens ? what are two kinds of lenses?
Height of the image(h') v
m= = 10. Define magnification produced by a lens. How
Height of the object (h) u
is it related to the object distance and image
Magnification of a lens is –ve for a real and distances ?
inverted image but +ve for virtual and erect 11. What is the principle of reversibility of light ?
image. 12. Define refractive index of a transparent medium.
• The power (p) of a lens is defined as the reciprocal What is its unit ? Which has a higher refractive
of its focal length (f). index, glass or water ?

e
1 13. A 2.0 cm tall object is placed perpendicular to

in
Thus, P = the principal axis of a convex lens of focal
f
length 10 cm. The distance of the object from

az
s.f units of power is diopter (D),
the lens is 15 cm. Find the nature, position and
where 1D = m–1.

ag
size of the image. Also find its magnification.
Very Short Answer Type Question (1 Mark Each)
Long Answer Type Question (5 Marks Each)
1. Light enters from air to glass having refractive
index 1.50. What is the speed of light in the M
14. An object placed on a metre scale at 8 cm mark
was focused on a white screen placed at 92 cm
_e
glass? The speed of light in vacuum is 3 × 108
mark, using a converging lens placed on the
ms–1.
scale at 50 cm mark.
ee

2. Define 1 dioptre of power of a lens.

(i) Find the focal length of the converging lens.
3. The refractive index of diamond is 2.42. What
Fr

(ii) Find the position of the image formed if the

is the meaning of this statement ?
object is shifted towards the lens at a position
4. When a convex lens is focussed on a distant
e/

of 29 cm.
object, where will the image be formed ?
(iii) State the nature of the image formed of the
m

5. An image of the same size of an object is formed object is further shifted towards the lens.
/t.

SOLUTION
s:/

Q.1. Speed of light in vacuum e = 3×108 m/s, and Q.4. The image is formed on the principal focus of
refractive index of glass ng = 1.50 convex lens on opposite side of the distant
tp

c object.
ht

From the relation n = , we have

Q.5. At 2F, as v = 2f
v
Q.6. A convex lens can be used as a magnifying
c 3 × 108 m/s
Speed of light in glass v g = = glass so as to form magnified image of a tiny
ng 1.50
object placed near it.
= 2 × 108 m/s Q.7. Power of combination lens p = p1 + p2
Q.2. 1 diopter power is defined as the power of a 1 1
lens having a focal lengh of 1m. Q.8. Focal length f = = + m = 0.2 m
p 5
Q.3. When we say that refraction index of diamond Q.9. A lens is a transparent material bound by two
is 2.42, it mean that speed of light in diamond. surface, of which one of both surface are
speed of light in vacuum spherical. A lens forms images due to the
=
2.42 phenomenon of refraction.
Two kinds of lenses are as follows-
3 × 108 m/s
= = 1.24 × 108 m/s (i) Convex lens: A convex lens is thicker at the
2.42
44 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
 middle and thin at the edges. It converges the
 20 
light rays. Image size, h ' = +2  
 −15 
(ii) Concave lens: A concave lens is thin at the
middle and thick at the dges. It diverges the = −4 cm
light rays.
Q.14. (i) Here position of object on metre scale
Q.10. The magnification produced by a lens is defined = 8cm, position of converging (convex) lens
as the ratio of the height of image (h’) to the = 50 cm and position of screen = 92 cm.
height of object (h).
∴ x = (50 − 8) = 42 cm
Magnification produced by a lens is related to
distances u and v as and v = 92 – 50 = 42 cm
h' As per sign convention x = – 42 cm
Magnification (m) =
h & v = + 92 cm
= Distance of image from the lens (v) 1 1 1
∴ = −
Q.11. According to the principle of reversibility of f v x
light, if path of a light ray is reversed at a pont
1 1
then the entire pathe of light rays is reversed. = −
(+42) (−42)

e
An important consequence of this property is

in
1 1 1 1
n12 = = + =

az
n21 42 42 21

ag
where n12 = refractive index of medium 1 with ⇒ f = 21 cm
respect to medium 2 and n21 = refractive (ii) If object is shifted to a position 29 cm,
index of medium 2 with respect to medium 1.
Q.12. The refractive index (n) of a transparent medium
Mthen x ' = (50 − 20) cm = 21 cm i.e., the
_e
object is situated at first focus F1 of the lens.
is defined as,
Hence its real and inverted image is formed
ee

speed of light in vacuum (c) at infinity.

refractive index (n) =
speed of light in given medium (v) (iii) If the object is further shifted towards the
Fr

It is a unitless quantity. lens then (u) < f and hence a virtual and erect
image of the object will be formed.
e/

Glass has a higher value of refractive index

m

100
 3
 ng =  than that of water (nw = 4 3)
/t.

 2
s:/

Q.13. Here, h = + 2 cm, f = +10 cm, u = −15 cm

Using lens formula, we have, ELECTRONIC
tp

1 1 1
= + =
1
+
1
PROJECT
ht

v u f −15 10
Highlights:
−1 1
= + l Design new panels and make new
15 10 circuits.
l A book for students and hobbysts
−2 + 3 1
= ± to learn basic electronics through
30 30 practical presentable circuits.
∴ v = +30 cm l A handy guide for school science
fair projects or making personal
The positive sign of v shown that the image
is formed at a distance of 30 cm to the other
hobby gadgets. < 149.00
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side of the optical centre of the lens and is
9 real and inverted image.
h ' v +30 cm
Magnification, m = = = = −2
h u −15 cm
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 45
 CHEMISTRY
CARBON AND ITS COMPOUNDS
Important points
• Carbon compound from covalent bonds. They
are poor conductors of electricity and have low
melting and boiling points. This indicates that
there are no ions in carbon compounds.
• The large variety of compounds is formed by
carbon because of its tetravalency and the
property of catenation that it exhibits.
• Covalent bonds are formed by the sharing of
electron between two atoms so that bothe can
achieve a completly filled outermost shell.
• Carbon forms covalent bonds with itself and
other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen,
sulphur, nitrogen and chlorine.
• Carbon also forms compounds containing double
and triple bonds between carbon atoms. There
carbon chains may be in the form of straight
chains, branched chains or rings.
• The ability of carbon to form chains gives rise
to a homologous series of compounds in which
the same functional group is attached to carbon
chains of different lengths.
• Catenation: Carbon has the ability to form bonds
with other carbons atoms. This property is called
ee
catenation.
• Saturated hydrocarbon: Compounds of hydrogen
Fr
and carbon containing only single bonds between
carbon and carbon are called saturated
e/
hydrocarbons.
m
H H
 
/t.
H— C — C — H
s:/
 
H H
(ethane, C2H6 )
tp
ht
• Unsaturated hydrocarbon: Compounds in which
the four valencies of carbon are satisfied with the
help of double or triple bonds are called
unsaturated compounds. Unsaturated compounds
containing double bonds are call alkenes while
those containing triple are call alkynes.
Ethene C2H2 is an example of alkene and Ethyne
C2H2 is an example of alkyne.
H H
C= C H—C ≡ C—H
H H
(Ethyne, C2H2 )
(
Ethene, C2H4 ) R
• Cyclic hydrocarbons: Some compounds of carbon
have carbon atoms arranged in the form of
46 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
rings. These are called cyclic hydrocarbons. For
example cyclo hexane.
C6H12
• Steps for the nomenclature of organic compounds.
e
(i) Identify the number of carbon atoms in the
in
compound. A compound having two carbon
az
atoms will have the name derived from ethane
and having three carbon atoms will have the
ag
name derived from propane and so on.
(ii) The name of the functional group is indicated
M
with either a prefix (in case of halogen
compounds) or a suffix in case of others.
_e
(iii) If the name of the functional group is to be
given as a suffix, the name of the carbon chain
is modified by deleting the final ‘e’ and adding
the appropriate suffix. For example, a three
carbon chain with a ketone group would be
named as
Propane – ‘e’ + ‘one’ = protone.
(iv) If the compound is unsaturated, then the
final ‘one’ is substituted by ‘one’ or ‘yne’ for
double and triple bond respectively.
• Oxidation of carbon compounds : Hydrogen on
complete oxidation are converted into carbon
dioxide and water. There are other reactions in
which complete oxidation does not take places.
For example, ethyl alcohol is oxidised or acidified
K2Cr2O7 called oxidising agents.
Alk.KMNO
4
CH3CH2OH 
→ CH3COOH
Acidified K2Cr2O7
• Adding reaction : Unsaturated hydrocarbons add
hydrogen in the presence of catalysts such as
nickel of palladium to give saturated hydrocarbon.
H H
R R  
H , Ni
2
C= C →R — C — C — R
R  
R R
• Substitution reaction : In the presence of sunlight,
chlorine is added to hydrocarbon in a very fast
 reaction. Chlorine can replace hydrogen one by iodine.
one. It is called substitution reaction because (ii) Ethanoic acid is used in the preparation
one type of atom or group is substituted by the pickels.
other. 11. Write chemical test to distinguish between
Sunlight ethanol and ethanoic acid.
CH4 + Cl2 
→ CH3Cl+HCl
12. Write the stuctural formula of two isomers of
• Ethanol : Ethanol is commonly called alcohol and n-pentane C5H12.
is an ingredient of all alcoholic drinks. It is also Long Answer Type Question (5 Marks Each)
used in medicines such as tincture iodine, cough 13. Write chemical equation of the reaction of
syrups and tonics. ethanoic acid with the following
• Easters are formed when ethanic acid reacts (a) Sodium (b) Sodium hydroxide (c) Ethanol
with ethanol in the presence of an acid.
Write the name of one main product of each
Acid reaction.
CH3COOH + CH3CH2OH → CH3C — OCH2CH3
H+ 14. (a) Give a chemical test to distinguish between
2
O saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Ethyle ethanoate
(Ester) (b)(i) Name the product formed when ethanol
burns in air.

e
• Easters are sweet smelling substances and are (ii) What two forms of energy are liberated on

in
used in making perfumes and as flavouring burning alcohol ?
agents.

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• The functional groups such as alcohols, aldehydes,
ketons and carboxylic acids bestow characteristic

ag
properties to the carbon compounds that contain
them.
• Carbon and its compounds are some of our M
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major sources of fuels.
• The action of soaps and detergents is based on
ee

the presence of both hydrophobic and hydophilic

groups in the molecule and this helps to emulsify
Fr

the oily dirto and hence its removal.

Very Short Answer Type Question (1 Mark Each)
e/

1. How many stuctural isomers can you draw for

m

pentane ?
2. What are the two properties of carbon which
/t.

lead to the huge number of carbon compounds.

s:/

We see around us ?
3. Why is conversion of ethanol to ethanoic acid
tp

an oxidation reaction ?
4. A mixture of oxygen and ethyne is burnt for
ht

welding. Can you tell why a mixture of ethyne

and air is not used ?
5. What are oxidising agents ?
6. Give the name of the following fuctional groups
(i) –OH
(ii) –COOH
7. What is the effect of drinking methanol ?
8. What is meant by saponification ?
Short Answer Type Question (2 Marks Each)
9. How would you distinguish experimentally
between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid ?
10. Give reasons for the following.
(i) Ethanol is used in the preparation of tincture
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 47
 SOLUTION
Q.1. The isomer are as follows. Q.8. Hydrolysis of an ester to produce an alcohol
and a carboxylic acid in the presence of an
H H H H H acid or base is called saponification.
     Q.9. Take the samples in two test tube. Add 5 ml
H — C — C — C — C — C— H
of saturated solution of sodium biacarbonate
     solution to the two test tubes separately.
H H H H H
The tube in which a brisk effervercence, due
(i) n-pentane to the evolution of carbondioxide, take place
contains the carboxyle acid and the other one
H H H H contain alcohol.
   
H— C — C —C — C —H Q.10.(i) Iodine dissolve in ethanol. Thus, ethanol is
used as a solvent in the preparation tincture
   
H H H—C—H H iodine.
 (ii) Ethanoic acid kills bacteria. Therefore it is
H used in the preparation of pickles as a
preservative.

e
(ii) iso-pertane

in
Q.11. Take sample of ethanol and ethanoic acid
H separately in two test tubes. Add a pinch of

az
 solid sodium hydrogen carbonate in the two
H H— C —H H test tubes. Reaction takes place and CO2 gas

ag
   comes and from the tube containing ethanoic
H— C —C — C —H acid.
 
H H— C—H H

M CH3COOH + NaHCO2 → CH3COONa
+ CO2 + H2O
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
H No reaction takes place in the tube containing
ee

ethanol.
iso-pertane
H H H H
Q.2. The two properties are
Fr

   
(i) Catenation Q.12. H — C — C — C — C — Br
e/

(ii) Tetravalency of carbon    

H H— C—H H H
m

Q.3. Oxygen has been added to the molecule of

ethanol in the conversion to ethanoic acid. 
/t.

H
+ [O]
CH3CH2OH 
→ CH COOH
3
s:/

(One oxygen per (Two oxygen per molecule) H

molcule) 
H H— C —H H
tp

Therfore, it is an oxidation reaction.

Q.4. Combustion of ethyne with oxygen is an   
ht

H — C — C — C — Br
exothermic reaction. A lot of heat is evolved
which is used in welding.   
H H— C—H H
Air contains a mixture of oxygen & nitrogen. 
Nitrogen does not help in combustion. Therefore, H
heat evolved when ethyne burns in air will be Q.13.
much less than when it burns in oxygen.
Q.5. Substances which bring about oxidation of a (a) 2Na + 2CH3COOH → 2CH3COONa +H2
substance (addition of oxygen) are called oxi- (Sodium ethanoate)
dising agent.
Q.6. (i) Alcoholic acid (b) NaOH + CH3COOH → CH3COONa +H2
(Sodium ethanoate)
(ii) Carboxylic acid group
Q.7. It caue the protoplasm to be coagulated causing (c) C2H5OH + CH3COOH → CH3COOC2H5 +H2 O
(Ethyl ethanoate)
death. It also affects the optic nerve causing
blindness. Continued to page no. 53
48 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
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e
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ee
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52
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019

Continued from page no. 48
Q.14. (a) Brown colour of bromines disappears with
unsaturated hydrocarbon because of addition
reaction. No colour change in saturated
hydrocarbon.
(b) (i) Carbon dioxide and water are formed
BIOLOGY
HOW DO ORGANISMS REPRODUCE
Important Points
• Sexual reproduction involves two individuals for
the creation of a new individual.
• DNA copying mechanisms creats variations which
are useful for ensuring the survival of the species.
Modes of sexual reproduction allow for greater
variation to be generated.
when ethanol burns in air.
2C2H5OH + 7O2 → CH3Cl + HCl
(ii) Heat and light are evolved.
(c) CH4 + Cl2 → CH3Cl + HCl
It is a substitution reaction.
• During reproduction age of male which last his
life time sperms or male gametes are produced.
• In female, the onset of menstrual cycle
(menarche) signals production of female gamete
ova. Production of ova stops in female when
she reaches the age of 45–50 years. At this
stage, the menstrual cycle stops and is referred
to as menopause.

e
• Reproduction in flowering plants involves transfer

in
of pollen grains from the another to the stigma • The sperms are deposited into the vagina, during
which is referred to as pollination. This is followed sexual intercourse and they swim towards the

az
by fertilisation. oviduct, where it ovum is present, then
successful fertilisation will take place, resulting

ag
• On reaching the stigma, pollen grain germinates,
carrying the two male gametes in pollen tube. in formation of zygote.
• The first male gamete fuses with the egg cell,
present in the embroyo sac resulting in formation
•
M
The zygote begins to divide and gets implanted
on to the uterus wall with the help of placenta.
_e
of zygote. • Placental helps the embryo to get nutrition and
• The second male gamete fuses with secondary oxygen from mother’s blood and also in removal
ee

nuclei and results in formation of primary of wastes from growing embryo.

endosperm nucleus. This is known as double
Fr

• The child is born after nine months development

foertilisation. within the mother’s uterus, as a result of
e/

• After fertilisation, the ovule develops and contractions of uterine museles.

converts into a seed containing embryo. The
m

• Contain diseases spread through sexual act.

embryo is the future plant and when it is provided
/t.

with suitable conditions like water, air and

optimum temperature, it develops into a seeding.
s:/

• The ovary grows rapidly and ripons to form a

fruit. The fruit encloses the seeds. The seed
tp

contains embryo which has a plumule and a

ht

raide. Radicle gives rise to root and plumule

gives rise to shoot.
• In humans, during adolesence many morphological
and physilogical changes occur in body of both
male and female.
• Changes in the body at puberty, such as increase
in breast size in girls and new facial hair growth
in boys, are signs of sexual maturation.
• The male and female gametes production begins
in respective reproductive organs i.e., testis and
ovarys, during puberty.
• The female reproduction system in human beings
consists of ovares, fallopian tubes, uterus and
vagina.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 53
 These include bacterial diseases like syphilis,
gonorrhoca and viral infection such as wats HIV
-AIDS.
• Contraction to avoic pregnancy can be achieved
by the use of condoms, oral pills, copper-T and
other methods.
Very Short Answer Type Question (1 Mark Each)
1. What is the role of the seminal vesicles and the
prostate gland ?
2. What are the functions performed by the testis
in human beings ?
3. If a woman is using a copper-T, will it help in
protecting ther from sexually transmitted diseases? 14. Differnt species use different strategies to
4. What happens to ovule and ovary after
fertilisation in flowering plant ?
5. Name the hormone secreted by tests and ovary.
10. What could be the reason for adopting
contraceptive methods ?
11. What changes are observed in the uterus
subsequent to implantation of young embryo ?
12. The organisms formed by a sexual reproduction
are considered as clones. Why? State the
advantages of sexual reproduction over a sexual
reproduction.
13. What is meant by pollination ? Describe its various
types along with names of various pollinating
agents.
Long Answer Type Question (5 Marks Each)
determine sex of a newborn individual. It can be
environmental cues or genetically determined!
Expain the statement by giving example for each
strategy.

e
6. What is implantation ?

in
15. (a) Mention the role of following organs of human
7. Why are testes located outside the abdominal
male reproduction system.

az
cavity ?
(i) Testis (ii) Scrotum
8. What does ovary of a plant contains ?

ag
(iii) Vas deferens (iv) Prostate glands.
Short Answer Type Question (2 Marks Each)
(b) State the reasons why testes are located
9. How does reproduction help in providing stability
to populations of species ? M
outside the abdominal cavity.
_e
SOLUTION
ee

Q.1. (i) Secretion of seminal vesicle and prostate Q.9. Reproduction results in production of more
gland provide fluid medium for sperm to swim. organisms of a type. This helps in perpetuation
Fr

(ii) Provides nutrition for them. of species. Since there is copying of DNA
e/

(iii) Provides right pH for their survival. involved, which may result in variation. Thus,
reproduction provides stability as variations
Q.2. In human beings, testis performs dual functions;
m

(i) Production of sperms.

/t.

21st Century
(ii) Secretion of male hormone testesterone.
EFFECTIVE
s:/

Q.3. Copper-T is an intra-uterine devica and does

not allow fertilization to take place. Since it ENGLISH
tp

does not provide any barrier against mixing of

body fluides from two individuals therefore
SPEAKING
ht

acts only as centra ceptive but does not provide COURSE

protection against STDs. Highlights:
Q.4. After fertilisation ovaule develops into the seeds l Essential Manual for Basic
and the ovary devepos into fruits. English
Q.5. Testes – Testosterone l Highly Useful for English Learn-
Overy – Oestrogen and Progesterone. ers & Other Readers < 199.00
Q.6. The attachment of fertilised ovum to the wall l Systematic Chapters for
of uterus is called implantation. Learning
For VPP, Send Full Amount in
Q.7. Sperm production requires little lower tem- l Strong Vocabulary Advance to:
perature compaired to body temperature hence
testis are located outside.
Q.8. The overy contains embryo sac which has an
egg - the femal gamete.
54 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
 helps in better adaptibility of a pecies.
Q.10. Contraceptive methods should be adopted as
(i) They help in spacing two children.
(ii) Thus helps in maintaining a women’s health.
(iii) Better case
(iv) Also prevention of sexuallly transmitted
disease as using them.
Q.11. Soon after implantation, uterise wall thickness
and a special tissue placement is formed. This
is a disc embedded in the uterine wall. It
contains villi on the embryo side of the tissue.
On mother’s side are blood spaces which
surround villi. This provides a large surface
area for glucose and oxygen to pass from the
mother to the imbryo. The waste products
generaled by the embryo also get removed as
they are transferred into mother blood.
Q.12. Organism produced by a sexual reproduction
contain exactly the same number of
chromosomes as the parent cells have. Hence,
they look like clones becaused the traits remains
preserved.
Sexual reproduction results in the mixing of
gamets of two individuals, hence variation
cccures in off springed leading to evolution.
Q.13. The transfer of pollen grains from another to
ee
stigma is termed pollination.
Fr
Pollination is of two types:
(i) Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen grains
e/
from the another of a flower to the stigma of
m
the same flower or another flower of the same
plant, is known as self pollination.
/t.
s:/
FOR THE FAMILY
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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 55
(ii) Cross-pollination: The transfer of pollen
grain from the another of one flower to the
stigma of another. Flower growing on another
plant of the same species is called cross-
pollination.
Agencies of pollination are wind, water, insects,
birds and animals.
Q.14. Different species use very different strategies
for this. Some rely entirely on environmental
cues. Thus, in some animals, the temperature
at which fertilised eggs are kept determines
whether the animals developing in the eggs
will be male or female. In other animals, such
as snails, individuals can change sex, indicating
that sex is not genetically determined. However,
in human being, the sex of the individual is
largely genetically determined.
e
Q.15.(a)(i) Male gametes (sperms) and male harmone
in
testosterone are produced by testis.
(ii) Sperm formation requires a lower
az
temperature than the normal body temperature.
This temperature is 1 – 3°C lower than the
ag
temperature of the body. Testis are located
M outside the abdominal cavity, in the scrotum
to provide right temperature.
_e
(iii) The sperms formed are delivered through
the vasdeerens which unites with a tube
comming from the urinary bladder.
(iv) The prostate glands secrete the fluids which
provides nutrition to the sperms and make
their transpart easier.
(b) They require a lower temperature then the
human body temperature for the formation of
sperma.
STRESS
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 STUDY MATERIAL CLASS-X
ENGLISH
Language & Literature
TOPICS COVERED:
Section A : Reading
Section B : Writing & Grammar
SECTION A : READING
Passage-1
Read the passage given below and
answer the questions that follow:
1. Acupuncture is a system of
treatment of diseases which
has been practised in China
for nearly 5000 years. It con-
sists of the rapid insertion of
fine steel needles, about 6
centimeters long, on particu-
lar spots on the body of the
patient. After inserting the
needle, the doctor twirls the
needle between his thumb and
forefinger. There are hundreds
of acupuncture points on the
body. When a puncture is
made on a spot on the body,
energy flows from there along
lines, known as meridians, to
the diseased organs. This flow
of energy helps to restore the
balance of the system and thus
corrects the disorder. The
/t.
points of treatments may be
far from the seat of the dis-
s:/
ease. For example, to cure a
tootache, the acupuncturist
tp
may insert a needle on the
palm of the patient.
ht
2. Although China is considered
to be the counrty where
acupunture originated, some
forms of treatment resembling
it have been reported from
other parts of the world by
anthropologists. Among some
ancient tribes, stones and
arrows were used to prick the
skin. In another form of treat-
ment, the skin on particular
spots of the body was burnt
to effect a cure for certain
diseases. Whether these kinds
of treatment can rightly be
classified under acupuncture
56
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
can be known only after fur-
ther research.
3. For long, acupuncture was
dismissed by the west as a
form of superstition like witch-
craft magic cure. Even in
China, admiration for the
western system of medicine
was so great that the native
systems of treatment were
neglected or mistrusted. More-
over, the theoretical basis for
acupunture that was pro-
pounded in China was a mix-
ture of spirituality, philosophy
az
and physiology. This stood in
the way of its acceptance by
ag
Chinese scientists.
4. During the 1960’s, acupunc-
M
ture came to the notice of
western scientists who viewed
_e
it with skepticism as well as
curiosity. Doctors from Europe
ee
went to China to make a first-
hand study of this strange form
Fr
of treatment. They were con-
vinced when they saw that
e/
acupuncture worked.
5. Even operations were per-
m
formed after administering an-
esthesia by acupuncture. The
patient of such an operation
could see and know what was
being done, but felt no pain.
Questions:
(a) What is acupuncture ? How
old is it ?
(b) How many acupuncture points
are there on a body?
(c) What happens when a punc-
ture is made on a spot on the
body ?
(d) How is it useful to cure a
toothache ?
(e) Why was acupuncture not
admired in China earlier ?
(f) How did the western scien-
tists view it ?
(g) How was it useful in the
operations ?
(h) Find the word for ‘put forward
l advocated’ from the passage.
Answers
(a) Acupuncture is a system of
treatment of diseases which
has been practised in China. It
is nearly 5000 years old.
(b) There are hundreds of acu-
puncture points on the body.
(c) When a puncture is made on
a spot on the body, energy
flows from there alone; lines
knows as meridians, to the
diseased organs.
e
(d) To cure a toothache, the acu-
in
puncturist may insert a needle
on the palm of the patient.
(e) Acupuncture was neglected or
mistrusted as there was a great
admiration for the western
system of medicine.
(f) Western scientists viewed it
with skepticism as well as
curiosity.
(g) It was useful as after admin-
istering anesthesia the patient
could see and know what was
being done; without feeling
any pain.
(h) ‘Propounded’.
Passage-2
Read the passage given below and
answer the questions that follow:
In these trying times, when
buying ordinary foodstuff can burn
a hole in our pockets, comes the
news that can actually help us
save some hard cash when we go
to shop the next time. According
to a Standford University study, a
first of its kind in the world, there
is no evidence to suggest that
there are more nutritional benefits
from expensive organic food than
those grown by conventions meth-
ods. The researchers add that
there is no difference in protein
and fat content between organic
and conventional milk and the
vitamin count is similar in both
types. The only benefit is that
organic foods are not contami-
nated with pesticides but then,
before you chew on that plate of
organic okra with roti made from
organic wheat, they are not 100%
pesticide free either. In India,
organic food had been growing at
20-22% and the export market is
valued at Rs. 1,000 crore. Obvi-
ously, the study is not good news
for that sector and for people who
are big on Organic food.
In India, eating organic food is
more of a style statement than
due to health worries because the
stuff is expensive. But people who
can, do indulge in not only organic
vegetables but even organic eggs
laid by ‘happy hens’, who are
allowed to roam around freely
whereas ‘unhappy hens’ are kept
in coops. Then there are compa-
mals are happy thanks to listening
(d) Music channels are installed
24 × 7 music. We don’t know in the cowsheds because the
yet of any farmer using music to ..........
improve his crop quality, but then
(e) In the second paragraph, the
you never know that plants are author’s attitude towards the
known to responsd to music. people who eat food sourced
Why such pickiness about from ‘happy’ animals is that
food? These days, the huge num- he ..........
ber of TV shows and articles that
(f) One benefit of organic food is
we see and read on food provide that ..........
bread and butter for the special-
(g) The word ‘contaminated’
ists. But instead of decoding food, means ..........
its sources and what has gone (h) The word ‘Gratify’ means
into growing it, isn’t it much better..........
to enjoy what’s on the plate? Answers
Questions: (a) equally nutritious.
(a) According to a Stanford Uni-(b) exporters of organic food.
versity study, organic food in
(c) not buying organic food.
relation to conventional foods
(d) milk is sold at a higher price

e
nies that have installed music is .......... as it is believed that it has

in
channels in their cowsheds and (b) The study will not be wel- more nutritional value.
the milk those sheds is sold at a comed by .......... (e) is laughing at them.

az
marked-up price since it has more (c) We can save some hard cash (f) it is less contaminated with
nutritional value because the ani- by .......... pesticides

ag
SECTION B : WRITING & GRAMMAR (g) adulterated.
(h) indulge.
EDITING DETECTING AND CORRECTIVE ERRORS
M
The following passages have not been edited. There is one error in each of the lines. Write the incorrect
_e
word and the correction in your answer sheet as given below. Remember to underline the word that you
have supplied.
ee

1. In the following passage one word has not been edited in each line. Write the incorrect word along
with the correct word in the space provided.
Fr

Incorrect Correct
In Himalayas, the desert is turning green. e.g. the a
e/

Climate change in a Indian region of (a) ________________ ________________

Ladakh has shrunk glaciers or has made rainfall (b) ________________ ________________
m

and temperature unpredictable. Water has (c) ________________ ________________

/t.

needed to irrigating the fields. (d) ________________ ________________

Farmers may requiring aid from the government. (e) ________________ ________________
s:/

Ans. Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct

(a) a the (d) irrigating irrigate
tp

(b) or and (e) requiring require

(c) has is
ht

2. In the following passage one word has not been edited in each line. Write incorrect word alongwith
the correct word in the space provided.
Incorrect Correct
People should think twice before they
adopt a pet. Pets became adopted (a) ________________ ________________
member of the family, (b) ________________ ________________
one cannot think at ill treating them. (c) ________________ ________________
They had to give wholesome (d) ________________ ________________
food. In case they fell sick (e) ________________ ________________
they should be taken for a vet. (f) ________________ ________________
some people acquire pet and (g) ________________ ________________
now neglect them (h) ________________ ________________
Ans. (a) become, (b) members, (c) of, (d) have, (e) fall, (f) to, (g) pets, (h) then.
3. THE TAJMAHAL
This famous monument was build by Shah Jahan in e.g. build .......... built
memory of her wife. Construction began in (a) ________________
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
57
 1632 and complete in 1653. The architect (b) ________________
was Isa Khan, who comes from Shiraz. The (c) ________________
beauty of the marble dome and minarets are (d) ________________
known throughout the world, thus visitors can (e) ________________
also admiring the close-up detail of the Taj (f) ________________
Ans. (a) her ....... his (b)complete ....... was completed (c) comes ....... came (d) are ....... can .......
will (e) can ....... will
4. Mahatma Gandhi did not set out as evolve a e.g. as ....... to
philosophy of life or formulating a system (a)
of beliefs or ideals. He had either the (b)
inclination nor the time for do so. (c)
He had, however, firm faith about truth (d)
and ahinsa and its practical application (e)
to life.
Ans. (a) formulating ....... formulate (b) either ....... neither (c) for ....... to (d) about., (e) its .......
their (f) to ....... in
Q.5. In the following paragraph one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word along
the word before and the word after against the correct blank number.
Before Missing After

e
word

in
A large part India’s population is (a) ______________ __________
illiterate. Illiteracy is biggest evil (b) ______________ __________

az
of the Indian society. Removal illiteracy (c) ______________ __________
is necessary for an all-round development of (d) ______________ __________

ag
the country.
Ans.
A large part India’s population is
illiterate. Illiteracy is biggest evil M
(a)
(b)
part
is
of
the
India’s
biggest
_e
of the Indian society. Removal illiteracy (c) Removal of illiteracy
is necessary an all-round development of (d) necessary fo an
ee

the country.
6. Summer camps develop a child confidence. e.g. child child’s
Fr

They also encourages children (a) ______________ __________

to do things by their own. (b) ______________ __________
e/

The camps is beneficial to (c) ______________ __________

aggressive children as we promote (d) ______________ __________
m

mutual understanding.
/t.

Ans. (a) encourages - encourage (b) by - on

(c) is - are (d) we - these
s:/

7. Health precedes action. There are an e.g. are - is

undisputed connection among being (a) ______________ __________
tp

fit and being our best. A simple rules (b) ______________ __________
of ‘five’ helps make exercising a most (c) ______________ __________
ht

enjoyable activity. Wake up in 5 a.m., do (d)

five stretches and five yoga asanas.
Ans. (a) among - from (b) A - The
(c) a - the (d) in - at
8. The mobile phone has became e.g. became - become
such a integral part of our life (a) ______________ __________
that it is hard to imagined how (b) ______________ __________
we have survived with it. But (c) ______________ __________
many people find them a nuisance (d) ______________ __________
so much so which they have decided (e) ______________ __________
not to use it at all. They are not
prepared to make themself available (f) ______________ __________
round the clock to take the calls of the people.
Ans. (a) a - an (b) imagined - imagine
(c) with - without (d) find - found
(e) which - that (f) themself - themselves
58
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
 STUDY MATERIAL CLASS-X
SOCIAL SCIENCE
TOPICS COVERED:
History : The making of a Global
World
Geography : Agriculture
Political Science : Democracy &
Diversity
Economics : Money & Credit
THE MAKING OF A GLOBAL WORLD
Important Terms of the Chapter:
• Silk Routes: Routes used for
silk trading in ancient India.
• Cowries: The Hindi Cowdi,
used as a form of currency in
ancient times.
• Corn Law: Under pressure from
landed groups, the government
restricted the import of corn.
This law was popularly known
as the Corn Law.
• Plebiscite: A direct volt by
which all the people of a re-
gion are asked to accept or
reject a proposal, public con-
sensus.
• Dissenter: One who rejects to
accept established beliefs and
/t.
practices.
s:/
• Indentured Labour: A bonded
labourer under contract to
tp
work for an employer for a
specific period.
ht
• Trade Surplus: It is a situation,
under which value of exports
is more than imports.
• Assembly line production: The
assembly line is a manufaturing
process in which interchange-
able parts are added to a prod-
uct in sequential manner to
create a finished product.
• Tariff: A list of duties imposed
on imports on exports. These
are levied at the point of en-
try, i.e., at the border or the
airport.
• G-77: Formed in 1960's by de-
veloping nations of third world during a year.
countries to raise demand be- • Globalization: Merger of
fore UNO to create a new economy of individual countries
international economic order. into global economy.
• Exchange Rates: Value con- Privatisation: Ownership, con-
trast and calculation of inter- trol and management of private
national currencies mostly US sector on almost all earstwhile
dollar is assumed as standard public sector (phase-wise).
for exchange. • Liberalisation: Removal of
• Fixed Exchange Rates: When trade barriers by relaxation of
exchange rates are fixed and
e
trade laws, imports etc. For
government's intervention to
in
example; creation of SEZs with
prevent suddent fluctuation in making labour laws lenient so
az
them. as to give way to contract in-
• Flexible or Floating Exchange dentured labour system.
ag
Rates: Rates determined by • W.T.O.: World Trade Organi-
demand and supply forces of zation.
M
the open market without any
intervention on part of govern-
• Multi-lateral agreements:
Agreements formulated by
_e
ment.
group of countries.
• Trade: It refers to move or
ee
• Bilateral Agreement: Trade
carry a person, goods, bag- agreement between two coun-
gage etc., for value addition
Fr
tries two way documentation.
earning motive.
• Import Quotas: Quantity fixa-
e/
• Favourable Balance of Trade: tion of goods meant for import.
Export value - Import value =
m
Favourable l
Trade.
• Unfavourable
Balance of
Trade: Im-
port value -
Export Value
= Unfavou-
rable bal-
ance of
Trade.
• Local Trade:
It is carried
in cities,
towns or vil-
lages.
• Composition
of Trade:
Type of
goods ex-
ported and
imported
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
59
• Export Quotas: Ceiling on
quantity to be exported im-
posed by the Government.
• Spaghetti: A type of noodle
popular in Italy.
• El Dorado: Imaginary land of
great wealth. Fabled land of
gold.
• The Canal Colonies : The colo-
nies/areas irrigated by new
canals, where peas different
parts of Punjab settled.
• Rastafasia: A Jamaican sect,
the members of which re-
garded blacks as the chosen
people.
• Hosay: A riotous- carnival in
Trinidad when workers of all
races and religious join to cel-
ebrate.
• Coolie: Unskilled native
labourers. Indentured Indian
labourers were often referred
to as `Coolie' in Trinidad.
• Chutney Music : Supposed to
be the result of cultural fusion.
• Rinderpest: Cattle plague-a
fast spreading disease among
cattle.
• Entrepreneur: One who under-
takes commercial enterprise
with chance of profit or loss
Starts enterprise by himself/
herself at his/her own risk.
/t.
• Plantation: Estate for cultiva-
tion of cash crops like tea, cof-
s:/
fee, cotton, tobacco, sugar-
cane etc.
tp
Important Points and Dates:
ht
• The Great Depression began in
US economy: 1929 C.E.
• The Second World War broke
out and ended: 1st September,
1939 to 1945 C.E.
• IMF and World Bank: Both
instutions or twin products of
Brettonwoods Conference,
1944
• The United Nations Monetary
and Financial Conference held
in: July 1944 at Brettonwoods
in New Hampshire, USA.
• The full name of World Bank
established after the Second
60
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
World War: The International
Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD).
• IMF and World Bank started
operation in:1947 CE
PRACTICE YOURSELF
Very short Answer Type Questions
1. What does the concept trade
refer to ?
2. What is international trade ?
3. Mention two essential compo-
nents of trade.
4. Define the concept balance of
trade.
5. What was cowries ?
6. What is trade surplus ?
Short Answer Type Questions
1. What was the great Depres-
sion ?
az
2. Why can the First World War
be termed as first modern in-
ag
dustrial World War ?
3. What do you mean by the term
GPL ?
M
4. Mention any five objectives of
_e
new economic policy (NEP).
ee
5. What is the role of WTO in
international trade ?
Fr
AGRICULTURE
Important Terms of the Chapter:
e/
• Agriculture: The science and
m
art of cultivation of the soil,
raising crops and rearing live-
stock.
• Agriculture Resources: Gifts of
nature that include fertile soils,
water for irrigation and
favourable climatic conditions
for the growth of plants.
• Arable Land: Land currently
ploughed and cultivated with
crops. It is also called culti-
vable land and includes both
cultivated and temporary fal-
low land.
• Primitive Subsistence Farming:
Farming on small patch of land
with the help of primitive tools.
• lntensive Subsistence Farming:
A labour-intensive farming
where high doses of biochemi-
cal inputs and irrigation are used
for obtaining higher production.
• Commercial Farming: Farming
that uses higher doses of mod-
ern technology.
• Dairy Farming: A kind of agri-
culture in which mainly empha-
sis is given on breeding and
rearing cattle for milk.
• Net Sown Area: The total land
cultivated in a year is called net
sown area.
• Jhum Farming: A'slash and
burn' or nomadic farming.
• Non-Food Crops: Rubber, fibre
crops like cotton and jute.
• Zaid Crops: Zaid crops are
those crops which are sown
after Rabi season and before
Kharif season in a very short
e
period. Watermelon, musk-
in
melon and cucumber are Zaid
crops.
• Bio-Manures: Manures which
come into being as a result of
decay of biotic substances like
dung and vegetation such as
leaves, flowers and husks.
• Chakbandi: Bringing of various
fragmented holdings of land
into bigger one at one place is
called Chakbandi.
• Holdings: Holdings are the
flelds on which agricultural
crops are raised.
• Intercropping: Raising of crops
in association with each other
or one another on the same
field at the same time is called
intercropping.
• Cooperative Movement: The
movement under which people
come together and pool their
resources such as land, labour
and capital to produce more is
known as cooperative move-
ment.
• Biotechnology : Use of biologi-
cal agents and processes for
beneficial purposes is called
biotechnology.
• Dairy Animals: These are those
animals which are reared
mainly for getting miIk from
them.
• Draught Animals: These are
those animals which are used
 on the farms for sowing,
threshing and transporting
farm products.
• Chemical Fertilizers: Sub-
stances of natural or artificial
origin containing chemical ele-
ments such as phosphorus, po-
tassium and nitrogen that are
necessary to plant life.
• Extensive Agriculture: Sea-
sonal pattern of land-use over
large areas.
• Green Revolution: Integrated
institutional effort for increase
of foodgrain production in se-
lected regions like states of
Punjab and Haryana.
• Kharif: Crops that are sown
after the onset of the south-
west monsoon (June and July)
and harvested in autumn.
• Mixed Farming: A type of farm-
ing in which cultivation of
crops and raising of livestock
go hand in hand. Both these
activities play an important
part in the economy.
• Plantation: Farming of plant
crops like sugar, coffee, tea,
cocoa, banana, spices, and
palm oil.
• Rabi Crops: Crops sown in win-
ter and harvested in early sum-
mer.
/t.
• Support Prices : Support prices
s:/
are the minimum and reason-
able prices fixed by the gov-
tp
ernment on which the farmer
can sell his produce either in
ht
the open market or govern-
ment agencies.
• Beverage Crops : Tea and cof-
fee are good examples of bev-
erage crops used for drinking.
• Cereals: Crops used as food.
• Rotation of Crops : A system-
atic succession of different
crops on a given piece of land
carried out in order to avoid ex-
haustion of the soil.
• Subsistence Agriculture: Farm-
ing confined to family con-
sumption.
• Tubewell : Electricity driven de- PRACTICE YOURSELF
vice for extraction of ground Very short Answer Type Ques-
water. tions
• Gross Cultivated Area: The net 1. What is primitive subsitence
sown area and the land culti- agriculture ?
vated more than once in a year. 2. Which state is largest producer
of wheat in India ?
• Wet Land Farming: Farming in
3. What is known as golden fi-
areas of high rainfall and irri-
bre?
gated are as Crops grown are
4. What is plantation agriculture?
rice, sugarcane and vegetable.
5. Name three Kharif crops.
• Fallow Land : Not cultivating a
tract of land to maintain soil 6. Name three Rabi crops.
fertility. Short Answer Type Questions
• Golden Fibre: Jute is called as 1. Name any five industries based
golden fibre. on agricultural raw material.
• Horticulture: Specialised culti- 2. What are the main features of
Green Revolution ?
e
vation of fruits and vegetables.
3. Distinguish between commer-
in
• Sericulture: Rearing of silk
cial agriculture and subsistence
worms to produce raw silk.
az
farming.
• White Revolution: A package
4. Distinguish between Kharif
ag
programme meant for increas- crop and Rabi crop.
ing milk production.
DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY
•
M
Yield Per Hectare : The produc-
tion of a crop measured in kg.
Important Terms of the Chapter:
_e
• Democracy: A network of
or tonne obtained per hectare people's government.
of agricultural land.
ee
• Diverse Society: An
• Interculture: An agricultural- organisation formed of people,
Fr
practice in which two crops: different in their faith, religion,
are raised simultaneously in or- culture, ethnicity and lan-
e/
der to maintain the fertility and guages.
m
productivity of the fields. • The Black Power: A violent
• Farming Eco-
system:It
consists of
farms, farm
animals,and
farmers to-
gether.
• Operation
Flood : A
programme
under which
milk produc-
tion is aug-
mented in or-
der to raise
the poor
people above
from the Be-
low Poverty
Line (BPL).
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
61
 movement to press US Gov-
ernment to pass anti-racism
laws and bring equality in US
society.
• Homogeneous Society: People
of the same ethnicity, race and
religion.
• Migrant : Non-resident to one's
own country or not national or
citizen to alien country.
• Social Differences: Social dif-
ferences are the situations
where people are discriminated
against on the basis of social,
economic and racial inequality.
It gives way to social diversity
which is different from society
to society.
• Overlapping Differences: So-
cial differences which overlap
other differences are known as
overlapping differences, e.g.,
difference between the Blacks
and Whites became a social
division in US.
• Cross-cutting Differences: If
social differences cross out
one another, it is known as
cross-cutting differences. In
another way in this situation
groups that share a common
interest on one issue are likely
to be in different sides on a
different issue.
• Multi-Cultural Community: So-
/t.
cial community formed on the
basis of different cultures is
s:/
known as the multi-cultural
community. This happens
tp
mostly due to the practice of
ht
migration when people bring
with them their own culture.
• Minority: It refers to communi-
ties who are less than half of
the total population of the coun-
try. The idea of minority at na-
tional level is totally different
from what it is at state level.
PRACTICE YOURSELF
Very short Answer Type Ques-
tions
1. Define homogenous society.
2. Who were African Americans?
3. Why was Civil Right Movement
started?
62
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
4. What do you know the term
Black Power?
5. What is the basis of social di-
visions in India?
6. Mention any two features of
direct democracy.
Short Answer Type Questions
1. What is a coalition govern-
ment?
2. Which factors affect the poli-
tics of social division ?
3. Describe in brief three ele-
ments that show basic unity
in India.
4. What do you understand by
the term ‘Social differences’?
MONEY AND CREDIT
Important Terms of the Chapter:
• Money: Anything that is gen-
az
erally acceptable as a means
of exchange and at the same
ag
time acts as a measure and
store of value.
M
• Barter System : The system of
exchanging goods is known as
_e
the barter system.
• Credit : (Loan) refers to an
ee
agreement in which the lender
supplies the borrower with
Fr
money, goods or services in
return for the promise of fu-
e/
ture payment.
m
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) :
Banks always keep some part
of the total amount deposited
as cash reserve to meet the
needs of the depositors. That
part of the total deposits which
the bank keeps with itself in
the cash form is called the
Cash Reserve Ratio.
• Double Coincidence of Wants:
It means both parties, i.e., the
buyer and the seller have to
agree to sell and buy each oth-
ers commodities.
• Formal Lender Resources:
These include those resources
which are controlled by the
government. Banks and coop-
eratives fall into the formal
category.
• Informal Lender Resources:
These include moneylenders,
traders, relatives and friends.
• Medium of Exchange : When
money acts as an intermediate
in the exchange process, it is
called as medium of exchange.
• Currency : It is modern form
of money like paper notes and
coins.
• Cheque : A cheque is a paper
instructing the bank to pay a
specific amount from the
person's account to the per-
son in whose name the cheque
has been issued.
• Demand Deposits : Demand
deposit is that deposit in the
bank accounts which can be
e
withdrawn on demand any
in
time.
• Monetary System : A system
of exchange in which every
good or service is sold against
money and in return for money
another good or service can be
purchased.
• Collateral : An asset that the
borrower owns and uses as a
guarantee to a lender until the
loan is repaid.
• Bank Rate : It is the rate at
which Central Bank of a coun-
try lends money to its member
banks.
PRACTICE YOURSELF
Very short Answer Type
Questions
1. Define the term ‘Money’.
2. What is barter system ?
3. What is credit ?
4. What is called ‘Currency’?
5. What is called demand deposit?
6. Which is the apex bank of In-
dia ?
Short Answer Type Questions
1. Why is money accpeted as a
medium of exchange?
2. Explain any two features of
formal sector loan?
3. Write any three advantages of
money ?
4. What is the role of a bank in
an economy ?
 CURRENT Panorama
SPORTS WORLD
CRICKET
Virat Kohli becomes the fast-
est cricketer to score 20,000 in-
ternational runs: Virat Kohli on
June 27,2019 became the fastest
cricketer to score
20,000 international
runs. The India cap-
tain reached the
milestone when he
reached the score of
37 against West
Indies at Old
Trafford. Earlier Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli had won
the toss and elected to bat against
West indies in an all important tie
against West Indies.Virat Kohli
took just 417 innings to reach the
milestone and bettered the time
taken by legends such as Sachin
Tendulkar and Brain Lara.
India beat Bangladesh to enter
Semis of World Cup 2019: All-
round India defeated Bangladesh
to book World Cup 2019 semi-
finals spot. Opting to bat, the Men
in Blue posted 314 for 9, riding on
Rohit Sharma's 92-ball 104, his
26th ODI ton. He became the first
/t.
Indian and second after Sri Lanka's
Kumar Sangakkara to score four
s:/
centuries in a World Cup.
England beat New Zealand to
tp
enter Semis of World Cup 2019:
Riding on a splendid hundred by
ht
Jonny Bairstow - his second of
the tournament - and a fine
performance by the bowling unit,
England hammered New Zealand
by 119 runs at Chester-le-Street
and stormed into the semi-finals
of the 2019 World Cup.England
scored 305 for 8 and then bowled
out New Zealand for 186 in 45
overs.They are the third team to
qualify for the semi-finals after
India and Australia.
Australia crush England to
storm into semi-finals of World
Cup 2019: Australia hammered
England by 64 runs at Lord’s on
June 25, 2019 to enter the semi-
finals of the 2019 Cricket World
Cup. After Aaron Finch smashed
a classy 100, Jason Behrendorff
picked 5 for 44 and Mitchell Starc
finished with 4 for 43 as England
failed to chase 286. Australia, the
defending champions are the first
team to reach the last four of the
2019 World Cup. England, the
hosts and one of the pre-tourna-
ment favourites, are now in a bit
of a spot.
Yuvraj Singh announces retire-
ment from international cricket:
az
Yuvraj Singh, India’s middle-over
ag
M guns to the Hong Kong Open
_e
ee
Fr
e/
m
batting lynchpin in two World Cup
triumphs, on June 10,2019 an-
nounced his retirement from in-
ternational cricket with immediate
effect. The all-rounder, accompa-
nied by his wife and mother, told
reporters of his decision at a city
hotel close to the Wankhede Sta-
dium where India lifted their last
50-overs World Cup title in 2011.
Yuvraj, who played the last of
his 304 one-day internationals two
years ago, was a key cog in India’s
World Twenty20 triumph in 2007
and was player-of-the-tournament
at the World Cup four years later.
TABLE TENNIS
China grab four gold medals at
Hong Kong Open: China claimed
four gold medals at 2019 ITTF
World Tour Hong Kong Open, in
Hong Kong on June 9,2019.Wang
Yidi won her first women’s singles
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
63
title on the international stage by
defeating second seed Mima Ito of
Japan with a thunderous 4-0
scoreline (11-3, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6).
Lin Gaoyuan added another
gold for China after he took a six-
set victory over Tomokazu
Harimoto of Japan 11-3, 7-11, 8-
11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7. The men’s
doubles title has also gone to China
as Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan
defeated Jang Woo-jin and Lim
e
Jong-hoon of South Korea 6-11,
in
11-6, 12-10, 11-8.In the women’s
doubles final, Chinese pair Chen
Ke and Mu Zi overcame Jeon Ji-
hee and You Eun-chong of South
Korea 9-11, 11-1, 11-4, 11-5.
China sent only their young
resting star players, like Ma Long,
Fan Zhendong, Liu Shiwen and
Ding Ning for next week’s Japan
Open.
FORMULA-ONE
Lewis Hamilton handed Cana-
dian GP win after Vettel’s penalty
pain: Hamilton won the 50th
Canadian Grand Prix
having started from
second behind
Vettel and remained
in that position. He
had not looked like
he had the pace to
pass despite chas-
ing relentlessly until Lewis Hamilton
a moment of high
drama changed the race.
Vettel pushing hard, lost the
rear at turn four on lap 48, went
across the grass and almost hit
Hamilton as he returned to the
track on the inside and Hamilton
attempted to go around him. Vettel
emerged in front and the incident
was investigated by the stewards.
RACE
PU Chitra wins 1500m gold
with season’s best run: Asian
champion PU Chitra ran her
season’s best to win
the women’s
1500m gold at the
Folksam Grand Prix
in Sollentuna,
Sweden.Chitra,
who won the gold
in the Asian Cham-
pionships in Doha in PU Chitra
April, clocked 4
minute 12.65 seconds to finish
ahead of Kenya’s Mercy Cherono,
who won 5000m gold in 2014
Commonwealth Games, on June
18,2019.
Asian Games gold medallist
Jinson Johnson won the silver in
the men’s 1500m clocking
3:39.69.
Johnson had, on June 15,
bettered his own national record
by clocking 3:37.62 at the Next
Generation Athletics Meet at
Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
TENNIS
French Open 2019: The 2019
French Open was a Grand Slam
tennis tournament played on out-
door clay courts. It was held at
the Stade Roland Garros in Paris,
France from 26 May to 9 June,
comprising singles, doubles and
mixed doubles play. Junior and
wheelchair tournaments are also
scheduled. Rafael Nadal was the
defending champion in men’s
singles and won a record 12th
/t.
French Open singles title. Simona
Halep was the defending cham-
s:/
pion in the women’s singles, but
lost in the quarterfinals.
tp
Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal
was the two-time defending cham-
ht
pion and won a record-extending
twelfth French Open men’s singles
title, defeating Dominic Thiem in
a rematch of the 2018 final, 6–
3, 5–7, 6–1, 6–1.By winning the
title, Nadal broke the all-time
record for the most singles titles
won by a player at the same Grand
Slam tournament – a record he
previously co-held with Margaret
Court, who won the Australian
Open eleven times.
Women’s Singles: Ashleigh
Barty won her first Grand Slam
singles title, defeating Markéta
Vondroušová in the final, 6–1, 6–
64
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
3.Barty was the first Australian
player, male or female, to win a
French Open singles title since
Margaret Court in 1973.
Men’s Doubles: Kevin Krawietz
and Andreas Mies went on to win
their first Grand Slam title, defeat-
ing Jérémy Chardy and Fabrice
Martin in the final, 6–2, 7–6(7–3).
Women’s Doubles: Tímea
Babos and Kristina Mladenovic
won the title, defeating Duan
Yingying and Zheng Saisai 6–2,
6–3 in the final.Mladenovic re-
placed Siniaková in the WTA no.
1 doubles ranking at the end of
the tournament.
Mixed Doubles: Latisha Chan
and Ivan Dodig were the defend-
ing champions and became the
first team in the Open Era to
successfully defend a French Open
az
mixed doubles titles, defeating
Gabriela Dabrowski and Mate Pavic
ag
in rematch of the 2018 final, 6-
1, 7-6(7-5).
M
Tennis rankings: Naomi
Osaka, Novak Djokovic continue
_e
as World No.1: Naomi Osaka
retained top place in the WTA
ee
Fr
e/
m
Naomi Osaka & Novak Djokovic
rankings on June 17, 2019 in an
unchanged top 20 with two
weeks to go to Wimbledon. Novak
Djokovic leads the men’s ATP
tennis rankings ahead of French
Open champion Rafael Nadal and
former world number one Roger
Federer.
BILLIARDS
Peter Gilchrist
wins 2019 Pacific
International Bil-
liards Champion-
ship: Peter Gilchrist
won the 2019 Pa-
cific International
Billiards Champion-
ship at the Yarraville
Peter Gilchrist
Club in Melbourne,
Australia. Peter Gilchrist defeated
Kolkata cueist Kothari who had
been on a roll winning the Inter-
national Reven-ton Classic Snooker
championship, a triple crown event
of Australia and thereafter went
on to display some outstanding
billiards en-route the final.
BASKETBALL
LPU student and his team
emerge as Champions in 33rd
Federation Cup Basketball Cham-
pionship: Lovely Professional Uni-
versity MBA student, Arshpreet
Singh Bhullar and his team mem-
bers of the Punjab Police emerged
as the Champions in 33rd Federa-
tion Cup Basketball Championship.
His team was felicitated by Min-
e
ister of Youth Affairs and Sports,
in
Sh. Kiren Rijiju.Individually,
Arshpreet also won the Most
Valuable Player Award.
HOCKEY
Indian Women’s Hockey Team
wins FIH Series Finals: India
clinched the women’s FIH Series
Finals Hockey Tournament by
beating hosts Japan 3-1 in sum-
mit clash at the Hiroshima Hockey
Stadium in Japan.The World No.9
Indian women had put a hard
fought win over the Asian cham-
pions. Captain Rani Rampal gave
India lead in 3rd minute before
drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur struck twice
(45th and 60th minutes) late in
match to set up win. In last min-
utes of match Gurjit, the top scorer
of tournament, scored her second
goal of match through a penalty
corner to make it 3-1 and closed
the victory for India. Kanon Mori
scored only goal for Japan in 11th
minute.
MISCELLANEOUS
Virat Kohli among world’s
highest-paid athletes: Forbes: In-
dia cricket captain Virat Kohli has
once again become the sole In-
dian in the Forbes 2019 list of
world’s highest-paid athletes,
ranked 100th in the table.
Kohli is last on the list of top-
100 athletes, headed by Barcelona
and Argentina football superstar
Lionel Messi, announced on June
12, 2019.
 CURRENT Panorama
DEFENCE NEWS
India, China agree to seek mutu-
ally acceptable solution to bound-
ary issue : Govt
India and China have agreed to
seek a fair, reasonable and mutu-
ally acceptable solution to the
boundary question through nego-
tiations, the government informed
Rajya Sabha on June 27,2019.In
a written response to a question
in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State
for External Affairs V Muralee-
dharan said China disputes the in-
ternational boundary between In-
dia and China.
India and China have each ap-
pointed a Special Representative
to explore the framework for a
boundary settlement from the po-
litical perspective of the overall
bilateral relationship.
Nuclear-capable missile Prithvi II
successfully test-fired
India successfully test-fired in-
digenously developed nuclear-ca-
pable missile Prithvi-II on June 27
night as part of a user trial by the
Army from a test range off the
/t.
Odisha coast.The trial of the surface-
to-surface missile, which has a strike
s:/
range of 350km, was carried out
from a mobile launcher from Launch
tp
Complex-III of the Integrated Test
Range (ITR) at Chandipur, near here,
ht
at around 8.30 pm.
The missile is capable of car-
rying 500/100 kg of warheads and
is powered by liquid propulsion
twin engines. The state-of-the-art
missile uses an advanced inertial
guidance system with a maneuver-
ing trajectory to hit its target.
India likely to pay for Russian arms
in euros to beat US sanctions
India is likely to make its pay-
ments for Russian arms in euros
to a Russia-nominated bank to by-
pass the threat of US sanctions for
purchase of military hardware in-
cluding the S-400 air defence mis-
sile system.
While certain payments for ex-
isting defence transactions have
been processed through the rupee-
rouble route, the people said that a
solution was firmed up this month
with Russia’s VTB Bank agreeing
to receive money in euros.
Over $4 billion worth of pay-
ments to Russia have bunched up
for this financial year, with the big-
gest contract being the S-400 sys-
tem, followed by the Chakra III sub-
az
marine lease and the procurement
of four frigates for the Indian Navy.
ag
Navy set to sign a formal contract
for Anti-Sub MH-60R Seahawk He-
licopters
M
A formal contract to get multi-
_e
role helicopters for the Navy is
expected to be signed by the end
ee
of this year. The acquisition will
provide “teeth” to the Navy in its
Fr
role of dominating the Indian
Ocean.The process to finalise mo-
e/
dalities for signing the contract is
m
in the finals stages, sources say.
The helicopter will have full anti-
submarine warfare (ASW) capabil-
ity, as well as anti-surface warfare
capability, including anti-ship
missiles.An ASW-capable helicop-
ter with its sea-dunking sonars is
a favoured platform for detecting
a submarine as an over-flying heli-
copter itself cannot be detected or
targeted from a submarine.
Such helicopters are needed as
over the past one year or more,
submarines of the People Libera-
tion Army Navy (PLAN) of China
have been constantly noticed in the
Indian Ocean. With submarine
technology becoming more sophis-
ticated, tracking these under-sea
vessels is a challenge. China has
61 submarines, including nine
nuclear-powered, allowing longer
endurance.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
65
Rajnath Singh to take stock of criti-
cal war-fighting weapons, ammo
with defence forces
Against the backdrop of a re-
cent conflict with Pakistan post-
Pulwama attacks, Defence Minis-
ter Rajnath Singh will take stock
of the critical war-fighting weapon
systems and ammunitions available
with the three defence forces and
the progress made by them in do-
e
ing away with the shortage of
in
these equipments.
The Defence Minister will
head a meeting this week where the
three services will make presenta-
tions to him about the weapon sys-
tems acquired by them under the
emergency provisions and financial
powers given to them by the gov-
ernment for buying critical equip-
ment required by them.
After the surgical strikes, the
government had given financial
powers to the Vice Chiefs of the
three forces to acquire weapons
and ammunition required by them
to meet the challenges in case of
a sudden war and stock their re-
serves for it.Post-Balakot, the gov-
ernment gave emergency powers
to the three services to buy the
equipment of their choice worth
upto Rs 300 crore and get the re-
quired weapons within three
months of signing the contract.
Under the emergency powers,
the Indian Army has chosen to ac-
quire two of the most important
weapon systems that it needs in a
conflict like the one faced by it
during the post-Balakot operations.
This includes acquisition of close
to around 250 Spike anti-tank
guided missiles for the infantry
units deployed on the borders and
over Rs 250 crore worth of Igla-S
man-portable air defence system
from Russia.
 CURRENT Panorama
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Rotavirus vaccines may lower kids’ chances of getting
type 1 diabetes
The rotavirus vaccine may have an unexpected
benefit: a reduced likelihood of developing type 1
diabetes.The vaccine is highly effective at protecting
against intestinal infections caused by the virus (SN:
8/8/15, p. 5). Past work in mice prone to diabetes
suggests infection with rotavirus can hasten damage
to beta cells in the pancreas, the cells that are
destroyed in a person with type 1 diabetes.
Researchers analyzed private insurance data,
covering 2001 to 2017, for close to 1.5 million U.S.
children who were infants at the time of enrollment..
The highest-energy photons ever seen hail from the
Crab Nebula
Physicists have spotted the highest-energy light
ever seen. It emanated from the roiling remains left
behind when a star exploded.This light made its way
to Earth from the Crab Nebula, a remnant of a stellar
explosion, or supernova, about 6,500 light-years
away in the Milky Way. The Tibet AS-gamma
experiment caught multiple particles of light — or
ee
photons — from the nebula with energies higher
than 100 trillion electron volts, researchers report in
Fr
a study accepted in Physical Review Letters. Visible
light, for comparison, has just a few electron volts
e/
of energy.
m
Researchers discover how tides trigger earthquakes
A new study has uncovered that even the slightest
/t.
stress can set off tidally triggered earthquakes.Years
ago, scientists realised that earthquakes along with
s:/
mid-ocean ridges and underwater mountain ranges
at the edges of the tectonic plates are linked with
tp
the tides. But nobody could figure out why there’s
ht
an uptick in tremors during low tides.
“Everyone was sort of stumped, because
according to conventional theory, those earthquakes
should occur at high tides,” explained seismologist
and co-lead of the study Christopher Scholz.
India successfully test fires hypersonic cruise missile
India on June 12,2019 conducted a successful
first test flight of the indigenously developed
Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
(HSTDV) from a base off the Odisha coast. The only
other countries that possess this technology are the
US, Russia and China.
Scientists link the limit of human physical endurance
Scientists who studied the performance of myriad
athletes — including adventurous souls who spent
five long months running across the United States
66
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
— have come up with an estimate of the absolute
physiological boundary of human endurance.The
conclusions are pretty technical but the study
highlights one feature in particular that makes people
unique among primates: their physical endurance is
indeed extraordinary.
40-year-old cosmic mystery solved by black hole
simulation
Scientists on June 06,2019 unveiled the most
detailed and highest resolution simulation of a black
hole to date, solving a 40-year-old mystery about the
nature of accretion disks — matter that orbits and
e
in
eventually falls into the star-devouring body.
The research found that the inner-most region
az
of an accretion disk aligns with its black hole’s
equator.
ag
Exomoons may be home to alien life: Study
Moons orbiting planets outside our solar system
M
may contain liquid water necessary for extra-terrestrial
life, according to a study. Exoplanets are planets
_e
outside our solar system and nearly 4,000 have been
discovered till now, said researchers at the University
of Lincoln in the UK.Only a small proportion of these
are likely to be able to sustain life, existing in what
is known as the habitable zone.
IISc team submits more evidence of superconductivity
A team of Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
researchers led by Prof. Arindam Ghosh from the
department of Physics have presented further
evidence of possible super conductivity in gold-silver
nanostructures in a paper posted on June 5 in the
preprint repository arXiv.However, the May 21 paper
did not furnish data on current-voltage characteristics
and the evidence of critical current.
DU scientists discover frog in Assam, name it after
Northeast
A team of scientists from Delhi University and
the Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with
researchers from Indonesia and the US, have
discovered a new
species of ‘paddy frog’
from Northeast India,
primarily Assam.
The frog belongs to
the microhylid genus
Micryletta, a “group of
narrow-mouthed frogs
that is primarily and
widely distributed in Southeast Asia, more commonly
known as paddy frogs”.
 CURRENT Panorama
ENVIRONMENT & ECOL
ENVIRONMENT OGY
ECOLOGY
Coral bleaching causing permanent
change to fish
Repeat coral bleaching caused
due to rising sea temperatures has
resulted in lasting changes to fish
communities, according to a long-
term study.In the Seychelles, large
predator fish such as snappers and
very small fish such as damselfish
dramatically reduced in number
and were largely replaced by
seaweed-loving fish like rabbitfish,
said researchers from Lancaster
University in the UK.
Non-ODF areas 13 times more
prone to ground water pollution
Villages where people still
defecate in open face nearly 13
times higher risk of faecal
contamination of ground water as
compared to open defecation free
(ODF) villages, says a study by
United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF).The assessment has also
found that risk of ground water
contamination in Bihar, one of the
states which is yet to be declared
ODF, is maximum at nearly 36%.
The study, which was released
on World Environment Day, is
/t.
based on an assessment of 725
samples collected from 12 ODF
s:/
and another 12 non-ODF villages
across West Bengal, Bihar and
tp
Odisha during December-
January.The study was done in
ht
states where some villages have
still not become ODF so that
comparative analysis can be done.
There cannot be any comparison
in a state where all rural areas
have got the ODF tag.
Delhi Metro becomes India’s first
project to receive power from
waste-to-energy
Continuing its efforts to
establish an environment-friendly
network, the Delhi Metro has
become the first ever project in
the country to receive power
generated from a waste-to-energy
plant.
The Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC) said it has
started receiving 2 MW power
from a 12 MW capacity waste-to-
energy plant set up in Ghazipur.
The waste-to-energy plant set
up by East Delhi Waste Processing
Company Limited (EDWPCL) is
based on a Public Private
Partnership (PPP) involving the
Delhi government and East Delhi
Municipal Corporation (EDMC),
besides the EDWPCL.
Climate change affecting global
az
food production: Study
Climate change is adversely
ag
affecting the production of key
crops such as wheat and rice,
M
with some countries faring far
worse than others, according to
researchers including those of
_e
Indian origin.
The world’s top 10 crops —
ee
barley, cassava, maize, oil palm,
rapeseed, rice, sorghum, soybean,
Fr
sugarcane and wheat — supply a
combined 83 per cent of all calories
e/
produced on cropland.Yields have
m
long been projected to decrease in
future climate conditions.
Forest cover up by 1%, says
Javadekar
Union Minister for Environment
Prakash Javadekar on June 21,
2019 told the Lok Sabha that
India’s forest cover was up by 1%
in the last one year, while former
Minister and his own party’s MP
Maneka Gandhi disputed the fact,
cautioning him that satellite imagery
could be misleading, with sugar
cane crops being mistaken for trees.
Responding to supplementaries
during Question Hour, Mr.
Javadekar said for one tree
chopped for development work,
three to four were planted either
in the same area or elsewhere.
US scientist says Mount Everest
getting increasingly polluted and
warmer
A US scientist says Mount
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
67
Everest and its surrounding peaks
are increasingly polluted and
warmer, and nearby glaciers are
melting at an alarming rate that is
likely to make it more dangerous
for future climbers.
Prof. John All of Western
Washington University and his
team of scientists spent weeks
testing snow on Everest and
surrounding peaks, as well as
e
plants on the foothills.
in
Melting glaciers may add 10 inches
to sea levels worldwide by 2100
Melting glaciers worldwide
could result in almost 10 inches
of sea level rise by the end of this
century, a study warns.The
research, published in the Journal
of Glaciology, indicates that the
smaller glaciers could play a much
larger role in sea level rise than
researchers had previously
thought.
The review is the most
comprehensive global comparison
of glacier simulations ever
compiled, researchers said. It
estimates that glaciers worldwide
are likely to lose anywhere from
18 to 36 per cent of their mass
by 2100.
Japan plans carbon emission cuts,
more nuclear energy
Japan is calling for further
efforts to cut carbon emissions by
promoting renewables but also
nuclear energy despite the 2011
Fukushima reactors meltdowns.
The energy white paper, adopted
by the Cabinet, said Japan faces
an “urgent task” of reducing
carbon emissions coming from
utilities that have relied heavily on
fossil fuels to make up for
shortages of cleaner nuclear
energy. The call comes as the
Fukushima nuclear reactors are
slowly being restarted amid
lingering anti-nuclear sentiments
since the 2011 crisis.
 CURRENT Panorama
EDUCATION CORNER
IIT Bombay emerges best Indian
institute in QS Rankings
Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT) Bombay has emerged as the
top Indian institute in the QS World
University Ranking 2020. Ranked
at 152nd position, IIT-Bombay is
first to be featured in the list of
global top 200 this year. Other
Indian institutes which found a
place in the top 200 were IIT-
Delhi and Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) Bangalore at 182nd
and 184th position respectively.
Out of top 10 universities in the
16th edition of the QS World
Ranking, five were US based.
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) topped the
global list for the eighth year while
second spot was taken by Stanford
University. Harvard University and
California Institute of Technology
(Caltech) stood at third and fourth
position in the list respectively.
National University of Singapore
was the top Asian university in
the list at 11th position.
Private schools mandated to admit
/t.
15% students from weaker
sections
s:/
All private and special category
schools are mandated to admit in
tp
Class 1 or below at least 25 per
cent students belonging to weaker
ht
sections and disadvantaged
groups, Union HRD Minister
Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said
in the Lok Sabha on July 1,2019.
Pokhriyal said the Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act came into effect
from April 1, 2010 and the Act
makes elementary education a
fundamental right of all children in
the age group of 6-14 years.
Online classes now the most
preferred tool for competitive
exams preparation: Report
The online classes are the most
68
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
preferred choice among candidates
who are preparing for competitive
examinations such as JEE, NEET,
Banking, GATE and SSC, amongst
others. The survey was conducted
by preparatory platform Gradeup
over the course of three months
through email, online surveys,
telephonic and personal interac-
tions, with over 10,000 students
preparing for competitive exami-
nations.
Tribal youth first in Gujarat's Dang
district to get admission in IIT-
Delhi
az
Seventeen-year-old Aviraj
ag
Chaudhary, one of 11 children of
poor, illiterate tribal farmers, has
M
become the first person from Dang
district to have secured an
_e
admission in IIT-Delhi. Chaudhary
will soon be joining the Textile
ee
Technology Engineering course at
the premier technological institute.
Fr
Aviraj, the youngest of 11
children of Sakharam Chaudhary
e/
and Sevantiben Chaudhary, has
five brothers and five sisters. They
m
live in a kutcha house where his
mother still uses firewood to
prepare meals. Chaudhary's
achievement, however, brought
him and his family to the notice
of the district administration.
Environment Ministry to encourage
student involvement in making
college campus green, clean
The Ministry of Environment
and Forest is working on a Smart
Campus Scheme, under which
students would be involved in
making the college campus green
and clean. Union Environment and
Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar,
who planted a sapling in Malviya
National Institute of Technology
here on Saturday, said that under
the scheme, 1,000 additional
saplings will be planted by the
students of the institute every
year.
He said recycled water will
be used in the plantation drive
which will help preserve the
natural resource.He said the
contribution of students towards
environment conservation will be
recorded in their performance.On
the same lines, a School Nursery
Scheme will also be introduced
in the schools with the active
participation.
e
Health Ministry grants Ram
in
Manohar Lohia Hospital permission
to start MBBS course with 100
seats
The Union Health Ministry has
given permission to the Centre-
run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
to start an MBBS course with 100
medical seats for the academic
session 2019-20. According to a
senior official at the hospital, the
course will initially have 100 seats
and 50 more will be added
soon.The hospital has the
necessary infrastructure and the
faculty to start the course.
BITS Pilani announces Distin-
guished Alumni Awards 2019 for
11 ex-students
The Birla Institute of
Technology and Science (BITS),
Pilani has announced the names
of the various awardees who are
entitled to receive the
Distinguished Alumni Awards
2019. These awards are being
announced since 2011 to alumni
who graduated from the campus
in the last 70 years. The awards
are a form of the highest honor
that is bestowed upon its former
students for the achievements in
their respective fields. These
awards will be presented with
citation and an award during the
annual convocation ceremony at
BITS campuses - Pilani, Dubai,
Goa, and Hyderabad.
 CURRENT Panorama
LATEST GENERAL KNO WLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE
ABBREVIATIONS
AIDAN: All India Drug Action Network
CEEW: Council on Energy, Environment and Water
MERA: Malaria Elimination Research Alliance
IIMTE: India International Mega Trade Fair
LESA: Lunar Evacuation System Assembly
STRIDE: Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research
for India’s Developing Economy
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Mind Without Fear: Rajat Gupta
Game Changer: Shahid Afridi
Milk Teeth: Amritha Mahale
IMPORTANT DAYS
Canada Day: July 1
National Doctors’ Day: July 1
Chartered Accountants’ Day: July 1
World UFO Day: July 2
Independence Day (United States): July 4
World Kiss Day: July 6
World Chocolate Day: July 7
World Population Day: July 11
Malala Day: July 12
ee
Bastille Day: July 14
World Day for International Justice: July 17
Fr
Mandela Day: July 18
Pi Approximation Day: July 22
e/
Kargil Vijay Diwas: July 26
m
World Hepatitis Day: July 28
International Tiger Day: July 29
/t.
National Father in Law Day: July 30
National Whistleblower Appreciation Day: July 30
s:/
APPOINTMENTS
Ajit Doval: The government
tp
reappointed retired Indian Police
ht
Service (IPS) officer Ajit Doval as
National Security Adviser, according
him a Cabinet rank.He becomes the
first NSA to get Cabinet status in the
table of precedence.In his previous
stint as an NSA, he had the stature
of a Minister of State (MoS). Ajit Doval
The decision was taken since Mr.
Doval leads strategic dialogues with many countries
and a Cabinet rank will facilitate his interactions with
the most senior officials.
Pinaki Misra: Pinaki Misra, Biju Janata Dal (BJD)
MP from Puri has been appointed as BJD’s
Parliamentary Party Leader, while Kandhamal MP Dr
Achyuta Samanta as Chief Whip and Kendrapara MP
Anubhav Mohanty as Deputy Chief Whip.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
69
Tijjani Muhammad-Bande: Nigeria’s
Ambassador to the UN Tijjani
Muhammad-Bande, elected as the next
President of the General Assembly,
said he will try and hasten the long-
delayed reform process of the Security
Council to ensure that the powerful
UN organ is more democratic and Tijjani Muhammad-
Bande
efficient.
The long-pending reform of the powerful 15-
nation UN organ has made little progress after the
Inter-Governmental Negotiatins (IGN) a decade ago.
e
V.S. Kaumudi: The Centre on June
in
10,2019 appointed senior Indian Police
az
Service (IPS) officer V.S. Kaumudi as
Director General of Bureau of Police
ag
Research and evelopment (BPR&D) by
downgrading the post to the level of
M
Additional Director General.Kaumudi,
a 1986 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre
_e
IPS officer, is presently working as V.S. Kaumudi
the Additional Director General in
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).He succeeds
1984 batch IPS officer Sudeep Lakhtakia.
Romila Thapar: Eminent historian and writer
Romila Thapar has been elected as
international member of American
Philosophical Society (APS) at its
Annual Spring Meeting.She is Professor
Emerita of history at Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU) in New Delhi. She is
renowned for her careful scholarship
on emperor Asìoka,epigraphy of Romila Thapar
Mauryan period, and ground-breaking
studies and multiple historiographies surrounding
contested Hindu and Muslim history of Somnath.
Krishnamurthy Subramanian: Chief Economic
Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian
and former MD and CEO of IDBI Bank
B Sriram were appointed part-time
members of the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).While
Subramanian, an ISB Hyderabad
professor, was in December appointed
the chief economic adviser for a period
Krishnamurthy
of three years, Sriram worked as the Subramanian
managing director and CEO, IDBI Bank
Limited.
Inger Andersen: Denmark’s Inger Andersen
on June 17, 2019 took charge as the new
Executive Director (ED) of United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).She will hold the designation for
period of 4-years
Lt Gen Faiz Hameed: Pakistan on June 16,2019
appointed a hardliner general as new chief of the
powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency,
replacing the agency’s current head, Lieutenant
General Asim Munir, after only eight months on the
job.Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, a former senior
ISI figure, was appointed director general of the
agency,
J.P. Nadda: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on
June 17,2019 appointed former health minister Jagat
Prakash Nadda as its working president. The decision
was taken at the meeting of the parliamentary board,
the highest decision-making body, of the BJP.The
meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, home minister Amit Shah and defence minister
Rajnath Singh, who are all members of the BJP’s
parliamentary board.
Om Birla: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om
Birla was unanimously elected as the
Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha on
June 19, 2019. Om Birla, two-time
MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, was elected
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi
proposed his name on Day 3 of Lok
Sabha session.Om Birla’s nomination
for the Speaker post was backed by Lt Gen Faiz
ee
all the NDA allies. The Congress and Hameed
Trinamool Congress also supported Om
Fr
Birla for Speaker.
Arvind Kumar: The Appointments
e/
Committee of the Cabinet on June 26
m
approved the appointment of Arvind
Kumar as the new head of the
/t.
Intelligence Bureau. Mr. Kumar is an
IPS officer of 1984 batch.He succeeds
s:/
Rajiv Jain, who retires on June 30.
Mr. Kumar is currently a Special
tp
Director in the IB and his job involves Om Birla
supervising the administrative and
ht
personnel desks. Before this, he headed the ‘X’
branch, the political wing in the IB. He has been
working with the IB since 1991.
Samant Kumar Goel: The
Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet on June 26 approved the
appointment of Samant Kumar Goel
as the chief of the Research & Analysis
Wing (RAW). He is an IPS officer of
1984 batch.Mr. Goel takes over from
A.K. Dhasmana, who completes his Samant Kumar
tenure on June 29. Goel
Mr. Goel, who belongs to the Punjab cadre, is
at present a RAW Special Secretary. He is said to
have been involved in the planning of the Balakot
70
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
air strike and played an important role in checking
militancy in Punjab. Mr. Goel, a recipient of the
Police Medals for Gallantry and Meritorious Service,
joined the RAW in 2001.
Amish Tripathi: Author Amish
Tripathi has been named the director
of London’s Nehru Centre, which is
under the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations.Author of best-selling books
like the Secret of the Nagas and Sita
- Warrior of Mithila, Tripathi takes over
from diplomat Srinivas Gotru. Gotru’s
Amish Tripathi
four-year tenure ended early this
year.Tripathi was appointed after he applied for the
post followed by an interview with a selection panel.
The Nehru Centre was founded in 1992 with
Gopalkrishna Gandhi as its founder director.
Playwright-actor Girish Karnad was among the
prominent people to have helmed the centre.
e
Shefali Juneja: Senior bureaucrat Shefali Juneja
in
was on June 19,2019 appointed as India’s
az
representative in the council of International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations
ag
body.Juneja, a 1992 batch officer of Indian Revenue
Service (Income Tax cadre), is at present the Joint
M
Secretary in Ministry of Civil Aviation.
She has been appointed to the post of
_e
Representative of India in the ICAO, Montreal, Canada,
for a period of three years.Juneja replaces senior IAS
officer Alok Shekhar who was named for the post
in October 2015.
Sharad Kumar Saraf: Exporters body FIEO on
June 27,2019 said it has elected Sharad Kumar
Saraf as its new President.Saraf has replaced
renowned exporter Ganesh Kumar Gupta, who handed
over the charge to the new President on June
28,2019.
Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)
said that Saraf will work in further pushing the
issues of exporters at different forums and boost the
country’s exports.He is also Chairman and Founder
of Technocraft Industries (India).Saraf in his earlier
stints at FIEO has served twice as Vice-President
and four times as Regional Chairman (west region).
AWARDS
Greta Thunberg, Fridays for Future movement
win Amnesty human rights award: Swedish teenage
climate activist Greta Thunberg and her Fridays for
Future protest movement won an Amnesty
International human rights award for their “unique
leadership and courage in standing up for human
rights.”
Thunberg and the millions of school students she
inspired to skip school and protest on Fridays won
the Ambassador of Conscience Award, which has
also been awarded to NFL quarterback Colin
Kaepernick, singer Alicia Keys, as well as Nobel
Peace Prize winners Malala Yousafzai and Nelson
Mandela.
Tayari Jones wins Women’s Prize
2019: Tayari Jones won the Women’s
Prize for fiction on June 5,2019 with
An American Marriage, her story of a
family torn apart by the US judicial
system.The American writer’s best-
selling novel – selected by Oprah
Winfrey for her book club and praised
by ex-president Barack Obama – Tayari Jones
centers on a successful African-
American couple in Atlanta whose marriage is tested
when the husband is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t
commit.
Pratibha Patil conferred Mexico’s
highest civilian honour: Former Indian
President of India Pratibha Patil has
been conferred the “Orden Mexicana
del Aguila Azteca” (Order of the Aztec
Eagle) — the highest civilian award of
Mexico given to foreigners, on June
1,2019.
The Ambassador of Mexico to Pratibha Patil
India, Melba Pria, conferred the award
on Patil — who created history as this country’s first
woman President (2007-2012), at a special ceremony
held in the MCCIA Bhavan, Pune. Patil, 85, becomes
only the second Indian head of state to get the
ee
award.
Priyanka Chopra to be honoured
Fr
with UNICEF’s Humanitarian Award:
Priyanka Chopra Jonas will receive
e/
the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award
m
for being the voice for children in
different parts of the world and
/t.
creating awareness about issues faced
by them. Priyanka
s:/
Priyanka, who has been working Chopra
with UNICEF since 2006, was appointed the national
tp
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in
2010 and Global Ambassador in 2016. Apart from
ht
her work in India, the actress has visited refugee
children in different parts of the world, including
Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and most recently, Sudan.
Amitav Ghosh conferred with 54th Jnanpith
award: Renowned author Amitav Ghosh was awarded
the 54th Jnanpith Award for his contribution to the
enrichment of Indian literature in English at a ceremony
in New Delhi on June 12,2019.He was conferred the
award by former governor of West Bengal
Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
Amitav Ghosh is the first English writer to
get this prestigious award.Receiving the award,
Amitav Ghosh said, “It is an incredible moment of
my life. It is a remarkable thing that I am getting
this award”.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
71
Nia Tony honoured in UAE for
green efforts: An eight-year-old eco-
warrior has collected nearly 15,000kg
of paper waste in Dubai as part of the
Emirates Environmental Group’s
nationwide recycling campaign.The
Indian student, Nia Tony, was
honoured during the 22nd edition of Kami Rita
the Emirates Recycling Awards in Sherpa
Dubai on June 10, 2019.
Sahitya Akademi announces Bal Sahitya & Yuva
Puraskar 2019: Sahitya Akademi, India’s national
academy of letters, announced a list of 22 winners
of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar and 23 recipients of the
Yuva Puraskar for 2019 on June 14,2019. The
Executive Board of the Akademi, under the
chairmanship of its President, Chandrashekhar
Kambar, approved the selection of awardees in
Agartala. While the Bal Puraskar will be conferred
e
upon the winners on the Children’s Day, the day for
in
the Yuva Puraskar is yet to be decided.
az
The winners of both the awards will receive a
casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a
ag
cheque of Rs 50,000.Six books of children’s poetry,
including works by Vijay Sharma (Dogri), Naji
M
Munauwar (Kashmiri), and Sanjay Chaubey (Sanskrit);
five storybooks by authors including Govind Sharma
_e
(Hindi), Mohammad Khalil (Urdu), and Swmim Nasrin
(Assamese); and five authors for their total
contribution in children’s literature won the Bal Sahitya
Puraskar.
Akshaya Patra wins BBC award: Akshaya Patra,
a non-profit organisation running one of the world’s
largest school meals project in India, has been
awarded the BBC World Service Global Champion
Award for the programme.The award, presented at
For Merchant Navy
& T.S. Chanakya Exam
IMU-CET
Gateway to Marine
Engineering & Other
Courses
Highlights:
• Complete Study Material
• Chapter-wise Previous Years
Solved Questions Price: ` 550/-
• Each Chapter Contains Sufficient
Number of MCQs For VPP Send ` 50/- as
advance to:
the BBC Food and Farming
Awards in Bristol recently,
recognises a person or project
that is changing the way
the world produces, processes,
consumes or thinks about food for the better.
Suman Rao crowned Miss India 2019: Suman
Rao from Rajasthan has won the Femina Miss India
World 2019 beauty pageant during a
star-studded ceremony at Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium in
Mumbai.Shivani Jadhav from
Chhattisgarh clinched Femina Miss
Grand India 2019 title and Shreya
Shanker from Bihar won Miss India
United Continents 2019 title during Suman Rao
the grand finale of the beauty pageant
on June 15, 2019. 20-year-old Suman, a college
student, will represent India at Miss World 2019 in
Thailand.
2019 Yoga Award: Antonietta Rozzi of Italy,
Japan Yoga Niketan, Swami Rajarshi Muni of Life
Mission, Gujarat, and Bihar School of Yoga, Munger,
are the recipients of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Award
for outstanding contribution for promotion and
development of Yoga.
The selection was done among 79 nominations
received under different categories, the AYUSH
Ministry said on June 20, 2019.
ee
29 journalists conferred with Matri Shree Media
Awards: Twenty-nine journalists from print and
Fr
electronic media were Sunday felicitated with Matri
Shree Media Awards for their contribution towards
e/
journalism.Apart from media personalities, a social
m
activist was also presented the Bharat Mata shield
at the 44th Matri Shree media award ceremony
/t.
organised in New Delhi.
Working President of Punjab Kesari Delhi Swadesh
s:/
Bhushan Jain and Chairman of the Committee Ashok
Aggarwal, Harish Chopra, Ankush Aggarwal, Chetan
tp
Sharma, Ramesh Bajaj, Vishal Rana and Kailash
Agrawal presented the shield and a pen to the
ht
winners.
Namita from PTI Bhasha, PTI photo journalist
Durga Pasad Mishra, Agraj Pratap Singh (UNI),
Jitender Kumar (Univarta), Poonam Gaur (Navbharat
Times), Ravi Bhushan Dwivedi (Sandhya Times) and
Kunal Kashyap (Punjab Kesari), Sandeep Ashwario
Chief Cartoonist (Times of India) won the honour
this year.
Indian engineer wins Innovation award in UK: An
Indian engineer, Nitin Jangir whose low-cost neonatal
breathing gadget has given lives to numerous infants
in small towns of India, has won the 2019
Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for
Sustainable Development Award in London.
Nitesh Kumar Jangir, who made Saans as a
72
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
breathing help device to handle avoidable passings
of premature infants from respiratory distress disorder
because of the absence of prompt access to complex
medical equipment, got his honor in the People
classification with 14 different innovators like him
from over the 53 member nations of the
Commonwealth.
DIED
Prakash Pant: Uttarakhand minister
Prakash Pant passed away in the U.S.
on June 5,2019 after a prolonged
illness.The 58-year-old had been in
the U.S. for some time for treatment.
Mr. Pant was Uttarakhand’s
minister for parliamentary affairs and
finance besides being in charge of a
Prakash Pant
host of other portfolios.
Girish Karnad: Veteran actor and playwright Girish
Karnad passed away at a Bengaluru
e
in
hospital on June 10, 2019. Karnad
was 81.Girish Karnad was born in
az
Matheran in 1938. The Kannada writer
made his acting and screenwriting
ag
debut in a 1970 release called
‘Samskara’. The film won the
M
President’s Golden Lotus Award.
Besides, Karnad had also acted in
Girish Karnad
_e
the classic television show ‘Malgudi Days’ where he
played the role of Swami’s father.Karnad’s plays
have been translated into English and several Indian
languages and directed by directors like Alyque
Padamsee, Ebrahim Alkazi, Arvind Gaur, BV Karanth,
Zafer Mohiuddin, Satyadev Dubey, Shyamanand
Jalan, Amal Allana, Vijaya Mehta and Prasanna.
He also hosted the science magazine Turning
Point on Doordarshan in the early 1990s.
Akhtar Sarfraz: Akhtar Sarfraz, former Pakistan
batsman, passed away on June 10,2019 due to
colon cancer. He was 43. The left-handed batsman
breathed his last at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial
cancer hospital in Lahore.
In four ODIs, from December 1997 to October
1998, Sarfraz scored 66 runs. His domestic record,
however, was more impressive as he amassed 5,720
and 2,636 runs in 118 first-class and 98 List A
matches respectively - turning out primarily for
Peshawar and National Bank of Pakistan. He also
scored 112 runs in six T20 innings.
R.V. Janakiraman: Former
Puducherry Chief Minister and DMK
leader R.V. Janakiraman passed away
on June 10,2019. He was 79. He died
at a private hospital where he was
undergoing treatment for age-related
illness.
Mr. Janakiraman worked as the R.V.
personal assistant of former Tamil Janakiraman
Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi before being
deputed to Puducherry for developing the party. Mr.
Janakiraman became the Chief Minister in 1996 and
represented the Nellithope Assembly constituency
for five consecutive times.
Salil Mitra: Popular Ollywood
comedian Salil Mitra passed away at
a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on
June 10, 2019. He was 52. Salil was
suffering from critical internal injuries
he had sustained in a road accident
in Keonjhar district on May 12. The
comedian was undergoing treatment
Salil Mitra
in a private hospital. He was known
for his roles in films like ‘Pua Bhangi
Dela Suna Sansar’, ‘Sasti’, ‘Love Station’, ‘Love
Pain Kuch Bhi Karega’, ‘Mahanayak’, ‘Gapa Hele Bi
Sata’, ‘Sister Sridevi’. Salil had also touched people’s
hearts with his roles in television serials too.
Ruma Guha Thakurta: Celebrated Bengali singer-
actress Ruma Guha Thakurta died at her residence
in Kolkata following old age related problems. She
was 84.Founder of the Calcutta Youth Choir (CYC),
which played a stellar role in popularising ‘gana
sangeet’ or mass songs in Bengal, she showcased
her talent in a number of Hindi and Bengali movies
working with celebrated directors like Satyajit Ray,
Tapan Sinha and Tarun Majumdar.
Madan Lal Saini: Rajasthan BJP
ee
unit chief Madan Lal Saini died at New
Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical
Fr
Sciences (AIIMS) on June 24, 2019.He
was 75. He was diagnosed with
e/
infection in lungs and was admitted at
m
a private hospital in Jaipur.He was
shifted to Delhi owing to his Madan Lal
/t.
deteriorating health conditions and was Saini
being treated under the Hematology Department at
s:/
AIIMS.Saini who was also a Rajya Sabha member,
was appointed the chief of the Rajasthan unit of the
tp
BJP in June last year after the party had been
headless for almost three months.
ht
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned his death
and described it as a major loss.
Jaya Arunachalam: Jaya Arunachalam, founder
of Working Women’s Forum (WWF), and a pioneer
of the women’s self help group
movement in the country, died on June
29,2019. She was 87.
Through WWF, she helped several
lakhs of women from underprivileged
background to organise themselves
towards becoming financially
independent. Nandini Azad, her Jaya
daughter, who is the president of Indian Arunachalam
Co-operative Network for Women (ICNW) and member
of the board of International Raiffeisen Union (IRU)
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
73
in Germany, said that Ms. Jaya Arunachalam was
unwell for the past two weeks.
RESIGNATION
Viral Acharya: RBI Deputy
Governor Viral Acharya, who was in-
charge of the monetary policy
department, has resigned six months
before the scheduled end of his term,
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
confirmed on June 24, 2019.Acharya
submitted a letter a few weeks ago
saying he was unable to continue his Viral Acharya
term beyond July 23 due to
unavoidable personal circumstances.
This is the second high profile resignation in the
past six month at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
In December, governor Urjit Patel resigned nearly
nine months before the end of his schedule term
over differences with the government.
e
in
Acharya had joined the central bank on January
23 last year after Patel was elevated to the post of
az
governor in September 2016.
The RBI is now left with three deputy governors
ag
N S Vishwanathan, BP Kanungo and MK Jain.
Acharya, a New York University economics professor
M
who once called himself the ‘poor man’s Raghuram
Rajan’, was appointed for three years.
_e
PERSONS IN NEWS
Zonal Sougaijam: Facebook has honoured a
Manipuri man for discovering a WhatsApp bug that
violated the privacy of a user. Zonal Sougaijam, a
22-year-old civil engineer, said that the social media
giant awarded USD 5000 to him and also included
him in the ‘Facebook Hall of Fame 2019’, for detecting
the WhatsApp bug.Sougaijam’s name is currently at
the 16th position in a list of 94 people, in the
‘Facebook Hall of Fame’ for this year.
MISCELLANEOUS
India to be guest country at Guadalajara
International Book Fair in Mexico: India has been
designated as the Guest of Honour at the 33rd Feria
Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (Guadalajara
International Book Fair), in Mexico, the National
Book Trust announced on June 10,2019.The book
fair, to be organised from November 30 - December
8, will be “the largest book fair in the Spanish
speaking world”, the nodal agency, under the Ministry
of HRD, said.
The dedicated India pavilion at the fair will
showcase over 35 Indian authors and artists, along
with 15 publishing houses.
Varunastra: a heavyweight torpedo for Indian
Navy: Indian Navy and Bharat Dynamics Limited
(BDL) have signed a contract recently worth Rs.
1187.82 crore for supply of heavyweight torpedo
Varunastra to Indian Navy. The execution of contract
will be done in the next 42 months.
 -258
Participate in this contest and win three Duke T-Shirts every month. Read the instructions carefully and
answer the questions in the Entry Form on the right. Please write your full address with contct number.

1. Who conferred Japan's second highest national (A) Anish Kapoor (B) Suresh Kumar
award The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and (C) Rajesh Kapoor (D) Anil Dev
Silver Star? 6. MCA 21 is one of the 31 Mision Mode Projects
(A) Ranjan Mathai (B) S. M. Krishna of the ________.
(C) Vijay Keshav Gokhale (A) Digital India
(D) Shyam Saran (B) NITI Aayog 2021 plan
2. Which Country launched the Gold card visa (C) National e-Governance Plan
scheme for expatriates? (D) RBI's digital payment vision
(A) US (B) Pakistan 7. What is the 2019 theme for the International
(C) UAE (D) Saudi Arabia Day for Biological Diversity?

e
3. India ranked ________ in the Kids Right Index 2019 (A) Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health

in
(A) 110th (B) 117th (B) Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity
(C) 143rd (D) 126th (C) Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism

az
4. Which bank introduced Savings Bank product (D) Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People
named "KBL SB Salary" for salaried class? and their Livelihoods

ag
(A) Karnataka Bank (B) SBI Bank 8. ISRO launched PSLV-C46 carrying earth obser-
vation satellite ________ on its 48th mission.
(C) Yes Bank (D) Corporation Bank
(A) EMISAT-2B (B) Kalamsat V2
5. Who ranked first on Hurun India Art List 2019?
M
(C) Kalamsat V1 (D) RISAT-2B
9. Who won Booker International Prize ?
_e
Three prizes will be awarded. The winners will get
(A) Peter Carey (B) Salman Rushdie
a Duke T-Shirt each from Duke Fashions. (C) Don DeLillo (D) Jokha Al Harthi
ee

ANSWERS : GKR & DUKE 10. Who is the first indian woman to become ICC
match referee?
Fr

QUIZ CONTEST-256 (A) GS Lakshmi (B) Nithya Shree

1.(D) 2.(A) 3.(B) 4.(C) 5.(C) 6.(C) 7.(B) 8.(C) 9.(D)10.(A) (C) Vidya Ramesh (D) Rithi Devi
e/

PRIZE WINNERS QUIZ

GKR &
m

1. G. Anbalagan CONTEST-258
6, Velalar street, Labbaipet, Arcot
/t.

(Tamil Nadu) PIN - 632503 Size of T-Shirt : M

2. Muskan ENTRY FORM
s:/

Purohit & Company, This Contest closes on August 10, 2019

39 Compound, M.Y. Hospital, Hotel Indralok Nagar,
tp

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3. Romil Sharma
ht

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Refresher. (3) You cannot have cash in lieu of the
Family Income Size of T-Shirt
prizes offered. (4) The last date of receipt of entries
in the office of Bright Group of Publications, 2767, Telephone No. with STD Code
Kucha Chellan, Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110002 is How many persons read your copy of General Knowledge
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envelope superscribed: GKR-DUKE QUIZ CONTEST-
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74
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019

 CURRENT Panorama

CURRENT GK QUESTIONS
1. External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar embarked his first bi-
lateral visit to ______.
(A) Bangladesh (B) Bhutan
(C) Nepal (D) Indonesia
2. Who has been retained as the
Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog?
(A) Amitabh Kant
(B) Bibek Debroy
(C) Rajiv Kumar
(D) Arvind Panagariya
3. With which country India signed
a deal worth around Rs 300 crore
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Haryana
(C) Rajasthan (D) Bihar
11. Who has been appointed as the
President of the 74th session UN
General Assembly?
(A) Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
(B) Syed Akbaruddin
(C) Maria Fernanda Espinosa
(D) António Guterres
12. India ranks ________ out of 129
countries in the Sustainable De-
velopment Goals Gender Index
19. Which of the following became
the most profitable public sector
company?
(A) Oil and Natural Gas Corpora-
tion (ONGC)
(B) Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
(BHEL)
(C) Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
(D) Hindustan Petroleum Corpo-
ration Ltd. (HPCL)
20. s___________ Cabinet passes reso-
lution to increase reservation for
OBCs to 27%

e
to buy more than 100 SPICE 2000 2019? (A) Madhya Pradesh

in
bombs? (A) 48 (B) 55 (B) Tamil Nadu
(A) Germany (B) Russia (C) 95 (D) 118 (C) Kerala (D) Bihar

az
(C) Israel (D) Australia 13. Which Metro becomes India’s first 21. Nirmala Sitharaman to attend G20
4. Who took oath as new CJI of project to receive power from Finance Ministers Meeting in

ag
Delhi High Court? waste-to-energy? ______
(A) Justice Suresh Kumar (A) Mumbai Metro (A) Japan (B) Pakistan
(B) Justice DineshKumar (B) Kolkata Metro (C) China (D) Indonesia
(C) Justice Vikram Kumar
(D) Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai
(C) Delhi Metro
(D) Chennai Metro M 22. Which of the following volcanoes
is in the list of UNESCO’s World
_e
Patel 14. Which city ranked first in the Heritage Sites?
5. Where was the 7 foot tall statue study, ‘Traffic Index-2018’as (A) Mount Meager massif
ee

of Lord Rama unveiled? most congested ? (B) Mount Washington

(A) Karnataka (B) Haryana (A) Mumbai (C) Mount Hasan
Fr

(C) Telangana (B) Chennai (D) Mount Etna

(D) Uttar Pradesh (C) Hyderabad (D) Delhi 23. Who has been elected as the
e/

6. Google Maps launches features 15. What is the new prime focus of President of El Salvador?
for real-time updates on public the second term term of Prime (A) Nayib Bukele
m

transports in __________ Minister Modi’s government after (B) Antonio Saca

(A) India (B) Australia Swach Bharat? (C) Óscar Ortiz
/t.

(C) South Africa (A) Sadak Nirmaan (D) Ana Vilma de Escobar
(D) USA (B) Kisan Kalyan 24. Which state government increases
s:/

7. Centre reconstituted (C) Aarthik Vikaas ke lie Rojagaar financial aid given to girls under
__________Cabinet Committees (D) Jal Shakti Nal se Jal ‘Aapki Beti’ scheme?
tp

(A) 8 (B) 10 16. Where was the 2nd Global Dis- (A) Rajasthan (B) Punjab
(C) 15 (D) 12 ability Summit held? (C) TamilNadu (D) Odisha
ht

8. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) re-
duced the repo rate by _______ to
5.75% in order to address growth
concerns.
(A) 125 bps (B) 100 bps
(C) 50 bps (D) 25 bps
9. Who is appointed as the chairman
of the Cabinet Committee on
Parliamentary Affairs in the sec-
ond term of the NDA government?
(A) Rajnath Singh
(B) PM Narendra Modi
(C) Santosh Kumar Gangwar
(D) Shripad Yesso Naik
10. Which State has waived off 50%
of total taxes levied on e-
rickshawas as a measure to com-
bat air pollution in the State?
(A) Buenos Aires, Argentina
(B) Stockholm, Sweden
(C) Geneva, Switzerland
(D) Rome, Italy
17. Who won ITF Men’s Future Ten-
nis title?
(A) Sidharth Rawat
(B) Suresh Krishna
(C) Andy Roddick
(D) Margaret Court
18. Which High Court declared all
animals in the state to be ‘legal
persons’?
(A) Gujarat High Court
(B) Punjab and Haryana High
Court
(C) Bombay High Court
(D) Calcutta High Court
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
75
25. Who became the first IAF woman
pilot in India to fly Hawk jets ?
(A) Flight Lieutenant Devi Suresh
(B) Flight Lieutenant Nithya
Kumar
(C) Flight Lieutenant Parvathi
Menon
(D) Flight Lieutenant Mohana
Singh
26. Modi led new government ex-
tended the Rs _______ per year
under PM-KISAN scheme to all
farmers in the country.
(A) 6,000 (B) 5,000
(C) 8,000 (D) 7,500
27. Who has been conferred Mexico’s
highest civilian honour, Order of
the Aztec Eagle?
 (A) Former Indian President K. R.
Narayanan
(B) Former Indian President
Pranab Mukherjee
(C) Former Indian President
Pratibha Patil
(D) Former Prime Minister of In-
dia Atal Bihari Vajpayee
28. Which State recently banned the
advertisement and sale of e-ciga-
rettes in the State?
(A) Madhya Pradesh
(B) Odisha
(C) Gujarat (D) Rajasthan
29. Which bank introduced Repo Rate-
Linked home loan recently?
(A) State Bank of India
(B) Bank of Baroda
(C) Yes Bank (D) Dena Bank
30. Who won Canadian Grand Prix
2019?
35. Which Scheme did the Cabinet
approve to control Foot and Mouth
Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis?
(A) Brucellosis control program-
me
(B) FMD disease Prevention
Programme
(C) Cattle Protection Scheme
(D) FMD Prevention and Manage-
ment Programme
36. Which Scheme did the Cabinet
approve to provide pension cover
to farmers under the PM-KISAN
scheme?
(A) Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Samman Siddhi
(B) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana
(C) Pradhan Mantri Kisan kalyaan
Yojana
(D) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Penshan
42. Which airlines has been named as
the world’s most punctual air
service for second consecutive
time?
(A) Indian Airlines
(B) SriLankan Airlines
(C) Qatar Airways
(D) Hainan Airlines
43. India’s FDI Inflows during the five
fiscal years of the Modi Govt hit
to _________
(A) 38 millions (B) 42 millions
(C) 39 millions (D) 47 millions
44. Chinese President conferred with
___________, Kyrgyzstan’s highest
National award.
(A) Altyn Qyran Order
(B) Honorary Freedom
(C) Manas Order of the First
Degree
(D) Legion of Honour

e
(A) Sebastian Vettel Yojana 45. Which of the following countries

in
(B) Alain Prost 37. India and Portugal has partnered hosted the 19th Shanghai Coop-
(C) Lewis Hamilton to set up a national maritime eration Organisation (SCO) sum-

az
(D) Jackie Stewart heritage museum at _________. mit?
31. Which organisation signed MoU (A) Vasco da Gama, Goa (A) India (B) Kyrgyzstan

ag
with Maldives Civil Services Com- (B) Lothal, Gujarat (C) Tajikistan (D) Kazakhstan
mission? (C) Kolkata, West Bengal 46. Who is the author of the book
(A) Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO)
(B) Indian Institute of Packaging
(D) Hisar, Haryana
M
38. Under which programme does the
setting up of a national maritime
The Circle of Reason?
(A) Arundhati Roy
(B) Chetan Bhagat
_e
(IIP) heritage museum take place? (C) Salman Rushdie
(C) National Center for Good (A) Craft Museum programme (D) Amitav Ghosh
ee

Governance (NCGG) (B) Know India progeamme 47. ___________claimed biggest ever
(D) National Cooperative Devel- (C) National Heritage and Culture Women’s Fifa World Cup win.
Fr

opment Corporation (NCDC) programme (A) Pakistan (B) South Africa

32. India’s First Dinosaur Museum (D) Sagarmala programme (C) Indonesia (D) USA
e/

Park inaugurated in ________ ? 39. Where was the G-20 on trade and 48. Which of the following is the latest
(A) Andhra Pradesh the digital economy summit held? mission proposed by Indian Space
m

(B) Gujarat (A) Geneva, Switzerland Research Organisation (ISRO)?

(C) West Bengal (B) Rome, Italy (A) Chandrayaan-2
/t.

(D) Tamil Nadu (C) Beijing, China (B) Gaganyaan

33. With which country did India (D) Tsukuba, Japan (C) Space station
s:/

recently sign six agreements in- 40. Who won FIH Hockey Series? (D) None of these.
cluding hydrography, health, pas- (A) Japan 49. The government has reduced the
tp

senger and cargo services by sea? (B) Pakistan rate of contribution of an employee
(A) Sri Lanka (B) Maldives (C) China (D) Indonesia towards ESI from 6.5% to
ht

(C) Pakistan (D) Bhutan 41. Who has been elected as a mem- ________.
34. Which country has been sus- ber of American Philosophical (A) 3.25% (B) 4%
pended by the African Union as Society ? (C) 4.7% (D) 5.8%
there are no civilian rule estab- (A) Romila Thapar 50. How much farmers have to pay
lished in the country? (B) Vimala Tharoor for PM Kisan Pension Scheme ?
(A) Syria (B) Cuba (C) Sudha Krishan (A) Rs 100 (B) Rs 250
(C) Sudan (D) Iran (D) Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz (C) Rs 350 (D) Rs 450

ANSWERS
1.(B) 2.(C) 3.(C) 4.(D) 5.(D) 6.(A) 7.(A) 8.(D) 9.(A) 10.(D)
11.(A) 12.(C) 13.(C) 14.(A) 15.(D) 16.(A) 17.(A) 18.(B) 19.(A) 20.(A)
21.(A) 22.(D) 23.(A) 24.(A) 25.(D) 26.(A) 27.(C) 28.(D) 29.(A) 30.(C)
31.(C) 32.(B) 33.(B) 34.(C) 35.(A) 36.(A) 37.(B) 38.(D) 39.(D) 40.(A)
41.(A) 42.(B) 43.(B) 44.(C) 45.(B) 46.(D) 47.(D) 48.(C) 49.(B) 50.(A)
76
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
 MID YEAR SPECIAL
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Ajit Doval stays as NSA, gets
Cabinet Rank with 5-year term
Ajit Doval has been granted
cabinet status and five more years as
the National Security Adviser (NSA).
He has been given cabinet rank in
recognition of his contribution in the
national security domain.Ajit Doval has
been granted cabinet status and five
more years as the National Security
Adviser (NSA).
Modi Govt 2.0: PM Modi, 57
ministers take oath
Narendra Modi was sworn in as
the Prime Minister of India for the
second consecutive term at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on
May 30. The oath was administered
by President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
Sonia Gandhi elected leader of
Congress Parliamentary Party
Sonia Gandhi was
once again elected
leader of the Congress
Parliamentary Party
(CPP) at a meeting of
party MPs at the
Central Hall of
/t.
Parliament on June
1,2019.The meeting Sonia Gandhi
s:/
was attended by the
party’s 52 newly elected Lok Sabha
MPs and Rajya Sabha members,
tp
besides members of the Congress
ht
Working Committee and other senior
leaders.Gandhi, who represents Uttar
Pradesh’s Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, is
the chairperson of the Congress-led
United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
Arun Jaitley takes break from active
politics, writes letter to Modi
Arun Jaitley, former Finance and
Corporate Affairs Minister, in a letter
to Modi has recused himself from any
responsibility in the new NDA
government, citing health challenges.
Jaitley in his letter said," during the
last eighteen months, I have had some
serious health challenges. My doctors
have enabled me to emerge out of
most of them." He continued by saying
NATIONAL
that in the future, he would like to
keep away from any responsibility to
concentrate on his treatment and
health.
India successfully launches RISAT-
2B
India’s space agency successfully
launched a new Earth-observation
satellite on May 21, boosting the
nation’s space-based surveillance
capabilities. The Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO) used a
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
az
designated PSLV-C46 to launch its
third radar imaging satellite, named
ag
RISAT-2B, from the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.
M
Equipped with an X-band synthetic
aperture radar, RISAT-2B will be able
_e
to look through the clouds to observe
Earth’s surface day and night.
India hosts WTO ministerial
ee
meeting of developing countries
Fr
India has convened a WTO (World
Trade Organization) ministerial meeting
e/
of 16 developing and six least
developed countries. Issues such as
m
impasse on the appointment of WTO’s
appellate body members and way
forward on reforms at the global trade
body were discussed in the meeting
of developing countries in New Delhi
on May 13-14. The meeting was held
at a time when the multilateral rule-
based trading system is facing serious
and grave challenges.
India re-elected as an Observer to
Arctic Council
At the Arctic Council ministerial
meeting at Rovaniemi, Finland, India
was re-elected as an Observer to the
Arctic Council. India was first granted
the Observer status in 2013, along
with five other nations. The Arctic
Council calls itself “the leading
intergovernmental forum” for
discussing and addressing issues
concerning the Arctic region, including
scientific research, and peaceful and
sustainable use of resources in the
region.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
77
Konkan Railways signs agreement
with Nepal Railways
Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd
(KRCL) signed an agreement with
Nepal’s Department of Railways under
which the former will supply two 1600
HP DEMU train sets. The agreement
was signed in Kathmandu in the
presence of Indian Ambassador to
Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, and
e
Nepalese Ministry of Physical
Infrastructure and Transport Secretary,
in
Madhusudan Adhikari.
Justice Bobde panel gives CJI a clean
chit
The Justice S.A. Bobde in-house
committee has found “no substance”
in the sexual harassment allegations
levelled by a former Supreme Court
staff member against Chief Justice of
India Ranjan Gogoi. A statement issued
by the Supreme Court evening said
the committee’s report would be kept
confidential.
Aarohi Pandit becomes World’s first
woman to cross Atlantic Ocean solo
in LSA
Captain Aarohi Pandit, a 23-year-
old pilot from Mumbai became the
world’s first woman to cross the
Atlantic Ocean solo in a Light Sports
Aircraft (LSA), thrilling her family,
friends and aviation circles in Mumbai.
Aarohi Pandit achieved the feat around
midnight May 13-14 when she landed
her tiny aircraft at Iqaluit Airport in
Canada, after a gruelling 3,000 km
long flight, under adverse and extreme
weather conditions following take-off
from Wick, Scotland (United Kingdom),
with brief stopovers in Greenland and
Iceland.
"Divider-In-Chief" to "Modi Has
United India": TIME Magazine's Do-
Over
Weeks after a controversial cover
story that labelled Prime Minister
Narendra Modi "divider-in-chief", TIME
magazine, after the BJP's massive
election victory and return to power,
has done a turnabout with a new
headline: "Modi Has United India Like
No Prime Minister in Decades".
Four MLAs, 50 West Bengal
councillors join BJP
Three MLAs from West Bengal
joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
in the presence of party leaders Kailash
Vijaywargiya and Mukul Roy on May
28,2019. A total of 50 councillors
from the state also joined the saffron
party at BJP headquarters in New
Delhi.
ICMR launches ‘MERA India’
alliance to eliminate malaria from
India by 2030
The Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR) on April 25, 2019
launched the ‘Malaria Elimination
Research Alliance (MERA) India’, a
gathering of partners working together
to plan and scale up research to
eliminate Malaria from India by 2030.
Indian Army opens vacancies for
women in military police
In a first, the Indian Army on April
25, 2019 began online registration of
women for recruitment as soldiers into
the military police.The recruitment for
‘Soldier General Duty (Women Military
Police)’ was mooted by the Army Chief
General Bipin Rawat soon after he
took over the post. The approval for
the creation of the post came recently
by the Defence Ministry.
Bilkis Bano Case: SC directs Gujarat
govt. for compensation
The Supreme
Court has directed the
/t.
Gujarat government
to make a payment of
s:/
` 50 lakh as
compensation to Bilkis
tp
Bano, who was gang-
raped during the 2002
ht
Gujarat riots. The Bilkis Bano
special leave petition
which was being heard by a bench
headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi
and comprising judges Deepak Gupta
and Sanjeev Khanna also ordered that
Bano be provided a government job
and adequate accommodation.
India ranked 140th in World Press
Freedom Index 2019
India has dropped two places on
a global press freedom index to be
ranked 140th out of 180 countries in
the annual Reporters Without Borders
analysis released with the lead up to
the ongoing Indian general elections
78
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
flagged as a particularly danger-ous
time for journalists. The World Press
Freedom Index 2019', topped by
Norway, finds an increased sense of
hostility towards journalists across the
world, with violent attacks in India
leading to at least six Indian journalists
being killed in the line of their work
last year.
100 years of Jallianwala Bagh
Massacre
This year marks the centenary of
the Jallianwala Bagh massacre when
British troops, comman-ded by
Brigadier-general Reginald Dyer, fired
upon the gathering, including men,
women and children who were at the
site to take part in the Baisakhi festival.
In April 13, 1919, 50 soldiers, led by
Brigadier General Reginald Dyer,
opened fire on a crowd of unarmed
men, women and children at a garden
in Amritsar. They fired for 10 minutes,
az
discharging 1,650 bullets at the
peaceful protesters in Jallianwala Bagh,
ag
who stood less than 150 feet away
from their .303 rifles.
M
IIT Madras ranked best in National
Institutional Ranking Framework
_e
2019
IIT Madras has been ranked as
ee
the ‘Best Educational Institution’ in
the country in the latest edition of
Fr
National Institutional Rankings
Framework (NIRF) 2019, which was
e/
released on April 8, 2019 by the
Ministry of Human Resource
m
Development (MHRD), Government of
India. IIT Madras also emerged as the
‘Top innovative Institution’ in the
country in the maiden edition of the
Atal Ranking of Institutions on
Innovation Achievements (ARIIA),
launched by the Innovation Cell of
MHRD in 2018, bagging the Rank
number 1 in Government Institutions
category.
UAE awards PM Narendra Modi
with highest Civilian Honour
In the past five years, PM Narendra
Modi has had six global awards
conferred upon him by organisations
such as the United Nations and
countries such as South Korea, Saudi
Arabia, Palestine, Afghanistan and the
United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Significantly, four of the honours
have come from Muslim countries,
underlining his efforts at
boosting India’s ties with the Islamic
world.
12 NCR districts, Agra switch to BS-
VI Fuel
Supply of ultra-clean Euro-VI grade
petrol and diesel has begun in cities
adjoining the national capital, Indian
Oil Corporation (IOC) said. While Delhi
in April 2018 became the first city in
the country to leapfrog from Euro-IV
grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI fuels,
cities in the national capital region like
Noida and Ghaziabad switched over
to the cleaner fuel. Rest of the country
will follow suit from April 2020. “Oil
companies keep up BS-VI (Euro-VI)
promise! 12 NCR districts and city of
Agra converted to BS-VI green fuels”
IOC said in a series of tweets.
India evacuates peacekeeping CRPF
contingent from Libya
e
India has evacuated its entire
in
contingent of 15 CRPF personnel from
Tripoli after the situation “suddenly
worsened” in Libya, External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj said. The
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
contingent was deployed as peace
keeping force in Tripoli. “The situation
in Libya has suddenly worsened. There
is fighting in Tripoli. Indian Embassy
in Tunisia @IndiainTunisia has
evacuated the entire contingent of 15
CRPF personnel itself,” Swaraj
tweeted.
India’s electric mobility trans-
formation progress
India could achieve high
penetration of electric vehicles (EV)
by 2030 on the back of the success
of FAME II and other measures,
according to a Niti Aayog report. The
penetration of EV vehicles could reach
around 80 per cent in case of two-
wheelers and 30 per cent for private
cars, the report — India’s Electric
Mobility Transformation: Progress to
Date and Future Opportunities — by
the Niti Aayog and the Rocky Mountain
Institute. The report quantifies direct
oil and carbon savings that vehicles
incentivised under the FAME II would
deliver.
Govt suspends LoC trade with PoK
The Home Ministry issued orders
to suspend the Line of Control (LoC)
trade between Pakistan Occupied
Kashmir (PoK) and Jammu and Kashmir
effective April 19. The government
has taken this step after receiving
reports of cross LoC trade routes being
misused by Pakistan-based elements.
Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement
said, "This action has been taken as
the Government of India has been
receiving reports that the Cross LoC
trade routes are being misused by the
Pakistan based elements for funnelling
illegal weapons, narcotics and fake
currency etc."
Supreme Court rejects Centre's plea
to keep Rafale documents secret
In unanimous
support for freedom of
Press in a democracy,
the Supreme Court
dismissed the
government's plea to
declare the Rafale jets'
purchase documents a
secret, while Supreme Court
upholding the right of
free speech of The Hindu to publish
the defence papers in a series of
articles since February 2019. Chief
Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who
shared the lead judgment with Justice
Sanjay Kishan Kaul, said The Hindu 's
right to publish the Rafale documents
was in consonance with the
constitutional guarantee of freedom
of speech.
Ness Wadia sentenced to 2-year jail
term in Japan for drugs possession
Ness Wadia, business tycoon and
heir to the Wadia Group, has been
sentenced to a two-year prison term
in Japan for possessing drugs.
According to a report, Ness Wadia
was found in possession of 25 grams
of cannabis resin in March, for which
he has been sentenced.The report
/t.
further states that Ness Wadia was
arrested in Japan in March.
s:/
PSLV-C45 successfully launches
EMISAT and 28 customer satellites
tp
India’s Polar Satellite Launch
ht
Vehicle (PSLV-C45) on April 1,2019
successfully launched EMISAT and 28
international customer satellites from
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)
SHAR in Sriharikota. This flight marked
the first mission of PSLV-QL, a new
variant of PSLV with four strap-on
motors.
Centre constitutes Multi
Disciplinary Terror Monitoring
Group for J&K
The Government on March 29,
2019 constituted a Multi Disciplinary
Terror Monitoring Group (MDTMG) to
ensure concerted action against terror
financing and other terror related
activities in the State of Jammu and
Kashmir (J&K).The group will meet on
a weekly basis and submit its action
report regularly.
Women officers to get permanent
commission in all 10 branches of
Indian Army
Women officers will now be
granted permanent commission (PC)
in all 10 branches of the Indian Army,
the defence ministry announced. The
Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken
necessary steps to ensure that women,
who were earlier inducted for short
service commission (SSC), will now
be granted PC in the Armed forces.
Centre Bans Jamaat-e-Islami
(Jammu and Kashmir)
The Modi government has
imposed a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami
Jammu and Kashmir for five years
over its nexus with terror outfits. The
decision comes a few days after
az
Centre’s massive crackdown on its
leaders. The five years ban on the
group has been imposed with
ag
immediate effect and will be subject
to scrutiny of a tribunal constituted by
M
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The decision was taken at a high-level
_e
meeting presided over by PM Narendra
Modi. A notification issued by MHA
ee
said that government has imposed a
ban on the group under the Unlawful
Fr
Activities (Prevention) Act.
PM launches National Common
e/
Mobility Card
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
m
launched the One Nation One Card in
association with the State Bank of
India (SBI). It is the first National
Common Mobility Card (NCMC) with
which you will be able to make multiple
kinds of payments such as transport
charges, including metro services and
toll tax, across the country and
withdraw money from the same card.
Among other things, this card will let
you pay for all times of public transport
using only one card all over the
country. This ‘One Nation One Card’
has been developed by the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Prayagraj Kumbha Mela 2019
makes it to the Guinness World
Records
Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019 has
been placed in the Guinness World
Records in three sectors. It includes
largest traffic and crowd management
plan, the biggest painting exercise of
public sites under paint my city scheme
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
79
and the biggest sanitation and waste
disposal mechanism. A three member
team from Guinness World Records
visited the Prayagraj for this purpose.
PM lays foundation stone for AK-
47 rifle manufacturing unit in
Amethi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
addressed his first rally in Amethi, the
Lok Sabha constituency of Congress
president Rahul Gandhi, since coming
to power in 2014 and laid the
foundation stone of a manufacturing
unit for AK-203 rifles. Modi, who
landed in the city after addressing a
rally in Bihar’s Patna, said Amethi,
which has traditionally been loyal to
the Gandhi family, was the best
example of his government’s ‘Sabka
Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (together with
e
all, development for all) motto.
in
CISF creates new guinness world
record
Troops of the CISF created history
by achieving a Guinness world record
feat in ‘single-line bicycle parade’ to
mark the 50 years of the paramilitary
force, an officer said. The Central
Industrial Security Force (CISF) was
raised in 1969 and it has about 1.80
lakh personnel in its ranks.
Cabinet approves National Policy
on Software Products
The Union Cabinet approved the
National Policy on Software Products
2019, which would help in formulating
schemes, projects and measures to
develop the software industry.
According to an official statement,
the policy has a five dimensional
‘mission’, one of them being a 10-fold
increase in Indian software industry’s
share in the global markets. “Initially,
an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore has been
made to implement the programmes
and schemes envisaged under this
policy over seven years.
Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities sets World
Record
Union Minister Thaawar Chand
Gehlot said the Department of
Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (DEPwD) has set its seventh
Guinness world record with 260 people
in Gujarat’s Bharuch getting ‘Modern
Artificial Limbs (Legs)’ implanted within
eight hours. The DEPwD under the
Ministry of Social Justice and
Empower-ment had previously set six
Guinness world records in other
categories.
India has highest number of poor,
says report
India has reduced its poverty rate
drastically from 55% to 28% in 10
years, with 271 million people moving
out of poverty between 2005-06 and
2015-16, according to the Global MPI
2018 Report prepared by the United
Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and
Human Development Initiative. The
report, covering 105 countries,
dedicates a chapter to India because
of this remarkable progress. However,
India still had 364 million poor in 2015-
16, the largest for any country,
although it is down from 635 million
in 2005-06.The report measures MPI,
or multidimensional poverty index,
which it says can be broken down to
show "who is poor" and "how they
are poor".
PM Modi inaugurates National War
Memorial in New Delhi
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on
February 25, 2019
inaugurated
country's National
the
War Memorial (NWM)
adjoining the iconic
India Gate complex in
the heart of the Narendra Modi
capital, nearly 60
years after it was mooted to honour
the fallen soldiers after Independence.
Spread over an area of
approximately 40 acres, the memorial
comprises four concentric circles,
/t.
namely- the 'Amar Chakra, the Veerta
Chakra, the 'Tyag Chakra' and the
s:/
'Rakshak Chakra' with names of
25,942 soldiers inscribed in golden
tp
letters on granite tablets.
Terror attack in Pulwama; India
ht
Strikes Balakot (PoK)
On 14 February 2019, a convoy
of 78 vehicles transporting more than
2,500 Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) personnel from Jammu to
Srinagar was travelling on National
Highway 44. The convoy had left
Jammu around 03:30 IST and was
carrying a large number of personnel
due to the highway having been shut
down for two days prior. The convoy
was scheduled to reach its destination
before sunset. At Lethpora near
Awantipora, around 15:15 IST, a bus
carrying security personnel was
rammed by a Mahindra Scorpio SUV
carrying explosives. It caused a blast
80
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
which killed 40 CRPF personnel of the
76th Battalion and injured many others.
The injured were moved to the army
base hospital in Srinagar.
India climbs 8 spot in International
IP Index 2019
India has jumped eight places to
36th position on the International
Intellectual Property (IP) Index, which
analyses the IP climate in 50 global
economies, this year. India’s eight-
point jump in 2019 from 44th position
in 2018 is the highest increase among
50 nations mapped by the index, a
release said. The US, the UK, Sweden,
France and Germany remained the top
five economies on the intellectual
property index in 2019 retaining their
spots from the last year.
India becomes second largest LPG
consumer and importer
India has become the world’s
az
second largest importer of liquefied
petroleum gas as its government
pushes cleaner alternatives to
ag
traditional cooking fuels such as
firewood and cow dung. Petroleum
M
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that
imports of LPG grew 12.5 percent
_e
over the past five years to 12 million
metric tons (13 million tons) in 2018-
ee
19, surpassing Japan and putting
India in second place behind China.
Fr
India’s financial year runs from April
to March.
e/
Ladakh declared as third adminis-
trative division of J and K
m
The cold desert region of Ladakh
has been declared as the third
administrative division of Jammu and
Kashmir. Governor Satya Pal Malik’s
administration granted divisional status
to the cold desert region which remains
cut off from the outside world for six
months due to harsh winter. The move
is widely seen as politically motivated,
in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha
elections and assembly polls in the
state. The Ladakh Lok Sabha seat was
won by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s
Thupstan Chhewang in 2014 by a
wafer-thin margin of 13 votes against
the Congress.
India withdraws MFN status of
Pakistan
Less than 24 hours after the terror
attack in Jammu and Kashmir's
Pulwama district where 45 CRPF
jawans were killed in a suicide bomb
attack by a Pakistan-trained terrorist,
India withdrew the Most Favoured
Nation (MNF) status accorded to
Pakistan. While the withdrawal of the
MFN status by India is negative in
sentiment terms for the bilateral
relations, the impact on trade is unlikely
to be substantial given that volumes
of merchandise trade are low.
PM Modi flags-off first ever diesel-
to-electric converted locomotive
Indian Railways leads the way for
the world under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's ambitious 'Make in
India' initiative. Indian Railways has
created history by converting a diesel
locomotive into electric locomotive for
the first time in the world. This all
new converted energy-efficient electric
locomotive has been flagged off by
PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi.
Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji
e
Deshmukh, Bhupen Hazarika
in
awarded Bharat Ratna
President Ramnath Kovind
conferred the Bharat
Ratna, the nation's
highest civilian
honour, on former
President Pranab
Mukherjee, along with
social activist Nanaji
D e s h m u k h
(posthumous), and Pranab
Assamese musician Mukherjee
Bhupen Hazarika
(posthumous). Prime Minister Narendra
Modi was the first to congratulate the
awardees. "Pranab Da is an
outstanding statesman of our times.
He has served the nation selflessly
and tirelessly for decades, leaving a
strong imprint on the nation's growth
trajectory. His wisdom and intellect
have few parallels," he tweeted.
Parliament approves reservation
bill for EWS of general category
The Parliament approved
amending the Constitution to provide
10 per cent reservation to general
category poor in jobs and education
with the government terming the
landmark move as ‘slog over sixes’. A
day after Lok Sabha approved The
Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty
Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019, the
Rajya Sabha passed the law with 165
voting in favour and seven against.
The President on January 12, signed
the quota Bill, which will provide 10
per cent reservation to the
economically weaker sections among
the general category.
15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Convention was organized from 21 to
23 January. The convention was held
in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. After the
Convention, participants were given
the opportunity to visit Prayagraj for
Kumbh Mela on 24th January, 2019
and witness the Republic Day Parade
at New Delhi on 26th January 2019.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Convention. On 23rd January, 2019,
the Valedictory Address was delivered
and Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards
were conferred by President Ram Nath
Kovind.
Thailand crowns new king in
elaborate ceremony
Thailand’s King Maha
Vajiralongkorn was officially crowned
on May 4, 2019 in an elaborate
centuries-old royal tradition that last
happened seven decades ago.The
coronation represents a renewal of
the monarchy’s power after the
October 2016 death of
Vajiralongkorn’s revered father, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej. It also comes
amid more than a decade of political
strife, including a 2014 military coup
and a contentious election less than
two months ago.
Masood Azhar designated Global
Terrorist in UN
Pakistan-based terrorist Masood
/t.
Azhar was designated a global terrorist
by the UN Security Council in a
s:/
diplomatic win for India on May
1,2019. China, which had blocked
tp
moves to blacklist Masood Azhar four
times, finally dropped its objections
ht
saying it “found no objection after a
careful study of revised materials”.The
UN decision means a freeze on Masood
Azhar’s finances and assets, a travel
ban and an arms embargo.
Nepal collects 3,000 kg garbage
from Mt Everest
Nepal has collected about 3,000
kilograms of solid waste from Mt.
Everest since when Nepal launched an
ambitious Everest Cleaning Campaign.
This 45-day Everest Cleaning
Campaign was launched on April 14,
on Nepali New Year, and seeks to
clean up ‘world’s highest garbage
dump.’ As per the Nepal government,
2,000 kg of garbage had been sent to
PM launches Gangajal Project
Giving a major push to develop
and enhance Tourism infrastructure in
Agra, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi launched a series of development
projects worth Rs 2900 crore for the
Agra city and the adjoining areas. The
Prime Minister dedicated to the
nation, Gangajal project, which
will provide Agra with better and more
assured water supply, at an estimated
cost of Rs 2880 crore. Gangajal
project aims to bring 140 cusecs of
Ganga water to Agra. This will help
meet the drinking water demands in
the city.
INTERNATIONAL
Okhaldhunga while the remaining
1,000 kg were brought to Kathmandu
using Nepali Army helicopters for
disposal.
az
Nepal successfully launches its first
satellite into space
ag
Nepal successfully launched its
first satellite into
space from the US to
gather detailed M South Korea launched the world’s
_e
geographical
information of the
ee
Himalayan nation,
evoking unbridled
Fr
excitement among the
people and scientists. Nepal’s
e/
Developed by the Satellite
Nepalese scientists, NepaliSat-1
m
satellite was launched at 2:31 am
(Nepal time) from Virginia in United
States, according to Nepal Academy
of Science and Technology (NAST).
Two Nepali scientists, Aabhas Maskey
and Hariram Shrestha who are currently
studying at Japanese Kyushu Institute
of Technology, developed the satellite
under the BIRDS project of their
institute. Prime Minister K P Sharma
Oli congratulated all the scientists and
institutions involved in the
development of the satellite. He said
it was a matter of prestige for the
country to have its own satellite.
TIME`s 100 most Influential People
list released
Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman
Mukesh Ambani has featured in the
TIME magazine’s list of 100 most
influential people. Arundhati Katju and
Menaka Guruswamy, who led the legal
battle for LGBTQ rights in India, also
featured in the list that was released.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
81
Supreme Court upholds
constitutional validity of Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code
The Supreme Court on January
25, 2019 upheld the constitutional
validity of the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code (IBC). A Bench
headed by Justice R.F. Nariman upheld
the constitutional validity of the code
"in its entirety". However, the apex
court said that related parties in the
Act should mean a person connected
with the business. The Bench disposed
of a batch of pleas filed by companies
challenging various provisions of the
IBC.
The “Time 100 Most Influential People
e
2019” named the world’s most
in
influential pioneers, leaders, titans,
artists and icons of the year, and
Ambani was named among the Most
Influential Titans.
South Korea launches world‘s first
nation-wide 5G mobile network
first nationwide 5G mobile networks
two days early, its top mobile carriers
said, in a late-night scramble to be the
first providers of the super-fast wireless
technology.
Maldives court lifts freeze on
Yameen’s bank accounts
A Maldivian court ordered the
authorities to lift a freeze on former
President Abdulla Yameen’s bank
accounts holding about $6.5 million
but said a money laundering case
against him would proceed. The High
Court overturned the Criminal Court’s
earlier decision to freeze the eight
accounts over allegations that Mr.
Yameen had received illicit payments
just before he lost his re-election bid
in September.
Slovaks elect first woman President
The election of Zuzana Caputova
as Slovakia’s first woman President
was greeted as a vote for change,
with the anti-graft activist expected
to provide a check on a government
tarnished after last year’s murder of
a journalist. The 45-year-old environ-
mental lawyer’s clear victory over the
ruling party’s candidate was a blow to
the populist-left Smer-SD — the largest
grouping in Parliament — and could
spell trouble for them in the EU
elections and next year’s general vote.
Military courts in Pakistan close
down
Pakistan’s special military courts,
which were set up in 2015 to try
civilians on terrorism charges, have
ceased to exist after the government
failed to get the support of the
Opposition to extend their tenure,
according to a media report. The courts
were set up weeks after the Peshawar
school attack on December 16, 2014,
for speedy trial of hardcore militants.
The Express Tribune reported that the
courts ceased to exist as the
government failed to get the support
of the Opposition to extend their
tenure.
US State Department approves $2.6
billion chopper sale to India
The U.S Department of State has
approved the sale of 24 MH-60R
‘Romeo’ multi-mission helicopters to
India under its Foreign Military Sales
(FMS) programme. The value of the
potential sale is $2.6 billion, as per a
statement released by the Defense
Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA),
the body that administers the FMS
programme. The principal contractor
for the deal will be Lockheed Martin.
In Brunei, harsh sharia laws take
effect
Brunei introduced harsh new sharia
laws, including death by stoning for
adultery and gay sex, despite a storm
of global criticism from politicians,
celebrities and rights groups. The tough
penal code in the country fully came
into force following years of delays.
/t.
The laws, which also include
s:/
amputation of hands and feet for
thieves, make Brunei the first place in
East or Southeast Asia to have a sharia
tp
penal code at the national level, joining
several mostly West Asian countries
ht
such as Saudi Arabia.
Former President Nasheed makes
a triumphant return to Parliament
Former President and popular
leader of the Maldivian Democratic
Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed, was
among the major winners in
parliamentary polls — the third multi-
party contest in the Indian Ocean
archipelago that saw President Ibrahim
Solih’s party heading for a majority.
Netanyahu pledges to annex West
Bank settlements after polls
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has pledged to annex
settlements in the occupied West Bank
82
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
if he wins elections, a deeply
controversial move that could prove
to be the death knell for the two-state
solution. His comments just days
before the closely-fought April 9 poll,
could be seen as an appeal to right-
wing voters who do not believe in the
feasibility of a peace agreement with
the Palestinians.
David Malpass appointed as
President of World Bank
David Malpass, a top U.S.
Treasury official in Trump
administration, was on April 5
unanimously selected as the new
President of the World Bank. The World
Bank’s 25-member executive board
unanimously approved 63-year-old
Malpass, who is currently Under
Secretary of Treasury for International
Affairs, as the development lender’s
13th President for a five-year term
beginning April 9, according to a
az
statement.
US House votes to end American
ag
involvement in Yemen’s Civil War
The US House of Representatives
M
has voted to end US involvement in
Yemen’s civil war, rejecting President
_e
Donald Trump’s support for Saudi-led
campaign there. The House approved
ee
the resolution by 247 to 175 votes
that directs the President to remove
Fr
US Armed Forces from hostilities in or
affecting the Republic of Yemen within
e/
30 days.
Japan names new imperial era as
m
Reiwa
Japan declared the name of its
new imperial era when Crown Prince
Naruhito becomes emperor on May 1,
with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying
it emphasized traditional values at a
turning point in the nation’s history.
Crowds watching giant television
screens across Tokyo roared and raised
their phones to take photos as a
somber Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yoshihide Suga held up a white placard
with the new name - Reiwa - written
in two characters in black ink.
US Homeland Security chief resigns
Homeland Security Secretary
Kirstjen Nielsen resigned, according to
reports. Ms. Nielsen will, however,
stay on until April 10 after which Kevin
McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs
and Border Protection Commissioner,
will take charge as Acting Homeland
Security Secretary. Ms. Nielson, who
has had a rocky working relationship
with President Donald Trump, handed
in her resignation at a time when there
were growing signs of division within
the administration over how to handle
the swelling numbers at the U.S.-
Mexico border. Ms. Nielson, 46, was
appointed to her role in December
2017.
Netanyahu becomes Israeli PM for
5th time
Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to
be headed toward a
historic fifth term as
Israel's prime minister,
with close-to-
complete unofficial
election results giving
his right-wing Likud
and other nationalist
and religious parties a Benjamin
e
solid majority in Netanyahu
in
parliament. The outcome affirmed
Israel's continued tilt to the right and
further dimmed hopes of a negotiated
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Re-election will also give
Netanyahu an important boost as he
braces for the likelihood of criminal
charges in a series of corruption
scandals.
Trump vetoes Bill to end U.S.
support for Yemen war
President Donald Trump vetoed a
resolution from Congress directing him
to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led
war in Yemen, the second such move
of his presidency. The resolution was
a harsh bipartisan rebuke to Mr. Trump
that took the historic step of curtailing
a President's war-making powers - a
step he condemned in a statement
announcing his veto.
Egyptians vote on giving President
Sisi more powers
Egyptians voted in a three-day
referendum on constitutional changes
that could allow President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi to stay in office until 2030 and
boost the role of the powerful military.
Mr. Sisi's supporters say the changes
are necessary to give him more time
to complete major development
projects and economic reforms.
Serial blasts across Sri Lanka claim
350
Over 350 people were killed and
nearly 500 injured in a series of blasts
that shook Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
Churches and luxury hotels were
targeted in the deadliest incidents since
the civil war ended a decade ago. As
many as eight blasts occurred in and
around the capital Colombo and in the
eastern city of Batticaloa, as large
groups gathered at churches for Easter
services.
Ukrainians choose comedian
Zelensky as next President
Ukraine leapt into the unknown
after comedian Volodymyr Zelensky
was elected President on promises of
change but with just a vague blueprint
of what he might do as leader. Mr.
Zelensky, whose previous experience
in the world of politics was playing
the President on TV, trounced
incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a
stinging rebuke to the establishment
fuelled by anger over war and social
injustice.
Arab League pledges $100m to
Palestine
The Arab League has pledged to
pay $100m a month to the Palestinian
Authority (PA) to plug the gap left
when Israel blocked tax transfers earlier
in the year. "We confirm that Arab
countries will support the Palestinian
state's budget ... [to] resist the political
and financial pressure it faces," the
League said following a meeting in the
Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Zuzana Caputova becomes
Slovakia’s first female president
Anti-corruption candidate Zuzana
Caputova has won Slovakia’s
presidential election, making her the
country’s first female head of state.Ms
Caputova, who has almost no political
experience, defeated high-profile
/t.
diplomat Maros Sefcovic, nominated
s:/
by the governing party, in a second
round run-off vote on March 30,2019.
Finland government resigns over
tp
failed reforms
ht
Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s
centre-right government resigned after
failing to push through a flagship social
and health care reform package, just
five weeks ahead of a legislative
election. There has been a hard fought
struggle for the wide-reaching reform
for over a decade, dividing successive
governments. Mr. Sipilä called the
failure to pass the reform “a major
disappointment”.
Sudanese president steps down as
ruling party’s chairman
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
has handed his powers as chief of the
country’s ruling party to his deputy,
Ahmed Harun, after more than two
months of protests against his nearly
three-decade rule.
Court orders dissolution of key Thai
party
A key party linked to Thailand’s
powerful Shinawatra clan was
dissolved by a court, just weeks before
a general election, over its ill-starred
bid to front a Princess as a candidate
for Premier. Thai Raksa Chart, which
is tied to ex-Premiers Thaksin and
Yingluck Shinawatra, proposed
Princess Ubolratana as its prime
ministerial candidate if its bloc emerged
with a Lower House majority after the
election.
Malaysia joins the International
Criminal Court
Malaysia has become a member
of the International Criminal Court, a
minister said, in a boost for the
beleaguered institution at a time it
faces growing criticism. The ICC is
az
the world’s only permanent war crimes
court and aims to prosecute the worst
ag
abuses when national courts are unable
or unwilling.
M
China hikes defence budget by 7.5%
China has increased its defence
_e
budget by 7.5 per cent for this year,
hiking it to USD 177.61 billion from
ee
last year’s USD 175 billion. It is over
three times India’s defence budget.
Fr
Macky Sall re-elected as Senegal’s
President
e/
Senegalese President Macky Sall
was officially declared winner of the
m
Feb. 24 vote, after the constitutional
council confirmed his re-election with
58 percent of votes. Provisional results
announced by Senegal’s official
counting body last week had showed
Sall comfortably securing a second
term without a run-off vote.
Javad Zarif resigns as Iran’s Foreign
Minister
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
held back from accepting the
resignation of his Foreign Minister
Javad Zarif, standing by a moderate
ally long targeted by hardliners in
internal factional struggles over a 2015
nuclear deal with the West.
Saudi Arabia, China cement ties
during Crown Prince’s visit
China and Saudi Arabia have
cemented ties based on a stronger
energy relationship as well as Riyadh’s
decision to distance itself from the
controversy surrounding Beijing’s
approach towards Xinjiang.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
83
Afghanistan launches new export
route to India through Chabahar
Port
Afghanistan began exports to India
through an Iranian port as the
landlocked, war-torn nation turns to
overseas markets to improve its
economy. Officials said 23 trucks
carrying 57 tonnes of dried fruits,
textiles, carpets and mineral products
were dispatched from western Afghan
city of Zaranj to Iran’s Chabahar port.
IOC suspends India from hosting
global sporting events
The International Olympic
Committee has decided to “suspend
all discussions” with India regarding
hosting of global sporting events after
Pakistani shooters were not issued
visas for the World Cup in New Delhi.
e
The Olympic committee also revoked
in
the Olympic qualification status for
the men’s 25m rapid fire event from
the New Delhi World Cup due to denial
of visas to the Pakistani shooters in
the wake of last week’s Pulwama
terrorist attack in which 40 CRPF
personnel were killed.
Finland tops World Happiness
Report 2019
Finland has topped an index of
the happiest nations for the second
consecutive year, with researchers
saying the small Nordic country of 5.5
million has succeeded in generating a
happiness recipe for a balanced life
not simply dependent on economic
and material wealth.
UNEA adopts 2 resolutions piloted
by India
The United Nations Environment
Assembly (UNEA) has adopted two
resolutions piloted by India on single-
use plastics and sustainable nitrogen
management. According to a
statement released by the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate
Change (MoEFCC), the resolutions
were adopted at the fourth session of
UNEA which was held in Nairobi from
March 11 to 15 on 'Innovative
Solutions for Environmental Challenges
and Sustainable Production and
Consumption'.
Global Environment Outlook 2019
Report released
Environmental damage caused by
man-made activities is having a
devastating toll on human health,
the UN said, warning of millions
of premature deaths due to air and
water pollution by 2050 if action is
not taken.
U.S. Senate votes to end emergency
The U.S. Senate passed a proposal
to terminate President Donald Trump's
declaration of an emergency at the
southern border, with 12 Republicans
defying the President, and Mr. Trump
vowing a veto. The 59-41 vote marks
the second Senate rebuke of Mr. Trump
in two days.
Pentagon authorises fund transfer
to build US-Mexico Border Wall
Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan
has authorised $1 billion (£757 million)
to build part of the wall sought by
Donald Trump along the US-Mexico
border, the first funds designated for
the project under the president's
emergency declaration.
EU Parliament passes Copyright
Reforms Law
The European Parliament voted to
approve a controversial new copyright
law that hands more power to news
publishers and record companies. The
deal brings measures making platforms
such as YouTube and Facebook liable
for copyrighted material on their sites
one step closer to conclusion.
Trump-Kim Summit 2019
United States President Donald
Trump held the second summit with
the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un
in Vietnam on February 27-28, 2019
as part of his administration's ongoing
endeavours to denuclearise North
/t.
s:/
tp
ht
Trump-Kim Summit
Korea.Vietnam's Hanoi hosted the
second summit. Vietnam has
diplomatic ties with both Washington
and Pyongyang.
Thailand names Siamese fighting
fish its national aquatic animal
Tiny, testy and eye-catching with
a colourful fin plumage, the Siamese
fighting fish was on February 5 named
Thailand’s national aquatic animal.
Known in the West as a betta fish, the
underwater brawler is popular in home
aquariums for its iridescent body and
many-hued tail. The government said
84
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
in a statement that the cabinet
greenlighted a proposal for the
“fighting fish to be the national fish”,
citing its historical and cultural
significance.
Iran successfully test fires Hoveizeh
Cruise Missile
Iran announced the successful
flight test of its new Hoveizeh long-
range cruise missile on February 2,
coinciding with celebrations for the
country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
“The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile
was carried out successfully at a range
of 1,200 km and accurately hit the set
target,” Defense Minister Brigadier
General Amir Hatami said.
Pope Francis calls for end to wars
in Yemen and Syria
Pope Francis called for an end to
the war in Yemen, where the UAE
plays a key role, during the first ever
az
visit by a pope to the Arabian
Peninsula. “Human fraternity requires
ag
of us, as representatives of the world’s
religions, the duty to reject every
M
nuance of approval from the word
war. I am thinking in particular of
_e
Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya,” the
pope said during an interfaith meeting
in Abu Dhabi attended by Sheikh
ee
Ahmed al-Tayeb, the world’s top Sunni
Muslim cleric.
Fr
World Sustainable Development
Summit 2019
e/
Building on the momentum of last
m
year’s summit, The Energy and
Resources Institute (TERI), one of
India’s leading think tanks, kickstarted
the World Sustainable Development
2019 (WSDS 2019). The summit was
inaugurated by M. Venkaiah Naidu,
Vice President, at Vigyan Bhawan in
New Delhi. Nitin Desai, Chairman,
TERI, delivered the welcome address.
Donald Trump declares national
emergency
President Donald Trump on
February 15 declared national
emergency, a move that would unlock
billions of dollars of federal money to
construct a wall along the US-Mexico
border, saying the move was essential
to prevent the country from “invasion”
of illegal immigrants. Trump’s move
followed a rare show of bipartisanship
when legislators voted to fund large
swaths of the government and avoid
a repeat of the recent five-week
government shutdown.
Abu Dhabi adds Hindi as third
official court language
Hindi has been included as the
third official language, besides Arabic
and English, on all interactive forms
filed before Abu Dhabi courts in labour
cases. The Abu Dhabi Judicial
Department said the move was aimed
at providing foreigners better access
to justice, without a language barrier.
USA pulls out of INF treaty
The United States announced that
it was pulling out of a landmark nuclear
arms control treaty with Russia,
accusing Moscow of violating the Cold
War-era pact with “impunity” by
continuing to develop banned missiles.
President Donald Trump said Russia
has been secretly developing “a
prohibited missile system that poses
e
a direct threat to our allies and troops
in
abroad.”
Russia to develop new missile
systems by 2021
Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei
Shoigu said the country must develop
new types of missile systems in the
next two years after Washington and
Moscow ripped up a key arms control
treaty. The United States has
repeatedly accused Russia of violating
the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
(INF) agreement and President Donald
Trump said Washington was starting
a process to withdraw from the treaty
in six months.
Taliban demands new Afghan
Constitution
The Taliban demanded a new
Constitution for Afghanistan and
promised an “inclu-sive Islamic
system” to govern the war-torn
country at a rare gathering with senior
Afghan politicians in Russia that
excluded the Kabul government. The
manifesto, outlined in Moscow, comes
a week after the Taliban held unprece-
dented six-day talks with U.S.
negotiators in Doha about ending the
17-year war.
Ivanka unveils global women
initiative
Ivanka Trump unveiled an effort
aimed at helping 50 million women in
the developing world get ahead
economically over the next six years.
The White House officially launched
the Women’s Global Development and
Prosperity Initiative, a government-
wide project led by the senior adviser
and daughter to President Donald
Trump. The initiative will involve the
State Department, the National
Security Council and other agencies.
The President previewed the launch
during his State of the Union address
describing it as “part of our
commitment to improving opportunity
for women every where”.
World Government Summit 2019
held in Dubai
The seventh annual World
Government Summit was held in Dubai
(UAE). The World Govern-ment
Summit is a forum dedicated to shaping
the future of governments. The Summit
is being attended by 4,000 decision-
makers from 140 countries including
heads of state, ministers and business
leaders. The World Government
Summit is a global platform dedicated
to shaping the future of governments
worldwide.
16 U.S. states sue Trump over
border wall emergency
Sixteen U.S. states sued President
Donald Trump's administration over
his decision to declare a national
emergency to fund a wall on the
southern border with Mexico, saying
the move violated the Constitution.
Mr. Trump announced the emergency
in order to bypass Congress, which
approved only a quarter of the $5.6
billion he wanted for the wall in a
spending Bill.
Bernie Sanders announces White
House bid
Independent Senator from
/t.
Vermont and 2016 Presidential
candidate, Bernie Sanders, has
s:/
announced that he is seeking the
Democratic nomination for the White
House in 2020. Mr. Sanders
tp
announced his intention to run on
ht
Vermont Public Radio morning,
entering a crowded field of at least 10
other Democratic candidates.
Iran unveils new 'Fateh' submarine
Iran launched a
new locally-made
submarine capable of
firing cruise missiles,
state TV said, in the
country's latest show
of military might at a
time of heightened
tensions with the US. Iran’s
The launch ceremony, submarine
led by President Hassan Rouhani, took
place in the southern port city of
Bandar Abbas. "Today, the Islamic
Republic of Iran is fully self-reliant on
land, air and sea," Rouhani said.
President Trump signs directive to
create a military space force
President Trump signed his fourth
space policy directive, this one aimed
at creating the infamous Space Force
he has been touting since last summer.
However, the scope of the Space Force
has been downsized. The new policy
directive will make the Space Force a
sixth branch within the US Air Force,
rather than its own independent
department. Trump first directed the
Department of Defense to establish
the Space Force in June 2018 in a
surprise announcement during a
meeting of the National Space Council.
EU agrees on greenhouse gas
emission cut for trucks
The European Union agreed to
reduce emissions of carbon dioxide
az
(CO2) from new trucks and buses by
30 percent by a 2030 deadline as part
of its commitment to cut its output of
ag
greenhouse gases. The European
Parliament and the Council, which
M
represents the 28 EU member
countries, struck a compromise in the
_e
early hours that will reduce average
CO2 emissions compared with 2019
ee
levels, the European Commision said
in a statement.
Fr
Macedonia renamed as the
Republic of Northern Macedonia
e/
Macedonia’s parliament passed an
amendment to the constitution to
m
rename the country Republic of North
Macedonia, in line with an agreement
with Greece to put an end to a 27-
year-old dispute. The countries struck
the deal on the new name in June, but
Macedonia will start using it only after
the parliament in Athens also ratifies
the agreement. Eighty-one deputies in
the 120-seat parliament voted in
favour. Representatives of the
opposition VMRO-DPMNE, who
opposed the agreement with Greece,
boycotted the vote.
US launches new innovation
initiative at Raisina Dialogue 2019
The United States Chamber of
Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy
Center (GIPC) launched a new
innovation initiative at the Raisina
Dialogue in New Delhi. The initiative,
titled “Fair Value for Innovation”, will
examine economic underpinnings that
would enable breakthrough innovation,
and explore how policymakers can
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
85
harness innovation capital in India and
around the globe through research,
advocacy, partnerships, and
programmes.
World Democracy Index 2019
launched
A new index released offers a
sobering look at how democracy is
faring in the United States. According
to the 2018 edition of The Economist
Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index,
the U.S. doesn’t even make the list
of top 20—its demonstrably “flawed
democracy” notching it the 25th spot.
The ranking is based on 60 indicators
spanning five interrelated categories:
electoral process and pluralism; civil
liberties; the functioning of
government; political participation; and
political culture. Each category gets a
e
0-10 score, with the final score being
in
the average of those five.
Global Report on Trafficking in
Persons 2018
Trafficking victims from South
Asian countries including India are
detected in many parts of Europe,
according to a new UN report that
said human trafficking has taken
“horrific dimensions” with children
accounting for a third of those being
trafficked. The ‘’Global Report on
Trafficking in Persons 2018'’ from the
UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) draws on information from
142 countries, examining trafficking
trends and patterns. The report said
human trafficking is taking on “horrific
dimensions”, with sexual exploitation
of victims the main driver.
China passes law to make Islam
compatible with socialism
China has passed a new law that
seeks to “Sinicize” Islam within the
next five years, the latest move by
Beijing to rewrite how religion is
practised in the country. China’s
leading English newspaper, Global
Times, reported that after a meeting
with representatives from eight Islamic
associations, government officials
“agreed to guide Islam to be compatible
with socialism and implement
measures to ‘Sinicize’ the religion”,
Aljazeera reported.
Sheikh Hasina becomes Bangladesh
PM for 3rd consecutive time
Sheikh Hasina became Prime
Minister of Bangladesh for 3rd
consecutive time. She had a huge
victory over the opposition, said a
statement released by
the country’s Election
Commission. The
alliance dominated by
Hasina’s Awami
League won 287 out
of 298 seats. The
main opposition
B a n g l a d e s h Sheikh Hasina
Nationalist Party (BNP)
won just 6 seats. Hasina’s win
consolidated her decade-long rule over
Bangladesh. She is credited with
improving the economy and all-round
development. But she also has been
accused of rampant abuse of human
rights, a crackdown on media; i.e.
suppressing dissent in any manner.
She has vehemently denied all charges.
Rajapaksa named Opposition
leader
Former President Mahinda
Rajapaksa was named the Leader of
Opposition in the Sri Lankan
Parliament, amid pending ques-tions
about his eligibility to hold the position.
The announ-cement came as a
reaffirmation of Speaker Karu
Jayasuriya’s earlier position
acknowledging Mr. Rajapaksa as
Opposition leader, which MPs of the
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and some
other parties had challenged on two
grounds.
India-Central Asia Dialogue 2019
The first India-Central Asia
Dialogue was held in Samarkand,
Uzbekistan on January 12 and 13,
and was co-chaired by External Affairs
/t.
Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and
the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan,
s:/
Abdulaziz Kamilov. The Foreign
Minister of Afghanistan participated
tp
in the dialogue as a special invitee for
the session dedicated to connectivity
ht
issues in the region, while the Foreign
Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic,
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and the
First Deputy Foreign Minister of
Kazakhstan represented their
respective countries at the event.
Trump ends shutdown
Submitting to mounting pressure,
U.S. President Donald Trump has
signed a Bill to reopen the government
for three weeks, backing down from
his demand that Congress give him
money for his border wall before federal
agencies go back to work. Standing
alone in the Rose Garden Mr. Trump
said he would sign the legislation
funding shuttered agencies until
86
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
February 15 and try again to persuade
lawmakers to finance his long-sought
wall. The deal he reached with
congressional leaders contains no new
money for the wall but ends the longest
shutdown in U.S. history.
Rio de Janeiro named as first World
Capital of Architecture for 2020
The United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) has named the Brazilian city
of Rio de Janeiro as the World Capital
of Architecture for 2020. The
announcement was made by
UNESCO's Assistant Director-General
for Culture Ernesto Ottone R, Thomas
Vonier, President of the International
Union of Architects (UIA) and Verena
Vicentini Andreatta, Municipal
Secretary of the City of Rio for
Urbanism, on January 18, 2019.
India takes over operations of
az
Chabahar Port
India took over the operations of
ag
a part of Chabahar Port in Iran during
the Chabahar Trilateral Agreement
M
meeting held on December 24, 2018
in Iran. The heads of Indian, Iranian
_e
and Afghanistan delegation jointly
inaugurated the office of the Indian
SPV - India Ports Global Chabahar
ee
Free Zone (IPGCFZ) at Chabahar. The
absolute take-over of the terminal area,
Fr
cargo handling equipment and the
office building was completed by
e/
December 29, 2018.
m
US Chief of Staff Kevin Sweeney
resigns
Kevin Sweeney, the chief of staff
of the US Department of Defence, has
announced his resignation from the
post. Explaining his decision, Rear
Admiral Sweeney said in a statement
that "the time is right to return to the
private sector".
Belgium, Dominican Republic,
Germany, Indonesia and SA assume
charge as Non-Permanent
Members of UN Security Council
Five nations, namely, Belgium,
Dominican Republic, Germany,
Indonesia and South Africa assumed
the charge as the Non-Permanent
Members of the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC).
These five countries will hold a
two-year term in the Council with
effect from January 1, 2019. This will
be the Dominican Republic's first time
on the Security Council. The other
four countries have previously served
on the body.
US, Israel withdraw from UNESCO,
accusing cultural body of 'anti-
Israel bias'
The United States and its ally Israel
officially withdrew from the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with
the close of the year 2018. The two
nations had announced their intention
to quit the international organisation
in October 2017, accusing it of anti-
Israel bias.
World Economic Forum 2019
concludes in Davos
The annual meet of World
Economic Forum (WEF) held from
January 22 to 26, 2019 in Davos,
Switzerland.The World leaders from
e
across the globe attended the Forum
in
at the Swiss Alps for five days to
discuss the looming global economic
crisis, global cooperation challenges,
rapid climate change, increasing
pollution levels, habitat loss, fourth
wave of globalisation, among others.
Palestine takes over chairmanship
of G77
UN Secretary General Guterres
welcomed the "historic leadership" of
Palestine which assumed the
chairmanship of G77, the global body's
largest intergovernmental organisation
of developing countries including India.
Egypt was the previous Chair of
the Group of 77 (G77), a coalition of
134 members, along with China which
aligns itself with the bloc.
British lawmakers vote down bid
to prevent no-deal Brexit
British lawmakers voted on
January 29,2019 against a bid to
prevent a potentially disorderly no-deal
Brexit by wresting control of the
negotiations from Prime Minister
Theresa May if she fails to secure
concessions from Brussels.
WHO officially declares excessive
gaming a disorder
World Health Organisation (WHO)
recently declared excessive mobile,
video gaming as a disorder. Several
mental and physical illness issues come
up due to excessive gaming. "Gaming
disorder" alongside "gambling disorder"
has officially placed in the 11th revision
of the International Statistical
Classification of Diseases and Related
Health Problems (ICD-11) list of
"disorders due to addictive
behaviours". Games like PUBG, Loot
Boxes and Blue Whale have a darker
side that health professionals can no
longer ignore.
US takes India off watchlist for
currency practices
The US government has removed
India from its currency monitoring
watchlist. In its semi-annual foreign-
exchange report to the Congress, the
US Treasury Department did not
mention India's name in the watchlist
of countries with potentially
questionable foreign exchange policies.
UN designates Azhar Masood as
global terrorist
J a i s h - e -
Mohammad chief
Masood Azhar was
listed as a designated
terrorist by the UN
Security Council 1267
C o m m i t t e e .
Significantly, the
reasons for listing did Azhar Masood
not mention the
Pulwama attack of February 14, for
which the JeM had claimed
responsibility, and which found
mention in the latest (February 27)
listing request for Azhar. Never-theless,
the listing is a victory for India in a
decade-old diplomatic battle waged
primarily by it and supported by its
friends at the UNSC, as it would mean
a travel ban, arms embargo and asset
freeze on Azhar. The P-3 or group of
three permanent UNSC members, the
/t.
U.S., the U.K. and France, had co-
sponsored a listing request at the
s:/
Committee on February 27, weeks
after the Pulwama attack that killed
tp
over 40 security personnel. However,
China placed a hold on the request —
ht
which normally lasts for three months
— on March 13.
Vladimir Putin signs controversial
Internet Bill into law
Russian President Putin signed into
law a “sovereign internet” bill which
will allow Russian authorities to isolate
the country’s internet, a move decried
by rights groups. Russian lawmakers
insist the new law is necessary to
ensure the security of Russia’s online
networks but critics say the vaguely
worded Bill gives new censorship
powers to government monitors. The
measures include creating technology
to monitor internet routing and to steer
Russian internet traffic away from
foreign servers, ostensibly to prevent
a foreign country from shutting it
down.
US unveils Global Health Security
The US government has come
up with a first of its kind strategy
to prevent, detect and respond to
threats from infectious diseases
occurring naturally or accidentally, in
an effort to help improve the world’s
ability to stop and contain deadly
outbreaks before they spread between
countries.
Ireland declares climate emergency
Ireland’s parliament has become
the second after Britain’s to declare a
climate emergency, a decision hailed
by the Swedish teenage environmental
campaigner Greta Thunberg as “great
news”. An amendment to a
parliamentary report declaring a climate
emergency and calling on the
parliament “to examine how [the Irish
az
government] can improve its response
to the issue of biodiversity loss” was
ag
accepted without a vote.
Taiwan becomes first Asian country
M
to legalise same sex marriage
Taiwan has legalised same-sex
_e
marriage, the first of any Asian state,
with the passage of legislation giving
ee
gay couples the right to marry.
Lawmakers comfortably passed part
Fr
of a bill that would allow gay couples
to enter into “exclusive permanent
e/
unions” and apply for marriage
registration with government agencies.
m
Emperor Akihito steps down in
Japan
In his last public address as
emperor, Akihito handed over the
symbols of power and thanked the
public for their support during his 30-
year reign. The 85-year-old was given
permission to abdicate after saying he
felt unable to fulfil his role because of
his age and declining health. He is the
first Japanese monarch to stand down
in more than 200 years.
UK Parliament declares climate
change emergency
MPs in Britain have approved a
motion to declare an environment and
climate emergency.This proposal,
which demonstrates the will of the
Commons on the issue but does not
legally compel the government to act,
was approved without a vote.Labour
leader Jeremy Corbyn, who tabled the
motion, said it was "a huge step
forward".
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
87
Laurentino Cortizo elected new
President of Panama
U.S.-educated political veteran
Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo won
Panama's presidential election in a
close race, with the electoral tribunal
declaring him winner by just over two
percentage points. In his victory
speech, Cortizo called for national
unity, after winning 33.2 percent of
the vote with the Central American
country divided about its choice in the
one-round election.
North Korea fires few Short-Range
Projectiles into Sea of Japan
North Korea fired several
unidentified short-range projectiles into
the sea off its eastern coast, the South
Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, a
likely sign of Pyongyang's growing
e
frustration at stalled diplomatic
in
talks with Washington meant to
provide coveted sanctions relief in
return for nuclear disar-mament. South
Korea's military has bolstered its
surveillance in case there are additional
weapons launches, and South Korean
and U.S. authorities are analyzing the
details.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn officially
crowned
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn
was crowned at the Grand Palace as
part of his much-delayed coronation
two-and-a-half years after ascending
the throne. The king crowned himself
with a multi-tiered crown made of
gold and diamonds dating back over
two centuries in Thailand's first
coronation in nearly 70 years. "I will
carry on, preserve and extend, and
forever reign with righteousness for
the benefit of the people," the king
said with his first royal command,
similar to the oath his late father king
Bhumibol Adulyadej gave almost seven
decades ago.
Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in
jail
Julian Assange, the founder of
WikiLeaks who took refuge in the
Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012
to avoid being extradited to Sweden
over sexual assault charges, has
been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail
for flouting bail conditions by a
court in London. It comes ahead of a
hearing due to take place later this
week at Westminster Magistrates
Court as part of efforts to extradite
him to the U.S.
Algeria and Argentina declared
Malaria-Free: WHO
Algeria and Argentina have been
declared malaria-free by the World
Health Organization, in what has been
described as a "historic achievement"
for both countries. The declaration
follows warnings that the global fight
against malaria has slipped off track
in recent years, with cases rising in
many of the countries worst affected
by the disease. Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director
general, said Algeria and Argentina's
achievement "serves as a model for
GDP growth slips to 5.8% in the
last quarter of 2018-19; annual GDP
at 5-year low
India’s gross domestic product
(GDP) grew 5.8 percent in January-
March, official data released on May
31 showed, confirming fears of a
slowdown, as the new government
assumed office amid expectations of
a wide ranging policy impetus to
turnaround the economy that is nursing
multiple pain points.
Unemployment rate, highest in 45
years, touches 6.1%
Confirming unemployment rate
projected in a pre-election leaked
report, the government on May
31,2019 said joblessness in the
country was 6.1 per cent of total
labour force during 2017-18, the
highest in 45 years.
/t.
Iraq remains top oil supplier to
s:/
India
Iraq has, for the second year in
tp
a row, become India's top crude oil
supplier, meeting more than a fifth of
ht
the country's oil needs in 2018-19
fiscal year. According to data sourced
from the Directorate General of
Commercial Intelligence and Statistics,
Iraq sold 46.61 million tonnes (mt)
of crude oil to India during April
2018 and March 2019, 2% more than
45.74 mt it had supplied in 2017-18
fiscal.
RBI imposes fines on PPIs for
violating norms
The Reserve Bank of India has
slapped monetary penalty on five pre-
paid payment instrument issuers
including Vodafone m-pesa and
Phonepe, for violating regulatory
guidelines. A penalty of Rs. 3.05 crore
88
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
other countries working to end this
disease once and for all."
UNGA resolution demands UK
withdrawal from Chagos
Archipelago
India was among 116 nations to
vote in favour of a UN General
Assembly resolution that demanded
the UK withdraw its "colonial
administration" from the Chagos
Archipelago uncon-ditionally within six
months, supporting Mauritius in its
quest for the restoration of sovereignty
over the island chain in the Indian
Ocean.
ECONOMY
has been imposed on
Vodafone m-pesa and
Rs. 1 crore each on
Mobile Payments,
PhonePe and G.I.
az
Technology Private
Ltd. Also, a penalty
ag
of Rs. 5 lakh has been
imposed on Y-Cash RBI Logo
Software Solutions.
M
NSE fined Rs. 1,000 crore in co-
_e
location case
The Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) has barred the
ee
National Stock Exchange (NSE), which
has the largest market share in equity
Fr
segment and almost a monopoly in
equity derivatives, from accessing the
e/
securities market for six months.
m
DPIIT plans India Startup Fund
The department for promotion of
industry & internal trade (DPIIT) is
planning to set up an India Startup
Fund with an initial corpus of Rs.10
billion. The proposal is to provide seed
funds to 5,000 startups that are
focused on priority areas such as rural
healthcare, water and waste
management, clean energy solutions,
cyber security and drones.
Bank credit growth to slowdown
to 10.9% in 2019-20
Year-on-year growth in non-food
credit disbursed by scheduled
commercial banks (SCBs) improved
gradually from 10.2 per cent in March
2018 to 13.3 per cent by March 2019.
It was driven by increased lending to
non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs) and buoyancy in loan
disbursed for housing. We believe that
SCBs will not be able to maintain this
pace of growth. Growth will ease to
10.8 per cent by March 2020.
SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting
held in Kyrgyzstan
External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj on May 22 took up terror strikes
at Pulwama and Sri Lanka and urged
member nations of Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for
greater counter-terror cooperation.
Addressing the ministerial meet of SCO
at Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, the
External Affairs Minister said that India
remains committed to regional
connectivity and peace in Afghanistan.
"Our heart goes out to our brothers
and sisters of Sri Lanka, who have
recently witnessed the ghastly act of
terrorism.
Swollen current account deficit to
shrink
e
India's current account deficit
in
(CAD) widened to USD 51.8 billion in
the first nine months of 2018-19 itself,
as compared to the full year print of
USD 48.7 billion in 2017-18. The CAD
amounted to 2.6 per cent of GDP.
Trade deficit expanded to USD 85.01
billion during April-December 2018 due
to a sharp 32.6 per cent rise in prices
of Indian basket of crude oil. Indian
economy could not finance the
widening CAD.
Urban consumers positive about
next 12 months: HSBC survey
A recent survey by HSBC, ‘India:
Anatomy of the Consumer’, covering
1,000 members of the urban middle
class living in major cities who have
an annual household income above
Rs.700,000 revealed that 80 per cent
of the respondents are optimistic about
the economy for the next 12 months,
while 45 per cent are very optimistic.
ADB cuts India growth forecast to
7.2% for 2019-20
The Asian Development Bank
(ADB) has cut its India GDP growth
forecast for 2019-20 to 7.2% because
of a slower-than-expected pickup in
investment demand. ADB, which had
estimated 7.6% economic growth in
December, is the first multilateral
lending agency to slash India’s growth
estimate.
India's rice prices fall as overseas
demand slows down
The prices of rice from India have
declined on lower demand, as per a
report in Business Standard. The
country's rice exports for April-
February dropped to 9.4 per cent from
a year earlier to 10.57 million tonnes
as leading buyer Bangladesh reduced
its purchases due to a bumper local
harvest.
RBI becomes first central bank in
APAC to start interest rate easing
cycle
The RBI became the first central
bank in Asia-Pacific (APAC) to begin
an explicit interest rate easing cycle
in 2019 and has already cut policy
rates twice, amounting to a cumulative
50 basis points, Fitch Ratings said in
its APAC sovereign credit overview
report.
Agriculture prices to fall by 2.6% in
2019: World Bank
The World Bank, in its April
Commodity Markets Outlook, has
stated that agriculture prices are
projected to fall by 2.6 per cent in
2019. The prices are estimated to rise
by 1.7 per cent in 2020 due to lower
crop production and higher costs of
energy and fertilisers.
MCA unveils national guidelines on
responsible business conduct
The ministry of corporate affairs
(MCA) has released national guidelines
on responsible business conduct
(NGRBC). The ministry has revised the
National Voluntary Guidelines on
Social, Environmental and Economic
Responsibilities of Business, 2011 and
formulated the NGRBC.
Private corporate investment plans
decline for 7th year in a row in
FY18: RBI
/t.
Private corporate investment plans
s:/
declined for the seventh year in a row
to Rs.1.5 trillion in 2017-18 from
Rs.3.7 trillion in 2010-11, as per a RBI
tp
study. The central bank has attributed
the decline to economic slowdown,
ht
poor project appraisals and huge
corporate leveraging.
Only 3.32 lakh MSME jobs created
in last four years, finds CII survey
The number of net jobs created in
the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSME) sector in the last
four years stood at just 3,32,394,
which is 13.9% higher than the base
four years ago, according to a CII
survey of more than one lakh
companies.
SBI links savings account, short
term loan rates to repo rate
In a first of its kind, State Bank
of India has decided to link the interest
rate paid on
savings bank
balance of over
Rs 1 lakh to the
repo rate — the
key policy rate
set by Reserve
Bank of India.
SBI Logo
Also, the bank
will link cash credit accounts and
overdrafts, with limits above Rs 1 lakh,
to the repo rate.
CCEA approves Pradhan Mantri JI-
VAN Yojana
The Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi approved the
‘Pradhan Mantri Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran
Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran (JI-
VAN) Yojana’ for providing financial
support to the Integrated Bioethanol
Projects.
IBBI and SEBI sign pact for effective
az
implementation of IBC
Markets regulator Sebi said it has
ag
inked pact with Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India to effectively
M
implement securities laws, and
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
_e
The pact provides for sharing of
information with each other, subject
ee
to the limitations imposed by the
applicable laws.
Fr
SBI launches cardless ATM
withdrawal with YONO Cash
e/
India's largest bank State Bank of
India (SBI) announced the launch of
m
YONO Cash using which customers
can withdraw money from ATMs
without using a card. SBI chairman
Rajnish Kumar said the new initiative
will address concerns over using debit
cards at ATMs for cash withdrawals
by eliminating the possible associated
risks.
Cabinet approves new measures to
promote Hydro Power Sector
The Union Cabinet chaired by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
approved measures to promote the
Hydro Power Sector, which include
declaring Large Hydropower Projects
(HPO) as part of non-solar Renewable
Purchase Obligation (RPO).
LIC to implement pension scheme
for unorganised workers
The Life Insurance Corporation
(LIC) is formulating a plan to implement
the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan
Dhan (PMSYM) pension scheme for
unorganised workers announced in the
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
89
interim Budget for 2018-19, according
to the finance minister Piyush Goyal.
He further said that the scheme will
be rolled out soon.
Cabinet okays ordinance banning
ponzi schemes
The Union Cabinet has approved
the promulgation of Unregulated
Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019.
The ordinance on ponzi schemes will
prohibit all deposit-taking activities that
are not regulated by various regulators.
The Cabinet has also approved the
promulgation of the Companies
(Second Amendment) Ordinance 2019.
World Bank, UN Women and SIDBI
launch women’s livelihood bond
The World Bank, United Nations
(UN) Women and Small Industries
Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
e
have joined hands to launch a new
in
social impact bonds exclusively for
women, called women’s livelihood
bonds (WLBs), with an initial corpus
of Rs.3 billion. The five year tenure
WLBs will be unsecured and unlisted
bonds.
Govt relaxes angel tax norms for
startups
The government has eased
the procedure for startups to seek
income tax exemption on investments
from angel funds, as per a government
official. The investment limit for
availing income tax concessions
by startups has been increased to
Rs. 250 million from present Rs.100
million.
Over 1.2 mln provided treatment
under Ayushman Bharat scheme
Over 1.2 million people have been
treated under the Ayushman Bharat
scheme during 23 September 2018-
17 February 2019, as per the Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)
dashboard. Currently, 14,856 hospitals
have been empaneled under the
scheme while more than 17 million
beneficiary e-cards have been
generated.
RBI pays Rs 28,000 cr interim
dividend to govt ahead of elections
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
announced the payment of Rs 28,000
crore as interim dividend to the
government, which has been looking
at resources to roll out populist
schemes ahead of general elections.
The RBI has in the past transferred its
surplus profit or dividend to the
government in August every year,
including in election years in 2009
and 2014, after considering audited
accounts for the year.
RBI turns net buyer of dollars in
FY19
The Reserve Bank of India has
turned net buyer of dollars in
December, first time in the current
fiscal, as it purchased $607 million of
the greenback on a net basis from the
spot market, according to a data. The
RBI bought $837 million and sold $230
million in the spot market during the
reporting month.
EPFO recommends interest rate of
8.65% for 2018-19
The Employees'
Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO)
has recommended
hiking the employees'
provident fund (EPF)
rate by 0.10 per cent
to 8.65 per cent for
2018-19 from 8.55
EPFO Logo
per cent last year. The
rate has been hiked
for the first time since 2016. The
move will benefit around 60 million
EPFO subscribers. Now, the
recommendation will go to the ministry
of finance for final approval.
NPA recovery to touch Rs 1.8 lakh
crore in FY19
With two major cases at the final
stage of resolution, the Finance
Ministry expects bad loan recoveries to
/t.
touch Rs. 1.8 lakh crore in the current
fiscal. So far, banks have recovered
s:/
Rs. 1 lakh crore under the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
tp
ht
ATHLETICS
Annu Rani, Avinash Sable lead
charge as India bag five medals
including two silvers: Javelin thrower
Annu Rani and 3000m steeplechaser
Avinash Sable led the charge with a
silver each as India won five medals
on the opening day of the Asian
Athletics Championships.
Asian Athletics Championships:
PU Chitra pips Africans to win gold:
If 23-year-old PU Chitra was
intimidated by the two naturalised
athletes of African origin running for
Bahrain ahead of her in the 1,500m
final, it would only be natural.
90
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
Merchant exporters included in
interest equalisation scheme: RBI
The government has decided to
include merchant exporters under the
ongoing Interest Equalisation Scheme
for Pre and Post Shipment Rupee
Export Credit with effect from 2
January 2019, according to a RBI
notification. This move will allow
merchant exporters interest equali-
sation at the rate of three per cent on
credit for export of products covered
under 416 tariff lines identified under
the scheme.
Indian economy will grow by 7.3
per cent by 2020, says FICCI report
The India Manufacturing
Barometer survey, brings out the key
aspects related to the sector, including
manufacturers’ outlook on the
economy, the business environment
for the next 12 months and factors
that determine trade competitiveness.
az
2019 is the fifth edition of the report.
CAG report on the Fiscal
ag
Responsibility and Budget
Management
M
The Finance Ministry has come
under heavy criticism from the
_e
Comptroller and Auditor General of
India (CAG) for its use of off-budget
ee
financing for capital expenditure needs,
as well as to defer subsidy arrears.
Fr
Nilekani Panel to strengthen the
Digital Payments Ecosystem
e/
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
m
has appointed Nandan Nilekani, co-
founder of Infosys, as the chairman of
a five-member high-level committee
that will work towards deepening
digital payments in India. The
committee’s major role will be to
SPORTS
Asian Athletics Championship
2019: India finishes fourth with 17
medals: The 23rd edition of the Asian
Athletics Championship concluded in
Doha, Qatar on April 24, 2019. India
with 17 medals (3 Gold, 7 silver and
7 bronze) finished fourth in the
tournament.
CRICKET
Mumbai Indians lift 2019 IPL
trophy fourth time: Rohit Sharma-led
Mumbai Indians became IPL champions
for the fourth time after defeating
Chennai Super Kings by one run in a
thrilling final, in Hyderabad on May
12, 2019. Chasing a target of 150,
review the existing status of
digitisation of payments in the country,
identify the current gaps in the
ecosystem and suggest ways to bridge
them, according to the RBI.
Gita Gopinath becomes the first
female chief economist of IMF
Mysore-born Gita Gopinath has
joined International Monetary Fund
(IMF) as its chief economist, becoming
the first woman to occupy the top
IMF post. Gopinath joined at a time
when she believes the world is
experiencing a retreat from
globalisation, posing challenges to
multilateral institutions.
SEBI moots creating commodity
indices
The Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) has proposed
e
allowing commodity exchanges to
in
create indices on which futures
contracts can be introduced. Such
indices can be based on the most
liquid contracts traded on the bourses
and have to be diversified with the
weightage of a single constituent
capped at 20%, according to a
consultation paper by the SEBI.
Global IT spending to reach USD
3.8 trillion in 2020: Gartner
Worldwide IT spending is projected
to total at USD 3.76 trillion in 2019,
an increase of 3.2 per cent from last
year, according to research firm
Gartner. The overall IT spending is
expected to grow at 2.8 per cent in
2020 to touch USD 3.87 trillion,
Gartner said in its latest forecast.
"Despite uncertainty fuelled by
recession rumours, Brexit, trade wars
and tariffs, the likely scenario for IT
spending in 2019 is growth.
CSK could only manage 149 and lost
the game by 1 run. Shane Watson,
who slammed a match-winning century
for the CSK in the final last year -
scored a well-calculated 80 before
getting run out in the final over. Faf
du Plessis contributed 26 runs for his
team in the run chase.
Kumar Sangakkara becomes first
non-British MCC president: The former
Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara
has been appointed as the first non-
British president of Marylebone Cricket
Club.Sangakkara will begin his one-
year tenure in October, having been
nominated by the incumbent, Anthony
Wreford.
 Kohli, Mandhana are Wisden
Leading Cricketers of the Year: Indian
captain Virat Kohli was named The
Wisden Almanack’s Leading Cricketer
of the Year for 2018 while Smriti
Mandhana won the Women’s Leading
Cricketer award.
India’s Manu Sawhney takes
charge as ICC Chief Executive: India’s
Manu Sawhney on April 1, 2019 took
charge as the new Chief Executive of
the International Cricket Council.
Sawhney will work alongside
incumbent ICC Chief Executive Dave
Richardson, who will step down after
the World Cup in July 2019.
JP Duminy to retire from ODIs
after ICC World Cup 2019: South
African all-rounder JP Duminy
announced that he would retire from
ODIs after the ICC World Cup in
England. Duminy will, however,
continue to be available for South
Africa in T20 internationals.
Sanath Jayasuriya banned from
cricket for two years: Former Sri
Lankan Cricket
captain Sanath Jaya-
suriya has been
banned from cricket
for a period of two
years. The information
was shared by the
International Cricket
Council through a Sanath Jayasuriya
statement on February
26, 2019.
Virat Kohli enters top-three in
highest T20I run scorers list: India
captain Virat Kohli didn’t get the
/t.
desired outcome in the T20I series
against Australia with defeats in
s:/
Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru. The
series defeat dented Kohli’s flawless
tp
captaincy record at home and gave
Australia their first win in India in any
ht
format since 2008.
Mithali Raj becomes first woman
to play 200 ODIs: India captain Mithali
Raj became the first woman cricketer
to play 200 ODIs, adding another
achievement to her illustrious career.
Ranji Trophy: Vidarbha beat
Saurashtra in final, claim second
successive title: Vidarbha lifted their
second successive Ranji Trophy title
with a comfortable 78-run win over
Saurashtra in the final, proving that
their maiden triumph last year was no
“fluke”. Vidarbha needed five wickets
to defend their title while Saurashtra,
in a chase of 206, were left a mountain
to climb after a top-order collapse.
They required 148 runs for their maiden
title on the fifth and final day at the
VCA stadium in Nagpur.
Vidarbha Retain Irani Cup after
Draw With Rest of India: Vidarbha
capped off a fairtytale 2018-19 season
by defending their Irani Cup title at the
Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur on February
16, 2019 thanks to a 95-run first
innings lead after the match ended in
a draw.
Chris Gayle announces retirement
from ODI cricket after ICC World Cup
2019: Chris Gayle has announced that
the 2019 World Cup will be his last
world cup as he will be retiring from
the 50-over format of the game in
England. The star batsmen while
addressing the media said, “You’re
looking at a great man”. He went on
and said that he will always be the
greatest player in the world and will
always be known as the universe boss.
az
Gayle added that this was the right
time to end his career in the ODI
ag
format of the game.
Smriti Mandhana retains top spot
in ICC Women's ODI rankings: India
M
opener Smriti Mandhana maintained
her pole position while ODI skipper
_e
Mithali Raj remained fifth in the latest
ICC ODI Players' Ranking issued
ee
recently.
Virat Kohli leads India to first-ever
Fr
Test Series win In Australia: A
dominant India won their first-ever Test
e/
series in Australia by a margin of 2-
1 after play in the fourth and final
m
Test in Sydney was abandoned due to
rain on January 7,2019. Australia were
still trailing by 316 runs when the
match was called off as a draw, ending
India's 71-year wait after wins in
Adelaide and Melbourne. It is the
first time India managed the feat since
they began touring Australia in 1947-
48.
India win historic ODI Series in
Australia: MS Dhoni and Kedar
Jadhav's unbeaten 121-run partnership
took India past the winning line as
India defeated hosts Australia by 7
wickets to register their first-ever
bilateral ODI series victory in Australian
soil. India won the 3-match ODI series
2-1. Former captain MS Dhoni was
back among the runs as he scored
three back-to-back half-centuries in this
series. Dhoni's scores read 51 in
Sydney, 55 not out in Adelaide and
a match-winning knock of unbeaten
87 in Melbourne. He scored 193 runs
in three-match ODI series.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
91
BADMINTON
National Championship: Saina
Nehwal beats PV Sindhu to clinch
second successive title: Saina Nehwal
beat PV Sindhu in straight games in
the marquee clash of the tournament
to retain her women's singles crown
at the 83rd Yonex Sunrise Senior
Badminton Nationals.
Saina Nehwal wins Indonesia
Masters title: Saina Nehwal has been
declared the winner of Indonesia
Masters after Carolina Marin was
forced to retire with a knee injury. The
Spaniard was leading 10-4 in the first
game when she developed an injury
in the knee.
Sai Praneeth loses in final of Swiss
Open: India’s Sai Praneeth fell short
of creating history after losing in the
e
finals of Men’s singles in the Swiss
Open Badminton Tournament. Sai
in
Praneeth who had upset World No.5
and Olympic champion Chen Long in
the semi-final, lost to Shi Yuqi of China.
Winners of the Swiss Open Badminton
Tournament 2019.
Men’s Singles: Shi Yuqi (China)
Women’s Singles: Chen Yufei
(China)
Men’s Doubles: Fajar Alfian and
Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia)
Women’s Doubles: Mathias Bay-
Smidt and Rikke Soby Hansen
(Denmark)
Kento Momota wins historic first
All England Open title: World No. 1
Kento Momota became the first
Japanese man to win the All England
Open badminton championships when
he beat Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen 2-
1 in the men’s singles final.Momota,
the reigning world champion and Asian
champion, was stretched to three
games by the 2017 world champion
at the Arena Birmingham but prevailed
21-11, 15-21, 21-15 in badminton’s
oldest tournament.
Badminton World Federation
launches 2 new formats of Badminton:
Recently, Badminton World Federation
(BWF) launched two new formats of
Badminton named as AirBadminton &
Triples.
BWF launched AirBadminton at
Guangzhou with new dimensions of
the court and an innovative shuttlecock
called Airshuttle.
BOXING
Mary Kom becomes World No.1
in AIBA world rankings: The celebrated
M C Mary Kom's unprecedented sixth
world title triumph has propelled her
to the number one position in the
International Boxing Association's
(AIBA) latest world rankings.
38th GeeBee Boxing Tournament:
The 38th GeeBee Boxing Tournament
was held at Helsinki, Finland. The
Indian medal winners from the
tournament are listed below: The lone
gold medal for India was won by
Kavinder Singh Bisht. He won against
Indian counterpart Mohammed
Hussamuddin in summit clash in the
56kg category.
Cologne Boxing WC: Meena bags
Gold, India finishes with 5 Medals:
Meena Kumari Maisnam continued her
fine run to win gold medal in the 54
kg at the Boxing World Cup in Cologne
on 13 April, 2018.
FOOTBALL
Santosh Trophy final: Bikash
Thapa secures title for Services:
Services emerged the winner of the
2018-19 Santosh Trophy, with Bikash
Thapa's 61st-minute strike deciding
the contest. Services beat Punjab the
last time these two teams met in the
final of this tounament, securing the
trophy in 2014-15 with a 5-4 shootout
victory.
AIFF president Praful Patel
becomes the first Indian in the FIFA
Council: All India Football Federation
(AIFF) president Praful Patel has
become the first Indian to be a member
of the FIFA Executive Council.
Igor Stimac appointed new Coach
of India’s Men Football Team: Croatian
World Cupper Igor Stimac was on May
/t.
15, 2019 appointed head coach of
the Indian football team for a two-
s:/
year term. The national team has been
without a coach since the departure
tp
of Stephen Constantine in January,
following the creditable show at the
ht
AFC Asian Cup.
Manchester City retains Premier
League title: The Premier League title
race between Manchester City and
Liverpool went down to the wire but
there were to be no final twists in
what’s been a thrilling tale.Despite
going a goal down in the first half,
Man City retained the title after
defeating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex
Stadium, meaning Liverpool’s victory
against Wolves was in vain.
FORMULA ONE
Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish GP:
Lewis Hamilton won the Spanish Grand
Prix for a third consecutive year after
overtaking Mercedes teammate Valtteri
92
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER
AUGUST 2019
Bottas at the first turn in Barcelona.
Although the Finnish driver began on
pole position after going fastest in
qualifying on Saturday, Hamilton sped
past his championship rival just
seconds into the fifth race of the
season.
Valtteri Bottas wins Australian
Grand Prix: Valtteri Bottas capitalised
on a late pitstop to upset his world
champion team mate Lewis Hamilton
and clinch the season-opening
Australian Formula One Grand Prix for
Mercedes in Melbourne on March 17,
2019.
KABADDI
Bengaluru Bulls win maiden Pro
Kabaddi title: Bengaluru Bulls won their
maiden Pro Kabaddi title on January
5,2019 as they beat Gujarat Fortune-
giants in a thrilling final of the sixth
season. The Bulls made a brilliant
comeback to beat Gujarat for the
az
second consecutive time and lift the
trophy.
ag
SHOOTING
Apurvi Chandela becomes World
M
No. 1 in 10m Air Rifle ISSF Rankings:
Shooter Apurvi Chandela became the
_e
world number one in women’s 10m
Air Rifle category with 1,926 rankings
ee
points, according to the latest rankings
released by International Shooting
Fr
Sport Federation (ISSF) on May 1,
2019. The shooter, won the gold
medal in 10m Air Rifle event in the
e/
New Delhi Shooting World Cup earlier
m
this year, took to Twitter to announce
her commendable feat.
TENNIS
Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic
to win Italian Open Men’s Single:
Rafael Nadal, the No.
2 player in the world,
beat world No. 1
Novak Djokovic, 6-0,
4-6, 6-1, to win the
Italian Open on May
19,2019 in Rome for
his first win of the
season and his ninth
Rafael Nadal
title at the event. It
was Nadal’s first clay
court final win over Djokovic since the
2014 French Open.
Pliskova wins Italian Open Single:
Karolina Pliskova sealed her second
title of the season by defeating
Johanna Konta in straight sets in the
final of the Internazionali d’Italia on
May 19, 2019. Pliskova has been
blighted by illness since she finished
as runner-up at the Miami Open in
March, but she was in fine form as
she overcame Konta 6-3 6-4 to become
the first Czech to win the women’s
singles in Rome since 1978.
Elise Mertens wins qatar Open
2019: Belgium’s Elise Mertens claimed
the biggest win of her career,
surprisingly coming from a set down
to beat world number three Simona
Halep and clinch the Qatar Open.
Australian Open 2019:
Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal
to win 2019 Australian Open Men's
final: Novak Djokovic won a record
seventh Australian Open on January
27,2019, as he cruised past Rafael
Nadal in the final 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.The
world No. 1 and top seed, who is now
a 15-time Grand Slam champion, put
in a spellbinding performance, having
e
secured a vice-like grip on the match
in
from the off.
Naomi Osaka beats Petra Kvitova
to win Australian Open Women's
finalL: Japan's Naomi Osaka has
become the new women's world
number one after winning the
Australian Open final against Petra
Kvitova in three gripping sets at
Melbourne Park.
Men's Doubles: Pierre-Hugues
Herbert & Nicolas Mahut beat Henri
Kontinen & John Peers, 6-4, 7-6(7-1)
Women's Doubles: Samantha
Stosur & Zhang Shuai beat Tímea Babos
& Kristina Mladenovic, 6-3, 6-4
Mixed Doubles: Barbora Krejcíková
& Rajeev Ram beat Astra Sharma &
John-Patrick Smith, 7-6(7-3), 6-1
WRESTLING
Bajrang Punia bags gold at Ali
Aliev wrestling tournament: World
number one Bajrang Punia has become
the first Indian to win gold at the Ali
Aliev wrestling tournament after
defeating Viktor Rassadin of Russia in
the 65 kg freestyle in Kapiisk.
Bajrang regains top spot in world
wrestling rankings: Top Indian grappler
Bajrang Punia regained the world
number one spot in the men’s 65kg
freestyle category in the rankings
issued by United World Wrestling.
Vinesh Phogat scripts another
dominating win as Mumbai cut short
Haryana's winning streak: Asian Games
gold medallist Vinesh Phogat scored a
dominating 12-2 win over Seema as
Mumbai Maharathi halted Haryana
Hammers' winning streak with a 4-3
win in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL),
in Greater Noida on January 24, 2019.
 PRACTICE 2)2-4

*SSC MULTITASKING
EXAM
Test I: General Intelligence & Reasoning
Direction. Q.1-3: Select the
related word/letters/numbers from
the given alternatives.
1. DEMAND : YOBPXY ::
SHOULD:
(A) YQHNUJ (B) YQHMUJ
(C) YCGNUM (D) YPHNTU
2. 491 : 231 :: 441 : ?
(A) 212 (B) 411
(C) 221 (D) 114
10. If it is possible to form a three
digit number which is the
perfect square of a two digit
odd number with the third,
the fifth and the eighth digit
of the number 5763167332.
Which of the following will be
the second digit of two digit
number?
(A) 8 (B) 9
14. In a certain code language ’+’
represents ’+’, ’–’ represents
’×’, ’+’ represents ’÷’ and
’×’ represents ’–’. Find out
the answer of the following
questions.
19 – 48 ÷ 702 + 18 × 338
(A) 614 (B) 613
(C) 618 (D) 619
15. If 90~ 5 = 23 and 88~ 4 =

e
3. Zoology : Animals :: Virology (C) 3 (D) 1 26 then 77~ 7 = ?

in
: ? 11. Deepak walked 32m east from (A) 11 (B) 15

az
(A) Mitochondria point A and reached point B. (C) 18 (D) 12
(B) Virus From B he took a right turn 16. In the following question,

ag
(C) Protozoa (D) Bacteria walked 12m to reach point C. select the number which can
Direction. Q.4-6: Select the From C he took right turn and be placed at the sign of ques-
odd word/letters/numbers from the
given alternatives. M
walked 16m to reach point D.
G is point exactly between A
tion mark (?) from the given
alternatives.
_e
4. (A) 745 (B) 696 and B. He took a right turn 16 49 64
(C) 786 (D) 984 from point D and walked 20m 36 25 6
ee

5. (A) Criticize (B) Condemn to reach point E. He took left

38 16 ?
(C) Reproach (D) Praise turn from point E and walked
Fr

6. (A) BC (B) IF 4 m to reach point F and (A) 24 (B) 32

(C) CL (D) GH stopped. Find the distance (C) 20 (D) 25
e/

7. Arrange the given words in between F and C. 17. Find the number of triangles in
the given figure.
m

the sequence in which they (A) 20 meter

occur in the dictionary. (B) 20 2 meter
/t.

I. Misleader II. Monarchy

III. Mobil IV. Manage (C) 20 3 meter
s:/

V. Movies (D) 24 meter

(A) I, IV, III, II, V 12. In the following question, from
tp

(B) IV, I, III, V, II the given alternative words,

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(C) I, III, II, V, IV
(D) IV, I, III, II, V
Direction. Q.8-9: A series is
given, with one or more terms
missing. Choose the correct alter-
native from the given ones that
will complete the series.
8. FEDC, JIHG, NMLK, ?
(A) POQR (B) RQPO
(C) RQPP (D) QPON
9. 3, 6, 15, 42, ?
(A) 124 (B) 69
(C) 125 (D) 123
select the word which cannot (A) 22 (B) 26
be formed by using the letters (C) 20 (D) 32
of the given word. 18. Introducing a boy, Rahul says,
DYNAMITE "He is the son of the daughter
(A) ENMITY (B) ANYTIME of my father". How is boy
(C) NAMES (D) DAINTY related to Rahul?
13. In a certain code language (A) Nephew
'STANDARD' is coded as (B) Maternal Uncle
'32781741' and 'CRICKET' is (C) Son (D) Cousin
coded as '0450962'. Then 19. Select the figure which satis-
how 'STAR' will be written? fies the same conditions of
(A) 3278 (B) 3214 placements of the dots as in
(C) 3274 (D) 3574 the given figure.

* Highly useful for RRB NTPC Exam, SSC (10+2) LDC, RRB Asst Loco Pilot, IBPS Clerk, SBI Clerk, SBI
P.O., RRB Officer, RBI officer, etc., Exams
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 93
 conclusion logically follows the 24. Which of the following cube
given statements. in the answer figure can not
Statement: be made based on the unfolded
Some banks are private. cube in the question figure ?
All private are industry.
Conclusion:
(A) I. Some banks are industry
II. All banks are industry
(A) Only conclusion I follows
(B) Only conclusion II follows
(B) (C) Neither conclusion I nor
conclusions II follows (A) (B)
(D) Both conclusion I and II
follow
(C) 22. Mirror AB is placed as given
(C) (D)
in the figure. Find the mirror
image of the following figure.
25. A word is represented by only
(D) one set of numbers as given

e
in any one of the alternatives.

in
20. In the following figure, square The sets of numbers given in
represents Teachers, triangle the alternatives are repre-

az
represents Swimmers, circle sented by two classes of al-
represents Nurses and rect-

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phabets as shown in the given
angle represents Women. two matrices. The columns
Which set of letters represents
Teachers who are either Swim-
mers or Nurses ?
(A)
M
(B) and rows of Matrix-I are num-
bered from 0 to 4 and that of
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Matrix-II are numbered from 5
to 9. A letter from these ma-
ee

(C) (D) trices can be represented first

by its row and next by its
Fr

23. Find out amongst the four al- column, for example, 'T' can
ternatives as to how the pat- be represented by 02, 43 etc.
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tern would appear when the and 'G' can be represented by

58, 77 etc. Similarly, you have
m

transparent sheet is folded at

the dotted line ? to identify the set for the word
/t.

(A) D, F 'GREAT'.
(B) A, B, D, F, G Matrix-I Matrix-I
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(C) A, B, G (D) I, C, H
21. In each of the following ques-
tp

tion below are given some

statements followed by some
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conclusions. Taking the given (A) (B)

statements to be true even if
they seem to be at variance (A) 33, 96, 89, 57, 21
from commonly known facts, (B) 76, 14, 68, 87, 79
read all the conclusions and (C) (D) (C) 03, 85, 34, 43, 22
then decide which of the given (D) 98, 41, 67, 11, 65
Test II: General AWARENESS
26. President Ram Nath Kovind (D) Gautam Gambhir (D) 12th March
confered the Padam Shri 2019 27. When was National Immuni- 28. India's first Mega Aqua Food
on which of the following per- sation Day 2019 observed in Park was commissioned re-
sonality? India? cently in which state ?
(A) Nambi Narayan (A) 9th March (A) Odisha
(B) Bachendri Pal (B) 10th March (B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) Teejan Bai (C) 11th March (C) Telangana (D) Karnataka
94 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
29. The legislators of which nation (A) Sea waves (B) 1991 (C) 1992
passed a landmark bill making (B) Earthquake (D) 1993
it easier for asylum seekers to (C) Hurricane 42. Who said, "The Congress is
get medical treatment in the (D) Rotation of the earth tottering to its fall and one of
country? 37. The famous 'Ring of fire' which my greatest ambitions while in
(A) Canada (B) Spain account for 68% of an earth- India is to assist it to a peace-
(C) Hungary (D) Australia quakes occurring in the earth ful demise"?
30. Who can initiate impeachment is in the______. (A) Lord Dufferin
of the President ? (A) Atlantic ocean (B) Lord Curzon
(A) 1/4th members of either (B) Indian ocean (C) Lord Lansdowne
House of the parliament (C) Pacific ocean (D) Lord Elgin
(B) Half other members of (D) Arctic ocean 43. As a result of the partition of
either House of the Parlia- 38. The First Five-Year Plan was Bengal announced by Lord
ment submitted to the Parliament Curzon in 1905, Bengal was
(C) Half of the state Legisla- in______. partitioned into two provinces
tures (A) 1949 (B) 1950 of
(D) 1/3rd members of any (C) 1951 (D) 1952 (A) East Bengal and West
State Legislature 39. The Indian economy is de- Bengal
31. On what basis, Election to Lok scribed as a______. (B) Bengal and Eastern Ben-

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Sabha and State Legislature (A) Developed economy gal & Assam

in
shall be conducted- (B) Urban developed economy (C) Bengal and Assam

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(A) Adult Suffrage (C) Developing economy (D) Bengal and Odisha and
(B) Indirect Election (D) Backward economy East Bengal and Assam

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(C) Direct Election 40. The Indian Financial Year 44. The programme of Swadeshi
(D) None of the above begins on and Boycott against the par-
32. Under the Indian Constitution,
what does Adult Suffrage sig- (C) July 1 M
(A) January 1 (B) April 1 tition of Bengal was visualized
by
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nify- (D) None of these. (A) Surendra Nath Bennerjee
(A) Children (B) Persons 41. The National Stock Exchange (B) B.C. Pal
ee

(C) Any Indian citizen who is of India was established in (C) Aurobindo Ghose
of the age of 18 years and (A) 1990 (D) Rash Behari Bose
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above
(D) None of these.
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33. The power to vote money for Practice Book Guide Book
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public expenditure rests in Highlights:

India with ___:
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I. Lok Sabha « Fully Revised

II. Rajya Sabha & Updated
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III. Legislative Assembly Study Material

IV. Legislative Council « Based on
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Choose the correct option from

Latest Syllabus
the codes given below:
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(A) Only I and II

& Exam
(B) Only I and III Pattern
(C) Only I, II and III « Answers with
(D) I, II, III and IV Explanatory
34. Which is not a causative fac- Notes
tor of earthquake?
(A) Volcanoes (B) Isostacy < 110.00 < 385.00
(C) Tectonics (D) Waves
35. The place of origin of an earth- *fgUnh laLdj.k Hkh miyC/ gaAS For VPP order send 50 as advance to:
quake is called-
(A) Epicentre (B) Focus
(C) Seismic
(D) Amphidromic point
36. Tsunamis are originated due
to______.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 95
45. In ancient times which Indian
city was known as Avantika?
(A) Ayodhya
(B) Patna
(C) Bhopal (D) Ujjain
46. Mach number is defined as-
(A) Speed of the object/Speed
of sound
(B) Speed of sound/Speed of
object
(C) Speed of light/Speed of ob-
ject
Test II: English Language
Directions. Q. 51-53: In the
following questions, some part of
the sentence may have errors. Find
out which part of the sentence
has an error and select the appro-
priate option. If a sentence is free
from error, select 'No Error'.
51. One should have (A)/ at least
attended their graduation (B)/
properly to get a good job.
(C)/ No Error (D).
52. In India, Anil Ambani does have
(A)/ luxury cars, houses, and
(B)/ as many as 50 billion
dollars of worth. (C)/ No Error
(D)
53. None of the members (A)/ of
the committee was able either
to suggest (B)/ a solution or put
an end to the conflict. (C)/ No
Errors (D)
Directions. Q.54-56: In the fol-
m
lowing questions, the sentence
given with blank to be filled in with
/t.
an appropriate word. Select the
correct alternative out of the four
s:/
and indicate it by selecting the
appropriate option.
tp
54. Marine clouds that protect us
from hothouse Earth condi-
ht
tions by reflecting sunlight
back into space could break
_____ and vanish.
(A) up (B) out
(C) in (D) of
55. A barely one-degree increase
in global temperature since the
mid-19th century has been
enough to _____ heat-waves.
(A) worst (B) worsening
(C) worse (D) worsen
56. Insects comprise about two-
thirds of all terrestrial species
and form the _____ for many
ecosystems.
(A) beginning (B) foot
96 n GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019
(D) Speed of light/Speed of
sound
47. Which type of radiations are
absorbed by the upper layer
of the atmosphere?
(A) Radiowaves
(B) Infrared
(C) Visible (D) Ultraviolet
48. An example of replenishable
energy source is
(A) Coal (B) Petroleum
(C) Lignite (D) Biomass
(C) foundation (D) base
Directions. Q. 57-58: In the
following questions, out of the
four alternatives, select the word
similar in meaning to the word
given.
57. Exquisite
(A) dull (B) perfect
az
(C) careless (D) rough
58. Disgorge
ag
(A) disqualify (B) discharge
(C) disappear (D) disagree
M
Directions. Q. 59-60: In the
following questions, out of the
_e
four alternatives, select the word
opposite in meaning to the word
ee
given.
59. Mellifluous
Fr
(A) unpleasing (B) attractive
(C) favourable (D) pleasing
e/
60. Odious
(A) foul
(B) unpleasant
(C) offensive (D) attractive
Directions. Q.61-62: In the fol-
lowing questions, out of the four
alternatives, select the alternative
which best expresses the mean-
ing of the idiom/phrase.
61. Fabian policy
(A) policy for war
(B) policy for social change
(C) policy of delaying deci-
sions
(D) policy of political matters
62. Get into a soup
(A) dive into a river
(B) get into trouble
(C) get into a building
(D) to become a problem
solver
Directions. Q. 63-64: In the
following questions, a part of the
sentence is bold. Below are given
alternatives to the bold part at
(A), (B), (C) and (D) which may
49. Which is the fastest super
computer?
(A) Jaguar
(B) Tianhe-IA
(C) Sunway TaihuLight
(D) Cray Titan
50. Which of the following English
films was the first one to be
dubbed in Hindi ?
(A) Aladdin
(B) Universal Soldier
(C) Speed (D) Iron Man
improve the sentence. Choose the
correct alternative.
63. India's domestic climate (policy
is further) complicated by the
country's federal structure.
e
(A) policy is farther
in
(B) policy is afar
(C) policy is beyond
(D) No improvement
64. With education, women have
fewer children and (thus their)
is the obvious benefit of popu-
lation control.
(A) that there (B) that their
(C) thus there
(D) No Improvement.
Directions. Q. 65-66: In the
following questions, out of the
four alternatives, select the alter-
native which is the best substi-
tute of the words/ sentence.
65. List of books and other ar-
ticles.
(A) Catalogue (B) Catapult
(C) Catalyst
(D) Cataclysm
66. One who is greedy.
(A) Anecdote
(B) Assassination
(C) Avaricious (D) Armistice
Directions. Q. 67-68: In the
following questions, four words are
given out of which one word is
incorrectly spelt. Select the incor-
rectly spelt word.
67. (A) Parricide (B) Mutilation
(C) Narcotic
(D) Numismetics
68. (A) Pendemonium
(B) Prejudice
(C) Prerogative
(D) Posthumous
Directions. Q. 69-70: The ques-
tions below consist of a set of
labelled sentences. Out of the four
options given, select the most
logical order of the sentences to
form a coherent paragraph.
69. P : the attempts to privatise
and
Q : to divest itself of its core
responsibilities
R : cut budgetary allocations
to these schemes
S : are also part of the state's
larger move
(A) PSRQ (B) PRSQ
(C) RPQS (D) QRPS
70. P : walks of life and endorsed
across the political spec-
trum
Q : the belief that there is an
underlying cultural unity
that
R : and sect has been echoed
by people from different
S : transcends the innumer-
able diversities of blood,
colour, language, manners
(A) SQPR (B) QRPS
(C) QSRP (D) PRQS
Directions: In the following
question, a sentence has been
given in Active/Passive Voice. Out
of four alternatives suggested,
select the one which best ex-
presses the same sentence in
Passive/Active Voice.
71. I must have done the work
yesterday.
EXPLANATORY ANSWERS
Q.1.(A) Q.2.(C)
Q.3.(B): The study of Animals
is called zoology and the study of
/t.
Virus is called virology.
Q.4.(A):
s:/
6 + 9 + 6 = 21
7 + 8 + 6 = 21
tp
9 + 8 + 4 = 21
7 + 4 + 5 ≠ 21
ht
Q.5.(D) Q.6.(A) Q.7.(B)
Q.8.(B) Q.9.(D)
Q.10.(B): A.T.Q.,
Numbers formed using 3rd, 5th
and 8th digit of given number are
6, 1, 3 and 361 is a perfect square.
361 = (19)2
∴ 19 is an odd number so,
Q.11.(B) Q.12.(C) Q.13.(C)
Q.14.(B):
19 – 48 ÷ 702 + 18 – 338
After changing the signs as
per given details,
19 × 48 + 702 ÷ 18 – 338
⇒ 912 + 39 – 338 = 613
Q.15.(C) Q.16.(C) Q.17.(C)
(A) The work must have done
by me yesterday.
(B) The work must have been
done by me yesterday.
(C) The work must have had
done by me yesterday.
(D) The work must have been
doing by me yesterday.
Directions.: In the following
question, a sentence has been
given in Direct/Indirect speech. Out
of the four alternatives suggested,
select the one which best ex-
presses the same sentence in
Indirect/Direct speech.
72. I said to him, "All your sins
will be absolved if you accept
them."
(A) I told him that all his sins
would be absolved if he
accepts them.
(B) I told him that all his sins
will be absolved if he ac-
az
cepted them.
(C) I told him that all his sins
ag
will have to be absolved if
he accepted them.
M
(D) I told him that all his sins
would be absolved if he
accepted them.
_e
Directions. Q. 73-95: In the
following questions, the sentence
ee
given with blank to be filled in with
Fr
e/
Q.18.(A)
m
Q.19.(C): Option 'C' is
correct answer because on this
shows some part of rectange,
square and hexagon is common
and some part of circle, triangle
and rectange is common.
Q.20.(C) Q.21.(A) Q.22.(C)
Q.23.(B) Q.24.(C) Q.25.(A)
Q.26.(D) Q.27.(B) Q.28.(B)
Q.29.(D) Q.30.(A) Q.31.(A)
Q.32.(C) Q.33.(B) Q.34.(D)
Q.35.(B) Q.36.(B) Q.37.(C)
Q.38.(C) Q.39.(C) Q.40.(B)
Q.41.(C) Q.42.(B) Q.43.(B)
Q.44.(C) Q.45.(D) Q.46.(A)
Q.47.(D)
Q.48.(D): Renewable energy,
also called alternative energy,
usable energy derived from
replenishable sources such as the
Sun (solar energy), wind (wind
power), rivers (hydro-electric
power), hot springs (geothermal
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE REFRESHER n AUGUST 2019 n 97
an appropriate word. Select the
correct alternative out of the four
and indicate it by selecting the
appropriate option.
Climate change also drives the
(73) of insects in some regions.
For instance, monarch butterflies
rely on temperature cues to mi-
grate. The onset of colder weather
would (74) them to migrate to
Mexico, which is their wintering
ground. In summer, they make their
long journey back to Canada and
the U.S. to breed. Any changes in
seasons (75) their migration. Higher
temperatures may drive the
butterfly's summer breeding areas
further north. That means the mon-
archs' migration routes will get
longer.
e
73. Climate change also drives the
in
_____ of insects
(A) extinction (B) end
(C) destruction (D) death
74. The onset of colder weather
would _____ them to migrate
to Mexico
(A) delay
(C) alert
(B) eager
(D) prompt
75. Any changes in seasons _____
their migration.
(A) effect (B) affect
(C) impact (D) change
energy), tides (tidal power), and
biomass (biofuels).
Q.49.(C): A supercomputer is
a computer with a high level of
performance compared to a
general-purpose computer. The
performance of a supercomputer
is commonly measured in floating-
point operations per second
instead of million instructions per
second.
As of January 2018, Pratyush
and Mihir are the fastest
supercomputer in India with a
maximum speed of 6.8 Peta Flops.
Q.50.(A) Q.51.(B) Q.52.(C)
Q.53.(B) Q.54.(A) Q.55.(D)
Q.56.(C) Q.57.(B) Q.58.(B)
Q.59.(A) Q.60.(D) Q.61.(C)
Q.62.(B) Q.63.(D) Q.64.(C)
Q.65.(A) Q.66.(C) Q.67.(D)
Q.68.(A) Q.69.(B) Q.70.(C)
Q.71.(B) Q.72.(D) Q.73.(A)
Q.74.(D) Q.75.(B)
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AUGUST 2019

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