NEWS & KNOWLEDGE

FOODS IN INDIA
India is a land of linguistic, religious, ethnic and even culinary diversity. Indians
have a deep connection with the food they eat which reflects the fusion of native
and external influences. Indian cuisine comprises a wide variety of regional and
traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the range of diversity
in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary
substantially from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables
and fruits. A survey of 4 million users of the “Healthyfyme” app from 200 cities
and towns across India provided an illuminating insight into the culinary habits
of Indians.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 7

 3 MILLION MARK
FIRST TIME IN 2017
PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES
Passenger vehicle sales in India crossed the 30 lakh mark for the first time in
2017, growing at a five-year high of 8.85 percent riding on the back of strong
demand for utility vehicles, according to a news report quoting Society of Indian
Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) released on January 11, 2018. Passenger
vehicle sales in 2017 stood at 32,29,109 units as against 29,66,603 units in 2016,
registering a growth of 8.85 percent.
Passenger vehicle sales analysis for 2017 vis-a-vis 2016 are given below :

8 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 LATEST IN
TECHNOLOGY
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, US, the world's gathering place
for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, was held from
January 9 to 12, 2018. It displayed the world's latest technologies and innovations
which touch the modern consumer’s life.
Next
Robot Suitcase
Generation
The 'robot suitcase'
from US startup Virtual
Travelmate is Reality
controlled with a Virtual Reality (VR) was one of
phone app and is the biggest attractions with HTC
capable of rolling by displaying dual-OLED displays,
the side of its owner dual microphones and active noise
at speeds up to 11 km/hr navigating cancellation. Facebook-owned
around obstacles. It integrates Oculus and Xiaomi unveiled a VR
elements of Artificial Intelligence headset with fast-switch LCD
(AI) for its movement. screen and next-generation lenses.

Security Camera Robot

The security camera robot, AR4X recognises
faces, and turns security from passive to proactive.
It learns to read faces and lets familiar persons
pass, but when a stranger comes into the camera’s
field of vision it knows and sends the owner an
alert.

World’s Personal
Thinnest Robot Pal
Laptop Buddy, a
personal robot is a
revolutionary
companion that
Taiwanese computer firm connects, protects and interacts
Acer showcased the world's thinnest with each member of the family. It
laptop, Swift 7. Just 8.98 mm acts as an assistant, monitors the
thick, the laptop is powered by an house, entertains children as well
Intel Core i7 processor and has a as seamlessly communicates with
battery that lasts all the day. smart home devices.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 9

 INDIA’S POLITICAL
LANDSCAPE
With the BJP victory in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections in
December 2017, India's political landscape has undergone a paradigm shift. BJP
and its allies govern 19 states as on December 18, 2017. A record 67.78% of India's
population is governed by BJP and its allies covering 78.08% of India's territory.
The principal opposition party, the Congress has governments in only 4 states—
Karnataka, Punjab, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

10 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 Current Events
NATIONAL
DECEMBER 2017
13. In a bid to preserve the eco-
sensitive Amarnath cave shrine in south
Kashmir Himalayas, the National Green
Tribunal declares it a “silence zone” and
prohibits religious offerings beyond the
entry point.
14. According to the UN World
Migration Report (2018), the Indian
diaspora is the world’s largest, with
slightly more than 15.6 million people
from India living overseas. The report
is released by International Organisation
for Migration.
15. Union Cabinet approves the
Merchant Discount Rate (MDR)
applicable on all debit card/BHIM UPI/
Aadhaar enabled Payment System
(AePS) transactions up to and including
a value of Rs. 2,000 will be borne by
the government for two years with effect
from January 1, 2018.
17. PM Mr. Narendra Modi
commissions INS Kalvari (S-21), the
first of the six Scorpene class submarines
built under Project 75 (Kalvari Class)
into the Indian Navy at a ceremony held
at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
19. Parliament passes Indian Institutes
of Management (IIM) Bill, 2017 to
extend greater autonomy to IIMs by
restricting government’s role in their

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi lighting the lamp to inaugurate the First PIO-
Parliamentarian Conference in New Delhi on January 9, 2018. External Affairs
Minister Ms. Sushma Swaraj is seen on the right.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 11

 advancement of rural post
offices.
23. The Ministry of
Drinking Water and Sanitation
launches ‘Ganga Gram’—a
project for sanitation-based
integrated development of
4,470 villages along the River
Ganga, at a multistakeholder
summit held at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi.
H The Department of Rural
Development has completed
the ranking of 50,000 Gram
Mr. Vijay Rupani being sworn in as the Gujarat Panchayats on parameters of
Chief Minister by Governor Mr. O.P. Kohli in physical infrastructure, human
Gandhinagar on December 26, 2017. development and economic
activities, according to a
functioning and granting them power release by the Ministry of Rural
to award degrees to their graduates. Development.
H The foundation stone for 32 projects 25. PM Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurates
is laid down in Uttarakhand under a section of the Delhi Metro’s Magenta
Namami Gange programme in presence Line in Noida and takes a ride in the new
of Minister of Water Resources, River train. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Adityanath and UP Governor Mr. Ram
Mr. Satyapal Singh and Uttarakhand CM Naik accompany him.
Mr. Trivendra Singh Rawat. H The Union Minister of State
20. The Union Cabinet approves a (Independent Charge) for Personnel,
project to set up India’s National Rail Public Grievances & Pensions,
and Transport University (NRTU) in Dr. Jitendra Singh, launches the
Vadodara in Gujarat according to a electronic-Human Resource Management
release by the Ministry of Railways. System (e-HRMS) in Delhi.
H A Financing Agreement for 26. Mr. Vijay Rupani is sworn in as
International Development Association the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat along
(IDA) Credit of $125 million for the with 19 Ministers, including Mr. Nitin
Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Patel, Deputy Chief Minister, after the
Enhancement Operation (STRIVE) BJP’s victory in the recent Assembly
Project is inked by the Government of elections in Gandhinagar.
India with the World Bank. 27. Mr. Jai Ram Thakur is sworn in
21. The Cabinet approves the as the 14th Chief Minister of Himachal
Consumer Protection Bill that seeks to Pradesh after the Bharatiya Janata Party
establish an authority to safeguard wrested power in the Assembly
consumers’ rights along with provisions elections. Mr. Thakur takes oath along
to deal with misleading ads. with 11 other Ministers at a ceremony
22. Union Minister of Communications held at the Ridge Ground in Shimla.
Mr. Manoj Sinha launches Project H The Central Government slashes
DARPAN in New Delhi, for digital interest rates on small savings
12 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

Himachal Pradesh Governor Mr. Acharya
Dev Vrat administering the oath of office and
secrecy to Mr. Jai Ram Thakur (R) as Chief
Minister in Shimla on December 27, 2017.
schemes, including NSC and PPF, by
0.2 percentage point for the January-
March 2018 period from the rates
applicable in the previous quarter.
28. Lok Sabha passes by voice vote
the Bill that makes instant triple talaq
or talaq-e-biddat a criminal offence, with
a jail term of up to three years.
31. The first draft of the National
Register of Citizens (NRC) with the names
of 1.9 crore people out of the 3.29 crore
total applicants in Assam recognising them
as legal citizens of India is published.
JANUARY 2018
1. India and Pakistan exchange lists
of their nuclear installations and facilities
under the Agreement on Prohibition of
Attack against Nuclear Installations. This
is the 27th consecutive exchange of such
lists between the two countries.
2. The Government notifies Electoral
Bonds, as a new instrument for donations
to political parties, in a bid to clean up
election funding in India and to counter
the present system of anonymous
contributions.
H Rajya Sabha passes the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment)
Bill, 2017, which bars unscrupulous
persons from misusing the provisions
of the Code by keeping defaulting
promoters out of the resolution process
of insolvent companies.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
3. The Ministry of Home Affairs on
request of the Ministry of Shipping
exempts cruise tourists arriving with
e-visa from the requirement of biometric
enrolment for a period of three years i.e.
till 2020.
5. The Gross Enrolment Ratio in
higher education of India has registered
an increase from 24.5% in 2015-16 to
25.2% in 2016-17, according to the All
India Higher Education Survey released
by the HRD Ministry.
6. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief
Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav is sentenced to
three and-a-half years jail in a fodder
scam case by the Special CBI Court
in Ranchi and has been imposed a
Rs. 5 lakh fine in each of the two cases.
7. The Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT) announces to relax norms
around levy of minimum alternate tax
(MAT) for insolvent companies from
financial year 2017-18.
8. India hits back at Washington’s latest
legal assault on its solar power policies
at the World Trade Organisation, rejecting
a US legal claim and exploring possible
new protection of India’s own solar
industry.
H Supreme Court says that cigarette
and other tobacco product manufacturers
must continue to display pictorial and
statutory health warnings on 85% of the
product pack area, while staying a
Karnataka High Court judgment reducing
it to 40%.
9. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
addresses the inaugural session of the
first PIO-Parliamentarian Conference
comprising of Parliamentarians and
Mayors of Indian origin in New
Delhi. As many as 124 MPs and
17 Mayors from 23 countries including
UK, US, South Africa, Canada, Fiji,
Kenya, Mauritius, New Zealand, Sri
Lanka participate in the conference.
13
 H Amending its earlier order, the
Supreme Court makes it optional for
cinema halls to play the national anthem
before screening a film and spares movie
goers of a compulsory display of
patriotism by having to stand up.
10. Union Cabinet allows 100% FDI
in single brand retail and construction
development under automatic route. It
permits foreign airlines to invest up to
INTERNATIONAL
DECEMBER 2017
13. 119 of 164 members of World
Trade Organisation back Buenos Aires
Declaration on Women and Trade at
11th WTO Ministerial Conference
(MC11) held in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
seeking women’s economic
empowerment by speedily removing
barriers to their participation in trade.
14. Sri Lanka becomes the 163rd
nation to accede to the anti-personnel
mine ban convention, to join the
international community in supporting
the landmine clearance programme.
15. India is the most reliable regional
partner of Afghanistan and the largest
contributor of development assistance
in the region, the Pentagon tells the US
Congress in its report titled ‘Enhancing
Security and Stability in Afghanistan’.
17. World Health Organisation declares
Gabon a polio-free country, after lack of
new reported or suspected cases in the
central African country in recent times.
18. India tops the list of people living
abroad at 17 million with about 5 million
Indians residing in the Gulf region,
according to the 2017 International
Migration Report released by the UN.
20. India signs an MoU with Myanmar
for improving socio-economic condition
of the restive Rakhine State that could
empower Rohingyas and prevent their
further migration into neighbouring
14
49% under the approval route in debt-
ridden Air India.
11. Income-tax authorities attach
more than 900 benami properties,
including flats, shops, jewellery and
vehicles worth over Rs. 3,500 crore
under the Prohibition of Benami
Property Transactions Act, 2016
according to a release by the Central
Board of Direct Taxes.
US Ambassador to the UN Ms. Nikki
Haley voting on new sanctions on North
Korea during a Security Council meeting
at UN Headquarters in New York City
on December 22, 2017.
Bangladesh. Foreign Secretary of India
Mr. S. Jaishankar and Myanmar Deputy
minister for Social Welfare, Relief and
Resettlement Mr. U Soe Aung sign a
bilateral MoU on Rakhine State
Development Programme in Myanmar.
H India is selected as Chair of Ad
Hoc Committee on Review & Reforms
to look into various issues pertaining to
the Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme at a Plenary Session in Brisbane,
Australia.
21. India joins 127 other countries in
the UN General Assembly to vote for
a resolution that effectively rejects US
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
President Mr. Donald Trump's move to
recognise Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel, declaring it “null and void”. The
resolution is passed 128 to 9 with 35
abstentions.
22. UN Security Council votes to
apply tougher sanctions on North Korea
in response to its launch of advanced
ballistic missile in November 2017. It
includes a measure to reduce import of
refined petroleum products in North
Korea by almost 90%.
H National Security Advisor of India
Mr. Ajit Doval and Chinese State
Councillor Mr. Yang Jiechi meet in
New Delhi. India and China agree to
maintain regular contact and build on
their convergences, while seeking
mutually acceptable resolution of their
differences with due respect for each
other’s sensitivities, concerns and
aspirations.
H US President Mr. Donald Trump
signs the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul bill and
a temporary spending bill to keep the
government running and provide money
to upgrade the nation's missile defences.
23. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
Mr. Dmitry Rogozin is on a visit to
India. He calls on PM Mr. Narendra
Modi and discusses the steady expansion
and diversification of bilateral ties.
26. China flags a possible inclusion
of Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the
backdrop of the first Foreign Ministers'
trilateral dialogue between China,
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
H The Centre for Economics and
Business Research (CEBR) consultancy's
2018 World Economic League Table
shows that India will become the world's
fifth-largest economy in terms of dollar
in 2018.
27. The second India-Afghanistan air
cargo route linking Kabul to Mumbai is
officially inaugurated by Afghan and
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Indian officials at Hamid Karzai
International Airport in Kabul.
28. The Parliament of Israel votes to
approve controversial legislation
restricting police powers, preventing
investigators from recommending
whether the attorney general should
charge suspects in some of the most
high-profile cases.
H Nepal rejects India’s offer to jointly
remeasure the height of the world's
highest peak Mount Everest following
the massive earthquake in 2015 and will
carry out the exercise on its own.
29. Turkey and Russia ink an
agreement in Ankara for purchase of
S-400 missile defence system worth $2.5
billion. Turkey will pay 45% of the cost
up front with Moscow providing loans
for the remaining 55%.
30. Pakistan decides to set up a new
hydropower project of over 700
megawatts in Pakistan occupied Kashmir
(PoK) through foreign financing at an
estimated cost of $1.51 billion by 2022,
according to a media report. The Azad
Pattan Hydropower Project (APHP) is a
run of river scheme located on river
Jhelum in the Sudhanoti district of PoK
and about 90 kilometres from Islamabad.
31. President of Iran Mr. Hassan
Rouhani says after four days of
demonstrations by the public that Iranians
are free to protest against the government
but must not jeopardise security and
violence would not be tolerated.
15
 JANUARY 2018
1. US President Mr. Donald Trump
threatens to stop American financial
assistance to Pakistan in his tweet. He
says that the US has given Pakistan more
than $33 billion in aid over the last 15
years, and Pakistan has given back nothing
but lies & deceit. Mr. Trump says that
Pakistan gives safe haven to the terrorists
the US hunts in Afghanistan.
H International students in the United
Kingdom can now switch over to
Tier-2 visa (or skilled worker visa) as
soon as they complete their course, with
new immigration rules introduced.
5. The US suspends more than $1.15
billion security assistance to Pakistan,
accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror
groups like the Afghan Taliban and the
Haqqani Network within its border and
SPORTS
DECEMBER 2017
13. Indian batting superstar Rohit
Sharma scores his third one-day double
century, hammering an unbeaten 208
against Sri Lanka in Mohali. He brings
up his 200 from just 151 balls.
17. India beats Sri Lanka by eight
wickets with 107 balls remaining in the
third and final ODI at Dr. Y.S.
Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket
Stadium in Visakhapatnam. India wins
the three-match series 2-1. Shikhar
Dhawan scores his 12th ODI hundred
16
showing unwillingness to take "decisive
actions" against them.
7. India and Saudi Arabia sign a
bilateral agreement to increase the quota
of Haj pilgrims from the year 2018. The
agreement is signed by Union Minister
for Minority Affairs Mr. Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi and Haj and Umrah Minister of
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His
Excellency Mohammad Saleh bin Taher
Benten at Makkah.
8. China-led Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) plans to issue
its first US dollar-denominated bond
with minimum worth of $1 billion by
June 2018.
10. Pakistan suspends defence
and intelligence cooperation with the
US amid growing tensions over
Washington’s suspension of military aid
to Islamabad, Defence Minister of
Pakistan Mr. Khurram Dastgir says.
11. Oil price rises to hit a four-year
high of $70 a barrel for the first time
since December 2014 after members of
OPEC, the cartel of 14 oil-producing
nations that accounts for 40% of the
world’s output, say it would continue to
limit supplies. Mr. Suhail al-Mazrouei,
the UAE Oil Minister and OPEC
President, says OPEC will limit output
till the end of 2018.
at the final match off 85 balls, with 13
fours and two sixes.
H World record holder Kenenisa
Bekele of Ethiopia wins the 2017 Tata
Steel Kolkata 25K elite men’s race.
H Degitu Azimeraw of Ethiopia wins
the elite women’s category with a timing
of 1:26:01.
H Ace shuttler PV Sindhu loses the
title clash of women’s singles event at the
BWF World Superseries Finals to Akane
Yamaguchi of Japan 15-21, 21-12, 19-21
in Dubai. In Men’s singles, Viktor Axelsen
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
of Denmark wins his fourth superseries
crown outplaying Lee Chong Wei of
Malaysia 19-21, 21-19, 21-15.
H Real Madrid beats Gremio 1-0 to
clinch the FIFA Club Football World
Cup for a third time, matching
Barcelona’s record—and taking their
tally of intercontinental titles to six.
H 18 India wins total of 29 gold,
24 silver and 6 bronze medals
at the Commonwealth Wrestling
Championships in Johannesburg, South
Africa. The freestyle wrestling team wins
10 gold, seven silver and two bronze
medals.
H Aryaman Tandon defeats Air India
team-mate Rahul Bhardhwaj 10-21,
21-18, 21-19 to win U-19 boys’ singles
title at the 42nd Junior National
Badminton Championships in Guwahati.
Akarshi Kashyap from Chhattisgarh wins
girls’ singles defeating Vaidehi Choudhari
of Maharashtra to win 22 -20, 21-11.
H Indian junior boxers clinch six gold,
four silver and a bronze medal to finish
as overall champions at the fifth
International Sven Lange Memorial
Tournament in the German city of
Schwerin.
21. Aditya Jagtap of Maharashtra
defeats Gaurav Nandrajog of Delhi
11-6, 11-7, 15-13 to lift the men’s title
in the 74th CCI-Western India Squash
Championships in Mumbai. The
women’s crown is clinched by Aparajitha
Balamurukan of Tamil Nadu defeating
Urwashi Joshi in four games 11-8, 11-9,
8-11, 11-4.
23. Boxing star Vijender Singh of
India beats Ernest Amuzu of Ghana to
win the WBO Asia Pacific Super
Middleweight title at Sawai Man Singh
Stadium in Jaipur. With this win, he also
defends his WBO Oriental Super
Middleweight title.
H Pankaj Advani wins another
national title, beating Kamal Chawla of
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Railways 7-3 in the final of the 7th
National 6-Red Snooker Championship
held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In the
women’s section, Amee Kamani defends
her crown, beating Vidya Pillai of
Karnataka 4-1.
24. India defeats Sri Lanka by five
wickets in the third and final T20
International at the Wankhede Stadium
in Mumbai winning T20 series. It is
Team India’s 14th bilateral series win.
H Indian boxers claim three gold, one
silver and one bronze medal at the
Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament
in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. K. Shyam
Kumar, Naman Tanwar and Satish
Kumar win gold medals. Manish
Kaushik wins silver while Mandeep
Jangra wins bronze medal.
H The U-15 Indian girls finish as
runners-up at the SAFF U-15 Women’s
Football Championship held in Dhaka.
The girls were defeated by Bangladesh
in the final.
26. Anisa Sayyed wins the women’s
25m air pistol gold medal in the 61st
National Shooting Championships at the
National Games shooting range at
Thiruvananthapuram. Shital Shivaji
Thorat is second while Rani comes third.
Swapnil Suresh Kusale (Railway) wins
gold in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions.
Satyendra Singh (Army) is second, while
Chain Singh settles for bronze.
Maharashtra emerges first in the team
event with a total of 1,714 points ahead
of ONGC (1,707) and Haryana (1700).
30. Indian
Grandmaster
Viswanathan Anand
regains the World
Rapid Chess
Championship title
after defeating
Vladimir Fedoseev
of Russia in the
tie-break play-off
17
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Anand claims
the title by remaining unbeaten in
the championship with six wins and nine
draws. The women’s title is won by Ju
Wenjun of China.
H World Classical champion Magnus
Carlsen of Norway wins the World Blitz
Chess Championship, with an overall tally
of sixteen points in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sergey Karjakin wins silver while
Viswanathan Anand of India wins bronze.
JANUARY 2018
1. Vidarbha claims their maiden Ranji
Trophy after beating Delhi by nine wickets
in the final of India’s premier domestic
Cricket tournament held at Holkar
Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
3. Colin Munro of New Zealand
becomes the first in the world to score
three centuries in T20 Internationals after
smashing 104 off 53 deliveries in the
final T20 against West Indies in Mount
Maunganui. His two other centuries are
against India and Bangladesh.
7. Nick Kyrgios downs American
Ryan Harrison to claim the men’s singles
title at Brisbane International Tennis
Tournament in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine demolishes
Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra
Sasnovich 6-2, 6-1 to win women’s
singles title.
8. Australia thrashes England by an
innings and 123 runs to win the fifth
and final Ashes Test at the Sydney
HONOURS & AWARDS
DECEMBER 2017
14. Andhra Pradesh bags the
National Energy Conservation
Awards 2017 under the State Designated
Agency category for the third
consecutive year. Mr. A. Chandra
Sekhara Reddy, CEO, APSECM (State
Energy Conservation Mission), receives
18
Cricket Ground and complete a
comprehensive 4-0 series victory.
H Wriddhiman Saha pouches his 10th
catch of the match at the first Test
against South Africa at Cape Town,
making it the most number of catches
and dismissals by an Indian wicket-
keeper in the Tests.
9. Aanchal Thakur scripts history by
bagging India’s first-ever medal in an
Aanchal Thakur
international skiing competition. The
21-year-old wins bronze in the slalom
race category in the Alpine Ejder 3200
Cup organised by the Federation
Internationale de Ski (FIS) at Turkey’s
Palandoken Ski Centre in Erzurum.
10. Indian Olympic Association
appoints Harjinder Singh as Chef De
Mission for the 23rd Winter Olympic
Games to be held in Pyeongchang,
South Korea. He is currently General
Secretary in the Ice Hockey Association
of India.
the award on behalf of the Government
of Andhra Pradesh at Vigyan Bhavan,
New Delhi.
16. The “Train 10,000 Teachers”
(T10KT) project implemented jointly by
IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur is
awarded the “Digital India Excellence
Award 2017” in the category
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
“Education” by the Pan-IIM World
Management Conference at a function
held at IIM Lucknow.
21. Sahitya Akademi announces the
names of 24 poets and authors for the
prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards.
The awards will be given in 24 different
Indian languages that include seven
novels, five poetries, five short stories,
five literary criticism, one play and one
essay. Mr. Ramesh Kuntal Megh is
chosen for his literary criticism work
‘Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar’ in Hindi
language. Mr. Mamang Dai will be
awarded for his novel ‘The Black Hill’
(English). The awards will be given for
books published between January 2011
and December 2015.
22. Bollywood star Salman Khan once
again maintains the top spot in Forbes
India Celebrity 100 list for the second
consecutive year. Bollywood star Shah
Rukh Khan and the Captain of Indian
Cricket team Virat Kohli take the second
and third spot, respectively.
27. Bollywood
actress Anushka
Sharma is named
PETA’s Person of
the Year by animal
rights organisation
People for Ethical
Treatment of
Animals (PETA) for
her recent efforts to Anushka Sharma
protect animals.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DECEMBER 2017
13. India ranks 109th out of 122
countries in the mobile internet speed
and 76th out of 133 countries in
broadband space in the November 2017
Speedtest Global Index (SGI). The index
is released by popular Internet speed
testing service provider Ookla.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
JANUARY 2018
7. The 75th annual Golden Globe
Awards ceremony is organised at
Beverly Hills, California, US Best
Motion Picture Drama Award is given
to ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,
Missouri’. Best Motion Picture Musical/
Comedy Award is given to ‘Lady Bird’.
Best Director in Motion Picture-Drama
award is bagged by Guillermo del Toro
(The Shape of Water) and Best Actor
in Motion Picture-Drama award is
given to Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour).
Best Actress in Motion Picture-Drama
award is received by Frances
McDormand (Three Billboards Outside
Ebbing, Missouri).
8. J&K Governor Mr. N.N. Vohra
presents the 1st Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed Award to Bihar CM Mr. Nitish
Kumar for Probity in Public Life at a
function held at Zorawar Singh
Auditorium in Jammu.
10. Heart Sciences, a medical device
company, receives the Fierce Innovation
Award in the Digital Health Solution
category in San Francisco, US, for the
use of wavelet mathematics and artificial
intelligence to develop medical devices
for early detection of heart disease.
11. The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), a US Civil Rights
organisation, announces the NAACP
President’s Award for actor, producer
and humanitarian Danny Glover.
14. Three astronauts land in Kazakhstan
after spending nearly five months at the
International Space Station. A Russian
Soyuz spacecraft carrying Expedition 53
crewmates Randy Bresnik of NASA, Paolo
Nespoli of European Space Agency (ESA)
and Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos
lands in Kazakhstan.
19
 H NASA announces the discovery of
an eighth planet orbiting Kepler-90, a
star comparable to the Sun located 2,545
light-years from the Earth.
15. National Green Tribunal imposes
a complete blanket ban on use, sale,
purchase and storage of plastic items
such as carry bags, plates and spoons in
towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh till
upper areas of Uttarkashi along the
Ganga River in Uttarakhand.
H For the first time, SpaceX launches
recycled Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
rocket, that have flown before, landing
its rocket booster upright on solid
ground at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
16. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) for
the first time compiles a list of alien invasive
animal species, totalling 157. This number
excludes invasive microbe species.
17. A SpaceX capsule returns to the
International Space Station. Astronauts
use the station’s big robot arm to grab
the Dragon capsule out of orbit. It is
the second visit for the supply ship,
which made a delivery for NASA back
in 2015 as well.
20
18. A NASA-led team find that gravity
waves force an east-west jet stream
speeding through the atmosphere high
above Jupiter’s equator to change
direction on a schedule almost as
predictable as a Tokyo train’s.
20. A study finds that replacing one
to two servings of animal proteins like
meat and milk products with plant
proteins like soy, nuts and pulses daily
could reduce cholesterol and prevent the
risk of heart disease.
21. NASA develops a new spectroscopy
instrument designed to detect compounds
and minerals associated with biological
activity more quickly and with greater
sensitivity than previous instruments.
22. The Union Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate
Change launches pilot project ‘Blue Flag’
to develop and enhance standards of
cleanliness on beaches.
23. China launches into space its
second Land Surveying Satellite
(LKW-2) atop a Long March 2D
booster. The rocket lifts off from the
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in
Gansu Province of China.
24. China’s domestically developed
AG600, also known as ‘Kunlong’, the
world’s largest amphibious aircraft, takes
off from Zhuhai airport in Guangdong
province and lands after roughly an hour-
long flight. The AG600 amphibious
aircraft can land and take off from the
water.
25. British researchers combine Twitter,
citizen science and artificial intelligence
(AI) techniques to develop an early-
warning system for flood-prone
communities in urban areas.
H British scientists create the world’s
smallest Christmas card. The 15×20
micrometre card requires a powerful
microscope just to see it, let alone read
the festive message inside.
(Continued on page 173)
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 NEWS IN CARTOGRAPHS

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 21

22 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
1. Which one of the following 5. How much CO2 is produced on
statements about a satellite orbiting heating of 1 kg of carbon?
around the Earth is correct? 11 3
(a) Satellite is kept in orbit by remote (a) kg (b) kg
control from ground station. 3 11
(b) Satellite is kept in orbit by retro- 4 3
rocket and solar energy keeps it (c) kg (d) kg
3 4
moving around the Earth. 6. Zinc is used to protect iron from
(c) Satellite requires energy from solar corrosion because zinc is
panels and solid fuels for orbiting. (a) more electropositive than iron
(d) Satellite does not require any (b) cheaper than iron
energy for orbiting. (c) a bluish white metal
2. Which one of the following (d) a good conductor of heat and
statements about energy is correct? electricity
(a) Energy can be created as well as 7. Which one of the following gases
destroyed. is placed second in respect of
(b) Energy can be created but not abundance in the Earth’s atmosphere?
destroyed. (a) Oxygen (b) Hydrogen
(c) Energy can neither be created nor (c) Nitrogen (d) Carbon dioxide
destroyed. 8. Which one of the following is a
(d) Energy cannot be created but can chemical change?
be destroyed.
(a) Cutting of hair
3. Step-up transformers are used for
(a) increasing electrical power (b) Graying of hair naturally
(b) decreasing electrical power (c) Swelling of resin in water
(c) decreasing voltage (d) Cutting of fruit
(d) increasing voltage 9. Which one among the following
4. Which one among the following chemicals is used as washing soda?
waves carries the maximum energy per (a) Calcium carbonate
photon? (b) Calcium bicarbonate
(a) X-rays (b) Radio waves (c) Sodium carbonate
(c) Light waves (d) Microwaves (d) Sodium bicarbonate
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 23
 10. Why is potassium permanganate
used for purifying drinking water?
(a) It kills germs
(b) It dissolves the impurities
(c) It is a reducing agent
(d) It is an oxidising agent
11. Consider the following movements:
1. Moplah Rebellion
2. Bardoli Satyagraha
3. Champaran Satyagraha
4. Salt Satyagraha
Which one of the following is the
correct chronological order of the above
in ascending order?
(a) 1-3-4-2
(b) 3-1-2-4
(c) 2-3-1-4
(d) 4-2-1-3
12. Which one of the following
travelogues has given an insight on the
reign of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq?
(a) Ibn Battuta’s Rihla
(b) Francois Bernier’s Travels in the
Mogul Empire
(c) Niccolao Manucci’s Storia do Mogor
(d) Tavernier’s Travels in India
13. Which one of the following was
not a Chishti Sufi saint?
(a) Khwaja Moinuddin
(b) Baba Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar
(c) Nizamuddin Auliya
(d) Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya
14. In April 2017, India celebrated
100 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s
(a) Satyagraha in Kheda
(b) Dandi March
(c) Satyagraha in Champaran
(d) Return from South Africa
15. A rainbow is produced due to
which one of the following phenomena?
(a) Dispersion of light
(b) Interference of light
(c) Diffraction of light
(d) Scattering of light by atmospheric
dust
24 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
16. Bats detect obstacles in their path
by receiving the reflected
(a) Infrasonic waves
(b) Ultrasonic waves
(c) Radio waves
(d) Microwaves
17. The statement that ‘Heat cannot
flow by itself from a body at a lower
temperature to a body at a higher
temperature’, is known as
(a) Zeroth law of thermodynamics
(b) First law of thermodynamics
(c) Second law of thermodynamics
(d) Third law of thermodynamics
18. Which one of the following waves
does not belong to the category of the
other three?
(a) X-rays (b) Microwaves
(c) Radio waves (d) Sound waves
19. Which one of the following
statements is not correct?
(a) Human eye is a refracting system
containing a diverging lens.
(b) The retina of the human eye
contains millions of light sensitive
cells, called rods and cones, which
convert the light into electrical
messages.
(c) Every image that is focussed on
the retina is upside down.
(d) We need both eyes to judge the
relative positions of objects
accurately.
20. Which one of the following
statements is not correct?
(a) Ultrasonic waves cannot get
reflected, refracted or absorbed.
(b) Ultrasonic waves are used to detect
the presence of defects like cracks,
porosity, etc. in the internal structure
of common structure materials.
(c) Ultrasonic waves can be used for
making holes in ver y hard
materials like diamond.
(d) Ultrasonic waves cannot travel
through vacuum.
 21. Which one of the following was
set as a target of average growth of
GDP of India over the plan period
2012-17 by the Approach Paper to the
Twelfth Five-Year Plan?
(a) 7 percent (b) 8 percent
(c) 9 percent (d) 10 percent
22. Which one of the following is not
a subject that has been devolved to the
Panchayati Raj Institutions by the 11th
Schedule of the Constitution of India?
(a) Non-conventional energy resources
(b) Roads
(c) Higher education
(d) Libraries
23. Who among the following used the
term Industrial Revolution for the first
time in English to describe the changes
that occurred in the British industrial
development between 1760 and 1820?
(a) Friedrich Engels
(b) Eric Hobsbawm
(c) Arnold Toynbee
(d) Georges Michelet
24. Who among the following is the
author of the book ‘The Indian Struggle,
1920 - 1934’ ?
(a) Maulana Abul Kalam
(b) Jayaprakash Narayan
(c) Subhash Chandra Bose
(d) Manabendra Nath Roy
25. Which one of the following about
the Swadeshi Campaign in 1896 is not
correct?
(a) Its centre was Maharashtra
(b) Its main participants were students
(c) It opposed the levy of tariff on
imports
(d) It publicly burnt foreign clothes
26. Which one of the following
associations was founded in London by
Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866?
(a) The Bengal British India Society
(b) The East India Association
(c) The British Indian Association
(d) The Madras Native Association
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
27. Mariana Trench is located in the
ocean floor of
(a) Southern Atlantic Ocean
(b) Western Pacific Ocean
(c) Eastern Pacific Ocean
(d) Northern Atlantic Ocean
28. Taklamakan Desert is situated in
(a) Western Asia
(b) Southern fringe of Sahara in
Africa
(c) South America
(d) Central Asia
29. Rudraprayag is situated at the
confluence of rivers Alaknanda and
(a) Bhagirathi
(b) Mandakini
(c) Nandakini
(d) Dhauliganga
30. Arrange the following Indian
cities according to their locations from
west to east:
1. Bilaspur 2. Jodhpur
3. Bhopal 4. Ranchi
Select the correct answer using the
code given below:
(a) 3-2-1-4 (b) 2-3-1-4
(c) 4-1-2-3 (d) 2-1-3-4
31. The Kashmir region receives
additional amount of precipitation
during the winter brought by
(a) South-west Monsoon
(b) Western Disturbances
(c) Retreating Monsoon
(d) Temperate Cyclone
32. Which part of India has the
Kalakot tertiary coal field?
(a) Brahmaputra river basin of Assam
(b) Damodar river basin of Jharkhand
and West Bengal
(c) Himalayan mountain region
(d) Cardamom hills in Kerala
33. Tendons through which muscles
are connected to bones are tightly
compacted bundles of which one of
the following long fibrous protein?
(a) Fibrin (b) Collagen
(c) Elastin (d) Cellulose
25
 34. Which one of the following is the
scientific name of the causal organism
of elephantiasis?
(a) Ascaris lumbricoides
(b) Culex pipiens
(c) Wuchereria bancrofti
(d) Fasciola hepatica
35. Melanin is the natural pigment that
gives colour to human skin, hair and the
iris. It provides protection against
(a) Ultraviolet radiation
(b) Infrared radiation
(c) X-ray radiation
(d) Short wave radio radiation
36. Who among the following is the
Chair man of the Interdisciplinar y
Committee constituted recently by the
Government of India to examine
framework for virtual currencies?
(a) Secretary, Department of
Financial Services
(b) Special Secretary, Department of
Revenue
(c) Special Secretary, Department of
Economic Affairs
(d) Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank
of India
37. SAMPADA scheme is being
implemented by the Ministry of
(a) Finance
(b) Housing and Urban Affairs
(c) Food Processing Industries
(d) Earth Sciences
38. The shortest day length that occurs
in the Northern hemisphere is on
(a) 21st March
(b) 23rd September
(c) 22nd November
(d) 22nd December
39. The Indian Railways have gone
in for qualitative improvements since
independence. Which of the following
have taken place in recent years?
1. Gauge conversion
2. Track electrification
3. Automatic signals
26 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Select the correct answer using the
codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
40. In India, maximum amount of
rainfall is received from
(a) Western Disturbances
(b) North-east Monsoon
(c) South-west Monsoon
(d) Retreating Monsoon
41. Which set of the following
biosphere reserves in India is included in
the World Network of Biosphere
Reserves?
(a) Gulf of Mannar, Nokrek,
Panchmarhi and Simlipal
(b) Gulf of Mannar, Kanchanjunga,
Nokrek and Seshachalam
(c) Nilgiri, Nokrek, Panchmarhi and
Panna
(d) Nilgiri, Nokrek, Panchmarhi and
Seshachalam
42. Which of the following
statements about magnetite ore of iron
is/are correct?
1. It is known as black ore.
2. It contains 60% to 70% of pure iron.
3. It possesses magnetic properties.
Select the correct answer using the
codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
43. Which one of the following
vitamins has a role in blood clotting?
(a) Vitamin A
(b) Vitamin D
(c) Vitamin E
(d) Vitamin K
44. The term ‘Probiotic’ is applied to
(a) Organic food
(b) Antacid
(c) Antibiotic
(d) Live microbial food supplement
 45. Which one of the following
microbes causes acidification and
curding of milk?
(a) Lactic Acid Bacillus
(b) Clostridium botulinum
(c) Vibrio cholerae
(d) Saccharomyces cerevisiae
46. Who among the following shared
the Nobel Prize in 1962 along with
Francis Crick and James Watson for their
discoveries concerning the molecular
structure of nucleic acids?
(a) Erwin Chargaff
(b) Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins
(c) Rosalind Franklin
(d) Phoebus Levene
47. Water boils at a lower temperature
at high altitudes, because
(a) the air pressure is less
(b) outside temperature is less
(c) latent heat is less
(d) None of the above
48. Concave mirror is used in
headlights of vehicles, because it
(a) focuses light from the bulb onto
nearby vehicles
(b) sends parallel rays
(c) fits well into the shape of the
headlight
(d) is cheaper than other mirrors
49. If some object is weighed when
submerged in water, what will happen to
its weight compared to its weight in air?
(a) Increase
(b) Decrease
(c) Remain exactly the same
(d) Increase or decrease cannot be
predicted
50. Light year is a measure of
(a) time
(b) distance
(c) total amount of light falling on
the Earth in a year
(d) average intensity of light falling
on the Earth in a year
28 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
51. Intake of which one of the
following food components should be
minimised by patients having Gouty
Arthritis due to elevated serum uric acid
level?
(a) Food fibres
(b) Nucleic acids
(c) Lipids
(d) Carbohydrates
52. Which one of the following
statements about microbes is not
correct?
(a) They are used in sewage treatment
plants.
(b) They are used in industrial
fermenters for the production of
beverages.
(c) No antibiotic has been obtained
from any microbe.
(d) They are used to get many
bioactive molecules for the
treatment of diseases.
53. Golden rice is a genetically-
modified crop plant where the
incorporated gene is meant for
biosynthesis of
(a) Omega-3 fatty acids
(b) Vitamin A
(c) Vitamin B
(d) Vitamin C
54. An object moves in a circular path
with a constant speed. Which one of
the following statements is correct?
(a) The centripetal acceleration of the
object is smaller for a gentle curve
(i.e., curve of larger radius) than
that for a sharp curve (i.e., curve
of smaller radius).
(b) The centripetal acceleration is
greater for a gentle curve than that
for a sharp curve.
(c) The centripetal acceleration is the
same for both, the gentle and
sharp curves.
(d) The centripetal acceleration causes
the object to slow down.
 55. The force acting on a particle of (a) Ultraviolet waves
mass m moving along the x-axis is given (b) Infrared waves
by F(x) = Ax2 – Bx. Which one of the (c) Radio waves
following is the potential energy of the (d) Microwaves
particle? 63. The majority charge carriers in a
(a) 2Ax – B p-type semiconductor are
x2 (a) free electrons
(b) (2Ax – 3B) (b) conduction electrons
6 (c) ions
(c) Ax – Bx2
3
(d) holes
(d) Zero 64. The ionisation energ y of
56. The symbol of SI unit of hydrogen atom in the ground state is
inductance is H. It stands for (a) 13.6 MeV
(a) Holm (b) Halogen (b) 13.6 eV
(c) Henry (d) Hertz (c) 13.6 Joule
57. In a vacuum, a five-rupee coin, a (d) Zero
feather of a sparrow bird and a mango
are dropped simultaneous from the same 65. When pure water boils vigorously,
height. The time taken by them to reach the bubbles that rise to the surface are
the bottom is t1, t2 and t3 respectively. composed primarily of
In this situation, we will observe that (a) air
(a) t1 > t2 > t3 (b) hydrogen
(b) t1 > t3 > t2 (c) hydrogen and oxygen
(c) t3 > t1 > t2 (d) water vapour
(d) t1 = t2 = t3 66. Which compound, when dissolved
58. Electron emission from a metallic in water, conducts electricity and forms
surface by application of light is known a basic solution?
as (a) HCl
(a) Thermionic emission (b) CH3COOH
(b) Photoelectric emission (c) CH3OH
(c) High field emission (d) NaOH
(d) Autoelectronic emission 67. According to the Travel and
59. How long does light take to reach Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI)
the Earth from the Sun? 2017 released by the World Economic
(a) About 4 minutes Forum, among the 136 economies
(b) About 8 minutes across the world, India ranked
(c) About 24 minutes (a) 50th
(d) About 24 hours (b) 40th
60. Radioactivity is measured by (c) 30th
(a) GM Counter (b) Polarimeter (d) 20th
(c) Calorimeter (d) Colorimeter 68. Which one of the following is the
61. The mirrors used as rear-view theme of the World Health Day, 2017
mirrors in vehicles are celebrated by the World Health
(a) concave (b) convex Organisation?
(c) cylindrical (d) plane (a) Diabetes
62. Which one of the following waves (b) Food Safety
is used for detecting forgery in currency (c) Depression: Let’s Talk
notes? (d) Ageing and Health
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 29
 69. Which one of the following
Ministries has launched a new
programme on Interdisciplinary Cyber
Physical Systems (ICPS) to foster and
promote R&D?
(a) Ministry of Earth Sciences
(b) Ministry of Science and
Technology
(c) Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting
(d) Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy
70. Consider the following statements
about the Nagara style of temple
architecture:
1. This style of temples is commonly
found in the areas between
Himalayas and Vindhyas.
2. The most striking feature of this
style is its pyramidal shikhara.
Which of the statements given above
is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both land 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
71. Ashoka’s connection with
Buddhism is evident from which one
of the following edicts?
(a) Major Rock Edict 13
(b) Rock Edict 6
(c) Minor Rock Edict 1
(d) Pillar Edict 4
72. The Cabinet Mission Plan for
India envisaged a
(a) Federation
(b) Confederation
(c) Unitary form of Government
(d) Union of States
73. The creation of the institution of
Lokpal was first recommended by
(a) Law Commission
(b) Santhanam Committee
(c) Shah Commission
(d) Administrative Reforms
Commission
74. Which one of the following is a
cause of acid rains?
30
(a) Ozone
(b) Ammonia
(c) Sulphur dioxide
(d) Carbon monoxide
75. The desirable range of pH for
drinking water is
(a) 6.5 to 8.5 (b) 5.0 to 6.5
(c) 6.5 to 7.0 (d) 7.0 to 8.5
76. Consider the following reaction:
CH4 + 2O2 o CO2 + 2H2O
Which of the following about the
reaction given above is/are correct?
1. Carbon is oxidised.
2. Hydrogen is oxidised.
3. Hydrogen is reduced.
4. Carbon is reduced.
Select the correct answer using the
code given below:
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 2 and 4 only
77. Sunrise in eastern Arunachal
Pradesh would be about how many
hours before the sunrise in western
Gujarat?
(a) One hour (b) Two hours
(c) Three hours (d) Four hours
78. Consider the following States of
India in terms of percentage of forest area
in relation to the total area of the State:
1. Karnataka 2. Odisha
3. Kerala 4. Andhra Pradesh
Which one of the following is the
correct descending order?
(a) 1-2-4-3 (b) 3-1-2-4
(c) 3-2-1-4 (d) 2-3-1-4
79. Which one of the following States
in India has the longest coastline?
(a) Odisha (b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Karnataka (d) West Bengal
80. Which one of the following States
in India has the largest area under forest
cover?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Andhra Pradesh
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 81. Which one of the following is not
an igneous rock?
(a) Gabbro
(b) Granite
(c) Dolomite
(d) Basalt
82. The Coriolis effect is the result of
(a) Pressure gradient
(b) Earth’s axis of inclination 16
(c) Earth’s rotation 32 34
(d) Earth’s revolution 16 S 16 S
83. Where is Mekong Delta located?
(a) Thailand (b) Cambodia
(c) Myanmar (d) Vietnam
84. Which one of the following pairs
of rivers and tributaries is not correctly
matched?
(a) Godavari : Indravati
(b) Ganga : Penganga
(c) Krishna : Bhima
(d) Luni : Sukri
85. Consider the following
characteristics of a tropical cyclone:
1. A warm sea temperature of > 26°C
2. High relative humidity of
atmosphere at a height of > 700m
3. Atmospheric instability
The above mentioned characteristics
are associated with which one of the
following cycles of its development?
(a) Formulation and initial stage
(b) Modification stage
(c) Full maturity
(d) Decay
86. In the Mesopotamian records,
which one of the following terms was
used for the Indus Valley (Harappans)?
(a) Dilmun (b) Meluha
(c) Magan (d) Failaka
87. The principal use of hydrofluoric
acid is
(a) in etching glass
(b) as a bleaching agent
(c) as an extremely strong oxidizing
agent
32
(d) in the preparation of strong
organic fluorine compounds
88. The species that has the same
number of electrons as 1735
C l is
32 34 40 35 2
(a) 16 S 16 S 18 Ar 16 S
32
(b) 34 40 35 2
16 S 16 S 18 Ar 16 S
32 34 40 35 2
S 16 S 18 Ar 16 S
40 35 2
18 Ar 16 S
89. The compound C6H12O4 contains
(a) 22 atoms per mole
(b) twice the mass percent of H as
compared to the mass percent of C
(c) six times the mass percent of C as
compared to the mass percent of H
(d) thrice the mass percent of H as
compared to the mass percent of O
90. The proposition ‘equal volumes
of different gases contain equal numbers
of molecules at the same temperature
and pressure’ is known as
(a) Avogadro’s hypothesis
(b) Gay-Lussac’s hypothesis
(c) Planck’s hypothesis
(d) Kirchhoff ’s theory
91. Which one of the following
statements about the Ilbert Bill is correct?
(a) It proposed that the Indian
magistrates would try Europeans
in criminal cases.
(b) It allowed Indians to file criminal
cases against Europeans.
(c) It authorised Indian ICS officers
to try Europeans in courts.
(d) It was an agitation led by Ilbert in
support of the nationalists.
92. Who among the following can
attend the meetings of both Houses of
Parliament while not being a member
of either House?
(a) The Solicitor General of India
(b) The Vice-President of India
(c) The Comptroller and Auditor-
General of India
(d) The Attorney General of India
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
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 93. Who among the following was 99. Which one of the following is the
believed to be a leader of the Sanyasis theme of the International Day for
and Fakirs conspiring against the British Monuments and Sites (World Heritage
in 1857? Day) 2017?
(a) Mangal Pandey (a) The Heritage of Sport
(b) Bahadur Shah II (b) Cultural Heritage and Sustainable
(c) Queen Zeenat Mahal Tourism
(d) Nana Sahib (c) Past and Present Heritage
94. Who among the following was the (d) Heritage and Science
founder of the Avadh Kingdom in the 100. In April 2017, USA dropped
18 century? MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast
(a) Murshid Quli Khan popularly known as the Mother of All
(b) Saadat Khan Bombs) in the suspected hideouts of
(c) Alivardi Khan militants in which one of the following
(d) Sarfaraz Khan countries?
95. Who among the following was the (a) Iran (b) Syria
founder of the Young Bengal (c) Afghanistan (d) Somalia
Movement? ANSWERS
(a) Henry Vivian Derozio
(b) David Hare 1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (d) 4. (a)
(c) Dwarkanath Tagore 5. (a) 6. (a) 7. (a) 8. (b)
(d) Prasanna Kumar Tagore 9. (b) 10. (d) 11. (b) 12. (a)
96. Which one of the following 13. (d) 14. (c) 15. (a) 16. (b)
statements about the Quit India 17. (c) 18. (d) 19. (a) 20. (d)
Movement is not correct? 21. (c) 22. (c) 23. (c) 24. (c)
(a) It broke out in August 1942. 25. (b) 26. (b) 27. (b) 28. (d)
(b) Ahmedabad Textile Mills went on 29. (b) 30. (b) 31. (b) 32. (c)
strike for more than three months. 33. (b) 34. (c) 35. (a) 36. (c)
(c) Muslim League and Hindu 37. (c) 38. (d) 39. (a) 40. (c)
Mahasabha actively participated in 41. (a) 42. (c) 43. (d) 44. (d)
the movement.
45. (a) 46. (b) 47. (a) 48. (b)
(d) Communist Party did not support
49. (b) 50. (b) 51. (b) 52. (c)
the movement.
97. Who among the following is the 53. (b) 54. (a) 55. (b) 56. (c)
winner of the Singapore Open 57. (d) 58. (b) 59. (b) 60. (a)
Superseries Badminton Men’s Singles 61. (b) 62. (a) 63. (d) 64. (b)
title 2017? 65. (d) 66. (d) 67. (b) 68. (c)
(a) Kidambi Srikanth 69. (b) 70. (c) 71. (a) 72. (d)
(b) Lin Dan 73. (d) 74. (c) 75. (c) 76. (a)
(c) B. Sai Praneeth 77. (b) 78. (c) 79. (c) 80. (b)
(d) Kento Momota 81. (c) 82. (c) 83. (d) 84. (b)
98. Koradi Thermal Power Station is 85. (a) 86. (b) 87. (a) 88. (c)
located in 89. (c) 90. (a) 91. (a) 92. (d)
(a) Nagpur (b) Raipur 93. (b) 94. (b) 95. (a) 96. (c)
(c) Mumbai (d) Secunderabad 97. (c) 98. (a) 99. (b) 100. (c)
34 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 1. The Central Rice Research Institute 5. Doppler Effect relates to
of India is located in (A) Sound
(A) Kolkata (B) Cuttack (B) Population
(C) Bengaluru (D) Hyderabad (C) Psychology
(E) Berhampur (D) Money Circulation
2. Along a yard 225 metres long, 26 trees (E) Age
are planted at equal distances, one tree being 6. In an examination, there are three
at each end of the yard. What is the distance papers and a candidate has to get 35% of
between two consecutive trees ? the total to pass. In one paper, he gets 62
(A) 9 metres out of 150 and in the second 35 out of
(B) 10 metres 150. How much must he get, out of 180, in
(C) 8 metres the third paper to just qualify for pass ?
(D) 12 metres (A) 65 (B) 62.5 (C) 71
(E) 15 metres
(D) 72 (E) 60.5
3. The murder of Archduke Ferdinand
7. The Whitehall is
and his wife triggered of which of the
following events ? (A) The office of the US President
(A) Crimean War (B) The office of the British Government
(B) Balkan War in London
(C) First World War (C) The residence of the US President
(D) Second World War (D) The office of Scotland Yard
(E) Boer War (E) The British Queen’s summer residence
4. Insert the missing number in the given 8. The number of girls in a class is 5 times
diagram. the number of boys. Which of the following
? numbers cannot be the total number of
235 4 children in the class ?
(A) 35 (B) 24 (C) 42
(D) 30 (E) 54
117 7 9. WiMAX is related to which one of
the following ?
(A) Biotechnology
59 15 (B) Space technology
29 (C) Missile technology
(A) 438 (B) 386 (C) 469 (D) Communication technology
(D) 327 (E) 521 (E) Aviation technology
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 35
 10. Ghaziabad is 16 kilometres north of to rain heavily, and the players had to rush
Delhi and Faridabad is 40 kilometres south back to the pavilion’.
of Delhi. What is the distance of Faridabad (A) Scarcely had the match begun
to Ghaziabad and in what direction ? (B) Than it began to rain heavily
(A) 56 kilometres to the South (C) And the players had to
(B) 24 kilometres to the South (D) Rush back to the pavilion
(C) 56 kilometres to the North (E) No error
(D) 24 kilometres to the North 17. The title ‘FUEHRER’ was applied to
(E) None of these (A) Hitler (B) Mussolini
11. Woollen clothes are warmer than cotton (C) Stalin (D) Napoleon
clothes because they are (E) Chengez Khan
(A) Better absorbers of heat 18. Choose the pair which bears the
(B) Better insulators of heat same relationship as the words
(C) Better radiators of heat given in capitals below :
(D) Heavier than cotton clothes TV : RADIO
(E) Better receptors of heat (A) Music : Dance (B) Patient : Doctor
12. Complete the saying below with (C) Coat : Sweater (D)Ship : Deck
the correct option : (E) State : Country
He laughs best who laughs _________ 19. A rectangular field is to be fenced on
(A) First (B) Last (C) Late three sides leaving a side of 20 feet
(D) Most (E) Least uncovered. If the field’s area is 680 sq. feet,
13. According to UN’s 2017 International then how many feet of fencing will be
Migration Report which country tops the list required ?
of migrants living abroad? (A) 34 (B) 40 (C) 68
(A) China (D) 88 (E) 102
(B) Sri Lanka 20. Choose the word opposite in
(C) Pakistan meaning to the key word below :
(D) Bangladesh “Mandatory”
(E) India (A) Optional (B) Compulsory
14. The product of two numbers is 45 (C) Indefinite (D) Unknown
and the sum of their squares is 106. The (E) Irritating
numbers are 21. In which State is the Buddhist site
(A) 5 and 9 (B) 3 and 5 Tabo Monastery located ?
(C) 45 and 1 (D) 5 and 19 (A) Arunachal Pradesh
(E) None of these (B) Himachal Pradesh
15. The lengths of three sides of a triangle (C) Sikkim
are known. In which of the cases below, it is (D) Uttarakhand
impossible to construct a triangle ? (E) Meghalaya
(A) 15 cm, 12 cm, 10 cm 22. How many triangles does the following
(B) 3.6 cm, 4.3 cm, 5.7 cm figure have ?
(C) 17 cm, 12 cm, 6 cm
(D) 2.3 cm, 4.4 cm, 6.8 cm
(E) All of these
16. Choose the part of the following
sentence with an error in it. If no
error is found, then choose the
option ‘No error’. (A) 12 (B) 10 (C) 6
‘Scarcely had the match begun than it began (D) 11 (E) 8

36 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 23. The cost price of eight books is equal (C) Perry Mason
to the selling price of 6 books. What is the (D) Miss Marple
percentage of gain ? (E) Sherlock Holmes
(A) 30% (B) 33% (C) 35% 30. Insert the missing number :
(D) 33.3% (E) None of these
24. The famous play ‘The Merchant Of 3
?
Venice’ deals with
(A) Ambition and fulfilment 22 5
(B) Indecision and tragedy
(C) Revenge and punishment 8
(D) War and destruction 13
(E) Jealousy and betrayal
25. The Simla Agreement between India (A) 39 (B) 1 (C) 26 (D) 45 (E) 50
and Pakistan was executed in the year 31. ‘A’ sells an article, which costs him
(A) 1970 (B) 1972 (C) 1976 Rs. 400, to ‘B’ at a profit of 20%. ‘B’ then
(D) 1962 (E) None of these sells it to ‘C’, making a profit of 10% on the
26. Insert the missing number : price he paid to ‘A’. How much does ‘C’ pay
to ‘B’ ?
(A) Rs. 528 (B) Rs. 476 (C) Rs. 532
(D) Rs. 472 (E) None of these
32. Fill in the blank with correct
option :
‘He has retired _________ private life’
(A) Into (B) To (C) For
(D) With (E) Within
(A) 27 (B) 64 (C) 54 33. ‘McDonalds’ are a chain of
(D) 62 (E) 35 (A) Shoe stores
27. A man bought a certain (B) Range of cotton shirts
number of similar articles for Rs. 380. If he (C) Fast food restaurants
had paid rupee one more for each article, (D) Ice-cream parlours
then he would have got one article less for (E) Cyber cafes
the same price. What was the original price 34. Find the missing number :
of each article ? 5 : 8 : : 15 : ?
(A) Rs. 25 (B) Rs. 19 (C) Rs. 35 (A) 19 (B) 20 (C) 18
(D) Rs. 18 (E) Rs. 16 (D) 21 (E) 17
28. Complete the following sentence 35. ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ can do a piece of work
with the most suitable option : in 20, 30 and 60 days respectively. In how
‘I am sure you didn’t mean that seriously, many days can ‘A’ do the work, if he is
_________' assisted by ‘B’ & ‘C’ on every third day ?
(A) Aren’t I ? (B) Did you ? (A) 12 days (B) 15 days
(C) Didn’t you ? (D) Isn’t it ? (C) 20 days (D) 18 days
(E) Wasn’t it ? (E) 16 days
29. An honorary fellowship of the Royal 36. Which of the following statements is
Society of Chemistry for contribution to not true :
Forensic Sciences was conferred on whom (A) Prologues come at the beginning
among the following famous fictional (B) Dialogues are missing in pantomime
characters ? (C) Catalogue can be found in libraries
(A) Vyomkesh Bakshi (D) Monologues are in the middle
(B) Hercule Poirot (E) Epilogues are found in the end

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 37

 37. The Sarnath pillar is an example of 44. Multimedia devices are provided in
(A) Harappan art (B) Mughal art computers for
(C) Mauryan art (D) Chola art (A) Mathematical calculations
(E) Pandyan art (B) Word processing
38. Insert the missing number from the (C) Technical upgradations
options below : (D) Entertainment
(E) None of these
4
45. The creator of the famous fictional
?
spy James Bond was
19 5 (A) James Hadley Chase
(B) Alistair Maclean
11 7 (C) Ian Fleming
(D) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(E) H. G. Wells
(A) 21 (B) 35 (C) 28 46. Fill in the blank with the most suitable
(D) 9 (E) 3 option.
39. What is the area of a rhombus each A ___________ of soap
side of which measures 20 cm and one of (A) Piece (B) Cake
whose diagonals is 24 cm ? (C) Slice (D) Packet
(A) 284 cm2 (B) 312 cm2 (E) Portion
2
(C) 384 cm (D) 362 cm2 47. Mohan moves 20 metres in east
(E) None of these direction, turns left and moves 15 metres.
40. The first scientist of India to receive Then turns right and moves 25 metres. After
‘Bharat Ratna’ was this, he turns right and moves 15 metres.
(A) C. V. Raman (B) Meghnad Saha Now how far is he from his starting point ?
(C) Homi J. Bhabha (D) Vikram Sarabhai (A) Zero metre (B) 40 metres
(E) None of these (C) 50 metres (D) 25 metres
41. The mountain ranges which stretch (E) 45 metres
from Gujarat in the West to Delhi in the 48. Who played the role of the ‘Mahatma’
North are called in Richard Attenborough’s film Gandhi ?
(A) Aravallis (B) Vindhyas (A) Pankaj Kapoor (B) Alec Guinness
(C) Satpuras (D) Kaimur (C) Ben Kingsley (D) Gerard Depardieu
(E) None of these (E) Christopher Reeves
42. Akash leaves home for school which 49. Which of the following is the largest
is 12 km from his house. After the school, number ?
he goes to his club which is 7 km from his 1 1 1
school. If his house, school and club all fall (A) 3 (B) 5 (C) 2
in a line, then what is the minimum distance 3 5 2
he has to travel to get back home ? 1 1
(A) 19 km (B) 7 km (D) 7 (E) 4
7 2
(C) 5 km (D) 17 km 50. Fill in the blank with the most
(E) 12 km suitable alternative.
43. If s = 4r and t = 2s, then in terms of ‘You _________ not go to the station now
r, 3r + 2s + t = ? because the train is three hours late’.
(A) 17r (B) 11r (A) Need (B) Could
(C) 19r (D) 9r (C) Ought (D) Should
(E) 7r (E) May

38 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 51. Choose the pair which bears the (A) 336 (B) 246 (C) 174
same relationship as the words (D) 216 (E) None of these
given in capitals below : 58. Which of the sentences below has
WORM : VEGETABLES the correct punctuations ?
(A) Fire : Coal (A) “Monster ! You have killed my son”.
(B) Ornaments : Bride (B) England, France and Italy form an
(C) Termite : Wood alliance.
(D) Dog : Cat (C) He said to his disciples “Watch and
(E) Fever : Disease pray”.
52. Hari Prasad Chaurasia is famous for (D) “I would rather die, he exclaimed, than
his skills in playing the join the oppressors of my country”
(A) Piano (B) Flute (E) Men may come, and men may go, but
(C) Guitar (D) Trumpet I go on forever
(E) Santoor
59. Saturday was a holiday for Republic
53. If the ratio of the radii of two circles
is 3 : 2, then the ratio of the areas of the Day. 14th of the next month is again a
two circles is holiday for Shivratri. What day was it on the
(A) 2 : 3 (B) 9 : 4 (C) 4 : 9 14th ?
(D) 3 : 4 (E) 3 : 2 (A) Thursday (B) Friday
54. Choose the option closest in (C) Saturday (D) Monday
meaning to the following idiom : (E) Tuesday
‘Sitting on the fence’ 60. A present group of nations known as
(A) Lazy G-8 started first as G-7. Which one among
(B) Hesitating between two opinions the following was not one of them ?
(C) Uncomfortable (A) Canada (B) Italy
(D) Being stubborn (C) Japan (D) Russia
(E) Not wanting to go home
(E) China
55. Given below are five figures. Four are
61. The wheel of a motor cycle,
alike in some manner. Find the odd
one : 70 cm in diameter, is making 40 revolutions
in every 10 seconds. What is the speed of
(A) (B) the motorcycle in km/hour ?
(A) 27.68 km/hour
(B) 36.24 km/hour
(C) (D) (C) 31.68 km/hour
(D) 22.32 km/hour
(E) None of these
(E) 62. Fill in the blank with the most
appropriate word.
56. Seismograph is used to detect ‘A son was born ________ him’
(A) Volcanoes (B) Earthquakes (A) For (B) To (C) By
(C) Tidal waves (D) Landslides (D) Of (E) On
(E) Cyclonic storms 63. Insert the missing number :
57. If 50 is subtracted from 2 3 rd of a 6 12 24 48
number, then the result is equal to sum of 2 4 16 ?
40 and 1 4 th of that number. What is the (A) 28 (B) 256 (C) 64
number ? (D) 40 (E) 368

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 39

 64. A presidential reference was made to 70. The letters ‘RSVP’ at the end of a
the Supreme Court for clarification of the letter mean
Election Commission’s powers with reference (A) Please confirm
to a State Government’s elections. The (B) Please do not answer
Articles of the Constitution most involved (C) Please note
were : (D) Please refer
(A) Article 42 & 76 (E) Please answer
71. Find the odd one out :
(B) Article 356 & 370
(C) Article 42 & 356
(A) (B) (C)
(D) Article 324 & 174
(E) None of these
65. In a group of buffaloes and ducks,
the number of legs are 24 more than twice
the number of heads. What is the number (D) (E)
of buffaloes in the group ?
72. Paracetamol is used
(A) 6 (B) 8 (C) 10
(A) To relieve body pain
(D) 12 (E) None of these (B) As an antibiotic
66. Fill in the blank with the correct (C) As a balm
option : (D) As a nasal drop
‘Do you remember _____ him before ?’ (E) As an anaesthetic agent
(A) To see (B) To have seen
(C) See (D) Seeing 73. If , then the value of
(E) You saw
67. 188 (300) 263
893 (?) 915 will be
(A) 88 (B) 238 (C) 96
(A) 20 (B) 18 (C) 16
(D) 500 (E) None of these (D) 24 (E) 32
68. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters who won the 74. Black Mamba is a species of
Miss Universe 2017 title belongs to (A) Insects
(A) Colombia (B) Dinosaurs
(B) Venezuela (C) Snakes
(C) India (D) Spiders
(D) South Africa (E) Buffaloes
(E) USA 75. Replace the underlined word with
69. If 2½ is added to a number and the the option nearest in meaning to
sum multiplied by 4½ and 3 is added to the that word.
1 He gave a fictitious address.
product and then dividing the sum by 1 , (A) Urban (B) Fake (C) Rural
5
the quotient becomes 25. What is the (D) Wrong (E) Unknown
number? 76. Guru Gobind Singh was
(A) The 1st Guru of the Sikhs
1 1 1
(A) 4 (B) 2 (C) 3 (B) The 2nd Guru of the Sikhs
2 2 2 (C) The 7th Guru of the Sikhs
1 (D) The last Guru of the Sikhs
(D) 5 (E) None of these (E) None of these
2
40 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 77. A sum of money becomes 8 times in 85. Which two figures have an equal
3 years, if the rate is compounded annually. area ?
12 cm 12 cm 14 cm
In how much time, the same amount at the
same compound interest will become sixteen 14 cm
times ?
(A) 4 years (B) 6 years
(C) 5 years (D) 7 years A B C D
(E) 8 years (A) A and B (B) B and D
78. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was also (C) A and C (D) A and D
known as (E) None of these
86. A State where no government rules is
(A) Indian Prophet (B) Enlightened one
a State of
(C) Frontier Gandhi (D) Badshah Khan (A) Dyarchy (B) Plutocracy
(E) None of these (C) Autocracy (D) Anarchy
79. Choose the correct option for the (E) Democracy
blank in the following sentence : 87. The expression ‘to be born with a silver
The ship was bound _______ Rangoon. spoon in one’s mouth’ means
(A) Onwards (B) Towards (A) To be born into a rich family
(C) To (D) For (B) To be born into a jewellers family
(C) To be born with the nature of a
(E) By
spendthrift
80. Goa was previously ruled by the (D) To be born on the first child
(A) British (B) French (E) To be spoon fed, not breast fed
(C) Spanish (D) Danish 88. The time taken to run around a circular
(E) Portuguese field of area 616 sq km at a speed of 22
81. Objects are visible because km/hr is
(A) They are opaque (A) 1 hour (B) 2 hours
(B) They are partially in shadow (C) 3 hours (D) 4 hours
(C) They absorb light from the sun (E) 5 hours
89. Given below are five figures. Four are
(D) The light on them reflects to the eye similar in a certain way. Find the odd one out :
(E) Light rays penetrate their surfaces
82. Pick the odd man out :
(A) Leander Paes
(B) Mahesh Bhupathi (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
(C) Vijay Amritraj 90. The age required to vote for Lok
(D) Prakash Padukone Sabha and Assembly elections was reduced
(E) Naresh Kumar from 21 years to 18 years by
83. Which of the words is wrongly spelt ? (A) The Constitution (Sixty-first
(A) Recieve (B) Address Amendment) Act, 1989
(C) Medieval (D) Embarrassment (B) The Constitution (Sixty-fifth
(E) Dialysis Amendment) Act, 1990
84. The first girl pop singers group of (C) The Constitution (Sixty-sixth
Amendment) Act, 1990
India is named (D) The Constitution (Sixty-eighth
(A) Viva (B) Raga Amendment) Act, 1991
(C) Spice Girls (D) Abba (E) The Constitution (Forty-second
(E) Mensa Amendment) Act, 1976

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 41

 91. Complete this famous poetic line 97. Which of the five numbered figures
with the correct option : fits into the vacant square ?
‘A thing of beauty _______________’
(A) Can never fade
(B) Both always cause death
(C) Is a joy forever
(D) Shall never last
(E) Is a thing of art
92. While covering a distance of 24 km, a
man noticed after walking for 1 hour and 40
minutes, that the distance covered by him
was 5/7 of the remaining distance. What
was his speed in metres per second ? (E)
2 1
(A) 1 m/sec.. (B) 2 m/sec.. 98. Who among the following was
3 3 honoured with Bharat Ratna 2014?
1 2 (A) Sachin Tendulkar
(C) 1 m/sec.. (D) 2 m/sec.. (B) Major Dhyan Chand
3 3
(C) Asha Bhonsle
(E) None of these
(D) Viswanathan Anand
93. Choose the odd man out :
(E) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
9 25 36 78 144 196
(A) 25 (B) 36 99. The novel ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’ is
(C) 78 (D) 144 written against the background of
(A) French Revolution
(E) 196
94. Which country is the host for the ICC (B) American Civil War
World Cup 2019? (C) 1st World War
(D) Industrial revolution
(A) India
(E) Colonisation of India
(B) New Zealand
100. If 18 is 15% of 30% of a certain
(C) England
number, then what is the number ?
(D) Pakistan (A) 90 (B) 360
(E) Sri Lanka (C) 380 (D) 420
95. Fill in the blank with the most (E) 400
appropriate option below : 101. Insert the missing number :
‘I _______ to play football when I was 48 56
younger, but I don’t now’.
(A) Used (B) Was used 72 73 26 84 ? 38
(C) Use (D) Have used
(E) Did use
96. A man covered a distance of (A) 63 (B) 83 (C) 58
(D) 89 (E) None of these
75 km in 7 hours. He covered some distance
102. According to the data released by the
at the rate of 12 km per hour and the rest
Union Govt’s Mid-term Economic Survey
at 10 km per hour. How far did he go at the review in August 2017, India’s GDP in
rate of 12 km per hour ? 2016-17 is
(A) 35 km (B) 40 km (A) 7.1% (B) 8.5%
(C) 25 km (D) 20 km (C) 6.5% (D) 8.00%
(E) 30 km (E) 5.75%
42 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 103. Which of the following statements is 109. Replace the underlined word with
not true ? the option nearest in meaning to that
(A) Donkeys bray word.
(B) Pigs are swine There was no one to provide him
(C) Cocks cannot crow solace.
(D) Lions are cats (A) Comfort
(E) Echoes are repetitions (B) Help
104. A cylindrical oil tank is 1/3 full. If 3 (C) Advice
more gallons of oil is added, then the tank (D) Finance
will be half full. What is the capacity of the (E) Food
tank in gallons ? 110. Who became the Prime Minister of
(A) 15 (B) 21 (C) 18 India at the age of 81 years ?
(D) 24 (E) 27 (A) Deve Gowda
105. Insert the missing number from the (B) Charan Singh
options below : (C) Narasimha Rao
(D) Morarji Desai
4 (E) Lal Bahadur Shastri
111. The player who captained his country
? 7
three times in the World Cup Cricket and
won the tournament twice, was
(A) Steve Waugh (B) Clive Lloyd
13 49
(C) Alan Border (D) Vivian Richards
25 (E) Garfield Sobers
112. When a number is divided
(A) 54 (B) 68 (C) 97 in succession by the factors 2, 3 and 7
(D) 84 (E) 86 of the divisor, then the remainders are 1,1
106. ‘Adhe Adhure’ is a famous novel and 6 respectively. What is the complete
written by remainder if it be divided by 42 ?
(A) Shivani (B) Mohan Rakesh (A) 27 (B) 45
(C) Mahadevi Verma(D) Mahasweta Devi (C) 32 (D) 39
(E) Premchand (E) None of these
107. Who is the ex-officio Chairman of 113. Choose that part of the following
the NITI Aayog? sentence which has an error in it. If no
(A) President error, then choose the option “No error.”
(B) Prime Minister ‘Mostly people agreed that it was Gandhi
(C) Home Minister who has taught us to value means over ends.’
(D) Finance Minister (A) Mostly people agreed
(E) None of these (B) it was Gandhi who
108. Cars are entering a parking lot at the (C) taught us to value
rate of one car every 3 seconds, while one (D) means over ends
car leaves the park every 7 seconds. The (E) No error
parking lot is filling up at the rate of 114. In the recent bi-monthly policy in
(A) 6 sec (B) 5 1 4 sec December 2017, the RBI kept the Repo Rate
at :
(C) 5 1 3 sec (D) 3 3 4 sec (A) 8.00 percent (B) 8.25 percent
1 (C) 10.00 percent (D) 6 percent
(E) 2 10 sec
(E) 5.6 percent
44 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 115. The first woman President of the 122. 70 % of 280 is same as
Indian National Congress was (A) 7% of 28
(A) Aruna Asaf Ali (B) 35% of 140
(B) Vijayalakshmi Pandit (C) 40% of 490
(C) Sarojini Naidu (D) Both (A) & (B)
(D) Sucheta Kripalini (E) None of these
(E) Annie Besant 123. The famous child hero created by
116. A pole 15 metres long rests against a J. K. Rowling is named
vertical wall at an angle of 60o with the (A) Hedwig
ground. How high up the wall will the pole (B) Tin Tin
reach ? (C) Charlie Brown
(A) 10 m (B) 12.99 m (D) Dennis the Menace
(C) 9 m (D) 11.50 m (E) Harry Potter
(E) None of these 124. Which number is wrong in the
117. Which of the following words is following series ?
correctly spelt ? 1236, 2346, 3456, 4566, 5686
(A) Committee (B) Dispell (A) 5686 (B) 1236
(C) Dispair (D) Fullfil (C) 3456 (D) 4566
(E) Seperate (E) None of these
118. The 2017 Nobel Literature Prize 125. Substitute a single word for
winner Kazuo Ishiguro belongs to which of the words underlined
the following countries ? below, choosing one of the
(A) Ghana (B) USA options.
(C) Iran (D)South Korea ‘Much of the militant movement was below
(E) UK the surface.’
119. Genetic mutation occurs in (A) Abortive (B) Secret
(A) DNA (B) RNA (C) Subterranean (D) Ineffective
(C) Chromosomes (D) Ribosomes (E) Unethical
(E) None of these 126. In how many years will the interest
120. Choose the pair which bears the on a sum of money be 2/5 of the amount
same relationship as the words at 10% ?
given in capitals below : 2
3
TRACK : TRAIN (A) 5 years (B) 4 years
(A) Petrol : Car (B) Wheel : Bicycle 5 3
(C) Road : Truck (D) Temple : God 2
(E) People : Crowd (C) 6 years (D) 4 years
3
121. Choose the option closest in
meaning to the underlined 2
(E) 3 years
expression. 5
‘She is clever and can put two and two 127. The mass of water vapour per unit
together.’ volume of air is known as
(A) Make a formal statement (A) Relative humidity
(B) Come to a quick conclusion (B) Specific humidity
(C) Make very quick calculations (C) Absolute humidity
(D) Draw a logical conclusion (D) Variable humidity
(E) Find out what is wrong (E) None of these

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 45

 128. Which number will come at the sign 134. Each interior angle of a regular
of interrogation ? polygon is 150o. How many sides are there
in the polygon ?
(A) 10 (B) 12
(C) 14 (D) 16
(E) 20
6 5 2 1
135. Xi Jinping is the
2 8 8 (A) Prime Minister of Japan
(A) 613 (B) 368 (B) Best Chinese athlete in the world
(C) 178 (D) 856 (C) President of China
(E) 454
(D) Prime Minister of China
129. Fill in the blank with the correct
collective noun. (E) Governor of Tibet Autonomous
‘A ......... of lions.’ Province.
(A) Pack (B) Majesty 136. Insert the missing number
(C) Pride (D) Group 9 4 20
(E) Breed 8 5 12
130. A cistern can be filled by two pipes 7 6 ?
in 20 and 30 minutes respectively. Both of (A) 18 (B) 34 (C) 8
the pipes being opened, when must the first (D) 9 (E) 4
pipe be turned off so that the cistern may
be filled in 10 minutes more ? 137. Usain Bolt is famous as
(A) After 10 minutes (A) An astronaut
(B) After 12 minutes (B) A boxer
(C) After 20 minutes (C) A singer
(D) After 8 minutes (D) An athlete
(E) After 6 minutes (E) A cricketer
131. Who was the recipient of the first 138. In climbing a pole 6 meters high, a
Nobel Prize in Physics ?
(A) Wilthelm C. Roentgen snail ascends 9 dm and slips down 2 dm in
(B) Lord Kelvin alternate minutes. How much time will it take
(C) Alfred Kastler to get to the top of the pole ? 4
(D) Sir Bernard Katz (A) 15 minutes (B) 16 minutes
(E) Richard P. Feynman 9
132. Insert the missing number : 7 5
(C) 18 minutes (D) 12 minutes
9 9
(E) 18 minutes
139. The person widely believed to be the
founder of Arya Samaj was
(A) Swami Vivekananda
(B) Raja Rammohan Roy
(A) 55 (B) 68 (C) Dayanand Saraswati
(C) 26 (D) 14 (D) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
(E) 48 (E) Keshab Chandra Sen
133. The word ‘epistle’ means a 140. Find the odd one out :
(A) Plant (B) Dwelling place (A) Washington (B) London
(C) Letter (D) Novel (C) Paris (D) New York
(E) Script (E) Canberra

46 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 141. M.S. Subbulakshmi was well known (A) Rs. 310
as a (B) Rs. 305
(A) Singer (B) Painter (C) Rs. 295
(C) Mathematician (D) Social worker (D) Rs. 300
(E) Dancer (E) None of these
142. If from twice the greater number of 147. What are the basic building blocks
the two numbers, 20 is subtracted, then the of proteins ?
result is the other number. If from twice the (A) Amino acids
smaller number, 5 is subtracted, then the (B) DNA
result is the first number. What are the (C) RNA
numbers ? (D) Nitrogenous bases
(A) 20 and 15 (B) 25 and 10 (E) All of these
(C) 15 and 10 (D) 12 and 15 148. Fill in the blank with the most
(E) 10 and 12 appropriate option
143. The ‘Louvre’ museum is located in A ______ is a place where people are buried.
(A) Venice (B) Paris
(A) Seminary (B) Morgue
(C) London (D) New York
(C) Cemetery (D) Spire
(E) Rome
144. Which of the 5 figures below fits (E) Hearth
into the vacant place ? 149. The first person ever to reach the
South Pole was
(A) Amundsen (B) Peary
(C) Magellan (D) Columbus
(E) Amerigo Vespucci
150. A sum of money worth Rs. 130
consists of an equal number of coins worth
50 paise, 10 paise and 5 paise. How many of
each kind of coins are there ?
(A) 150 (B) 175
(C) 200 (D) 220
(E) 250
151. Which country is the host for the
(A) (B) (C) FIFA Football World Cup 2018 ?
(A) Poland (B) Russia
(C) Brazil (D) France
(E) Portugal
(D) (E) 152. Choose the part of the following
sentence with an error in it. If
145. If you were born on 17th February, no error is found, then choose
then your Zodiac Sign would be option E :
(A) Sagittarius (B) Pisces ‘Never has he made a single mistake while
(C) Aries (D) Cancer solving all these complicated types of sums’.
(E) None of these (A) Never has he made
146. A dealer sold a Wall Clock for (B) a single mistake
Rs. 250 and made a profit of 20%. At what (C) while solving all these
rate must the buyer sell it, if he also wants (D) complicated types of sums
to make a profit of 20% ? (E) No error
48 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 153. Who led the 1857 revolt in India from 160. The book ‘A Passage To India’ was
Kanpur ? written by
(A) Nana Saheb (B) Tantia Tope (A) E. M. Forster
(C) Kanwar Singh (D) Laxmibai (B) Jawaharlal Nehru
(E) None of these (C) Khushwant Singh
154. Choose the pair which bears the
(D) Anita Desai
same relationship as the words
given in capitals below : (E) Grahame Greene
LAKE : WATER 161. The Air Chief Marshal of India at
(A) Ice : Cold present is
(B) Sea : Ship (A) S. Padmanabhan
(C) Stadium : Cricket (B) Madhavendra Singh
(D) School : Children (C) S. Krishnaswamy
(E) Building : Concrete (D) Norman Anil Kumar Browne
155. A sector of 120o, cut out from a circle, (E) B.S. Dhanoa
has an area of 9 3 7 sq. cm. The radius of 162. Mohan is six months younger than
the circle is (use S = 22/7) Rupa while Ravi is three months younger
(A) 3.0 cm (B) 3.6 cm than Rita. When Mamta was born, Ravi was
(C) 2.5 cm (D) 4.0 cm two months old. Rita belongs to the age
(E) 3.5 cm group of five while Mohan belongs to the
156. Choose the word nearest in meaning age group of six. Who among the following
to the key word below : is the oldest ?
“Disclose” (A) Ravi
(A) Express (B) Blackmail (B) Rupa
(C) Reveal (D) Report (C) Rita
(E) Shut (D) Mamta
157. The first Indian woman to score a
(E) Mohan
double century in Test cricket is
(A) Sandhya Agrawal 163. Four bells toll at the intervals of 12,
(B) Jhulan Goswami 18, 24 and 30 seconds respectively, beginning
(C) Diana Eduljee to toll together. After what interval will they
(D) Mithali Raj next toll together ?
(E) None of these (A) 8 minutes (B) 10 minutes
158. Which pair of numbers will come at (C) 24 minutes (D) 16 minutes
the signs of interrogation ? (E) 6 minutes
951 : 40 : : ? : ? 164. Which of the following words is not
(A) 840 : 73 (B) 730 : 62 an adjective ?
(C) 621 : 51 (D) 511 : 40 (A) Unjust (B) Almost
(E) None of these (C) Senior (D) Sudden
159. 90% of the population of a city own (E) Superior
cars, 15% own motorcycles, and everybody 165. The all India literacy rate in
either owns at least one or both. What % of percentage for woman, as per the 2011
motorcycle owners own cars, too ? Census, is nearest to
(A) 25% (B) 33 1 3 % (A) 28% (B) 46%
(C) 30% (D) 40 2 3 % (C) 79% (D) 72%
(E) 15 7 8 % (E) 65%

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 49

 166. Which number indicates good = 35% of (150 + 150 + 180)
speakers who are neither post-graduates nor = 35% of 480 = 168
doctors ?   ? Marks required in the third paper,
out of 180, to qualify for pass =
168 – 62 – 35 = 71
7. (B)
8. (A) : G = 5B. Numbers divisible by 6
will satisfy this condition.
(A) 6 (B) 2 (C) 5 (D) 1 (E) 4 9. (D)
167. The sum of the digits of a two-digit 10. (C) : Ghaziabad
number is 7. If the digits are reversed, and
the new number is increased by 3, then it 16 km
equals 4 times the original number. What is
the original number ? Delhi
(A) 34 (B) 61 (C) 25 (D) 16 (E) 52
40 km
168. Which of the following pairs of
words do not correctly show the opposite
genders ? Faridabad
(A) Tiger – Tigress
(B) Ram – Ewe 11. (B) 12. (B) 13. (E)
(C) Gander – Goose 14. (A) : Let the numbers be x and y.
(D) Monk – Priestess ? x2 + y2 = 106, xy = 45
(E) Horse – Mare Ÿ (x + y)2 = x2 + y2 + 2xy = 196
169. The first woman Air Vice - Marshal
(x – y)2 = x2 + y2 – 2xy = 16
of India is
(A) S. Sarawati Ÿ x + y = 14, x – y = 4
(B) P. Bandopadhyaya Ÿ x = 9, y = 5
(C) M. Chatterjee 15. (D) : Sum of the lengths of any two
(D) R. Reddy sides of the triangle must be
(E) L. Sinha
greater than the third.
170. Find the missing number :
7 : 11 : : 31 : ? 16. (B) : ‘When it began to rain heavily’.
(A) 36 (B) 59 (C) 37 (D) 43 (E) 45 17. (A) 18. (C)
ANSWERS 19. (D) : One side of the rectangular field
= 20ft.
1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (C)
Area of the rectangular field
4. (C) : 4 u 2 – 1 = 7, 7 u 2 + 1 = 15
= 680 sq. ft.
15 u 2 – 1 = 29, 29 u 2 + 1 = 59
   ? Length of the rectangular field
59 u 2 – 1 = 117,
117 u 2 + 1 = 235,
235 u 2 – 1 = 469
5. (A) ? Fencing required
6. (C) : Total marks required to just = 34 + 34 + 20 = 88 ft
qualify for passing 20. (A) 21. (B)

50 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 22. (A) : A 28. (B) 29. (E)
30. (A) : Moving clockwise, the sequence
in the given series
is u 2 – 1, u 2 – 2, u 2 – 3,
D u 2 – 4, u 2 – 5.
E 31. (A) : A sells the article to B for Rs. (400
+ 20% of 400), i.e. Rs. 480.
B B sells the article to C for
F C
Rs. (480 + 10% of 480), i.e.
ABC, ABD, ABE, ABF, ACE, Rs. 528
ACF, ADE, BCD, BCE, BEF, 32. (C) 33. (C)
CDE, CEF 34. (C) : 5 + 3 = 8, 15 + 3 = 18
23. (D) : C.P. of 8 books = Rs. 8, say 35. (B) : A's two days' work
Ÿ S.P. of 6 books = Rs. 8
Ÿ S.P. of 8 books

(A + B + C)’s one day’s work

Gain

? Gain% In three days, of

the work is completed.
Ÿ In 15 days, whole of the work
24. (C) 25. (B) will be completed.
36. (D) 37. (C)
26. (E) : 38. (B) : Moving clockwise, the sequence
in the given series is +1, +2, +4,
27. (B) : Suppose number of articles +8, +16.
purchased for Rs. 380 = x 39. (C) :

? Price of each article 20 20

x 16

12 12

16
20 20
x
Ÿ x2 – x – 380 = 0 40. (A) 41. (A)
Ÿ (x – 20) (x + 19) = 0 42. (C) :
House 5 km Club 7 km School
Ÿ x = 20
Ÿ Original price of each article 43. (C) : 3r + 2s + t = 3r + 8r + 2s
= Rs. 19 = 3r + 8r + 8r = 19r

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 51

 44. (D) 45. (C) 46. (B) 63. (B) : Bottom row contains the
47. (E) : 2 22
25 m numbers 2, 2 2 , 2 2 , 2 2

15
64. (D)
15
m m 65. (D) : B + D = No. of Heads
No. of Legs = 4B + 2D
20 m ? 4B + 2D = 2(B + D) + 24
48. (C) 49. (D) 50. (A) 51. (C) Ÿ B = 12
52. (B) 66. (D)
67. (A) : 263 – 188 = 75, 75 u 4 = 300
53. (B) : Required ratio 915 – 893 = 22, 22 u 4 = 88
54. (B) 68. (D)
55. (C) : The inner semi-circles are not 69. (C) : Let the number be k.
facing each other.
56. (B)
57. (D) : Let the number be k.
1
5

Ÿ k = 216

58. (B) : (A) “Monster! you have killed my 5

son ?”
(C) He said to his disciples,
“Watch and pray”.
(D) “I would rather die”, he 70. (E)
exclaimed, “than join the 71. (D) : All the four corners are shaded.
oppressors of my country.” 72. (A)
(E) Men may come and men may
go, but I go on forever.
73. (B) :
59. (A) 60. (D)
61. (C) : Perimeter of the wheel

x
74. (C) 75. (B) 76. (D) 77. (A)
? Speed of the motorcycle 78. (C) 79. (D) 80. (E) 81. (D)
= 40 u 220 cm/ 10 sec. 82. (D) : All others are Lawn Tennis players.
= 8800 cm/10 sec. 83. (A) : Receive
= 31.68 km/hr 84. (A) 85. (D) 86. (D) 87. (A)
62. (B) 88. (D) : Sr2 = 616

52 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 101. (D) :
2
? Circumference of the field = 2Sr
2
102. (A) 103. (C)
Ÿ Time taken to run the circular 104. (C) : Let the capacity of the tank
field with perimeter 88 km @ be x gallons.
22 km/hr is 4 hours.
89. (None) : All are similar.
90. (A) 91. (C)
92. (A) : Suppose the remaining distance
= x km.
Ÿ x = 18
105. (C) : The series formed is
4, 7, 13, 25, 49, 97.
Ÿ x = 14 106. (B) 107. (B)
  ? The distance of 10 km
was covered in 100 minutes, i.e. 108. (B) : In one second, of
1 km in 10 minutes,
i.e. 1000 m in 600 seconds, the cars enter the parking lot.
5 2 ? Parking lot is filling up @
i.e. m / se c, i.e. 1 m / sec .
3 3 1
5 seconds per car..
93. (C) : 78 is not a square number. 4
94. (C) 109. (A) 110. (D) 111. (B) 112. (D)
95. (A) 113. (A) : “Most people agreed”
96. (E) : Suppose the man covered a 114. (D) 115. (E)
distance of x km @ 12 km/hr. 116. (B) : Let AC = x
  ? (75 – x) km were covered @ 10
km/hr.

 Ÿ 450 – 6x + 5x = 420 Ÿ x =
30
97. (C) 98. (E) 99. (A)
100. (E) : Let the number be x.
? 15% of 30% of x = 18

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 53

 117. (A) 118. (E) 119. (C) 120. (C) 143. (B)
121. (D) 144. (E) : 4 '+' signs outside the rectangle
122. (C) : 70% of 280 = 4 and 2 '+' signs inside the
= 70% of (40 u 7) rectangle = –2.
= 40% of 490 ? 4–2= 2
123. (E) –3+1=– 2
124. (A) : It should be 5676. (The third 3–1= 2
and forth digits of each 145. (E) : Aquarius
number form the series 36, 46, 146. (D) 147. (A) 148. (C) 149. (A)
56, 66, 76) 150. (C) 151. (B) 152. (E) 153. (A)
125. (B)
154. (D)
126. (D) : Let the sum be Rs. x

155. (A) :

2
Ÿ r = 3

156. (C) 157. (D)

127. (C) 158. (D) : 951 and 571 both, when divided
128. (E) : 867 658 735 by 40, leave a remainder of 31.
–325 –428 –281 159. (B) :
542 257 454
C M
129. (C) 130. (D) 131. (A) 132. (C) 5
85 10
133. (C) 134. (B) 135. (C)
136. (E) : The numbers in each column are
in A.P. 5 out of 15 motorcycle owners
137. (D) own cars also,
138. (B) : 6 metres = 60 dm.
1
In two minutes, the snail ascends i.e. 33 %
7 dm. 3
In 16 minutes, the snail ascends 160. (A) 161. (E) 162. (B)
56 dm. 163. (E) : L.C.M. of 12, 18, 24, 30 = 360
Remaining 4 dm is climbed by
? All the four bells will toll
4 together after every 360
the snail in minute
9 seconds, i.e. after every 6
139. (C) minutes.
140. (D) : New York is not the capital city. 164. (B) 165. (E) 166. (D)
141. (A)
167. (D) 168. (B) 169. (B)
142. (C) : Let x and y be the two numbers
such that x > y. 170. (C) :
? 2x – 20 = y and 2y – 5 = x
Ÿ x = 15, y = 10

54 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 • Winner of “Outstanding Engineering Ins tute-West”
during 2015 and 2016 by ABP News
• Winner of “Best Ins tute in Skill Development Program”
during 2016 by DNA
• Winner of “Top Ins tutes of India Award”
during 2016 and 2017 by CSR

Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research And

Management (IITRAM), established by the Government of
Gujarat as an Autonomous University, is instrumental in bringing
about a profound change in Engineering Education with specialization
in Infrastructure and Management of Infrastructure to create center of
excellence, to organize advanced studies and to promote research in
Infrastructure & Infrastructure Management.
Programs Offered
IITRAM currently offers following programs :
Program Discipline Seats Program Discipline Seats
Civil Engineering Civil Engineering
B.Tech. M.Tech.
Electrical Engineering 60 Electrical Engineering 10
(4 Years) (2 Years)
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Ph.D. (3 Years): Research is passion for the professors and the Institution.
IITRAM has started Ph.D. programs in Engineering, Sciences and Humanities from 2016.

• 100% placement in Civil Engineering and almost 100% in Electrical Engineering in

leading Govt. undertakings, MNCs, Leading Companies for 2016-17.
• All the Faculties having Ph.D. and Post-Doc qualifications.
• State-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in the field of “Industrial Machinery” in
collaboration with Siemens Industry Software (India) Pvt. Ltd. and Govt. of Gujarat.
• Mechanical Workshop in tune with the recent technological developments.
• Well-equipped Computer Center having latest desktops, work stations and servers.
• Laboratories with advance and sophisticated instruments.
• RFID based Library Resource Center with more than 7000 e-books and 14000 e-journals.
• Students’ Internship right from the first year of study.
• For all round development of the students, vibrant Campus Life having various clubs.
• Smart Class Rooms with audio visual facility.
• Basic amenities including– Medical facility, Cafeteria, Accommodation, Open Air
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Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research And Management

(An Autonomous University established by Government of Gujarat)
Near Khokhra Circle, Maninagar (East), Ahmedabad - 380026, Gujarat.
Phone : 079 67775488 / 67775499 | Fax: 079 67775475
www.iitram.ac.in | office@iitram.ac.in
 SPECIAL BOOKLET
CURRENT
AFFAIRS
AT A GLANCE
INDIA
PIOs Constitute A “Mini-
World Parliament” : PM Modi
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
while welcoming delegates at the
inaugural session of the PIO-
Parliamentarian Conference in New
Delhi on January 9, 2018 said that the
Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) are like
permanent ambassadors of India
wherever they reside. Mr. Modi said that
while many people may have left India
over the course of hundreds of years,
India continues to have a place in their
minds and hearts. The day-long
conference was attended by 125 MPs
and 17 Mayors from 23 countries.
Sending out a strong message which
is being seen as an indirect indictment
of China’s participation in the China
Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK),
PM Mr. Modi said that India was not
eyeing any country’s territory or resources
even as he reminded the global community
of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-
violence and satyagraha to counter
extremism and radicalisation. He said
that the 21st century was being considered
the Asian Century and India would
be a significant player. He praised the
contributions of the PIOs in positively
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
influencing the geopolitics of their
countries. He called upon the PIO
lawmakers to be partners in India’s
development and act as catalysts in the
country’s economic growth.
SC Makes Playing Of
National Anthem In
Cinema Halls Optional
The Supreme Court made it optional
for cinema halls across the country to play
the 52-second national anthem before
every show on January 9, 2018. Thus, the
court modified its earlier interim order
of November 30, 2016 where it had asked
cinema halls across India to play the
national anthem before the screening of
films and had asked all present to “stand
up in respect” till it concluded. A Bench,
led by Chief Justice of India Mr. Dipak
Misra, clarified that it is not mandatory
to play the anthem before screenings in
cinemas. It left the choice of whether to
play the anthem or not to the discretion
of individual cinema hall owners.
However, if the anthem is played, patrons
in the hall are bound to show respect by
standing up.
The court clarified that the exception
granted to disabled persons from standing
up during the anthem “shall remain in
63
force on all occasions”. “Playing of the
anthem is directive, but showing respect
is mandatory,” Chief Justice Mr. Misra
orally observed. The Bench, also
comprising Justice Mr. A. M. Khanwilkar
and Justice Mr. D. Y. Chandrachud, said
that a 12-member inter-ministerial
committee, set up by the Centre would
comprehensively look into all the aspects
relating to the playing of national anthem.
Government Notifies
Electoral Bonds For Political
Donations
The Government notified Electoral
Bonds, as a new instrument for donations
to political parties, in a bid to clean up
election funding in India on January 2,
2018. Announcing the contours of the
scheme in Parliament, Finance Minister
Mr. Arun Jaitley said that the Bonds would
bring substantial transparency in political
donations against the present system of
anonymous contributions.
The political funding mechanism
developed over the last 70 years has faced
wide criticism as people do not have clear
details about the quantum of funds in
political parties, their origin and its
spending, said Mr. Jaitley. Though called
'Bonds', it is an interest-free instrument
like a promissory note, which can be
purchased for any value, in multiples of
Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10
lakh and Rs. 1 crore from specified
branches of the State Bank of India (SBI).
“A citizen of India or a body
incorporated in India will be eligible to
purchase the Bond”, the Finance
Ministry said in a statement. The Bonds
can be bought only once Know Your
Customer (KYC) norms of State Bank
of India (SBI) are fulfilled and the
payment for it has to be from a bank
account. The Bonds will not carry the
name of the donor, said the government
statement. This is where political analysts
64
noted that Electoral Bonds would fail in
its objective to inject transparency into
political funding. According to an
electoral reform watchdog, the fact that
the donor remains anonymous is the
most damaging aspect of Electoral
Bonds. Anonymity and transparency do
not go together. If black money has to
be removed, then all funds to political
parties should be routed through digital
payments.
Electoral Bonds would have a life of
only 15 days during which it can be used
for making donation only to the political
parties registered under section 29A of
the Representation of the Peoples Act,
1951, and can be redeemed only through
registered bank accounts of parties. Many
months in the making, Electoral Bonds
were announced in Budget 2017-18 by
FM Mr. Jaitley to bring transparency in
the opaque system of political party
funding, often plagued by allegations of
corruption. To this end, the government
had earlier capped anonymous cash
donations to political parties at Rs 2,000.
The Bonds would be available for
purchase for a period of 10 days in January,
April, July and October and an additional
period of 30 days that would be notified
by the government during general
elections. These Bonds would form part
of the returns filed by political parties with
the Election Commission. As the contours
of the Electoral Bonds were being worked
out, there were reportedly concerns about
the misuse of this instrument. The Finance
Minister explained that the 15-day validity
of the Bonds is to ensure that they do not
turn into a "parallel economy".
Insolvency And Bankruptcy
Code Amendment Bill Gets
Rajya Sabha Nod
The Rajya Sabha passed the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill,
2017, which bars unscrupulous persons
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
from misusing the provisions of the Code
by keeping defaulting promoters out of
the resolution process of insolvent
companies on January 2, 2018. The Bill,
which replaced an ordinance, was cleared
by the Lok Sabha in December 2017. The
Rajya Sabha passed the Bill despite
concerns that the changes could prove to
be a deterrent to genuine domestic
investors from the insolvency resolution
process, adversely affecting micro, small
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and
pave the way for large-scale litigation.
Responding to the debate, Finance
Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley said that
Insolvency is a relatively new area in the
country and there is scope for further
corrections in the laws and rules depending
on the experience of the resolution
process. Mr. Jaitley said, “I hope we do
not come back to the House very
frequently”. He expressed hope of a
successful resolution process at least for
those companies that are backed by assets.
The Finance Minister also assured the
House that the Government is committed
to ensuring that the interests of the
MSMEs do not get adversely affected.
He assured the House that the Insolvency
Legal Committee was already looking into
the suggestions if the members felt a
need for a separate framework for
MSMEs. The Committee would submit
its report in three months, he added.
The Ordinance had sought to bar
wilful defaulters, defaulters whose dues
had been classified as non-performing
assets (NPAs) for more than a year, and
all related entities of these firms from
participating in the resolution process.
The Bill, however, allows defaulting
promoters to be part of the debt
resolution process, provided they repay
dues in a month to make their loan
account operational and the resolution
happens within the overall time frame
specified in the Code. This would help
promoters who had submitted resolution
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
plans before the ordinance barred them
from taking part in the resolution
process of companies.
The Bill also allows asset reconstruction
companies, alternative investment funds
(AIFs) such as private equity funds and
banks to participate in the bidding process.
Many of these entities acquire distressed
assets and the classification of these assets
as NPAs would have disqualified them
from the bidding process. Similarly, banks
opting to convert their debt into equity
under the Reserve Bank of India's scheme
for the sustainable structuring of stressed
assets would have inadvertently become
promoters of these insolvent companies
and thereby been barred from the
resolution process.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
was enacted in 2016 to find a time-
bound resolution for ailing and sick
firms. This resolution could be achieved
through closure or revival while ensuring
that the interest of the creditors is
protected. Successful completion of the
resolution process was intended to aid
in arresting the rise of bad loans in the
Indian banking system.
The Bill sought to bring any individual
who was under the control of the NPA
under the aegis of the Insolvency Code.
It lays out that the individual insolvency
law would be implemented in phases. It
allows guarantors of insolvent firms to
bid for other firms under the insolvency
process.
Bill To Criminalise Triple
Talaq Passed In Lok Sabha
Amidst protests from a few political
parties, including those close to the BJP,
the Lok Sabha passed by voice vote the
Bill that makes instant triple talaq
or talaq-e-biddat a criminal offence, with
a jail term of up to three years on
December 28, 2017. The proposed law
would apply to the entire country, except
65
in Jammu and Kashmir. It would make
instant talaq punishable and would be a
cognisable, non-bailable offence.
Calling it a historic step, Union Law
Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad said the
Bill—The Muslim Women (Protection
of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017—will
act as a deterrent since there have been
100 cases of triple talaq even after the
landmark judgment of the Supreme Court
delivered in August 2017. He said that
while 22 Islamic countries, including
Pakistan and Bangladesh, had regulated
instant triple talaq, there was no effective
law in India. Neither Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi nor Congress
President Mr. Rahul Gandhi was present
in the Lok Sabha when the Bill was passed.
The Minister turned down demands
from the Leader of the Congress
Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge to refer the Bill
to the Parliamentary Standing Committee
on Law and Justice. Members from the
Rashtriya Janata Dal, the CPI(M), the
Samajwadi Party, the All India Majlis-e-
Ittehad-ul Muslimeen and the All India
Muslim League, as also parties considered
close to the BJP, such as the Biju Janata
Dal and the AIADMK, opposed the Bill,
saying it was arbitrary and a faulty
proposal being passed in haste.
Not having BJD and AIADMK on
board would impact the Bill’s smooth
passage in the Rajya Sabha as the
Opposition has more numbers than the
NDA. Parliamentarian Ms. Sushmita Dev,
articulating the Congress’s support for
the Bill, also raised key questions such as
who would pay the subsistence allowance
mentioned in the Bill to the wife if the
husband was sent to jail. Ms. Dev asked
the Law Minister if the government
would create a corpus to help the victims.
BJP MP, Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, made
an appeal in support of the Bill and
attacked the Congress by reminding the
party that it had opposed the Shah Bano
judgement of the Supreme Court in 1986.
Despite being the second largest
66
opposition party in Lok Sabha, Trinamool
Congress members did not take part in
the debate.
A spirited opposition from the
Congress, Left, Regional parties,
AIADMK and even TDP made the
government decide against sending the
Bill to a Parliamentary Committee and
chose instead to defer the Bill to the next
sitting of the Rajya Sabha even as the
winter session drew to a close on January 5,
2018.
Vijay Rupani Takes Over As
Gujarat Chief Minister Again
Mr. Vijay Rupani was sworn in as the
16th Chief Minister of Gujarat along
with 19 Ministers, including Mr. Nitin
Patel, Deputy Chief Minister, after the
BJP’s victory in the recent Assembly
elections in Gandhinagar on
December 26, 2017. The ruling party
won the polls for the sixth consecutive
time, though with a reduced tally of
seats. The 20-member Council of
Ministers was administered the oath of
secrecy and office in a high-profile
function in the presence of top leaders
including Prime Minister Mr. Narendra
Modi, BJP patriarch Mr. L.K. Advani,
party president Mr. Amit Shah, top
Union Ministers and Chief Ministers
from the BJP and the NDA-ruled States.
Besides Mr. Rupani and Mr. Patel,
other top names sworn in include former
State BJP chief Mr. R.C. Faldu, former
Minister Mr. Kaushik Patel and sitting
Ministers such as Mr. Bhupendrasinh
Chudasama, Mr. Dilip Thakor, and
Mr. Jayesh Radadia. Mr. Saurabh Patel
and Mr. Parshottam Solanki, who were
dropped from the Ministry when
Mr. Rupani became CM in 2016, were
re-inducted. Two Ministers Mr. Babu
Bokhiria and Mr. Vallabh Kakadia have
been dropped from the Council though
they won in the recent Assembly polls.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 In the new government, the Chief
Minister himself and six other Ministers
are from the Saurashtra region, where
the ruling party suffered major electoral
losses, owing to factors like farm distress
and the Patidar agitation. The party has,
once again, given the lion’s share to the
Patidars with six ministerial berths to
them in the Ministry. Among the Minister
of State (MoS) rank, 10 Ministers were
administered the oath of office by State
Governor Mr. O.P. Kohli.
Only one woman legislator,
Ms. Vibhavariben Dave, finds a place
in the new Cabinet while one Scheduled
Caste (SC) legislator Mr. Ishwarbhai
Par mar and one tribal legislator
Mr. Ganpat Vasava have been included
in the Council with the Cabinet rank
while Ms. Dave is MoS. Still, the
euphoria in the BJP camp was tempered
by the lower-than-expected margin of
victory in Gujarat—it took 99 seats in
the 182-member Assembly, down from
115 it won in 2012, and far lower than
the 150-plus seats it had hoped for. The
Congress notched up a tally of 77 seats,
up by 16 seats at the end of counting
of votes in the Gujarat Assembly polls
that were marked by acrimonious
exchanges and rhetoric during the high
octane campaign.
Jai Ram Thakur Sworn In
As Himachal Pradesh
Chief Minister
In a generational shift in the politics of
Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Jai Ram Thakur
was sworn in as the 14th Chief Minister
of the state after the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) wrested power in the assembly
elections on December 27, 2017.
Mr. Thakur, a five-time member of
Legislative Assembly from the Seraj
constituency in Mandi district, took oath
along with 11 other Ministers at a
ceremony held at the Ridge ground in
Shimla, which was attended by Prime
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, BJP
president Mr. Amit Shah and veteran
leader Mr. L.K. Advani, among others.
Mr. Thakur became the first Chief
Minister from Mandi—the second largest
district in the state.
In a shocking defeat, two-time Chief
Minister Mr. Prem Kumar Dhumal lost
the Sujanpur Assembly seat despite being
instrumental in the BJP’s victory. The
party won 44 of the 68 Assembly seats
with a vote share of 48.8%. Mr. Dhumal’s
withdrawal from the race to be Chief
Minister paved the way for 52-year-old
Mr. Thakur’s nomination as the Chief
Minister of the hill state. “The people of
Himachal have shown faith in us, we will
try to meet their expectations,” said
Mr. Thakur before taking the oath of
office. Congratulating the newly appointed
State Cabinet, Mr. Modi tweeted,
“Congratulations to Shri Jairam Thakur
and all those who took oath today. I am
confident this team will work tirelessly
and serve the people of Himachal Pradesh
with exceptional diligence.”
Government Launches
Nutrition Mission Aimed
At 10 Crore Beneficiaries
The Union Government announced
the launch of the National Nutrition
Mission (NNM) aimed at 10 crore
beneficiaries, mainly children up to the
age of 6 years, pregnant and lactating
women, and adolescent girls on
December 1, 2017. The mission,
approved by the Cabinet on
November 30, 2017, estimates an
expenditure of Rs. 9,046 crore over the
next three years until March 31, 2020.
Half of this amount is proposed to
come from the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development
(World Bank) and other multilateral
development agencies. The Union
Government’s budgetary share would be
67
only Rs. 2,850 crore while the remaining
money would come from the states.
The mission sets a target to reduce
stunting, under-nutrition and low birth
weight by 2 percent per annum, and
anaemia by 3 percent annually. It would
be executed with the Ministry of
Women and Child Development
(WCD) as the nodal Ministry along with
Ministry of Drinking Water and
Sanitation and Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare which is in-charge of
immunisation. The mission aims to
bring down the stunting percentage
as per the National Family Health
Survey-4 (2014-15) from 38.4 percent
to 25 percent by 2022.
The recently released Global Hunger
Index (GHI) ranked India at 100
out of 119 countries. According to the
report, 14.5 percent of the population
is undernourished, 21 percent of the
under-five children suffer from wasting
(low weight for height), 38.4 percent
under-five children are stunted (low
height for their age), while the under-
five mortality rate is 4.8 percent in India.
There will be four main elements to
the mission—growth monitoring, use of
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT), convergence of
related schemes of all three Ministries,
and focus on infant and young child
feeding practices. Officials added that
ICT would be used for real time
monitoring of the services provided by
anganwadi workers, ASHA workers
(accredited social health activists) and
auxiliary nurse midwives. A pilot has
been conducted across 50,000
anganwadis in 162 districts for 42 lakh
beneficiaries, helping the government
identify 12,000 severely malnourished
children. In 2017-18, the mission will
cover 315 ‘high burden’ districts
followed by 235 districts in 2018-19 and
the remaining in 2019-20.
68
GES-2017 : Narendra Modi
Invites Global Entrepreneurs
To Invest In India
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
said his government understood that
an environment of transparent policies
and the rule of law providing a
level playing field were necessary for
entrepreneurship to flourish on
November 28, 2017. He said that the
power to think differently and ahead
of the times for the betterment of the
mankind is what sets entrepreneurs
apart. Mr. Modi saw this power in
Indians—800 million strong potential
entrepreneurs working towards making
the world a better place. He inaugurated
the Global Entrepreneurship Summit
2017 (GES-2017) at Hyderabad,
Telangana in the presence of US
President’s Adviser Ms. Ivanka Trump,
a couple of Union Ministers and
Telangana Chief Minister Mr. K.
Chandrasekhar Rao. Mr. Modi called
upon entrepreneurs from across the
globe to “come, make in India, invest
in India, for India and for the world.”
The three-day GES, co-hosted by the
US and Indian governments, is the first
in the annual series to be travelling to
South Asia, had ‘Women First, Prosperity
for All’ as the theme. The event had over
1500 attendees from 170 countries,
including entrepreneurs, investors,
educators, government officials, and
business representatives who displayed
the full measure of entrepreneurial talent
from diverse backgrounds across India
and the world. More than 50% of the
delegates were women. Ms. Trump
underscored the importance of education
and technology for women entrepreneurs
to make a mark in their chosen field.
Participating in the panel discussion
on “Be the change: women’s
entrepreneurial leadership”, she said
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
technology was disrupting every sphere
of life. It was important to train women
in digital literacy, computer science and
give them access to skill training. She said
that the women in the workforce provided
a strong economic and fiscal benefit.
In a telephone call on December 1,
2017, US President Mr. Donald Trump
and Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra
Modi expressed satisfaction at the
outcome of GES 2017.
N.K. Singh Appointed
Chairman Of 15th Finance
Commission
Former Planning Commission member
Mr. N.K. Singh was appointed Chairman
of the 15th Finance Commission, which,
among other things, has been asked to
look into the impact of the Goods and
Services Tax (GST) on finances of both
the Centre and States, according to a
government notification released on
November 27, 2017. The other members
of the Commission, which is required to
submit its report by October 2019, are
former Economic Affairs Secretary
Mr. Shaktikanta Das and former Chief
Economic Advisor Mr. Ashok Lahiri, Niti
Aayog member Mr. Ramesh Chand
and Georgetown University professor
Mr. Anoop Singh. The Commission will
review the current status of the finance,
deficit, debt levels, cash balances and
fiscal discipline efforts of the Union and
the States.
It will also recommend a fiscal
consolidation roadmap for sound fiscal
management. As per Article 280 of the
Constitution, the Commission is required
to make recommendations on the
distribution of the net proceeds of taxes
between the Centre and the States. The
Commission also suggests the principles
which should govern the grants-in-aid of
the revenues of the States out of the
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Consolidated Fund of India. As per the
terms of reference, the panel will also
study “the impact of the GST, including
payment of compensation for possible
loss of revenues for five years, and
abolition of a number of cesses,
earmarking thereof for compensation
and other structural reforms programme,
on the finances of Centre and States”,
said the notification. Further, the
Commission will examine progress made
in promoting ease of doing business by
effecting related policy and regulatory
changes and promoting labour-intensive
growth.
PM Inaugurates ‘South
Asia’s Biggest’ Ro-Ro Ferry
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
inaugurated Phase I of India's first
Roll-on, Roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service
at Ghogha on October 22, 2017. The
ferry service, which is also the “biggest
in South Asia”, will cut short the eight-
hour, 340-km journey between Bhavnagar
district's Ghogha and Bharuch's Dahej
in Gulf of Cambay to just an hour.
Mr. Modi also said the service will
benefit 12,000 people who travel
between south Gujarat and Saurashtra
every day. This ferry service would
kick-start a new era of social and
economic development in this entire
region, he said. New opportunities of
employment will be available to those
youth who will take advantage of this
facility, he added. Mr. Modi said that a
new chapter of coastal shipping and
coastal tourism is going to be added
with the launch of the Ro-Ro ferry
service. There are plans to extend this
service in the future to Hazira, Pipavav,
Jafrabad and Daman and Diu, he
informed the audience.
The Ro-Ro ferry service will cover
31 km by sea, the longest in India, said
69
Mr. Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of
Gujarat. It can carry up to 250
passengers and up to 100 vehicles
including cars, buses and tr ucks.
Mr. Modi stressed on the importance
of waterways. The share of waterways
which is the cheapest mode of
transportation is only 5-6% in India. He
drew attention to the fact that India
has a 7,500 kilometres long coastline
and 14,500 kilometres long internal
waterways, which have remained
thoroughly underutilised.
Mr. Modi declared that, “Our formula
is P for P, Ports for Prosperity.” Our
ports are the gateways of the prosperity,
he said. He said that the Sagarmala
project is reflection of this vision. The
government has been investing
massively up to Rs. 8 lakh crore in
more than 400 projects by taking into
account the requirements of present
times till 2035, he informed. Sagarmala
project will certainly become a big basis
for a new India, he predicted.
Mr. Modi also inaugurated the
Sarvottam Cattle Feed Plant of Shree
Bhavnagar District Cooperative Milk
Producers Union Ltd.
Ayodhya Lights Up With A
Record 1.71 Lakh Lamps
On Diwali
A one-of-a-kind Diwali was celebrated
in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (UP) on
October 18, 2017 with an enactment of
the return of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita
and brother Lakshmana after defeating
demon king Ravana in the epic Ramayana.
A magical and holy atmosphere was
created with the lighting of as many as
one lakh and seventy-one thousand
earthen lamps representing the
population of Ayodhya on the banks of
River Saryu. The celebratory atmosphere
with Ayodhya residents welcoming Lord
70
Rama’s return after 14 years of
exile with the lighting of lamps was
re-created.
UP CM Mr. Yogi Adityanath was in
Ayodhya with his Cabinet to celebrate
the first of its kind Deepotsav in the
ancient temple town. The elaborate
show was organised by the state
government. Artistes arrived from Delhi
and Mumbai to recreate Lord Rama’s
homecoming on the eve of Diwali, as
described in ancient epics. At least
380 artistes came from different corners
of India and abroad (Sri Lanka, Malaysia
and Indonesia) to perform in the
3-km-long Shobha Yatra.
The CM said that despite having taught
the world about Rama’s righteous way of
living, Ayodhya had become a target of
negativity. For years, he said Ayodhya
had been neglected by successive
governments, an image which his
government would change. “This
celebration is an opportunity for us to
present a positive picture of Ayodhya”,
Mr. Yogi Said.
Referring to the investment of
Rs 135 crore that the Centre has
announced for development of tourism,
Mr. Adityanath said that the event
was the first of four phases under
which a development plan for Ayodhya
would be unfolded. “There will be
beautification of Ayodhya and its ghats.
This effort will continue in other
historic places. Be it Kashi, Mathura,
Namisharayna (Sitapur), Mirzapur,
Tulsipur (Balrampur), Saharanpur, we will
develop historical places. The state should
become a world tourism hub and it is
beginning from Ayodhya,” he said.
He promised 24-hour electricity
supply to the city. Explaining the true
meaning of Ram Rajya, he said, “The real
meaning of Ram Rajya is a home,
electricity and LPG gas cylinders for all
households.”
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 PM Dedicates All India
Institute Of Ayurveda
To The Nation
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
dedicated the All India Institute of
Ayurveda, in New Delhi, to the nation
on October 17, 2017. Speaking on this
occasion Mr. Modi congratulated the
gathering on the celebration of
‘Dhanvantari Jayanti’ as ‘Ayurveda Divas’.
He complimented the Ministry of
Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani,
Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) for
the establishment of the All India Institute
of Ayurveda.
Mr. Modi asserted that nations cannot
progress unless they value and cherish
their history and heritage. Those nations
who leave their heritage behind, are
destined to lose their identity, he
added. Mr. Modi said that when India
was not independent, its knowledge and
its traditions such as Yoga and Ayurveda
were belittled. Attempts were even made
to reduce the faith that Indians had on
them, he added. He said that in the last
three years, this situation has changed to
quite an extent; and the faith of the
people is being restored. The pride in
our heritage is reflected in the way people
gather for Ayurveda Day or Yoga Day,
he added.
Ayur veda is not just a medical
practice, but encompasses public health
and environment health as well, he
added. That is why the government has
laid stress on integrating Ayurveda, Yoga
and other AYUSH systems into the
public healthcare system.
Mr. Modi said that the government is
working towards establishing an Ayurveda
hospital in every district of the country.
He said that more than 65 AYUSH
hospitals have been developed in the last
three years. The Prime Minister said that
herbal and medicinal plants can be a
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
significant source of income, globally,
and India should leverage its capabilities
in this regard. He said the Union
Government has approved 100 percent
FDI in healthcare systems.
Mr. Modi said that the government is
focused on providing affordable health
care for the poor. He said the stress has
been on preventive health care, and
improving affordability and access to
treatment. He said ‘Swachhata’—or
cleanliness—is a simple mechanism of
preventive health care. He said the Union
Government has got 5 crore toilets built
in three years.
He said that new AIIMS are being
established to help the people get better
access to healthcare. He mentioned
measures such as capping prices of stents
and knee implants; and establishment of
Jan Aushadhi Kendras for providing
medicines at affordable prices.
Vice-President Lays
Foundation Stone For
Waterway; Dedicates Projects
Worth Rs. 4,153 Crores
Vice-President Mr. M. Venkaiah
Naidu laid the foundation stone for the
first phase of the 2,890-km National
Waterway-4 (NW-4) and dedicated
13 National Highway (NH) projects
worth Rs. 4,153 crores to the nation at
Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh in the
presence of Governor of Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana Mr. E.S.L.
Narasimhan, Chief Minister of Andhra
Pradesh Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu and
Union Minister for Road Transport and
Shipping Mr. Nitin Gadkari on
October 3, 2017. The first phase
involves development of a water
channel from Muktyala to Vijayawada
on Krishna river along with four floating
terminals and three fixed terminals to
handle cargo operations. Speaking on
71
the occasion, Mr. Gadkari said
that the project would provide an
efficient logistics solution to boost the
economic growth of the region and
facilitate the development of Amaravati
during its early development stage
as substantial construction material
is expected to be transported on
this stretch.
The inland waterway was declared
National Waterway-4 in November 2008
with a total length of 1,078 km. Under
the National Waterway Act, 2016, this
was increased to 2,890 km. The NW-4
would be developed in three phases. In
the first phase, the 82 km stretch from
Muktyala to Vijayawada will be
developed. This would be followed by
the second phase where 233 km will be
developed from Vijayawada to Kakinada
and Rajahmundry to Polavaram on
Godavari river. The third phase will
connect Commamur canal, Buckingham
canal and the balance stretches of river
Krishna and Godavari across 573 km.
Dredging work on the Muktyala-
Vijayawada stretch began in May 2017
and is expected to be completed by June
2019. Besides, a proposal for Phase-II
has been recommended by Inland
Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
board for Public Infrastructure Board
(PIB) and Cabinet consideration. The
authority plans to form a special
purpose vehicle (SPV) for the project
by November 2017.
PM Modi Inaugurates Sardar
Sarovar Dam In Gujarat
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
inaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam on
the Nar mada river in Gujarat on
September 17, 2017, nearly 56 years
after its foundation was laid by the then
Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
Mr. Modi unveiled a plaque and
performed a puja at the site in Kevadia
72
in Narmada district. On the occasion
of Vishwakarma Jayanti, Mr. Modi
dedicated the dam to the nation, saying
that the structure exhibits an
“engineering miracle”. Speaking at a
public rally in Dabhoi in Gujarat,
PM Mr. Modi said that the event marks
another step towards building a ‘new
India’ by 2022, when the country would
mark 75 years of Independence. This
is the second biggest dam in the world
after the Grand Coulee Dam in the
United States. The Sardar Sarovar Dam
is intended to provide drinking water
to 131 urban centres and 9,633 villages
(53 percent of total 18,144 villages of
Gujarat) and irrigation facilities for
18.54 hectares of land covering 3,112
villages under 73 talukas in 15 districts.
Besides Gujarat, the Narmada canal will
also irrigate 2,46,000 hectares of land
in the desert districts of Barmer and
Jalore in Rajasthan.
The project was mired in many
controversies and faced impediments
from pro- and anti-dam activists, till
finally the Supreme Court gave the nod
for its construction in 2000. The delay
in the completion of the dam was due
to several reasons, including a dispute
between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
on the sharing of the water and
electricity. In 1964, the Centre appointed
an expert committee under the
chairmanship of Dr. A.N. Khosla, to
resolve the dispute. However, Madhya
Pradesh did not agree to the water
sharing formula recommended by the
Khosla Committee, after which the
Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal was
constituted in 1969. The tribunal gave
its final award in December 1979, after
which the construction was started in
1980. The Narmada Bachao Andolan
(NBA), led by activist Ms. Medha Patkar,
soon launched an anti-dam agitation and
took the matter to the Supreme Court
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
over environmental concerns and the
rehabilitation of tribals from their
dwellings as their lands were likely to be
submerged in the dam water. The Gujarat
government promised in the court to
give a robust rehabilitation package to
those affected, but the NBA did not
accept it. In 1996, the Supreme Court
stayed the project, further delaying the
work on the dam. The apex court in year
2000, in a 2-1 majority judgement,
allowed construction of the dam up to
the height of 138 metres subject to
completion of the rehabilitation process.
However, despite the court verdict, the
construction of the dam continued to
face hurdles on rehabilitation issue. In
response to the NBA, the pro-dam
people of Gujarat also launched many
agitations citing its benefits. Mr. Modi
sat on a 51-hour fast in 2006 as the
Gujarat Chief Minister after the UPA
government refused to allow raising the
height of the dam. In just 17 days after
becoming the Prime Minister in 2014,
the Modi government gave the final
permission to raise the height of the
dam to 138 metres and install the gates.
Narendra Modi, Shinzo Abe
Inaugurate India’s First
Bullet Train Project In
Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
and Japanese PM Mr. Shinzo Abe
inaugurated the country’s first bullet
train project in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on
September 14, 2017. The high-speed
train will run from Ahmedabad to
Mumbai. Mr. Abe, after inaugurating the
project with Mr. Modi, said that Japan
is committed to the ‘Make in India’
scheme. He also called Mr. Narendra
Modi a far-sighted leader who has
decided to make a ‘New India’. PM
Mr. Modi said that India has taken an
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
important step towards fulfilling a big
dream. He said that if technology is
used to empower the poor, then India
can fight poverty. He also thanked Japan
for providing technical and financial
help to get the bullet train project going.
Tokyo had given New Delhi a loan of
Rs 88,000 crore for the project at the
interest of only 0.1%. Mr. Modi said
that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is
turning into a Single Economic Zone.
The bullet train project comes at a cost
of Rs 1.1 lakh crore. The Shinkansen
high-speed bullet train, will cover the
650-km distance between Ahmedabad
and Mumbai in two hours. The 508 km
high-speed rail link to Mumbai is seen
as a centrepiece of Mr. Modi’s efforts
to demonstrate India’s capability to build
high-tech projects. The project, which is
expected to be commissioned by 2022,
will have a dozen halts. A 21-km-long
tunnel will be dug between Boisar and
Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, seven
km of which will be under the sea. The
bullet train would run at an average speed
of 320 km per hour and at a maximum
speed of 350 km per hour. It will stop
at 12 railway stations on the route but only
for 165 seconds each. The train would
have two categories of seats—executive
and economy—with the prices
comparable to the base AC 2-tier fare of
the Rajdhani Express. Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the
Union Railway Ministry have inked a
memorandum of understanding for the
508-km corridor, with Japan to
substantially fund the project.
PM Narendra Modi Rewards
Performance
A fresh set of Ministers were inducted
into the Narendra Modi-led NDA
government on September 3, 2017, the
third reshuffle since he took charge as
73
the Prime Minister in 2014. Nine new
Ministers were sworn in by Hon’ble
President Mr. Ram Nath Kovind at
Rashtrapati Bhavan. Four Ministers—
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Mr. Piyush
Goyal, Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
and Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan—were
elevated to Cabinet level. Six Ministers
in the existing Cabinet “volunteered to
resign” in the run-up to the reshuffle,
while three other seats fell vacant after
the exit of Mr. Manohar Parrikar and
Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, and the death
of Mr. Anil Madhav Dave, who held
Independent Charge of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change. The six
outgoing Ministers from the Cabinet
include Mr. Kalraj Mishra (MoS MSME),
Mr. Rajiv Pratap Rudy (MoS Independent
Charge of Skill Development),
Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya (Labour),
Mr. Faggan Singh Kulaste (MoS Health),
Mr. Sanjiv Balyan (MoS Water Resources)
and Mr. Mahendra Nath Pandey (MoS
HRD). Mr. Pandey was recently named
BJP chief of Uttar Pradesh.
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman emerged as
the biggest gainer of the Cabinet
reshuffle by getting the heavyweight
Defence portfolio. She will be the first
full-time woman Defence Minister and
the second woman to hold this post
after the late Prime Minister Ms. Indira
Gandhi, who held additional charge of
Defence Ministry. Mr. Piyush Goyal
replaced Mr. Suresh Prabhu in the
Railway Ministry in a major rejig.
Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri is Minister of
State (Independent Charge) of the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Mr. Nitin Gadkari is Minister of Road
Transport and Highways; Minister of
Shipping; and Minister of Water
Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation. Ms. Uma Bharti
is Minister of Drinking Water and
Sanitation. Her previous portfolio of
74
Water Resources and Ganga
Rejuvenation has been given to
Mr. Nitin Gadkari. Mr. Rajyavardhan
Singh Rathore is Minister of State
(Independent Charge) of the Ministry
of Youth Affairs and Sports; and
Minister of State in the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting. Mr. Vijay
Goel earlier held Independent Charge
of this portfolio. Mr. Alphons
Kannanthanam is Minister of State
(Independent Charge) of the Ministry
of Tourism; and Minister of State in
the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology.
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan is Minister
of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and
Minister of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship. Mr. P. Radhakrishnan
is Minister of State in the Ministry of
Finance; and Minister of State in the
Ministry of Shipping. Mr. Raj Kumar
Singh is Minister of State (Independent
Charge) of the Ministry of Power; and
Minister of State (Independent Charge)
of the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy. Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is
Minister of Minority Affairs. He had
independent charge of the Ministry as
a MoS earlier. Mr. Shiv Pratap Shukla is
Minister of State in the Ministry of
Finance. Mr. Ashwini Kumar Chaubey
is Minister of State in the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare. Mr. Virendra
Kumar is Minister of State in the
Ministry of Women and Child
Development; and Minister of State in
the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Mr. Ananth Kumar Hegde is Minister
of State in the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship.
Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is
Minister of State in the Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Mr. Satya Pal Singh is Minister of State
in the Ministry of Human Resource
Development; and Minister of State in
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
the Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Doklam Standoff Ends
Between India And China
The over two-month Doklam
standoff between India and China has
ended. The Ministry of External Affairs
said on August 28, 2017 that
“expeditious disengagement of border
personnel” has been agreed to at the
face-off site, and is ongoing. The
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
however, vowed to continue to patrol
the disputed area, but agreed that it will
make “necessary adjustments and
deployments according to the changes.”
Announcing a breakthrough, India said
that the truce was reached by diplomatic
talks. On this basis, expeditious
disengagement of border personnel at
the face-off site at Doklam has been
agreed to, Ministry of External Affairs
said. China’s Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Ms. Hua Chunying said
that India withdrew its personnel and
equipment to the Indian side of the
border line. While stating that the
Chinese army’s patrols in Doklam
will continue, she said that China
would make “necessary adjustments
and deployments according to the
changes,” without elaborating what the
adjustments would be.
The standoff began in June 2017 after
Chinese troops started building a road
on the Doklam plateau. Indian soldiers
rushed to stop that, triggering the worst
military tension in decades with China.
The conflict, which was the worst in
decades, saw 300 soldiers from each
side, confronting each other on the
remote Doklam plateau in the Eastern
Himalayas. In June 2017, Indian soldiers
crossed the Sikkim border to stop China
from constructing a road on the Doklam
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Plateau. Bhutan has no diplomatic
relations with China and asked India to
intervene. Delhi also stressed that it had
forewarned China that the road would
be seen as a serious security concern
because of the access it opens up to the
narrow sliver of land called the
“Chicken’s Neck” that links India to its
northeastern States. China retorted that
it had every right to build a road in a
region that is part of its territory. India
ignored repeated baiting and aggressive
rhetoric by China to insist that it would
seek diplomatic channels to resolve the
tension. India had also urged that both
sides withdraw troops to engage in
dialogue; Beijing insisted on the unilateral
pulling out of India’s soldiers. Chinese
and Indian soldiers had also clashed at
the Pangong Lake in Ladakh in the
Western Himalayas. The breakthrough
comes ahead of Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi’s trip to China for a
summit of the BRICS group of nations.
Venkaiah Naidu Sworn In
As India’s 13th
Vice-President
Veteran BJP leader and NDA candidate
Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu was on August 11,
2017 sworn in as 13th Vice-President of
India. Hon’ble President Mr. Ram Nath
Kovind administered the oath of office
to Naidu, 68, at a brief ceremony in the
Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan,
attended by political leaders cutting across
party lines. While he is the 15th Vice
President, he is the 13th person to hold
the constitutional post. His predecessor
Mr. Hamid Ansari and the first Vice-
President Mr. S. Radhakrishnan had held
the post for two consecutive terms. Prime
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, former Vice-
President Mr. Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha
Speaker Ms. Sumitra Mahajan, former
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh,
75
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya
Sabha Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, BJP
veteran Mr. L. K. Advani, several Union
Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers
attended the ceremony. Earlier on August
6, 2017, Mr. Naidu was elected as the Vice
President of India after bagging majority
of the votes of the electoral college
comprising both the Houses of
Parliament. Mr. Naidu got 516 votes while
his rival and former West Bengal
Governor Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi
received 244 votes. The election saw
almost 100 percent voting with 771
members casting their votes out of the
785 members. The voting percentage was
98.21 percent.
Ram Nath Kovind Takes
Over As 14th President
Of India
Mr. Ram Nath Kovind took oath as
the 14th President of India on July 25,
2017. He was sworn in by the then Chief
Justice of India, Mr. J.S. Khehar, in the
central hall of Parliament. He succeeds
Mr. Pranab Mukherjee whose term
ended on July 24, 2017.
After being sworn in, Mr. Kovind said
that India’s diversity is the key to its
success and stressed that it is our
diversity that makes us so unique. He
said that “nations were not built by
governments alone” and required
national pride, in the soil and water of
the country, in its diversity and
inclusiveness in its culture as well as “in
little things we do everyday”. It was his
first speech as the President and he told
a gathering of the Members of
Parliament, Union Ministers, Chief
Ministers and foreign diplomats that
“global community looks to us for
solutions to international problems—
whether terrorism, money laundering or
climate change. In a globalised world,
our responsibilities are also global.” He
76
asked the nation to lead the world in its
search for peace, tranquillity and
ecological balance. He also added that
our global concern “links us to our
global family, our friends and partners
abroad and our diaspora that contributes
in so many ways across the world”. He
wanted to convey that “it brings us to
the support of other nations.”
Mr. Ram Nath Kovind was elected as
the 14th President of India on July 20,
2017, after receiving an overwhelming
majority of votes. Backed by 40 political
parties, NDA candidate Mr. Kovind
defeated opposition candidate Ms. Meira
Kumar after garnering more than
65 percent of votes in the Electoral
College. He secured 7,02,644 votes
(65.65 percent), while Ms. Meira Kumar
had only 3,67,314 votes (34.35 percent).
Voting by 21 MPs was found to be
invalid. Congratulations poured in from
across the country with former President
Mr. Pranab Mukherjee being among
the first to extend his best wishes
to Mr. Kovind on being elected as
his successor. Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi drove to
Mr. Kovind’s residence to greet him on
his election. Congress President
Ms. Sonia Gandhi also congratulated
Mr. Kovind.
71-year-old Mr. Ram Nath Kovind
is a farmer’s son from Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh. He believes in a simple lifestyle.
The former Bihar Governor has served
two terms as a member of the Rajya
Sabha from 1994-2000 and 2000-2006.
He is a trained lawyer who has appeared
at the High Court and Supreme Court.
He had also been BJP Scheduled Caste
Morcha chief (1998-2002) and president
of the All-India Koli Samaj. Mr. Ram
Nath Kovind also served diligently on
various committees in Parliament, and
on the board of the Indian Institute of
Management (Kolkata) and the
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
B.R. Ambedkar University in Lucknow.
Mr. Ram Nath Kovind is the second
dalit President of India after
Mr. K.R. Narayanan.
India Can Construct
Kishanganga, Ratle Projects
Under Indus Water Treaty :
World Bank
The World Bank allowed India to
construct hydroelectric power facilities
on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab
rivers with certain restrictions under the
1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on
August 2, 2017. The comments of the
World Bank came as officials from India
and Pakistan concluded the secretary-
level talks over the IWT. Pakistan opposes
the construction of the Kishanganga (330
megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts)
hydroelectric power plants being built by
India in Jammu and Kashmir. Noting
that the two countries disagree over
whether the technical design features of
the two hydroelectric plants contravene
the treaty, the World Bank said the IWT
designates these two rivers along with
the Indus as the “Western Rivers” to
which Pakistan has unrestricted use.
Among other uses, India has been
permitted to construct hydroelectric
power facilities on these rivers subject to
constraints specified in annexures to the
treaty. It noted that the talks on
the technical issues of the IWT took
place “in a spirit of goodwill and
cooperation”. The World Bank said that
Pakistan asked it to facilitate the setting
up of a Court of Arbitration to look into
its concerns about the designs of the two
hydroelectric power projects. On the
other hand, India had asked for the
appointment of a neutral expert to look
into the issues, contending that the
concerns Pakistan raised were “technical”
ones.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
The IWT was signed in 1960 after
nine years of negotiations between India
and Pakistan with the help of the World
Bank, which is also a signatory. The role
of the World Bank in relation to
“differences” and “disputes” is restricted
to the designation of people to fulfil
certain roles when requested by either
or both of the parties. The two
countries last held talks over the two
projects in March 2017 during the
meeting of the Per manent Indus
Commission (PIC) in Pakistan. Pakistan
had approached the World Bank in
2016, raising concerns over the designs
of two hydroelectricity projects located
in J&K. It had demanded that the World
Bank, which is the mediator between
the two countries under the 57-year-old
water distribution pact, to set up a court
of arbitration to look into its concerns.
PM Modi Inaugurates Kalam
Memorial In Tamil Nadu
A multi-crore memorial of former
President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was
inaugurated by Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi at Peikarambu in
Tamil Nadu on July 27, 2017 on the
occasion of the second death
anniversary of the “Missile Man”.
Mr. Modi also paid floral tributes to
Dr. Kalam at his ‘samadhi’ inside the
memorial, built by the Defence Research
and Development Organisation
(DRDO), where the “People’s
President” worked for decades, and
other Central Government departments.
Evincing keen interest in the features
of the memorial, which has on display
replicas of rockets and missiles on
which the late scientist had worked, the
Prime Minister examined it for about
15 minutes. It has been built at a cost
of Rs. 15 crore on land allotted by the
Tamil Nadu government at Kalam’s
village Peikarambu.
77
 On the occasion, the Prime Minister
also unveiled a wooden statue of Kalam
playing the ‘veena’. The for mer
President was adept at playing the
musical instrument. The memorial also
has about 900 paintings and 200 rare
photographs of the late scientist, who
held the office of the President from
2002 to 2007. A bronze statue of
Dr. Kalam has also been erected at the
memorial, the entrance of which has
been designed in the style of the India
Gate in New Delhi. The rear portion
of the memorial has been modelled
after the Rashtrapati Bhavan. A model
of ‘Agni’ missile positioned in front of
the memorial also drew the attention
of the Prime Minister, who was
briefed about the exhibits and
portraits by officials. Mr. Modi was
accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor
Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister
Mr. K. Palaniswami,.
Nitish Kumar Again Sworn
In As Chief Minister
Of Bihar
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader
Mr. Nitish Kumar was again sworn in
as the Chief Minister of Bihar on
July 27, 2017. He had resigned from his
post a day before, dumping his ally
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over
corruption charges against his deputy
Mr. Tejaswi Yadav, and joined
hands with his estranged ally BJP to
form a new government. BJP’s senior
leader Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi was
sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.
Bihar Governor Mr. K.N. Tripathi
administered the oath to Mr. Nitish
Kumar and Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi at
the Raj Bhawan. This was the second
time Mr. Nitish was sworn in as the
CM of the State in two years, and sixth
time overall. Members of RJD
78
boycotted the ceremony, saying that the
Governor had not taken any note of
their request of calling the single largest
party to form the government. The
shocking move of Mr. Nitish Kumar to
quit as Chief Minister of Bihar came
hours after RJD leader Mr. Lalu Prasad
Yadav said that Mr. Tejaswi would not
resign as Deputy CM despite being
charged in a corruption case.
A day later, Mr. Nitish Kumar proved
his majority in the Bihar Assembly while
the RJD protested in the House during
the confidence vote. No cross-voting
took place during the show of strength.
Mr. Nitish Kumar sailed through with
131 votes in his favour and 108 against.
Soon after the Assembly met, Mr. Nitish
Kumar moved a resolution to seek a
trust vote. Apparently convinced that
the JD(U)-BJP government had
adequate support to win the motion,
RJD members protested in and out of
the House. On July 29, 2017, Bihar
cabinet saw an expansion with 27 new
Ministers taking oath of office at the
Raj Bhawan in Patna.
In 2013, Mr. Nitish Kumar had ended
a 17-year alliance with the BJP over its
decision to promote Mr. Modi as its
presumptive Prime Minister. In 2015,
he tied up with the Congress and former
rival Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav to block
PM Mr. Modi from winning Bihar for
the BJP.
Railway Minister Launches
First DEMU Train With
Solar-Powered Coaches
Railway Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu
introduced the first solar-powered
Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU)
train at Safdarjung Railway Station in
New Delhi on July 14, 2017. The train
features a battery bank facility which
ensures sufficient power even in the
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
absence of sunlight. The entire electrical
need of the coaches—lights, fans and
information display system—will be met
by energy produced by solar panels
fitted on the roof of coaches of the
DEMU train. Launching the train, then
Railway Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu said
that it was a path-breaking leap towards
making Indian trains more environment
friendly.
Normally, DEMU trains, a multiple-
unit train powered by on-board engines
without a separate locomotive, provide
power for its passenger comfort system
i.e. lights and fans from a diesel-driven
generator. The train was launched at the
Safdarjung Railway Station and the
first rake will be put in commercial
service over the suburban railway system
of Delhi Division shortly. While
the 1,600 horsepower train has been
manufactured at the Integral Coach
Factory (ICF) in Chennai, its solar
system and panels have been developed
and fitted by the Indian Railways
Organisation of Alternative Fuel
(IROAF).
Parliament Passes Collection
Of Statistics (Amendment)
Bill, 2017
The Parliament passed the Collection
of Statistics (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on
July 26, 2017 after seeking approval
from the Rajya Sabha. The Lok
Sabha had passed it earlier. The Bill
aims at amending the Collection of
Statistics Bill, 2008, which facilitates the
collection of statistics related to social,
economic, demographic, scientific and
environmental aspects, by Central, State
and local governments. It also enables
the appointment of statistics officers to
collect information and contain
provisions to ensure security of
information. The Bill extends
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
jurisdiction of the parent Act to the
State of Jammu and Kashmir for the
collection of statistics pertaining to
subjects under the Union (List-I) or the
Concurrent List (List-II) of the
Constitution. These subjects include
citizenship, banking, education, labour
and forests as applicable to J&K. The
Bill adds provisions for the appointment
of a nodal officer by the Union or State
government.
Government Launches
New Pension Scheme For
Senior Citizens
The Central Government launched a
pension scheme for senior citizens on
July 21, 2017, that promises an assured
return of 8 percent. Finance Minister
Mr. Arun Jaitley launched the
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
(PMVVY), which was announced in the
2017-18 Union Budget. PMVVY is a
pension scheme announced by the
government exclusively for senior
citizens aged 60 years and above—
available from May 4, 2017 to May 3,
2018. The scheme provides an assured
return of 8% per annum payable
monthly (equivalent to 8.30% per
annum effective). Pension is payable at
the end of the policy term of 10 years,
as per the frequency of monthly,
quarterly, half-yearly, yearly as chosen
by the pensioner at the time of
purchase. On death of the pensioner
during the policy term of 10 years, the
purchase price will be paid to the
beneficiary. It can be purchased offline
as well as online through Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) of India which has
been given the sole privilege to operate
this scheme.
The scheme is exempted from the
Goods and Services Tax and a loan
up to 75% of purchase price shall
79
be allowed after 3 policy years to
meet the liquidity needs. The loan
interest will be recovered from the
pension instalments and the loan
is to be recovered from claim
proceeds. The scheme also allows for
premature exit for the treatment of
any critical or terminal illness of self
or spouse. On such premature exit,
98% of the purchase price will be
refunded.
Railway Minister Launches
RailCloud For Server
Optimisation
In a significant IT initiative, the
Railways launched RailCloud—a virtual
server with an inbuilt security system
to optimise server usage and faster
connectivity on July 12, 2017. Cloud
computing is the emerging technology
for faster and on-demand
commensurate deployment of server
resources which results in reduced
costs. Railway Minister Mr. Suresh
Prabhu said after the launch of
RailCloud in New Delhi that efforts
are being made to bring the entire
railway system on integrated digital
platform. RailCloud is another step
towards digitisation of railways, he said.
Developed by the rail PSU RailTel
at an estimated cost of about Rs. 53
crore, RailCloud will pave the way for
swifter deployment of applications
within 24 hours as compared to
conventional time running into weeks
and months. RailCloud works on
popular cloud computing system. Most
of the important works are done
through cloud computing. Also, this is
going to reduce the cost and data may
be safely secured on the servers.
Currently, all IT applications have
separate servers which increase the cost
of operations and purchases. The
80
technology enables maximising the
usage of the available server and
storage resulting in accommodation of
bigger data and more applications
within same server space.
Government Launches
VAJRA Scheme To Attract
Indian Scientists Abroad
In a bid to bring together the Indian
scientists abroad and India-based
researchers for conducting joint
researches in India, the Department of
Science and Technology (DST) launched
a scheme named ‘Visiting Advanced
Joint Research Faculty’ (VAJRA) on
June 22, 2017. Minister of Science and
Technolog y Mr. Harsh Vardhan
launched the Web portal of VAJRA in
New Delhi and said that the initiative
would boost research work and lead to
newer, cutting-edge technologies, which
were needed in India. Under this
scheme, scientists or senior researchers
abroad—of Indian origin or
otherwise—can collaborate with
faculties in India. Mr. Harsh Vardhan
said that the Central Government had
been stressing upon converting brain-
drain into brain-gain. The broad areas
of research like energy, health, advance
material and others would be promoted
under the scheme. The Minister said that
VAJRA will bring huge value to India’s
innovation ecosystem. It will facilitate
sustained international collaborative
research with the guidance and
mentoring of masters, Ph.D. and
post-doctoral students. It will expose the
best of our young minds to the best of
global research practices and also
enhance our access to state-of-the-art
research facilities in other countries,
he said.
Under the scheme, visiting scientists
will be hosted for three months, during
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
which time the prospects for research
initiatives will be identified and
explored. These scientists will also be
appointed to the post of adjunct or
visiting faculty at their host
institutions—either publicly funded
institutions or national laboratories—for
a year and beyond, if the collaboration
continues successfully. VAJRA will also
allow for exchange visits by research
students of the collaborating groups
from six months to a year. Another
scheme for up to an year of overseas
research training for Indian scholars is
also being initiated—not only for those
involved in VAJRA collaborations but
also others, and will be based on a
separate competitive selection process.
The foreign researchers would receive
endowments on a par with those in their
own countries. The endowments for
faculties would be $15,000 in the first
month of residency and $10,000, for
the remaining months. The hope is to
draw 1,000 VAJRA faculty members
annually, with the aim of reaching that
target within seven years.
Government Launches
Tele-Law Scheme To Provide
Legal Aid To Rural India
The Central Government launched
‘Tele-Law’ programme on June 11, 2017,
aimed at providing legal aid services in
rural areas through digital technology.
Announcing the launch of ‘Tele-Law’,
Law and Justice Minister Mr. Ravi
Shankar Prasad said that it would
fulfil NDA government’s commitment
to ensure access to justice and
empower ment of the poor. The
programme is a continuation to the
Access to Justice Project to Marginalised
Persons implemented by UNDP in
2008. The pilot project is being
undertaken by the Ministry of Law and
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Justice in collaboration with the Ministry
of Electronics and Information
Technology and will be launched across
1,000 Common Service Centres (CSC)
in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and 500
CSCs will be tested in its first phase.
The Common Services Centres and Para
Legal Volunteers will offer easy legal
advice to litigants in rural India,
making them digitally and financially
inclusive.
Among the services offered will be
videoconferencing with lawyers so as to
enable people seeking legal advice and
counselling. A panel of lawyers from
the State capitals will also be provided
via the National Legal Ser vices
Authority (NALSA). Legal school
clinics, District Legal Ser vice
Authorities, voluntary service providers
and Non-Government Organisations
working on legal aid and empowerment
can also be connected through CSCs at
the panchayat level. A direct and first
contact for people seeking legal advice
would be the Para Legal Volunteers
(PLVs) engaged by the CSC who would
assist and help people understand the
legal issues and explain the advice given
by lawyers. The scheme plans to appoint
1,000 women PLVs who would work
through CSCs with the agenda to
promote women participation and
empowerment.
PM Inaugurates India’s
Longest Road Bridge
Connecting Assam To
Arunachal Pradesh
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
on May 26, 2017 inaugurated Dhola-
Sadiya Bridge in Assam, the country’s
longest bridge, among a slew of projects
aimed at the development of the North
East region. Union Road Transport
Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari was also
81
present during the inauguration,
following which the Prime Minister’s
convoy crossed the bridge. Dedicating
to the nation the 9.15 km-long bridge,
named after Dada Saheb Phalke awardee
and legendary lyricist-singer Bhupen
Hazarika who hailed from Sadiya,
PM Mr. Modi said that the bridge will
serve as the foundation for a new
economic revolution and help India in
its efforts to become a superpower. He
said that the bridge would bring
development to Assam and Arunachal
Pradesh.
The 9.15-km-long bridge will shave
off the travel time between Assam and
Arunachal Pradesh from six hours to
just one hour, reducing the distance by
165 kms. Construction of the bridge
began in 2011, under the then UPA
government and the original target date
for completion was December 2015. By
the completion of this fourth bridge
on the Brahmaputra, the most
significant beneficiary will be the Army,
whose convoys will now save an
estimated three to four hours in their
journey from Assam to their posts at
Kibithoo, Wallong and Chaglagam on
the Arunachal-China border. The
Northeast being a high seismic region,
the bridge was built using state-of-the-
art equipment, including imported
hydraulic rigs, and provided seismic
buffers in all its 182 piers. The bridge
built at a cost of Rs. 2,056 crore is
3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli
sea link. The length of the bridge,
including viaducts, is 9.15 km with a
7.3 km approach road from the Dhola
side and 12.5 km from Sadiya side.
During his visit, the Prime Minister
also laid the foundation stone for two
key projects—AIIMS and Indian
Agriculture Research Institute in Assam.
Both the projects will quicken the
development of Assam and the
82
Northeast. He also addressed a rally in
Guwahati following the events. PM
Mr. Modi also congratulated Assam
Chief Minister Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal
and his government for completing one
year in office.
India’s First High-Speed
Luxury Train Tejas Express
Flagged Off
The country’s first high-speed train
Tejas Express between Mumbai and
Karmali in Goa, boasting Wi-Fi, LCD
screens and automatic doors, was flagged
off by Railway Minister Mr. Suresh
Prabhu in Mumbai on May 22, 2017. The
train, with a speed of 130 km per hour,
is capable of clocking a maximum of 200
kmph. The train will undertake its eight-
and-half-hour journey five days a week
between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
railway station in Mumbai and Karmali
in Goa, a distance of 530 km. It was
flagged off by Mr. Suresh Prabhu through
videoconferencing from Dadar
station in Mumbai. The train’s frequency
will be three days a week during monsoon.
The 20-coach train also offers Executive
and Chair class travel with tea/coffee
vending machines, magazines, and snacks
tables, besides closed-circuit television
for security. The coaches, manufactured
at Indian Coach Factory in Chennai,
include features like sensor-controlled
water taps, water level indicators and hand
dryers. All coaches have bio-vacuum
toilets. Manufactured at the Rail Coach
Factory in Kapurthala, the coaches will
have automatic entrance door, a first in
non-suburban train in Indian Railways. A
one-way trip will cost Rs. 2,740 with food,
and Rs. 2,585 without food. The fare for
Chair Car is Rs. 1,310 with food, and
Rs. 1,185 without food. The train will
depart from the Mumbai terminus at
5 a.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Saturday and Sunday and reach Karmali
in Goa at 1.30 p.m. the same day. On
return journey, it will leave Karmali at
2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday and arrive at Mumbai
at 11 p.m. the same day. During monsoon,
the train will depart from Mumbai every
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and
begin its return journey at 7.30 a.m. every
Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
ISRO Moves Into
Heavyweight Category
With GSAT-9 Launch
India launched the first South Asia
Satellite from Sriharikota, off the coast
of Andhra Pradesh on May 9, 2017.
Built by the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and funded
entirely by India, the launch at once
boosted its “neighbourhood first policy”
as well as helped it carve a unique place
for itself in space diplomacy by “gifting”
a satellite to its neighbours. The benefits
of India’s GSAT-9, or the South Asia
Satellite, include mapping natural
resources, telemedicine, IT connectivity
and people-to-people links. It is also
expected to cement bonds between
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka and
overcome the negative vibes from
Pakistan, which is the only South Asian
country to opt out of the project.
Pakistan was the only country to stay
away from the celebration of the launch
of the satellite, when a group of South
Asian leaders joined Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi via satellite link.
After the launch of the satellite,
Mr. Modi said that the South Asia Satellite
will help partner countries in effective
communication, better governance, better
banking and education in remote areas,
more predictable weather forecasting and
efficient resource mapping, linking people
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
with top-end medical services through
telemedicine and quick response to
natural disasters. Afghanistan President
Mr. Ashraf Ghani said that with this
launch South Asia had taken a giant step
towards regional integration. Bangladesh
Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina said
that the new satellite would change the
face of South Asia and expand
connectivity from land and water to space.
Bhutan Prime Minister Mr. Tshering
Tobgay described the launch of the South
Asia Satellite as an impressive milestone
in the history of the world with one
country launching a satellite for the free
use of its neighbours. Maldives President
Mr. Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom said
that the launch of the satellite underlined
India’s neighbourhood first foreign policy
and showed its commitment to the
development of the region. Former Prime
Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal
Dahal said that the satellite was a
testimony to South Asia becoming self-
reliant in space science. The satellite would
boost connectivity in the region that in
turn would spur development. Sri Lankan
President Mr. Maithripala Sirisena said
that the satellite would help alleviate
poverty and improve the living standards
of South Asians.
The South Asia Satellite is a
geosynchronous communications and
meteorology satellite. It will provide
significant capability to each of the
participating countries in terms of DTH
(direct-to-home), besides linking the
countries for disaster information
transfer. Each South Asian country will
get access to one transponder through
which they will be able to beam their own
programming, besides common South
Asian programming. The countries will
have to develop their own ground
infrastructure, though India is willing to
extend assistance and know-how. Initially,
it was to be named “SAARC Satellite”
83
but its name was changed to South Asia
Satellite after Pakistan refused to join the
project.
India Jumps 73 Spots To Be
Ranked 26th In World Bank’s
Power Accessibility List
India has climbed 73 spots up to 26th
position in World Bank’s electricity
accessibility ranking in year 2017 from
99th spot in 2014, Power Minister
Mr. Piyush Goyal said at the Vienna
Energy Forum on May 11, 2017. He
said that out of the 18,452 villages
which lacked electricity, over 13,000
have been provided access to electricity.
In addition, a person applying for new
electricity connection would be able to
get the connection within 24 hours in
areas where power infrastructure is
available and in areas where there is no
power infrastructure, electricity
connection would be given in a week,
he said. The government’s rural
electrification programme is on track for
completion within the targeted 1,000
days. The Minister also exuded
confidence that by 2019, three years
ahead of its original schedule, the
government would be able to take
power to every household.
Mr. Goyal said that the government
was closely working with the States to
see that electricity was made available
on tap. To make this a reality, NDA
Government’s flagship scheme
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti
Yojana (DDUGJY) was launched by
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi with
an aim to provide 24×7 uninterrupted
electricity supply to each rural
household across the country. The
Ministry of Power has also launched a
new app, GARV-II to provide real-time
data of all six lakh villages of the
country. The app is envisaged to ensure
84
transparency in the implementation of
rural electrification programme. Across
the Vienna Energy Forum, everyone
praised that India has actually led the
global efforts by its action to address
the challenge of planet change.
The Vienna Energy Forum (VEF) is
a biennial, global and multi-stakeholder
forum, aiming to explore how energy
can contribute to meeting global
developmental challenges. The Vienna
Energy Forum 2017 was held at the
Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria on
May 11 and 12, 2017. It focussed on
the theme ‘Sustainable energy for the
implementation of the SDGs and
the Paris Agreement’. Over 1,650
participants represented more than 100
countries in the Forum.
PM Modi Launches
Shimla-Delhi Flight Under
Low-Cost UDAN Scheme
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
inaugurated the first flight under the
UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik)
scheme for low-cost regional
connectivity, on the Shimla-Delhi
route on April 27, 2017. Mr. Modi
simultaneously flagged off flights on the
Kadapa-Hyderabad and Nanded-
Hyderabad sectors through a video
conference from Shimla.
“My dream was to see a person who
wears a ‘hawai chappal’ (slipper) to fly
on the ‘hawai jahaz’ (aeroplane),”
Mr. Modi said, highlighting the thrust
on affordable air fares for the common
people in the country. Under the
UDAN, on each flight 50 percent of
the seats would have a cap of Rs.2,500
per seat in one-hour flights, as per the
scheme launched by the NDA
Government at the Centre. The Shimla-
Delhi flight is operated by Alliance Air
which has deployed its 42-seater ATR
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
plane in this sector. The fare for
24 seats (50 percent of total seats) has
been fixed at Rs. 2,036 per seat.
However, the Shimla-Delhi flight can
accommodate a maximum of 15
passengers, while the Delhi-Shimla flight
can carry 35 passengers due to height
and temperature factors, according to
the Air India. For capping the fare, the
Air India will receive a subsidy of
Rs. 3,340 per passenger from the
government.
Shimla has got its air connectivity
back after a long gap. The airport at
Jubbarhatti, which is 22 km from
Shimla, had been shut for scheduled
flights since 2012.
The government will collect
80 percent of the subsidy by charging a
levy of up to Rs. 50 per ticket on flights
deployed on national routes. The
remaining 20 percent will come from
respective State governments. Five
airlines—Spice Jet, Alliance Air, TruJet,
Air Deccan and Air Odisha Aviation—
recently won bids to operate on
128 routes, connecting 70 airports in the
countr y, under the regional air
connectivity scheme.
Mr. Modi while addressing a gathering
at the Jubbarhatti Airport on the
outskirts of Shimla, said air travel under
the UDAN scheme would cost less than
even taxi fare on a per kilometre basis.
The Prime Minister said that there were
just 70 to 75 operational airports in the
country of which 30 would start
operations in Tier II and Tier III city
routes within a year.
PM Modi Assures Bangladesh
Of ‘Early Solution’ To Teesta
Water Dispute
Even as India and Bangladesh both
have further strengthened the bilateral
ties in many sectors, as was evident in
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
many deals inked during the visit from
April 7 to 11, 2017 by the Bangladeshi
Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina, the
solution to the Teesta water dispute has
not yet been worked out finally. Prime
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s assurance
to Ms. Hasina during her recent visit to
India, of an ‘early solution’ is being
viewed by the parties concerned on both
sides of borders as something concrete
and fruitful to emerge soon. The
statement by Prime Minister Mr. Modi
is by all means a definitive one, showing
India’s commitment to sort out the
Teesta water-sharing issue. Mr. Modi
gave this statement in the presence of
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata
Banerjee. Notably, Ms. Banerjee has
been having reservations about the
water sharing issue which she has been
advocating that it will adversely affect
the water situation in her State.
The Teesta river originates from the
17,487 feet high lake Cholamu in Sikkim
as a small stream, but turns into a raging
river about a 100-km downstream and
enters West Bengal and flows further till
Jalpaiguri district. After this, it enters
Rangpur district in Bangladesh and
then, eventually merges with mighty
Brahmaputra river. Bangladesh has been
complaining that owing to hydel and
irrigation projects in India, it is starved
of water during the summer and winter
months and wants a treaty with provision
to share the waters in 50:50 ratio.
Water being a State subject in India
and Ms. Banerjee’s belief that such an
agreement to share the Teesta water
would severely impact irrigation and
other water-intensive projects in her
State. She even refused to travel with
the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh to Dhaka in 2011. However,
during a visit to Dhaka in 2015 with
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, she
assured that she would play a positive
85
role in resolving the issue related to
Teesta river. This time during the visit
of Ms. Hasina, she suggested other
solutions, like sharing the waters of
other rivers like the Torsa which flows
down from Bhutan to West Bengal
before entering Bangladesh. Things are
being worked out with all possible
options and it is likely that the early
solution, as assured by Mr. Modi, would
be a reality shortly.
Twenty-two agreements of mutual
interests were signed between India and
Bangladesh. In the areas of defence,
nuclear energy, cyber security and
media, twenty-two agreements were
signed. India extended $4.5 billion
concessional line of credit for priority
sector projects in Bangladesh, including
development of Payra, Mongla and
Chittagong ports. The two countries
also signed defence cooperation
agreements, including a $500 million
line of credit for defence purchases
from India. Ms. Hasina’s visit also
witnessed the launch of new bus and
rail links between the two countries on
the Kolkata-Khulna route, with an aim
to boost people-to-people contacts to
form the bedrock of the bilateral ties.
NITI Aayog’s Plan To
Accelerate Economic
Development
While speaking at the NITI Aayog’s
Governing Council Meeting on April 23,
2017. Mr. Modi urged all the State
Chief Ministers to decide goals for
2022 (The 75th Anniversary of India’s
Independence) and work in a mission
mode towards achieving them. The
Governing Council Meeting was held
to deliberate the blue-print of the first
three-year Action Agenda of the NITI
Aayog.
NITI Aayog is working on a 15-year
long term Vision with a 7-year medium-
86
term Strategy and a 3-year Action
Agenda. Around 300 specific action
points covering a gamut of sectors are
being worked upon to boost the
economic growth.
Mr. Modi said that there has been a
40 percent increase in overall fund
allocation to States between 2014-15 and
2016-17 and asked them to speed up
capital expenditure and infrastructure
creation. Prime Minister Mr. Modi said
that only 25 percent of the enhanced
fund allocation was tied with the Central
schemes declining from 40 percent of
the earlier allocation. The Indian
economy is expected to witness an over
three-fold expansion by 2031-32 growing
to Rs. 469 lakh crore, considering an
average growth rate of 8 percent over
the next 15 years, according to the then
NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, Mr. Arvind
Panagariya. “If we grow at 8 percent
average rate for the next 15 years,
our GDP will be Rs. 469 lakh crore
(around $7.25 trillion) by 2030,” said
Mr. Panagariya, adding that GDP was
around $2.11 trillion in 2015-16.
In 1999-2000, economy size was Rs. 46
lakh crore and economy grew by Rs. 91
lakh crore to Rs. 137 lakh crore in
2015-16. Per capita GDP is currently
Rs.1,06,589 and will reach Rs. 3,14,776
in 2031-32, as per the projection of the
NITI Aayog. Also, Central and States
expenditure will reach Rs. 130 lakh crore
in 2031-32 from Rs. 38 lakh crore in
2015-16. As per the projection, India’s
urban population will touch 60 crore in
2031-32 from 2011 figure of 37.7 crore.
The action plan is part of the seven-
year National Development Agenda,
which in turn is a part of the 15-year
vision document. The action plan has
identified more than 300 specific action
points, covering all the major sectors.
The three-year Action Agenda for the
years between 2017-18 and 2019-20 will
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
coincide with recommendations of the
Fourteenth Finance Commission to give
stability to the funding estimates of both
the Centre and the States.
The three-year Action Agenda would
comprise seven overarching themes :
(1) The first part is to examine the
revenue and the expenditure of the
entire period. The NITI Aayog would
highlight the growth outlook, required
resources and expenditure allocation for
the duration of three years.
(2) The second part is to have action
points for transformation of agriculture,
industry and service sectors. For the
2017-18 to 2019-20 period, the action
plan would aim at doubling farmers’
income, and creating well-paid jobs in
the industrial and service sectors.
(3) The third part is to give emphasis
on regional development with strategies
for urban and rural transformations.
(4) The fourth part relates to growth
enablers as such transport connectivity,
digital connectivity, public-private
partnerships, energy, science and
technology, innovation and
entrepreneurship.
(5) The fifth part is to focus on
governance issues such as tax policies
and administration, rule of law, and pro-
competition policies and regulations.
(6) The sixth part aims at social sector
issues such as health, education and skill
development.
(7) The final seventh part is to
discuss sustainability issues like
environment and management of
water resources.
No Red Beacons On
Top Of Any Vehicle
At the behest of Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet
on April 19, 2017, decided to ban the
use of red beacons (red lights) on all
VIP vehicles, including those of the
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
President, Vice-President and Prime
Minister, from May 1, 2017. However,
emergency services like ambulances and
fire brigade will be allowed to use blue
beacons atop their vehicles.
After the Cabinet meeting, Union
Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley said
that from May 1, 2017 no person in the
country would be able to put a red light
on his vehicle and there would not be
any exception to this. A specific clause
in Rule 108 of the 1989 regulations
which empowers the Centre and the
States to designate some dignitaries as
entitled to red lights on top of their
vehicles has been abolished. Mr. Jaitley
said that this was a Central rule and the
government was removing it from the
rule book and its abolition would mean
that neither the Centre nor the States
would have any dignitary that
governments could nominate for the
usage of red beacons.
Besides the President, the Vice-
President and the Prime Minister, many
other dignitaries like the Lok Sabha
Speaker, the Chief Justice of India,
Governors, Chief Ministers, Chief
Justices of High Courts, Supreme Court
Judges and the Leader of Opposition
have hitherto been allowed red beacons.
But, from May 1, 2017 onwards, none
of them are entitled to have red beacons
atop his/her vehicles.
Soon after the Union Cabinet
meeting, in a statement released by the
Union Road Transport and Highways
Ministry, it was stated that the Central
Government had decided to do away
with the beacons of all kinds atop all
categories of vehicles in the country, as
it was of the considered opinion that
beacons on vehicles were perceived
symbols of VIP culture and have no
place in a democratic country.
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi,
speaking about the Cabinet’s decision
87
to do away with red beacons, said that
every Indian was special and every
Indian a VIP.
PM Modi Dedicates Thermal
Power Super Projects
To Nation
On the occasion of the birth
anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on
April 14, 2017, Prime Minister
Mr. Narendra Modi dedicated 1980 MW
of the Koradi super-critical thermal
power project near Nag pur in
Maharashtra to the nation. The 1980-
MW capacity includes three units of 660
MW each, which are now completely
operational, making the completion of
the last phase of the expansion of the
project. The plant currently has one unit
of 200 MW, two units of 210 MW each
and with addition of three units of 660
MW each, its total capacity has increased
to 2,600 MW. With this, the total
generation capacity of state-run
Mahagenco, now stands at 12,977 MW,
which includes coal-fired capacity of
9,540 MW, gas-based capacity of 672
MW, Hydra-based capacity of 2,585
MW and solar capacity of 180 MW.
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi was
accompanied by Maharashtra Chief
Minister Mr. Devendra Fadnavis,
Governor Mr. K. Vidyasagar Rao and
the Union Roads and Highways
Minister, Mr. Nitin Gadkari. Mr. Modi
was in the winter capital of Maharashtra
and paid tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
at Deekshabhoomi. Mr. Modi urged the
public at large to take lessons from the
life of Dr. Ambedkar, as he achieved
excellence even though he faced tough
situation in life.
Mr. Modi attended inauguration of
various government schemes, organised
by the NITI Aayog, at the Divisional
Sports Complex at Mankapur. Mr. Modi
88
also dedicated to the nation another
thermal power project of 500 MW at
Chandrapur and another such project
of 250 MW in Parli. In Nagpur,
Mr. Modi laid the foundation stones for
the proposed Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of
Management (IIM and All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Union Cabinet Approves The
National Health Policy 2017
The Union Cabinet approved the
National Health Policy 2017 on
March 15, 2017, after having deferred
it twice before. The last health policy
was issued 15 years ago in 2002. Aiming
to provide health care in an “assured
manner” to all, the policy will strive
to address current and emerging
challenges arising from the ever-
changing socio-economic, technological
and epidemiological scenarios. Prime
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi said that
the National Health Policy marks a
historic moment in the government’s
endeavour to create a healthy India
where everyone has access to quality
health care. The policy advocates a
progressively incremental assurance-
based approach. It envisages
providing larger package of assured
comprehensive primary health care
through the ‘Health and Wellness
Centres’ and denotes important change
from very selective to comprehensive
primary health care package which
includes care for major non-
communicable diseases (NCDs), mental
health, geriatric health care, palliative
care and rehabilitative care services.
The policy aims to allocate major
proportion of resources to primary care
and intends to ensure availability of two
beds per 1,000 population distributed
in a manner to enable access within
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
golden hour (the first hour after
traumatic injury, when the victim is most
likely to benefit from emergency
treatment). In addition, the policy
proposes free drugs, free diagnostics and
free emergency and essential health care
services in all public hospitals in a bid
to provide access and financial
protection. It also envisages a
three-dimensional integration of
AYUSH system encompassing cross
referrals, co-location and integrative
practices across systems of medicines.
It also boasts of having an effective
grievance redressal mechanism. The
policy intends to increase life expectancy
at birth from 67.5 to 70 by 2025 and
reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by
2019. It also aims to reduce under five
mortality to 23 by the year 2025.
Besides, the policy intends to achieve
the global 2020 HIV target.
Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir
Dispute Should Be
Resolved Outside Court : SC
The issue of Babri Masjid-
Ramjanmabhoomi disputed site once
again became the centre of discussions
and debates after the Supreme Court
on March 21, 2017 asked Hindus and
Muslims to sit and resolve the dispute.
The apex court observed that the issue
of Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi
disputed site is attached to sentiments
and should be settled out of the court.
A Bench of Chief Justice Mr. J.S.
Khehar observed that the religious
issues can be solved through
negotiations and suggested that the CJI
was ready to take up the task of
mediation to arrive at its amicable
settlement. The apex court also offered
to act as mediator, which was welcomed
by the BJP but ruled out by the Babri
Masjid Action Committee and others.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Chief Justice Mr. J.S. Khehar, who
headed the Bench hearing the matter,
said that these are the issues
of religion and sentiments. Both the
parties can sit together and hold a
cordial meeting, he said. Reacting
on the development, BJP leader
Mr. Subramanian Swamy reiterated that
the Ram temple should be built at
Ramjanmabhoomi, while All India
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)
leader Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi urged
the Supreme Court to deliver the
judgment.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
welcomed the court’s suggestion. He
said that both sides can sit down to
find an amicable solution and that the
UP government is ready to extend any
cooperation to facilitate dialogue. The
proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya has
been one of the most controversial and
divisive issues over the last 25 years.
The makeshift temple in Ayodhya came
up after Kar Sevaks, in 1992, had pulled
down a masjid which had been standing
on the spot since the days of Mughal
Emperor Babar. The site is believed to
be the birthplace of Lord Rama. Various
religious sects have been pushing for
the building of a grand temple there.
India’s Contribution To UN
Increases To
Rs. 244 Crore In 2015-16
India’s contribution to the United
Nations rose 55% to Rs. 244 crore in
2015-16 compared with the previous
fiscal year. External Affairs Minister
Ms. Sushma Swaraj informed the Lok
Sabha on March 15, 2017 that the
government had also made voluntary
contributions to the tune of Rs. 22 crore
to international organisations, including
UN agencies, in the last financial
year.
89
 The country contributed Rs 244 crore
to the UN last fiscal compared
with Rs. 157 crore in 2014-15. She
said that for the period 2016-18, India’s
Scale of Assessment for the UN’s
Regular and Peacekeeping budgets has
been fixed at 0.737% and 0.1474%,
respectively.
Each UN member is required to
contribute to the organisation’s Regular
and Peacekeeping budgets. These
obligatory contributions are calculated
based on a member’s relative capacity
to pay.
This is defined through a scale of
assessment that takes into account the
member country’s Gross National
Income relative to the Global Gross
National Income, adjusted further for
the level of its national external debt
and low per capita income. Since all
permanent members of the Security
Council bear special responsibilities for
the maintenance of international peace
and security, they must contribute
additional amounts for Peacekeeping
budget.
Prime Minister Unveils A
112-foot Shiva Statue On
Maha Shivratri
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
unveiled the 112-foot tall Shiva statue
(weighing 500 tonnes) in Coimbatore,
Tamil Nadu on the occasion of Maha
Shivratri on February 24, 2017.
Dedicated to ‘Adiyogi’ (a form of Lord
Shiva who according to the Hindu
tradition is considered the first of yogis),
the statue has been constructed and
funded by Isha Foundation, which
intends to set up similar statues in the
other three regions of the country—
east, north and west.
The popular yoga guru and founder
of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru Jaggi
90
Vasudev, revealed that the face of
Lord Shiva is made of steel and is
not just for aesthetics but has
geometric significance. The uniqueness
of the statue lies in the fact that it is
made up of small pieces of metal that
have been put together—a very
inexpensive but difficult method. The
statue is an incredible feat of
engineering. Though it took two and
a half years to design the face, the
in-house team of Isha Foundation
built it in eight months. On being
queried about the significance of the
number 112, Sadhguru Vasudev
clarified that 112 is a significant
number since Adiyogi opened up 112
possibilities for human beings to reach
their ultimate potential. He also
stressed the scientific significance of
the statue’s height by informing about
the presence of 112 chakras in the
human system, with which a human
being can work to explore 112
dimensions of life. Adding further, the
yoga guru said that each of the 112
possibilities is a method to experience
the divine within oneself and an
individual just has to pick one.
An interesting fact about the statue is
that the face is not a deity or temple but
an iconic inspiration. The idea behind the
statue was to use it as a stimulating force
towards self-transformation. It is believed
that in the yogic culture, Shiva is not
known as God but as Adiyogi or the first
yogi—the originator of yoga. “He was the
one who first put this seed into the human
mind that one can evolve if one is willing
to strive. Yoga went everywhere not as
a religion, belief system or philosophy but
as methods,” Sadhguru Vasudev
elaborated. The statue, which has been
made in an ingenious manner and on a
small budget, needs least amount of
maintenance.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 India Clears Mega Missile
Deal With Israel
A Rs. 17,000-crore deal has been cleared
by the Union Government for jointly
developing with Israel a medium-range
surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) for the
army, thereby reflecting the country’s fast-
growing defence ties with the Jewish
nation. The project will be implemented
by the DRDO (Defence Research and
Development Organisation) and Israeli
Aircraft Industry (IAI). The missile deal
was approved in a meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on Security, chaired by Prime
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, on
February 22, 2017. The MR-SAM, a
land-based version of the long-range
surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) for the
navy, will have a strike range of up to
70km. The deal envisions 40 firing units
and around 200 missiles.
India is the largest buyer of military
hardware from Israel. The latter has been
supplying various weapon systems,
missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles
over the last few years but the transactions
have largely remained behind the curtain.
Israeli President Mr. Reuven Rivlin had
visited India in November 2016 during
which both sides had decided to widen
their already close defence partnership.
Earlier in February 2017, the Director of
Defence Export Controls Agency, a
division of the Defence Ministry of Israel,
had conveyed to some Israeli lawmakers
that the country had planned to relax its
regulations on the export of arms and
defence equipment.
Indian Women Healthier,
Wealthier and More
Influential : NFHS-4
Indian women have witnessed a triple
fold increase in their status—they are
healthier, wealthier and connected today
according to the data revealed by National
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Family Health Survey (NFHS). The data
(based on a multi-round survey of
6,01,509 households between January
2015 and December 2016) from the
fourth edition of NFHS reveals that the
life of women has improved a little over
the past decade, though it still is not on
a par with men’s. There has been a slight
fall in the number of women with
anaemia—from 55.2% in 2005-06 to
53.1%. The number of underweight
women fell to nearly 13% while those
who are overweight and obese have risen
sharply. One in five women in India is
overweight or obese while one in six men
has unhealthy weight. A large number of
women are now opting for antenatal
check-ups and hygienic methods for
protection during menstrual period.
The women in India are also getting
wealthier as can be seen from an
impressive jump in their financial
inclusion, with 53% of the female
population now having bank accounts
as compared to a mere 15% a decade
ago, according to the recent NFHS-4.
The study shows a heartening increase
in the number of women operating their
savings bank accounts, owning houses
and participating in decision-making
processes. The data also shows that
violence against married women has
reduced considerably from 37.2% to
28.8%. They are becoming aware of
their rights and improved social standing.
The data also shows that 38.4% of
women own a house and (or) land—
alone or jointly with others.
The 38% jump in women with bank
accounts is complemented by the survey
finding that 84% married women in the
age of 15-49 years are increasingly
participating in decision-making as
compared to 76% in the third round of
NFHS conducted in 2005-06. The
improvements in banking and an
enhanced role in the decision-making
process are a result of an increased
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female literacy rate that has gone up to
68.4% as compared to 55.1% in the
previous survey.
Thus, Indian women are becoming
more influential, possess more assets
and communicate far more freely than
a decade ago, thereby gradually carving
a place for themselves in the tradition-
bound patriarchal society.
Government Launches
Bharat QR, New Digital
Payment System
After expanding the scope of digital
transactions through BHIM, the Union
Government launched yet another
initiative in its bid to promote digital
economy in the country called Bharat
QR—a QR code-based payment system,
on February 20, 2017. BharatQR code
is the world’s first inter-operable
payment acceptance solution. Over
the past few months, the government
has been encouraging the public to
increase the usage of digital payment
mechanisms by launching BHIM app
and increasing the penetration of PoS
machines.
Developed by the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI),
Mastercard and Visa, BharatQR code
would require merchants to only
display one QR code instead of multiple
ones. Devised on the direction set by
the Reser ve Bank of India in
September 2016, it will make payments
seamless for buyers as they just have to
“scan to pay” for transactions instead
of swiping their credit/debit cards.
NPCI Managing Director and CEO
Mr. A.P. Hota said that RuPay has
emerged as one of the most successful
home-grown card networks in the world
and BharatQR code initiative is yet
another transformational step towards
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building a less-cash economy at an
insignificant cost.
QR code or Quick Response code is
a two-dimensional machine-readable
code made up of black and white
squares and are used for storing URLs
or other information. These can be read
by the camera of a smartphone. The
payment system has been jointly
developed by Mastercard, Visa and
RuPay. With Bharat QR, merchants can
accept digital payments even without a
card swiping machine. The customers
just need to be on the mobile app of
one of the banks and will have to scan
the QR code displayed at merchant
outlet.
The interesting feature about Bharat
QR is that it will support all the cards
be it MasterCard, Visa or RuPay. The
merchant can either display the code,
that is the static QR or he can generate
a new QR code for every transaction—
the dynamic QR. In case of a static
QR code, one just needs to scan the
code and enter the amount on
smartphone and authorise with a PIN,
after which the money gets debited. In
case of a dynamic QR code, one just
needs to scan and enter the PIN and
the payment is done. As of now, Bharat
QR is available on mobile apps of
15 leading banks but soon more banks
are expected to join once it gains
traction.
India Ranks At 43rd Position
In 5th Annual International
IP Index
India ranked at the 43rd position out
of 45 countries in the 5th Annual
International Intellectual Property (IP)
Index of US Chamber of Commerce
(USCC). 2017 International IP Index,
named ‘The Roots of Innovation’, was
released in February 2017. The 2017
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Index revealed that though India
showed slight improvement in its
performance (it was ranked last or
second last in the previous four years),
it continued to lag behind the rest of
the world in IP protections. Mr. David
Hirschmann, president and CEO of
GIPC, said that in India, many of the
same challenges to innovation remain.
He said that although India has
made incremental progress, the
government needs to build upon the
positive rhetoric of its IPR policy with
the substantial legislative reforms that
innovators need.
Out of a total of 35 points, India
could score only 8.75, even below the
average score of 15.39. The Index has
been topped by the United States with
a score of 32.6. The United States is
followed by the United Kingdom (32.4),
Germany (31.9), Japan (31.3) and
Sweden (31). China has 14.83 points.
Neighbouring Pakistan ranks 44th with
an 8.37 score. Japan’s score increased
by 10% due to ratification of TPP and
accession to Index treaties.
The report identifies India’s key
strength in newly adopted National IP
Policy that recognises several key gaps,
including need for a stronger enforcement
of current IP rights. In addition to its
anaemic IPR policy, the report cited
challenges with the scope of patentability
for computer-implemented inventions,
Section 3(D) of the Indian Patent Act
and the recent High Court of Delhi
decision regarding photocopying
copyrighted content. Notwithstanding
significant gaps in India’s IP statute
relative to most other countries
benchmarked in the Index, the National
IPR Policy seems to strongly suggest that
no legislative changes to that framework
are necessary and even goes to claim that
the current laws and judicial decisions
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
provide a stable and legal framework for
protection and promotion of IPRs.
PM Announces Pravasi
Kaushal Vikas Yojana
The Prime Minister Mr. Narendra
Modi has announced that the
government will shortly launch the
Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
which is aimed at skilling Indians seeking
employment abroad. The Prime Minister
was speaking at the 14th Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas Convention in
Bengaluru on January 8, 2017. The
PKVY will train and certify Indians, who
are keen on overseas employment in
select sectors, in line with international
standards. It will be implemented by the
National Skill Development Corporation
through its training partners and in
consultation with the Ministry of
External Affairs and the Skill
Development Ministry.
The PM said that the Pravasi Kaushal
Vikas Yojana is targeted at Indian youth
seeking overseas employment. He also
underlined the fact that Non-resident
Indians and Persons of Indian Origin
(PIOs) have made outstanding
contributions to their chosen fields,
saying that Indians abroad are valued
not just for their strength in numbers
but are also respected for the
contributions they make. He said that
remittance of nearly $69 billion annually
by overseas Indians makes an invaluable
contribution to the Indian economy.
The Prime Minister encouraged all
PIO Card holders to convert their PIO
Cards to OCI (Overseas Citizen of
India) Cards and highlighted the new
initiatives launched by the government.
He also said that starting with Mauritius,
the government is working to put in
place procedures so that descendants of
Girmitiyas could become eligible for
93
OCI Cards. Girmitiyas or indentured
labourers are the generations of Indians
who left the country in the middle and
late 19th century to serve as labourers
in the then British colonies where they
eventually settled down.
Government Releases
National Action Plan For
Children, 2016
The National Action Plan for
Children, 2016 (NPAC) was launched
at a special function held to celebrate
the National Girl Child Day in New
Delhi on January 23, 2017. The
function was attended by the Minister
for Women and Child Development,
Ms. Maneka Gandhi; Secretary,
WCD Ms. Leena Nair; Secretary,
Department of Food and Public
Distribution, Ms. Preeti Sudan among
others.
The NPAC has been developed by
the Ministry of Women & Child
Development. The Action Plan has four
key areas: survival, health and nutrition;
education and development; protection
and participation. The NPAC defines
objectives, sub-objectives, strategies,
action points and indicators for
measuring progress under the four key
priority areas and also identifies key
stakeholders for the implementation of
different strategies. The plan also puts
focus on new and emerging concerns
for children such as online child abuse,
children affected by natural and man-
made disasters and climate change etc.
The strategies and action points largely
draw upon the existing programmes and
schemes of various Ministries/
Departments. However, for new and
emerging issues related to children, it
also suggests formulation of new
programmes and strategies, as required.
The plan takes into account the
94
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and provides a road map towards
achieving them through co-ordination
and convergence with different
stakeholders. The National Policy for
Children (2013) provides for formation
of a National Co-ordination and Action
Group (NCAG) under the Ministry of
Women and Child Development to
coordinate and implement the plan and
monitor the progress with other
Ministries concerned.
Petroleum Ministry
Launches Fuel Conservation
Awareness Programme
The Minister of State (Independent
Charge) for Petroleum & Natural Gas
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated
the month-long awareness drive on fuel
conservation in New Delhi on
January 17, 2017. The awareness drive
called Saksham 2017 (Sanrakshan
Kshamta Mahotsav) is organised by
PCRA and other Oil and Gas PSUs.
Saksham 2017 is aimed to create
awareness among the masses towards the
judicious utilisation and conservation of
petroleum products along with the use
of energy-efficient appliances and
switching to cleaner fuels.
During the month-long drive,
thousands of workshops will be held for
drivers of commercial vehicles,
housewives and cooks on adopting
simple fuel saving measures. Saksham is
aimed to show the path of fuel
conservation through activities like Quiz
Show, Saksham Asian Cycling
Championship, Walkathons & concerts
across the country.
The Minister released the Saksham-
logo at the event. He also administered
the oath of conservation to all the
participants including schoolchildren
who were present at the event.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 WORLD
US Scraps Proposed H-1B
Visa Change Impacting
Foreign Professionals
The US government announced that
it was not considering any proposal
that could force the deportation of
hundreds of thousands of H-1B visa
holders according to a news report on
January 10, 2018. This move provides
relief for foreign technical professionals
including 500,000 to 750,000 Indian
technical professionals by allowing
them extension beyond the maximum
permissible period of six years, as they
wait for permanent residency.
However, H-1B visa holders who
are having their ‘green cards’ or lawful
permanent residency applications being
processed are allowed to remain in the
US only one year at a time—instead
of the current three-year period. H-1B
visa holders are not required to leave
the US because their employers could
request extensions in one-year
increments under a different rule,
according to a news report which
quoted a US Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) official.
The H-1B visa is awarded by the US
under the Immigration and Nationality
Act to employ foreign workers in
“Specialty Occupations” which is
utilised to a big extent by Indians
especially Information Technology (IT)
professionals to work in the US.
US Congresswoman Ms. Tulsi
Gabbard, the Democratic Co-Chair of
the bipartisan Congressional Caucus
on India and Indian-Americans, said
that H-1B visa holders drive
innovation and help build and
strengthen the American economy
backing the Trump administration’s
decision that it was not considering
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
any proposal to force such people out
of the country.
US Approves $133 Million
Anti-ballistic Missile Sale
To Japan
The Trump administration has
approved the sale of SM-3 anti-
ballistic missiles to Japan in a deal
estimated to be worth $133.3 million
in a statement notifying the US
Congress on January 9, 2018.
Included in the sale are four Standard
Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missiles,
four MK 29 missile canisters, and
other technical, engineering and
logistics support services. The SM-3
Block IIA is an anti-ballistic missile
that can be employed on Aegis-class
destroyers or on land, via the Aegis
Ashore programme, according to news
reports.
This sale would enhance Japan’s
ability to defend itself and the
Western Pacific from ballistic missile
threats, especially those emanating
from North Korea. The deal comes
after a year of heightened concern
over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions,
including several missile launches that
landed in the Sea of Japan. The
SM-3 Block IIA is an anti-ballistic
missile that can be fired from ships or
on land, using the Aegis Ashore
programme, a US-made, land-based
missile defence system.
Japan already has Aegis capability on
four warships and had approved the
purchase of two Aegis Ashore batteries
in December 2017. The sites which are
estimated to cost at least $2 billion
without the missiles would become
operational only in 2023.
95
 US President Trump
Threatens To Stop
Aid To Pakistan In New
Year Tweet
Pakistan was US President
Mr. Donald Trump’s target of ire as he
threatened to stop American financial
assistance to Islamabad in his tweet on
January 1, 2018. “The United States has
foolishly given Pakistan more than
33 billion dollars in aid over the last
15 years, and they have given us nothing
but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders
as fools. They give safe haven to the
terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with
little help. No more!” the President said
on Twitter.
The top civilian and military
leadership of Pakistan had rejected
Mr. Trump’s charge that Washington was
fed nothing but lies and deceit from
Islamabad despite receiving millions of
American dollars in aid, with the top
policy-forming body of the country
describing his comments as “completely
incomprehensible” on January 2, 2018.
Foreign Minister Mr. Khawaja
Muhammad Asif challenged President
Mr. Trump’s claim that the US had given
Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid
over the last 15 years, saying that
verification by an audit firm would
prove the US President wrong.
President Mr. Trump’s fresh tirade
was discussed at length at a meeting of
National Security Council (NSC), the
country’s highest forum headed by the
Prime Minister, and mandated for
considering national security and
foreign policy matters. The NSC
statement followed Corps Commanders
Conference at General Headquarters in
the garrison city of Rawalpindi that
finalised its suggestions for Pakistan’s
response to Mr. Trump’s allegations.
The NSC meeting was chaired by
96
Pakistani Prime Minister Mr. Shahid
Khaqan Abbasi and attended by the
country’s top civilian and military
leadership.
Mr. Abbasi had called for a special
meeting of the Cabinet to discuss
Mr. Trump’s statement. Foreign Minister
Mr. Asif said that the country would
officially respond to Mr. Trump’s
allegations shortly. “We will respond to
President Trump’s tweet shortly
inshallah...Will let the world know the
truth..difference between facts &
fiction..”, Mr. Asif tweeted.
Meanwhile, China came out forcefully
in defence of the anti-terrorism efforts
of Pakistan after Mr. Trump accused
Islamabad of sheltering terrorists. This
action which includes a move to cancel
a $255 million aid package to Pakistan
would damage its creditworthiness and
deliver a major jolt to the China Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan
has made “enormous efforts and
sacrifice” for the fight against terrorism
and has made a very outstanding
contribution to the global cause of
counter-terrorism, said a Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman on January 2, 2018.
In his new South Asia Policy unveiled
in August 2017, Mr. Trump had called
for tougher measures against Pakistan if
it did not cooperate with the US in its
fight against terrorism. Pakistan has been
a recipient of the US aid under various
heads, but in recent years Washington
has tightened the purse strings,
demanding more action against terrorist
networks in Afghanistan. In August 2017,
the Trump administration kept $255
million in military assistance to Islamabad
in suspension even as it demanded
unpublicised, specific action against
terrorists. Mr. Trump’s Twitter post
followed a New York Times report of
December 2017 that the administration
is planning to deny that money to Pakistan,
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
from the State Department’s assistance
programme known as Foreign Military
Financing (FMF).
Secretary of Defence Mr. James Mattis
had warned Pakistan that it “must
redouble its efforts to confront
militants and terrorists operating within
the country,” during his December 4,
2017 visit there, according to a Pentagon
statement. Mr. Trump’s New Year
Twitter post is indicative that his
administration is not satisfied by
Pakistan’s response to American demand.
Unveiling his strategy for Afghanistan
in August 2018, Mr. Trump had called
out Pakistan and named India as a
partner. “We can no longer be silent
about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist
organisations, the Taliban, and other
groups that pose a threat to the region
and beyond,” Mr. Trump had said.
There was significant scaling down of
the US assistance to Pakistan in the
later years of the Obama administration.
The US has also made disbursement
of Pentagon’s Coalition Support Funds
(CSF) more stringent. CSF is
reimbursement to Pakistan for logistical
and operational support of US-led
military operations. The defence budget
for 2018 reduced the CSF allocation to
$700 million and tied half of it to action
against the Haqqani terror network.
India, China Discuss
CBMs At Boundary Talks
After Doklam
Striking a positive note in tune with
the Astana consensus, India and China
agreed to maintain “regular contact” and
“build on their convergences”, while
seeking mutually acceptable resolution
of their differences with “due respect for
each other’s sensitivities, concerns and
aspirations” in Delhi on December 22,
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
2017. This is also in line with the
understanding at the BRICS Summit
in Xiamen, where both sides agreed
to put the Doklam border crisis
behind them.
This was the major takeaway from the
meeting between National Security
Advisor Mr. Ajit Doval and Chinese State
Councillor Mr. Yang Jiechi, Special
Representatives on the boundary
question. This is the first time that a
Special Representative from the Chinese
side is also a member of the influential
politburo of the Communist Party of
China.
The two sides are learnt to have
discussed several confidence-building
measures, including some at the field-level
and some at higher levels. They agreed
that efforts should be made to ensure
that “defence and security (personnel)
must maintain strong contacts and
cooperation” at the borders to “ensure
that the sort of situation which happened
recently should not recur”. It was decided
that officials from the Foreign Ministries
and militaries of both countries would
meet periodically to resolve issues that
may affect maintenance of peace along
the border.
India Joins Over 100 Countries
To Reject President Trump’s
Jerusalem Move
India joined 127 other countries in
the UN General Assembly to vote for
a resolution that effectively rejected
United States President Mr. Donald
Trump’s move to recognise Jerusalem
as the capital of Israel, declaring it “null
and void” on December 21, 2017. The
resolution was passed 128 to 9 with
35 abstentions. Israel joined the US,
Honduras, Guatemala, Togo, Marshall
Islands, Nauru, Palau, Micronesia, and
97
a notable abstention was the US’s
neighbour Canada.
The resolution was in support of the
long-standing international consensus
that the status of Jerusalem—which is
claimed by both Israel and the
Palestinians as a capital—can only be
settled as an agreed final issue in the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
This was the second time in a week
that the US found itself isolated on this
issue. The United Nations Security
Council voted on an Egypt-sponsored
resolution 14-1, with the US using its
veto power to block the vote on
December 19, 2017.
All key US allies—UK, France,
Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal,
Spain and China—voted to condemn
US’s move to shift its embassy to
Jerusalem. There had been speculation
that India might vote with the US given
its growing closeness with both the US
and Israel.
Chabahar Port Inauguration
Paves Key Transit Route
To Central Asia
Iranian President Dr. Hassan Rouhani
inaugurated Phase 1 of the Shahid
Beheshti Port at Chabahar, Iran, a $1
billion extension of its southeastern
Chabahar Port which Iran hopes will
help the country become a key transit
route to land-locked Afghanistan and
Central Asia on December 3, 2017. The
port is expected to make Chabahar,
Iran’s closest sea link to the Indian
Ocean, a rival to the Gwadar Port, some
80 km away across the border in
Pakistan.
India said the construction of the
Chabahar Port in Iran will contribute
to regional trade and provide
Afghanistan with “alternate access” to
98
global markets. The port, whose new
extension will take its capacity from 2.5
million tonnes to 8 million tonnes of
cargo a year, is seen as an important
route for India and Afghanistan to
bypass obstacles posed by Pakistan for
trade on the direct land route. The
Chabahar Port is a feeder port to the
International North-South Transport
Corridor (INSTC) to Russia as well as
a land route to Central Asia. It is also
seen as a rival to the Chinese-built
Gwadar Port of Pakistan, which is a
critical link in China’s Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor. India has
committed $500 million to building two
berths at Chabahar to process trade and
develop an economic zone around them,
as well as $1.6 billion for a 650-km rail
link from Chabahar to Zahedan and into
Afghanistan.
Alongside the ceremony, Indian,
Afghan and Iranian officials held a
trilateral meeting to discuss
implementing the trade and transit
agreement announced in May 2016.
Minister of State for Shipping Mr. Pon.
Radhakrishnan represented India, while
Iran was represented by its Transport
Minister Mr. Abbas Akhoundi and
Afghanistan by its Trade and Commerce
Minister Mr. Humayoon Rasaw. The
three sides reviewed and positively
assessed the progress in the
development of the Chabahar Port and
reiterated their commitment to complete
and operationalise the port at the earliest
that would contribute to bilateral and
regional trade and economic
development and also provide alternate
access to landlocked Afghanistan to
regional and global markets. They
commended the recent joint efforts
which led to the transit of first
tranche of 1,10,000 tonnes of wheat
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
from India to Afghanistan through the
Chabahar Port.
Angkor Wat Crowned The
Best UNESCO World
Heritage Site
The Angkor Wat temple complex of
Cambodia came out on top of the list
of the best UNESCO World Heritage
and Natural sites, according to a survey
conducted by online travel portal
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel
site on December 7, 2017. The survey
lists the UNESCO Cultural and Natural
heritage sites which are best rated by
travellers around the globe.
Angkor is one of the most important
archaeological sites in South-East Asia.
Stretching over some 400 square
kilometres, including forested area,
Angkor Archaeological Park contains the
magnificent remains of the different
capitals of the Khmer Empire, from
the 9th to the 15th century. It was originally
constructed as a Hindu temple of
Lord Vishnu for the Khmer empire
but gradually transformed into a
Buddhist temple at the end of the
12th century.
The second place was taken by Taj
Mahal, the world’s most famous
monument of love. An immense
mausoleum of white marble, built in
Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order
of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in
memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz
Mahal, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of
Muslim art in India and one of the
universally admired masterpieces of the
world’s heritage.
The Great Wall of China took the
third place. It is the world’s largest
military structure consisting of a series
of fortifications built over 20,000 km
along an east-to-west line across the
historical northern borders of China
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
to protect the Chinese states and
empires against the raids and invasions
from the north. The Historic
Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, in Peru,
stood fourth. It is probably the most
amazing urban creation of the Inca
Empire at its height; standing over
2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle
of a tropical mountain forest. Iguazu
National Park, which contains one of
the most spectacular waterfalls of the
world situated between Argentina and
Brazil took the fifth position.
The Sassi and the Park of the
Rupestrian Churches of Matera in Italy,
Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi
Concentration and Extermination Camp
(1940-1945) in Poland, Old City of
Jerusalem and its Walls in Israel, Historic
Areas of Istanbul in Turkey and the
Historic Centre of Kraków in Poland
are the other notable additions in the
list.
Prime Minister Modi Calls
For Joint Efforts With
ASEAN To Mitigate Terror
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
called for intensifying regional
cooperation to effectively deal with
terrorism and pitched for rules-
based security architecture for the
resource-rich region, seen as a veiled
reference to China’s expansionist
posturing in the Indo-Pacific on
November 14, 2017. He recalled the fact
that the Summit celebrated 25 years of
ASEAN-India dialogue partnership.
He said that India’s ‘Act East Policy’ is
shaped around the ASEAN.
In an address at the ASEAN-India
Summit here, Mr. Modi identified
terrorism and extremism as the major
challenge facing the region. “We have
individually strived very hard to fight
terrorism and violent extremism. It’s
99
time that we jointly address this
challenge by intensifying cooperation in
this crucial area,” he said.
The 10-nation Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is
considered one of the most influential
groupings in the region and India and
several other countries including the US,
China, Japan and Australia are its
dialogue partners.
In a clear reference to the South China
Sea (SCS) dispute which has cast a
cloud over the summit talks, the Prime
Minister said that India will continue its
support to the ASEAN for establishing
a rules-based security architecture
in the region that best attests to the
region’s interests and its peaceful
development.
China’s aggressive military build-up
in the SCS was one of the focus areas
of the deliberations at the ASEAN
Summit. China claims sovereignty over
all of SCS, a huge source of
hydrocarbons. However, several Asian
countries including Vietnam, the
Philippines and Brunei have counter-
claims.
India has been supporting freedom
of navigation and access to resources
in the SCS by principles of international
law, including the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea. The
ASEAN has been pushing for a legally
binding code of conduct for all
stakeholders in the SCS but Beijing has
been opposing such a framework
asserting that it will resolve the dispute
with respective countries under the
bilateral mechanism.
Mr. Modi also talked about shared
values and common destiny between
India and ASEAN, adding 1.25 billion
people in India were eagerly waiting
to receive leaders of the ASEAN at
the Republic Day celebrations in
January 2018.
100
Chinese President Xi Jinping
Wins Second Term As Head
Of Ruling CPC
Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping
secured a second five-year term as the
head of the ruling Communist Party of
China (CPC) as it unveiled its new
leadership with the Chinese President
attaining iconic status with the
Communist Party of China enshrining
his political thought in the Party
Constitution at the 19th Communist
Party of China National Congress at
the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,
capital of China, on October 24, 2017.
An assembly of 2,300 delegates at the
5-yearly Communist Party Congress
unanimously passed an amendment to
the Constitution to include “Xi Xinping
Thought for the New Era of Socialism
with Chinese Special Characteristics” as
one of its guiding principles. As many
commentators have pointed out, this
puts Mr. Jinping in the same league as
Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.
To put this in perspective, it is worth
recalling that for Deng this accolade was
posthumously given. Mr. Jinping’s
de facto pre-eminence within the CPC,
therefore, has been made de jure, and
along with it comes enormous power
to shape China’s path well beyond the
five years of his second presidential
term. In a speech during the political
summit, held every five years, he
heralded the start of a “new era” for
the party and China, building on those
overseen by Mao and Deng. This has
included a new assertiveness on the
international stage, as evidenced by
Mr. Jinping’s ambitious economic
and trade initiative—the One Belt, One
Road plan—and his attempts,
rhetorically at least, to take up the
mantle of globalisation and
environmentalism.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 Mr. Jinping spoke about China
entering a new era of modernisation.
“As I look ahead to the next five years,
I see several important junctures and
signposts,” he said. Stating that the
coming five years between the 19th and
the 20th Party Congress is the period
in which the timeframes of the two
centenary goals will converge, he said,
“Not only we must deliver the first
centenary goal, we must also embark
on the journey towards the second
centenary goal.”
“With decades of hard work,
socialism with Chinese characteristics
has entered a new era. In this new
context, we must get a new look and,
more importantly, make new
accomplishments,” Mr. Jinping said.
Peace and development are precious and
should be valued. The Communist Party
of China would work with other
countries for shared future and the
noble cause of peace and development
of all humanity, he added.
Shinzo Abe Leads LDP
To Victory In Japan’s
General Election
Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo
Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party-
led coalition has won an overwhelming
victory in the general election held on
October 22, 2017, securing over
two-thirds majority in the lower house
of Parliament. The party, along with
junior coalition partner the Komeito,
won 313 seats in the 465-member
House. LDP won 284 seats (the same
as in the previous election) and Komeito
bagged 29 seats down from the 34 seats
it had secured previously. On the
opposition side, the Constitutional
Democratic Party, or CDP, more than
tripled its seat tally to 55, making it the
main opposition. The party is a splinter
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
group of the Democratic Party, which
did not run any candidates in the
election.
The win gives Mr. Abe’s ruling
coalition, which already holds majority
in the upper house, free reign to pass
legislation in the country and raised his
chances of achieving a historic third
term and his longtime ambition of
revising the pacifist Constitution.
Mr. Abe said the result reflected people’s
desire for the ruling bloc to produce
concrete results on a stable political
foundation. He pledged to do his
best to meet their expectations. For
Mr. Abe, the results were a vindication
of his strategy to call a snap election a
year earlier than expected, and they
raised the possibility that he would move
swiftly to try to change the Constitution
to make explicit the legality of the Self-
Defence Forces, as Japan’s military is
known.
Even with the votes he needs in
Parliament, Mr. Abe now must persuade
the public, as any constitutional change
needs to be approved by a majority of
voters. The parliamentary victory could
also embolden Mr. Abe to run next year
for a third term as leader of the Liberal
Democrats. If he wins, he would be
Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
Over 1 Billion ‘Invisible’
People Have No Identity
Proof: World Bank
A recent global study by the World
Bank on October 22, 2017, has revealed
statistics showing that more than
1.1 billion people on earth have no
proof of identity, an indication that
some 15 percent of the global
population is being denied health and
education ser vices. Among these
“invisible people”, many of whom live
primarily in Africa and Asia, more than
one third are children susceptible to
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violence whose births have not been
registered, the World Bank’s
“Identification for Development”
(ID4D) program recently warned. The
problem is particularly acute in
geographical areas whose residents face
poverty, discrimination, epidemics or
armed conflicts.
According to ID4D program head
Ms. Vyjayanti Desai, a primary reason
that people remain unidentified is
because of the geographical distance
between populations in rural developing
areas and government services which are
typically housed in urban regions. Without
official identification, a person can
struggle to access financial services, such
as opening a bank account or obtaining
capital and credit, social benefits, including
food vouchers, pensions, or cash transfers
and healthcare, such as health insurance,
vaccinations and maternal care.
Education, such as enrolling children in
school or applying for scholarships and
political & legal rights, such as voting,
filing petitions in courts, owning property,
or receiving an inheritance get hampered.
Gender equality which includes
prevention of early and child marriage
and the right to migrate i.e. cross borders
safely gets severely restricted.
Collectively, the barriers individuals
face in turn create larger barriers for
the countries they live in. Without strong
identification systems, countries struggle
to deliver vital services to people,
govern effectively, make efficient use of
limited resources and produce accurate
statistics.
50 Countries Sign UN Treaty
Outlawing Nuclear Weapons
With the North Korean nuclear crisis
looming large, 50 countries signed a new
treaty outlawing nuclear weapons, on
September 20, 2017, at the United
102
Nations. The heads of State and senior
officials from 50 Nation States,
representing billions of people from
across the world, signed the ‘Treaty on
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons’.
The legally binding, multilateral Treaty
prohibits the development, testing,
production, acquisition, possession,
stockpiling and the use or threat of use
of nuclear weapons—all leading to a
world without nuclear weapons. The
treaty on the prohibition of nuclear
weapons was adopted by 122 countries
at the United Nations in July 2017,
following negotiations led by Austria,
Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and New
Zealand. The treaty will enter into force
when 50 countries have ratified it. None
of the nine countries that possess
nuclear weapons—the United States,
Russia, Britain, China, France, India,
Pakistan, North Korea and Israel—took
part in the negotiations. UN Secretary-
General Mr. Antonio Guterres hailed it
as historic, being the first multilateral
disarmament treaty in more than two
decades. He said that they were celebrating
a milestone.
The United States, Britain and France
have dismissed the treaty as being out
of step with the realities of the global
security and argue that the North Korea
crisis shows that nuclear deterrence is
still needed. The decades-old NPT seeks
to prevent the spread of atomic
weapons but also puts the onus on
nuclear states to reduce their stockpiles.
North Korea has triggered global alarm
over its rapidly-progressing drive to
develop nuclear weapons, following its
sixth and most powerful nuclear test and
the firing of two intercontinental
ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Nuclear
powers argue their arsenals serve as a
deterrent against a nuclear attack and
say that they remain committed to the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
BRICS Summit 2017 : China
Signs Statement Naming
Lashkar And Jaish In
Terror List
The 9th BRICS Summit was held in
Xiamen, China from September 3 to 5,
2017. The theme of the 9th BRICS
Summit was Stronger Partnership for a
Brighter Future. Xiamen declaration was
adopted at the summit in which the
BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South
Africa) called upon all nations to adopt
a comprehensive approach in combating
terrorism including countering
radicalisation and blocking terror
financing sources. In a significant move
forward from the Goa BRICS
declaration, Beijing signed off on New
Delhi’s initiative to name two Pakistan-
based terrorist groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba
and Jaish-e-Mohammad, in the Xiamen
declaration, expressing “concern” on the
security situation in the region and
violence caused by these outfits.
This is the first time that a BRICS
declaration has named these terrorist
groups. Along with the Haqqani
network, Taliban and Islamic State, the
Xiamen declaration also named the
Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, a
Muslim separatist group founded by
militant Uighurs, members of the
Turkic-speaking ethnic group in
northwest China’s Xinjiang province.
From India’s perspective, naming LeT
and JeM are symbolic takeaways, since
China has in the recent past blocked
the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammad
chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a global
terrorist at the United Nations Security
Council. Beijing has repeatedly blocked
New Delhi’s move—as well as those by
US, UK and France—to list Azhar on
technical grounds. Despite the dual
approach adopted by Beijing in the past,
Indian officials perceived this as a major
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
takeaway, especially since it comes after
a tense border standoff at Doklam.
Secretary East in the External Affairs
Ministry Ms. Preeti Saran said that all
BRICS leaders, speaking at the summit,
voiced serious concerns over terrorism.
At a restricted session of the BRICS
leaders, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra
Modi also articulated India’s position on
the issue and offered to host a
conference on de-radicalisation.
North Korea Tests Hydrogen
Bomb, Prompts Global
Condemnation
North Korea’s isolated communist
regime defiantly tested an advanced
hydrogen bomb on September 3, 2017,
marking a dramatic escalation in the
isolated state’s stand-off with the United
States over its nuclear weapons
programme. North Korean state media
said that the test was carried to test ‘the
accuracy and credibility’ of its ‘H-bomb to
be placed at the payload of the
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).’
The US monitors measured a powerful
6.3-magnitude earthquake near the North’s
main testing site, felt as far as parts of
China, with an aftershock possibly caused
by the collapse of a tunnel at the site.
Pyongyang had tested an ICBM for
the first time in July 2017, with a second
test later showing it could, depending
on the payload, perhaps hit mainland
USA, if its claim that it had miniaturised
a nuclear weapon to fit onto a missile
was true. The test, preceded by the
release of photographs purportedly
showing North Korean leader Kim
Jong-un inspecting the weapon that was
exploded, blew open differences in the
US-led coalition even as it caused
consternation in the Far East and
beyond. US President Mr. Donald
Trump led the universal condemnation
103
of the test, calling North Korea a ‘rogue
nation’ whose ‘words and actions
continue to be ver y hostile and
dangerous to the United States.’
After the test, the US and South
Korean officials and generals were on
the hotline to coordinate a response to
North Korea’s test, after US President
Mr. Trump spoke to South Korean
President from Air Force One on his
way back from Texas and Louisiana
where he surveyed the aftermath of
Hurricane Harvey. The United States
warned that it could launch a “massive
military response” to threats from
North Korea, US Defence Secretary
Mr. Jim Mattis said after President
Mr. Donald Trump called an emergency
meeting of his national security advisers
to discuss what was an unexpectedly
powerful nuclear test said to exceed in
magnitude the atomic bombing of
Hiroshima, Japan. US President
Mr. Donald Trump also warned that the
United States was considering cutting
economic ties with any country that
does business with North Korea.
Neighbouring South Korea reacted by
conducting a live-fire exercise simulating
an attack on the North’s nuclear site,
state news agency Yonhap reported,
hitting “designated targets in the East
Sea” with missiles and F-15K fighter
jets. The South Korea’s military said that
the range to the simulated targets was
equivalent to the North’s Punggye-ri
nuclear test site in its northeastern
province. Russian President
Mr. Vladimir Putin said that the test
“torpedoes the global non-proliferation
regime, violates UN Security Council
resolutions” and threatens regional
peace, while adding, in a phone call to
Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo
Abe, that the crisis “should be resolved
only by political and diplomatic means.”
UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio
104
Guterres condemned the test as
“profoundly destabilising”.
IAEA Opens World’s First
Low Enriched Uranium
Bank In Kazakhstan
The UN global nuclear watchdog,
International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) has opened world’s first Low
Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank in
Oskemen in Kazakhstan. Kazakh
President Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev
inaugurated the Uranium Bank in the
Kazakh city of Oskemen on August 29,
2017. Mr. Nazarbayev handed over the
building’s keys to IAEA Director
General Mr. Yukiya Amano and
proposed holding a world summit on
nuclear security in Astana, the capital
of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh President
said that the country is ready to initiate
the renewal of the global nuclear
security summit.
The LEU Bank seeks to provide a
fuel reserve for IAEA member states at
market prices as a last resort should they
not be able to obtain low-enriched
uranium to generate energy on the
international market. The LEU bank is
owned and managed by IAEA. It will
be the first of its kind LEU bank not
to be under control of any individual
country. The IAEA also manages 123
tons of uranium in Angarsk, Russia but
it is under the control of the Russian
government. The LEU Bank has reserve
capacity to store 90 tons of LEU, the
essential ingredient needed to make the
fuel for light-water nuclear reactors,
which generate electricity. This reserve
is enough to fully load a light-water
reactor capable of supplying electricity
to a large city for three years. The IAEA
has established a series of strict criteria
for member state purchasing uranium
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
from the bank. The project was funded
by donors, including the United States,
European Union, Kuwait, United Arab
Emirates, Norway and Nuclear Threat
Initiative.
The IAEA decided in 2006 to
establish LEU Bank and in 2011,
Kazakhstan offered to host the facility
on its territory at the Ulba metallurgy
plant in the eastern city of Oskemen.
In 1991, Mr. Nazarbayev closed
Semipalatinsk, the world’s second-largest
nuclear test site, and gave up the world’s
fourth-largest arsenal of nuclear
weapons, which the Central Asian
country inherited from the Soviet
Union. The LEU’s opening coincided
with the International Day against
Nuclear Tests.
WHO Declares Somalia Free
Of Polio
The World Health Organisation
(WHO) declared Somalia free of Polio
on August 13, 2017. The WHO said
that it had not recorded any case of
polio disease in Somalia in the last three
years. It said that the country recorded
the last case of polio in 2014 in the
central part of the country but has since
then remained free of the paralysing
disease. The UN health agency, however,
warned that Somalia remained
vulnerable, calling for continued
vaccination campaign. The head of the
WHO Eastern Mediterranean, which
covers Somalia, Mr. Mohamed Fiqi said
that massive vaccination campaigns and
commitment from government and
international actors had ensured the
polio virus did not recur in the Horn
of Africa country. He said that the polio
programme in Somalia needs to
continue to work to maintain and
improve the level of population
immunity against polio through target
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
vaccination campaign and strengthening
of the routine immunisation services
and infrastructure.
The declaration by WHO keeps
Somalia outside the last group of
countries which still records cases of
polio in the world. Afghanistan, Nigeria
and Pakistan are the remaining countries
where polio is still being recorded. The
WHO chief warned that Somalia
remains at risk of importation of the
virus from these countries. The
President of Somalia, Mr. Mohamed
Abdullahi Farmaajo, praised the efforts
to rid his country of the polio disease
which he noted had subjected many
children to suffering. The three-year
polio-free celebration comes amidst the
worst outbreak of measles the country
has seen in years.
Sri Lanka, China Sign
Amended Hambantota
Port Deal
After several months of delay caused
by protests, Sri Lanka finally signed a
$1.1 billion deal with China to lease the
southern Hambantota port to Beijing
on July 29, 2017. Hambantota port,
overlooking the Indian Ocean, is
expected to play a key role in China’s
‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative,
otherwise known as the new Silk Road,
which will link ports and roads between
China and Europe. The amended
agreement was signed between the Sri
Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and the
China Merchant Port Holdings at the
Ministry of Ports and Shipping under
the auspices of Prime Minister Mr. Ranil
Wickremesinghe. Mr. Wickremesinghe
said that the government is giving the
country a better deal without debt. He
said that money from the deal will help
repay foreign loans.
105
 Under the proposal, a state-run
Chinese company will have a 99-year
lease on the port and about 15,000 acres
nearby for an industrial zone. The plan
envisaged the eviction of thousands of
villagers but the government said that
they will be given new land. The deal
had been delayed by several months
over concerns that the port could be
used by the Chinese military. In a move
to ease those concerns, the Sri Lankan
government announced a revised deal
to cut the stake of Chinese firm to
70 percent. Officials also made
assurances that the port would not be
used by the Chinese military.
The Sri Lankan government said that
China would run only commercial
operations from the port, on the main
shipping route between Asia and Europe
and the deal would enable Sri Lanka to
get out of the debt trap. It borrowed
millions of dollars from China to build
roads, ports and airports to revive the
economy after the end of the civil war
in 2009 and has been struggling to repay.
Officials said that the money from
the deal would be used to repay a part
of the loan.
India is apprehensive that the port is
a part of Chinese ‘String of Pearls’ with
an objective to surround India and dock
its military vessels. The String of Pearls
is a geopolitical theory on potential
Chinese intentions in the Indian
Ocean region. It refers to the network
of Chinese military and commercial
facilities and relationships along its sea
lines of communication extending from
the Chinese mainland to Port Sudan.
These sea lines run through several major
maritime choke points such as the Strait
of Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of
Malacca and the Lombok Strait as well
as other strategic maritime centres in
Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
and Somalia.
106
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Elected Interim Prime
Minister Of Pakistan After
Nawaz Sharif Resigns
Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was elected
as the interim Prime Minister
by Pakistan’s National Assembly, on
August 1, 2017, after the Supreme Court
disqualified Mr. Nawaz Sharif over the
Panama Papers scandal. Mr. Abbasi got
elected after getting 221 votes in the
House of 342. Mr. Naveed Qamar of
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) got 47 votes,
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf got 33 while Jamaat-e-
Islami’s Mr. Sahibzada Tariqullah
managed just four votes. Mr. Nawaz
Sharif quit on July 28, 2017 after the
Supreme Court disqualified him from
the post because of the corruption
charges levelled against him and his
family in the Panama Papers case. The
National Assembly, the lower house of
Parliament, was summoned by President
Mr. Mamnoon Hussain to elect the new
leader. Mr. Sharif ’s Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominated
Mr. Abbasi as interim Prime Minister
until Mr. Nawaz Sharif ’s brother Mr.
Shehbaz Sharif is elected as a National
Assembly member.
Both Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Finance
Minister Mr. Ishaq Dar were disqualified
by the Supreme Court from holding
office. Mr. Sharif ’s daughter Ms. Maryam
Nawaz, who was seen to be his successor,
will not be allowed to contest elections.
It was a unanimous decision by the five-
judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal
Khan that since Mr. Sharif had been
dishonest to Parliament and the courts,
he was not fit to hold the position. The
top court has ordered for the corruption
case against Mr. Sharif to be referred to
the National Accountability Bureau.
Mr. Sharif was also named in the Panama
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Papers leak in 2016. The leaked
documents from Panamanian law firm
Mossack Fonseca had revealed that three
of his children—his sons Mr. Hassan
and Mr. Hussain Sharif and his daughter
Ms. Maryam Sharif—owned offshore
companies and undisclosed assets,
including four expensive flats in Park
Lane, London. The panel had said that
it had found significant disparities
between the incomes of Mr. Sharif and
his family and their actual wealth.
Mr. Nawaz Sharif ’s declared assets stood
1.84 billion Pakistani rupees (Rs. 1.13
billion) in 2016.
United States Commissions
World’s Largest Aircraft
Carrier
The United States Navy officially
inducted USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78),
the world’s largest nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier at Naval Station Norfolk,
Virginia on July 22, 2017. It is the most
advanced aircraft carrier in the world.
US President Mr. Donald Trump helped
to commission the USS Gerald R Ford
and declared that the most advanced
aircraft carrier to join the Navy would
cause America’s enemies to “shake with
fear” whenever they see its form cutting
across the horizon. Mr. Trump praised
the US military and the American labour
that went into building the 100,000 ton,
$12.9 billion warship. USS Gerald R
Ford is first in the series of three of
the futuristic ships of the Ford-class
carriers ordered by the US Navy.
The ship is named after the 38th
President of the US Gerald Ford to
pay tribute to his lifetime services to
the nation in the US Navy and the US
government. Construction on the USS
Gerald R Ford started in 2009 and was
to be completed by September 2015.
USS Gerald R Ford is 1,106-feet long
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
equivalent to the size of about three
football fields. It has two nuclear
reactors on board that can operate for
up to 20 years without refuelling.
Compared to earlier Nimitz class aircraft
carriers, it is rigged with state-of-the-
art technology and can carry more
aircraft and weapons.
Hamburg Action Plan
Adopted At G-20 Summit
The 2017 Group of Twenty (G-20)
Summit was held on July 7 and 8, 2017,
at Hamburg Messe in Hamburg,
Germany. The summit was attended by
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
along with other world leaders. PM
Mr. Narendra Modi hit out at Pakistan
at the summit as he named terror groups
LeT and JeM along with global scourges
IS and Boko Haram to emphasise that
some countries use terrorism as a tool
and that the outfits are united by a
common ideology. He also presented an
11-point action agenda for fighting the
global menace which included
suggestions for exchange of lists of
terrorists among G-20 nations, easing
and expediting of legal processes like
extradition and concrete steps to choke
funds and weapon supply to the
terrorists. On the sidelines of the G-20
Summit, PM Mr. Modi met Italian PM
Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, South Korean
President Mr. Moon Jae-in, Japan’s PM
Mr. Shinzo Abe and Canada’s PM
Mr. Justin Trudeau. He discussed ways
to boost the bilateral ties and
cooperation at the global level with these
leaders.
The Hamburg Action Plan was adopted
at the G-20 Summit. In the document
“G20 Leader’s Declaration: shaping
an interconnected world”, global
leaders agreed to boost international
economic and financial cooperation.
107
The leaders expressed their will to
create more sustainable global
supply chains, enforcing labour, social and
environmental standards established by
the United Nations System, especially the
International Labour Organisation. The
divide between the United States and rest
of the world on the Paris Agreement on
climate change was formalised with the
G-20 Declaration taking note of the US
intent to withdraw from the global deal.
While leaders of 19 countries of the
G-20 Group, including India, reaffirmed
their faith in the Paris deal, calling it
“irreversible”, the US stood by itself. The
US did manage to get its position on fossil
fuels inserted in the joint statement which
said that the USA will endeavour to work
closely with other countries to help them
access and use fossil fuels more cleanly
and efficiently, the point which remained
a bone of contention with the rest
of the G-20.
122 Countries Adopt Global
Treaty Banning Nuclear
Weapons
A global treaty banning nuclear
weapons was adopted at the United
Nations on July 7, 2017 despite
opposition from the United States,
Britain, France and other nuclear powers
that boycotted negotiations. The treaty
was adopted by a vote of 122 in favour
with one country—NATO member The
Netherlands voting against—while
Singapore abstained. The vote that
capped three weeks of negotiations on
the text providing for a total ban on
developing, stockpiling or threatening to
use nuclear weapons. Nuclear-armed
states have dismissed the ban as
unrealistic, arguing that it will have no
impact on reducing the global stockpile
of 15,000 atomic weapons. The
ambassador of Costa Rica, Ms. Elayne
108
Whyte Gomez negotiated the treaty. Led
by Austria, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa
and New Zealand, 141 countries joined
in drafting the treaty that they hope will
increase pressure on nuclear states to
take disarmament more seriously. None
of the nine countries that possess nuclear
weapons—the United States, Russia,
Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan,
North Korea and Israel—took part in
the negotiations or the vote. Even
Japan—the only country to have suffered
atomic attacks, in 1945—boycotted the
talks as did most NATO countries.
Nuclear powers argue that their
arsenals serve as a deterrent against a
nuclear attack and say that they remain
committed to the nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The decades-
old NPT seeks to prevent the spread of
atomic weapons and also puts the onus
on nuclear states to reduce their
stockpiles. Impatience, however, is
growing among many non-nuclear states
over the slow pace of disarmament as
there are worries that weapons of mass
destruction will fall into the wrong hands.
Disarmament campaigners say that the
treaty will go a long way in increasing the
stigma associated with nuclear weapons
and will have an impact on public opinion.
Narendra Modi Government
Most Trusted In The World:
OECD Report
Indians have the most confidence
in their government, a report published
by Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD)
said. The 2017 edition of the OECD’s
‘Government at a Glance Report’ released
on July 14, 2017 states that 73 percent
Indians have faith in PM Mr. Narendra
Modi-led NDA coalition, the highest in
the world. India is followed by the
Canadian government headed by Prime
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau, which has
the confidence of 62 percent citizens.
Turkey, which witnessed a failed coup
attempt in 2016, is in third place with
58 percent of the populace placing its
trust in the Erdogan government. Russia
and Germany rounded off the top 5,
with confidence levels at 58 percent and
55 percent respectively. On the other
hand, the United States government led
by President Mr. Donald Trump secured
only 30 percent of the peoples’
confidence. In the United Kingdom,
which is in the midst of a bitter ‘Brexit’
following a divisive referendum in 2016,
trust in Ms. Theresa May-led government
stands at 41 percent, as per the OECD
report.
The recent impeachment of President
Ms. Park Geun-hye over a corruption
scandal has reduced confidence in the
South Korean government to
25 percent. Greece, which had to bear
the brunt of the EU migration crisis
while struggling with a failing economy,
is at the bottom of the table with a
mere 13 percent of the people’s
confidence. Government trust levels are
generally determined by whether or not
people consider their government stable
and reliable, if it is able to protect its
citizens from risk and whether it can
effectively deliver public services.
Climate Change To Have
Devastating Effect In Asia
And The Pacific: Study
Climate change would bring
devastating consequences to countries
in the Pacific and Asia, a new report
has warned and said that southern India
may witness a decline in rice yields by
five percent in 2030s. Unabated climate
change could severely affect the future
growth of these countries, reverse
current development gains, and degrade
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
quality of life, the report by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and the
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact
Research (PIK) claimed. According to
the report called “A Region at Risk: The
Human Dimensions of Climate Change
in Asia and the Pacific”, Asia has the
highest number of people exposed to
flooding from possible storm surge
events, particularly in the People’s
Republic of China (PRC), India,
Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
It said that meanwhile, 130 million
people in low-elevation coastal zones in
Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, are at
the risk of being displaced by the end
of the century in worst-case scenarios.
While rice yields could potentially
increase in the northern States of India,
rice yields may decline by 5 percent in
the 2030s, 14.5 percent in the 2050s
and 17 percent in the 2080s in the
southern States, the report said.
The report added that different
modelling approaches are relatively
consistent in terms of projecting a yield
reduction in wheat production of 8
percent in India. Flood exposure is
apparently increasing in coastal cities due
to growing populations and assets and
subsidence, it said. Studying the 136
largest coastal cities, the authors
estimated that the average global flood
losses in 2005 were approximately $6
billion per year and will increase to $52
billion by 2050.
19th RCEP Trade
Negotiating Committee
Meeting Held In Hyderabad
The 19th round of the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) Trade Negotiating Committee
(TNC) meetings and other related
meetings were held in Hyderabad,
Telangana from July 17-28, 2017.
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Besides, the 19th round of TNC,
parallel meetings were also held by the
three main working groups on trade in
goods, services and investment. Working
groups in other areas like electronic
commerce, intellectual property, legal
and institutional issues etc. also had held
their meetings. All RCEP Participating
Countries (RPCs) agreed that RCEP
agreement has immense potential to
deliver on new economic opportunities
including job creation that are much
needed in today’s uncertain world. India
held that RCEP can offer a forward
looking alternative in face of growing
protectionism in the world. RPCs also
expressed shared commitment to work
collectively and in cooperative manner
to progress the negotiations in an
accelerated way and achieve a
comprehensive, modern, high-quality
and mutually beneficial agreement that
balances and addresses sensitivities and
aspirations of participating countries.
RCEP is a proposed comprehensive
regional economic integration
agreement (mega Free Trade
Agreement) amongst the 10-ASEAN
countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines,
Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam) and
its six Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
partners, viz. Australia, New Zealand,
India, China, Japan and Korea. RCEP
negotiations were formally launched at
2012 ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.
RCEP is viewed as an alternative to the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a
proposed trade agreement that includes
several Asian and American nations but
excludes China and India. Till 2017,
RCEP member states accounted for a
population of 3.4 billion people with a
total GDP (in terms of PPP) of $49.5
trillion, approximately 39% of the
world’s GDP (combined GDPs of
China and India makes up more than
half that amount).
110
North Korea Tests
Intercontinental Missile
Cocking a snook at the US President’s
declaration some time ago that no
ballistic missile test by North Korea
would happen, the defiant North Korea
claimed on July 4, 2017 that it tested its
first intercontinental missile. It is a
potential game-changing development in
the world’s most dangerous nuclear
stand-off. A US scientist, who examined
the height and distance, said that the
missile could potentially be powerful
enough to reach Alaska. North
Korea’s Academy of Defence Science
said that the test of an ICBM, the
Hwasong-14, marked the “final step”
in creating a “confident and powerful
nuclear state that can strike anywhere
on Earth.”
It will be difficult to confirm many
details about what happened. The US,
South Korean and Japanese officials
earlier assessed that the North fired an
intermediate-range missile into waters
near Japan. Japanese Chief Cabinet
Secretary Mr. Yoshihide Suga declined
to comment on whether Japan thinks
it was indeed an ICBM, and South
Korea’s Defence Ministry said it was
analysing whether the North’s statement
was accurate.
North Korea had previously
launched satellites in what critics said
were disguised tests of its long-range
missile technology. A test-launch of an
ICBM, however, would be a major step
in developing nuclear-armed missiles
that could reach anywhere in the
United States.
The launch sends a political warning
to Washington and its chief Asian allies,
Seoul and Tokyo, while also allowing
North Korean scientists a chance to
perfect their still-incomplete nuclear
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
missile programme. It came on the
eve of the US Independence Day holiday.
Reacting to this launch, US President
Mr. Donald Trump accused China of
non-cooperation with regard to looking
for ways to avert North Korea’s
nuclear threat and said that it could
result in retaliatory trade measures
against China. Mr. Trump has been
trying to convince China to tell North
Korea to put an end to its nuclear and
missile programmes. Earlier, the US had
also offered China a better trade deal
for doing so.
“Trade between China and North
Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter.
So much for China working with us—
but we had to give it a try!”, Mr. Trump
posted on Twitter, referring to his efforts
to draft Beijing to deal with the crisis, and
signalling that he was now giving up.
Testing of an inter-continental ballistic
missile (ICBM) that could reach the US
west coast by North Korea on July 4, 2017
has increased the urgency of the threat.
“...Perhaps China will put a heavy
move on North Korea and end this
nonsense once and for all!”, the
President had tweeted after the test. In
another post on July 5, 2017, that
indicated he is considering a trade
confrontation with China, Mr. Trump
said: “The United States made some of
the worst Trade deals in world history.
Why should we continue these deals
with countries that do not help us?” As
he left the White House for the airport
a little later, he responded to shouted
questions from reporters, about
North Korea: “We’re going to do very
well.”
The Twitter strike could be partly a
negotiating tactic to increase pressure
on the Chinese leader ahead of their
face-to-face meeting.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
India-Israel Take Their
Partnership To Strategic Level
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
was on a visit to Israel from July 4
to 6, 2017. Mr. Modi has become the
first Prime Minister of India to visit
the Jewish nation. PM Mr. Modi
received a rousing reception at the Ben-
Gurion International Airport near Tel
Aviv with Israeli PM Mr. Benjamin
Netanyahu greeting him with the words
“Aapka swagat hai mere dost”.
Extending the honour, which had so
far been accorded only to the Pope and
the President of the United States, is
symbolic of the significance attached
to the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime
Minister to Israel.
PM Mr. Modi said that his visit
celebrates the centuries old links
between India and Israel’s societies as
well as the establishment of 25 years
of diplomatic relations between the two
countries. PM Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu
also expressed his admiration for
India’s culture, history, democracy
and commitment to progress.
Mr. Netanyahu accompanied Mr. Modi
closely throughout his three-day trip—
a gesture customarily reserved for the
US Presidents. Mr. Modi also met
Israeli President Mr. Reuven Rivlin
in Jerusalem.
The historic visit saw India and Israel
elevate their ties to the strategic
partnership level. After the wide-ranging
talks, the two sides signed seven pacts
covering areas like innovation, water
conservation, agriculture and space.
India and Israel also agreed to set up a
$40 million fund for industrial research
and development, and innovation fund,
with both countries contributing $20
million each. Besides, separate MoUs
were signed on cooperation in GEO-
LEO optical link and cooperation in
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electric propulsion for small satellites.
PM Mr. Modi and PM Mr. Netanyahu
issued a joint statement recognising that
terrorism poses a grave threat to global
peace and stability and reiterated their
strong commitment to combat it in all
its forms and manifestations. The
leaders asserted that strong measures
should be taken against terrorists, terror
organisations, their networks and all
those who encourage, support and
finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary
to terrorists and terror groups. Both
the leaders also committed to cooperate
for the early adoption of the
Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT). Israeli
PM Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu said that
India-Israel cooperation marks a “match
made in heaven”.
PM Mr. Modi laid a wreath at the
Yad Vashem Memorial Museum and
paid tributes to over six million Jews
killed by Nazi Germany. In a special
gesture, Mr. Modi met Moshe
Holtzberg, an 11-year old Israeli child
who was just two years old when he
lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai
terror attack at Chabad House.
Mr. Modi gifted his Israeli counterpart
Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of
two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded
as key artifacts of the long Jewish
history in India, comprising two
different sets of copper plates that are
believed to have been inscribed in 9th
and 10th centuries.
UN Refugee Agency Says
Record 65.6 Million People
Displaced Worldwide
A record 65.6 million people are either
refugees, asylum seekers or internally
displaced across the globe, the UN
refugee agency has said. The estimated
figure for the end of 2016 is an increase
of 300,000 on 2015, according to its
112
annual report. It is a smaller increase
than 2014, when the figure rose
by five million. The UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Filippo
Grandi said that it was still a
disheartening failure of international
diplomacy. The world seems to have
become unable to make peace, he said.
Old conflicts continue to linger and new
conflicts erupt, and both produce forced
displacement, Mr. Grandi said. In 2016,
some 3,40,000 people fled the violence
in South Sudan into neighbouring
Uganda. That was more than any other
country—even more than the 2,00,000
people estimated to have fled Syria.
The UN said that it hopes that the
record-breaking numbers of displaced
would encourage wealthy countries to
think again—not just to accept more
refugees, but to invest in peace promotion
and reconstruction as well. Mr. Grandi
also warned of the burden being placed
on many of the world’s poorest states, as
some 84% of the world’s displaced people
are living in poor and middle income
countries. Out of 65.6 million displaced
people in the world, 22.5 million are
refugees, 40.3 million are displaced in their
own country and 2.8 million are seeking
asylum. The largest number of refugees
is from Syria (5.5 million), followed by
Afghanistan (2.5 million) and South Sudan
(1.4 million). Another 6.3 million Syrians
are internally displaced. Turkey is hosting
most of the refugees (2.9 million),
followed by Pakistan (1.4 million),
Lebanon (1 million), Iran (979,4000),
Uganda (940,800) and Ethiopia (791,600).
Switzerland Ratifies Auto Info
Sharing With India And 40 Other
Nations On Black Money
Switzerland ratified automatic
exchange of financial account
information with India and 40 other
jurisdictions on June 16, 2017, to
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
facilitate immediate sharing of details
about suspected black money, even as it
sought strict adherence to confidentiality
and data security. Adopting the dispatch
on the introduction of the AEOI, a
global convention for automatic
information exchange on tax matters, the
Swiss Federal Council said that the
implementation is planned for 2018 and
the first set of data should be exchanged
in 2019. The council, which is the top
governing body of the European nation,
will soon notify the Indian government
about the exact date from which the
automatic exchange would begin. As per
the draft notification approved by the
council in its meeting, the decision is
not subject to any referendum—which
means there should be no further
procedural delay in its implementation.
The issue of black money has been a
matter of great debate in India and
Switzerland has been long perceived as
one of the safest havens for the illicit
wealth allegedly stashed abroad by
Indians. The recent decision follows
hectic parleys between India and
Switzerland for introduction of the
AEOI (Automatic Exchange of
Information) on tax matters under the
guidance of G20, OECD and other
global organisations. The council said
that the proposal to introduce AEOI
with India and others “met with
widespread approval from the interested
parties who voiced their opinions in the
consultations”. “In concrete terms, the
AEOI will be activated with each
individual state or territory by means of
a specific federal decree within the
framework of this dispatch,” it added.
The exchange of information itself
will be carried out based on the
Multilateral Competent Authority
Agreement (MCAA) on the Automatic
Exchange of Financial Account
Information, which is in turn based on
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
the international standard for the
exchange of information developed by
the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD).
193 Countries Of The World
Unite To Take Action And
Save Oceans From Pollution
The 193 UN member nations have
issued an urgent call for action to reverse
the decline in the health and productivity
of the world’s oceans, with the United
States backing the action plan but rejecting
its support for the Paris Agreement to
tackle climate change. The final document
was gavelled to approval by consensus at
the end of the first-ever UN Conference
On Oceans held in UN Headquarters at
New York from June 5 to 9, 2017. It
recognises the critical importance of the
world’s seas for the future of the planet:
Covering three-quarter of the Earth, they
supply nearly half the oxygen that we
breathe, absorb over a quarter of the
carbon dioxide we produce, provide food,
and play key roles in water cycles and the
climate system. The government leaders
called on people and organisations
everywhere to take action to reverse the
threats from plastic garbage, illegal and
excessive fishing, rising sea levels that
could wipe out small islands, and
increasing acidity of ocean water that is
killing marine life.
UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio
Guterres opened the first UN
Conference On Oceans with a warning
that the seas are “under threat as never
before,” noting one recent study warns
that discarded plastic garbage could
outweigh fish by 2050 if nothing is done.
The UN chief told presidents, ministers,
diplomats and environmental activists
from nearly 200 countries that oceans—
“the lifeblood of our planet”—are being
severely damaged by pollution, garbage,
overfishing and the effects of climate
113
change. The five-day conference, which
began on World Environment Day, is
the first major event to focus on climate
since US President Mr. Donald Trump,
announced earlier that the United States
would withdraw from the 2015 Paris
Climate Agreement.
68 Countries Sign OECD
Pact To Plug Tax Treaty
Loopholes
Sixty-eight countries have signed a
ground-breaking multilateral BEPS
convention that will close loopholes in
thousands of tax treaties worldwide. The
multilateral instrument was signed at the
OECD headquarters in Paris on June 7,
2017. The OECD multilateral convention
aimed to crack down on tax evasion
around the world, be it companies or
investors, anybody trying to create a
structure primarily to avoid or evade taxes.
The multilateral instrument was signed by
Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley on
behalf of India. The multilateral
instrument (MLI), developed by
the OECD under Action 15 of the
BEPS project, will transpose BEPS
recommendations into over 1,100 tax
treaties worldwide. The Convention will
strengthen provisions to resolve treaty
disputes, including through mandatory
binding arbitration (which has been
adopted by 25 signatories), to reduce
double taxation and increase tax certainty
for businesses. Eight additional countries
and jurisdictions have signed a letter
expressing their intent to sign the
convention.
The new convention was developed
through negotiations involving more than
100 countries and jurisdictions, under a
mandate delivered by G20 Finance
Ministers and Central Bank Governors at
their February 2015 meeting. Ministers
and high-level officials from 76 countries
and jurisdictions have signed or formally
114
expressed their intention to sign the
multilateral convention.
OECD Secretary-General Ms. Angel
Gurría said that the signatories are moving
towards rapid implementation of the far-
reaching reforms agreed under the BEPS
project in more than 1,100 tax treaties
worldwide, and radically transforming the
way that tax treaties are modified.
Donald Trump Withdraws
US From Paris Climate
Agreement
American President Mr. Donald Trump
announced America’s shock withdrawal
from the Paris climate accord on June 1,
2017, prompting a furious global backlash
and throwing efforts to slow global
warming into serious doubt. In a sharply
nationalistic address from the White
House Rose Garden, Mr. Trump
announced that the United States would
immediately stop implementing the “bad”
195-nation accord. He said that he could
not support a deal that “punishes the
United States”, decrying what he said
were the “draconian financial and
economic burdens the agreement
imposes on the United States”. Mr. Trump
said that the Paris accord would
undermine the US economy, cost US
jobs, weaken American national
sovereignty and put the country at a
permanent disadvantage to the other
countries of the world. He repeatedly
painted the pact, struck by his predecessor
Mr. Barack Obama, as a capitulation, a
deal that did not “put America first” and
was too easy on economic rivals India,
China and Europe. He said that he was
elected to represent the citizens of
Pittsburgh, not Paris. However,
Mr. Trump offered no details about how,
or when, a formal withdrawal would
happen, and at one point suggested that
a renegotiation could take place.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 International leaders including the
Pope had pressed Mr. Trump not to
abandon the accord. The idea was
unceremoniously slapped down by
furious allies in Europe. Italian Prime
Minister Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, German
Chancellor Ms. Angela Merkel and
French President Mr. Emmanuel
Macron said in a rare joint statement
that the agreement cannot be
renegotiated and urged their allies to
hasten efforts to combat climate change.
They pledged to do more to help
developing countries adapt. Canadian
Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau said
that while the US decision is
disheartening, Canada remains inspired
by the growing momentum around the
world to combat climate change and
transition to clean growth economies.
The United States is the world’s
second largest emitter of greenhouse
gases after China, so Mr. Trump’s
decision could seriously hamper efforts
to cut emissions and limit global
temperature increases. Amid
Mr. Trump’s domestic critics was
former President Mr. Barack Obama,
who expressed regret over the pullout
from a deal he was instrumental in
brokering.
France Extends Support To
India Against Terrorism
India and France agreed to further
deepen their cooperation to tackle one
of the biggest challenges of terrorism
as Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
met newly-elected French President
Mr. Emmanuel Macron in Paris on
June 3, 2017. Issuing a joint statement
along with French President Mr. Macron
at Elysee Palace, PM Mr. Modi said that
climate change and terrorism are two
big threats in front of humanity. He
said that terrorism is visible and it
affects entire world, including France
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
and India. The world needs to unite to
defeat the menace of terrorism, he said.
Mr. Macron said that France fully
supports India’s fight against terrorism.
The two countries agreed to fight
terrorism in all its forms. Mr. Modi
invited the French President to visit
India. Mr. Macron accepted the
invitation and said that he would be
travelling to India by end of the year
and the two sides would convene a
meeting of the world solar alliance.
PM Mr. Modi and President
Mr. Macron also discussed issues of
international and mutual interests
including ways to enhance the strategic
ties, countering terrorism and climate
change. On Paris agreement, PM Modi
said that it is a shared legacy of the
world and it will benefit the future
generations as well. He said that Paris
Agreement reflects our duty towards
protecting the Earth and our natural
resources. Mr. Macron too echoed PM
Mr. Modi’s views. He said that France
was committed to fighting climate
change and would continue, not only
within framework of Paris accord but
also in actions it was implementing.
Mr. Modi also highlighted that India and
France enjoy deep-rooted ties. PM
Mr. Modi also appreciated the positivity
of President Mr. Macron towards the
International Solar Alliance. Mr. Modi
had arrived in France after his visit to
Russia, Germany and Spain.
US Reduces Visas For
Pakistani Nationals By
40 Percent
After Mr. Donald Trump has become
the President of America, Pakistan
citizens have been reduced by 40 percent
of the visas approved for visiting the US.
However, Pakistan’s name is not in the
list of countries with trip restrictions, but
despite this, there is a shortage of visas
115
for Pakistani nationals. This is revealed
in the new monthly official data of the
US State Department. Interestingly, the
number of non-immigration American
visas for Indians has increased by 28%
in March-April 2017, as per the official
data. This increase has been recorded
compared to the previous monthly
average. In the Pakistan media, the data
released by the US State Department
said that non-immigration visas granted
to Pakistanis decreased by 40 percent
compared to the monthly average of
March and April 2017. Pakistani citizens
were issued 3,925 visas in April 2017 and
3,973 visas in March 2017 under the
Trump Administration.
The Obama administration issued
78,637 total non-immigration visas for
Pakistani citizens with monthly average
of 6,553. This is 40 percent more than
the present average. Before March 2017,
the US State Department had not issued
the visa information monthly and only
the annual data was available. According
to these figures, Indian citizens were
granted 87,049 visas in April 2017,
whereas 97,925 Indian visas were
approved in March 2017. Last year, 72,082
non-immigration visas were approved
for citizens of India every month.
The six countries targeted by US
President Mr. Donald Trump’s revised
travel ban experienced a 55 percent
decline in non-immigrant visas compared
with last year’s monthly average. Experts
believe that drop in visas may indicate
that more visa applicants are now subject
to excessive scrutiny. In January 2017,
Mr. Trump signed an executive order,
temporarily barring people from seven
Muslim-majority countries—Iraq, Syria,
Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen.
In March, he signed the revised travel
ban excluding Iraq from the list. The
order was challenged in a court and a
judge had halted the travel ban.
116
ICJ Stays Kulbhushan
Jadhav’s Death Sentence By
Pakistani Court
The International Court of Justice
ordered Pakistan not to execute
Mr. Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian
Navy officer convicted of alleged
espionage and terrorism on May 18,
2017, till it gives a final decision on New
Delhi’s petition to annul his death
sentence. Mr. Ronny Abraham,
President of the United Nations’ highest
court in The Hague said that Pakistan
shall take all measures at its disposal to
ensure that Mr. Jadhav is not executed
pending the final decision in the court’s
proceedings and shall inform the court
of all the measures taken in
implementation of the order. In its
“provisional measures” that were
adopted unanimously, the 12-judge
tribunal said it would remain “seized
of the matters” which form the subject
of its order until it gives its final
judgment. The order came three days
after India and Pakistan presented their
arguments in the case of Mr. Jadhav,
which has further strained bilateral
relations.
Pakistan said that Mr. Jadhav, 46, was
arrested in March 2016 in the restive
Balochistan province. In April 2017, a
military court sentenced him to death for
alleged involvement in spying and
subversive activities. India has contended
that he was kidnapped from the Iranian
port of Chabahar and his secret trial was
a “farce”. At the hearing at ICJ, India
described Mr. Jadhav’s trial as a “serious
miscarriage of justice” because Indian
diplomats were not granted consular
access to him and he was not allowed to
choose his own defence lawyer. India
argued that these restrictions amounted
to a breach of the 1963 Vienna
Convention on Consular Relations.
Pakistan claimed that ICJ did not have
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
the jurisdiction to take up Mr. Jadhav’s
case as it was a “national security” issue,
and that the court did not need to issue
an order to stay his execution because
it was not imminent. However, the ICJ
concluded that it has “prima facie
jurisdiction” as Pakistan’s alleged failure
to provide “requisite consular
notifications with regard to the arrest
and detention” of Mr. Jadhav and “the
alleged failure to allow communication
and provide access to him” fell within
the scope of the Vienna Convention.
The ICJ said that India’s contention
about Mr. Jadhav’s rights to consular
notification and access “are plausible”.
It also agreed with India’s arguments
about the urgency of Mr. Jadhav’s case.
8 MoUs Signed At India-
Pacific Islands Sustainable
Development Conference
India hosted a two-day India-Pacific
Islands Sustainable Development
Conference from May 25 to 26, 2017
in Suva, the capital city of Fiji. The
conference that was inaugurated by the
Acting Fijian Prime Minister Mr. Aiyaz
Sayed- Khaiyum saw the signing of
eight MoUs on the day of inauguration.
These MoUs were signed by five
participating nations, namely Fiji, Cook
Islands, Nauru, Samoa and Niue. On
behalf of India, the inaugural session
of the conference was addressed by
Gen. (Dr.) V.K. Singh (Retd.), Minister
of State for External Affairs. Four
MoUs were signed between India and
Fiji namely: MoU for cooperation on
broadcasting between Prasar Bharti,
New Delhi and Fiji Broadcasting
Corporation for Exchange of Audio
Visual Programmes; MoU for
establishing India-Fiji Centre of
Excellence in IT; MoU on Co-operation
in the field of Renewable Energy; and
MoU on Cooperation in the field of
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Sports and Youth Development. Apart
from these, four MoUs were signed
between India and Cook Islands, Nauru,
Samoa and Niue for Establishing
Centres of Excellence in IT by India
and the four nations respectively.
The conference was held under the
framework of the Forum for India
Pacific Islands Co-operation (FIPIC)
and was organised by the Ministry of
External Affairs of India to boost the
bilateral relations with 14 Pacific Island
countries. The event saw the
participation of Presidents and Prime
Ministers along with the business
leaders, academics, civil society members
and youth from the Pacific Island
countries. The focus of the two-day
conference was on several issues of the
region including the blue economy,
adaptation-mitigation practices for
climate change, disaster preparedness,
health, International Solar Alliance as
well as finding practical solutions to
Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDC) implementation. Besides, during
the conference, Gen. V.K. Singh also
announced that India will contribute
$1 million to Fiji’s Trust Fund for their
Presidency of COP-23 to be held in
November 2017.
China Launches First
Home-built Aircraft Carrier
With an aim to aggressively expand
its naval capabilities to stay ahead of all
Asian nations, China launched its first
indigenously built aircraft carrier on
April 26, 2017. With this, the Chinese
Navy has become on a par with the
Indian Navy which has two aircraft
carriers.
The aircraft carrier is 1,033-foot long
and will be formally commissioned
before 2020 after sea trials. With its
aircraft carriers and their vessel
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formations, Chinese navy can patrol
the Pacific and Indian oceans to
safeguard its national economic as well
as scientific and technological interests,
according to Chinese military experts.
The aircraft carrier is having weight of
50,000 tonnes and has Soviet Kuznetsov
class. It will be driven by the
conventional oil-fuelled steam turbine
power plant. With this aircraft carrier
built indigenously, China has joined
exclusive club of US, Russia and United
Kingdom.
The yet-unnamed Chinese carrier
will carry 24 Shenyang J-15 fighters,
based on the Sukhoi Su-33, along
with 12 helicopters. The launch of the
aircraft carrier comes amid Beijing’s
aggressive stance on South China Sea
dispute. India is wary about China’s
increasing activities in the Indian Ocean.
There are indications that China, by
launching the aircraft carrier, has sent
out the signal to the US, which has
deployed THAAD missile in South Korea
in response to North Korea’s
development of nuclear weapons. The
new carrier is part of an ambitious
expansion of the Chinese navy, which is
projected to have between 265 and 273
warships, submarines and logistic vessels
by 2020, according to defence experts.
China is believed to be planning to build
at least two and probably up to four
additional carriers, with one of them,
the Type 002, reported to be under
construction at a shipyard outside
Shanghai, as per a report by Associated
Press in Beijing.
India, Israel Sign
$2 Billion Missile Deals
India and Israel sealed defence deals
worth over $2 billion on April 6, 2017.
The deals pertained to advanced
surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems,
designed to destroy hostile aircraft,
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missiles and drones at a range of
70 km. Notably, the deals came through
in the wake of the upcoming visit of
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to
Israel in the month of July in 2017. Both
the countries coming together for
defence deals also marked further
strengthening of bilateral partnership.
The major deal was for the joint project
between the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO)
and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
for the Barak-8 medium-range SAM
systems to initially include on a regiment
of 16 launchers and 560 missiles for the
Indian Army.
The 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft
carrier INS Vikrant, being built at the
Cochin Shipyard, will be fitted with a
similar SAM system, as per the second
deal inked between India and Israel. The
Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)
under Prime Minister Mr. Narendra
Modi had cleared in February 2017 the
MR-SAM project for the Army at an
overall cost of Rs. 16,830 crore. The
two similar DRDO-IAI programmes are
already underway for the next-
generation SAMs for the Indian
warships at an initial cost of Rs. 2,606
crore and nine air defence squadrons
for the Indian Air Force for Rs. 10,076
crore.
The Barak-8 systems, with their
MF-STARs (multifunctional surveillance
and threat alert radars) as well as
weapon control systems with data links,
can detect and track hostile aerial threats
at a range of 100-km and destroy them
at 70 km. This will help in plugging the
existing holes in the India’s air defence
coverage. Besides, bilateral negotiations
are underway for Israeli Phalcon
AWACS (airborne warning and control
systems) to be mounted on military
aircraft and four more Aerostat radars
at a cost upwards of $1.5 billion.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
US Deploys THAAD Missile
Defence System
In South Korea
In response to North Korea’s
advancing nuclear and missile threat, the
US military on April 26, 2017, started
moving an anti-missile defence system
to a deployment site in South Korea.
This move by the US triggered protests
from the local population around the
site and criticism from China, amid
tension over North Korea’s weapons
development. South Korea’s Defence
Ministry said that elements of the
Terminal High Altitude Area Defence
(THAAD) were moved to the
deployment site, on what had been a
golf course, about 250 km south of
Seoul. South Korea and the United
States have been working to secure an
early operational capability of the
THAAD system in response to North
Korea’s growing nuclear and missile
threat. The system deployed in South
Korea is expected to be operational by
the end of 2017.
South Korea and the United States
agreed on April 27, 2017 on ‘swift
punitive measures’ against North Korea
in the event of provocation. However,
the United States signalled sanctions and
diplomatic pressures on North Korea
being its priorities, as of now. Stand-
off escalated over North Korea’s
nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic
missiles and both South Korea and
United States agreed for the deployment
of US anti-missile defence system. Both
the countries—South Korea and the
United States pledged that in the event
of additional strategic provocation by
the North Korea, to swiftly take punitive
measures, including a new UN Security
Council resolution that are unbearable
for the North Korea. The United States
and North Korea have been stepping
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
up warnings to each other in recent
weeks over North Korea’s development
of nuclear weapons and missiles in
defiance of UN resolutions.
With US administration taking a
tough stance against North Korea, India
has moved ahead with the compliance
of UN resolution imposing sanctions
on the country. India on April 26, 2017,
notified the compliance of the UN
resolution imposing sanctions on North
Korea, which include prevention of
direct or indirect supply, sale, transfer
or export of all weaponry and related
material through its territories. The
notification banned supply, sale or
export of other materials, equipments,
goods and technology which could
contribute to North Korea’s nuclear-
related, ballistic missile-related or other
weapons of mass destruction-related
programmes.
Bangladesh-China-India-
Myanmar-Economic Corridor
Meeting Held To Review
Integration Process
To review the economic integration
process for Bangladesh-China-India-
Myanmar-Economic Corridor (BCIM-
EC), the two-day meeting was held,
beginning on April 25, 2017, in Kolkata.
The BCIM is sub-regional group to
review the economic development of
the region while facilitating the
construction of a 2,800-km economic
corridor from Kunming in south-west
China to Kolkata via Mandalay in
Myanmar, Imphal (Manipur) and Silchar
in India and Dhaka and Jessore in
Bangladesh. The idea gained momentum
after a meeting between Chinese Premier
Mr. Li Kequiang and then Indian Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2013.
In the third meeting of BCIM, the
delegates explored greater connectivity
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among BCIM countries, while forging
ahead with respective developmental
paths and engaging each other in
mutually beneficial areas for cooperation.
However, the disparity in development,
as indicated by delegates, between
Kunming and north-east India is one of
the reasons blocking the mega-BCIM
corridor project. Efforts are being
made by China to upgrade the
joint study group dialogue to the
‘intergovernmental’ level. But, the four
countries have different levels of
development and the common areas of
mutual interest are being identified for
setting up a joint mission. Chinese
delegates emphasised a mechanism to
initiate the process of government-to-
government dialogue. In the second
conference of BCIM held in 2014 in
Bangladesh, it was decided that
mechanism modalities of an inter-
governmental framework agreement
would be worked out on the basis of
reports by all BCIM countries. Reports of
all four countries have been finalised and
circulated and these reports will operate
as an important reference point for future
work.
British PM Theresa May
Signs Historic Letter To
Launch Brexit
Britain’s exit from the European
Union entered the last lap with Prime
Minister Ms. Theresa May signing the
Article 50 notification letter on
March 29, 2017, which will officially
begin the UK’s exit from the 28-member
club, ending a 44-year relationship. The
move comes nine months after the
divisive Brexit referendum. Ms. May’s
letter was hand-delivered to European
Council President Mr. Donald Tusk by
the British Ambassador to the EU,
Sir Tim Barrow, in Brussels, Belgium.
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Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that
was invoked with the sign provides both
the sides a time limit of two years to
reach an agreement. Unless both sides
agree to extend the deadline for talks,
Britain will leave EU in March 2019.
Article 50 refers to the formal procedure
by which an EU member state notifies
the European Council that it intends to
leave the bloc.
In a sign that Ms. May wants to foster
goodwill in the talks, she wrote in the
letter to European Council President
Mr. Donald Tusk that she knew there
would be consequences from Brexit and
Britain would lose influence over the
rules that govern the European economy.
After signing the letter Ms. May addressed
the British Parliament and said that in
accordance with the wishes of the British
people, the United Kingdom was leaving
the European Union. She said that Britain
would seek to agree its future partnership
with the bloc alongside the withdrawal
terms.
The Conference of the Presidents of
the political parties at the European
Parliament held a meeting following the
official triggering of Article 50 of the
Lisbon Treaty, the Brexit, in Brussels.
The European Parliament said that
Brexit could be reversed, but if Britain
pursued divorce from the EU it should
first settle its bill and protect citizens’
rights before a new trade deal with the
bloc can be discussed. In a draft
resolution published on the day Britain
formally triggered the two-year process
to leave the European Union, senior EU
lawmakers said there could be
transitional arrangements to smooth the
UK’s departure but they should not last
more than three years. In casting the
Brexit process as reversible, EU
lawmakers were seen to be offering a
concession to strengthen the hand of
Britons who voted to stay in the EU in
the membership referendum in 2016,
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
despite opposition from EU chief
negotiator Mr. Michel Barnier to making
any such reference. The EU parliament’s
resolution stressed that even if Britons
changed their mind they would not get
a better deal than what they had as
members of the world’s largest political
and trade bloc. British Prime Minister
Ms. Theresa May has declared that there
was no turning back from Brexit.
Britons voted by a margin of 52 to
48 percent to leave the EU.
India, US, Britain, France
Boycott UN Conference
On Banning Nuclear
Weapons
India did not participate in the first
UN conference in more than 20 years
on global nuclear weapons ban, which
opened in New York on March 27,
2017, amid objections from major
nuclear powers. More than 120 nations
in October 2016 voted on a UN
General Assembly resolution to convene
the conference to negotiate a legally
binding treaty to prohibit nuclear
weapons, leading towards their total
elimination. Britain, France, Israel,
Russia and the US voted no, while
China, India and Pakistan abstained
from voting on that resolution.
In its Explanation of Vote (EoV) given
for its abstention on the resolution in
October 2016, India had said that it was
not convinced that the proposed
conference could address the long-
standing expectation of the international
community for a comprehensive
instrument on nuclear disarmament. India
also maintained that the Geneva-based
Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the
single multilateral disar mament
negotiation forum. It had further said
that it supported the commencement of
negotiations in the Conference on
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Disarmament on a Comprehensive
Nuclear Weapons Convention, which in
addition to prohibition and elimination
also includes verification. It had said that
international verification was essential to
the global elimination of nuclear
weapons. India feels that the current
process does not include the verification
aspect. In line with its position that
India articulated in the EoV, India decided
not to participate in the conference. It
will, however, continue to follow the
developments in the event.
The US, France and the UK led a
group of over 40 nations that are strongly
protesting the UN talks. The USA’s envoy
to the UN Ms. Nikki Haley said that the
Assembly suddenly wanted to have a
hearing to ban nuclear weapons and while
she wanted a world with no nuclear
weapons, one also had to be realistic. She
said, pointing indirectly to North Korea,
that given the current times, “bad actors”
cannot be allowed to keep their nuclear
weapons while other nations try to
maintain peace and safety. Ms. Haley,
joined by UK’s Ambassador to the UN
Mr. Matthew Rycroft and her French
counterpart Mr. Francois Delattre, spoke
just before the General Assembly
convened its first substantive session
of the conference. She said that
Washington believes in the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty and had reduced its
weapons by 85 percent since the Treaty
went into place.
US Senate Votes To Approve
Montenegro As NATO’s
29th Member
The US Senate voted overwhelmingly
to approve Montenegro as NATO’s 29th
member on March 28, 2017, a move
backed by President Mr. Donald Trump
while seen as a rebuke to Russia’s
intervention in Eastern Europe. After a
121
procedural vote earlier, the accession
treaty for the small Balkan nation to join
the trans-Atlantic alliance sailed through
on a 97-2 vote. The measure now goes
to the White House for President
Mr. Trump’s formal ratification. To date,
25 other NATO members have ratified
Montenegro’s accession, a country of
6,20,000 people seen as a geostrategic
ally. The Netherlands and Spain have yet
to do so. Senate Democrat Mr. Chris
Murphy said on the Senate floor before
the vote that he was convinced that the
alliance between the two nations would
be stronger if Montenegro joined, noting
that the country, once a part of
Yugoslavia, occupies an incredibly
important space on the world map. The
Kremlin is opposed to Montenegro’s
accession, calling it a provocation that
would reinforce the pro-Western military
alliance’s presence in the Balkans.
The US vote comes days after a
Montenegrin special prosecutor accused
Russian state bodies of involvement in
an alleged coup plot during
Montenegro’s October election.
Moscow branded the accusation as
absurd. Russia also stands accused of
interfering in the US presidential
election in 2016, when US intelligence
agencies say it leaked hacked emails that
damaged Democrat Ms. Hillary
Clinton’s campaign. Several senators
have framed Montenegro’s accession as
nothing less than a test of resolve
against Russian President Mr. Vladimir
Putin. Republican Senator Ms. Susan
Collins said that she was happy that the
Russian campaign to try to dissuade the
people of Montenegro from joining
NATO, and the disinformation that
Russia disseminated, was not successful.
Mr. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
said that Montenegro’s membership
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sends a strong message of resolve to
Russia as it invades its neighbours and
seeks to upend the international order.
Military Wins In Donald
Trump’s Budget, Diplomacy,
Foreign Aid Lose Big
US President Mr. Donald Trump
presented his first budget proposal to
the Congress on March 15, 2017.
Mr. Trump’s new $1.15 trillion budget
would reshape America’s government
with the broad, conservative strokes he
promised as a candidate, ordering
generous increases for the military and
slashing domestic programmes. The
President’s initial budget proposal would
boost defence spending by $54 billion,
the largest increase since former US
President Mr. Ronald Reagan’s military
buildup of the 1980s. In a statement
titled “America First” that accompanied
the budget, Mr. Trump said that to
keep Americans safe, the government
made the tough choices that had
been put off for too long. The budget
would make a big down payment on
the US-Mexico border wall, which
Mr. Trump repeatedly promised the
Mexicans would pay for. The proposal
called for an immediate $1.4 billion
infusion with an additional $2.6 billion
planned for the 2018 budget year
starting October 1, 2017.
President Mr. Trump’s proposed
28 percent budget cut for US diplomacy
and foreign aid next year would preserve
$3.1 billion in security aid to Israel but
reduce funding for the United Nations,
climate change and cultural exchange
programmes. Mr. Trump proposed a
combined $25.6 billion budget for the
State Department and USAID, a
28 percent reduction from current
spending. The budget also proposes
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
$12 billion in Overseas Contingency
Operations, funding for extraordinary
costs, chiefly in war zones such as
Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. The United
States would cut its contribution to the
UN budget by an unspecified amount,
and the US government would not pay
for more than 25 percent of UN
peacekeeping costs, the proposal said.
The US is the largest contributor to the
United Nations, paying 22 percent of
the $5.4 billion core UN budget and
28.5 percent of the $7.9 billion UN
peacekeeping budget. Mr. Trump also
plans to save money by eliminating the
US Global Climate Change Initiative,
which among other things seeks to foster
low-carbon economic growth, and by
ceasing payments to UN climate change
programmes via the Green Climate fund.
He proposed cutting funds to multilateral
development banks such as the World
Bank by about $650 million over three
years from the Obama administration’s
commitments; reducing money for the
State Department’s Educational and
Cultural Exchange Programmes; turning
some foreign military aid into loans from
grants and reorganising the State
Department and USAID.
President Trump’s
Merit-based Immigration
May Benefit Indian Techies
US President Mr. Donald Trump’s
proposal for a merit-based immigration
system has the potential to benefit a
large number of high-tech professionals
from countries like India. In his hour-
long address to a joint session of
Congress on Februar y 28, 2017,
Mr. Trump finally embraced the
conciliatory aspect of the job, by telling
all Americans, “We are one people, with
one destiny”. Mr. Trump said that the
US should give out green cards using a
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
merit-based system similar to those of
Canada and Australia in place of its
current “outdated” programme. By not
following such a system, he said, the US
was “straining the very public resources
that our poorest citizens rely upon.” He
further added that the current, outdated
system depresses wages for our poorest
workers and puts great pressure on the
taxpayers. “Switching away from this
current system of lower-skilled
immigration, and instead adopting a
merit-based system, will have many
benefits: it will save countless dollars,
raise workers’ wages, and help struggling
families—including immigrant
families—enter the middle class,” he
said. Mr. Trump introduced the idea of
a merit-based immigration system after
invoking the memory and words of the
late President Abraham Lincoln, saying,
“Lincoln was right and it is time we
heeded his words.”
Currently, the US immigration system
restricts the number of people who can
immigrate from each country to seven
percent of the total number allowed in
except for immediate relatives of
citizens. This has led to several years’
wait for Indians to get their green cards.
There is also an annual limit of 140,000
on employment-based green cards.
Because of the limits, most
professionals from India have to wait
as long as 12 years for a green card and
those with “exceptional qualifications”
nine years according to the State
Department visa availability data for
March. A merit-based system has the
potential to cut down the wait.
Mr. Trump said that the real and positive
immigration reform is possible as long
as it focuses on the goals to improve
jobs and wages for Americans to
strengthen the country’s security and to
restore respect for laws.
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 Mr. Trump’s position will effectively
regulate emigration into the US of the
wealthy and the high-skilled while
keeping out “your poor... your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free... the
wretched refuse of your teeming shore,”
that is enshrined on the Statue of
Liberty. He also implicitly connected
immigration to extremism and
terrorism, saying that those given the
“high honour of admission to the US
should support this country and love
its people and its values.”
Mr. Trump’s clarion call—“The time
for small thinking is over. The time for
trivial fights is behind us”—prompted
The New York Times, which has been
systematically devitalising him (amid his
denunciation of its failings) to note that
“at precisely the moment he needed to
project sobriety.” Washington Post
acknowledged: “This may have been the
best speech Mr. Trump has given since
he entered politics in June 2015 and
people rooting for his imminent demise
may be disappointed.”
Foreign Secretary Visits China
To Hold Strategic Dialogue
China and India held their upgraded
strategic dialogue in Beijing on
February 22, 2017, to shore up bilateral
ties amid hectic parleys to resolve
differences over the reluctance of Beijing
to support India’s NSG bid as well as a
UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar.
Just before the dialogue, Foreign Secretary
Mr. S. Jaishankar held talks with Chinese
Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi. Welcoming
Mr. Jaishankar, co-chair of the dialogue,
Mr. Wang said that China and India are
the two major developing countries and
emerging markets besides being
important nations in the world. The
official-level meetings made a very good
124
foundation for the successful strategic
dialogue, he said, adding that the Chinese
side attaches importance to the
reconstituted dialogue. In his response,
Mr. Jaishankar said that this was the first
time that the restructured strategic
dialogue was taking place. This shows
that the relationship between the two
countries has gone well beyond bilateral
manifestations. Stating that the two
countries are the members of G20,
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO), BRICS and the East Asia Summit,
he said that this will allow both the nations
to find more common ground on more
issues.
Mr. Jaishankar along with the
Executive Vice Foreign Minister of
China Mr. Zhang Yesui held the
strategic dialogue. Several top officials
from both sides, including those
in-charge of nuclear disarmament
issues, were present at the talks. The
talks were held in the backdrop of
vocal differences between the two
countries on a host of issues including
India’s concern over the $46-billion
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), the reluctance of Beijing to
back India’s application to join the
NSG and the UN ban on JeM chief
Masood Azhar. The strategic dialogue
was upgraded during Chinese Foreign
Minister Mr. Yi’s visit to New Delhi in
2016. China deputed Mr. Zhang, also
the head of the influential Communist
Party of China (CPC) Committee of
the Chinese Foreign Ministry, to co-
chair the talks. Ahead of the talks
Mr. Jaishankar, who formerly worked as
India’s Ambassador to China, met
China’s top diplomat Mr. Yang Jiechi
and held talks with him on the critical
issues bedevilling the bilateral ties.
During their talks, both Mr. Yang and
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Mr. Jaishankar expressed strong
commitment to develop positive
relations despite differences.
India, 5 Other Countries
Attend Meet On Afghanistan
In Russia
For the first time, India along with five
other regional powers, including China,
participated in a meet on Afghanistan
hosted by Russia, on February 15, 2017,
during which they discussed ways to work
for the stability, security and development
of the war-torn country. The Indian side
was represented by Joint Secretary,
External Affairs Ministry Mr. Gopal
Baglay, at the conference in Moscow which
was also attended by representatives of
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, China and
Iran. The conference was an initiative of
Russia-China-Pakistan trilateral and India
was invited during the visit of National
Security Advisor Mr. Ajit Doval to Russia
in January 2017. President Mr. Vladimir
Putin’s special envoy on Afghanistan
Mr. Zamir Kabulov represented Russia
at the one-day conclave.
India and Afghanistan took a hard
line at the six-nation talks, opposing the
dominant view from Russia, China and
Pakistan to involve the Taliban in
reconciliation efforts. Speaking about
the outcome of the talks that were held
between senior officials of all the
countries, that also included Iran,
External Affairs spokesperson Mr. Vikas
Swarup said that denying safe havens
or sanctuaries to any terrorist group or
individual in countries of the region was
essential for stabilising the situation in
Afghanistan. Reconciliation efforts
must be driven by the Afghanistan
government and could only be
facilitated by friends and well-wishers
of Afghanistan, he said, indicating that
the previous round of QCG
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
(Quadrilateral Coordination Group)
hosted by Pakistan was not acceptable.
Referring to Pakistan’s stand on “good/
bad Taliban” echoed by officials in
Moscow and the talks between China
and Taliban officials in 2016, he said
that the key challenge to the process
remains a policy selectivity by some to
distinguish between good and bad
terrorists, even though terrorism is a
common threat confronted by the whole
region, where if one of the nations does
not stand firm against it, others’
counter-terrorism efforts will not bear
the results all the nations seek.
India, Russia Hold
High-level Consultations
On Counter-terrorism Issues
India and Russia, as special and
privileged strategic partners, held high-
level consultations on counter-terrorism
issues on January 31, 2017. The Indian
delegation, led by National Security
Adviser Mr. Ajit Doval, was in
Moscow on a two-day visit to hold
bilateral talks at the invitation of
Mr. Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the
Security Council of Russia and a key
aide of President Mr. Vladimir Putin.
The two sides discussed issues of
mutual bilateral, regional and global
interest, with a special focus on
security and defence cooperation. India
and Russia reaffirmed their intention
to continue working together to curb
threats to national security posed by
terrorism including state-sponsored,
cross-border terrorism faced by India.
Mr. Doval and Mr. Patrushev noted
that the Special and Privileged Strategic
Partnership between India and Russia
was a great asset which facilitated
peace and stability in the region and
the world. They agreed to further
strengthen this partnership in all
areas.
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 Both the sides also shared concerns
regarding the emergence of Af-Pak
region as the epicentre of terrorism.
They discussed successful experiences in
curbing terrorism and countering
radicalisation. They agreed that the
UNSC 1267 Sanctions List processes for
blacklisting various terrorist individuals
and entities must be stringently
complied with. Prospects for deepening
engagement on counter-terrorism under
the UN, BRICS and SCO mechanisms
were also emphasised. India and Russia
agreed to a joint action plan which seeks
to focus on enhancing capacity-building,
frequent expert-level meetings, sharing
of insights, exchange of best practices
in countering radicalisation and curbing
terrorism. The two sides also highly
evaluated the plans to celebrate the 70th
anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between India and
Russia in 2017 and pledged to make
2017 a special year in the history of their
relations.
Trump Pulls US Out Of
Trans-Pacific Partnership
The US President Mr. Donald Trump
formally withdrew the United States
from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade
deal on January 23, 2017, distancing the
country from its Asian allies, as China’s
influence in the region rises. Fulfilling a
campaign pledge to end American
involvement in the 2015 pact,
Mr. Trump signed an executive order in
the Oval Office pulling the United States
out of the 12-nation TPP. Mr. Trump,
who wants to boost the US
manufacturing, said that he would seek
trade deals with the countries that would
allow the United States to quickly
terminate them in 30 days “if somebody
misbehaves”. The US is going to stop
the ridiculous trade deals that have taken
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everybody out of the country and taken
companies out of the country, the
Republican President said as he met the
union leaders in the Roosevelt Room of
the White House. The TPP accord,
backed heavily by the US business, was
negotiated by the administration of the
former Democratic President Mr. Barack
Obama but was never approved by
Congress. Mr. Obama had framed TPP,
which excluded China, as an effort to
write Asia’s trade rules before Beijing
could, establishing the US economic
leadership in the region as a part of his
“pivot to Asia”.
Paris Peace Conference 2017
More than 70 world diplomats
gathered in Paris for the Paris Peace
Conference on January 15, 2017. The
conference called for Israel and the
Palestinians to embrace a two-state
solution as the only route to peace. The
conference was held with the aim of
bringing both sides to the negotiating
table and maintaining support for a two-
state solution. The world leaders
emphasised the importance for the
parties to restate their commitment to
this solution, to take urgent steps in
order to reverse the current negative
trends on the ground including
continued acts of violence and ongoing
settlement activity. Any two-state
solution should satisfy both sides, the
closing statement of the conference said,
‘that includes recognising Palestinians’
sovereignty and their right to statehood,
as well as Israel’s security needs, while
ending “the occupation that began in
1967” and resolving all “permanent
status issues” based on the UN Security
Council resolutions. Among the
permanent status issues are Jerusalem,
Palestinian refugees, settlements, security
and borders.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 Success Stars In Junior Essay Contests : 815 & 816
Contest 815 Contest 816
INDIA : UNITY IN THE POWER OF
DIVERSITY POSITIVE THINKING
Prateek Kumar Ms. Satarupa Mukherjee
Room No. 74, Acharya Swastika Apartments,
Narendra Dev Hostel, BHU, Block-C, F/6, 2.5 Mile
Varanasi Sevoke Road, Siliguri
Highly Commendable Winners
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7. Ms. Thummala Madhuri, Anantapuramu; 8. Susushant, Madurai; 9. Ms. Lovely Mohanty, Bhubaneswar; 10. Vishal Kumar Singh,
Shahjahanpur; 11. Ms. Sandya Ravi Iyer, Pune; 12. Vikas Sharma, Gurugram; 13. Ms. Kalyani Sahoo, Balasore; 14. Rav Agarwal, Tezpur;
15. Ms. Pritilogna Santoshi Mahakud, Mayurbhanj; 16. Dipayan Chakraborty, Jalpaiguri; 17. Ms. Vani, Delhi;
18. Mayank Shrivastava, Burdwan; 19. Ms. Rotsnarani Basantia, Bhubaneswar; 20. Rajanikanta Behera, Ganjam; 21. Ms. Srishti
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Hazarika, Nagaon; 26. Swapnil Vanita Joglekar, Jabalpur; 27. Ms. Renu Yadav, Visakhapatnam; 28. Vijay Kaarthigeyan, Vellore;
29. Ms. N. Venkateswari, YSR Kadapa; 30. Ms. Ritika Arora, Delhi; 31. Ms. Monaswee Hazarika, Nagaon; 32. Ms. Anshuka, Delhi.
132 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
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 GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
AND REASONING
Directions (Qs. 1 to 4) : In these term missing. Choose the correct
questions, select the related word/ alternative from the given ones that
letters/number from the given will complete the series.
alternatives. 9. 4, 8, 12, 16, ? , 24
1. ACEG : JLNP : : BDFH : ____ (A) 20 (B) 30
(A) KMOQ (B) KLOR (C) 40 (D) 10
(C) KMPQ (D) BEFI 10. X Y Z A B C U V W ? .
2. 64 : 8 : : 16 : 4 : : ? : 2 (A) F (B) G
(A) 6 (B) 3 (C) D (D) E
(C) 4 (D) 5 11. 5, 17, 37, 65, ? , 145
3. Rashtrapati Bhavan : India, (A) 97 (B) 99
Downing Street : UK, White House: (C) 101 (D) 95
USA, Kremlin : ? . 12. If 52 + 26 = 30 and 80 + 24 =
(A) Norway (B) Nepal 25, then 27 + 54 = ?
(C) Russia (D) Germany (A) 48 (B) 38
(C) 36 (D) 81
4. ABJK : EFNO: : CDLM : ? . 13. From the given alternative words,
(A) GHPQ (B) GHSR select the word which cannot be
(C) GHPR (D) GHRS formed using the letters of the given
Directions (Qs. 5 to 7) : In these word.
questions, find the odd number/ ‘MINERVA’
words from the given alternatives. (A) MINE (B) RAIN
5. (A) 19 (B) 29 (C) NINE (D) VEIN
(C) 49 (D) 9 14. 120% of 5100 ?
6. (A) Avoid (B) Discard (A) 8000 (B) 10,000
(C) Vacate (D) Abandon (C) 4,000 (D) 6120
7. (A) 13678 (B) 13565 15. Pointing to a woman, Malar said,
(C) 13458 (D) 13791 “Her only sister is the mother of my
8. Which is the third word when put daughter’s mother”. How is the woman
in an alphabetic order? related to Malar ?
(A) Diamond (B) Diagonal (A) Sister
(C) Dialysis (D) Diarchy (B) Aunt
Directions (Qs. 9 to 11) : In these (C) Grandmother
questions, a series is given with one (D) Mother
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 135
 16. If RHYTHMIC is written as (A) G (B) F
QGXSGLHB, how MUSIC can be (C) E (D) D
written in that code? 20. Letters given in the first line have
(A) NVTJD (B) LVTHB codes as in the second line.
(C) NVRHB (D) LTRHB V D A S G K I H X O
17. If a mirror is placed on the line
X then which of the answer figures is 5 1 3 9 0 8 2 4 7 6
the right image of the given figure? How will the letters IVSHOD be
Question Figure coded ?
(A) 254961
(B) 259461
(C) 258416
(D) 259641
Answer Figures 21. A word is represented by only one
set of numbers as given in any one of
the alternatives. The sets of numbers
given in the alternatives are represented
by two classes of alphabets as in two
(A) (B) (C) (D) matrices given below. The columns and
18. Which answer figure will rows of Matrix I are numbered from 1
complete the pattern in the question to 4 and that of Matrix II are numbered
figure? from 5 to 8. A letter from these matrices
Question Figure can be represented first by its row and
next by its column, e.g., ‘O’ can be
represented by 13, 21, etc., and ‘E’ can
be represented by 65, 76 etc. Similarly,
Answer Figures you have to identify the set for the word
‘TRAMPLE’.
I
1 2 3 4
(A) (B) (C) (D) 1 L A O R
19. Three circles representing 2 O R L A
GRADUATES, WORKING and
KNOW COOKING are intersecting one 3 R L A O
another. The intersections are marked 4 A O R L
A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Which part
represents GRADUATES KNOWING II
COOKING and are not WORKING?
5 6 7 8
5 M T P E
6 E M T P
7 P E M T
8 T P E M

136 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 (A) 67, 22, 24, 55, 86, 33, 76 25. Find the missing figure
(B) 78, 22, 12, 55, 68, 32, 58 of the series from the given alter-
(C) 85, 31, 41, 56, 68, 32, 76 natives.
(D) 56, 14, 12, 66, 68, 23, 78 Question Figures
22. From the given answer
figures, select the one in which
the question figure is hidden/
embedded.
Question Figure Answer Figures

(A) (B) (C) (D)

Answer Figures
ANSWERS
1. (A) : One letter is missing
between two consecutive
letters.
(A) (B) (C) (D) 2. (C) : First number is square of the
23. Find out the number of triangles second number.
in the given figure. 3. (C)
4. (A)
5. (D) : The only single digit number.
6. (A)
7. (B) : In all others, the sum of the
digits is a odd number.
8. (A)
(A) 24 (B) 28 9. (A) : The sequence is + 4.
(C) 32 (D) 20 10. (C)
24. Identify the answer figure which 11. (C) : The sequence is
yields the punched pattern in the + 12, + 20, + 28, + 36, + 44
question figure, when the square paper 65 + 36 = 101
is folded once. 12. (C) : The number on the RHS is
Question Figure twice the sum of digits on
LHS.
13. (C) : There is only one N in the
given word.
14. (D) : 120% of 5100
120
Answer Figures u 5100 6120
100
15. (B) 16. (D)
17. (C) 18. (A)
19. (C) 20. (B)
21. (B) 22. (B)
(A) (B) (C) (D) 23. (A) 24. (A) 25. (A)
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 137
 NUMERCIAL APTITUDE
26. A train, 120 metre long, takes 32. In a country, 80% of the
6 seconds to pass a man, who is running population live in villages. 90% of village
in the opposite direction at the speed of people are farmers and 70% of farmers
12 km/hr. The speed of the train in are landless. The percentage of landless
km/hr is : population is:
(A) 80 (B) 60 (A) 80%
(C) 70 (D) 50 (B) 60%
27. The selling price of a book after (C) 50%
20% discount is Rs. 48. The marked price (D) 50.4%
(in Rs.) of the book is : 33. The marked price of a radio is
(A) 40 Rs. 480 and the rate of discount is 15%.
(B) 60 The amount of discount is :
(C) 166.66 (A) Rs. 75
(D) 38.40 (B) Rs. 72
28. Guns are fired at intervals of (C) Rs. 65
5 minutes at a certain place towards (D) Rs. 60
which a train is approaching. A man in 34. Three dealers A, B, C are selling
the train hears two successive firing similar T.V. sets. A allows successive
sounds at intervals of 4 minutes 49 discounts of 25% and 15%; B allows
seconds. If sound travels at 1156 ft./ that of 10% and 30%, while C offers a
sec., speed of the train in miles per hour single discount of 36%. Then :
(given 1 mile = 5280 ft.) is: (A) A’s offer is the best
(A) 20 (B) 25 (B) B’s offer is the best
(C) 30 (D) 15 (C) C’s offer is the best
29. A dealer sold his goods at cost (D) All the offers are the same
price, but he used 950 gm weight for a 35. The value of
kilogram. His gain percentage due to this
false measurement is: 2 7 u 8 u 5 3 u 81
is
3 5 12 3 u 15 u 5 42
(A) 5 % (B) 5 % (A) 5
19 19
7 1 1
(C) 5 % (D) 5 % (B)
19 19 5
30. The selling price of 10 articles is (C)
equal to the cost price of 8 articles. The 21
loss percentage is : (D) 4 5
(A) 20 (B) 25 36. Average of 16 numbers is 8. If 2
(C) 30 (D) 15 is added to every number, the new
31. The rate of simple interest per average will be:
annum equivalent to 5% compound (A) 13 (B) 9
interest payable half yearly is: (C) 10 (D) 8
(A) 5.60% 37. If 31% of a number is 93, the
(B) 5.06% number is :
(C) 5.52% (A) 150 (B) 300
(D) 5.25% (C) 350 (D) 155
138 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 38. A man borrowed Rs. 5600 from a
1 (C) 3 : 10 : 35 (D) 3 : 2 : 7
bank at 13 % per annum simple
4 while another tap can empty the tank in
interest on 23rd March 2011. To settle
the account on 4th July 2011, he had to
pay the bank:
(A) Rs. 5748.40 (B) Rs. 148.40
(C) Rs. 5747.40 (D) Rs. 5614.84
39. If 7 is approximately 2.645 and
8575 n u 2.645 , then the value of n
is:
(A) 34 (B) 33
(C) 35 (D) 25
40. If the lengths, breadths and
heights of two rectangular parallelepiped
are 20 m, 15 m, h m and 16 m, 10 m,
(2h-1) m respectively and the volumes
of two solid are the same, then the value
of h is:
(A) 6 (B) 8
(C) 12 (D) 4
41. An article is sold at 10% loss. If
the selling price is Rs. 40 more, there
will be a gain of 15%. The cost price of
the article is :
(A) Rs. 140 (B) Rs. 120
(C) Rs. 175 (D) Rs. 160
42. A, B and C together can do a
piece of work in 8 days. B and C
together can do the same work in 12
days. But it was only A who started to
do the work but fell ill after 18 days.
The remaining part was finished by B
and C working together in :
(A) 3 days (B) 3.3 days
(C) 3.6 days (D) 2.7 days
43. The ratios of milk and water in
four containers of equal volumes are
2 : l, 5 : 3, 9 : 7 and 3 : 2. The container
in which the quantity of milk relative to
water is minimum is:
(A) 2nd (B) 3rd
(C) 4th (D) lst
44. If A : B = 3 : l0 and B : C
= 2 : 7, then A : B : C is equal to :
140
(A) 3 : 10 : 7 (B) 3 : 5 : 7
45. A tap can fill a tank in 15 minutes,
20 minutes. When the tank is already
half full, both the taps are opened
together. The tank will be filled up
completely in the next:
(A) 32 minutes (B) 36 minutes
(C) 40 minutes (D) 30 minutes
46. 10 students started to eat biscuits.
Among them, one ate 8 biscuits, 2 of
them ate 6 biscuits each, 3 of them ate
4 biscuits each and 4 of them ate 2
biscuits each. The average number of
biscuits, each of them ate, was :
(A) 4 (B) 6
(C) 8 (D) 3
47. Two numbers are in the ratio
5 : 6. If 7 is added to both the numbers,
their ratio becomes 6 : 7. The original
numbers are :
(A) 20, 24 (B) 25, 30
(C) 35, 42 (D) 15, 18
48. The ratio of the area of the
equilateral triangle drawn with the side
of a square as its base and the area of
the equilateral triangle described on the
diagonal of that square is :
(A) 2 : 1 (B) 2 : 3
(C) 3 : 2 (D) 1 : 2
Directions (Qs. 49 & 50) : The
following graph shows the yearly
percentage increase of sales of two
commodities over the years 2000-
2005. Study the graph and answer
these questions.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 49. If the sales of commodity B in 31. (B) : Compound interest per year
2001 was of the value of Rs. 1200 crores, on Rs. 100
the value of sales of that commodity in 2
2002 was : § 5 ·
100 ¨ 1  ¸  100
(A) Rs. 960 crores © 200 ¹
(B) Rs. 840 crores
(C) Rs. 1800 crores 41 41
100 u u  100
(D) Rs. 1080 crores 40 40
50. The percentage increase in the = 105.06 – 100 = 5.06
sales of commodity A from 2000 to Equivalent Rate of interest
2001 was: = 5.06%
(A) 150 32. (D) : For a population of 100
(B) 200 persons, the number of
(C) 50 landless persons
(D) 15 = 100 × 0.8 × 0.9 × 0.7
ANSWERS = 50.4
33. (B) : The amount of discount
26. (B) : Let the speed of the train be 15
x km/hr. = u 480
Relative speed 100
= x +12 km/hr. Rs. 72
x  12 u 1000 34. (B) : If the price of a T.V. set is
u 6 120 Rs. x.
3600 Selling price for A
120 u 3600 = x × 0.75 × 0.85
Ÿ x  12 72 = 0.6375 x
1000 u 6 Selling price for B
x 60 km / hr. = x × 0.9 × 0.7
= 0.63 x
100 Selling price for C = 0.64 x
27. (B) : Marked price u 48
80 Ÿ B’s offer is best
Rs. 60 2 7 u 8 u 5 3 u 81
28. (C) 35. (B) :
29. (B) : Let the cost price per kg be 12 3 u 15 u 5 42
Rs. x.
Cost price for 950 gm 2 7 u2 2 u5 3 u9
= 0.95 x 12 3 u 15 u 5 42
Selling price for 950 gm = x
Profit percentage 180 42 1
x  0.95 x 180 5 42 5
u 100
0.95 x 36. (D)
100 5 93
5 % 37. (B) : The number u 100
19 19 31
30. (A) 300
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 141
 38. (None) 43. (B) :
Containers Milk relative
39. (C) : 8575 35 7 to Water
40. (B) : As the volumes of two 1 200%
parallelopiped are equal, we 5
have 2 u 100
20 × 15 × h = 16 × 10 × 3
(2h – 1) 167%
2h  1 20 u 15 15 9
u 100
Ÿ 3
h 16 u 10 8 7
Ÿ 16h – 8 = 15h 128%
4 150%
Ÿ h=8m 44. (C)
41. (D): Let the cost price be 45. (D): Portion of tank filled in one
Rs. 100.Selling price at 10% minute when both the taps
loss are open
= Rs. 90
1 1
Selling price at 15% gain 
= Rs. 105 15 20
Hence actual cost price 4 3 1
100 60 60
u 40
25 Time taken to fill half of the
tank = 30 minutes
= Rs. 160 46. (A) : Total number of biscuits
42. (A) : (A + B + C)’s one day’s work =1×8+ 2×6+3×4
1 +4×2
= 8 + 12 + 12 + 8 = 40
8 Average number of biscuits
(B + C)’s one day’s work 40
1 4
10
12 47. (C) : Let the numbers be 5 x and
A’s one day’s work 6 x respectively.
1 1 32 1 5x  7 6
 6x  7 7
8 12 24 24
Ÿ 35x + 49 = 36 x + 42
Work done by A in
Ÿ x=7
18 days Numbers are 35, 42
18 3 48. (D)
24 4 49. (C) : Sales value in 2001
Time taken by B and = Rs. 1200 crore.
Increase = 50%
C to finish remaining Sales value in 2002
work
150
1 u 1200 = Rs. 1800 croree
u 12 3 days 100
4 50. (C)
142 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 If you WANT to shine like a SUN,
First BURN like a SUN !
– Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(Former President of India)

A Few of Our Burning Stars who pave their way towards a secure future....

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SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre) SSC (GL-Pre)

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SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main) SSC (Main)

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 GENERAL AWARENESS/CURRENT AFFAIRS
51. Who among the following is not a 59. The World Health Day is observed
moderate? on
(A) Surendranath Banerjee (A) December 16
(B) Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (B) March 1
(C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (C) January 25
(D) Pherozeshah Mehta (D) April 7
52. Water is not suitable as a 60. Crude oil is sometimes termed
calorimetric substance, because it: sweet because it is:
(A) is a good conductor (A) mildly sweet due to low sulphur
(B) has high boiling point content
(C) low latent heat of vaporisation (B) less acidic
(D) has high specific heat (C) less alkaline
53. Who was the author of the book (D) sweet in taste due to dissolved
‘Arthashastra’ ? sugars
(A) Megasthenes 61. Who among the following is India’s
(B) Chanakya Chief of the Army Staff ?
(C) Seleucus Nicator (A) Gen. Bipin Rawat
(D) Chandragupta (B) Gen. Bikram Singh
54. The New Economic Policy was (C) Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag
introduced by: (D) Gen. V.K. Singh
(A) Stalin (B) Kerensky Lenin 62. Find the odd man out :
(C) Khrushchev (D)Lenin (A) Netscape
55. Indian Constitution is: (B) Mozilla
(A) Quasi Federal (C) Excel
(B) Unitary (D) Internet Explorer
(C) Presidential 63. The polymer obtained by the
(D) Federal condensation of hexamethylene diamine
56. Indira Point is the southernmost and adipic acid is:
tip of:
(A) Laccadives (A) Terylene (B) Tolleri’s
(B) Andaman and Nicobar Islands (C) Bakelite (D) Nylon
(C) Dhanushkodi 64. Animals adapted to life in air are
(D) Maldives called:
57. Who discovered that Malaria was (A) arboreal (B) cursorial
caused by the female Anopheles? (C) volant (D) fossorial
(A) Louis Pasteur 65. The red, orange and yellow colours
(B) Robert Koch of leaves are due to :
(C) Ronald Ross (A) Tannins (B) Lignins
(D) Edward Jenner (C) Carotenoids (D) Aidehydes
58. Demand in Economics means: 66. Permanent Settlement of Bengal
(A) Market demand was done by British Governor-General:
(B) Individual demand (A) Lord Minto
(C) Demand backed by purchasing (B) Lord Wellesley
power (C) Lord Warren Hastings
(D) Aggregate demand (D) Lord Cornwallis
144 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 
   
 
  
 
 
    
 
   
   

    
   
     
    
  
    

    
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
  
 
   
  
  
       
 
    
      
 
 
 
 
    
 
   
  
   
  
     
 75. Shiv Kumar Sharma is famous for 82. The method of magnetisation is :
playing: (A) heating a magnet
(A) Sitar (B) passing direct current through
(B) Sarod it
(C) Flute (C) passing alternating current
(D) Santoor through it
76. Coal mines were nationalised in (D) hammering a magnet
the year: 83. Which of the following
(A) 1971 Government of India programmes aims
(B) 1972 to help, build or upgrade dwelling
units of below the poverty line rural
(C) 1976 families ?
(D) 1970 (A) Jawahar Rozgar Yojana
77. Which of the following is an anti- (B) Indira Awaas Yojana
oxidant? (C) Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
(A) Vitamin-K Renewal Mission
(B) Vitamin-B (D) National Social Assistance
(C) Vitamin-D Programme
(D) Vitamin-C 84. Who gave the title of ‘Sardar’ to
78. Who was the recipient of the Vallabhbhai Patel ?
Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the (A) Gandhiji
year 2016 ? (B) Nehru
(A) Shashi Kapoor (C) M.A. Jinnah
(B) K. Vishwanath (D) Rajaji
(C) V.K. Murthy 85. Sardar Sarovar Dam dedicated to
the nation in September 2017 is in
(D) A.R. Rahman (A) Odisha
79. Chilika Lake is located in: (B) Madhya Pradesh
(A) Bihar (C) Maharashtra
(B) Rajasthan (D) Gujarat
(C) Maharashtra 86. Which one of the following is the
(D) Odisha origin of the Brahmaputra river ?
80. A light ray travelling from denser (A) Gangotri
to rarer medium at an angle of incidence (B) Yamunotri
more than critical angle of concerned (C) Chemayungdung
media pair suffers: (D) Milam
(A) refraction 87. Which among the following is
(B) diffraction found in chlorophyll?
(C) total internal reflection (A) Mg2+
(D) reflection (B) Fe2+
(C) Al 3+
81. A hammer in the hands of a (D) Ca2+
housewife is a _______ good. 88. Micro-economics is also called:
(A) capital (A) Investment theory
(B) free (B) Price theory
(C) intermediary (C) Expenditure theory
(D) consumer (D) Income theory
146 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 89. The smallest size of a cell that (C) My Computer
can be seen with naked eye is : (D) Task Bar
(A) 10 micron 97. Which country is the largest
(B) 100 micron producer of milk in the world?
(C) 1000 micron (A) USA
(D) 1 micron (B) China
90. Bryophytes are often called as (C) Denmark
amphibian plants because they : (D) India
(A) are found both in water and on 98. An eardrum is absent in :
land (A) turtles
(B) do not have habitat preference (B) tuatara
(C) can eat insects (C) toads
(D) appear like frog (D) snakes
91. DVD is: 99. What are the basic functions of
(A) Digital Video Disk Public Accounts Committee (PAC) ?
(B) Dynamic Versatile Disk
(C) Digital Versatile Disk (A) to examine the statement of
(D) Dynamic Video Disk accounts showing the income and
92. Who was the author of ‘India of expenditure of state corporations,
My Dreams’? trading and manufacturing
(A) M.K. Gandhi schemes and projects.
(B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale (B) to examine the accounts of stores
(C) Jawaharlal Nehru and stocks.
(D) J. B. Kripalani (C) to examine the statement of
93. The responsibility of preparation accounts of autonomous bodies
of electoral rolls in India rests with the : (D) All the above
(A) Local Administration 100. Who is the first to score three
(B) Election Commission centuries in T20 Internationals?
(C) Returning Officer (A) Virat Kohli
(D) Parliament (B) Rohit Sharma
94. The writer of the book “An (C) C. Waltan
Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of (D) Colin Munro
Wealth of Nations” is
(A) Smt. John Robinson ANSWERS
(B) Adam Smith 51. (B) 52. (D) 53. (B) 54. (D)
(C) Robins 55. (D) 56. (B) 57. (C) 58. (C)
(D) David Ricardo 59. (D) 60. (A) 61. (A) 62. (C)
95. Benzene cannot undergo: 63. (D) 64. (C) 65. (C) 66. (D)
(A) Addition 67. (D) 68. (A) 69. (C) 70. (A)
(B) Elimination 71. (B) 72. (C) 73. (B) 74. (B)
(C) Oxidation 75. (D) 76. (A) 77. (D) 78. (B)
(D) Substitution 79. (D) 80. (C) 81. (A) 82. (C)
96. In Windows, Icons such as Add/ 83. (B) 84. (A) 85. (D) 86. (C)
Remove programs, New Hardware, 87. (A) 88. (B) 89. (B) 90. (A)
Modems, etc., are found in: 91. (C) 92. (A) 93. (B) 94. (B)
(A) Control Panel 95. (B) 96. (A) 97. (D) 98. (D)
(B) Network Neighbourhood 99. (D) 100. (D)
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 147
 PART - I : GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
Directions (Qs. 1 to 7) : In these 8.
questions,select the related word/letters/ (A) Circle : Arc
number from the given alternatives. (B) Line : Dot
1. Picture : See : : Book : ? (C) Hexagon : Angle
(A) Buy (B) Read (D) Square : Line
(C) Listen (D) Library 9.
2. Dark : Light : : ? (A) Author (B) Novelist
(A) Polluted : Contaminated (C) Poet (D) Publisher
(B) Accrued : Accumulated 10.
(C) Ill : Diseased (A) MKHE (B) MIDA
(D) Hot : Cold (C) KHEB (D) WTQN
3. Swimming : River : : Hiking : ? 11.
(A) Road (B) Pond (A) 46, 57 (B) 38, 49
(C) Mountain (D) Sea (C) 41, 52 (D) 64, 73
4. HOPEFUL: LUFEPOH : : 12. In the following letter series,
ETHNICITY : ? how many times does ‘P’ occur in such
(A) YTICINHTE a way that after ‘P’, N O should
(B) TICINHTEY occur ?
(C) ICINHTEYT APNQPNOSPTOZPNOYMPNO
(D) CINHTEYTI (A) 4 (B) 3
5. MOQS : ACEG : : PRTV : ? (C) 2 (D) 5
(A) EGIJ (B) FHJM 13. Find out the set among the four
(C) KMNP (D) OQSU sets which is like the given set.
6. 36 : 144 : : 49 : ? (23 : 30 : 37)
(A) 81 (B) 149 (A) (6 : 13 : 20) (B) (7 : 15 : 22)
(C) 196 (D) 154 (C) (21 : 28 : 34) (D) (12 : 19 : 25)
7. 76 : 42 : : 66 : ? 14. Which one of the given responses
(A) 12 (B) 35 would be a meaningful order of the
(C) 36 (D) 63 following ?
Directions (Qs. 8 to 11) : In these 1. Plant 2. Fruit
questions, find the odd words/ 3. Seed 4. Flower
letters/number pair from the given (A) 3, 2, 4, 1 (B) 3, 1, 2, 4
alternatives. (C) 3, 1, 4, 2 (D) 3, 2, 1, 4
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 149
 15. Arrange the following words (A) 31 (B) 32
according to English Dictionary : (C) 33 (D) 34
1. Bound 2. Bonus 24. C is the mother of A and B. If D
3. Bunch 4. Board is the husband of B, what is C to D ?
(A) 1, 4, 2, 3 (B) 2, 4, 3, 1 (A) Mother (B) Aunt
(C) 4, 2, 1, 3 (D) 4, 3, 2, 1 (C) Mother-in-law (D) Sister
16. Which one set of letters when 25. If A= 1, ACE = 9, then ART = ?
sequentially placed at the gaps in the (A) 10 (B) 39
given letter series shall complete it? (C) 29 (D) 38
a_a_abab_ba_ 26. If PARK is coded as 5394,
(A) abab (B) baab SHIRT is coded as 17698 and PANDIT
(C) abba (D) bbab is coded as 532068, how would you code
Directions (Qs. 17 to 19) : In these NISHAR in that code language ?
questions, a series is given, with one (A) 266734 (B) 231954
term missing. Choose the correct (C) 201739 (D) 261739
alternative from the given ones that 27. If ‘SYNDICATE’ is written as
will complete the series. ‘SYTENDCAI’, then how can
17. 2, 8, 18, 32, 50, ? ‘PSYCHOTIC’ be written ?
(A) 64 (B) 72 (A) PSYICTCOH
(C) 70 (D) 68 (B) PSYCOHTCI
18. 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, ? (C) PSICYOCTH
(A) 37 (B) 36 (D) PSICYCOTH
(C) 73 (D) 63 28. Some letters are given below in
19. YVP, WTN, URL, ? the first line and numbers are given
(A) VSP (B) SRJ below them in the second line. Numbers
(C) SPJ (D) TQL are the codes for the alphabets and vice-
20. If the 5th date of a month is versa. Choose the correct letter-code for
Tuesday, what date will be 3 days after the given set of numbers.
the 3rd Friday in the month ? E M K B Z W Q U D J
(A) 19 (B) 18 5 9 1 6 4 8 2 0 7 3
(C) 17 (D) 22 429753
21. Seema’s younger brother Sohan is (A) Z Q M J D E
older than Seeta. Sweta is younger than (B) Z Q M E D J
Deepti but elder than Seema. Who is (C) Z Q M D E J
the eldest ? (D) Z Q E D M J
(A) Seema (B) Sweta 29. From the given alternatives select
(C) Seeta (D) Deepti the word which can be formed using
22. Rahim and his uncle differ in their the letters of the given word.
ages by 30 years. After 7 years, if the DICTIONARY
sum of their ages is 66, what will be the (A) NATION (B) ADDITION
age of the uncle ? (C) BINARY (D) DAIRY
(A) 51 (B) 49 30. From the given alternatives select
(C) 39 (D) 41 the word which cannot be formed using
23. Sohan ranks seventh from the top the letters of the given word.
and twenty-sixth from the bottom in a SIGNATURE
class. How many students are there in (A) NATURE (B) GATE
the class ? (C) SIGHT (D) GAIN
150 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 Directions (Qs. 31 & 32) : In these 38. A cyclist goes 30 km to North
questions, select the missing number and then turning East he goes 40 km.
from the given responses. Again he turns to his right and goes
31. 96 100 132 20 km. After this, he turns to his right
6 4 6 and goes 40 km. How far is he from his
5 7 3 starting point ?
21 32 ? (A) 6 km (B) 10 km
(A) 25 (B) 30 (C) 25 km (D) 40 km
(C) 32 (D) 20 Directions (Qs. 39 & 40) : In these
32. 5 25 5 questions, two statements are given
7 49 7 followed by two conclusions I and
6 ? 6 II. You have to consider the
(A) 36 (B) 35 statements to be true even if they
(C) 38 (D) 40 seem to be at variance from
Directions (Qs. 33 & 34) : In these commonly known facts. You have to
questions, some equations are solved decide which of the given
on the basis of a certain system. On conclusions, if any, follow from the
the same basis, find out the correct given statements. Choose your
answer for the unsolved equation. answer accordingly.
33. 5 × 6 × 4 = 456, 3 × 6 × 5 = 39. Statements :
536, 4 × 8 × 7 = ? 1. All students in my class are
(A) 748 (B) 478 intelligent.
(C) 847 (D) 784 2. Sunil is not intelligent.
34. If 782 = 20 and 671= 17, then Conclusions :
884 = ? I. Sunil is not a student of my
(A) 32 (B) 19 class.
(C) 26 (D) 23 II. Sunil must work hard.
35. Select the correct combination of (A) Only conclusion I follows
mathematical signs to replace ‘ ’ signs (B) Only conclusion II follows
and to balance the given equation. (C) Both conclusions I and II follow
9 7 2 3 10 (D) Neither conclusion I nor II
(A) ÷ × + = (B) – + ÷ = follows
(C) + – × = (D) – ÷ × = 40. Statements :
36. If ‘+’ denotes ÷, ‘–’ denotes ×, 1. Education is a process of lighting.
‘×’ denotes – and ‘÷’ denotes +, then 2. Mind requires light to enlighten
35 + 7 – 5 ÷ 5 × 6 = ? the core of cognitive aspect.
(A) 36 (B) 24 Conclusions :
(C) 20 (D) 14 I. Education is a light which
37. One morning at 7 o’clock, Naresh removes the darkness of
started walking with his back towards mind.
the Sun. Then he turned towards left, II. Education is a static process
walked straight and then turned towards for mind.
right and walked straight. Then he again (A) Only conclusion I follows
turned towards left. Now in which (B) Only conclusion II follows
direction is he facing ? (C) Both conclusions I and II follow
(A) North (B) East (D) Neither conclusion I nor II
(C) West (D) South follows
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 151
 41. Five boys A, B, C, D and 45. Which figure is different from the
E are standing in a row. D is on rest of the three ?
the right of E. B is on the left of E,
but on the right of A. D is on the
left of C, who is standing on the
extreme right. Who is standing in the
middle ? (A) (B) (C) (D)
(A) B (B) C 46. Select the missing number from
(C) D (D) E the given responses :
42. 3 daily wage workers A, B and C
are distributed Rs. 178 in such a way
that A gets Rs. 4 less than C, B gets
Rs. 15 more than A and C gets Rs. 11
less than B. What is the ratio of their
shares ?
(A) 50 : 51 : 52 (B) 53 : 56 : 68
(C) 53 : 68 : 57 (D) 57 : 53 : 68
43. Select the related figure from the
given alternatives.
Question Figures : (A) 222 (B) 212
(C) 132 (D) 122
47. Identify the diagram that best
represents the relationship among the
classes given below :
Liquids, Milk, River water
Answer Figures :
(A)

(B)
(A) (B) (C) (D)
44. Select the correct alternative from
the given ones which will complete the
figural series. (C)
Question Figures :
(D)

48. Which answer figure will complete

the pattern in the question figure ?
Answer Figures : Question Figure :

(A) (B) (C) (D)

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 153
 Answer Figures : 3. (C)
4. (A) : In the second word, first
word is written in the reverse
order.
5. (D) : One letter in the alphabetical
(A) (B) (C) (D) order is missing between two
49. A piece of paper is folded and successive letters.
cut/punched as shown below in the
question figures. From the given answer 6. (C) : 62 o 36
figures, indicate how it will appear when 122 o 144
opened. Similarly
Question Figures : 72 o 49
142 o 196
7. (C) : 7 × 6 o 42
6 × 6 o 36
8. (C)
9. (D)
Answer Figures : 10. (D) : Contains no vowel.
11. (D) : In all others the difference
between two numbers is 11.
12. (B)
13. (A) : 23 + 7 o 30
(A) (B) (C) (D) 30 + 7 o 37
50. From the given answer figures, Similarly 6 + 7 o 13
select the one in which the question 13 + 7 o 20
figure is hidden/embedded. 14. (C) 15. (C)
Question Figure : 16. (D) : a b a b a b a b a b a b
17. (B) : The sequence is
+ 6, + 10, + 14, + 18, + 22
50 + 22 o 72
18. (D) : The sequence is
+ 2 , + 4, + 8, + 16, + 32
Answer Figures :
31 + 32 o 63
19. (C)
20. (B) : 5th o Tuesday
1st o Friday
(A) (B) (C) (D) 3rd Friday o 15th
15 + 3 o 18
ANSWERS 21. (D)
1. (B) : Picture – See 22. (D) : Present sum of their ages
Book – Read = 66 – 14 = 52
2. (D): Dark is opposite of Light. Let Rahim’s age be x years
Similarly Uncle’s age = 52 – x
Hot is opposite of Cold. 52 – x – x = 30
154 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 x = 11 37. (D) :
Uncle’s age = 52 – 11 Start
= 41 years
23. (B) 24. (C)
25. (B) : ART o 1 + 18 + 20 = 39
26. (D): P o 5, A o 3, R o 9,
K o 4, S o 1 H o 7,
I o 6, T o 8, N o 2,
D o 0.
Ÿ NISHAR o 261739
27. (D): S Y N D I C A T E
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9)
Code
S Y T E NDC A I
(1 2 8 9 3 4 6 7 5)
Similarly
P S Y C H O TI C 38. (B) :
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9) 40
Code PSICYCOTH
28. (C) : 4 2 9 7 5 3 30 20
Z Q M D E J
29. (D)
30. (C) : Letter H is not there in the
given word.
31. (A) : 96 ÷ 6 + 5 o 21 Start
100 ÷ 4 + 7 o 32
132 ÷ 6 + 3 o 25
32. (A) : The number in the
middle row is the product
of the numbers on the
sides.
33. (A) : 5 × 6 × 4 o 4 5 6
3×6× 5o536 39. (A) 40. (A)
Similarly 41. (D) :
4×8× 7o748
34. (D): 7 + 8 + 2 o 17 + 3 o 20
6 + 7 + 1 o 14 + 3 o 17 C D E B A Facing
8 + 8 + 4 o 20 + 3 o 23 42. (C) 43. (D) 44. (B) 45. (B)
35. (C) : 9 + 7 – 2 × 3 = 10 46. (A) : The sequence anti-clockwise
36. (B) : 35 + 7 – 5 ÷ 5 × 6 = ? from number 5 is × 2 + 2.
Putting proper symbols 47. (A) : Milk and River Water are
? = 35 ÷ 7 × 5 + 5 – 6 both liquids.
= 25 – 1 = 24 48. (B) 49. (B) 50. (C)
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 155
 PART - II : ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Directions (Qs. 51 to 55) : In these 60. The human mind seems to have
questions, some par ts of the built-in ________ against original
sentences have errors and some are thought.
correct. Find out which part of a (A) interests (B) safeguards
sentence (A, B, C) has an error. If a (C) prejudices (D) ideas
sentence is free from error, then (D) Directions (Qs. 61 & 62) : In these
is the answer. questions, out of the four
51. Kalidas is (A)/ a Shakespeare (B)/ alternatives, choose the one which
of India. (C)/ No error. (D) best expresses the meaning of the
52. The teacher as well as his students, given word and mark it in the
(A) / all left (B) / for the trip. (C)/ No Answer Sheet.
error. (D) 61. Temerity
53. More you (A)/ think of it, (B)/ (A) Audacity (B) Simplicity
the worse it becomes. (C)/ No error. (D) (C) Paucity (D) Verity
54. Hasan plays (A) / both cricket and 62. Wily
billiards (B) / at the national level. (C) / (A) Stupid (B) Cunning
No error (D). (C) Angry (D) Wise
55. My father gave me (A) / a pair Directions (Qs. 63 & 64) : In these
of binocular (B) / on my birthday. (C) / questions, choose the word opposite
No error. (D) in meaning to the given word.
Directions (Qs. 56 to 60) : In these 63. Relinquish
questions, sentences are given with (A) Vanish (B) Quench
blanks to be filled in with an (C) Relish (D) Continue
appropriate word(s). Four alternatives 64. Insipid
are suggested for each question. (A) Colourless (B) Dull
Choose the correct alternative out of (C) Tasty (D) Colourful
the four. Directions (Qs. 65 & 66) : In these
56. If strict security measures were questions, four words are given in
taken, the tragedy might have been each question, out of which only one
_______. word is correctly spelt. Find the
(A) removed (B) controlled correctly spelt word.
(C) restrained (D) averted 65.
57. The deceased left _______ him (A) Rejvenation (B) Rejuenation
two young children. (C) Rejevanation (D) Rejuvenation
(A) with (B) by 66.
(C) behind (D) for (A) Dysentry (B) Dysentery
58. The statue _______ a global (C) Dysentary (D) Dysantery
symbol of freedom. Directions (Qs. 67 to 69) : In these
(A) stands for (B) stands as questions, four alternatives are given
(C) stands against (D) stands to for the Idiom/Phrase underlined in
59. A child is the future of a family the sentence. Choose the alternative
_______ nation. which best expresses the meaning of
(A) like a the Idiom/Phrase.
(B) as well as of a 67. Mrs. Roy keeps an open house on
(C) just as Saturday evening parties—you’ll find all
(D) as a kinds of people there.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 157
 (A) welcomes all members
(B) welcomes a select group of people
(C) keeps the doors of the house
open
(D) keeps the gates open for a few
persons
68. The police cordoned off the area
after the explosion.
(A) The police filled the whole area
(B) The police isolated the area
(C) The police checked everyone in
the area.
(D) The police did not allow anyone
to leave the area.
69. The manager hesitated to assign
the job to the newcomer as he was wet
behind the ears.
(A) drenched in the rain
(B) unpunctual and lethargic
(C) stupid and slow-witted
(D) young and inexperienced
Directions (Qs. 70 to 72) : In these
questions, out of the four alternatives
choose the one which can be
substituted for the given words/
sentence.
70. A building in which aircraft are
housed
(A) Dockyard (B) Garage
(C) Hangar (D) Granary
71. A short story based on your
personal experience
(A) Anecdote (B) Fable
(C) Parable (D) Legend
72. A former student of a school,
college or university
(A) Scholar
(B) Learner
(C) Alumnus
(D) Genius
Directions (Qs. 73 & 74) : In these
questions, a part of the sentence is
underlined. Below are given
alternatives to the underlined part at
(A), (B), (C) which may improve the
sentence. Choose the cor rect
alternative. In case no improvement
is needed, your answer is (D).
158
73. She is quite well now, except a
slight cold.
(A) except have a slight cold
(B) except for a slight cold
(C) excepting a slight cold
(D) No improvement
74. The commoners joined the king’s
army at crushing the rebels.
(A) into
(B) without
(C) in
(D) No improvement
Directions (Qs. 75 to 79) : In these
questions, a sentence has been given
in Active/Passive Voice. Out of the
four alternatives suggested, select the
one which best expresses the same
sentence in Passive/Active Voice.
75. The waiter filled the glasses with
water.
(A) The glasses filled with water by
the waiter.
(B) The glasses were filled with water
by the waiter.
(C) The waiter was filled the glasses
with water.
(D) The water were filled in the glasses
by waiter.
76. She took the dog for a walk.
(A) The dog was taken for a walk by
her.
(B) The dog took her for a walk.
(C) The dog was took for a walk.
(D) The dog took a walk by her.
77. He was driving the car so fast that
it skidded on the snowy road.
(A) The car was driven by him so fast
that it skidded on the snowy road.
(B) The car was being driven by him
so fast that it skidded on the
snowy road.
(C) The car had been driven by him
so fast that it skidded on the
snowy road.
(D) The car has been driven by him
so fast that it skidded on the
snowy road.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 78. They will laugh at you.
(A) You can be laughed at by them.
(B) You may be laughed at by them.
(C) You will be laughed at by them.
(D) You will have been laughed at by
them.
79. Trespassers shall be prosecuted.
(A) The authorities can prosecute
trespassers.
(B) The authorities shall prosecute
trespassers.
(C) The authorities may prosecute
trespassers.
(D) The authorities might prosecute
trespassers.
Directions (Qs. 80 to 84) : In these
questions, a sentence has been given
in Direct/Indirect. Out of the four
alternatives suggested, select the one
which best expresses the same
sentence in Indirect/Direct.
80. Moti asked Gangu whether the
latter was in his senses.
(A) “Hey Gangu, are you in your
senses now ?” asked Moti.
(B) “Gangu, have you lost your
senses ?” asked Moti.
(C) “Gangu, are you in your senses ?”
asked Moti.
(D) “Are you senseless, Gangu ?”
asked Moti.
81. He said that we are all born to
die.
(A) He exclaimed, “We were all born
to die.”
(B) He said, “We were all born to die.”
(C) He said, “We are all born to die.”
(D) He said, “We have all been born
to die.”
82. He said to me, “I grew these
carrots myself.”
(A) He told me I grew these carrots
myself.
(B) He told me that he grew these
carrots himself.
(C) He told me that he had grown
those carrots himself.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
(D) He told me that he grew those
carrots himself.
83. Mrs. Shankar said, "I know what
it is to be depressed."
(A) Mrs. Shankar said that she knew
what it was to be depressed.
(B) Mrs. Shankar knows what it is to
be depressed.
(C) Mrs. Shankar is depressed she
said.
(D) Mrs. Shankar said that she was
knowing what it was to be depressed.
84. “Who now,” they had asked, “will
listen to our troubles and protect us from
the crocodiles ?”
(A) They had wanted to know who
would listen to their troubles and
protect them from the crocodiles.
(B) They had wanted to know who
then would listen to their troubles
and protect them from the
crocodiles.
(C) They had wanted to know who
will now listen to their troubles
and protect them from the
crocodiles.
(D) They wanted to know who will
listen to their troubles and protect
them from the crocodiles.
Directions (Qs. 85 to 90) : In these
questions, the 1st and the last
sentences/parts of the passage/
sentence are numbered 1 and 6. The
rest of the passage/sentence is split
into four parts and named P, Q, R
and S. These four parts are not given
in their proper order. Read the
passage/sentence and find out which
of the four combinations is correct.
Then find the correct answer.
85.
1. Fires in the Steppes or bushes
scared humans earlier.
P. Gradually, they learnt to
appreciate the power of fire.
Q. It gave them light and warmth
and kept away wild animals.
159
 R. About 700,000 years ago,
humans star ted fire
accidentally by lightning.
S. They could harden the tips of
wooden spears and cook meat
in it.
6. Soon they learnt to produce fire
by striking flintstone and pyrite
with each other or by rubbing
lumbers.
(A) PQRS (B) QRSP
(C) QSPR (D) PQSR
86.
1. There are a lot of ways to
communicate : speaking, singing,
clapping, hooting.
P. Even animals communicate
with one another.
Q. Only humans can express
their thoughts and feelings in
words because of our
superior brain.
R. Both humans and animals also
communicate through body
language.
S. But their ways differ from the
humans.
6. Sometimes we don’t use words
but make gestures (like traffic
signs) or simple movements of
the hand in order to communicate.
(A) PQRS (B) PSQR
(C) PRSQ (D) QPRS
87.
1. Egotism is the most common
fault of mankind.
P. However, with time it
becomes an exaggerated form
of self display.
Q. It is the product of a perfectly
natural desire to display
oneself.
R. This is necessary as it impairs
the personality and frustrates
all efforts at self improvement.
S. Beyond any shadow of doubt,
it is a defect that ought to be
160
constantly hunted down, and
scotched.
6. One should always be on guard
not to give into egotism.
(A) PQRS (B) QPSR
(C) RSPQ (D) PSRQ
88.
1. When the Impressionists
P. they made them look like
Q. everyday and often putting
R. people you would see
S. painted pictures of people
6. more emphasis on the scene.
(A) PRQS (B) SPRQ
(C) RQPS (D) SRQP
89.
1. Sherlock Holmes is the
P. who is in a state of grace
Q. is raised to the status
R. because in him scientific
curiosity
S. exceptional individual
6. of a heroic passion.
(A) SPRQ (B) RPSQ
(C) PRQS (D) SRQP
90.
1. The goals of our present system
P. schooling is to prepare
Q. students for the examination
system
R. which will take them to the
S. of primary and secondary
6. best technical institutions in the
country.
(A) PRQS (B) PSQR
(C) SPQR (D) QPRS
Directions (Qs. 91 to 95) : In these
questions, in the following passage
some of the words have been left out.
Read the passage carefully and
choose the correct answer to each
question out of the four alternatives
and fill in the blanks.
One fine morning a ...(91)... man
knocked at the doors of the home for
the aged run by nuns. He told the nun
in charge that as he was ...(92)... to
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Delhi, he wanted to leave his servant- including even conflicts, will gradually
maid to the ...(93)... of the nuns. He disappear.
assured the nun of sending some money 96. What has freedom undeniably
every month ...(94)... she was an orphan. offered to the citizens of India ?
The nun ...(95)... her saying that she (A) New responsibilities
had got an excellent master. (B) New values
91. (C) New opportunities
(A) nice (B) good (D) New outlook
(C) gentle (D) bad 97. One thing needs to be
92. stressed more than anything else in
(A) changed (B) transferred this new set-up. It is that people
(C) moved (D) shifted should
93. (A) work to their full capacity
(A) custody (B) protection (B) substitute old values with new
(C) care (D) home ones
94. (C) discard narrowness of outlook
(A) though (B) if (D) discipline themselves suitably
(C) because (D) and 98. ________ work should be the
95. motto of our citizens.
(A) consoled (B) condoled (A) Productive (B) Ingenious
(C) loved (D) praised (C) Resourceful (D) Incessant
Directions (Qs. 96 to 100) : In these 99. Nothing else can give us joy
questions, you have a brief passage except
with 5 questions following the (A) wealth (B) freedom
passage. Read the passage carefully (C) service (D) idleness
and choose the best answer to each 100. Anyone can free himself from
question out of the four alternatives. the clutches of difficulties, if he
Freedom has assuredly given us a new (A) discards idleness
status and new opportunities. But it also (B) discharges his obligations
implies that we should discard (C) eliminates narrow outlook
selfishness, laziness and all narrowness (D) fulfils his responsibilities
of outlook. Our freedom suggests toil
and creation of new values for old ones. ANSWERS
We should so discipline ourselves as to
be able to discharge our new 51. (B) 52. (B) 53. (A) 54. (D)
responsibilities satisfactorily. If there is 55. (B) 56. (D) 57. (C) 58. (B)
any one thing that needs to be stressed 59. (B) 60. (C) 61. (A) 62. (B)
more than any other in the new set-up, 63. (D) 64. (C) 65. (D) 66. (B)
it is that we should put into action our 67. (A) 68. (B) 69. (D) 70. (C)
full capacity, each one of us in 71. (A) 72. (C) 73. (D) 74. (C)
productive effort—each one of us in his 75. (B) 76. (A) 77. (B) 78. (C)
own sphere, however humble. Work, 79. (B) 80. (C) 81. (C) 82. (C)
unceasing work, should now be our 83. (A) 84. (B) 85. (D) 86. (C)
watch-word. Work is wealth, and service 87. (B) 88. (B) 89. (A) 90. (C)
is happiness. Nothing else is. The greatest 91. (C) 92. (B) 93. (A) 94. (C)
crime in India today is idleness. If we 95. (A) 96. (C) 97. (A) 98. (D)
root out idleness, all our difficulties, 99. (C) 100. (A)
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 161
 JUNIOR ESSAY CONTESTS 815 & 816
INDIA : UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Prateek Kumar
FIRST PRIZE WINNER
India is the seventh largest and the
second most populous nation of the
world, home to around 15 percent of
the world’s population. It has a long
history spanning over five thousand
years enriched by successive waves of
migration and marauders from distant
lands. India is a vivid kaleidoscope of
changing colours with diversity running
through various races, religions, castes,
tribes, languages, social customs, cultural
and sub-cultural beliefs, political
philosophies and ideologies. As per the
1961 Census, India has more than 1,652
mother tongues belonging to five
different language families. The 1991
Census on the other hand threw up
1,576 mother languages. Major Indian
languages include Hindi, Bengali,
Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil,
Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Malayalam etc.
Speaking of racial diversity, the Indian
population is polygenetic. It is derived
from six ethnic groups: Negritos, Proto-
Australoids, Mongoloids, Dravidians,
Brachycephals and Nordic Aryans. It is
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
believed that there are about 3,000 castes
and around 25,000 subcastes in the
country. To add to it, approximately
8.6% of India’s population is tribal with
the Constitution recognising a total of
645 district tribes. India being a secular
state, is home to people of different
faiths—Hinduism, Islam, Christianity,
Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and
Zoroastrianism among others, living in
harmony with each other. From Aloo
Parantha and Choley Bhature in North
to Dosa and Idli in South, food habits
and cultural practices change every
100 kilometres.
With such diversity, India’s existence
has been a puzzle not just to casual
observers; it has also been an anomaly
for academic political science. British
journalist Don Taylor remarked : “It is
difficult to even encompass this country
in mind—the great Himalaya, the wide
Indo-Gangetic plain burnt by the Sun
and savaged by the fierce monsoon
rains, the green flooded delta of the
East….it doesn’t, often, seem like one
country. And yet there is a resilience
about India which seems an assurance
of survival. There is something which
can only be described as an Indian
spirit…”
Running through these diversities are
the threads of unity. The most
prominent amongst these is the syncretic
quality of Indian culture—its remarkable
quality of accommodation and tolerance.
India not just tolerates but accepts and
celebrates other cultures as well.
Although the majority of its citizens are
Hindu, India is not a Hindu nation.
Membership of a minority religion is no
167
bar to advancement in business or the
professions. In 2007, the President of
India was a Muslim, the PM a Sikh, and
the leader of the ruling party, a Catholic
born in Italy.
Another source of unity in India lies
in the institution of pilgrimage. From
Kedarnath in North to Rameshwaram in
South, Jagannath Puri in the East to
Dwarka in the West, one can find people
of different linguistic and cultural
backgrounds with a common objective
of attaining moksha. This culture of
pilgrimage has played a significant role
in promoting interaction and cultural
affinity among the people living in
different parts of India. Linguistic states
have been in existence for more than 60
years now. Within each state, a common
language has provided the basis for
administrative unity and efficiency. This
THE POWER OF
POSITIVE THINKING
“He is able who thinks he is able”.
—Swami Vivekananda
One of the essential emotions that
engulf human beings in life is the
‘Thought process’. The very feeling of
thinking creates a surge of curiosity in
one’s mind. This curiosity leads to
anxiety which in turn creates a difference
of action which results in two different
ways. They are the optimistic way and
the pessimistic way. Being an optimist
in life shows one to be a positive thinker
and in turn, gives one the inner strength
and endurance to overcome and surf
through the waves of life and emerge
as a winner. Positive thinking is not only
an emotion but an attitude with which
one progresses. It is somewhat like the
168
has led to an efflorescence of cultural
creativity, as expressed in films, theatre,
fiction and poetry.
We fought for independence together
and then, three wars with Pakistan
and one with China as a nation.
Interdependence among castes especially
through the jajmani system has also
contributed to unity, particularly in rural
India. Apart from these, Indian Cinema
and Cricket which cut across caste,
creed, language, religion and gender,
present a seamless picture of unity in
diversity. In India, unity and pluralism
is graphically expressed in currency
notes where denominations are written
in 17 scripts. With each language and
each script comes a distinct culture and
regional ethos, resting more or less
comfortably with the idea of India as a
whole. 
waves in an ocean that cannot be
stopped but can be surfed through to
reach the destination.
There are specific critical ingredients
without which the recipe for positive
thinking is incomplete. These include
confidence, determination, dedication
and perseverance which are necessary
at every footstep to realise the power
of positive thinking.
Have we ever pondered upon the lives
of the mountaineers who risk their lives
to climb the world’s highest peaks and
bring name, fame and glory to their
nation? Have we ever thought of the
tough and adverse situations they face
to emerge as winners? They only do this
to see how much their confidence has
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

Ms. Satarupa Mukherjee
FIRST PRIZE WINNER
paid off and the most significant role
that plays here is the game of mind. It
is often said that one who wins over
himself can easily win over others and
this is possible only if our mind is
engaged with positive thoughts and
actions. Our thinking makes us winners
or losers, and it is a known fact that ‘a
winner never quits and a quitter never
wins’. It is the entire game of thought.
A man is an action of his dreams, he
becomes what he desires to be and
desires are only met when one is positive
and enthusiastic about achieving them.
If enthusiasm is riddled with wrong
thoughts of selfish deeds, then success
is never attained.
We human beings can correlate our
lives much with those of mountaineers.
The only difference is that they face a
real mountain while we face a mountain
of problems. Problems are meant to be
solved with the same spirit that spurs
mountaineers to climb the loftiest peaks.
Our heart, mind and soul always need
to be channelled to the optimistic views
of solutions. In our Hindu mythology,
the importance of positive thinking is
righteously explained through the
concept of “right deeds” in the
Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna tells
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Arjun to do the karma and not to worry
about the results of the action. God is
omnipresent and omnipotent, thus the
result of positive thought and right
deeds shall follow for the good.
Our country serves numerous examples
of positive thinkers. One amongst them
was Bal Gangadhar Tilak when he said:
“Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have
it”. Many people thought it to be a mere
slogan, but it was his belief in his positive
thought and words that drove the country
to freedom. His optimistic views gave
him his desired results.
Positive thinking is a feeling that gives
one’s mind the strength to tower above
all the distractions to focus at the goal
and aim for success. Positive thinking
indeed has immense power. The world
is full of inspirational people who have
triumphed over adverse situations and
great odds to achieve success. Their
steadfast faith in their abilities coupled
with a positive attitude made it possible
for them to achieve success. Hence,
positive thinking gives us the courage
to face the world and hope for a brilliant
success in life. 
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169
 CSR JUNIOR ESSAY
CONTESTS — 823 & 824
Contest 823
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Contest 824
My Most Memorable Journey
Length : 500-600 Words
1st Prize for each contest :
Gift Hamper worth Rs. 1000
42 Highly Commendable Prizes :
Gift Hamper & Magazines
(containing Prize Winning Essay)
Worth Rs. 500 each
Certificate of Merit to all Winners.
Colour photographs of all
42 Winners will be published.
Eligible age group : 15-21 Years
LAST DATE : FEBRUARY 20, 2018
THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE. Entries should be
typed double-spaced on one side of the paper and
must be accompanied by two latest passport size
(bust) colour photographs. Photographs should
be taken in formal dress as if appearing for
an Interview/Personality Test. Name, Date of
birth, Qualification, Address, Mobile number,
Telephone number (along with STD Code) and
e-mail address of the contributor along with biodata
must be written on the first page of the entry and only
name on the back of the photograph. All entries,
along with photographs, received will be the
exclusive property of CSR Group and can be used
for its promotion. The contributor will be solely
responsible for any violation of the Copyright Act
where the material submitted for the Contest is not
original. Editor’s decision will be final and binding.
No correspondence will be entertained in this regard.
Entries via email with scanned photographs
are to be considered on a par with those in
usual format.
Entries should be marked “CSR Junior Essay
Contests—823 & 824” and addressed to :
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Email: essay@competitionreview.in,
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170 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 G. K. & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Expected Questions
1. Name India's fastest 7. The Khilafat Committee accepted
supercomputer capable of delivering Mahatma Gandhi’s suggestion for a non-
peak power of 6.8 petaflops which was violent non-cooperation protest against
unveiled on January 8, 2018? the British Government in its meeting
(a) Prakhar at
(b) Probin (a) Bombay (b) Nagpur
(c) Priteesh (c) Allahabad (d) Kanpur
(d) Pratyush 8. The Chilika Lake region is situated
2. Name the tropical cyclone which between the deltas of
hit Madagascar in January 2018 resulting (a) Krishna and Kaveri
in loss of life and property? (b) Godavari arid Krishna
(a) Eva (b) Ava (c) Ganga and Mahanadi
(c) Riva (d) Ceva (d) Mahanadi and Godavari
3. India defeated which country to 9. Shah Jahan fought the battle of
win the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Kartarpur against
Japan on November 5, 2017?
(a) Japan (b) South Korea (a) Guru Hargobind
(c) China (d) Malaysia (b) Guru Har Kishan
4. Name the actor-playwright who (c) Guru Har Rai
was conferred the 2017 Tata Literature (d) Guru Tegh Bahadur
Live Lifetime Achievement Award for 10. In which one of the following
his outstanding contribution to the field Union Territories, do the people of the
of theatre? Onge tribe live?
(a) Anupam Kher (a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(b) Girish Karnad (b) Daman and Diu
(c) Lilette Dubey (c) Dadar and Nagar Haveli
(d) Mahesh Dattani (d) Lakshadweep
5. ‘Imperfect’ is the recently released 11. Who is credited with the discovery
autobiography by which famous of Electron?
cricketer? (a) E. Goldstein
(a) Sanjay Manjrekar (b) J. J. Thompson
(b) Sunil Gavaskar (c) James Chadwick
(c) Kapil Dev (d) Ernest Rutherford
(d) Dilip Vengsarkar 12. Instrument for measuring the
6. The motto of which organisation amount of oxygen in the air or for
is ‘Touch the sky with glory’? analysing gases:
(a) Air India (a) Audiometer
(b) Indian Air Force (b) Eudiometer
(c) Pawan Hans (c) Glycometer
(d) Jet Airways (d) Fathometer
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 171
 13. Which of the following Acts are (b) A weaving pattern done on cotton
administered by the Ministry of clothes that enhanced its
Finance? durability and appeal
1. Foreign Exchange Management (c) A fine muslin on which decorative
Act motifs are woven
2. Companies Act (d) None of the above
3. Fiscal Responsibility Budget 17. Mrichchakatika written by
Management Act Sudraka is a
4. Competition Act (a) Law book.
Select the correct answer using the (b) Book on administrative
codes given below: machinery of the state.
(a) 1 and 3 only (c) Book dealing with love affair of
(b) 2 and 4 only a poor Brahmana with the
(c) 1, 2 and 3 only daughter of a courtesan.
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (d) None of the above.
14. With respect to the Financial Bills, 18. Which of the following is the
primary source of natural rubber?
which of the following statements are
(a) Resins
true? (b) Latex
1. The President cannot summon a (c) Gum
joint sitting for the resolution of (d) Fibre
deadlock over such a bill. 19. The biomass of one trophic level
2. The President cannot return the getting incorporated into the biomass
bill for the reconsideration of the of the next trophic level is the:
Houses. (a) Relative ratio of energy flow
Select the correct answer using the (b) Energy flow efficiency
codes given below: (c) Ecological efficiency
(a) 1 only (d) Ecological gradient
(b) 2 only 20. Patan Patola, an ancient tradition,
(c) Both 1 and 2 relates to the:
(d) None of the above (a) Freehand drawing and colour of
15. United Kingdom (UK) consists the subjects mentioned in the
of which of the following regions? epics
1. Greenland (b) Technique of stitching leather
2. Wales which was also found at
3. Northern Ireland Harappan sites
4. Scandinavia (c) Art of double ikat weaving in
Select the correct answer using the western Indian State of Gujarat
codes below: (d) Folk embroidery done using
(a) 1 and 2 only bamboos in the North-east
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only ANSWERS
(d) 2 and 3 only 1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b)
16. Jamdani weave of the early 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (c) 8. (d)
twentieth century was: 9. (a) 10. (a) 11. (b) 12. (b)
(a) A pattern made on heavy shawls 13. (a) 14. (d) 15. (d) 16. (c)
used for display in royal courts 17. (c) 18. (b) 19. (c) 20. (c)
172 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

Current Events
(Continued from page 20)
26. Jonathan Pace—a 51-year old
electrical engineer in the US—discovers
the largest known prime number,
calculated by multiplying 77,232,917 twos,
and then subtracting one. He stumbles
on to the largest known prime number,
having 23,249,425 digits. The new prime
number, also known as M77232917, is
nearly one million digits larger than the
previous record prime number, in a special
class of extremely rare prime numbers
known as Mersenne primes.
28. India successfully test-fires its
indigenously developed Advanced Air
Defence (AAD) supersonic interceptor
missile, capable of destroying any
incoming ballistic missile at low altitude,
from a test range in Odisha. The
interceptor is a 7.5-metre long single stage
solid rocket propelled guided missile
equipped with a navigation system, a hi-
tech computer and an electro-mechanical
activator.
H The Environment Ministry
approves a regional project on ‘Climate
Resilience Building among Farmers
through Crop Residue Management’
under National Adaptation Fund for
Climate Change.
30. Scientists discover four new ‘hot
Jupiter’ extrasolar planets orbiting dwarf
stars. Using telescopes of Hungarian-
made Automated Telescope Network-
South (HATSouth) Exoplanet Survey,
the team observes four G-type dwarf
stars known as HATS-50, HATS-51,
HATS-52 and HATS-53.
31. Astronauts aboard the International
Space Station (ISS) for the first time
identify microbes in space without
sending samples to Earth for tests. This
could aid in diagnosing and treating
astronaut ailments in real time.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
JANUARY 2018
1. NASA announces to launch Parker
Solar Probe in 2018 to explore the Sun’s
outer atmosphere. It will use Venus’
gravity during seven flybys over nearly
seven years to gradually bring its orbit
closer to the Sun.
2. Inspired by NASA’s experiments to
grow wheat in space, Australian scientists
develop the world’s first ‘speed breeding’
technique that can boost the production
of the crop by up to three times.
4. British scientists develop the first
portable bionic hand that mimics the
sense of touch, which allows a woman
to ‘feel’ with her missing limb 25 years
after she lost it.
5. British astronomers reveal an
overabundance of massive stars—having
mass ten times that of the Sun—in the
gigantic star-forming region 30 Doradus
in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy.
6. The US scientists find that an in-
ternational ban on chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) has resulted in about 20% less
ozone depletion during the Antarctic
winter from 2005 to 2016.
7. SpaceX launches secret Zuma
Mission for the US government, on
board of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in
Florida, US.
8. India unveils its fastest
supercomputer ‘Pratyush’, an array of
computers that can deliver a peak power
of 6.8 petaflops. One petaflop is a million
billion floating point operations per
second and is a reflection of the computing
capacity of a system. Pratyush is the fourth
fastest supercomputer in the world
dedicated for weather and climate
research, and follows machines in Japan,
US and the UK.
10. Scientists from Duke University
in North Carolina, US for the first time
develop working human skeletal muscle
from stem cells in the laboratory.
173
21
174
FORTHCOMING EXAMS
GOING TO TAKE PLACE
S. No. Name of the Total Last Date of Date of Eligibility Age
Department & Post Vacancies Application Exam Criteria Limit
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. South Indian Bank Recruitment 468 During Candidates should possess X/ Max. 26 Yrs.
2018 – Probationary Clerk January 2018 SSLC, XII/ HSC & Graduation
with minimum 60% marks
under regular course
2. Delhi Police Recruitment of 517 16 January Matriculation (10th Pass) or Varies
Personnel for various Trades 2018 equivalent or ITI in the trade
(Civilian) from any government
recognised institution/board
3. Reserve Bank of India – 526 In the month of Candidates should have 18-25 Yrs.
Recruitment for the post of January 2018 passed 10th Standard
Office Attendant (S.S.C./Matriculation)
from the concerned State/
UT coming under the
Regional Jurisdiction
of the Recruiting Office
4. IBPS Common Recruitment 7,883 21 Jan. 2018 Candidates should possess 20-28 Yrs.
Process for Recruitment of (Main Exam.) Degree (Graduation) in any
Clerks in Participating discipline from a recognised
Organisations (CWE Clerk-VII University
for Vacancies of 2018-19)

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 5. Staff Selection Commission N/A 21 January Candidates should possess Varies
Combined Graduate Level 2018 (Tier-III) Bachelor's Degree from a
Exam 2017 and February recognised University
2018 (Tier-IV)
6. IBPS Common Recruitment 1,315 28 Jan. 2018 Varies 20-30 Yrs.
Process for Recruitment of (Main Exam.)
Specialist Officers in Participating
Organisations (CRP SPL-VII)
7. UPSC Combined Defence 414 4 February 2018 Varies Varies
Services Examination (I), 2018
8. Union Bank of India Recruitment 100 9 February Varies Varies
2018 – Forex & Treasury Officers 2018 (Tentative)
9. SSC Combined Higher Secondary 3,259 4-26 March 2018 Candidates should have passed 18-27 Yrs.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

Level (10+2) Exam 2017 (Computer Based 12th or equivalent examination
Tier-I Exam); from a recognised Board or
8 July 2018 University
(Tier-II Exam -
Descriptive
Paper)
10. Central Railway Recruitment 150 Probable Date Candidates should possess 12th Max. 42 Yrs.
2017 – Jr. Clerk-cum-Typist of CBT March/ (10+2 stage) or its equivalent
April 2018 examination with Typing speed
of 30 w.p.m. in English/
25 w.p.m. in Hindi
11. UPSC Recruitment 2017 – 588 1 July 2018 Candidates should possess 21-30 Yrs.
Engineering Services Exam (Main) Degree in Engineering
Note : Candidates are advised to visit the official website and notification for further details.

175
 LATEST WHO’S WHO*
INDIA
UNION GOVERNMENT
Mr. Ram Nath Kovind : President
Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu : Vice-President
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
CABINET MINISTERS Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar : Rural
Mr. Narendra Modi : Prime Minister.
Also in charge of Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances and Pensions;
Department of Atomic Energ y;
Department of Space; All important policy
issues and all other portfolios not allocated
to any Minister
Mr. Rajnath Singh : Home Affairs
Ms. Sushma Swaraj : External Affairs
Mr. Arun Jaitley : Finance; Corporate
Affairs
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman : Defence
Mr. Piyush Goyal : Railways; Coal
Mr. Nitin Gadkari : Road Transport and
Highways; Shipping; Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation
Mr. Suresh Prabhu : Commerce and Industry
Mr. D.V. Sadananda Gowda : Statistics and
Programme Implementation
Ms. Uma Bharati : Drinking Water and
Sanitation
Mr. Ramvilas Paswan : Consumer Affairs;
Food and Public Distribution
Ms. Maneka Gandhi : Women and Child
Development
Mr. Ananth Kumar : Chemicals and
Fertilizers; Parliamentary Affairs
Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad : Law and
Justice; Electronics and Information
Technology
Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda : Health and
Family Welfare
Mr. Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati : Civil
Aviation
Mr. Anant Geete : Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprises
Ms. Harsimrat Kaur Badal : Food
Processing Industries
176 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
* As on January 12, 2018
Development; Panchayati Raj; Mines
Chaudhary Birender Singh : Steel
Mr. Jual Oram : Tribal Affairs
Mr. Radha Mohan Singh : Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare
Mr. Thaawar Chand Gehlot : Social Justice
and Empowerment
Ms. Smriti Zubin Irani : Textiles;
Information and Broadcasting
Dr. Harsh Vardhan : Science and Technology;
Earth Sciences; Environment, Forest and
Climate Change
Mr. Prakash Javadekar : Human Resource
Development
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan : Petroleum and
Natural Gas; Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship
Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi : Minority Affairs
MINISTERS OF STATE
(Independent Charge)
Rao Inderjit Singh : Planning; Chemicals and
Fertilizers
Mr. Santosh Kumar Gangwar : Labour and
Employment
Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik : AYUSH
Dr. Jitendra Singh : Development of
Northeastern Region ; Prime Minister's
Office; Personnel, Public Grievances &
Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy;
Department of Space
Dr. Mahesh Sharma : Culture; Environment,
Forest and Climate Change
Mr. Giriraj Singh : Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises
Mr. Manoj Sinha : Communications; Railways
Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore : Youth
Affairs and Sports; Infor mation and
Broadcasting
Mr. Raj Kumar Singh : Power; New and
Renewable Energy
Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri : Housing and
Urban Affairs
Mr. Alphons Kannanthanam : Tourism;
Electronics and Information Technology
MINISTERS OF STATE
Mr. Vijay Goel : Parliamentary Affairs;
Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Mr. Radhakrishnan P. : Finance; Shipping
Mr. S.S. Ahluwalia : Drinking Water and
Sanitation
Mr. Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi :
Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Mr. Ramdas Athawale : Social Justice and
Empowerment
Mr. Vishnu Deo Sai : Steel
Mr. Ram Kripal Yadav : Rural Development
Mr. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir : Home Affairs
Mr. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary :
Mines; Coal
Mr. Rajen Gohain : Railways
General (Retd.) V. K. Singh : External Affairs
Mr. Parshottam Rupala : Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare; Panchayati Raj
Mr. Krishan Pal : Social Justice and
Empowerment
Mr. Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor :
Tribal Affairs
Mr. Shiv Pratap Shukla : Finance
Mr. Ashwini Kumar Choubey : Health and
Family Welfare
Mr. Sudarshan Bhagat : Tribal Affairs.
Mr. Upendra Kushwaha : Human Resource
Development
Mr. Kiren Rijiju : Home Affairs
Dr. Virendra Kumar : Women and Child
Development; Minority Affairs
Mr. Anantkumar Hegde : Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship
Mr. M. J. Akbar : External Affairs
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti : Food Processing
Industries
Mr. Y. S. Chowdary : Science and Technology;
Earth Sciences
Mr. Jayant Sinha : Civil Aviation
Mr. Babul Supriyo : Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprises
Mr. Vijay Sampla : Social Justice and
Empowerment.
Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal : Parliamentary
Affairs; Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
Mr. Ajay Tamta : Textiles
Ms. Krishna Raj : Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare
Mr. Mansukh L. Mandaviya : Road
Transport and Highways; Shipping;
Chemicals and Fertilizers
Smt. Anupriya Patel : Health and Family
Welfare
Mr. C.R. Chaudhary : Consumer Affairs,
Food and Public Distribution; Commerce
and Industry
Mr. P.P. Chaudhary : Law and Justice;
Corporate Affairs
Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre : Defence
Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat : Agriculture
and Farmers Welfare
Dr. Satya Pal Singh : Human Resource
Development; Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

LOK SABHA SPEAKER

Ms. Sumitra Mahajan
JUDICIARY
CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA : Mr. Dipak Misra
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF INDIA : Mr. K.K. Venugopal
CHIEFS OF ARMED FORCES
SUPREME COMMANDER : Hon’ble President Mr. Ram Nath Kovind
CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF : General Bipin Rawat
CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF : Admiral Sunil Lanba
CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF: Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018 177
 CAPITALS, GOVERNORS AND CHIEF MINISTERS OF STATES
States Capitals Governors Chief Ministers
(1) Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad Mr. E.S.L. Narasimhan Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu
(2) Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.) Mr. Pema Khandu
(3) Assam Dispur Mr. Jagdish Mukhi Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal
(4) Bihar Patna Mr. Satya Pal Malik Mr. Nitish Kumar
(5) Chhattisgarh Raipur Mr. Balramji Das Tandon Mr. Raman Singh
(6) Goa Panaji Ms. Mridula Sinha Mr. Manohar Parrikar
(7) Gujarat Gandhinagar Mr. Om Prakash Kohli Mr. Vijay Rupani
(8) Haryana Chandigarh Mr. Kaptan Singh Solanki Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar
(9) Himachal Pradesh Shimla Mr. Acharya Dev Vrat Mr. Jai Ram Thakur
(10) Jammu and Srinagar (Summer) Mr. Narinder Nath Vohra Ms. Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed
Kashmir Jammu (Winter)
(11) Jharkhand Ranchi Ms. Draupadi Murmu Mr. Raghubar Das
(12) Karnataka Bengaluru Mr. Vajubhai Vala Mr. K. Siddaramaiah
(13) Kerala Thiruvanantha- Mr. P. Sathasivam Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan
puram
(14) Madhya Pradesh Bhopal Mr. Om Prakash Kohli (Acting) Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan
(15) Maharashtra Mumbai Mr. C. Vidyasagar Rao Mr. Devendra Fadnavis
(16) Manipur Imphal Ms. Najma Heptullah Mr. N. Biren Singh
(17) Meghalaya Shillong Mr. Ganga Prasad Dr. Mukul M. Sangma
(18) Mizoram Aizawl Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma Mr. Lal Thanhawla
(19) Nagaland Kohima Mr. P. B. Acharya Mr. T.R. Zeliang
(20) Odisha Bhubaneswar Mr. S. C. Jamir Mr. Naveen Patnaik
(21) Punjab Chandigarh Mr. V.P. Singh Badnore Captain Amarinder Singh
(22) Rajasthan Jaipur Mr. Kalyan Singh Ms. Vasundhara Raje
(23) Sikkim Gangtok Mr. Shriniwas D. Patil Mr. Pawan Chamling
(24) Tamil Nadu Chennai Mr. Banwarilal Purohit Mr. Edappadi Palaniswami
(25) Telangana Hyderabad Mr. E. S. L. Narasimhan Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao
(26) Tripura Agartala Mr. Tathagata Roy Mr. Manik Sarkar
(27) Uttarakhand Dehradun Mr. Krishan Kant Paul Mr. Trivendra Singh Rawat
(28) Uttar Pradesh Lucknow Mr. Ram Naik Yogi Adityanath
(29) West Bengal Kolkata Mr. Keshari Nath Tripathi Ms. Mamata Banerjee

CAPITAL, LT. GOVERNOR AND CHIEF MINISTER OF

NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY
National Capital Territory Capital Lt. Governor Chief Minister
(1) Delhi Delhi Mr. Anil Baijal Mr. Arvind Kejriwal
CAPITALS, LT. GOVERNORS/ADMINISTRATORS AND
CHIEF MINISTERS OF UNION TERRITORIES
UnionTerritories Capitals Lt.Governors/Administrators Chief Ministers
(1) Andaman and Nicobar Islands Port Blair Admiral (Retd.) D. K. Joshi —
(2) Chandigarh Chandigarh Mr. V.P. Singh Badnore —
(3) Dadra and Nagar Haveli Silvassa Mr. Praful Patel —
(4) Daman and Diu Daman Mr. Praful Patel —
(5) Lakshadweep Kavaratti Mr. Farooq Khan —
(6) Puducherry Puducherry Ms. Kiran Bedi Mr. V. Narayanasamy
178 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 PERSONS RECENTLY APPOINTED
JANUARY 2018
K. Sivan is the new Space Secretary
& ISRO Chairman : Rocket scientist
Dr. K. Sivan, currently Director of the
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, took
over as the new Secretary of the
Department of Space and Chairman of
the Space Commission and the Indian
Space Research Organisation on
January 14, 2018. Dr. Sivan replaced
Dr. A.S. Kiran Kumar as the ninth head
of the country’s Space establishment and
will have a three-year term. Dr. Sivan
joined ISRO in 1982 in the then young
PSLV project and has been Project
Director of the GSLV rocket.
Dilip Asbe appointed as NPCI MD
& CEO : Mr. Dilip Asbe was appointed
as the Managing Director & Chief
Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of the
National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) on January 8, 2018. Prior to this
appointment Mr. Asbe had been
functioning as the Chief Operating
Officer (COO) of NPCI and has led the
introduction of digital payment systems
such as the Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) etc. He replaced Mr. A. P. Hota
who had retired in August 2017.
Vijay Keshav Gokhale appointed as
Foreign Secretary : Senior diplomat
Mr. Vijay Keshav Gokhale was
appointed the Foreign Secretary for a
two-year term on January 1, 2018. He
succeeds Mr. S. Jaishankar, who
completes his tenure on January 28, 2018
according to an official order. A 1981
batch officer of the Indian Foreign
Service (IFS), Mr. Gokhale has earlier
served as India’s envoy to China.
Currently he is Secretary (Economic
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Relations) in the Ministry of External
Affairs.
IPS officer Abhay takes charge as
DG of Narcotics Control Bureau :
Mr. Abhay, a senior IPS officer of the
Odisha cadre, took charge as the new
Director General of Narcotics Control
Bureau (NCB) on January 2, 2018. He
will have a tenure till November 18,
2019. The post was lying vacant after
Mr. R.R. Bhatnagar took over as the DG
of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
in April 2017.
D.P. Singh assumes charge as
Chairman of UGC : Professor
Dhirendra Pal Singh assumed charge as
the Chairman of the University Grants
Commission (UGC) on January 1, 2018.
Prof. Singh was the Director of
National Assessment and Accreditation
Council (NAAC), Bengaluru. He has
been appointed as the UGC Chairman
for a period of five years. The post of
UGC chief had been lying vacant since
April 2017 after the retirement of
Professor Ved Prakash. Prof. Virander
Singh Chauhan, UGC member, was
officiating as the Chairperson of the
regulatory body for higher education
institutions.
DECEMBER 2017
Henrietta H. Fore appointed as
UNICEF Executive Director :
Ms. Henrietta H. Fore was appointed as
the Executive Director of the United
Nations Children’s Fund by the
UN Director-General Mr. Antonio
Guterres on December 22, 2017.
Currently CEO of Holsman
International, a manufacturing and
179
investment company, Ms. Fore is the first
woman to be appointed Administrator
of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) and
Director of United States Foreign
Assistance in the Department of State.
George Weah elected Liberia’s
new President : Renowned footballer
Mr. George Weah has been elected as
Liberia’s new President securing over
60 percent of the votes over his
Presidential challenger Mr. Joseph
Boakai who could manage only
38.5 percent of the votes. He succeeds
Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first
elected female President, in Liberia’s first
democratic handover in decades.
Mr. Weah is the only African footballer
to have won both FIFA World Player of
the Year and the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
He entered politics after his retirement
from the game in 2002 and is currently
a senator in Liberia’s parliament.
Jai Ram Thakur sworn in as Chief
Minister of Himachal Pradesh :
BJP leader Mr. Jai Ram Thakur took oath
as the 14th Chief Minister of Himachal
Pradesh along with 11 other Ministers
at a ceremony held at the historic Ridge
Ground in Shimla on December 27, 2017.
State Governor Mr. Acharya Devvrat
administered the oath of office and
secrecy to the 52-year-old Mr. Thakur, a
five-time MLA from Seraj and other
Ministers, including six new faces.
Vijay Rupani sworn in as Chief
Minister of Gujarat : Mr. Vijay Rupani
was sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister
of Gujarat on December 26, 2017. He
was sworn in along with 19 Ministers,
including Mr. Nitin Patel, Deputy Chief
Minister, after the BJP’s victory in the
recent Assembly elections. Besides
Mr. Rupani and Mr. Patel, others who
were sworn in include former state BJP
chief Mr. R.C. Faldu, former Minister
Mr. Kaushik Patel and sitting Ministers
180
Mr. Bhupendrasinh Chudasama,
Mr. Dilip Thakor and Mr. Jayesh
Radadia.
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed
as President of ICCR : Hon’ble
President Mr. Ram Nath Kovind
appointed BJP leader and Rajya Sabha
MP Mr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe as the
President of the Indian Council of
Cultural Relations (ICCR) on
December 29, 2017. He succeeds
scholar and thinker Mr. Lokesh Chandra,
who was appointed by the NDA
government in October 2014 and has
completed his three-year term.
Mr. Sahasrabuddhe is the Vice-President
of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, the only
training and research academy of South
Asia for elected representatives and
voluntary social workers.
Pradeep Singh Kharola appointed
as Air India Chairman : Mr. Pradeep
Singh Kharola, an IAS officer from the
Karnataka cadre, was appointed as the
new Chair man of Air India on
December 11, 2017. Mr. Kharola will
replace Mr. Rajiv Bansal to become the
third Chairman of the airline in the year
2017. Mr. Bansal had taken over from
Mr. Ashwani Lohani, who was shifted
to Railways. Mr. Kharola, 56, has a
PhD in Public Transport Systems from
IIT, Delhi and was the Principal
Secretary to the Chief Minister of
Karnataka in 2013.
Smita Nagaraj appointed as UPSC
Member : Ms. Smita Nagaraj took the
oath of office and secrecy as Member,
Union Public Service Commission
(UPSC) on December 1, 2017. An
Officer of the 1984 Batch of Indian
Administrative Service (IAS) of Tamil
Nadu Cadre, Ms. Nagaraj, during her
career spanning over 33 years, has
held several important positions in the
Central Government as well as in the
Government of Tamil Nadu.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
 NEWSMAKERS
JANUARY 2018
Donald Trump : US President
Mr. Donald Trump read out the ‘riot
act’ to Pakistan by tweeting that the US
had given Pakistan over $33 billion in
aid over the last 15 years and “they have
given us nothing but lies & deceit,
thinking of our leaders as fools” on
January 1, 2018. Consequently, the US
government suspended all security
assistance to Pakistan amounting to as
much as $1.3 billion annually, until
Islamabad “takes decisive action against
terrorist groups, including the Afghan
Taliban and the Haqqani Network.”
Colin Munro : New Zealand opener
Mr. Colin Munro became the first ever
batsman to hit three T20 centuries when
he smacked 104 runs in 53 balls against
West Indies in the third T20 at Bay Oval
in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand on
January 3, 2018. The Kiwis won the
match by 119 runs completing a 2-0 sweep
of the T20 series. This whirlwind
knock ensured that Mr. Munro moved
ahead of fellow Kiwi Mr. Brendon
McCullum, Zimbabwe’s Mr. Evin
Williams, India’s Mr. Rohit Sharma and
West Indies’ Mr. Chris Gayle—all who
have two centuries each in the T20 format
of the game.
DECEMBER 2017
Dmitry Rogozin : Deputy Prime
Minister of Russia Mr. Dmitry Rogozin
was on a visit to India on December 23,
2017. Mr. Rogozin called on Prime
Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and
discussed expansion and diversification
of bilateral ties, particularly noting the
standout collaboration in the energy
sector and the common pursuit of high-
technology cooperation. Mr. Rogozin also
co-chaired the meeting of the India-
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018
Russia Inter-Governmental Commission
on Trade, Economic, Scientific,
Technological and Cultural Cooperation
(IRIGC-TEC) held in New Delhi. The
Indian delegation was led by External
Affairs Minister Ms. Sushma Swaraj.
S. Jaishankar : India’s Foreign Secretary
Mr. S. Jaishankar was on a visit to Myanmar
on December 20, 2017. During his visit,
India and Myanmar signed an agreement
for socio-economic development of
Myanmar’s violence-hit Rakhine state
from where hundreds of thousands of
mainly Muslim Rohingyas have fled to
Bangladesh. Mr. Jaishankar and Myanmar’s
Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief
and Resettlement Mr. U. Soe Aung signed
the bilateral MoU on Rakhine State
Development Programme.
Kamala Harris : Indian-American
California senator Ms. Kamala Harris has
topped the prestigious Foreign Policy
magazine’s 2017 list of ‘50 Leading Global
Thinkers’, released on December 4, 2017.
Ms. Harris, the daughter of an Indian
mother and a Jamaican father, is the first-
ever Indian-American to be elected to
the US Senate. She has topped the list
for giving the Democratic Party hope in
the era of President Mr. Donald Trump.
The list recognises a remarkable range of
individuals who have found ways to exert
enormous influence, often in unexpected
ways, on a wide range of issues.
Ian Grillot : United States national
Mr. Ian Grillot was honoured by Time
magazine in the feature ‘5 Heroes Who
Gave Us Hope in 2017’ on December 7,
2017. Mr. Ian took a bullet for an Indian
while trying to intervene during a racially-
motivated shooting on February 22, 2017.
Mr. Grillot was injured when he tried to
intervene in the shooting by a navy veteran
181
targeting Indians at a bar in Kansas. December 22, 2017. Bollywood star
Mr. Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed Mr. Shah Rukh Khan and Team India’s
in the shooting that also left his colleague captain Mr. Virat Kohli took the second
Mr. Alok Madasani, critically injured. The and third spot, respectively. The 2017 Forbes
magazine saluted Mr. Grillot as the one India Celebrity 100 List rankings are based
who stepped into the line of fire. on the estimates of entertainment-related
Rohit Shar ma : Indian batting earnings of celebrities. The period under
superstar Mr. Rohit Sharma scored his consideration is from October 1, 2016 to
third One-Day International double September 30, 2017.
century, hammering an unbeaten 208 Ian Grillot : The prestigious Time
against Sri Lanka in Mohali on magazine has honoured Mr. Ian Grillot,
December 13, 2017. The right-hander the US national who took a bullet for an
blasted 13 fours and 12 huge sixes as India Indian while trying to intervene during
racked up 393 for 4 from their a racially-motivated shooting in Kansas
50 overs. He hit his 200 off just 151 balls, in an article titled “5 Heroes Who Gave
having raced from 100 to 200 in just 36 Us Hope in 2017” on December 7, 2017.
deliveries. It is just the seventh time a male Mr. Grillot, then 24, was injured when
player has scored a double century in he tried to intervene in the shooting by
One-Day International cricket and a Navy veteran targeting Indians at a bar
Mr. Sharma owns three of those feats. No in Olathe, Kansas, on February 22, 2017.
other man has done it more than once. He was also honoured as ‘A True
Cristiano Ronaldo Mr. Cristiano American Hero’ by the Indian-American
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or for the community in Houston, Texas.
fifth time to move level with rival Rahul Gandhi : Mr. Rahul Gandhi
was elected unopposed as Indian
Mr. Lionel Messi. The Real Madrid National Congress president, according
forward was named the winner of France to an announcement by the party’s
Football’s prestigious award at a ceremony central election authority head
in Paris on December 7, 2017. Mr. Mullappally Ramachandran on
Mr. Ronaldo, 32, previously won the award December 11, 2017. The 47-year-old
in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016. Mr. Messi scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family was
finished second in the voting while the lone candidate in the fray. He is the
Mr. Neymar, who joined Paris St Germain sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi
in a world-record transfer deal, was third. family to take over the top post in the
Salman Khan : Bollywood star Congress party. Mr. Rahul Gandhi
Mr. Salman Khan has once again succeeds his mother Ms. Sonia Gandhi,
maintained the top spot in Forbes India who remained in the post for 19 years.
Celebrity 100 List for the second Mr. Gandhi became the vice-president
consecutive year, released on of the party in January 2013.
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Editor Surendra Kumar Sachdeva. General Knowledge Today is a monthly magazine published from Delhi. All
disputes are subject to Delhi jurisdiction only. Disputes, if any will be settled under the jurisdiction of Delhi by sole
arbitrator to be appointed by Competition Review Pvt. Ltd. Question Papers being published are based on Memory
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RNI No. 21720 / 71 PR No. DL(C)-01/1068/2018-20
Licensed to post without pre-payment of Postage No. U(C) 49/2018-20.

182 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TODAY, FEBRUARY 2018

 New Batches :
10 May, 25 May & 5 June