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CURRENT AFFAIRS OCTOBER, 2016

1. Oliver Hart, a British economist at Harvard University, and Bengt Holmstrom,

a Finnish economist at MIT were awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for economic

sciences. They were awarded for their work in improving our understanding of

how and why contracts work, and when they can be made to work better. An

important part of the work of the Nobel Prize winners is the role of power

asymmetry in planning co-operative ventures. The fact that power does matter

in a contractual relationship is one that very often has been ignored by

economics. Both economists had worked on improving the design of contracts

so that the deals that bind together employers and their workers and companies

and their customers can be better understood to the common benefit of both and

provide for sudden and unexpected challenges. The laureates have provided

theoretical tools to analyse both financial terms as well as allocation of control

rights, property rights, and decision rights in contracts. The Royal Swedish

Academy of Sciences, in granting the award mentioned that contracts “are

essential to the functioning of modern societies,” and “invaluable in helping us

understand real-life contracts and institutions, as well as the potential pitfalls

when designing new contracts.”

2. The Nobel Peace Prize 2016 was awarded to Juan Manuel Santos, the President

of Colombia, “for his resolute efforts to bring the country’s more than 50-year

long civil war to an end”. Santos became President of Columbia in 2010 and

has worked to bring to an end a civil war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces

of Colombia (FARC), a group of Marxist guerrillas that has been at war with

the government since 1964. The civil war has been the cause of the death of

220,000 people and the displacement of 6 million people. In August 2016

Santos inked a peace deal with FARC which was however, narrowly rejected in

a national referendum.

3. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in

Chemistry for 2016 to Jean-Pierre Sauvage of the University of Strasbourg,

France; Sir J. Fraser Stoddart of the Northwestern University USA and Bernard

L. Feringa of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands “for the design and

synthesis of molecular machines”. The first step towards a molecular machine

was taken in 1983 by Sauvage, and by 1999 Feringa developed a molecular

motor. It is believed that molecular machines will most likely be used in the

development of new materials, sensors and energy storage systems.

4. The Nobel Prize in physics for 2016 has been awarded to John Michael

Kosterlitz a professor of physics at Brown University and David Thouless and

Duncan Haldane of the University of Cambridge for their work in the field of

condensed matter physics.

5. Yoshinori Ohsumi is a Japanese cell biologist. He has been awarded the 2016

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of mechanisms for

autophagy (a Greek term for “self-eating”). Autophagy is a process that cells

use for their maintenance, repair and generation. Dr Ohsui’s research of

disruptions to this process has added to the understanding of the molecular

mechanisms involved in many health disorders including cancer and hold

promise for better understanding of diseases, thus helping in their presentation

and treatment.

6. 26th

September is observed as the International Day for the Total Elimination of

Nuclear Weapons by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. On

this day Member States, civil society, academia, mass media and individuals to

raise public awareness about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons,

and the necessity for their total elimination.

7. NASA scientists using NASAs Hubble Space Telescope have spotted water

vapour plumes on the surface of Europa, Jupiter’s moon. This means that there

may be a second celestial object in the solar system which can host living

organisms. Europa’s ocean is considered to contain twice as much water as

Earth’s oceans but is protected by a layer of extremely cold and hard ice of

unknown thickness. These plumes provide an opportunity to collect samples of

water on Europa, without having to drill through the ice. If the findings are

confirmed Europa will be the second moon in the solar system known to have

water vapour plumes. Saturn’s moon Enceladus was the first observed to

produce such jets of water in 2005.

8. The Global Competitiveness Report is released by the World Economic Forum

(WEF), a think tank based out of Geneva, to determine the competitiveness of

world economies in doing business. Countries are assessed on the basis of

factors driving their productivity and prosperity. Switzerland has retained its

top position for the seventh year in a row. India has jumped 16 places to 55th

position. The reasons attributed to this jump are improvement in the

competitiveness of the country’s institutions; improvement in infrastructure;

venture capital availability, domestic market size, gross national savings. The

problems identified include corruption, policy instability, inflation and

difficulty in access to finance. The challenges facing India in 2016 would be

sustaining its high growth rate, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax

Regime, increasing the share of research and development in the economy and

infrastructure development. China remains steady at 28 but its lack of progress

moving up the ranking shows the challenges its economy now faces.

9. Jim Yong Kim is the President of the World Bank Group. He became the 12th

President in July 2012. He is a South Korean-American physician and

anthropologist. In September 2016 he was unanimously reappointed to a

second five-year term as president beginning July 2017. Under his

stewardship the World Bank has established two goals: ending extreme poverty

by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the bottom 40 per cent of the

population in developing countries. He co-founded Partners in Health in 1987.

The organization began a new community focused health care program which

executed treatments based on local needs and training the community to

implement them. The program was first successful in Haiti and thereafter in

Peru. Because of its results the World Health Organization embraced the

model. Kim joined the Wold Health Organization where he was appointed as

director of the HIV/AIDS department.

10. The United States of America has recently, in September 2016, nominated

Jeffrey De Laurentis as the first Cuban Ambassador in 55 years. Direct bilateral

diplomatic relations did not exist between the two countries from 1961 to 2015.

President Eisenhower severed relations following the Cuban Revolution in

1961. Relations were restored by Cuban President Raul Castro and President

Barack Obama in July 2015.

11. Measles, a viral disease that causes health problems, including pneumonia,

brain swelling, has been eliminated from the Region of the Americas which

have become the first region in the world to have eliminated this viral disease.

It is one of the most contagious diseases and affects mostly children. It is an

airborne disease. Its eradication from these two continents is the result of a

commitment made more than two decades ago and after decades of vaccination

efforts.

12. Russia and Cuba have recently signed an agreement on nuclear cooperation in

the field of peaceful use of atomic energy. The agreement was signed between

Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom and Cuba’s Ministry of Science,

Technology and Environment in Vienna. The agreement spells out the basis for

further cooperation in different fields from agriculture to training nuclear

specialists.

13. A new controversial fertility technique has been implemented which combines

the DNA of three people: DNA from both the parents and the third DNA from

a donor. This allows parents with rare genetic mutations to have healthy babies.

The technique, known as mitochondrial transfer, has been legally approved

only in the UK in 2015. The baby, a boy, was at risk of inheriting a severe

neurological disorder called Leigh syndrome, from his mother which kills

within a few years of birth.

14. Syed Shamsul Haq, a prolific writer and poet of Bangladesh died in a hospital

of lung cancer. He was considered to be a pioneer of modern Bangla literature.

His writings included poems as also novels. He also wrote many songs and

translated world classics like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Tempest and Cresida

into Bengali.

15. Simon Peres, one of the founding members of Israel, did at the age of 93. He

was known as the man who worked hard to build Israel’s well known military

strength and who later worked tirelessly to establish a lasting peace with

Israel’s Arab neighbours. He is credited with the creation of Israel’s defence

industry and was the prime mover behind the development of Israel’s nuclear

weapons. Mr Peres’s biggest achievement was in 1993 when he worked out a

plan with the Palestine Liberation Organization for self-government in Gaza

and in part of the West Bank, both of which were occupied by Israel. He was

awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 along with Mr. Rabin and Mr. Arafat.

He had spent over 50 years in politics and had held virtually every position in

Cabinet, from minister of defence to Prime Minister, a position he held thrice.

16. Max Walker an Australian Test cricketer died at the age of 68 of cancer. He

was a medium-pace bowler. After retiring from the game he launched into his

media career on Channel Nine’s World of Sports program. In the year 2011 he

was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia “for service to cricket at a

national and international level as a player and commentator, and to the

community through a range of youth and social welfare organisations.”

17. The theme for World Maritime Day 2016, celebrated on 29th

September, is

“Shipping: indispensable to the world”. The day is observed to highlight the

importance of shipping and global society. The World Maritime Day was first

observed in 1978. It is believed that around 80 per cent of global trade by

volume is carried by sea and handled by ports worldwide. Without shipping

import and export of goods on scale necessary to sustain modern world would

be difficult. The International Maritme Organization (IMO) is the body

responsible for regulating shipping and has over the years laid down a global

regulatory framework which has made shipping more efficient and

environment friendly.

18. The 19th

SAARC Summit was, scheduled to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan in

November 2016. India expressed its inability to attend the Summit due to the

atmosphere created by the terrorist attacks sponsored by Pakistan from its

territory. After India announced its withdrawal from the summit three other

SAARC member states, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also informed the

SAARC Secretariat in Nepal that they would not be attending the summit citing

concerns over cross-border terrorism in the region. Later Sri Lanka also

expressed its unwillingness to attend. Since the SAARC charter mandates that

all decisions of the regional bloc must be made unanimously the absence of

even one member means a postponement or cancellation of a Summit. SAARC

is a regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South

Asia to promote development of economical and regional integration. SAARC

comprises of 8 member states, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,

Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the new entrant which joined in 2007 Afghanistan. The

following nine countries have observer status. Australia, China, European

Union, Japan, Iran, Mauritius, Myanmar, South |Korea and the United States.

19. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently launched eight

satellites into two different orbits in a single mission. The 8 satellites were

launched on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV - C35 from,

Sriharikota. Of the 8 satellites three were from India, three from Algeria and

one each from Canada and United States. The three Indian satellites will

provide information on oceans, weather, cyclone detection and the total

electron count in space.

20. The construction of a hydro power project on a tributary of the River

Brahmaputra, Lalho, in Tibet by China has raised concerns that the lower

riparian countries India and Bangladesh may be adversely affected. The project

at an estimated cost of $740 million will be one of the most expensive projects

in China. The construction work on the project began in June 2014 and is

scheduled to be completed in 2019. China has claimed that its projects are run

of the river projects and are not designed to hold water. There is no water treaty

between India and China. There is only an Expert Level Mechanism on trans-

border rivers.

21. 1st October is observed as the International Day of Older Persons each year. It

was first observed in 1991 and this year is the 25th

international day of older

persons. . The day is celebrated by raising awareness about issues affecting the

elderly. Each year a different theme is introduced to bring to notice the issues

affecting the elderly. The theme for 2016 is to “Take a Stand against Ageism”.

With rapidly aging populations across the world the day is important to make

all people recognize their responsibilities towards the lives of elder people by

analysing the problems affecting the life of older people and addressing them. 22. “Varad Giri” is the name given to a new species of lizard which is ground-

dwelling and has been discovered after 130 years in Mumbai’s Goregaon’s Aarey Colony and in the adjoining district of Thane. . The lizard has been named after a Bengaluru based taxonomist from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS). This new specie of lizard does not have well developed lamellae (special structure on the foot) like other lizards and are predominantly found on the ground. The lizards are active during night and hide during the day.

23. The Indira Gandhi International Airport has become Asia-Pacific’s only carbon neutral airport. There are less than 25 airports in the world, most of them

located in Europe, which have earned carbon neutral status. The IGI airport has been certified as Level 3+, Neutrality, this is the highest level for airports across the world. The Indira Gandhi International Airport has taken a series of measures to reduce its carbon footprint. It uses eco-friendly vehicles; energy efficiency fixtures and improvements; a 84MW solar power plant; terminal 3 is a LEED gold certified green building; water conservations measures are in place which allows recycled water and rainwater harvesting. The airport is managed by a private operator – Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and GMR Group led consortium. . An airport is declared carbon neutral if the net carbon emissions over a whole year are zero. This is done by the airport offsetting an equal amount of emissions as it generates.

24. “Gurugram” is the new name for Gurgaon, the corporate hub of Haryana with the third highest per capita income in India. The economic growth story started when Maruti Suzuki India Limited set up a manufacturing plant in Gurgaon in the 1970s. Legend has it that Gurgaon derived its name form Guru Dronacharya, the master of archery in Mahabharta who groomed the Pandavas and Kauravs in military tactics. It is said that the village was given as gurudakshina to Guru Dronacharya and was known as Guru -gaon which over the years got distorted to Gurgaon.

25. India will be hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India from the 6th to 28th of October, 2017. The emblem of the first ever FIFA tournament in India represents the country’s diversity of cultures. Each of the main elements of the Indian Ocean, the banyan tree, the kite and the starburst has been selected for their deep significance in the country’s culture. The banyan tree is

the national tree of India, the kite is the symbol of freedom and fun representing the soaring aspirations of India’s young and vibrant democracy and the starburst represents all the festivals of the country.

26. September 28th 2016 was the 109th birth anniversary of the revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh a legendary figure of the independence movement. He founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha in March 1926 and was responsible for the assassination of John Saunders a British police officer in 1927 as revenge

for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. He was hung in Lahore jail, at the age of 23,

alongwith Shivaram Hari Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar on 23rd March, 1931. 27. SAKSHAM is the name of the new indirect tax network (systems integration)

which will be developed with the help of Wipro to bolster the IT network for the new GST regime that the government intends to roll out from April 2017. It is a project of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). The Government of India expects the number of taxpayers under indirect tax laws to increase to about 65 lakhs from the current 36 lakhs. CBECs IT systems as well as IT systems of states need to integrate with the GST - N for processing of registration, payment and returns data processed by GST - N systems to CBEC.

28. India carried out a number of surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LOC) to destroy terror launch pads post the terror strike on an army base in URI. A surgical strike is a military attack which results in damage only to the intended

legitimate target and there is minimal or no collateral damage to surrounding structures, vehicles or utilities. India’s surgical strikes destroyed identified terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control, following the terrorist attack in Uri.

29. The Government of India has set up a Monetary Policy Committee to determine interest rates at which the RBI would lend and borrow. (repo and reverse repo rates). The task had so far been performed by the RBI Governor. Monetary policy decisions by central banks can have far reaching implications for the economy, investors and borrowers. Several countries have believed that monetary policy decisions should not be left in the hands of a single individual and have appointed a committee. In June the Government of India amended the RBI Act to create a Monetary Policy Committee. The MPC is a

body of six members that will decide on “policy” rate for the RBI. Each member will have a vote and in case of a tie the RBI Governor will get the deciding vote. Three members are nominated by the government and three members will be from the Central Bank. The members from the RBI are the RBI Governor, deputy governor in charge of monetary policy and an RBI nominated executive. The three external members appointed are Chetan Ghate, Pami Dua and Ravindra H Dholakia. These members will hold office for four years. The mandate of the committee is to keep inflation within the central point of 4 per cent +/- 2 per cent for the next five years. The MPC is also required to keep growth considerations in mind. It is believed that the MPC will improve transparency.

30. Shakti Sinha a retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service has been appointed Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library for a period

of three years. He is presently the head of Policy Research Group at the Bureau of Research in Industry and Economic Fundamentals.

31. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS have replaced their trademark attire for 90 years – khaki shorts – and have switched to trousers. The RSS would henceforth wear brown trousers, white shirts and black caps. The traditional bamboo stick will remain part of the uniform. Where required, due to climatic conditions, the uniform would include dark brown sweaters.

32. Currently the world’s tallest skyscraper is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Now the

Gulf’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has laid the foundation stone for a tower that will be higher than the Burj Khalifa when completed in 2020. The structure is expected to cost $1 billion. The tower is being designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrva Valls and will have observation decks providing 360 degree views of the coastal city.

33. In order to revive weak credit and investment growth the Government of India has to address the problem of huge stressed loans in India’s banking sector which have risen to Rs. 9.22 lakh crore at the end of June 2016. 88 per cent of the bad loans are from the two dozen state banks. Stressed assets include both non-performing loans defined as those that have not been serviced for 90 or more days and restructured loans where banks have eased interest rates or the repayment period. It has been felt by many experts that the absence of a proper bond market – a legacy issue that the RBI is reluctant to resolve – is

the main reason for these stressed assets. In the absence of a proper bond market, banks are forced to lend for long gestation projects such as infrastructure, leading to asset liability mis-matches.

34. The Government of India has recently appointed a 1980 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service as India’s ambassador to the United States. Navtej Sarna holds the distinction of being the longest serving spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs. Sarna also writes short stories and book reviews. His first novel published was “We Weren’t Lovers Like That” in 2003. He then wrote “The Book of Nanak” and his last publication in 2008 was The Exile based on the life of Duleep Singh the last Maharaja of Lahore and son Raja Ranjit Singh.

35. A 2500 km East Coast Economic Corridor is planned between Visakhapatnam

and Chennai which is expected to spur development on India’s eastern coast and enable seamless trade links with other parts of South and Southeast Asia. The total cost of the project is $846 million and the work is expected to be completed by 2031. The Asian Development Bank has approved $631 million for a period of 25 years to build key infrastructure – state of the art industrial clusters roads, efficient transport and reliable water and power supplies.

36. Tre recent BRICS Summit brought to focus the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). The CCIT is a proposed treaty which intends to criminalize all forms of international terrorism and to deny to terrorists and their supporters access to funds, arms and safe havens. The broad contours of the treaty were introduced in December 1996, by India at the United Nations, but even after two decades, countries are no closer to reaching closure on the final contours of the Treaty. There is a divergence of views on the definition of

‘terrorism’. The US is concerned over whether acts by US army in international interventions would come under the ambit of the Convention; the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) block is concerned that the convention will be used to target Pakistan and restrict rights of self- determination of groups in Palestine, etc. Latin American countries are concerned about human rights laws. All 193 member states of the United Nations would need to forge a consensus as they will have to adopt the

definition into their own criminal law. If the Treaty comes into force all

countries would have to ban all terror groups, close their camps, cut of their funding and prosecute all terrorists under special laws. Cross-border terrorism would become an extraditable offence.

37. Bob Dylan is the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize for literature. He is the first musician to win the award for literature and is alongside literature Nobel laureates such as TS Eliot, Toni Morrison and Samuel Beckett. The award to Bob Dylan has generated considerable debate on whether song writing rises to the level of literature. The Swedish Academy has awarded the prize for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.

38. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand died at the age of 88. He became king in 1946 and was one of the longest reigning monarchs in history. King Bhumibol was considered a unifying figure in the country’s recent tumultuous history.

Since 2014 Thailand has been ruled by the military junta after a coup. In all probability he would be succeeded by Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64 who was appointed as the crown prince in 1972. Till the crown prince is enthroned the country would be headed by a regent, Prem Tinsulaninda.

39. Cyril Almeida is a Pakistani journalist working for the Pakistani newspaper, Dawn. He was barred from leaving Pakistan, his name was put under an ‘Exit Control List’ after he wrote an article indicating serious differences between the civil and military leadership over cross border terrorism. Almedia and his newspaper have stood by the story.

40. Aradhana Samdariya, a 13 years old Jain girl undertook a fast for 68 days, but suffered a cardiac attack two days after completing her fast and died. Her family is being charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The

Jain community have a tradition of “Chaturmas” or a fast where one is allowed to drink boiled water twice a day. The community feels that fasting to achieve purification of the soul is a Jain way of life. The community also has a tradition of “Santhara” – the voluntary custom of fasting until death which was banned by the Rajasthan High Court last year. The Supreme Court has over-ruled the ban.

41. The 28th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol was held in October in Kigali, Rwanda. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer which came into force in 1989. It is one of the more successful international treaties as it has in the almost 30 years of its existence phased out more than 95% of ozone depleting substances. Discussions centred on reducing the use of hydroflurocarbons by 2030. HFC23 is a by-product of HCFC-22 which is used in industrial refrigeration. It is a potent

greenhouse gas which has a warming potential of 14,800 times more than that of CO2. In the Kigali meeting India agreed to eliminate HFC-23 and the Ministry of Environment, the nodal ministry has ordered the five producing companies to destroy HFC-23 through incineration and create adequate storage facilities so that the ozone depleting substance is not released into the atmosphere. The cost of incinerating the gas would be borne by the Indian companies without seeking financial assistance from the developed nations.

42. As part of the Prime Minister’s development package for Jammu and Kashmir

an Indian Institute of Management will start functioning from temporary premises in Jammu. Later an out-campus would be set up in Kashmir. At present there are 19 IIM’s functioning in the country. The Jammu IIM would be the 20th. The IIM in Jammu would be managed by a Society with a Board of Governors.

43. The Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, has announced that the border between India and Pakistan 3323 kms, would be sealed by December 2018. Where it would be difficult to seal traditional boundaries such as in securing the riverine belts technological solutions would be found such as the use of drones, sensors, cameras, radars etc. “Sealing” in this context, means ensuring that no part of the international border is left without a barrier physical or technology based. Action has been taken by other countries also to seal borders such as the US-Mexico boundary; the Iran Pakistan border and the

Israel Gaza border. 44. The first “Medical Park” of the country would be set up at Chengalpet near

Chennai. It would be anchored by HLL Lifecare, a Public Sector undertaking, which will sub-lease over 300 acres of land and would develop the park over a seven year period. In the first phase physical infrastructure would be developed. It will be the first manufacturing cluster in the medical technology sector in the country which will boost local manufacturing of hi-end products at a significantly lower cost resulting in affordable healthcare, particularly in the diagnostic sector, to a large section of the population.

45. The Supreme Court of India has recently ruled that a woman becomes an integral part of her husband’s family after being married and if she seeks to separate him from the family it can be quoted as grounds for divorce. The

court held that in Hindu society the son has a moral and legal obligation to take care and maintain his parents when they become old or when they have no source of income.

46. There are approximately 21 lakh persons estimated to be living with HIV in India. The prevalence of HIV is decreasing. The Government of India has proposed to introduce amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014. The Bill was introduced during the earlier UPA government. However, the Parliamentary Standing Committee while examining the Bill had pointed out certain shortcomings which were required to be looked into by a Group of Ministers. The Bill seeks to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS, prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS and places obligations on organizations to safeguard their rights. The Bill also states that no person can be treated without his consent and he would not be compelled

to disclose his status until required by a court order or by his own informed consent. The Bill also has a provision for a jail term of up to 2 years and a fine of up to Rs. One lakh on anyone discriminating against the affected person. Medical insurance can also no longer be denied to these people. The Bill would provide the support required by the National AIDS Control Program and achieve the target of “Ending the epidemic by 2030”.

47. As per the Union Budget 2016-17 the Government aims to collect

approximately 50,000 crore through disinvestment in Public Sector Undertakings. The Union Cabinet has recently given its approval for the closure of Hindustan Cables Limited, Kolkata. This company was established in the year 1952 and had four manufacturing units producing cables for government owned telecom companies. However, with change in technology demand for telecom cables reduced drastically. Measures to revive the company have failed and there has been no production activity since 2003. The employees have not been paid their dues. It is proposed to infuse a total of Rs. 4,700 crores towards payment of salaries and conversion of loan into equity etc.

48. Abdelilah Benkirane is the leader of the Justice and Development Party in Morocco. His party formed a coalition government in 2011 and he was appointed as Head of Government. His party has emerged with the most

number of seats in the recently held elections and the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI has named him as the new prime minister. This is in line with the constitution which grants the monarch the authority to choose the prime minister from the biggest party in parliament.

49. Aleppo in Syria has been in the news due to the humanitarian catastrophe caused due to bombing by Russia. Russia’s help was sought by Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad’s to dislodge rebels who had taken over parts of the city. Russia also vetoed the stopping of the bombing when it was raised in the Security Council. The problem in Syria began in early 2011 during the time of the Arab Spring when there were widespread anti-government protests aimed at democratic reform and addressing corruption. The movement was resisted harshly by Assad’s regime. However, opponents of the government had taken

up arms calling for a political change. These people were soon joined by radical groups such as the Nusra Front and the ISIS. The US and its allies in 2014 created a Combined Joint Task Force and started conducing airstrikes against the Islamic State – the aim to halt the advance of the radical groups. In 2015 Russia intervened on behalf of the Syrian government.

50. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed an electroactive bandage which will help heal wounds while protecting the wound from infection. The new material called polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) generates a small amount of electricity when interacting with another surface, including human skin. It is believed to minimize infection and related complications. The bandage would be useful for patients who have undergone surgery as also military personnel. The material will be especially useful for Astronauts as in condition of non-Earth gravity, human blood displays

different behaviour from that on earth. Wounds in space heal slowly but this material would make the healing comparatively faster.

51. Indian Oil Corporation the nation’s largest oil company own and operates eight refineries and has recently added its ninth refinery at Paradip in Odisha. With this addition its refining capacity has overtaken that of Reliance Industries twin refineries at Jamnagar in Gujrat. IOC is seeking to raise its refining capacity in its Koyali refinery in Gujarat as also its Mathura refinery.

But by far its biggest plan is to invest about Rs. 15,000 crores in Panipat by

increasing its refining capacity by 34 per cent from 15 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes. Besides increasing its refinery capacity it is also raising fuel quality specifications to meet the revised norms of Euro VI. IOC will also set up a bioethanol plant in Panipat. This is an alcohol derived mostly from agricultural residue and can be blended with petrol or diesel and will reduce the dependency on imported fuel.

52. Nanaji Deshmukh was a veteran Jan Sangh leader who was also associated with the RSS. He was one of the earlier architects of the Jan Sangh. He died at the age of 95. He founded the Deendayal Research Institute in Chitrakoot and was credited for the work he had done in education, health and rural self-reliance.

53. A glaciological research station – Himansh – has been set up at Spiti in Himachal Pradesh at a height of 13,500 feet by the National Centre for

Antarctic and Ocean Research. This station will provide research findings on the Himalayan glaciers, their reaction to climate change, and their contribution to the hydrology of the Himalayan region. The Himalayan region has the largest concentration of glaciers outside the Polar cap.

54. The Domestic Violence Act came into force in October 2006 the intent to protect women from domestic violence or harassment by an adult male. However, now the Supreme Court has ordered the removal of the phrase “adult male” from Section 2Q. Now anyone can be prosecuted under the Act as it has become gender neutral.

55. Telegana which became the 29th State of India had 10 districts to begin with. 21 new districts have been added by the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar by dividing the existing 10, taking the total number of districts to 31.

56. 11th October is the International Day of the Girl Child as observed by the United Nations. Like other international days this particular day seeks to increase awareness of the many issues and inequalities faced by girls around the world. The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child is “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”. In India the day would focus on the evils of child marriage; female foeticide; the gender gap in education; gender discrimination; access to medical care.

57. Masood Azhar is the founder and leader of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed. In India he is listed amongst the country’s most wanted terrorists. China is resisting designating him as a terrorist by the United Nations.

58. Genetically modified (GM) mustard developed (DMH-11) by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants of Delhi University has generated heated

debate in the country. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the body in the Environment Ministry whose clearance is mandatory for testing GM crops in farmer fields. The Committee deferred the decision to allow the commercial production of Mustard DMH-11. The mustard has been developed by a team of scientists under a government funded project over the past decade. The sequence of the three genes used in the mustard is the same as that found in imported canola oil. Cultivable land is shrinking; farmers

are still using old technology whereby which yields are a fraction of world

levels and weather patterns have become unpredictable. In effect the GM mustard would be pest resistance and would improve the yield per acre. India imports around $12 billion worth of edible oil annually and to reduce this import bill it needs to increase productivity of oilseed crops. Earlier concerns were also raised on GM cotton but the fact is that the country’s cotton production has gone up two and a half times without causing any adverse impact on humans or animals. The Supreme Court has stayed the commercial release of the GM mustard and has asked the government to seek public opinion.

59. Every country mandates a method for companies to report on their financial data based on rules called Accounting Standards. Indian companies have so far followed Indian Accounting Standards issued under the supervision and control of the Accounting Standards Board under the Institute of Chartered

Accountants of India. Ministry of Corporate Affairs has now notified Ind AS which will be mandatory from the year 2016-17 for companies with a net worth of Rs. 500 crore or more. It is believed that the new standards will have an impact of the computation of revenue, operating profit, net profit and net worth of the listed companies.

60. BIMSTEC – The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation comprises of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka – held its retreat in Goa. The main objective of this body is technological and economic cooperation among South Asian and South East Asian countries lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. BIMSTEC considers cooperation in various sectors including agriculture, fisheries transport, communication tourism and human resource

development amongst others. BIMSTEC was established in June 1997 and is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

61. Dispute resolution through International Commercial Arbitration is gaining in popularity as it offers the alternative to litigation in courts thereby saving both time and money. In the absence of an international arbitration centre in India most business disputes between Indian companies and other parties are resolved in Singapore or London International Arbitration Centre. This is now expected to change with the establishment of the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA) is the first of its kind international arbitration institution located in Mumbai. The MCIA is set up as an independent, not-for-profit organization governed by a council comprising of both national and international legal luminaries.

62. India’s Unnat Jyoti program (UJALA) – Affordable LEDs for All - will be

partnered by the International Energy Agency (IAE). IEA is a Paris-based autonomous non-governmental organisation established in 1974 to meet the industrial countries energy organisation needs. Only OECD member states can become members of the IEA. The Ujala scheme implemented by the Ministry of Power and distributes LED lights at a competitive cost. LED bulbs have a long life estimated to be almost 50 times more than ordinary bulbs and 8 to 10 times more energy efficient than CFLs. This results in savings in electricity

consumption; reduce consumer bills; reduction of load and reduction in

Greenhouse gas emissions. The price at which Energy Efficiency Services Limited (a joint venture of Public Sector Undertakings under the Ministry of Power) has been purchasing LED lights at steadily reducing prices. In 2014 the price of LEDs was Rs. 310 per piece and in 2016 the price has come down to Rs. 55. Production has also gone up from 10 lakhs per month in 2014 to 4 crores per month in 2016.

63. A new species of termites has recently been discovered by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary of the Western Ghats. The species are named “Chiraharitae”. Termites colonise most landmasses except for Antartica. Termites are defined as three types – dry wood, damp wood and subterranean. They are a delicacy in the diet of some countries and in others are used in traditional medicines. Termites are economically significant as they can cause serious damage to buildings, crops

or forests. 64. In pursuance of orders issued by the Delhi High Court in July 2016 the Election

Commission of India (ECI) has issued directions barring political parties from using public resources for their advertisements or for advertising their election symbols. This has been done as per paragraph 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order. This would mean that henceforth, no registered political party would use any public place or public funds or government machinery for carrying out any activity that would amount to advertisement for the party or propagate the party’s allotted election symbol. The Delhi High Court’s directions were in relation to a plea filed by an NGO against the BSP putting up elephant statues (the BSP symbol) in public places. These elephants had to be covered during the 2012 Assembly elections in UP.

65. The Election Commission of India which is mandated by the Constitution to supervise, direct and control the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and the Assembly of every State government and to the office of President and Vice-President of India has entered into a partnership with social networking site Facebook to run a voter registration drive aimed at encouraging youth to participate in the elections in the five states going to the polls in 2017. These five states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa Manipur and Uttarakhand. The objective of the partnership is to encourage the youth of the country to participate in the democratic exercise. Facebook would be uploading a ‘Register Now’ button. On clicking on this people would be directed to the National Voters’ Services Portal which will guide them through the registration process.

66. UR Rao is a space scientist and former chairman of the Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) who has been selected by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) to be honoured with the 2016 “ÏAF Hall of Fame Award”. Dr Rao was Chairman of ISRO for a decade during which period ISRO had initiated the development of the geostationary launch vehicle GSLV, the successful launch of INSTAT satellites. He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan.

67. China has been working steadily to become a space super power. China National Space Administration (CNSA) is the organization tasked with the

space program of the People’s Republic of China. China’s space program

began in the late 1950s, it is believed, as a protection from the perceived threat from the Americans and the Russians. In the last 50 years China has made considerable progress in the space program. China’s first spacecraft designed for human occupancy, named Shenzhou-1, launched in November 1999. China sent an astronaut into space in 2003 becoming the third country, in 2003, to send a human into space. In October 2016 China’s manned spacecraft docked with China’s space lab, Tiangong2, with two astronauts entering into the space lab. China is the third country, after USA and Russia, to have a successful docking process in space. China is aiming to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022 two years before the International Space Station will be retired. China was not allowed to participate in the International Space Station by USA which is concerned that China’s space program has a strong military component. China has been

consistent in saying that its space program is aimed at scientific development. China is spending heavily on its space program as it aims to catch up with USA and Russia and stay ahead of the space programs of India and Japan.

68. The Government of India is preparing to launch a regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Udey Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) in the beginning of 2017. The main objectives of the proposed scheme is to cap domestic fares for one hour flights making them affordable for the common man; promote air services between the unserved and under-served areas and further boost the domestic aviation sector which has been showing good growth. The scheme also proposes to upgrade 50 unserved or underserved airports in the country which would further boost connectivity. To incentivise the scheme the government would offer Viability Gap Funding and free police and fire

services. 69. The order of a three -member bench of the Supreme Court directing Justice

Markandey Katju to appear in Court in person and participate in the proceedings in the Soumya Case has caused Justice Katju to raise the question whether as a former Supreme Court judge he is debarred from appearing by Article 124(7) of the Constitution. This constitutional question would now have to be considered by the Court. Justice Katju had, in a social media post, disagreed with the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered in the Soumya case in September. The Supreme Court had converted the post into a suo motu review petition. Article 124 of the Constitution deals with the establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court. Clause (7) states that “no person who has held office as judge of the Supreme Court shall plead or act in any court or before any authority within the territory of India”. Article

142 of the Constitution grants the Supreme Court to make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it and clause 2 states that he Supreme Court shall have all and every power to make any order for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person.

70. Osteoporosis, known as a silent disease, is characterized by low bone mass which increases susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. 300 million Indians may be affected by

this disease. There are several causes for the onset of osteoporosis. Deficiency

of calcium and Vitamin D; a sedentary lifestyle; lower levels of Estrogen amongst menopausal women; cigarette smoking. In order to prevent the onset of osteoporosis preventive steps are required which include a calcium rich diet; ensure adequate exposure to the sun for vitamin D; get a bone density test done routinely after the age of 35; exercise to strengthen the bones, do not smoke or drink.

71. Khurram Parvez, 39 years old, is a self- proclaimed human rights activist and coordinator of the so-called Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS). His credentials are however suspect. He was detained by immigration officials at New Delhi’s international airport when he was to attend the 33rd UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva to brief UN Bodies, on the atrocities committed by Indian state forces in Jammu and Kashmir. He was subsequently arrested and placed under preventive detention.

72. The Pakistan Government is in a state of crisis. The trigger has been the leakage of papers held by a Panama based law firm Mossack Fonseca. The firm held around 11 million documents linking political and business leaders to offshore companies and accounts. These leaked documents available on the website of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reveals that one of the political families identified was that of the Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. It is alleged that three of Nawaz Sharif’s children own companies and assets not revealed earlier which have been used to acquire properties overseas. Though allegations of corruption have chased Nawaz Sharif since the 1980s, this time around the Supreme Court has issued notice to the Prime Minister and his family members based on petitions filed by the opposition parties. Imran Khan who heads the opposition party Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf has also threatened to lock down Islamabad early in November.

73. Between May and July a large number of ATMs and Point of sale (POS) machines were compromised by an unknown malicious virus putting, it is estimated, up to 32 lakh customers at risk. The infection at Hitachi Payments Services led to the problem. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) an umbrella organization for all retail payments, has indicated that the loss is small and banks will have to deal with it. The banks concerned, in this case YES and AXIS banks; State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank did not come to know of the virus attack till customers started complaining of unauthorised withdrawals in China or the US. The cybersecurity competence of the concerned bank/s has now come under a cloud. Also of concern is the reluctance of banking institutions to share information. Sharing of information

would reduce the chances of the same breach of security occurring in the ATMs managed by other operators. In order to protect their customers the banks have issued certain measures they expect their clients to take. These are: change your card PIN; Do not use other banks ATMs; Keep your PIN a secret; Do not give your debit card PIN to anyone over the phone. Some banks have also begun the process of replacing the cards.

74. Avian influenza or bird flu – H5N1 – is a viral infection which is spread from

bird to bird. The virus is highly dangerous for birds but it is deadly to humans who catch the virus with a fatality rate of 60 per cent. The disease is most commonly spread by migrating water fowl from where it can spread to poultry and other birds. Humans would contract the disease by close contact with infected birds which could be by plucking infected birds; swimming in water infected by the bird droppings. Bird flu is not spread by eating well cooked chicken or eggs. A vaccine has been developed in the US for the multiple strains of avian influenza including H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8.

75. The world’s oldest aircraft carrier, INS Virat, will be decommissioned by the Indian Navy. The carrier has given 55 years of service including 27 years with the Royal Navy. The ship was sold to the Indian Navy in 1987. Once it is decommissioned the carrier will be handed over to the State of Andhra Pradesh where it will be put to use, in Vishakapatnam, to attract tourism to

the state.

76. The government has amended rule 23 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961

enabling voters to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot. The two-

way system currently prevailing is that the election officials send the ballot

paper by the postal services which is completed and sent back. Now in the new

system service voters, including the armed forces, would download the ballot

paper fill the same and return the same through the postal services. One way

electronic transmission of blank postal ballot would considerably cut short the

delay in receipt of the marked postal ballot by the Returning officers on or

before the date fixed for counting of votes. It would have been simpler for the

e-ballot to be received and returned electronically but this was not agreed to by

the Election Commission citing security and secrecy reasons. The difficulties

encountered by the service forces has also been agitated before the Supreme

Court.

77. Husk burning causes severe environmental pollution. There are several solutions to the use of the residual husk after paddy farming. The husk can be used to make organic fertilizer, in paper making and in the card-board industry and as animal feed.

78. Urja Ganga project is a gas pipeline project which aims to provide piped cooking gas to the Eastern region of India. To begin with the residents of Varanasi within two years and in the third year cater to people in states like Bihar Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. The project will, it is estimated, cost around Rs. 51,000 crore, it will include 2540 kms of pipeline as also LNG stations. Once the project is complete an estimated 20 lakh households will get piped gas; 25 industrial clusters using he gas from the pipeline will be

developed in the five states. 79. Since 1948, 24th October is celebrated every year as United Nations Day. This

day marks the entry into force, in 1945, of the UN charter. 80. The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor is a 1840 km long freight corridor of

Indian Railways extending from Ludhiana in Punjab to Kolkata in West Bengal. It would augment railway freight carrying capacity along the corridor and since

the corridor would be electrified it would help in reducing greenhouse gas

emissions. 81. Talaq, talaq, talaq or instant divorce is a practice prevalent in India in the

Muslim community while it is reportedly being phased out across the Muslim world. It has been banned in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It allows men to end a marriage by saying the word thrice The wife need not be present. The Supreme Court is hearing the case on triple talaq as also another law which forces women who have to remarry their husbands to marry another man. Muslim women groups have petitioned the Supreme Court against the practice. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board holds an altogether different view.. The Musiim Women’s Movement has described the practice as one sided, arbitrary and a unilateral form of divorce where the man has all the power. The organization is challenging the constitutionality of the practice in the Supreme Court.

QUESTIONS CURRENT AFFAIRS – OCTOBER

1. The Nobel Prize for 2016 for economic sciences was awarded to Bengt

Holmstrom and Sveriges Riksbank for their work in which of the following?

1. Contribution to monetary policy.

2. Contribution to international tad theory.

3. Contribution to contract theory.

4. Contribution to theory of public finance.

Select the correct answer from the code given below.

a.1 only b. 2 only

c. 3 only d. 4 only

Answer: c.

2. The Nobel Prize in economics awarded to a laureate/s has been auctioned.

Which amongst the following Nobel Laureate/s in Economics prize has been

put to auction?

1. Alan Lloyd Hogkin

2. Leon Lederman

3. Francis Crick

4. John Nash


a.1 only b. 2 only

c. 3 only d. 4 only

Answer: d

3. Nearly all of the Nobel Prize categories were established in the will of the

Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, one award was not created until decades after

his death. Which amongst the following is that category?

1. Physics

2. Literature

3. Chemistry

4. Economics


a. 1 only b. 2 only

d. 3 only d. 4 only

Answer: d

4. The Nobel Peace Prize 2016 was awarded to which one of the following?

1. Malala Yousafzai

2. Kailash Satyarthi

3. Organzation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

4. Juan Manuel Santos


a. 1 and 2 only b. 2 only

c. 3 only d. 4 only

Answer: d

5. Two lists are placed below. On the left you have the name of the Nobel Prize winners and

on the right you have a list of categories. Match the two lists.

1. Jean Pierre Sauvage Physics

J. Fraser Stoddart

Bernard Feringa

2. Yoshinori Obsumi Chemistry

3. Michael Kosterlitz Medicine


a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3

c. 3 and 1

Answer: a, b and c.

6. 26th September is observed as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear

Weapons by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. Which amongst the

following statement/s correctly reflects the ethos behind observing this day?

1. To commemorate the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

2. To educate the world on the dangers of nuclear accidents.

3. To raise public awareness about the threat posed to humanity

4. The threat posed to the environment by nuclear weapons and the necessity for

their total elimination.

5. Nuclear weapons programmes divert public funds from health care, education,

disaster relief and other vital services.


1. 1, 2 and 3 b. 4 and 5

2. 1 only d. 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: d

7. Apart from earth there are other celestial objects in the solar system which may, in the

future, host living organisms. Recently, water vapour plumes were discovered on the

surface of a moon called Europa on one of the planets. Which among the following planets

has been identified recently to carry out research on?

1. Saturn

2. Jupiter

3. Neptune

4. Uranus


a.1 only b. 2 only c. 3 only d. 4 only

Answer: b

8. Which amongst the following statements pertaining to the Global Competitiveness Report

2015-16 is correct?

1. The report is released by the World Bank at the end of every ten years to

rank countries on their competitiveness.

2. India has shown an improvement in its position over the year 2014-15,

jumping to 55th position. .

3. Switzerland has retained its top position for the seventh year in succession.

4. China is now ranked second in the Global Competiveness Index.


a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 3 and 4

Answer: b

9. Jim Yong Kim is the President of the World Bank Group, he became the 12th President in

July 2012. One amongst the following statements pertaining to him is incorrect. Identify

the statement.

1. In September 2016 he was unanimously reappointed to a second five-year

term as president beginning July 2017.

2. He is a South Korean-American physician and anthropologist

3. He co-founded Partners in Health in 1987

4. He was Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund before he

joined the World Bank.


a. 1 b. 2 c. 3

d4.

Answer: d

10. Diplomatic relations were restored between USA and Cuba by Cuban President Raul

Castro and President Barack Obama in July 2015. USA has opened an embassy in Cuba.

There are still three countries where the USA does not have an embassy. Which among the

following countries does not have a USA embassy?

1. Iran

2. North Korea

3. Bhutan

4. Myanmar


a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 4

d. 1, 2 and 3

.Answer:d

11. Which amongst the following countries has approved mitochondrial transfer, a procedure

that combines the DNA of three people to ensure that children at risk of a genetic disorder

are born healthy?

1. USA

2. UK

3. China

4. Australia


a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

Answer: b

12. Which of the following statements pertaining to Simon Peres an ex-prime minister of

Israel is/are true.

1. He was one of the founding members of Israel.

2. He was prime minister of Israel four times.

3. He worked out a plan with the Palestenian Liberation Organization for Gaza

4. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.


a. 1 and 2 b. 1, 2 and 3 c. 2, 4 d. 1,3, 4

Answer: d.

13. The 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan had to be postponed

for which amongst the following reasons?

1. Unseasonal rainfall in Pakistan creating a natural calamity in Islamabad.

2. India and other countries refusing to participate in the Summit accusing

Pakistan of cross-border terrorism.

3. Pakistan’s failure to provide full security for the visiting heads of

government.

Seclect the correct answer from the code given below.

a. 1 and 2 b. 2 c. 1

Answer: b.

14. After 130 years a new specie of lizard has been found in Mumbai and the adjoining district

of Thane. Which of the following statement/s pertaining to this lizard is/are correct.

1. Varad Giri is the name given to the new species – named after a Bengaluru

based taxonomist.

2. The new specie is ground dwelling because it does not have well developed

lamellae.

3. They are active during the night and hide during the day.


a. 2 and 3 b. 1 and 3 c. 3 d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: d

15. Which of the following airport/s in India have been declared as carbon neutral and

certified as Level 3+ neutrality, the highest level for airports across the world.

1. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad

2. Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

3. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengalaru.

4. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Bengalaur.


a. 1 and 3 b. 1, 2 and 4 c. 2 d. 4

Answer: c

16. SAKSHAM can be defined as one of the following:

1. A new scheme of Government of India to make girls self- reliant.

2. A new scheme of Government of India to inculcate self- defence techniques

in women so that they can defend themselves.

3. A new indirect tax network which will integrate the GST regime with the

CBECs IT systems.

4. An IT network which will help integrate Government of India’s subsidy

schemes with Direct Benefit Transfers using the e-platform.


a. 1 and 2 b. 4 c. 2 d. 3

Answer: d

17. Which of the following statements pertaining to surgical strikes is correct?

1. A surgical strike is a military attack which results in damage only to the

intended legitimate target and there is minimal or no collateral damage

to surrounding structures, vehicles or utilities.

2. India carried out a number of surgical strikes to destroy terror launch

pads along the line of control.

3. Surgical strikes are not carried out by the army but by border guarding

forces.

4. Surgical strikes are preceded by air strikes on the targets.


a. 1 and 2 b. 3 and 4 c. 1, 2, 3 and 4 d. 1

Answer: a

18. To set up a Monetary Policy Committee the Ministry of Finance has taken which of

the following important steps.

1. Convincing the Reserve Bank of India that it was important that any

decision on increase/decrease in interest rates should be a collective

decision.

2. Finding appropriate three non-official members for appointment to the

committee.

3. Amending the RBI Act to provide for the Committee.


a. 1 b. 3 c. 1, 2 and 3 d. 2 and 3

Answer: c

19. Which amongst the following is currently the tallest building in the world.

1. Jeddah Tower in Jeddah

2. Shanghai Tower, China

3. Tokyo Skymile Tower, Tokyo Japan

4. Burj Khalifa, Dubai


a. 3 b. 2 c. 4 d. 1

Answer: c

20. Banks in India are under stress due to huge Non-Performing Assets. At the end of

June 2016 the stressed loans in India’s banking sector reportedly stood at:

1. Rs. 8 lakh crores

2. Rs. 9.22 lakh crores

3. Rs. 15 lakhs crores

4. None of the above.


a.3 b. 4 c. 2 d. 1

Answer: c

21. The Indian Ambassador to the United States is the chief diplomatic representative of

India to the United States. Who amongst the following has recently been appointed

as the Indian Ambassador to USA?

1. Arun Singh

2. Navtej Sarna

3. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

4. Meera Shankar


a. 2 b. 4 c. 3 d. 1

Answer: a

22. The 2500 kilometer East Coast Economic Corridor between Vishakapatnam and

Chennai will be funded by which of the following multilateral agencies?

1. The World Bank

2. The Asian Development Bank

3. New Development Bank formerly referred to as the BRICS Development

Bank.

4. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).


a. 4 b. 3 c. 2 d. 1

Answer: c

23. The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) was a treaty

proposed by India in 1996 at the United Nations. Even after two decades the treaty

has not been ratified. Which amongst the following is the main reason for the delay?

1. China is worried that it’s all-weather friend Pakistan may be isolated if the

treaty comes into force.

2. Some countries are worried about the infringement of human rights laws.

3. There has been no consensus on the definition of ‘Terrorism’.


a. 3 b. 1 c. 2

Answer: a

24. Which of the following statements is correct with reference to the Convention on

International Terrorism (CCIT) which is currently under discussion at the United

Nations?

1. The Treaty proposes to criminalize all forms of international terrorism.

2. The Treaty proposes to deny to terrorists and their supporters access to

funds, arms and safe havens.

3. All countries would have to adopt the definition into their own criminal

laws.

4. Cross-border terrorism would become an extraditable offence.


a. 1 and 4 b. 2 c. 2 and 4 d. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: d

25. Cyril Almeida the Pakistan journalist who wrote the article exposing the serious

differences between the civilian government and the military in Pakistan writes for

which English newspaper in Pakistan?

1. The Express Tribune

2. The Nation.

3. The Dawn.

4. The Pakistan Observer.


a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

Answer: c

26. Aradhana Samdariya the 13 year old Jain girl who went of a fast which it is believed

ultimately led to her death was keeping which of the following fasts which are well

known fasts in the Jain tradition.

1. Paryushan Mahaparva.

2. Paushadh.

3. Chaturmas.

4. Santhara.


a. 4 b. 2 c. 1 d. 3

Answer: d

27. Kigali in Rwanda, Africa was in the limelight in the month of October for which of the

following reason/s?

1. The long drawn out civil war in Rwanda ended.

2. A very large oil reserve was discovered larger than any reserve found

earlier.

3. The 28th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol was held in

Kigali.

4. The phase out of ozone depleting substances, hydroflurocarbons HFC-

23, was successfully negotiated in Kigali by the Parties to the Montreal

Protocol.


a. 1 b. 1 and 2 c. 3 and 4 c. 4

Answer: c

28. There are a total of 19 IIMs functioning in the country. In which state of the country is

the 20th IIM proposed to be set up?

1. Rohtak in Haryana

2. Raipur in Chattisgarh.

3. Udaipur in Rajasthan.

4. Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir.


a. 3 b. 4 c. 1 d. 2

Answer: b

29. The first Medical Park in the country in a joint venture format would be set up in

which city in the country?

1. Bengalaru.

2. Chengalpet near Chennai.

3. Hyderabad.

4. Jaipur.


a. 2 b. 3 c. 1 d. 4

Answer: a

30. The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill will be re-tabled in Parliament after

incorporating which of the following?

1. No person can be treated without his consent.

2. No person would be compelled to disclose his/her status until required

to do so by a court order or his/her informed consent.

3. Medical insurance will be denied to such affected persons.

4. Organizations/institutions will have no obligation towards those persons

affected by HIV/AIDS.


a. 3 and 4 b. 1 c. 1 and 2 d. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: c

31. Alleppo in Syria has attracted the attention of the international community for which

of the following reason/s?

1. It is the headquarters of the ISIS.

2. There have been demands for political democratic reform by civil

society.

3. Russia, on the request of Syrian President Asaad has been extensively

bombing Alleppo.

4. The rebels are fighting both President Assad and the ISIS.


a. 1 and 4 b. 1 c. 3 d. 3 and 2.

Answer: c

32. Reliance Industries refining capacity was recently overtaken by which on the

following oil companies?

1. Essar Oil.

2. HPCL.

3. BPCL.

4. IOC.


a. 1 b. 3 c. 4 d. 2

Answer: c

33. The Domestic Violence Act has been in the news for which one of the following

reason/s?

1. The Supreme Court has removed the phrase “adult male” from Section

2q.

2. The Act has now become gender neutral and the females in the house

would also be liable for any domestic violence.

3. There would be stricter jail terms, however, for males.

4. Juveniles will not be covered by the Act.

a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 and 2 d. 1, 2, 3

and 4

Answer: a

34. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct in relation to the Genetically

modified (GM) mustard developed (DMH-11) by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation

of Crop Plants of Delhi University?

1. The sequence of the three genes used in the mustard is the same as that

found in imported canola oil.

2. A new strain of mustard is required which would improve the yield per

acre as cultivable land is shrinking; farmers are still using old technology

whereby which yields are a fraction of world levels and weather

patterns have become unpredictable.

3. India imports around $12 billion worth of edible oil annually and to

reduce this import bill it needs to increase productivity of oilseed crops.

Choose the correct answer from the code given below.

a. 3 b. 2 and 3 c. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: c

35. Which of the following statement/s is true?

1. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic

Cooperation comprises of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand,

Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

2. BIMSTEC was established in June 1997 and is headquartered in Dhaka,

Bangladesh.

3. Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA) is the first of its kind

international arbitration institution located in India.


a. 2 b. 2 and 3 c. 1 2 and 3

Answer: c

36. Which of the following statement/s pertaining to the UJALA scheme of the Ministry

of Power, Government of India is/are correct?

1. The International Energy Agency (IAE) will enter into a partnership with

the Government of India for the UJALA program.

2. UJJALA distributes solar lamps to those villages which have not been

connected to the electricity grid.

3. The objective of the program is to reduce consumer bills and reduce

greenhouse gas emissions.

4. The program has seen a reduction in the production of LEDs.

Choose correct answer from the code given below.

a. 1 and 3 b. 2 c. 4

Answer a

37. A new species of termites has recently been discovered by scientists of the

Zoological Survey of India in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary of the Western Ghats.

The species are named Chiraharitae. Which of the following statement/s pertaining

to termites are true.

1. Termites colonise most landmasses except for Antartica.

2. Termites are defined as three types – dry wood, damp wood and

subterranean.

3. Termites are economically significant as they can cause serious damage

to buildings, crops or forests.

4. They are a delicacy in the diet of some countries.


a. 4 b. 1, 2, 3 and 4 c. 2 and 3 d. 1

and 4

Answer: b

38. Which of the following statements is true with regard to the Election Commission of

India.

1. It has been constituted by a notification of the Government of India.

2. It is a constitutional body created by the Constitution of India to

supervise the conduct of elections to Parliament.

3. It has been mandated by the constitution to supervise, direct and

control the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and the

Assembly of every State government and to the office of President and

Vice-President of India.

4. The Commission has entered into a partnership with social networking

site Facebook to run a voter registration drive aimed at encouraging

youth to participate in the elections in the five states going to the polls

in 2017.


a. 3 and 4 b. 1 and 3 c. 3 only

Answer: a

39. China has been working steadily to become a space super power. Which of the

following statement/s in relation to China’s space program is correct.

1. China launched its first spacecraft designed for human occupancy,

named Shenzhou-1 in 2003.

2. China sent its first astronaut into space in 2003.

3. In October 2016 China’s manned spacecraft docked with China’s space

lab, Tiangong2, with two astronauts entering into the space lab.

4. China is aiming to have a permanent manned space station in service

around 2022.


a. 3 and 4 b. 1, 2, 3 and 4 c. 2, 3 and 4

Answer: c

40. Which of the following statements is correct in relation to the proposed regional

connectivity scheme UDAN (Udey Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of the Ministry of Civil

Aviation.

1. To promote air services between the unserved and under-served areas

of the country and further boost the domestic aviation sector.

2. The scheme also proposes to upgrade 50 unserved or underserved

airports in the country.

3. To cap domestic fares for one hour flights.

4. No Viability Gap Funding would be provided.


a. 1 and 3 b. 2 and 3 c. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: c

41. Justice Markandey Katju has been asked by the Supreme Court to present himself

before the Court for which one of the following reasons.

1. His criticism of the Justice Lodha Committee Report on the revamping of

the BCCI.

2. His facebook post on why he disagreed with the Supreme Court in the

Soumya Case.

Choose one of the answers from the code given below.

a. 1 b. 2

Answer: b

42. Osteoporosis, known as a silent disease, is characterized by low bone mass which

increases susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis is a major cause of morbidity and

mortality in the elderly. Which of the following statements can be attributed to

causing the disease.

1. Deficiency of calcium and Vitamin D.

2. Lower levels of Estrogen amongst menopausal women.

3. Too much exercise.

4. Cigarette smoking and drinking.


a. 1, 2 and 4 b. 1, 2, 3, and 4. C. 1 and 4

Answer: a

43. Between May and July a large number of ATMs and Point of sale (POS) machines

were compromised by an unknown malicious virus putting, it is estimated, up to 32

lakh customers at risk. Which amongst the following banks were affected by the

problem.

1. Hong Kong Shanghai Bank.

2. Axis Bank

3. HDFC Bank

4. YES Bank

5. Standard Chartered Bank

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below.

a. 1 and 5 b. 2 and 3 c. 2, 3 and 4

Answer: c

44. Which amongst the following statements in regard to bird flu are correct.

1. Avian influenza or bird flu – H5N1 – is a viral infection which is spread

from bird to bird.

2. The fatality rate for humans who catch the virus is 60 per cent.

3. Humans would contract the disease by close contact with infected birds

which could be by plucking infected birds; swimming in water infected

by the bird droppings. A vaccine has been developed in the US for the

multiple strains of avian influenza including H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8.

4. A vaccine has been developed in the US for the multiple strains of avian

influenza including H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8.

5. No vaccine has been developed to protect humans from bird flu. But a

vaccine has been developed for birds.


a. 1. 3, 4 b. 1, 2, 3 and 4 c. 1, 2, 3, and 5

Answer: b

45. The 9th UN Secretary General will assume office on 1st January 2017. The selection of

Prime Minister Antonio Guterres was unique for which of the following reason/s.

1. He was chosen from among 13 candidates seven of whom were

women.

2. Antonia Guterres was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from

June 2005 to December 2015 and he was well acquainted on the

functioning of the United Nations.

3. The selection of Antonia Guterres was notable because instead of

traditionally deciding the selection behind closed doors public hearings

in the General Assembly were held where candidates presented their

vision and responded to the questions asked.


a. 1, 2 and 3 b. 3 only c. 2 and 3

Answer: b

46. Even after completing 55 years of service the world’s oldest aircraft carrier will still be

providing its services. Which is the correct answer for its activity post it’s de-

commissioning.

1. It will be berthed in Mumbai and would become a floating museum of

the Indian Navy.

2. It will be towed to Alang in Gujrat where it would be dismantled and

sold and the proceeds would be ploughed into the relief fund of the

Indian Navy.

3. It will be used by a state government to promote tourism.


a. 1 b. 2 c. 3

Answer: c

47. The government has amended rule 23 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961

enabling voters to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot. Which amongst

the following statements regarding e-postal ballot is/are false.

1. In the new system service voters, including the armed forces, would

download the ballot paper fill the same and return the same through the

postal services.

2. In the new system service voters, including the armed forces, would

complete the ballot paper on the Election Commission’s concerned

website and return the same electronically cutting short the time it would

take to return the ballot paper by post.


a. 1 b. 2

Answer: b

48. Which of the following statements pertaining to the Urja Ganga project is correct.

1. It is a project to light up the banks of the river Ganga so that it can be

patrolled during the night to ensure that there is no discharge of

industrial effluents into the river.

2. It is a sub-project under the Clean Ganga Mission whereby which there

will be no discharge of domestic or industrial pollutants into the river

thereby helping to decontaminate the river.

3. It is a gas pipeline project which aims to provide piped cooking gas to

the Eastern region of India.


a. 1 b. 2 c. 3

Answer: c

49. Which amongst the following cities in North India would be connected to Kolkata in

West Bengal by the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor?

1. New Delhi

2. Mumbai

3. Ludhiana

4. Chandigarh


a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

Answer: c

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