– Current Affairs –

April 2017 ==================================================================================

Ganga patrol team planned to check pollution

The government is planning to recruit IPS officers, personnel of the Army, paramilitary forces and

state police who have retired from service for raising an exclusive Ganga Voluntary Force. It is

expected to prevent water pollution and desecration of the holy river. The proposed central force

will police the entire stretch of the Ganga (2,525 km) in 5 states Uttarakhand, Uttarpradesh,

Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Which are on the mainstem of the river.

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Which state has become the first Indian state to launch a special awareness drive to ensure that

transgenders in the state register as voters?

[A] Kerala [B] Maharashtra [C] Karnataka [D] Odisha

Correct Answer: B [Maharashtra ]

Answer Explanation: Maharashtra became the first Indian state to launch a special awareness drive

to ensure that transgenders in the state register as voters. The state branch of the Election

Commission of India (ECI) has launched the drive on April 15, celebrated as Third Gender Day (TGD).

According to ECI officials, Maharashtra has over 10 lakh transgenders and only about 1,700 are

registered voters. It must be noted that the ‘third gender’ status for hijras or transgenders was

created by the Supreme Court in its landmark judgment on 15th April 2014.

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SBBJ, SBH, SBP, SBM and SBT to Operate as SBI from April 1st

Reserve Bank of India has made an announcement that all the branches of its five associate banks

will operate as branches of State Bank of India, effective from April 1, 2017. The associate banks are

State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), State Bank of Patiala (SBP)

State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Travancore (SBI) Customers, including depositors of all

the above five treated as customers of State Bank of India (SBI) from April 1st.

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Which country to host the 14th edition of United Nations International Day of Vesak – 2017?

[A] India [B] China [C] Nepal [D] Sri Lanka

Correct Answer: D [Sri Lanka] Answer Explanation: The 14th edition of United Nations International

Day of Vesak will be hosted by Srilanka from May 12-14, 2017 under the theme “Buddhist Teachings

for Social Justice and Sustainable World Peace”. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, will be

the chief guest for UN Vesak Day. The events include an International Buddhist Symposium the

participation of over 400 delegates from 100 countries. Vesak is associated with three important

locations of Buddhist history – Lumbini in Nepal, the birth place of Prince Siddharta, Bodh Gaya

(Buddha Gaya) Bihar State in India where The Buddha attained the most exalted Enlightenment

under a Bodhi Tree and Kushinagar (Kusinara) in Uttar Pradesh, India where The Buddha attained

Mahaparinibbāna. The significance of Vesak lies with the Buddha’s teaching of cessation of suffering

and universal peace to all humankind. It is a message to urge followers to do that which is good and

to turn away from evil. It is a message of peace and perfect harmony between human beings and

nature.

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Kerala Govt to give Pension to Circus Artistes

The CPT (M) led LDF government in Kerala has decided to provide pension to former circus artistes in

the state and allocated Rs. 1.13 crore for the scheme. Kerala was giving a nominal pension of Rs.

1200 to all circus artists who had a ration card and had been working in the state for at least 30

years. Hundreds of artistes from the State Working in different Parts of the country do not come

under this scheme.

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Who has become the new Whole Time Member (WTM) of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India

(IBBI)?

[A] A Unnikrishnan [B] Amardeep Singh Bhatia [C] Navrang Saini [D] Ajay Tyagi

Correct Answer: C [Navrang Saini]

Answer Explanation: Dr. Navrang Saini has taken charge as new Whole Time Member (WTM) of

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in New Delhi. Dr. Saini will look after Registration &

Monitoring wing comprising Insolvency Professionals, Information Utilities, Insolvency Professional

Agencies & Entities, Valuers, Surveillance, Investigation and Grievance Redressal. He will also look

after Legal Affairs and Establishment. Dr. Saini served as a member of the Indian Corporate Law

Service (ICLS). He has served Ministry of Corporate Affairs in various capacities and played a key role

in implementation of MCA 21. His last assignment was Director General, Ministry of Corporate

Affairs.

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International Women’s Day March 8

On March 8, People around the world observed International Women’s Day (IWD). It is a global day

celebrating the political, social Economical, cultural and Educational achievements of women. The

theme of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2017 campaign is “Be Bold For Change”. IWD was only

adopted by the United Nations in 1975, it was marked for the first time in New York in the early

1900’s.

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Who has won the 2017 Men’s Singles Miami Open Tennis Tournament?

[A] Dominic Thiem [B] Rafael Nadal [C] Milos Raonic [D] Roger Federer

Correct Answer: D [Roger Federer]

Answer Explanation: Roger Federer, a Swiss professional tennis player, has won the 2017 Men’s

Singles Miami Open Tennis Tournament by defeating Rafael Nadal in the final by 6-3 6-4 in the final

at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, United States. Apart from this, Johanna Konta

from Great Britain has won the 2017 Miami Open – Women’s Singles title by defeating Caroline

Wozniacki in the final by 6–4, 6–3.

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First Made in India industrial robot Brabo

TAL Manufacturing Solutions in April 2017 unveiled India’s first conceptualized, designed and

manufactured articulated industrial robot called BRABO. BRABO stands for “Bravo Robot”. It has

been developed indigenously for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in India. TAL

Manufacturing Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors.

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Which country to host 2017 BRICS Film Festival?

[A] Russia [B] South Africa [C] China [D] India

Correct Answer: C [China ]

Answer Explanation: The 2017 BRICS Film Festival will be held in Chengdu, southwest China’s

Sichuan Province from June 23 to 27. During the festival, 30 films from BRICS countries (Brazil,

Russia, India, China and South Africa) will be screened, including an anthology by five directors from

the aforementioned countries, “Where has the time gone”. The feature film consisting of five 18-

minute shorts on the same theme is a joint work by Walter Salles from Brazil, Aleksey Fedorchenko

from Russia, Madhur Bhandarkar from India, Jahmil X. T. Qubeka from South Africa, and Jia Zhangke

from China. The first BRICS Film Festival was held in New Delhi, India in September 2016.

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Former Punjab Minister & SAD Leader Gurdev Singh Badal Dies

Former Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurdev Singh Badal Passed away on March 28,2017 at Dayanand

Medical college and Hospital, Ludhiana, He was 85. Gurdev was a senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)

leader and a member of Punjab Legislative Assembly from the Panjgrain Constituency in Jalandhar

district. He had been 5 times MLA from this constituency, winning others only in 1997 and 2002.

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Which Indian personality has won the 2017 Goldman Environmental Prize?

[A] Prafulla Samantra [B] Rashida Bee [C] Champa Devi Shukla [D] Ramesh Agrawal

Correct Answer: A [Prafulla Samantra] Answer Explanation: Prafulla Samantra, an iconic leader of

social justice movements in India, the Goldman Environmental Prize for his historic 12-year legal

battle that affirmed the indigenous Dongria Kondh’s land rights and protected the Niyamgiri Hills

from a massive, open-pit aluminum ore mine. In this battle, Prafulla has been kidnapped, assaulted

and attacked several times by the mining company for his activism and continues to receive threats

for his ‘anti-development’ stance. The other 2017 recepients are: Mark Lopez (United States), Uros

Macerl (Slovenia), Rodrigo Tot (Guatemala), Rodrigue Mugaruka Katembo (Democratic Republic of

Congo) and Wendy Bowman (Australia).

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86th Martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev

On 86th martyrdom day of India’s freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev the whole

nation remembering the legends on March 23 PM. Narendra Modi also paid tributes to Bhagat

Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on the day of their death anniversary. It could be mentioned here that

Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev and Rajguru played a major part in the freedom struggle of India

against the British empire. The trio were hanged to death in Lahore Jail on March 23. 1931.

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Where is the headquarters of the National Safety Council (NSC)?

[A] New Delhi [B] Kochi [C] Mumbai [D] Chennai

Correct Answer: C [Mumbai]

Answer Explanation: The National Safety Council (NSC) is a self-supporting non-profit autonomous

society, set up by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India (GoI) on 4th March 1966.

Its aim is to strengthen a national movement on Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) to prevent and

mitigate loss of life, human suffering & economic losses and provide support services. It is in news

because the 2016 NSCI Safety Awards will be presented by the Minister of State (Independent

Charge), Labour & Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on April 20, 2017 in New Delhi. The NSCI Safety

Awards are coveted national level awards in the field of Workplace Safety, Health and Environment.

The headquarters of the NSC is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

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Kanha Tiger Reserve becomes first in India get official mascot

Kanha Tiger Reserve in the Madhya Pradesh, March 2017 became the first tiger reserve in India to

officially introduce a mascot, named Bhoorasingh the Barasingha. Barasingha (Swamp deer) is the

state animal of Madhya Pradesh. The Kanha tiger reserve is the only place in the world where the

species exists. The mascot will also species from possible extinction.

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The first-ever Nepal-China joint military exercise ‘Sagarmatha Friendship-2017 has started in which

of the following cities?

[A] Guangzhou [B] Beijing [C] Butwal [D] Kathmandu

Correct Answer: D [Kathmandu]

Answer Explanation: The first-ever Nepal-China joint military exercise ‘Sagarmatha Friendship-2017’

has started at Kathmandu, Nepal from April 17, 2017 with a special focus on counter- terrorism and

disaster management. The purpose of 10-day-long military exercise is to exchange experience, skills

and professional knowledge between the armies of Nepal and China. It is to be known that

Sagarmatha is the Nepali name of Mt Everest that is bordering between Nepal and China.

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PM Modi to Release Special Commemorative Postage Stamp

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release Commemorative Postage Stamp on 100th Anniversary of

the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India at a function in New Delhi. Yogoda Satsanga Society in a non-

profit religious organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917. Yogoda Satsanga Society

(YSS) celebrated its 100 years journey on 10th March 2017.

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What is the India’s rank in the 2017 A.T. Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index?

[A] 12th [B] 8th [C] 10th [D] 5th

Correct Answer: B [8th]

Answer Explanation: India has been ranked at the 8th position in the 2017 A.T. Kearney Foreign

Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index. As per A.T. Kearney report, foreign companies have

considered India as an attractive destination due to its reforms to enable a transparent and an easy

business environment. Around 31% of firms surveyed were optimistic about India’s economic

outlook over the next three years. About 70% of the respondents plan to maintain or increase their

FDI in India. The Index is an annual analysis of how political, economic, and regulatory changes will

likely affect FDI inflows into countries in the coming years. The Index is constructed using primary

data from a proprietary survey administered to senior executives of the world’s leading

corporations. All companies participating in the survey have annual revenues of $500 million or

more. United States has ranked first in the FDI index, followed by Germany, China, United Kingdom

and Canada.

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Myanmar becomes SASEC’s 7th Member

Myanmar become the seventh member of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation

(SASEC) partnership, opening up new markets and supply chain links for trade and business between

South Asia and Southeast Asia. SASEC countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar,

Nepal and Sri Lanka coordinate the planning of projects and activities to increase economic growth

by building transport connectivity, facilitating faster and more efficient trade and promoting cross

border power trade.

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Who has recently taken charge as new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)?

[A] Ashwani Kumar [B] N S Vishwanathan [C] BP Kanungo [D] T S Ahuja

Correct Answer: C [BP Kanungo]

Answer Explanation: BP Kanungo has recently taken charge as the new Deputy Governor of the

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of three years in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He succeeded R

Gandhi. Prior to this appointment, Kanungo was holding the position of Executive Director of RBI. He

has worked in several functional areas of the banks such as foreign exchange management, banking

and non-banking supervision, currency management, government and bank accounts and public

debt. Kanungo has also served as the head of regional offices of RBI at Jaipur and Kolkata besides

holding the position of the Banking Ombudsman for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

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Hyderabad to host 105th Indian Science Congress

Osmania University in Hyderabad will host the 105th Edition of “Indian Science Congress” during

January 3-7, 2018. According to Achyuta Samanta, General President of Indian Science Congress

Association (ISCA) and founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar. The

conference will be on the theme “Science and Technology Reaching the Unreached”. This will be the

sixth time the University will be hosting the conference.

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India’s first-ever “village of books” will open in which state to promote tourism?

[A] Punjab [B] Himachal Pradesh [C] Maharashtra [D] Tamil Nadu

Correct Answer: C [Maharashtra ]

Answer Explanation: India’s first-ever ‘village of books’ will open at Bhilar village in Maharashtra on

May 4, 2017 to promote tourism and Marathi language. The village is roughly 8 km away from the

hill station of Panchgani. As of now, all the books provided by the Maharashtra government are in

Marathi. Soon, the books written in Hindi and English will be added to this collection. Author

interactions, literary events and book-reading sessions will also be conducted in the village. The idea

for this book village is inspired by Hay-on-Wye, a Welsh town known for its book stores and

literature festivals.

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Cultural Festival “India by the Nile” to begin in Egypt

The meg cultural festival “India by the Nile” got off to a colourful start at the foot of the Pyramids in

Cairo with a Crafts Mela. Show casing joint handicraft exhibition of India and Egypt. India’s

Ambassador to Egypt, Sanjay Bhattacharya said the event is a special moment as this year India

celebrate 70 years of Independence and also 70 years of its diplomatic relation with Egypt.

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Which state government has launched “Kilkari” app to create awarness among pregnant women?

[A] Punjab [B] Haryana [C] Assam [D] Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer: B [Haryana ]

Answer Explanation: The National Health Mission (NHM) in Haryana has recently launched a mobile-

based application “Kilkari” to create awareness among pregnant women, parents and health

workers on the importance of ante and post natal care, institutional delivery and immunisation.

From the second trimester of pregnancy, till the child is one-year-old, the app will deliver 72 times

appropriate audio messages to registered mobile numbers on pregnancy, child and childbirth care

every week.

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Prakash Javadekar launches Portal and Mobile App of RUSA

The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) under the aegis of the Ministry of Human

Resources Development, on 17 April 2017 launched its own portal and mobile app. The portal and

app were officially launched by Union Minister of Human Resources Development Prakash Javadekar

in New Delhi. The portal is a one-stop location for states. Higher Education Plans, the decision of the

State’s Higher Education Councils and details of the resources.

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Who has been appointed the new Vice Chancellor of Nalanda University?

[A] Pankaj Mohan [B] Sunaina Singh [C] Arvind Sharma [D] Vijay Bhatkar

Correct Answer: B [Sunaina Singh]

Answer Explanation: Sunaina Singh has been appointed the new vice chancellor of Nalanda

University (NU). She is expected to take up the new assignment soon. Currently, she is vice

chancellor of the English and Foreign Language University (EFLU), Hyderabad. The headquarters of

NU is at Rajgir, Bihar. Dr.Vijay Pandurang Bhatka, who is the father of India’s first supercomputer

and acclaimed scientist, is the Chancellor of the university.

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Harmanpreet Kaur adjudged the Women’s Player of the year

Indian Women’s T-20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been given Sydney Thunder’s Women’s player

of the year award. She won the award for the second season of the Women’s Big Bash League.

Harmanpreet earlier has become the first Indian cricketer to play in Australia’s Big Bash League,

when she was picked by the teams last year. During her time with the Thunder, Kawr played in 13

matches and scored 296 runs at a very, very impressive average of 59 and strike rate 116.

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India and the United Kingdom (UK) will set up how much amount of Green Growth Equity Fund

(GGEF) to finance clean energy projects? [A] £255 million [B] £340 million [C] £555 million [D] £240

million

Correct Answer: D [£240 million]

Answer Explanation: The Government of India (GoI) and the United Kingdom (UK) have decided to

set up a fund worth £240 million to finance clean energy projects in India. This will be known as the

Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF), which will be sub-fund of National Investment and Infrastructure

Fund (NIIF). The purpose of joint UK-India fund is to leverage private sector investment from the City

of London to finance India’s infrastructure projects and is likely to raise around £500 million initially.

It will focus initial investments in India’s rapidly growing energy and renewable market. The NIIF was

formed in 2015 to finance greenfield as well as brownfield projects.

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9th World Environmental Education Congress

World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) is an international congress addressing education

for environment and sustainable development. WEEC 2017 is the 9th congress and will take place

September 9-15, – 2017 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. WEEC is an opportunity to learn more about the

latest in environmental and sustainability education, to discuss with people from all over the world.

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Ajey Jhankar, who passed away recently, was related to which field?

[A] Sports [B] Law [C] Film Industry [D] Politics

Correct Answer: C [Film Industry]

Answer Explanation: Ajey Jhankar (57), the noted author and filmmaker, has recently passed away.

He was well-known for his novels such as Sarkarnama and Drohpar. The hollywood movie

‘Singularity’ by filmmakar Roland Joffe was based on Jhankar’s novel ‘Drohparv’. He was the co-

screenwriter for the film. Jhankar was known for his marketing venture ‘Market Missionaries.

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INS Tillanchang Commissioned by Indian Navy

Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tillanchang at Karwar, Karnataka. It is a Water Jet Fast Attack

Craft (WJFAC). It is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Kolkata based Garden Reach

Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). The first two ships INS Tarmugli, INS Tihayu which were

commissioned in 2016. These ships will play a vital role in light of India’s security environment. They

are designed to take on both conventional and asymmetric threats.

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The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) is located in which state? [A] Uttar Pradesh [B]

Jharkhand [C] Assam [D] Sikkim

Correct Answer: A [Uttar Pradesh]

Answer Explanation: The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) is the India’s premier advanced

research facility in the field of veterinary medicine and allied branches. It is in news because

Scientists at the IVRI is in process of setting up a Deoxyribo- Nucleic Acid (DNA) bank for wild

animals, the first of its kind in North India, which is expected to start at the end of 2017. So far, they

have collected samples of 140 species. Through the DNA bank, scientists at IVRI’s Centre for Wildlife

will be able to tell the name and schedule of the species if they get only a part of the meat, hair,

blood, skin or bone of any animal. Besides, the centre is also collecting serum of animals. The move

will help clamp down on wildlife poaching and smuggling and also aid in research on wildlife species.

At present, a DNA bank exists in Hyderabad. The headquarters of IVRI is located at Bareilly in Uttar

Pradesh.

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Union Textile Minister launches Power Tex India Scheme

The Govt has launched Power Tax India, a comprehensive scheme for powerloom sector

development, simul taneously at over 45 locations in the country. Launching the scheme in

Bhiwandi, Thane district, Maharashtra. The Union Textile Minister Smt smriti Zubin Irani launched

Power Tex India Scheme. Recalling that the Powerloom sector alone employs over 44 lakh people

and especially benefit for small power loom weavers.

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Which state government has recently signed a reworked MoU with Hindustan Petroleum

Corporation Limited (HPCL) for Barmer refinery?

[A] Uttar Pradesh [B] Madhya Pradesh [C] Rajasthan [D] Gujarat

Correct Answer: C [Rajasthan ]

Answer Explanation: The Rajasthan government has recently signed a reworked MoU with Hindustan

Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for the Rs 43,129 crore Barmer refinery. The Barmer refinery

will be the first in the country to produce BS-6 standard fuel. The state government will have 26%

stake in the project while rest will be held by HPCL. The government has made 4800 acre land

available at Pachpadra for the project. It is expected that the project will take four years to

complete.

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Frenchmen Yves Meyer wins 2017 Abel Prize

Yves Meyer, a French mathematician, was honoured with the 2017 Abel Prize, given by Norwegian

Academy of Science and letters, on March 21. 2017 at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway. The 77 years old

man was honoured the prestigious award for his contribution in the development of the

mathematical theory of wavelets. Yves will receive 6 million Norwegian Krone (600000 pounds) cash

award from His Majesty King Harald V at an award ceremony in Oslo, on 23 May 2017.

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The Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in which state?

[A] Mizoram [B] Manipur [C] Tripura [D] Assam

Correct Answer: B [Manipur]

Answer Explanation: The Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating park in the world, located

in the Bishnupur district of Manipur. It is an integral part of Loktak Lake, which is famous for the

phumdis floating over it. The park is home to brow-antlered deer ‘Sangai’ that has been included in

the Centre-sponsored endangered species recovery programme. Apart from the brow-antlered deer,

the other mammals reported are the hog deer, wild boar, , large Indian civet, common otter, jungle

cat, golden cat, bay bamboo rat, musk shrew, etc.

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Jhargram as now district no 22 in West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on March 4, 2017 declared Jhargram as the 22nd

district of Bengal. A long-standing demand of the people has been fulfilled. The days of violence and

blood shed are gone. Peace reigns in Jhargram now. April 4 will be celebrated as Jhargram Divas

from now on. Jhargram has been formed by bifurcating Wist Midnapore, which has a population of

more than 11.37 lakh. The district has one mahakuma, eight blocks, one municipality and nine police

stations.

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The Union government will launch “SAMPADA Scheme” for which sector?

[A] Mining [B] Education [C] Food processing [D] Tourism

Correct Answer: C [Food processing]

Answer Explanation: The Union government will launch an umbrella programme ‘SAMPADA’ for

food processing sector with Rs. 6,000 crore outlay to integrate current and new schemes. The

purpose of the new programme is to reduce food wastage and to double farmers’ income. This

programme will help create infrastructure for linkage of entire supply chain. The acronym

‘SAMPADA’ stands for “Scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-

Processing Clusters”.

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Taliban Captures Southern Afghan city of Sangin

The Taliban has captured the crucial city of Sangin in southern Afghanistan after a year-long battle.

Afghan forces have made a tactical retreat from the center of Sangin. The fall of sangin came amid

the insurgents year-long push to expand their foot print in the Taliban heartland of Helmand

Province. It signals growing strength of Taliban in Afghanistan.

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Who is the author of the book “Gandhi in Champaran”?

[A] DG Tendulkar [B] Anand Gandhi [C] S Ganesan [D] Mahadev Desai

Correct Answer: A [DG Tendulkar] Answer Explanation: The Union Minister for Information &

Broadcasting, M Venkaiah Naidu has recently released a book titled “Gandhi in Champaran”

authored by noted author Dinanath Gopal Tendulkar at National Mahatma Gandhi Museum in New

Delhi. Naidu also released a book containing a collection of letters and articles of the

correspondence between Nobel laureate Romain Rolland and Mahatma Gandhi as well as DG

Tendulkar’s 8 volume biography of Mahatama Gandhi.

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Roger Federer claimed Fifth Indian wells Masters Title

Roger Federer has claimed his fifth ATP Indian wells Masters title on 19 March, 2017. He was

continuing his career resurgence with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over compatriot stan Wawrinka. Federer

sidelined for around six months after knee surgery last year and returned to win his 18th Grand Slam

Title at the Australian Open which was held in January 2017. With this title federer has joined Novak

Djokovic as the only men to win five Indian wells Masters Titles.

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Who has been named as the new administrator of the United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP)?

[A] Kemal Dervis [B] Helen Clark [C] Segolene Royal [D] Achim Steiner

Correct Answer: D [Achim Steiner]

Answer Explanation: Achim Steiner from Germany, an expert in environmental issues and politics,

has been named as the new administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He will succeed Helen Elizabeth Clark, a former New Zealand Prime Minister. Previously, he served at

the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and headed the UN office in Kenya. The UNDP

focuses on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, democratic governance, energy and environment, social

development, and crisis prevention and recovery. The headquarters of UNDP is located in New York

City, United States.

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Sam Querrey beats Rafael Nadal in Mexico Open Final

Sam Querrey beat a 14-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets to claim the ATP

Mexico Open hold on 4th March. The American Clinched the final 6-3, 7-6 to secure the title despite

being unseeded and ranked No 40 in the World Querrey 29, beat Nadal for the first time in five

meetings between the pair.

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Who has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany?

[A] Gautam Jain [B] Mukta Dutta Tomar [C] Gurjit Singh [D] Yash Singhal

Correct Answer: B [Mukta Dutta Tomar]

Answer Explanation: Mukta Dutta Tomar, a 1984-batch IFS officer, has been appointed as the new

Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany. She will succeed Gurjit Singh. Presently,

she is the additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

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Chandrakala as Swachh Bharat Mission Director

District Magistrate and collector of Meerut, B. Chandrakala had served as district magistrate in

various Uttarpradesh cities prior to her current posting. She was highly praised for her work in the

state. She has now become the Director of “Swachh Bharat Mission” and deputy secretary, Ministry

of Drinking water and sanitation She is well-known for taking tough stand against corrupt practices.

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Which city police has launched “Pink Hoyslas” police petrol vehicles for women safety?

[A] Bengaluru [B] Chennai [C] Kochi [D] Guwahati

Correct Answer: A [Bengaluru ]

Answer Explanation: Bengaluru city police has launched “Pink Hoyslas” police patrol vehicles for

women safety. Pink Hoysalas will be stationed at 51 hot spots’ that have been identified on the basis

of the crime pattern in various city areas, especially those related to safety of women and children.

The vehicles will also patrol during the night to extend a moral support for women of Bengaluru.

Apart from this, an emergency panic alarm app “Suraksha” has also launched for women to send

emergency alerts directly to the city police control room in case of threat. The Suraksha app is

available from Android and iOS platforms.

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Sai Praneeth won maiden Super Series title in singapore

Sai Praneeth has won the title match of Men’s singles at Singapore Open Badminton beating his

compatriot Kidambi Srikanth. In the Singapore Open Badminton tournament Sai Praneeth won his

maiden Super Series Title. Praneeth prevailed 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 in a 54 minute contest, which was

the first all- Indian Super Series final in the history of the game.

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Which country is hosting the 3rd Edition of Global Exhibition on Services (GES – 2017)?

[A] China [B] Japan [C] South Korea [D] India

Correct Answer: D [India]

Answer Explanation: The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the 3rd edition of

the Global Exhibition on Services (GES-2017) on April 17, 2017 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

The GES-2017 will highlight India’s potential to boost its services exports across sectors. The 4-day

event will be held at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida and will focus on 20 services sectors, including

information technology, tourism and hospitality, logistics, education and financial services. GES 2017

brings together 550 exhibitors from 70 plus countries. More than 20,000 visitors are expected to

attend the exhibition. The exhibition will see over 5,000 business meetings and deliberations at

more than 30 seminars. The exhibition is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

together with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Services Export Promotion Council

(EEPC).

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BSF gets first Woman Field Officer in Tanushree Pareek

The Border Security Force (BSF) on 25 March 2017 received its first woman field officer after a

convocation Ceremony conducted in the BSF academy at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh Gwalior

Tanushree Pareek, a resident of Rajasthan, She led the passing out parade at the BSF Academy as

the first woman field officer. Pareek started training last year in a 52 – week Assistant Commandant

training programme with the 40th batch of the BSF academy.

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The 2017 Pana Sankranti has recently celebrated in which state of India?

[A] Odisha [B] Tamil Nadu [C] Kerala [D] Assam

Correct Answer: A [Odisha]

Answer Explanation: The Pana Sankranti, also known as Maha bisuba Sankranti, is the traditional

New Year day festival of Buddhists and Hindus in Odisha. This year, it is celebrated on April 14,

2017.This day is named after the main chilled sweet mango-milk-yoghurt-coconut drink “Pana”,

which shared as a tradition on this occasion. The festival is celebrated with visits to Shiva, Shakti, or

Hanuman temples, as the day is considered to be the birthday of Hanuman.People takes baths in

rivers or major pilgrimage centers. Communities participate in mela (fairs), watch street dance or

acrobatic performances. A notable climax of the social celebrations is fire-walk, where volunteers

sprint over a bed of burning coal while being cheered with music and songs. Pana Sankranti is similar

to new year festivals observed by Hindus elsewhere such as Vaisakhi (north and central India), Bihu

(Assam), Pohela Boishakh (Bengal), Vishu (Kerala) and Puthandu (Tamil Nadu).

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Nandyal MLA Bhuma dies of heart attack

Three-time Member of Parliament and sitting MLA of Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, Bhuma Nagireddy

53, died of massive cardiac arrest on 12th March. As the MLA’s condition was serious first he was

sent to local private hospital, later the condition was critical, he was given compulsory

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Ventilator support before being rushed to a hospital at Nandyal.

He did not respond to medication and was declared dead.

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Which state government will re-launched ‘Adarana’ scheme for improving traditional occupations?

[A] Himachal Pradesh [B] Sikkim [C] Andhra Pradesh [D] Odisha

Correct Answer: C [Andhra Pradesh]

Answer Explanation: The Andhra Pradesh government has re-launched ‘Adarana scheme’ for

improving traditional occupations. The scheme is for the uplift and all-round development of people

belonging to the Backward Classes. The scheme will offer modern tools, technology, marketing, and

financial support to artisans and those pursuing traditional occupations to raise their income levels

and provide employment in the rural areas. ‘Adarana’ had been launched with this objective during

the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) rule.

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Mahabaleshwar Sail gets Saraswati Samman – 2016

Eminent Konkani Writer Mahabaleshwar Sail has been honoured with the Saraswati Samman 2016,

for his novel “Hawthan”. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh and a citation. The 74-year-

old writer’s novel was shortlisted from 22 regional language books. He has four Marathi and seven

Konkani novels to his credit.

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Which state has bagged Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for increase in food grains production?

[A] Himachal Pradesh [B] Andhra Pradesh [C] Madhya Pradesh [D] Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer: A [Himachal Pradesh] Answer Explanation: Himachal Pradesh has bagged Krishi

Karman Award 2015-16 for commendable increase in food grains production. The state Agriculture

Department has been selected for this award for the 3rd time due to their dedicated efforts in

extending technological inputs and services to the farmers which resulted in increase in food grains

production. The award would carries a trophy, citation and cash prize. Apart from this, the

department has also done considerable work in promoting poly-house cultivation, crop

diversification, micro irrigation, organic farming and soil health management. The state was also

conferred the Krishi Karman Award for 2011-12 for increase in wheat production and in 2014-15 for

increasing food grains production.

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Srinath Narayan becomes India’s 46th Grandmaster

Chennai’s Srinath Narayan is set to become India’s 46th Grandmaster after he defeated Spanish GM

David Anton Guijarro at the on going Sharjah Master’s 2017 Chess Tournament. The 23 year old,

who had become India’s youngest FIDE rated player in 2002 when he was just eight, also finished as

joint winner in the Under-12 World Championship in 2005 in France. Srinath became an

International Master at the age of 14 and crossed the 2500 Elo rating a few months back.

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The World Bank (WB) has approved how much amount of loan to help India develop its first modern

waterway?

[A] $275 million [B] $375 million [C] $475 million [D] $575 million

Correct Answer: B [$375 million]

Answer Explanation: The World Bank (WB) has approved a $375 million loan to India’s first waterway

project “National Waterway (NW) 1”. The waterway project is to create a water transport fairway on

a 1,360-km stretch of the Ganga River between Varanasi and Haldia. The project will help build the

infrastructure needed to develop water transportation in the area. It will finance the construction of

six multi-modal terminals, 10 RORO jetties, ship-repair facilities as well as passenger jetties along the

river. It will also help modernise the ageing Farakka lock and add a new lock to allow for smoother

passage of boats. The project will also help the Inland Waterways Authority of India acquire a state-

of-the-art River Information System as well as navigation aids to make travel on the river safer and

more reliable. The US$375 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and

Development (IBRD) has a 7-year grace period and a maturity of 17 years.

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Narendra Kumar as CWC’s New Head

Shri Narendra Kumar, an officer of Central Water Engineering Service (1979 batch) has assumed the

charge of Chairman, Central Water Commission (CWC). He has served in various positions in CWC as

Asst Director in Design Organisation, Deputy Director in Project Appraisal Directorate and Director in

Dam Safety Organisation and Project Monitoring Directorate. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Chief

Engineer, Brahmaputra and Barak Basin, Shillong.

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Which Indian software engineer has won first prize in Unite Ideas #UNGAViz Textual Analysis and

Visualisation Challenge?

[A] Salem Avan [B] Sandeep Konam [C] Abdulqadir Rashik [D] Nikhil Chandavarkar

Correct Answer: C [Abdulqadir Rashik] Answer Explanation: Abdulqadir Rashik, an Indian software

engineer, has recently won first prize in Unite Ideas #UNGAViz Textual Analysis and Visualisation

Challenge for his ‘Global Policy’, an open-source tool that enables users to search and interactively

view General Assembly resolutions to gain a deeper understanding of the voting patterns and

decisions made by United Nations Member States. Rashik’s prototype will be made public and

shared with United Nations bodies and member states. He will also receive recognition from the

Department of State and the Office of Information and Communications Technology. Previously, he

won the top prize in the United Nations #LinksSDGs challenge in March 2017 for his ‘Links to

Sustainable Cities’, an interactive visualisation that identifies and maps the links between various

Sustainable Development Goals. Rashik is an entrepreneur and founder of India-based Miavy

Systems.

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India’s 1st AC rail ambulance launched at Mumbai

The Four coach air conditioned (AC) ambulance has been unveiled by the central Railway. This is

India’s first air conditioned rail ambulance. CR is the lifeline of Mumbai and other nearby areas as a

large number of patents travel in local train. But due to lack of emergency medical care, the critically

injured patients succumb to death. That why this rail ambulance would provide timely treatment

and save lives.

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What is the theme of 54th edition of National Maritime Day (NMD)-2017?

[A] The Blue Economy [B] Connecting India through Shipping [C] Make in India – an opportunity for

martime sector [D] Indian Coast Line – A New opportunity

Correct Answer: B [Connecting India through Shipping]

Answer Explanation: The National Maritime Day (NMD) is celebrated every year in India on April 5 to

commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian –owned ship “SS Loyalty” sailed from Bombay

to London on 5th April 1919. This was a crucial step for Indian shipping history when sea routes were

controlled by the British. The 2017 theme of 54th edition of NMD is “Connecting India through

Shipping”. The United Nations’ World Maritime Day (WMD) is observed every year on September 29

to highlight the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment.

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President appoints Chief Justices in four High Courts

President Pranab Mukherjee recently appointed Chief Justices for High Courts in Kerala,

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Hemant Gupta was appointed as the CJ of Madhya

Pradesh High Court. Before this appointment, he was serving as the Acting CJ of Patna High Court.

Acting CJ of Jharkhand High Court Pk Mohanty was appointed as the CJ of Jharkhand it self. Justice,

Navniti Prasad, a judge of Patna High Court was appointed as the CJ of Kerala High Court. Acting CJ

of Chhattisgarh High Court.

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Thanking You