Manthan

A General Awareness Weekly

23rd October to 29th October, 2017

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 1

PREFACE

Dear Students,

The ‘Current Affairs’ section is an integral part of any examination. This edition of Manthan has been
developed by our team to help you cover all the important events of the Week. This comprehensive bulletin will
help you prepare the section in a vivid manner. We hope that our sincere efforts will serve you in a better way
to fulfill aspirations.
Happy Reading

Team CL

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 POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
National

Ensure State Commissions for Women (SCW): Supreme Court

 The Supreme Court, which is hearing a matter pertaining to the condition of such widows, told the Centre that if
State Commissions for Women (SCW) did not exist in the States, then the State governments concerned should
be asked to ensure setting up of such panels.
 In August, 2017 the top court had said that the ostracized destitute widows belong to the “socially
disadvantaged class” of society and were not treated with the dignity they deserve in the shelter homes in
Vrindavan and elsewhere.
 They, have no real access to justice, are voiceless and were needed to be empowered.
Note: The National Commission for Women was set up as statutory body in January 1992 under the National
Commission for Women Act, 1990.
Government plans to amend Hindu Adoptions Act to check adoption under personal law
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development is set to initiate amendments to the Hindu Adoptions and
Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) so as to disallow any further adoptions under the personal law and instead bring
it under the purview of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
 HAMA allows couples from Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh communities to adopt children of parents belonging
to these communities through a simple agreement.
 The JJ Act states that “nothing in this Act shall apply to the adoption of children made under the provisions of the
HAMA”, thus exempting such adoptions from all regulations, including vetting by child welfare committees, the
police or mandatory court orders.
 WCD ministry study that showed that among the adoptable 48,000-odd children across child care institutions,
only 2,000 are linked to adoption agencies under JJ Act, half of them are children with special needs.
Gujarat elections on Dec. 9 & 14
 Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14, and the results will be declared along with that of
Himachal Pradesh on December 18, according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission.
 With this the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect immediately in Gujarat.
CVC will develop Integrity Index of 25 Organizations
 The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has decided to go in for development of the Integrity Index-based on
bench-marking of internal processes.
 CVC has adopted a research-based approach, with this view IIM-Ahmedabad has been engaged to develop the
Integrity Index. Initially 25 organizations have been selected for development of the Integrity.

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Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
 CVC was set up by the Government of India in February, 1964 on the recommendations of the Committee on
Prevention of Corruption, headed by Shri K. Santhanam.
 It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring
all vigilance activity under the Central Government of India, advising various authorities in Central Government
organizations.
 Nittoor Srinivasa Rau was the first Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India.
 The Commission shall consist of:
 A Central Vigilance Commissioner - Chairperson;
 Not more than two Vigilance Commissioners - Members;
 The current Central Vigilance Commissioner is Mr. K.V. Chowdary, and among the two Vigilance Commissioners,
one is Mr. Rajiv and the other is Shri T.M. Bhasin.
Special Centre for Disaster Research at JNU
 The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Special Centre for Disaster Research at
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
 The Centre is a multi-disciplinary Centre that will offer Masters and Doctorate programmes in Disaster Risk
Management (DRM).
Rajasthan passes bill increasing OBC quota to 26%
 The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the
State and of Appointment and Posts in Services under the State) Bill, 2017 which increased reservation for the
Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent. The reservation in Rajasthan now stands at 54
per cent defying the set ceiling of 50 per cent by the Supreme Court.
 The Supreme Court had ruled in Indra Sawhney (I) (Mandal case) that the total reservation for SC/ST and other
backward classes or special categories should not exceed 50 per cent.
First International Conference on Consumer Protection of South, South East & East
Asian Countries
 The First International Consumer Protection Conference on “Empowering consumers in new markets” for the
South, South East and East Asian Countries was held on 26 to 27 October 2017 in New Delhi.
 The Conference was chaired by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public
Distribution.
 It was decided that Regional Consumer Protection Conferences on biannual basis will be considered, in
consultations with countries in the Region.
SC collegium to evaluate performance of additional judges
 The Supreme Court collegium led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has decided to evaluate the professional
evaluation of additional judges by a committee of two apex court judges, while recommending their names for
promotion as permanent judges of the High Courts.
 The decision assumes significance as the government had recently urged the Collegium to have a relook at its
decision to end the practice of evaluating the judicial performance of additional judges.
 The evaluation was part of the guidelines issued by the then CJI S H Kapadia in October, 2010.
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 International

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Party secured over two-thirds majority
 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party secured over two-thirds majority in the lower
house of Parliament.
 With this win, Abe is likely to acquire the title of Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister.
Note: The National Diet is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house called the House of
Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors.
China to hold world conference on Marxism
 China will hold the 2nd World Congress on Marxism in May, 2018 which will be attended by over 300 Marxism
researchers from all over the world.
 The congress coincides with the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx and the 40th anniversary of China’s reform
and opening-up.
 Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, political theorist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary
socialist born in May 5th, 1818.
New London pollution tax comes into force
 Drivers of the most polluting vehicles will face an extra daily charge for driving into central London on weekdays
from Monday in a bid to improve air quality in one of Europe’s most polluted cities.
 London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the new £10 charge which will be on top of a daily £11.50 congestion
charge — in February, after the European Union ordered Britain to cut air pollution.
Singapore caps car numbers
 Singapore, one of the most expensive places in the world to buy a vehicle, will freeze the number of private
cars on its roads for at least two years, a rare move in Asia where many cities are increasingly gridlocked.
Xi joins the league of Mao and Deng
 The Communist Party of China (CPC) bracketed its General Secretary, Xi Jinping with its star icons, Mao Zedong
and Deng Xiaoping.
 At the closing session of the 19th Party Congress, the CPC enshrined the “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with
Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” in its Constitution.
 Only Mao’s ‘Thought’ and Deng’s ‘Theory’ have been embedded in the basic law of the Party-state.
 Deng’s name was added after his death in 1997.

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Xi Jinping unveiled new Polit Bureau line-up
 Chinese President Xi Jinping, flanked by his brand new team, underscored that China’s two centenary goals — a
moderately prosperous society by 2021 and an advanced socialist country by 2050 — would guide policy and
political conduct in the coming decades.
 Apart from Mr. Xi, the members of the apex Standing Committee of the top decision-making body include Li
Keqiang. Mr. Li has already served his first term as Premier. Other leaders in the new line-up are — Li Zhanshu,
Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.
Singapore has the most powerful passport
 Tiny Singapore now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new ranking, with its citizens able to
travel to the greatest number of countries visa free.
 That means the approximately 3.4 million holders of Singaporean passports can now travel to 159 countries
either without a visa at all, or can have one issued on arrival.
 Germany came in second place, with its citizens able to visit 158 countries without a visa, while Sweden and
South Korea tied for third.
 The U.S.A. passport was in sixth place, alongside Malaysia, Ireland and Canada.
 India, which was figuring at 75th position with a visa-free score of 51.
 Afghanistan came bottom of the list with visa-free access to just 22 countries.
India provides $5, 85,000 aid to Jaffna University
 India provided equipment and vehicles worth $5, 85,000 to the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
 The assistance package was given to develop agriculture as well as engineering faculty on the Killinochchi
campus of the university.
Saudi Arabia gives citizenship to a robot, claims global first
 Saudi Arabia has become the first country to give a robot citizenship.
 The move is an attempt to promote Saudi Arabia as a place to develop artificial intelligence and, presumably,
allow it to become a full citizen.
 The robot, named Sophia, was confirmed as a Saudi citizen during a business event in Riyadh.
India, Sri Lanka ink housing project deal in Hambantota
 Sri Lanka signed an agreement with India to build 1,200 houses in a public ceremony held in the southern port
city of Hambantota.
 The coastal city of Hambantota gained strategic significance after Ex-President Rajapaksa built a massive port
and an airport with huge Chinese loans.
 In July 2017, Sri Lanka sold majority stakes of the port to China to service an outstanding $8-billion debt it owes
China, fanning concerns of countries with competing strategic interests, particularly India and the U.S.
Burundi became first country to leave International Criminal Court
 Burundi became the first country to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
 The pullout takes effect on 27 October, a year after the East African nation notified the United Nations secretary-
general of its intention to leave the court that prosecutes the world’s worst atrocities.
 Burundi is the only one of three African nations to go ahead with its withdrawal after making moves last year.
 South Africa’s withdrawal was revoked in March. Gambia reversed its withdrawal in February.

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India, US to implement HOSTAC
 To strengthen maritime security, India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for
Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC).
 A decision was taken by Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her US Counterpart Jim Mattis during their
meeting in Philippines on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus.
HOSTAC
 Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC) is a military international
standardization program made up of 4 regional HOSTAC Conferences/Working Groups. These regional groups
include the NATO HOSTAC, SIAN HOSTAC, Pacific HOSTAC and Middle East HOSTAC.
 The first combined "Global" HOSTAC working group was held in April 2008 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
 The second "Global" HOSTAC working group was held in June 2011 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA.
Opioid crisis declared as a “Health Emergency” in USA
 President Donald Trump declares the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in the USA, taking long-
anticipated action to address a rapidly escalating epidemic of drug use that claimed more than 59,000 lives in
2016.
 Opioids, primarily prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl, are fueling the drug overdoses. More than 100
Americans die daily from related overdoses, according to the CDC.
 Trump said he would discuss stopping the flow of fentanyl, a drug 50 to 100 times more powerful than
morphine, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Spain dissolves Catalan parliament and calls fresh elections
 The Spanish government has taken control of Catalonia, dissolved its parliament and announced new elections
after secessionist Catalan MPs voted to establish an independent republic, pushing the country’s worst political
crisis in 40 years to new and dangerous heights.
 Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, said his cabinet had fired the regional president, Carles Puigdemont,
and ordered regional elections to be held on 21 December.
India, Australia to explore mineral deposits
 The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is partnering with its Australian counterparts to unlock the mineral
potential in India.
 Characterising India's geological cover, investigating India's lithospheric architecture, resolving 4D geodynamic
and metallogenic evolution and detecting and characterising the distal footprints of ore deposits are the main
components of the initiative.
Taiwan holds Asia’s largest gay pride parade
 A sea of rainbow flags and glitzy costumes filled downtown Taipei as tens of thousands marched in Asia’s largest
gay pride parade, the first since Taiwan’s top court ruled in favour of gay marriage.
 The island looks set to become the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage after the constitutional court said
in May that laws preventing same-sex unions violated the guarantee of freedom of marriage.

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 ECONOMY AND FINANCE

Fiscal deficit of 3.2% seems not difficult in FY18

 The government is likely to achieve its fiscal deficit target of 3.2 per cent this financial year as the budgeted
disinvestment receipts are on track to realise Rs 72,500 crore, says an SBI Research report, Ecowrap.
 Fiscal deficit target of 3.2 per cent in FY18 seems not difficult, as revenue may be lower than budgeted, but
more than offset by disinvestment and expenditure cuts," said the SBI research report.
 After 2009-10, this may for the first time government would able to meet the disinvestment target, as
budgeted.
Kandla Port gets green nod to develop smart city
 State-owned Kandla Port Trust has received environment clearance for setting up an Rs 1,176-crore smart
industrial port city in Kutch, Gujarat.
 The proposal is to develop a smart industrial port city at two separate sites in Gandhidham which would house
about 35,700 residential flats, schools and parks, and would generate jobs to more than 60,000 people.
Amul offers business proposition to Railways on Twitter
 Dairy giant Amul reached out to the Indian Railways on its official Twitter handle with a business proposition to
use its refrigerated parcel vans to transport Amul Butter across India.
 Amul is an Indian dairy cooperative, based at Anand in Gujarat, India. Formed in 1950, it is a brand managed by a
cooperative body, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF).
 Amul spurred India's White Revolution, which made the country the world's largest producer of milk and milk
products. In the process Amul became the largest food brand in India.
 Dr Verghese Kurien, founder-chairman of the GCMMF for more than 30 years (1973–2006), is credited with the
success of Amul.
Railways plans elevated corridors for suburban rail in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru
 An ambitious plan for elevated corridors over existing rail tracks in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru that will
improve safety and decongest networks is being considered by the railways in partnership with state
governments and central agencies.
 Preliminary estimates have pegged the cost of an elevated corridor in Mumbai at around Rs 25,000 crore and the
state-run transporter hopes to complete the project in the next 3-5 years.

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World crude steel production saw a 5.6 per cent jump
 World crude steel production saw a 5.6% increase its biggest ever in months to 141.4 million tonne (mt) in
September 2017, compared to September 2016.
 India, as the second largest global steel producer after China, maintained its momentum, producing 8.2 mt of
steel in September 2017 up 1.9% over last year and just a shade below Japan which reported 8.6 mt of crude
steel output in September 2017 growing at 2% over September 2016.
India to have 478 million air passengers in 2036, says IATA
 India is expected to have 478 million air passengers in 2036 on the back of strong demand, global airlines'
grouping IATA said.
 The country is projected to see a staggering growth from 141 million passengers in 2016.
 Releasing its 20-year passenger forecast, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said globally a total
of 7.8 billion passengers are expected to travel in 2036, with Asia-Pacific region leading the demand.
 China is expected to fly the highest number of passengers at 1.5 billion, followed by the United States with 1.1
billion in 2036.
GoI and ADB Sign $300 Million Loan to Promote Fiscal Reforms in West Bengal
 The Asian Development Bank and the Government of India signed a $300 million loan to continue a series of
fiscal reforms in the State of West Bengal to improve the quality of public service delivery.
 The Second West Bengal Development Finance Program targets a further increase in public investment through
reduction of unproductive expenditure, and savings from efficiencies in revenue collections.
 The Program will build on earlier intervention under Phase I of the project through the $400 million Program
that targeted a comprehensive fiscal consolidation program in the state.
CIPAM’s Website
 The Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu launched the official website for the Cell for IPR
Promotion and Management (CIPAM) of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
 CIPAM has been set up under the aegis of DIPP with a mandate to effectively implement the National
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy.
 The website is interactive providing regular updates on all upcoming events including awareness and
sensitization programs being conducted, as also information on all Intellectual Property Rights.
 It would make available resource material on IPRs specially curated for various levels: schools, universities,
industry and enforcement agencies.
In a first, Railways floats global tender for procuring rail worth about Rs. 3,500 cr.
 In a first, the Ministry of Railwasy has floated a global tender to procure seven lakh tonne of rail, worth about
Rs. 3,500 crore, instead of purchasing from the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), in a bid to clear pending
track renewal work.
India's pension system ranked near bottom among major economies
 India’s pension system is ranked 28 out of the 30 countries, highlighting the inadequacy of the nation’s
retirement program.
 Still, India’s overall index value rose to 44.9 in 2017 from 43.4 a year ago, according to the Melbourne Mercer
Global Pension Index for 2017.
 India’s pension system was also found to be more sustainable than that of Poland, Germany, France, Japan,
Italy, Austria, Brazil, China and Argentina though it ranked low on the ’adequacy’ sub-index.

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‘India has to spend Rs. 50 lakh cr on infra’
 According to Crisil’s Infrastructure Yearbook 2017, India would need to spend about Rs. 50 lakh crore between
fiscal 2018 and 2022 to build its infrastructure in a sustainable manner.
'India has 3rd highest number of family-owned businesses'
 As per the Credit Suisse Research Institute's (CSRI) latest "CS Family 1000" report, India has 108 publicly-listed
family-owned businesses, third highest in the world,.
 While China tops the tally with 167 such companies followed by the US which has 121, says a Credit Suisse
report.
 With an average market capitalisation of USD 6.5 billion, India ranks 5th in Asia Pacific excluding Japan and
22nd globally, in terms of average m-cap.
 Besides China, the US and India, the top 10 countries in terms of number of family-owned companies include
France (4th place), Hong Kong (5th), Korea (6th), Malaysia (7th), Thailand (8th), Indonesia (9th), Mexico (10th).
India beats US as world's 2nd-largest smartphone market
 India has overtaken the USA as the second-largest smartphone market during July-September as shipments
touched a record high of 40 million units, said Singapore-based analyst firm Canalys.
RIL becomes first Indian company to cross Rs6 trillion market cap
 Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross Rs. 6 trillion market capitalisation after
its shares surged over 75% so far in 2017 and hit a fresh lifetime high.
 Currently; its market cap is at Rs 6.02 trillion.
Dassault to invest €100 mn in defence JV
 Dassault Aviation said it would invest €100 million in its defence joint venture with the Anil Ambani-led
Reliance Group.
 Mr. Ambani and Dassault Aviation chairman Eric Trappier laid the foundation stone for the Dassault Reliance
Aerospace Limited (DRAL) manufacturing facility in Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park (DAAP), Mihan near
Nagpur, Maharashtra. The plant is expected to start production in 2018.
 Reliance Aerostructure will hold a majority 51% in DRAL, while 49% would be held by Dassault Aviation.
India’s First Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra for Skilling in Smart Cities
 To bring momentum in skilling through collaborative efforts, the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh along
with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra
Pradhan inaugurated India's first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities, in
collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
BharatMala Pariyojana
 BharatMala Pariyojana, 34,800 km of roads nationwide, including in border and coastal areas, to be
implemented on an outlay of Rs. 5, 35,000 crore, will generate 14.2 crore mandays of jobs.
Rs. 2.11 lakh crore for PSU banks to boost lending
 The Centre unveiled an ambitious plan to infuse Rs. 2.11 lakh crore capital over the next two years into public
sector banks (PSBs) saddled with high, non-performing assets and facing the prospect of having to take haircuts
on loans stuck in insolvency proceedings.

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The 3rd Global Investors’ India Forum 2017
 Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh addressed the 3rd Global
Investors’ India Forum in New Delhi.
 The theme of the event was ‘Ideate, Innovate, Implement and Invest in India’ and it was attended by global
industry stalwarts.
 The event was organized by the ASSOCHAM.
GoI and ADB signed $65.5 Million Loan to support Coastal Protection in Karnataka
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $65.5 million loan agreement in the
national capital to continue interventions to check coastal erosion on the Western Coast in Karnataka.
 The loan is the Second Tranche of a $250 million financing facility under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and
Management Investment Program.
Railways launched its first set of solar plants in Delhi
 Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched the railways’ first set of solar plants with a total capacity of 5
megawatt peak (MWp), an ambitious project aimed at reducing the national transporter’s carbon footprint.
 The project is part of the government’s National Solar Mission in which Indian Railways plans to commission
1,000 MWp solar plants across its network.
 The minister launched the plants at the inauguration of the ‘International Conference on Green Initiatives and
Railway Electrification’ in New Delhi.
Nitin Gadkari digitally flags off RORO Ship carrying trucks from Chennai Port to Mongla
Port in Bangladesh
 The Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari digitally flagged off a RoRo cum general cargo vessel M.V. IDM DOODLE carrying
a consignment of 185 trucks from Chennai Port to Mongla port in Bangladesh.
 The Coastal Shipping Agreement between India and Bangladesh was signed during Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in June 2015.
In a first, L&T builds Offshore Patrol Vessel for Indian Coast Guard
 L&T Shipbuilding Ltd is building a series of indigenously designed Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs),
which are likely to be inducted into Indian Coast Guard in April 2018.
 This is the first OPV class vessel for the Indian Coast Guard that has been built by a private sector yard.
 First of the seven series was launched at L&T's Shipbuilding Yard at Kattupalli, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
75% of the world’s new billionaires are from India and China
 The number of billionaires in Asia surpassed the US for the first time, though the US still has the greatest
amount of billionaire wealth.
 One billionaire is created every three weeks in China, which leads the region when it comes to the number of
billionaires. At the current pace, in four years Asia is tipped to overtake US in terms of the world's largest
concentration of wealth, according to an analysis of data from roughly 1,550 billionaires by UBS and
PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
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 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Inventions/Discoveries
Mars has ideal conditions to produce oxygen from CO2: Study
 According to researchers from University of Porto in Portugal and Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, Mars has nearly
ideal conditions for efficiently creating oxygen from atmospheric carbon dioxide in the future using plasma
technology.
 Mars has 96 per cent carbon dioxide (CO2) in its atmosphere.
ICAR to study if ‘cow urine’ can be used in organic farming
 India’s premier farm research organisation Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been asked to
study if ‘cow urine’ can be used to promote organic farming.
 According to a senior Niti Aayog official, the ICAR has been asked to look into the possibility of converting cow
urine into amino acid for use as natural fertiliser to increase farm productivity.
 In 2016, Sikkim became India’s first fully organic state.
New Indian spider Meotipa sahyadri
 In 2012, Satara-based researcher Siddharth Kulkarni spotted a spider in the Western Ghats that he thought to be
a known species, Meotipa picturata. Three years of research in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa, however, showed
that the spiny comb-footed spider belonged to a new species of the same genus.
 He named it Meotipa sahyadri, after the Sanskrit name for the Western Ghats (Sahyadri).
India's Space mission to Moon 'Chandrayaan- II' in 2018
 The Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh has said that India’s Space Mission to Moon, “Chandrayaan-II”,
will take place in 2018, most likely in the first quarter of the year.
The 38th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS)
 On October 23, the 38th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) was inaugurated in Delhi.
 It is after a gap of 23 years that the five-day conference was held in India.
 The main theme of ACRS 2017 is “Space Applications: Touching Human Lives”.
Chinese scientists develop 'intellectual suit'
 A group of Chinese scientists have developed an ‘intellectual suit’ which is fitted with large-area textile sensors
that can detect temperature, pH levels, pressure and other indicators showing the health status of a person.
 At the third International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems in Beijing, Wang Zhonglin, an
academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced the invention.

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Genome India Project launched in northeast
 Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of over 2,000 individuals spanning different ethnic, linguistic and socio-
cultural sections of the northeastern states will be carried out as part of the Genome India Project, launched in
the Northeast region.
‘Fish-lizard’ fossil from Kutch
 A near-complete Jurassic-era fossil of an intriguing animal that looks like a mashup of a dolphin and lizard, and
lived during the twilight of the dinosaurs, has been unearthed in Kutch, Gujarat.
 Ichthyosaurs, or ‘fish- lizards’ in Greek, were large reptiles that lived at the same time as dinosaurs.
 While many ichthyosaur fossils have been found in North America and Europe, the fossil record in the Southern
Hemisphere has mostly been limited to South America and Australia.
 It’s the first Jurassic ichthyosaur found in India.
New tool to improve Indian monsoon forecast
 Researchers from Florida State University in the USA have created a tool for objectively defining the onset and
demise of the Indian summer monsoon.
 The new method uses rainfall rates to mark the span of the monsoon at any given location throughout the
affected region.
The next- generation RoboBee
 Harvard scientists, USA have developed a next-generation hybrid version of RoboBee that can fly, dive into
water, swim, propel itself back out of water, and land safely.
 The RoboBee is 1,000 times lighter than any previous aerial-to-aquatic robot, and could be used for numerous
applications, from search-and-rescue operations to environmental monitoring and biological studies, researchers
said.
Assam gets its first glossary on medicinal, aromatic plants
 A forest officer in Assam has come out with a unique book that has recorded close to 1,400 medicinal and
aromatic plant species as well as wild mushrooms that are found in the State.
NASA’s Hubble telescope finds hot exoplanet that ‘snows’ sunscreen
 NASA’s Hubble space telescope has spotted a blistering hot planet outside our solar system where it “snows”
sunscreen.
 The planet, called Kepler-13Ab, circles very close to its host star, Kepler-13A, said the study published in the
Astronomical Journal.
 Kepler-13Ab, which is more than 1,730 light-years from Earth, is so close to its parent star that it is tidally
locked. One side of the planet always faces the star and the other side is in permanent darkness.

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 SPORTS

Sports Personalities in News

Virat Kohli
 The Indian captain Virat Kohli became only the second player in ODI history to score a century in his 200th One-
Day International.
 South Africa batsman AB de Villiers also has a century in his 200th ODI.
 After his 31st century in the 200th ODI, Kohli moved past former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and is now
behind only Sachin Tendulkar who is at the top spot with 49 centuries.
 Virat Kohli became the first Indian skipper to amass 1300 runs or more in a calendar year in ODIs, eclipsing the
1268 (ave.43.72) in 37 matches by Mohammad Azharuddin in 1998.
 Kohli became the second Indian skipper after Sourav Ganguly (2000) to post five hundreds in a calendar year in
ODIs.
Kidambi Srikanth
 Kidambi Srikanth continued his phenomenal run as he defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun Il 21-10, 21-5 to win
Denmark Open 2017 title.
Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu
 Heena Sidhu and Jitu Rai gave the Indian campaign at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World
Cup Final a golden start as they won the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Cristiano Ronaldo
 Real Madrid’s Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best football player in the world for the
second year running at the ‘The Best FIFA Football Awards’ gala.
 Real Madrid’s French coach Zinedine Zidane won the manager of the year trophy for his part in the club’s
success.
Sunil Gavaskar
 Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar inaugurated a cricket field (The Sunil Gavaskar Field), in Louisville in the state of
Kentucky in USA, thus making it the first international sporting facility named after an Indian sportsperson.
Martina Hingis
 Swiss tennis great Martina Hingis announced her “definite” retirement, signalling the end of a career which
took her from 1990s teenage superstar to doubles world number one some 20 years later.
 Martina Hingis is currently ranked world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA.
 She has won the season-ending WTA Championships two times in singles and three times in doubles, and an
Olympic silver medal.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 14

 Sport Events
England wins U17 World Cup after incredible 5-2 comeback victory over Spain
 England's Young Lions made a remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat Spain 5-2 and win the Fifa
Under-17 World Cup Final in India.
 The trophy caps a remarkable calendar year for England's youth teams, who have won the Under-19 European
Championship, Under-20s World Cup, Toulon Tournament (U20s) and reached the Under-21 European
Championship in 2017.
Patna Pirates to third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title 2017
 Pardeep Narwal scored incredible 24 points to steer Patna Pirates to third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title.
 Pardeep, who had scored 76 points in three playoffs, helped Patna come from behind and thump Gujarat
Fortunegiants 55-38 in the summit clash of Pro Kabaddi season 5.
Indian women boxers win five more medals at 'Balkan' meet
 India's women boxers rounded off the 'Balkan' International Boxing Championship by clinching five more
medals including a coveted gold.
 The country's youth boxers had set the tone by sweeping eight medals and also becoming the most successful
team in the competition.
India beat Malaysia 2-1 to win third Asia Cup title
 India beat Malaysia 2-1 to win the 10th edition of the Asia Cup - their third title overall.
 India ended their 10-year wait for continental triumph when they beat a gutsy Malaysia 2-1 in a nail-biting final
to clinch their third Asia Cup hockey title.
 India won the tournament twice before in 2003 and 2007 editions.

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 15

 MISCELLANEOUS
Bhiwadi was country's most polluted city on Diwali day
 According to CPCB's report on Air Quality Index (AQI), Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi was the most polluted city in the
country on Diwali day this year, which shows that the level of pollution was 425 micrograms per cubic metre.
 Kolkata occupies the second spot, while Agra is the third most polluted city of the country.
 In 2016, Agra was the most polluted city.
‘Paika Bidroha’ to be named as 1st War of Independence
 The ‘Paika Bidroha’ (Paika rebellion) of 1817 will find a place in the history books as ‘the First War of
Independence’ from the next academic session, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
 The Paik Rebellion, also called the Paika Bidroha, was an armed rebellion against the British East India
Company's rule in Odisha in 1817.
Meghalaya Election Department enters Limca Book of Records
 The Meghalaya Election Department has entered Limca Book of Records for the formation of the biggest
human logo comprising young voters in the state.
 The logo formation was part of Mission Unite (U and I towards Enrolment) as part of the Special drive to enroll
young and left out voters in the age categories of 18 to 21 years held in July at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports
Complex in Shillong.
Three-day ‘International Congress’ on Rock Art at Deccan College
 As India celebrates its 150th year of Rock Art, city archaeologists are planning to introduce an advanced studies
programme, dedicated to understanding the underlying symbolic and behavioural messages in prehistoric rock
art.
 To mark the anniversary, the Deccan College Pune hosted the 22nd International Congress, titled ‘Rock Art
discipline in Indian Ocean rim countries’.
 The art form was first discovered and recognised near Sohagighat, in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh in 1867.
Mumbai to have first AC suburban train from New Year
 The wait for air-conditioned train will finally end for passengers of Mumbai’s suburban railway service, with
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal saying that the first such train will be introduced on January one.
 The local train network, considered Mumbai’s lifeline, is heavily congested and carries over 65 lakh passengers
very day, with the Western Line alone accounting for 35 lakh passengers.
Mangeshkar School of Music
 To acknowledge the contribution of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar and her family in the field of music, the state
government announced that it will set up Mangeshkar School of Music in Maharashtra.
 The function, “Amrut Hriday-Swar Lata” was to celebrate Lata Mangeshkar’s 75 years of work in the field of
music, and her brother music writer, producer, director and singer Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s 80th birthday.
Railways' first set of solar plants
 The Railway's first set of solar plants with a total capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp) will be launched by
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 16

  The plants on the roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Delhi railway stations will
generate 76.5 lakh units of solar power cumulatively per year and shall meet about 30 per cent of the energy
requirement of these stations.
 Through the project, the railways will save Rs 421.4 lakh annually and will reduce 6082 tonnes of CO2
emissions.
 This project is a part of the government's National Solar Mission in which Indian Railways plans to commission
1000 MWp solar plants across its network.
PM inaugurated ‘south Asia’s biggest’ Ro-Ro ferry service
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s first roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service in Gujarat.
 The ferry service, which is also the “biggest in south Asia”, will cut short the eight-hour, 340-km journey
between Bhavnagar district’s Ghogha and Bharuch’s Dahej in Gulf of Cambay to just an hour.
 The Ro-Ro ferry service will cover 31 km by sea, the longest in India. The Ro-Ro can carry up to 250 passengers
and up to 100 vehicles including cars, buses and trucks.
The ‘Monument Mitras’
 Seven shortlisted companies were given ‘Letters of Intent’ for fourteen monuments under ‘Adopt a Heritage
Scheme’ of Ministry of Tourism at the closing ceremony of ‘Paryatan Parv’ at Rajpath Lawns, New Delhi.
 These companies will be the future ‘Monument Mitras’ who would associate pride with their CSR activities.

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 17

 PERSONS IN NEWS
Jeff Bezos
 A post-earnings surge in Amazon.com Inc. shares pushed Jeff Bezos to the top of the Bloomberg Billionaires
Index for the first time, vaulting him ahead of Bill Gates who had held the top spot as the richest person on
Earth for more than four years.
 His wealth briefly eclipsed that of Gates, the Microsoft Corp. co-founder, on an intraday basis on July 27, but
Amazon shares ended that day lower, leaving Bezos at No. 2.
John Nath Kapoor
 An Indian-American pharmaceutical billionaire John Nath Kapoor was charged with leading a nationwide
conspiracy in the US by bribing doctors to over-prescribe a potent opioid to patients and committing fraud on
insurance firms for profit.
 The Amritsar-born entrepreneur and well know philanthropist, who migrated to the US from India in 1960s.
Barnaby Joyce
 Australia’s High Court disqualified Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and four senators from sitting in
Parliament in a ruling that could cost the government its slender majority in Parliament.
 The decision to disqualify Deputy Prime Minister over a 116-year-old constitutional ban on dual citizens sitting in
Parliament means a by-election will be held for his rural electoral district in December.
 Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s conservative coalition has a single-seat majority in the 150-seat House of
Representatives where parties form governments.

Appointments
Rakesh Asthana
 The cabinet committee for appointments has appointed 1984- batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as
CBI special director. He is currently posted as additional director.
Dineshwar Sharma
 In a major development, the Centre appointed Shri Dineshwar Sharma, former Director of Intelligence Bureau,
as the Representative of Government of India to initiate and carry forward a dialogue with the elected
representatives, various organizations and concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Julie Bishop
 Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appointed Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as deputy prime minister
after a citizenship crisis ousted his deputy and cost his government its parliamentary majority.

Obituary
Girija Devi
 Eminent classical singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Girija Devi passed away at Kolkata following a cardiac
arrest. Considered as the ‘Queen of Thumri’, the singer was 88 and is survived by her daughter.

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 18

 AWARDS
N Chandrababu received Golden Peacock Award
 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has received the Golden Peacock Award under the
category - Global Leadership in Public Service and Economic Transformation - at a convention in London.
 Naidu received the award for his excellence in public service.
Indian-origin campaigner Gina Miller wins U.K. award
 Gina Miller, an Indian-origin campaigner, has been named the U.K.’s most influential black person of the year
by ‘Powerful Media’ for winning a legal challenge that prevented Prime Minister Theresa May from triggering
Brexit without Parliament’s approval.

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A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 19

 IMPORTANT DAYS
First International Day of Diplomats: October 24 th 2017
 The first International Day of Diplomats was celebrated in Brasilia on October 24 with participation from the
diplomats of Bangladesh, Brazil, France, Ghana, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.
 The idea of celebrating International Day of Diplomats on October 24, also the United Nations Day - to recognise
the hard work and sacrifices of diplomats and their families - was proposed by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K.
in his piece for a leading online daily titled 'Why the World needs International Day of Diplomats' on October
11 this year.
 Since then, the idea has gathered wide support from a cross-section of the international community, including
diplomats of several countries.
The United Nations Day: October 24 th
 UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this
founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security
Council, the United Nations officially came into being.
 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
 In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a
public holiday.
------------------

References:
The Hindu
The Economics Times
Indian Express
Press Information Bureau of India
The Times of India
Business Standard
News on AIR
Hindustan Times

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 20

 QUESTIONS
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the country's first roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service in:
(a) Gujarat (b) Tamil Nadu (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Odisha

2. Who has been re-elected as the Japan Prime Minister in October 2017?
(a) Yoshihiko Noda (b) Shinzo Abe (c) Naoto Kan (d) Yukio Hatoyama

3. The Supreme Court has asked the Centre if state commissions for women (SCW) actually exist. The National Commission for
Women was set up as statutory body in:
(a) 1992 (b) 2002 (c) 2004 (d) 2006

4. World Health Organisation (WHO) had withdrawn the appointment of which country President as the goodwill ambassador
for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa in October 2017?
(a) Nigeria (b) South Africa (c) Algeria (d) Zimbabwe

5. Who has been appointed as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special director in October 2017?
(a) Deepak Kumar Mishra (b) Rakesh Asthana (c) Dr A P Maheswari (d) Rajesh Ranjan

6. What is the targeted fiscal deficit of union government for the financial year 2017-2018?
(a) 3.5 (b) 3.2 (c) 4.0 (d) 4.2

7. Recently, the Supreme Court collegium has decided to evaluate the professional evaluation of additional judges by a
committee of two apex court judges. Supreme Court collegium is a body of:
(a) top four judges of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India
(b) top five judges of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India
(c) top six judges of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India
(d) top five judges of the apex court headed by the Union Law Minister

8. Which country hockey team won the 10th edition of the Asia Cup 2017?
(a) China (b) Japan (c) India (d) Myanmar

9. Who among the following cricket players has become only the second player in ODI history to score a century in his 200th
One-Day International in October 2017?
(a) SPD Smith (b) Virat Kohli (c) Kane Williamson (d) David Warner

10. Recently, India's first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities was inaugurated in:
(a) Mumbai (b) Pune (c) Nagpur (d) New Delhi

11. Who has been appointed as the Representative of Government of India to initiate and carry forward a dialogue with the
elected representatives, various organizations and concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir?
(a) Shri Mansa Ram (b) Shri Ramkirti Kalyan (c) Shri Dineshwar Sharma (d) Shri Venkat Reddy
nd
12. Which country will hold the 2 World Congress on Marxism in May 2018?
(a) Russia (b) China (c) India (d) North Korea

13. Which of the following Indian ports has received environment clearance for setting up a Rs 1,176-crore smart industrial port
city?
(a) Haldia (b) Paradip (c) Vizag (d) Kandla

14. Which dairy Product Company has reached out to the Indian Railways on its official Twitter handle with a business
proposition to use its refrigerated parcel vans to transport its Butter across India?
(a) Parag (b) Mother Dairy (c) Amul (d) Anik

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 21

15. Recently the Geological Survey of India (GSI) is partnering with its counterparts of which country to unlock the mineral
potential in India?
(a) Italy (b) Germany (c) France (d) Australia

16. ISRO is planning to launch India's Space Mission to Moon, "Chandrayaan-II", in year:
(a) 2018 (b) 2019 (c) 2020 (d) 2022

17. After which Indian cricketer, a Gate of the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium is to be named:
(a) Rahul Dravid (b) Virendra Sehwag (c) Gautam Gambhir (d) Manoj Prabhakar

18. Which rebellion will find a place in the history books as 'the First War of Independence' from the next academic session
according to Indian HRD minister?
(a) Munda Rebellion (b) Sanyasi Rebellion (c) Paika Rebellion (d) Santhal Rebellion

19. Recently Centre Government announced a ___________ crore road construction package, called BharatMala Pariyojana.
(a) Rs. 1.65 lakh (b) Rs. 2.95 lakh (c) Rs. 4.25 lakh (d) Rs. 5.35 lakh

20. Which Asian country will freeze the number of private cars on its roads for at least two years?
(a) Vietnam (b) Myanmar (c) Laos (d) Singapore

21. Recently, the Asian Development Bank and the Government of India signed a $300 million loan to continue a series of fiscal
reforms in which Indian state to improve the quality of public service delivery?
(a) Assam (b) Odisha (c) West Bengal (d) Uttar Pradesh

22. Recently scientists of which of the following countries have developed an ‘intellectual suit’ which is fitted with large-area
textile sensors that can detect temperature, pH levels, pressure and other indicators showing the health status of a person?
(a) India (b) Israel (c) USA (d) China

23. Recently, three-day 'International Congress' on Rock Art is held in Deccan College, Pune. The art form was first discovered
and recognized in India in 1867 in:
(a) Maharashtra (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Nagaland (d) Uttar Pradesh

24. Name the footballer who was crowned the best football player in the world for the second year running at the 'The Best FIFA
Football Awards' 2017?
(a) Neymar Jr. (b) Cristiano Ronaldo (c) Lionel Messi (d) Zinedine Zidane

25. Recently, Padma Vibhushan awardee Girija Devi passed away. She was considered as queen of:
(a) Kajri (b) Thumri (c) Dadri (d) Ghazal

26. Which among the following Indian state election department has entered Limca Book of Records for the formation of the
biggest human logo comprising young voters in the state?
(a) Assam (b) Tripura (c) Manipur (d) Meghalaya

27. Which among the following Organisations has decided to develop a new initiative, initially with 25 organizations selected for
development of the Integrity Index?
(a) NITI Aayog (b) CIC (c) CVC (d) RBI

28. Who among the following has been reappointed as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC)?
(a) Zhao Leji (b) Xi Jinping (c) Li Zhanshu (d) Wang Huning

29. Which of the following countries has the world's most powerful passport, according to the 'Global Passport Power Rank 2017'
by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital with its citizens able to travel to the greatest number of countries visa free?
(a) Malaysia (b) Singapore (c) Ireland (d) USA

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 22

30. Name the Indian-origin campaigner, who has been named the U.K.'s most influential black person among 100 people of
African and African Caribbean heritage, by Powerful Media?
(a) Roopa Jim (b) Gina Miller (c) Rashmi Ahuja (d) Lily Martham

31. Recently Ichthyosaurs, or 'fish- lizards' in Greek, a near-complete Jurassic-era fossil that looks like a mashup of a dolphin and
lizard, and lived during the twilight of the dinosaurs, has been unearthed in:
(a) Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh (b) Kapoorthala, Punjab (c) Guntur, Andhra Pradesh (d) Kutch, Gujarat

32. According to the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index for 2017, India's pension system is ranked ______ out of the 30
countries.
(a) 12th (b) 17th (c) 23rd (d) 28th

33. What is the present rank of India according to the 'Global Passport Power Rank 2017' by global financial advisory firm Arton
Capital?
(a) 23rd (b) 37th (c) 51st (d) 75th

34. Recently India provided equipment and vehicles worth $5, 85,000 to the University of Jaffna. Jaffna is located in:
(a) Maldives (b) Sri Lanka (c) Mauritius (d) Bangladesh

35. Recently 3rd Global Investors' India Forum 2017 was organized in:
(a) Mumbai (b) New Delhi (c) Chandigarh (d) Lucknow

36. Seven shortlisted companies were given 'Letters of Intent' for how many monuments under 'Adopt a Heritage Scheme' of
Ministry of Tourism?
(a) Nine (b) Fourteen (c) Eighteen (d) Twenty One

37. Recently which of the following state government has passed a bill which increased reservation for the Other Backward
Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent?
(a) Haryana (b) Gujarat (c) Rajasthan (d) Madhya Pradesh

38. Which of the following countries has become the first country to give a robot citizenship?
(a) Australia (b) South Africa (c) Germany (d) Saudi Arabia

39. As per the Credit Suisse Research Institute's (CSRI) latest "CS Family 1000" report, India has ________ highest number of
family-owned businesses.
(a) Second (b) Third (c) Fifth (d) Ninth

40. Recently which of the following Indian states has got its first glossary on medicinal, aromatic plants?
(a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Assam (c) Odisha (d) Telangana

41. Recently the first international sporting facility in USA is named after an Indian sportsperson:
(a) Sachin Tendulkar (b) Rahul Dravid (c) Sunil Gavaskar (d) Vishwanathan Anand

42. In order to acknowledge the contribution of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar and her family in the field of music, which Indian
state government announced that it will set up Mangeshkar School of Music?
(a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Andhra Pradesh (c) Gujarat (d) Maharashtra

43. Recently the Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Special Centre for Disaster Research at:
(a) Delhi University (b) Jawaharlal Nehru University
(c) Aligarh Muslim University (d) Lucknow University

44. The First International Consumer Protection Conference on "Empowering consumers in new markets" for the South, South
East and East Asian Countries was held in:
(a) Jakarta (b) New Delhi (c) Dhaka (d) Kuala Lumpur

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 23

45. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched the railways' first set of solar plants with a total capacity of ___________ megawatt
peak (MWp), an ambitious project aimed at reducing the national transporter's carbon footprint.
(a) 5 (b) 10 (c) 15 (d) 20

46. Which country has become the first country to withdraw from the International Criminal Court in October 2017?
(a) USA (b) Germany (c) Mali (d) Burundi

47. To strengthen maritime security, India and ________have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations
from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC).
(a) UK (b) USA (c) Russia (d) France

48. Name the first private sector shipyard, which is building a series of indigenously designed Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels
(OPVs).
(a) Hindustan Shipyard Limited (b) L&T Shipbuilding Limited
(c) Bharati Shipyard Limited (d) Cochin Shipyard Limited

49. The first International Day of Diplomats was celebrated in:

(a) Brasilia (b) Beijing (c) New York (d) Tokyo

50. Name the current women world number one ranked tennis player in doubles, who has announced her retirement from the
tennis in October 2017.
(a) Sania Mirza (b) Venus Williams (c) Serena Williams (d) Martina Hingis

51. Who is the current Secretary-General of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)?
(a) Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi (b) David Simiyu Eseli
(c) Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril (d) Peter Thomson

52. Who has topped the Bloomberg Billionaires Index for the first time as the richest person on Earth in October 2017?
(a) Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (b) Timothy Donald Cook (c) Jeff Bezos (d) Warren Edward Buffett

53. Asia's largest gay pride parade was organized in:

(a) India (b) China (c) Taiwan (d) Nepal

54. Which country has been appointed an emergency Deputy Prime Minister after a citizenship crisis in October 2017?
(a) Spain (b) Pakistan (c) Iran (d) Australia

55. Which country has declared the opioid crisis as the national public health emergency in October 2017?
(a) Brazil (b) Syria (c) USA (d) Nigeria

56. The Spanish government has taken control of Catalonia, dissolved its parliament and announced new elections. What is the
official name of Spain parliament?
(a) Kongreso (b) Cortes Generales (c) Federal Assembly (d) Diet

57. Which company has become the first Indian company to cross Rs 6 trillion market capitalization in October 2017?
(a) Tata Group Ltd (b) Reliance Industries Ltd
(c) Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (d) Adani Group Ltd

58. NASA's Hubble space telescope has spotted a blistering hot planet outside our solar system where it "snows" sunscreen. The
exoplanet is called:
(a) Kepler-13Ab (b) Hubble-14 Ab (c) Hubble-Kepler (d) Kepler-2017 Dc

59. Which country has won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2017?
(a) Spain (b) England (c) Germany (d) Argentina

60. Which among the following Kabaddi team has won the Pro Kabaddi title 2017?
(a) Bengal Warriors (b) Telugu Titans (c) Patna Pirates (d) Gujarat Fortunegiants

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 ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATION
1. a Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country's first roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry service in Gujarat. The ferry service, which is also the
"biggest in south Asia", will cut short the eight-hour, 340-km journey between Bhavnagar district's Ghogha and Bharuch's Dahej in Gulf of
Cambay to just an hour.

2. b Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party secured over two-thirds majority in the lower house of Parliament. With this win,
Abe is likely to acquire the title of Japan's longest serving Prime Minister.

3. a The Supreme Court has asked the Centre if state commissions for women (SCW) actually exist. The apex court, which is hearing a matter
pertaining to the condition of such widows, told the Centre that if SCWs did not exist in the States, then the State governments concerned
should be asked to ensure setting up of such panels. The National Commission for Women was set up as statutory body in January 1992 under
the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.

4. d The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it had withdrawn the appointment of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as the goodwill
ambassador for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa.

5. b The cabinet committee for appointments has appointed 1984- batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as CBI special director.

6. b The government is likely to achieve its fiscal deficit target of 3.2 per cent this financial year as the budgeted disinvestment receipts are on track
to realise Rs 72,500 crore, says an SBI research report.

7. b The Supreme Court collegium is a body of top five judges of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India.
th
8. c India beat Malaysia 2-1 to win the 10 edition of the Asia Cup - their third title overall. India won the tournament twice before in 2003 and 2007
editions

9. b The Indian captain Virat Kohli became only the second player in ODI history to score a century in his 200th One-Day International. South Africa
batsman AB de Villiers also has a century in his 200th ODI. After his 31st century in the 200th ODI, Kohli moved past former Australia captain
Ricky Ponting and is now behind only Sachin Tendulkar who is at the top spot with 49 centuries.

10. d To bring momentum in skilling through collaborative efforts, the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh along with Minister of Petroleum and
Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India's first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra
(PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities, in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

11. c The Centre appointed Shri Dineshwar Sharma, former Director of Intelligence Bureau, as the Representative of Government of India to initiate
and carry forward a dialogue with the elected representatives, various organizations and concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and
Kashmir.

12. b China will hold the 2nd World Congress on Marxism in May, 2018, coincides with the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx.

13. d State-owned Kandla Port Trust has received environment clearance for setting up a Rs 1,176-crore smart industrial port city in Kutch, Gujarat.

14. c Dairy giant Amul reached out to the Indian Railways on its official Twitter handle with a business proposition to use its refrigerated parcel vans to
transport Amul Butter across India.

15. d The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is partnering with its Australian counterparts to unlock the mineral potential in India.

16. a India's space agency ISRO has announced its intention to launch a mission to the moon in 2018.

17. b The DDCA, under the administration of Justice Vikramjit Sen, has decided to rename Gate No. 2 of the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium as the
'Virender Sehwag' gate to honour the former India opener.

18. c The 'Paika Bidroha' (Paika rebellion) of 1817 will find a place in the history books as 'the First War of Independence' from the next academic
session, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

19. d The Centre announced a Rs. 5.35 lakh crore road construction package, called BharatMala Pariyojana, in a bid to spur the economy as private
investment remains moribund.

20. d Singapore, one of the most expensive places in the world to buy a vehicle, will freeze the number of private cars on its roads for at least two
years, a rare move in Asia where many cities are increasingly gridlocked.

21. c The Asian Development Bank and the Government of India signed a $300 million loan to continue a series of fiscal reforms in the State of West
Bengal to improve the quality of public service delivery.

22. d A group of Chinese scientists have developed an ‘intellectual suit’ which is fitted with large-area textile sensors that can detect temperature, pH
levels, pressure and other indicators showing the health status of a person.

23. d The art form was first discovered and recognised near Sohagighat, in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh in 1867.

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24. b Real Madrid's Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best football player in the world for the second year running at the 'The Best
FIFA Football Awards' gala.

25. b Eminent classical singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Girija Devi passed away at Kolkata following a cardiac arrest. Considered as the
queen of Thumri the singer was 88 and is survived by her daughter.

26. d The Meghalaya Election Department has entered Limca Book of Records for the formation of the biggest human logo comprising young voters
in the state.

27. c The CVC has therefore decided to go in for development of the Integrity Index-based on bench-marking of internal processes and controls within
an organisation as well as management of relationships and expectations of outside stakeholders.

28. b Apart from Mr. Xi, who has started his second innings as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the members of the of
the apex Standing Committee of the top decision-making body include Li Keqiang. Mr. Li has already served his first term as Premier, and
headed the State Council - China's Cabinet.

29. b Singapore now has the world's most powerful passport, according to a new ranking, with its citizens able to travel to the greatest number of
countries visa free.

30. b Gina Miller, an Indian-origin campaigner, has been named the U.K.'s most influential black person of the year by 'Powerful Media' for winning a
legal challenge that prevented Prime Minister Theresa May from triggering Brexit without Parliament's approval.

31. d A near-complete Jurassic-era fossil of an intriguing animal that looks like a mashup of a dolphin and lizard, and lived during the twilight of the
dinosaurs, has been unearthed in Kutch, Gujarat.

32. d India's pension system is ranked 28 out of the 30 countries, highlighting the inadequacy of the nation's retirement program in the world's second
most populous nation.

33. d India, which was listed 78th last year, has improved its ranking, figuring at 75th position with a visa-free score of 51. Afghanistan came bottom of
the list with visa-free access to just 22 countries.

34. b Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of
the same name.

35. b Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh addressed the 3rd Global Investors' India Forum 2017 in
New Delhi.

36. b Seven shortlisted companies were given 'Letters of Intent' for fourteen monuments under 'Adopt a Heritage Scheme' of Ministry of Tourism at
the closing ceremony of 'Paryatan Parv' at Rajpath Lawns, New Delhi.

37. c The Rajasthan Assembly passed a bill which increased reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent.

38. d Saudi Arabia has become the first country to give a robot citizenship.

39. b India has 108 publicly-listed family-owned businesses, third highest in the world, while China tops the tally with 167 such companies followed by
the US which has 121, says a Credit Suisse report.

40. b A forest officer in Assam has come out with a unique book that has recorded close to 1,400 medicinal and aromatic plant species as well as wild
mushrooms that are found in the State.

41. c Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar inaugurated a cricket field in Louisville in the state of Kentucky in USA, thus making it the first international
sporting facility named after an Indian sportsperson.

42. d To acknowledge the contribution of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar and her family in the field of music, the Maharashtra government
announced that it will set up Mangeshkar School of Music.

43. b The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Special Centre for Disaster Research at Jawaharlal Nehru University
(JNU).

44. b The First International Consumer Protection Conference on "Empowering consumers in new markets" for the South, South East and East Asian
Countries was held on 26 to 27 October 2017 in New Delhi.

45. a Railway Minister Piyush Goyal launched the railways' first set of solar plants with a total capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp), an ambitious
project aimed at reducing the national transporter's carbon footprint. The project is part of the government's National Solar Mission in which
Indian Railways plans to commission 1,000 MWp solar plants across its network.

46. d Burundi is becoming the first country to withdraw from the International Criminal Court. The pullout took effect on 27 October, a year after the
East African nation notified the United Nations secretary-general of its intention to leave the court that prosecutes the world's worst atrocities.

47. b To strengthen maritime security, India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations from Ships
other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC).

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48. b L&T Shipbuilding Ltd is building a series of indigenously designed Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), which are likely to be inducted
into Indian Coast Guard in April 2018.
This is the first OPV class vessel for the Indian Coast Guard that has been built by a private sector yard.

49. a The first International Day of Diplomats was celebrated in Brasilia on October 24 with participation from the diplomats of Bangladesh, Brazil,
France, Ghana, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.

50. d Swiss tennis great Martina Hingis announced her "definite" retirement, signalling the end of a career which took her from 1990s teenage
superstar to doubles world number one some 20 years later. Martina Hingis is currently ranked world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA.

51. a Mukhisa Kituyi is the current Secretary-General of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

52. c A post-earnings surge in Amazon.com Inc. shares pushed Jeff Bezos to the top of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index for the first time, vaulting
him ahead of Bill Gates who had held the top spot as the richest person on Earth for more than four years.

53. c A sea of rainbow flags and glitzy costumes filled downtown Taipei as tens of thousands marched in Asia's largest gay pride parade, the first
since Taiwan's top court ruled in favour of gay marriage.

54. d Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appointed Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as Deputy Prime Minister after a citizenship crisis ousted his
deputy and cost his government its parliamentary majority.

55. c As President Donald Trump declares the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in the USA.

56. b The Spanish government has taken control of Catalonia, dissolved its parliament and announced new elections after secessionist Catalan MPs
voted to establish an independent republic, pushing the country's worst political crisis in 40 years to new and dangerous heights. Cortes
Generales is the official name of Spain Parliament.

57. b Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross Rs 6 trillion market capitalisation after its shares surged over 75% so far
this year and hit a fresh lifetime high.

58. a NASA's Hubble space telescope has spotted a blistering hot planet outside our solar system where it "snows" sunscreen. The exoplanet, called
Kepler-13Ab, circles very close to its host star, Kepler-13A, said the study published in the Astronomical Journal.

59. b England's team made a remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat Spain 5-2 and won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Final in India.

60. c Pardeep Narwal scored incredible 24 points to steer Patna Pirates to third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title. Pardeep, who had scored 76 points in
three playoffs, helped Patna come from behind and thump Gujarat Fortunegiants 55-38 in the summit clash of Pro Kabaddi season 5.

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