SH- Current Affairs Update 01st, Feb 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

7th India Energy Congress begins in New Delhi
7th India Energy Congress focusing on the theme ‘Energy 4.0: Energy Transition Towards 2030’ begun in New Delhi on February 1, 2018.
Highlights of 7th India Energy Congress:
i. India Energy Congress is the flagship event of World Energy Council India (WEC India), which functions under the Union Power Ministry.
ii. 7th India Energy Congress has been jointly organised by Union Ministries of Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy, Petroleum & Natural Gas, External Affairs and Department of Atomic Energy.
iii. On February 1, 2018, Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister addressed the inaugural session of 7th India Energy Congress.
iv. Over the course of this two-day event, around 400 experts will deliberate on five sub-themes viz. Policy and Energy Environment 2030, Sustainable Mobility, Energy Investments in an Uncertain World, Variable Renewable Energy Integration and Reaching the Last Mile.

AP CM Naidu lays foundation for Universal Peace Retreat Center in Amaravati
On February 1, 2018, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Universal Peace Retreat Center of ‘Prajapita Brahmakumari Eswariya University’ in Amaravati.

Details about Universal Peace Retreat Center:
i. This Center will be built on 10 acres of land at Nekkollu village within the Amaravati Capital Region. The land has been allotted by Andhra Pradesh State Government.
ii. Raja yoga and Dhyana will be taught at the Center. Besides, the center will be involved in propagating youth development, women empowerment, child care, and moral values.
iii. Universal Peace Retreat Center will have capacity to provide shelter to 1500 people.
iv. Other amenities that will be set up at the Center include an auditorium with 2000 seating arrangement, meditation hall, a museum, laser show and a housing complex.

SH- Current Affairs Update 31st, Jan 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Bihar cabinet grants Rs 105 crore for Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission
On 30^th January 2018, the Bihar cabinet allocated funds worth Rs 105 crore for Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission, which formulates and implements schemes for the most backward sections among the Scheduled Castes.
Rs 105 crore for Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission:
i. This was declared in a Bihar cabinet meeting headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
ii. The Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission was established in 2008. It is an autonomous body and functions under the SC/ST Welfare Department.
iii. In the cabinet meeting, it was also decided to construct a high security jail in Phulwarisharif block of Patna. The construction of this jail would cost around Rs 56.72 crore. Maoists and dangerous criminals will be held in this jail.
Some wildlife sanctuaries in India:
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary – Bhagalpur District
Udaypur Wildlife Sanctuary – West Champaran District
Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary – Kaimur District

Uttar Pradesh launches Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana Gramin
On January 30, 2018, Uttar Pradesh State Cabinet launched ‘Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojna Grameen’, a new scheme to construct houses in rural areas.

About Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana Gramin:
i. Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana Gramin is for those who have not been covered under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and those who are not beneficiaries of any other government housing schemes.
ii. Under this scheme, Rs 1.30 lakh financial aid (for constructing houses) will be given to people residing in Naxal-affected areas of Uttar Pradesh and Rs 1.20 lakh to selected beneficiaries.
iii. Beneficiaries under this scheme also includes those families, who have been affected with Kala Azar or Japanese Encephalitis and those who belong to Vantangia or Musahar tribes and do not have houses or are living in “Kuchcha” houses.
iv. Uttar Pradesh State Government has already identified about 25000 beneficiaries for this scheme.
Quick Facts about Uttar Pradesh:
♦ Capital – Lucknow
♦ Current Governor – Ram Naik
♦ Current Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
♦ Important National Park – Dudhwa National Park

Maharashtra government to give sanitary pads to 7 lakh girls at Rs 5 a pack
On 30^th January 2018, the Maharashtra state cabinet approved the introduction of Asmita (dignity), a scheme to provide sanitary pads to 7 lakh girls in government schools for Rs 5 a pack.
Asmita:
i. The scheme Asmita aims to provide sanitary pads at subsidized price to girls in the age of 11 to 19 years.

ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION for Syndicate Bank/Canara Bank

Dear SH Aspirant,

We have been providing questions for the IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2017 and for the IBPS SO Prelims Exam from the important topics of all the sections, which would enhance your preparations for those exams. Solve the questions below which are asked in the IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam, so that this will improve your preparations for the exams.

Solve these questions, so that you do not need to fear for the English section in the forthcoming exams. This question set is a mix of Reading Comprehension and Filler Type questions, which are asked in the recent examinations, attend these questions and conquer the section of English language.

R.C 1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. One word is given in bold to help you locate that while answering a question.

The 10th anniversary of the Great Recession, a.k.a. the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-08, has inspired a spate of comments across the globe. Almost without exception, they warn that the lessons of that financial crisis have not been absorbed, and another giant financial bubble is currently inflating its way to another huge bust. Yet, this near-unanimous chorus of warnings has not stopped stock markets across the world from reaching new heights. Greed is drowning out fear. Many busts are caused by central banks tightening money. Today, we have the opposite: the greatest flood of money ever created (over $10 trillion, according to some estimates). The central banks of the US, China, Europe, Japan and Britain are at the forefront. What happens when these central banks try to return to normal, and the giant flood becomes giant ebb? Optimists claim that central banks can manage the transition smoothly. The US Fed plans to move in baby steps, announcing its intentions well in advance to avoid panic. This assumes that markets are rational, when they are mainly creatures of panic and euphoria, boom and bust. Much has been written about the printing of trillions of dollars by the US Fed after 2008. But the others are not far behind. A recent Financial Times column noted that the Bank of England, created in 1694, had a bank rate of around 4% through most of its history. This fell to 2% in the Great Depression, then rose and peaked at 17% in the inflationary 1970s, before returning to the historical 4%. After 2008, an unprecedented monetary stimulus has reduced the Bank rate to 0.25% today. The Bank has also bought £445 billion (about Rs 36,900 billion) worth of securities by printing money. This enormous stimulus has neither led to a boom in GDP nor in consumer prices. Instead, like stimuli in other countries, it has created a giant bubble in assets like bonds, equities and real estate. Many financial analysts fear that the next bust may come not from Western central bank action but from China. This country encouraged a lending boom to rescue the economy after 2008. But that now seems out of control. China’s debt has exploded from $6 trillion to $28 trillion, and its ratio to GDP is up from 140% to 260%. James Anderlini of the Financial Times (‘China’s economy is addicted to debt’, goo.gl/McRV96) says this has created “an economy addicted to borrowing and afflicted with serious asset bubbles. The ultimate test will come when Beijing eventually attempts to wean the country off this debt dependence.” Historically, bonds and equities have moved in opposite directions. Today, both are at all-time highs. Not because this makes economic sense, but because the tidal wave of central bank money has to be put somewhere. So, financiers are plunging into bonds and equities simultaneously, as in the bad old days of 2003-08. They are also plunging into junk bonds, and even junk countries. Argentina has repeatedly defaulted on its foreign debts in the last 100 years. Yet, in the current financial madness, it has successfully sold 100-year bonds, a privilege once restricted to the most creditworthy nations. Mohammed El-Arian, chief economic adviser of Allianz, complains of a “liquidity delusion” that cheap money will continue to flood in forever. So, there is too much risk in soaring markets.

Such a huge bubble typically occurs when three things happen simultaneously. One, the arrival of an exciting new ‘disruptive’ technology that is difficult to value in the short term, but has huge potential. The second is easy market liquidity to help investors roar into markets. The third is cheap credit. All three elements are in evidence today. The new technologies include electric cars, hyperloops, artificial intelligence and companies with ‘network effects’ (like Uber, Facebook and Amazon). Liquidity is massive and cheap. (Some bonds carry negative interest rates.) Ruchir Sharma of Morgan Stanley says “the scale of today’s tech boom is not readily visible because much of the investment action has moved into the hands of big private players. In 1999, nearly 550 startups went public, and after many ended in disaster, the government tightened regulation of public companies. In part to avoid that red tape, this year, only 11 tech companies have gone public.” “Many are raising money instead from venture capitalists or private equity funds. Venture capitalists have poured more than $60 billion into just the technology sector every year for the last three years — the highest flows since the peak in 2000 — and private equity investors say there has never been a better time to raise money.” Many hyped companies (now called ‘unicorns’) have never made a profit. Yet, investors have thrown huge sums at them, raising their valuations above $1 billion each. The world now has over 260 unicorns, including many in India. A bust is certain everywhere (including India). But nobody knows when. The 2003-08 boom proved that markets could soar for years after being declared irrationally exuberant. Cynics are still buying, hoping to double their money before the bubble bursts. It’s a risky strategy.

Q.1) The underlying tone of the passage is understood to be one of:

a) Emphasis

b) Gloom

c) Uncertainty

d) Optimism

e) Prudence

Q.2) The acceleration in stock markets, for long years, not conforming to rational belief often happens under which of the following circumstances?

a) Prior to an economic gloom.

b) After an economic gloom.

c) After rate cuts imposed by a central Bank.

d) When prices of commodities stabilize.

e) When bonds and equities move in the opposite direction.

English Questions For IBPS Clerk/ SBI Clerk

Dear Aspirants, 

Directions (1-5): In each of the following questions five options are given, of which one word is most nearly the same or opposite in meaning to the given word in the question. Find the correct option having either same or opposite meaning.

Q1. Multifarious
(a)braggart
(b)entice
(c)strive
(d)varied
(e)adorn

Q2. Incongruous
(a)introvert
(b) unsuited
(c)Bard
(d)Voluble
(e)edible

Q3. Cumbersome
(a)Effigy
(b)Ironic
(c)Myriad
(d)aiding
(e)correlate

Q4. Edify
(a)braggart
(b)instruct
(c)entice
(d)adorn
(e)agile

Q5. Perpetuity
(a)fragile
(b)audacious
(c)transience
(d)appease
(e)shunned

SH- Current Affairs Update 22nd, Jan 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban Launches Smart Star-Rating for Garbage Free Cities

On January 20, 2018, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri along with the Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar launched the ‘Protocol for Star Rating of Garbage-Free Cities’ in Goa.

Information about Protocol for Star Rating of Garbage-Free Cities:

i. This seven star-rating system has been developed by the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban.

ii. Under this system, cities will be assessed on multiple cleanliness indicators for solid waste management . Some of the indicators are door to door collection, source segregation, bulk generator compliance, sweeping, scientific processing of waste, scientific land filling, plastic waste management and dump remediation.

iii. Based on the assessment, cities can be rated as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 star in accordance with the protocol conditions specified for each of the rating.

iv. This is a SMART rating (Single metric, Measurable, Achievable, Rigorous verification, Targeted towards outcomes) system that provides stakeholders with a single metric to rate a city’s cleanliness.

President Ram Nath Kovind approves disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for Holding Office of Profit

On 21^st January 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind approved disqualification of 20 MLAs of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for holding offices of profit.

Disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs:

i. Accepting recommendations of the Election Commission (EC) President Ram Nath Kovind has disqualified 20 members of the Delhi legislative assembly.

ii. The AAP MLAs were appointed as parliamentary secretaries. The Election Commission has stated that, being parliamentary secretaries, they held office of profit and they should be disqualified as MLAs of the Delhi Assembly.

iii. The members who have been disqualified are: Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Adarsh Shastri, Madan Lal, Charan Goel, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Jarnail Singh, Rajesh Gupta, Alka Lamba, Nitin Tyagi, Sanjeev Jha, Kailash Gehlot, Vijendera Garg, Rajesh Rishi, Anil Kumar Vajpayee, Somdutt, Sukhvir Singh, Avtar Singh Kalka and Manoj Kumar.

About Aam Aadmi Party (AAP):

♦ Headquarters – New Delhi

♦ Leader – Arvind Kejriwal

♦ Founded – 2012

India’s automated ocean pollution system to begin operation from April

S S C Shenoi, Director of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has stated that India will soon have its own automated ocean pollution observation system.

Details about India’s automated ocean pollution system:

i. This new ocean data acquisition system (called automated moorings), which is expected to be functional in April 2018 will not only help in tracking ocean pollution levels but will also offer insights on how the marine system is changing.

ii. Estimated cost for setting up this system is Rs 100 crore.

iii. After being fully operational, this system will do away with the present practice of collecting water samples from sea and studying their pollution levels thereafter.

Quick Facts about INCOIS:

♦ Established in – 1999

♦ Located in – Hyderabad, Telangana

♦ Functions under – Union Ministry of Earth Sciences

Reasoning Questions for IBPS Clerk Mains Exam

Dear Aspirants,

You just need correct practice and hardwire your brain to quickly make decisions about what to attempt and what to leave. And for same we are providing you questions of Reasoning Question and Answers. Solve these to Practice latest pattern reasoning question for bank exams.

Q1. In a certain code, MISTAKE is written as HRNGVPZ. How is GROUNDS written in that code?

(a) LITFWHM

(b) LITFHWM

(c) LITHFWM

(d) LNQFEFEO

(e) None of these

Direction (2): In the following questions, the symbols #, &, @, * , $, % and © are used with the following meanings as illustrated below. Study the following information and answer the given questions:

P#Q - Q is the father of P.

P@Q - Q is the child of P.

P©Q - P is the brother of Q.

P$Q - Q is the daughter of P.

P*Q- P is the husband of Q.

P&Q- Q is the daughter-in-law of P.

P%Q- P is the wife of Q.

Q2. If  F$E%C©A#B then how C is related F?

(a) Son

(b) Daughter

(c) Son-in-law

(d) None of these

(e) Can’t be determined

Direction (3): In the following questions, the symbols #, &, @, * , $, % and © are used with the following meanings as illustrated below. Study the following information and answer the given questions:

P#Q - P is the son of Q.

P@Q - Q is the child of P.

P©Q - P is the parent of Q.

P$Q - P is elder than Q.

P*Q- P is the husband of Q.

P&Q- Q is the daughter-in-law of P.

P%Q- P is the wife of Q.

Q3. If A%B&C%D@M#C, then how B is related to M?

(a) Mother

(b) Grandmother

(c) Father

(d) Grandfather 

(e) None of these

Direction (4-5): In the following questions, the symbols #, &, @ and $ are used with the following meanings as illustrated below. Study the following information and answer the given questions:

P#Q - P is in the south direction of Q at distance of either 4 or 3m.

P@Q - Q is in the north direction of P at distance of either 6m or 8m.

P&Q - Q is in the east direction of P at distance of either 4 or 3m.

P$Q - P is in the west direction of Q at distance of either 6m or 8m.

P#&Q- Q is in the southeast direction of P.

P@&Q- P is in the northeast direction of Q. 

Q4. If A&B#C#&D are related to each other then what is the probable shortest distance between A and C?

(a) 4√2 m

(b) 5 m

(c) 4 m

(d) 6m

(e) Both a & b

Q5. If A@&B$C$D, then what is the shortest distance between B and D (if BCD form a straight line and length of BC and BD are different)?

(a) 13m 

(b) 14m

(c) 15m

(d) 16m

(e) 12m

Directions (6-10): Read the following information carefully to answer the questions given below.

Daily Current Affairs: 7th January 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

1. Bengaluru most well read city in India: Survey

Bengaluru has emerged as the most well read city in India, while Mumbai and Delhi stands at second and third position, respectively, according to a survey conducted by Amazon India’s Annual Reading Trends Reports for 2017.

• Among books, ‘Indian Polity (5th Edition)’ ranked as the top selling book on Amazon India across the country while ‘Sita – Warrior of Mithila’ emerged as the highest selling fiction book of 2017.     

2. Govt to set up FTII in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set up by the union government as part of tapping the potential of the North Eastern region, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said.

• This would be the second such one in the country.

Points to Remember

• The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune, an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
• It was established in 1960. Anupam Kher is its present Chairman.

3. 18th All India Whips Conference to start from Jan 8

Deliberations on paperless parliament and state legislatures by rolling out e-Sansad and e-Vidhan are on the agenda of 18th All India Whips Conference to be held in Udaipur.

• Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar is slated to inaugurate the conference to be held on January 8 and 9.
• It will be attended by whips of various political parties from different states.

Daily Current Affairs: 4th January 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

1. India Cancels $500 Million Deal For Israeli Anti-Tank Missiles

India has cancelled a $ 500 million deal to buy 1,600 Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel, the state-owned defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced.

• Spike is a man-portable “fire and forget' missile that can hit moving targets such as a tank.
• India had opted for the Israel's Spike over the Javelin missiles offered by Washington in 2014.

2. Indian Railways to install GPS devices on 2,700 electric locomotives

In a bid to provide real time train information, the government plans to install GPS devices on over 2,700 electric locomotives by December 2018, Parliament was told.

• “Railway Ministry in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is implementing Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) which involves tracking of train by placing GPS/GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation System) based devices on locomotives,” Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
• “In Phase one, the RTIS project will cover about 2,700 electric locomotives in which the GPS device will be installed.
• This phase is planned to be completed by December 2018,” he said.

3. Government approves Rs 6,809-crore Zojila Pass tunnel project in J&K  

The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of Asia's longest bi-directional Zojila Pass tunnel at an estimated cost of Rs 6,089 crore, which will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh to 15 minutes from the current 3.5 hours.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its go-ahead to the 14.2-km long tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh, which remains cut-off from the rest of India during winters due to heavy snowfall.

Daily Current Affairs: 3rd January 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

1. Jharkhand CM launches programme

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has launched "Saubhagya Yojana", a programme that would provide electricity to all the 29,376 villages in the state.

•    Launching the "Saubhagya Yojana" here, Das said only 38 lakh households out of 68 lakh households in the state could get electricity in 67 years.

•    However, this government has provided electricity to 13 lakh households in just three years.

•    By December 2018, the target is to provide electricity to the rest 17.64 lakh households.

2. Joint Schemes for SC, OBC, Safai Karamcharis and Disabled Persons

The Government is implementing a Scheme, namely the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) that provides grant-in-aid to non-governmental organizations for various projects relating to rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. 

•    The objective of the scheme is to enable persons with disabilities to reach and maintain their optimal, physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric or social functional levels.

3. UP theme state for Surajkund crafts mela

The Haryana tourism department has disclosed that Uttar Pradesh would be the theme state for the 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which would be organized at Surajkund, Faridabad from February 2 to 15.

•    Apart from all other states, about 24 countries would also participate in it.

•    The fair organized by the Haryana Tourism and Surajkund Fair Authority in collaboration with the Union ministries of tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs, exhibited handicrafts, handloom variety and prosperity of India at global level.

Daily Current Affairs 2nd January 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,
Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

1. Saudi Arabia, UAE introduce VAT in first for Gulf

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax, a first for the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-free.

• The five percent sales tax applies to most goods and services and analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21 billion in 2018, equivalent to 2.0 percent of GDP.
• The other four Gulf states, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are also committed to introducing VAT but have delayed the move until early 2019.

2. Maneka Gandhi to inaugurated online portal ‘NARI’

In a big leap forward to empower women, the Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi.

• Developed by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the portal will provide women citizens with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women.
• Further to provide a platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, e-Samvad portal has also been developed which was inaugurated by the WCD Minister.
• The NARI portal summarizes over 350 government schemes and other important information for the benefit of women, with more being added everyday.
• There are tips on good nutrition, suggestions for health check ups, information on major diseases, tips for job search and interview, investment and savings advice, information on crimes and against women and reporting procedures, contacts of legal aid cells, simplified adoption procedures and much more. 

3. UP declares Noida, Yamuna E-way as electronics manufacturing zone

The Yogi Adityanath government has released its 'Uttar Pradesh Electronics Manufacturing Policy' under which Noida, Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway region has been declared as an electronics manufacturing zone.

• A minister said the aim of this policy is to ensure that the state gets the status of a favourite investment destination.
• The target of the policy is to attract investments worth Rs 20,000 crore in the ESDM sector and 3 lakh jobs by 2022.