Cabinet Approvals: January 10, 2018 (STATIC GK)

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On January 10, 2018, Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved following initiatives/bilateral agreement:

Cabinet approves major changes in FDI policy:

In a bid to liberalize and simplify the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and to provide ease of doing business in India, Union Cabinet has approved a number of amendments in the existing policy.

Major Amendments in FDI Policy:

• 100% FDI under automatic route has been approved for Single Brand Retail Trading.Till now, only 49% FDI was permitted under automatic route while FDI beyond 49% and up to 100% was to be brought through Government approval route.
• Foreign airlines have been permitted to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India.
• It has been clarified that real-estate broking service does not amount to real estate business and is thus, eligible for 100% FDI under automatic route.
• Foreign institutional Investors (FIIs) and Foreign portfolio investment(FPIs) have been allowed to invest in Power Exchanges through primary market.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Canada for cooperation in Science & Technology:

This memorandum of understanding (MoU) will provide a mechanism to foster scientific cooperation between Research & Development (R&D) and academic institutions of India and Canada.

• The MoU was signed between Indian Government’s Department of Science and Technology and Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
• In order to promote multidisciplinary research partnership between India and Canada, the MoU envisages supporting India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) programme.
• Safe and sustainable infrastructure and integrated water management have been identified as areas for mutual cooperation under this MoU.

HH- BLOOD GROUP, A RARE BLOOD GROUP EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

The h/h blood group, also known as Oh or the Bombay blood group, is a rare blood type. This blood phenotype was first discovered in Bombay, now known as Mumbai, in India, by Dr. Y. M. Bhende in 1952.

Problems with blood transfusion

The first person found to have the Bombay phenotype had an interesting blood type that reacted to other blood types in a way never seen before. The serum contained antibodies that reacted with all red blood cells' normal ABO phenotypes. The red blood cells appeared to lack all of the ABO blood group antigens and to have an additional antigen that was previously unknown.

Individuals with the rare Bombay phenotype (hh) do not express H antigen (also called substance H), the antigen which is present in blood group O. As a result, they cannot make A antigen (also called substance A) or B antigen (substance B) on their red blood cells, whatever alleles they may have of the A and B blood-group genes, because A antigen and B antigen are made from H antigen. For this reason people who have Bombay phenotype can donate red blood cells to any member of the ABO blood group system (unless some other blood factor gene, such as Rhesus, is incompatible), but they cannot receive blood from any member of the ABO blood group system (which always contains one or more of A and B and H antigens), but only from other people who have Bombay phenotype.

Receiving blood which contains an antigen which has never been in the patient's own blood causes an immune reaction due to the immune system of a hypothetical receiver producing immunoglobulins not only against antigen A and B, but also against H antigen. The most common immunoglobulins synthesized are IgM and IgG (and this seems to have a very important role in the low frequency of hemolytic disease of the newborn among non-Bombay offspring of Bombay mothers).

It is very important, in order to avoid any complications during a blood transfusion, to detect Bombay phenotype individuals, because the usual tests for ABO blood group system would show them as group O. Since Anti-H immunoglobulins can activate the complement cascade, it will lead to the lysis of red blood cells while they are still in the circulation, provoking an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction. This, of course, cannot be prevented unless the lab technologist that is involved is aware of the existence of the Bombay blood group and has the means to test for it.

Static GK- Continents

What is a Continent?

Though there are many definitions of the term “continent,” it is generally used to identify large distinct land masses that make up planet Earth’s surface. What we know as land are actually the areas which happen to be at a high enough elevation to not be flooded by the lakes, rivers, and oceans of the world which surround them. The continents shapes and boundaries are ever-changing as the water surrounding them defines the land that makes up the continent. It is important to remember the five oceans of the world, as the continents make up just 1/3rd of Earth’s surface.

What are the 7 Continents of the World?

Today, we have seven continents on planet Earth surrounded by five oceans. Each of the seven continental land masses is diverse and distinctly unique with their own plants, animals, deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes, cultures, and weather. A continent is larger than an island and is usually made up of multiple countries and span millions of square miles. The 7 continents of the world are North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

How Many Continents Are There?

Some consider the North and South American continent to be just one landmass referred to as the “American Continent.” Europe and Asia continent are also combined at times and referred to as “Eurasia.”  The continent of Australia is often confused with the country of Australia. The Australian Continent includes Australia (country), Tasmania, New Guinea and others. This region is also referred to as “Oceania,” which includes the previously listed countries as well as New Zealand, Micronesian, and Polynesian islands. Oceania is generally not considered a continent as it does not make up “a single continuous landmass.”

·         5 Continents: Depending on when you went through school and the country you were educated, you may have learned that there were just 5 continents. Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Interestingly, this is why we have five rings to symbolize the Olympic Games

·         6 Continents: In certain countries it is common for students to learn about just 6 continents. America, Antarctica, Asia, Africa, Australia (Oceania), and Europe. There are some geography experts that acknowledge just 6 continents where the continent of Asia and Europe are combined into a new continent called “Eurasia” as these two continents are one single land mass.

·         7 Continents: The most commonly accepted number of continents is 7. North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania), Europe, and Asia.

Below you will find a comprehensive 7 continents list exploring each of the continents with a summary. Under each continent you can follow the link below it to learn more!

7 Continents List 

Static GK- Indian Cities on River Banks

Almost all major rivers of India begin their journeys at one of the three main watersheds – The Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges (Northern India); the Sahyadri or the Western Ghats (Western India); or the Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges (Central India). Most of the major rivers of India end up joining the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea.

Indian Towns on River Banks

India is a country of rivers and most Indian cities lie on the banks of some of the major rivers in India. Further, these rivers have their own tributaries and distributaries. It is important that you know about them because competitive exams like SBI PO, SBI Clerk, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, RRB, etc. often ask questions related to rivers and their banks.

Static GK- SAARC Countries

Member Country	Capital	President	Prime Minister	Currency
Afghanistan	Kabul	Mohammad Ashraf Ghani		Afghani
Bangladesh	Dhaka	Abdul Hamid	Sheikh Hasina	Taka
Bhutan	Thimpu	Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck	Tshering Tobgay	Ngultrum and Indian Rupee
India	New Delhi	Ram Nath Kovind	Narendra Modi	Indian Rupee
Maldives	Malé	Abdulla Yameen		Maldivian Rufiyaa
Nepal	Kathmandu	Bidhya Bhandari	Sher Bahadur Deuba	Nepalese Rupee
Pakistan	Islamabad	Mamnoon Hussain	Shahid Khaqan Abbasi	Pakistani Rupee
Sri Lanka	Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte	Maithripala Sirisena	Ranil Wickremesinghe	Sri Lankan Rupee

Source: Wikipedia

Important Revolutions In India: Static Awareness

Dear Readers,

We are providing you the Static GK Material that will help you learn some important static facts in a slow and steady manner. Just go through the below table because it contains all the important dams of India and you may find question related to this in the upcoming exams.

Important Revolutions in India

Wild Life & Bird Sanctuaries

Wild Life Sanctuary

Sno.	Name of the Sanctuaries	Location
1.	Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary	Assam
2.	Manas Wildlife Sanctuary	Assam
3.	Gir National Park& Wildlife Sanctuary	Gujarat
4.	Sundarbans National Park	West Bengal
5.	Periyar National Park& Wildlife Sanctuary	Kerala
6.	Kanha National Park	Madhya Pradesh
7.	Bandhavgarh National Park	Madhya Pradesh
8.	Ranthambore National Park& Wildlife Sanctuary	Rajasthan
9.	Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary	Rajasthan
10.	Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary	Rajasthan
11.	Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary	Rajasthan
12.	Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary	Odissa
13.	Nandankanan Zoo	Odissa
14.	Corbett National Park	Uttarkhand
15.	Bandipur National Park	Karnataka
16.	Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary	Kerala
17.	Mudumalai National Park& Wildlife Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
18.	Govind Wildlife Sanctuary	Uttarakhand
19.	Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary	Gujarat
20.	Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary	Kerala

List of Important Bird Sanctuaries in India: