Current Affairs October 14, 2017

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 RRB PO Mains and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

2nd Meeting of Heads of Export Credit Agencies(ECAs) of BRICS held in New Delhi
i. The 2^nd Meeting of Heads of Export Credit Agencies of BRICS (BRICS ECAs) was held at New Delhi , as part of a series of events being organised under the chairmanship of India of BRICS Forum.
ii. The meeting was part of series of events being organised under the Chairmanship of India of BRICS Forum. It was organized parallel with meetings of BRICS Trade Ministers. The meeting was hosted by ECGC Limited, a premier Export Credit Agency of India.
iii. Members of the BRICS ECAs Forum are also the members of the International Union of Export Credit and Investment Insurers, London (U.K.) which is also known as Berne Union. BRICS ECAs are actively involved in facilitating cross-border trade by supportingexport credits and foreign investments.

Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated ‘Women of India Festival 2016’ in New Delhi
i. The Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated ‘Women of India Festival 2016’ of organic products by women at Dilli Haat at INA, New Delhi..
ii. It promotes women entrepreneurs from across India. Participants from the remotest areas of the country will travel to Delhi for the entire duration of the festival and sell their unique products in the capital.
iii. This initiative is a move to benefit women entrepreneurs, and also actively promote organic food and products.The Festival will offer on sale the biggest selection of organic products ranging from food, fabrics and furniture to wellness, personal care and solar products
iv. Smt Maneka Gandhi had highlighted the importance of making a shift to organic that Organic foods had been proven to contain more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than similar foods produced with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives.
v.Organic farming relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost, and natural methods of pest control. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure. We will make a concerted effort to make this alternative a popularly used one.

Andhra Pradesh govt released Rs. 99.62 crore under AMRUT scheme
i. Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, Andhra Pradesh has released Rs.99.62 crore to AP-Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (AP-UFIDC) for the year 2016-17.
ii. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015 with the focus of the urban renewal projects is to establish infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewerage networks and water supply for urban transformation
iii. The scheme is being implemented in 33 cities and towns in the State, including Amaravati. Vijayawada, Guntur, and Visakhapatnam find a place in the list of cities set for a major upgrade of infrastructure in the coming years.
iv. Rajasthan was the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Puzzle- IBPS PO/CLERK/RBI/SBI/RRB-Pre/Mains

Directions: Study the following information to answer the given questions:

L, M, N, O, P, Q and R are sitting around a circle facing the centre. O is sitting between L and R. Q is second to the right of R and P is second to the right of Q. N is not an immediate neighbour of R.

Question 1: Which of the following is not correct?

(a) R is second to the right of L

(b) M is second to the left of N

(c) L sits exactly between O and P

(d) P and N are immediate neighbours

(e) P sits to the opposite of N

Question 2: How many persons are seated between L and Q if we count anticlockwise from L to Q?

(a) One

(b) Two

(c) Three

(d) Four

(e) More than four

Question 3: Who is to the immediate left of P?

(a) L

(b) N

(c) M

(d) O

(e) None of these

Paragraph Completion(High Level English)- IBPS PO/CLERK/SBI PO/RBI/RRB- Pre/Mains

1)       WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR BRAINS AS WE AGE

What happens to our brains as we age is of crucial importance not just to science but to public policy. By 2030, for example, 72 million people in the US will be over 65, double the figure in 2000 and their average life expectancy will likely have edged above 20 years. However, this demographic time-bomb would be much less threatening if the elderly were looked upon as intelligent contributors to society rather than as dependants in long-term decline.

A.     The idea that we get dumber as we grow older is just a myth, according to brain research that will encourage anyone old enough to know better.

B.     It is time we rethink what we mean by the ageing mind before our false assumptions result in decisions and policies that marginalize the old or waste precious public resources to re-mediate problems that do not exist.

C.     Many of the assumptions scientists currently make about ‘cognitive decline’ are seriously flawed and, for the most part, formally invalid.

D.     Using computer models to simulate young and old brains, Ramscar and his colleagues found they could account for the decline in test scores simply by factoring in experience

      

2)       THREATS TO INSURANCE INDUSTRY

The better behaviour resulting from smart devices is just one threat to the insurance industry. Conventional risk pools (for home or car insurance, for example) are shrinking as preventable accidents decline, leaving the slow-footed giants of the industry at risk. Business is instead moving to digital-native insurers, many of which are offering low premiums to those willing to collect and share their data. Yet the biggest winners could be tech companies rather than the firms that now dominate the industry. Insurance is increasingly reliant on the use of technology to change behaviour; firms act as helicopter parents to policyholders, warning of impending harm—slow down; reduce your sugar intake; call the plumber—the better to reduce unnecessary payouts.

 The growing mountain of personal data available to individuals and, crucially, to firms is giving those with the necessary processing power the ability to distinguish between low-risk and high-risk individuals.

Cheap sensors and the tsunami of data they generate can improve our lives; blackboxes in cars can tell us how to drive more carefully and wearable devices will nudge us toward healthier lifestyles.

Yet this sort of relationship relies on trust, and the Googles and Apples of the world, on which consumers rely day-by-day and hour-by-hour, may be best placed to win this business.

The uncertainty that underpins the need for insurance is now shrinking thanks to better insights into individual risks.

3)       THE DEATH PENALTY

The expenditure of time, money and sparse judicial and prosecutorial resources is often justified by claims of a powerful deterrent message embodied in the ultimate punishment- the death penalty. But studies repeatedly suggest that there is no meaningful deterrent effect associated with the death penalty and further, any deterrent impact is no doubt greatly diluted by the amount of time that inevitably passes between the time of the conduct and the punishment. In 2010, the average time between sentencing and execution in the United States averaged nearly 15 years. 

A.      A single federal death penalty case in Philadelphia was found to cost upwards of $10 million — eight times higher than the cost of trying a death eligible case where prosecutors seek only life imprisonment.

B.      The ethics of the issue aside, it is questionable whether seeking the death penalty is ever worth the time and resources that it takes to sentence someone to death.

C.      Apart from delaying justice, the death penalty diverts resources that could be used to help the victims’ families heal.

D.      A much more effective deterrent would be a sentence of life imprisonment imposed close in time to the crime.

4)       A POOR MONSOON

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has come out with the dismaying prediction that the southwest monsoon this year will be below normal. If this prognosis holds true, it may mar the prospects of redeeming the rabi crop output losses through bumper harvests in the later kharif season. India's farm sector has certainly acquired a degree of resilience when it comes to the monsoon - as reflected in the positive growth numbers in all the weak monsoon years since 2009. However, monsoon rainfall and its distribution still remain crucial. 

A.      They impact supplies and prices of most farm commodities, especially coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruit and livestock products, as well as the rural sector demand for consumer goods.

B.      A poor monsoon and subsequent food inflation might well throw off the Reserve Bank of India's schedule for rate cuts.

C.      Nevertheless, the first stage monsoon forecast of the IMD should normally be taken with a pinch of salt, as the weather agency's accuracy record on this count is none too inspiring.

D.      The monsoon’s behavior this year seems to bear out the notion that climate change is affecting the Indian monsoon and altering its rainfall calendar.

New Pattern DI- IBPS PO/CLERK/SBI/RRB-Pre/Mains

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-4) Refer to the following line graph which represents the rainfall in- inches during the months of January through July in a particular year in a certain city

In each of these questions, two quantities are given, one in Column A and one in Column B. Compare the two quantities.
Mark answer as
(a) If the two quantities are equal
(b) If the quantity in column B is greater
(c) If the quantity in column A is greater
(d) If the relationship cannot be determined from the information given

	Column A	Column B
1	The ratio of rainfall in the months of February and July	2 : 3
2	The average monthly Rainfall recorded for the 7 months	1.9 inches
3	25/2% of all the rain that fell during the 7 months period	The amount of rainfall during the month of February
4	The ratio between the rainfall in May and January	The ratio between the rainfall in April and FebruaryAnswers and Explanations

Answer 1: (c)

Month	Rainfall
January	0.4
February	1.4
March	2.2
April	2.8
May	2.4
June	1.4
July	2.0
Total	12.6

The ratio of rainfall in Feb : July = 1.4/2.0= 0.7:1 . The value of Column B is 2:3 = 0.67 : 1 . Since the value in column A is more than B, the correct option is (c)

Answer 2: (b)

Month	Rainfall
January	0.4
February	1.4
March	2.2
April	2.8
May	2.4
June	1.4
July	2.0
Total	12.6

Quant for IBPS PO/CLERK/RRB/SBI/SO-PRE/MAINS

Directions (Q. 1–5): In each of these questions, two equations numbered I and II with variables x and y are given. You have to solve both the equations to find the value of x and y. Give answer

(a) if x > y 

(b) if x >= y 

(c) if x <y

(d) if x <= y 

(e) if x = y or relationship between x and y cannot be determined.

Q1.  I. 5x² – 8x + 3 = 0

II. 3y² + 5y – 2 = 0

Q2. I. x⁸ – (3 * 8)^17/2/√x = 0

II. 11/√y + 18/√y = √y

Q3. I. √169 x²– 2197 = 0

II. √ (484) y + 132 = 0

Q4. I. (625)^(1/4) x + √ (1225) = 155

II. 225y² + 18 = 279

Q5. I. x² – 7x + 12 = 0

II. y² – 9y + 20 = 0

Directions(6-10): What value should come in the place of question mark (?) in the following number series?

Current Affairs October 13, 2017

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 RRB PO Mains and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Bihar Cabinet approves reservation for ‘Divyangs’ in Govt Jobs
On Oct 11^th 2017 , The Bihar state cabinet has approved reservations for persons with disabilities in government jobs and educational institutions.The approval was given during a meeting presided by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Cabinet Secretariat Department Special Secretary Upendra Nath Pandey.
i. This provision was made in accordance with the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
ii. The cabinet also approved the establishment of a state advisory board for the empowerment of ‘Divyangjan’ as envisaged in the Act.
Board members
Secretaries of various departments, Representatives from districts, 2 members from the state legislative Assembly and 1 member from the state legislative Council
Other Points
♦  The cabinet also decided to pay allowances to the state government employees as per the revised rates. The decision will be confirmed after a week from Diwali festival.
♦ Emoluments like family planning allowance and special pay for secretariat employees, except those involved in engineering and research activities, have been scrapped.

Kolkata to host international puppet festival
On 26^th – 31^st October 2017, Kolkata is to host an international Puppet festival named ‘PUN (Puppets Unite Neighbours) International Puppet Festival’ at Mohorkunj, Kolkata.PUN International Puppet Festival:
i. West Bengal principal secretary Tourism and Home Affairs Atri Bhattacharya would inaugurate the International puppet festival. The festival will be conducted for 6 days.
ii. Artists from the UK, Germany, Peru, Portugal, Italy, Lithuania, Brazil, Singapore and India would participate in the festival.
iii. This is the first time Kolkata would host such a festival. The puppet festival is aimed at regenerating the emotions attached to puppetry.
iv. This event is organized by RGV Events and Gems Akademia. They have been carrying out the preparations since 6 months for this festival.
About Puppetry:
♦ Puppetry – a form of performance that involves the manipulation of puppets
♦ World Puppetry Day – 21 March

Committee formed to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150^th birth anniversary
On 12^th October 2017, the Ministry of Culture announced that, a government committee has been formed to coordinate year-long celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150^th birth anniversary from 2^nd October, 2019.
Committee to coordinate Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary celebrations:
i. The government committee will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The committee includes the chief ministers of all the states, representatives from political sector, Gandhians, thinkers, and important persons from different fields.
ii. The Committee will guide and approve policies, programmes, activities for the celebrations. It will also supervise implementation of the decisions taken by the committee.
iii. The event would be celebrated at both national and international levels. The focus would be, to propagate the message of Mahatma Gandhi.
About Ministry of Culture:
♦ Minister of State (Independent Charge) – Mahesh Sharma
♦ Purpose – preservation and promotion of art and culture

Department of Post launches Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana
On 13^th October 2017, the Minister for Communications Manoj Sinha launched the Sampoorna Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana and an initiative for expansion of clientele base of Postal Life Insurance (PLI).SBG Plan & for expansion of clientele base of PLI:
i. Under Sampoorna Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana, at least one village (having a minimum of 100 households) will be identified in each of the revenue districts India.
ii. All households of that identified village will be covered with a minimum of one RPLI (Rural Postal Life Insurance) policy each. 
iii. Under the expansion of clientele base of PLI, benefits of PLI will not be confined to Government and semi-Government employees anymore.
iv. It will also be available to Doctors, Engineers, Management Consultants, Charted Accountants, Architects, Lawyers, Bankers, employees of listed companies.
About Department of Posts:
♦ Services – Letter post, parcel service, EMS, delivery, freight forwarding, third-party logistics, deposit account
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi

Computer Awareness IBPS PO/CLERK/SBI/ RBI- Pre/Mains

MS Word, MS PowerPoint and MS Excel are the most used and most popular applications of the Microsoft Office Application Suit. If you are preparing for the computer awareness section for various bank recruitment exams you must be well aware of various terms and short cut key combinations of these 3 applications specifically.

MS Office is essentially suite of products developed by Microsoft Corporation that includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Each program serves a different purpose and is compatible with other programs included in the package. The suite of programs is compatible with both the Windows and Macintosh operating system.

Microsoft Office 2016 is the latest version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite, succeeding both Office 2013 and Office for Mac 2011. Office 2016 is available in 5 different editions. Following are the applications with Office 2016 (the applications provided vary with different edition subscriptions):

• Microsoft Word: Helps users in creating text documents.
• Microsoft Excel: Creates simple to complex data/numerical spread sheets.
• Microsoft PowerPoint: Stand-alone application for creating professional multimedia presentations.
• Microsoft Access: Database management application.
• Microsoft Publisher: Introductory application for creating and publishing marketing materials.
• Microsoft OneNote: Alternate to a paper notebook, it enables a user to neatly organize their notes.