SH- Current Affairs Update February, 2018

1^st February 2018

2^nd February 2018

3^rd February 2018

4^th February 2018

5^th February 2018

6^th February 2018

Static GK Awareness- SSC/SBI Clerk/Railways

BOUNDARIES BETWEEN COUNTRIES

1. Line of Actual Control: India & China on the Northern Border
2. Line of Control: India and Pakistan
3. Durand Line: Afghanistan and Pakistan
4. Radcliffe Line: India and Pakistan (its includes Bangladesh Line)
5. Blue Line: Israel & Lebanon
6. Purple Line: Israel and Syria
7. Green Line: Israel and its neighbours
8. (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria)
9. Mason-Dixon Line: Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware in Colonia America
10. Curzon Line: Poland & Russia
11. Military Demarcation Line (MDL) or
12. Armistice Line: North Korea and South Korea
13. McMohan Line:Northe east India &Tibet
14. Maginot Line:France& Germany
15. Mannerheim line: Russia & Finland
16. Order Neisse Line: Germany & Poland
17. (aftermath of World War II)

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.

Reasoning Quiz for IBPS/SSC/RBI/SBI/RAILWAYS

NEW PATTERN CODING DECODING

Directions : In a certain code language,

‘weapons hidden in town’ is written as ‘14white’ ‘23black’ ‘14yellow’ ‘23red’

‘ready weapons for attack’ is written as ‘18grey’ ‘20indigo’ ‘23red’ ‘25green’

‘hidden for own safety’ is written as ‘25silver’ ‘18grey’ 23violet’ ‘14white’

‘own town under attack’ is written as ‘23violet’ 21blue’ ‘20indigo’ ‘23black’

1) What is the code for “ready”?

a) 21red

b) 23indigo

c) 25green

d) 18grey

e) Cannot be determined

2) ‘23black’ ‘20pink’ ‘14yellow’ may be a code for which of the following?

a) town under attack

b) hidden for safety

c) attack in town

d) town in almost

e) Cannot be determined

3) Which of the following may represent “people own luxury”?

a) 16brown, 25orange, 23violet

b) 20indigo, 23violet, 25brown

c) 14white, 16brown, 23violet

d) Can’t be determined

e) None of these

4) What is the code for “all hidden weapons”?

a) 14white, 23red, 18 grey

b) 23red, 23violet, 25green

c) 20indigo, 14white, 23black

d) Can’t be determined

e) None of these

5) What is the code for “under”?

a) 23blue

b) 25indigo

c) 22 blue

d) 24black

e) 21blue

Watch NASA stream of the incredibly rare super blue blood moon and lunar eclipse: Live from Nasa

Watch NASA stream of the incredibly rare super blue blood moon and lunar eclipse

SH- Current Affairs Update 29th, 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

Economic Survey 2018:

FM Jaitley tables Economic Survey in Parliament.

Economic Survey sees FY19 GDP growing 7-7.5% vs 6.75% in FY18.

India and Cambodia Ink 4 Agreements:

India and Cambodia signed four agreements in the field of cultural exchange, an exchange line of credit of $26.9 million, memorandum of understanding to cooperate in legal matter and an agreement on prevention of human trafficking.

The documents were exchanged in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Cambodian PM Hun Sen following delegation-level talks between the two countries. New Delhi has agreed to set up a centre of IT excellence in Cambodia.

Important: Cambodian Capital- Phnom Penh

Currency- Cambodian riel.

Himachal CM Launches 'Shakti' App for Women's Safety:

The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur launched the ‘Shakti’ app for women’s safety in the state. The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) of the Himachal Pradesh government.

It would be available in both Hindi and English languages and would not require internet connectivity. The main objective of the launch of the app and the helpline is to fight crimes against women in the state.

Important:

Himachal Pradesh Governor-: Acharya Dev Vrat

SH- Current Affairs Update 28th, Jan 2018

Dear Aspirants, 

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Maharashtra to grade performance of its 7.5 lakh govt employees:

Maharashtra State Government’s General administration department under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has proposed a Performance-linked marking system for 7.5 lakh state government employees.

Overview of Maharashtra Government’s Performance-linked marking system for state government employees:

• The new 100-point performance marking system, will take into account subjective as well as objective evaluation of an employee’s performance during the year.
• Out of the 100 marks, 60 marks will be assigned for performance on objective parameters, such as speed of completing the given work, punctuality, attentiveness etc, while the remaining 40 marks will be given for subjective parameters such as quality of file notings, contribution in policy making, articulation of thought etc.
• Although the new system will not disincentivise the average or the poor performers, it has proposed public recognition and rewards for good performers (referred to as ‘Sukarmis’). Rewards may include cash rewards or additional perks.
• All state level and district level government offices will be asked to identify 5 per cent employees across cadres as the top performers.

Quick Facts about Maharashtra: 

• Capital – Mumbai (summer), Nagpur (winter)
• Current Governor – C. Vidyasagar Rao
• Current Chief Minister – Devendra Fadnavis
• Important National Park – Sanjay Gandhi National Park

President Ram Nath Kovind launches Pulse Polio programme for 2018:

On January 27, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Pulse Polio programme for 2018 from Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, by administering polio drops to children below five years.

About Pulse Polio programme for 2018:

• President Kovind administered the drops on eve of National Immunisation Day, which was observed on Jaunuary 29, 2018. 
• Union Health Minister, J P Nadda, Ministers of State (Health) Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Ms. Anupriya Patel were also present at the occasion.
• Under Pulse Polio Programme for 2018, over 17 crore children below five years across India will be given polio drops.

Assam to introduce digital budget:

The Assam Assembly is to introduce digital budget in its upcoming session, instead of the conventional printed booklet.