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- This is the first time that an Indian company has taken the top spot in the highly competitive smartphone segment Explanation
- TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE
- Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and North Central Railway (NCR) Explanation
- The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Explanation
- Sri Ramachandra University Sports Medicine Centre (Chennai) Explanation
- Gwalior Explanation
- State Bank of India (SBI) Explanation
- Break-up of Capital Infusion Name of Bank
- Rs. 2,160 crore Explanation
- Bengaluru, Chennai and Surat Explanation
- 1,195 Explanation
- Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia Explanation
- Chokari Explanation
- Sikkim Explanation
- Krishna Nagar and Sadar Bazar Explanation
- Vijender Gupta, Jagdish Pradhan and Om Prakash Sharma Explanation
Explanation: This UNCTAD report released on 29 January 2015 disclosed that during 2014 total foreign direct investments (FDI) or investment by foreign firms in China stood at $128 billion while the same for the U.S. stood at $86 billion. Hong Kong stood second in this list with FDI worth $111 billion. The U.S. was occupying the top position since 2003. Other countries among top 10 in this list include Singapore ($81 billion), Brazil ($62 billion), UK ($61 billion), Canada ($53 billion), Australia ($49 billion), the Netherlands ($42 billion) and Luxembourg ($36 billion). 
6) According to the latest data disclosed by market research firm Canalys, Budget smartphone maker Micromax overtook Korean behemoth Samsung to become the largest smartphone seller in the Indian market. The data pertaining to fourth quarter of 2014 suggest that Micromax’s share stood at 22% to Samsung’s 20% in the smartphone segment. What is the significance of this data? – This is the first time that an Indian company has taken the top spot in the highly competitive smartphone segment Explanation: The Canalys report released on 3 February 2015 disclosed that 21.6 million smartphones were sold in India in the October-December quarter, which is an astonishing 90% increase since last year. Micromax’s market stood at 22% while the leader till now Samsung stood at 20%. Micromax and Samsung were followed by two other Indian budget smartphone brands, Karbonn and Lava. However, Samsung rejected this report and claimed that it still occupies the No.1 spot in smartphone segment in the country. India, which has the world’s second-highest number of mobile phone accounts after China, is the third-biggest market by number of smartphones sold. Low-priced smartphones are the top sellers as many buyers are upgrading from feature phones. TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE 06/02/2015 
TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE 07/02/2015 TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE 08/02/2015 1) Indian Railways concluded its first-ever bilateral power procurement agreement on 5 February 2015 under which it will be able to purchase power directly from supplier so as to reduce procurement costs. This agreement was signed between which two entities? – Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and North Central Railway (NCR) Explanation: Under the agreement, Railways will buy 50 MW of power from DVC at Auraiya Grid Sub-station in UP. For this Railways Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), a joint venture of Indian Railways and RITES, has been established. This is the beginning of the series of energy cost reduction measures being taken up by Railways. Railways is the biggest consumer of the electricity, consuming about 18 billion units per year with peak requirement of about 4000 MW. It is working to go for more such contracts at key load centers in the coming days which will enable it to generate significant savings in its traction electricity bills. 
2) 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) concluded on 7 February 2015 at Delhi. This annual event has gradually emerged as one of the most important events on issues related to global sustainability. Which entity organizes this summit every year? – The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Explanation: TERI has been organizing DSDS every year since 2001. 15th edition of the event was held from 5 to 7 February 2015 and the theme for this year was “Sustainable Development Goals and Dealing with Climate Change”. DSDS is basically an international platform to facilitate the exchange of knowledge on all aspects of sustainable development. The event brings together various Heads of State and Government, thought leaders, policy-makers and the top industry leaders to deliberate on varied issues pertaining to environmental issues and global sustainability. Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, former President of Maldives, Nobel Laureate Dr José Ramos-Horta and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Founding Chairman Regions of Climate Action (R20) were important participants this year.
3) In a big relief to Pakistani camp just before World Cup, its star off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s bowling action was cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on 7 February 2015 and he can now resume his international cricket career. This clearance was given after Ajmal went through a bowling action test at an ICC-accredited bio-mechanical analysis facility in India during January 2015. What is the name of this facility, which is the only such facility in the Indian sub-continent? – Sri Ramachandra University Sports Medicine Centre (Chennai) Explanation: Sri Ramachandra University Sports Medicine Centre is situated in the Sri Ramachandra University Complex in Chennai. It is the only ICC-accredited bio-mechanical laboratory in the whole of Indian sub-continent. Saeed Ajmal was suspended from bowling in international cricket during September 2014 for illegal bowling action. He failed the first test conducted in Brisbane (Australia) last year and then underwent a retest at the Sri Ramachandra University facility on 24 January 2015. It was found that his bowling actions for all of his deliveries were within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC rules and he was given the clearance accordingly.
4) The 10th edition of India-Mongolia Joint Military Training Exercise concluded on 6 February 2015. The 15-day long exercise saw the participation of Indian and Mongolian armies. This exercise was held at which place? – Gwalior Explanation: Gwalior Military Cantonment was the site for 10th India-Mongolia Joint Military Training Exercise. The joint exercise mainly featured mutual interoperability for counter terrorism and insurgency assignments under the United Nations (UN) mandate. The exercise started on 23 January and concluded on 6 February 2015. 5) Who was selected as the youngest President of the Greek Parliament on 6 February 2015? – Zoe Konstantopoulou Explanation: Zoe Konstantopoulou is a member of the ruling Syriza party which recently came to power after a dramatic win in parliamentary elections. She received record 235 votes from a total of 300 parliamentary deputies, which is the highest number of votes any Parliamentary President has received after the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974. Konstantopoulou will be the second woman to preside over the Greek House after Anna Psarouda-Benaki in 2004.
6) Who took over as the new Director-General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) on 5 February 2015? – Dr. M.O. Garg Explanation: Dr. M.O. Garg is a chemical engineer and he was the Director of the Dehradun-based CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CISR-IIP). He replaced Dr. P.S. Ahuja, who held this post since May 2014. Established in 1942, CSIR has over 4,500 scientists working across 38 laboratories and employs over 9000 scientific and technical personnel. The research bodies under CSIR cover science and technology focus areas ranging from aeronautics, instrumentation, mining, environmental engineering and to oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics and biotechnology.
TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE 09/02/2015 1) The first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog was held in New Delhi on 8 February 2015. The meeting was presided by NITI Aayog’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He used to the term “Team India” in this meeting for describing a combination of three vital teams in the structure of NITI Aayog. This term ‘Team India” stands for which three constituents? – a) The Prime Minister and Chief Ministers b) The Union Council of Ministers and c) The bureaucracy at the Centre and in States Explanation: The term “Team India” thus stands for the Centre and the States. In this first meeting of NITI Aayog’s Governing Council, the Prime Minister reiterated that States and the Centre, or “Team India”, must work to forge a model of cooperative federalism for resolving differences and charting a common course to progress and prosperity. He said “Team India” must work to forge a model of cooperative federalism.
2) The Finance Ministry on 7 February 2015 announced that it will soon provide capital infusion worth Rs. 6,990 crore to nine public sector banks. This infusion will be made from the Rs. 11,200-crore provided for in this year’s budget for capitalisation of banks. Which bank would get highest capital infusion? – State Bank of India (SBI) Explanation: SBI would get capital infusion amounting to Rs. 2,970 crore, followed by Bank of Baroda (Rs. 1,260 crore) and Punjab National Bank (Rs. 870 crore). For this year’s allocation, a new criterion has been adopted by the Government. Only banks that are more efficient would be rewarded with extra capital for their equity so that they can further strengthen their position. The methodology for arriving at the amount to be infused into these banks has been based on efficiency parameters. First, the weighted average of return on assets (ROA) for all public sector banks, for the last three years put together, was arrived at and all those who were above the average were considered. The second parameter that has been used is return on equity (ROE) for these banks for the last financial year. Break-up of Capital Infusion Name of Bank Amount (in Rs. Crore) SBI 2,970 Bank of Baroda 1,260 Punjab National Bank 870 Canara Bank 570 Syndicate Bank 460 Allahabad Bank 320 Indian Bank 280 Dena Bank 140 Andhra Bank 120
3) Union Government on 8 February 2015 gave clarification on the nuclear deal signed with the United States and spelled out the maximum compensation that nuclear suppliers will have to pay in case of a mishap. What is this maximum compensation in Indian currency? – Rs. 2,160 crore Explanation: The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010 (CLND) presently prescribes that the maximum amount of liability in respect of each nuclear incident shall be the rupee equivalent of 300 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). As the current value of 1 SDR is about Rs. 87, three hundred million SDRs are equivalent to about Rs. 2,610 crore. On the other hand the operator’s maximum liability shall be Rs. 1,500 crore. In case the total liability exceeds Rs. 1,500 crore, this gap of Rs. 1,110 crore will be bridged by the Central Government. Beyond Rs. 2,610 crore, India will be able to access international funds under the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) once it is a party to that Convention. The CSC was set up to establish a worldwide liability regime and to increase the amount of compensation available to victims of nuclear accidents. 4) ‘Fire Volcano’, which started erupting on 8 February 2015, is situated in which Latin American country? – Guatemala Explanation: The volcano is near the Pacific Ocean coast about 60 miles from the capital, Guatemala City. ‘Fire Volcano’ is the so-called name of the volcano and it is known locally as Fuego Volcan. It started erupting on 7 February and spewed ashes to an altitude reaching 5,500 meters (18,000 feet) above sea level. The smoke and ash forced Guatemala’s La Aurora International Airport to stop all air traffic around the area. It is one of Central America’s most active volcanoes and has an elevation of 12,343 feet. The last eruption of this volcano took place on 13 September 2012.
5) Three Indian cities recently made into the 67 cities chosen worldwide for the 100 Resilient Cities project, run by the New York-based non-profit organisation Rockefeller Foundation. Which are these 3 cities? – Bengaluru, Chennai and Surat Explanation: “The 100 Resilient Cities Project” is aimed at helping cities organise themselves around their key challenges and helping them access resources or best practices efficiently to meet those challenges. It will give guidance on decision-making and funds to recruit the chief resilience officer (CRO). Other than that, support would be in the form of tools, people and the network. Bottom of Form
TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE 10/02/2015 1) Union Govt. on 9 February 2015 came up with a new forecast of annual economic growth that makes India the fastest growing major economy in the world. This became possible as the system of measuring economic activities was changed recently. What is the new growth forecast for year ending 2014-15 according to this? – 7.4% Explanation: The new estimate is sharply higher than the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) growth projection of around 5.5% under the old method as well as a revised 6.9% growth a year earlier. Under the new method, the economy grew 7.5% in the quarter ending in December 2014, outpacing China’s 7.3% growth in the latest quarter and making India the fastest growing major economy in the world. The apparent recovery is, however, in large measure due to changes both in the way authorities calculate gross domestic product (GDP) and the base year. India now measures GDP by market prices instead of factor cost, to take into account gross value addition in goods and services as well as indirect taxes. The base year has been shifted to 2011-12 from 2004-05. The reading, however, is at odds with other indicators such as industrial production and trade data, which suggest the economy is still suffering from slack.
2) English daily “The Indian Express” on 9 February 2015 revealed the names of some more account holders who allegedly have black money at HSBC Bank in Geneva. Later Union Government also accepted the fact and said that it too have this additional information. According to this information how many Indians have such accounts in this bank? –1,195 Explanation: So far, there were about 600 Indians who were believed to have accounts at HSBC. Their names were shared in 2011 with India by France after an HSBC employee leaked the data. But the list has now doubled to 1,195 Indians with a collective holding of over 25,000 crores, according to new information accessed “The Indian Express”. The original list of 600 Indians was based on information for the period 1999-2000. The new list is compiled with far more recent data from 2006-2007. The government’s operation to recover black money, ordered by the Supreme Court in 2009, is being monitored by a team of experts who form a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
3) In an ambitious project, China on 9 February 2015 launched its first cruise-liner that will sail via the transcontinental initiative Maritime Silk Road (MSR). MSR project is an initiative by China to resurrect the ancient maritime Silk Road. The said cruise-liner will pass through which three Southeast Asian countries? – Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia Explanation: The MSR project is an initiative of President Xi Jinping to string together partnerships with countries in the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean, including India. The maritime route entails building or expanding ports and industrial parks in Asia, the Mideast, Africa and Europe. The cruise liner set off from the Beihai port in southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and has scheduled stops in Vietnam, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia. Xi first proposed the rejuvenation of the MSR and revival of ancient Silk Road connecting China and Europe via central Asia in 2013. Since then the ‘One Belt’ and ‘One Road’ projects which included Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM), and Pakistan-China Economic Corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have become a buzz word in China’s diplomacy.
4) The Gujarat government is planning to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) at the state’s largest education hub spread over 1,000 acres of land at a village in Vadodara district. According to the plan, this village’s backyard will host a central university, a teacher’s university, a sports university and IIIT, to be known as a “special education-cum-sports zone“. What is the name of this village? – Chokari Explanation: Chokari village is situated in Padra taluka of Vadodara district. The village has a population of around 14,000 including farmers. They depend on cotton and vegetable farming. The setting up of a SPV authority aims at development of civic and other amenities in the village. A number of factories producing chemicals including pharmaceutical majors such as Sterling Biotech, Sun Pharma and Alembic Pharma are located in and around Chokari. The education hub at Chokari trains local populace to land technical jobs in these entities.
5) What are the names of the two Indians who won the prestigious Grammy Awards, the 57th edition of which was announced on 8 February 2015? – Neela Vasvani and Ricky Kej Explanation: Neela Vasvani won the trophy in the Best Children’s Album category for “I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai)”. She had narrated the audio version of the book. On the other hand Ricky Kej’s collaboration in the album “Winds Of Samsara” won the Best New Age Album trophy. He had teamed up with South African musician Wouter Kellerman for the album, which symbolises peace and harmony. However, sitarist and daughter of the late sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, Anoushka, who was nominated for her album ‘Traces of You’ in the Best World Music Album category lost out to Angelique Kidjo’s album Eve. 57th Grammy Awards were announced at a glittering function held at Staples Centre in Los Angeles (California) on 8 February. Beck Hansen’s album “Morning Phase” won the Best Album of the Year Award while the song “Stay With Me” featuring James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith won Best Song of the Year Award and Best Record of the Year Award.
TODAY’S NEWS FOR FUTURE 11/02/2015 1) Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept to power in Delhi on 10 February 2015 by winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats that went to polls on 7 February. Its main opponent BJP was reduced to just 3 seats while Congress was decimated to zero. The unprecedented result of this election is the second biggest sweep in Assembly elections in India. Which state has seen a bigger sweep than this sweep by AAP? – Sikkim Explanation: The small state of Sikkim saw India’s two most comprehensive electoral wins ever. The Nar Bahadur Bhandari-led Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP), and the incumbent five-time Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling’s Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) have both won all 32 seats in one election each. In terms of vote share, however, the AAP is a bit further along the honour scroll, coming in at 13th in the all-time list, with Sikkim parties on the top of the list again. However, AAP’s win was the biggest in Delhi’s history.
2) What was the total vote share of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in this historic and mammoth Assembly win? – 54.3% Explanation: The AAP won 54.3% of the popular votes while BJP got 32.2% and the Congress 9.7%. AAP thus more than doubled the number of votes it polled just a year-and-a -half ago, going from 23 lakh votes to nearly 49 lakh votes. This means that it added nearly as many votes – 25 lakh votes – as the BJP’s entire vote in the last election. On the other hand BJP lost only a fraction of a percentage point of its vote share, and in fact added 2.87 lakh new votes. But in the face of a wave the size of the AAP’s, this was only enough to push it past the line in three constituencies. Congress’s vote share of 9.7% was its worst performance in Delhi which it ruled from 1998 to 2013. What was more shocking for Congress was that its candidates came second in just four seats and 62 of the 70 lost their deposits.
3) AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal won from the New Delhi constituency with a margin of over 31 thousand votes in Delhi Assembly elections. However his main opponent Kiran Bedi of BJP and Congress’ stalwart Ajay Maken received shock defeats. Bedi and Maken lost from which seats respectively? – Krishna Nagar and Sadar Bazar Explanation: Arvind Kejriwal won from New Delhi constituency with a margin of 31,583 votes. He defeated BJP’s new entrant Nupur Sharma. Kiran Bedi was defeated by AAP’s SK Bagga (Advocate) from BJP’s strongest and traditional seat of Krishna Nagar by 2,277 votes. Congress’s Ajay Maken was decimated to third place in Sadar Bazar constituency with AAP’s Som Dutt winning the seat by over 34 thousand votes.
4) Delhi‘s opposition in the Assembly was reduced to just three members as AAP won 67 of the 70 seats. Who are the three BJP leaders who made it to the Assembly despite the huge AAP wave across the city? – Vijender Gupta, Jagdish Pradhan and Om Prakash Sharma Explanation: Senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta won from Rohini, Jagdish Pradhan from Mustafabad and Om Prakash Sharma from Vishwas Nagar. Any party needs at least 10% of the house strength to qualify for Leader of Opposition. The BJP has not even won seven seats, which means, there will be no opposition party in the assembly and no Leader of Opposition. AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, however, said the party would give the BJP Leader of Opposition status even if it won less than seven seats.
5) Nepal constituted two commissions on 10 February 2015 to look into allegations of human rights abuses and disappearances during the country’s decade-long civil war. This civil war between state forces and the Maoist rebels ended in which year with a peace agreement? – 2006 Directory: admin -> uploads admin -> Hurricanes are getting fiercer admin -> Ieee/iee electronic Library (iel) admin -> Project Title: Research and Development for goes-r risk Reduction Principal Investigator admin -> General information admin -> Annual Safety and Security Report uploads -> Иностранный язык (английский) Задания для контрольных работ по направлению «Юриспруденция» uploads -> Free magazine of wholesale merchandise uploads -> Civil aviation directorate uploads -> Greater Ocean City Theatre Company 2014 donation campaign Download 235.04 Kb. Share with your friends:
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