General Awareness Test (August - 15) - Set 2

ANSWER: Delhi Police

Explanation:
The Delhi Police received the first lot of five Tasers – Taser X2 priced at Rs. 1 lakh each on 4th Aug’15. When fired, this non-lethal weapon releases electro-magnetic pulse that will paralyze the central nervous system of the suspect, leaving the person in a foetal position on the ground for almost 15 seconds.

ANSWER: Kashinath Singh

Explanation:
The award is given by UP Hindi Sansthan every year. It carries a cash prize of 5 lakh rupees. He is best known for his most famous novel Kashi ka Assi, which captures the vibrant hues of Banaras.

ANSWER: Frisbee

Explanation:
The recognition was granted at IOC’s session as Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

ANSWER: 193

Explanation:
With this agreement, the document called "Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" will be adopted at a UN summit just before the annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly in September 2015.

ANSWER: 10th Aug

Explanation:
On World Bio Fuel Day, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the four retail outlets of bio fuel blended diesel. Of them, one is in Delhi and other three are in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Haldiya.

ANSWER: Mozambique

Explanation:
Mozambique is a large and proximate source of natural gas, coal and other minerals to meet India’s energy security. India and Mozambique share a history of profitable trade relations. Both nations' bilateral trade in 2014-15 values at 2.4 billion dollars. Trade between the two countries has multiplied five times in the last five years.

ANSWER: China

Explanation:
The online police will be responsible for openly inspecting the operation of websites and enforcing laws governing online activities. The Online Police stations were announced in the backdrop of reports that the US, which has been accusing China of hacking the key data of the top commercial firms, is considering retaliatory measures against China.

ANSWER: Syed Mohammad Tayyeb Agha

Explanation:
In a statement released to the media, Tayyab Agha said there were historic mistakes made in keeping Mullah Omar’s death secret for nearly two years and in picking his successors outside of Afghanistan. Agha’s claim gives credence to the widespread perception that the Taliban’s new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, was selected with the backing of Pakistan. He said the new Taliban leader should have been elected from the Taliban fighters and in the bunkers.

ANSWER: Karnataka

Explanation:
Hence 10 days campaign is kicked off in all the districts to counsel farmers against suicide using audio visual medium and social media. Chief Minister and his council of ministers are visiting villages where farmers committed suicides. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is visiting families of farmers who committed suicide in Gadag and Dharwad districts on 5th Aug’15.

ANSWER: Kerala

Explanation:
UNICEF has made this assessment, based on the remarkable strides Kerala has made in the field of education, health and hygiene, sanitation, cleanliness and safe drinking water supply.

ANSWER: Indian Labor Organisation

Explanation:
This is the second phase of the signing of Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) Global Programme, wherein national institutes provide training to MSMEs. In line with the objective of SCORE, ILO is entrusted with building capacity of FICCI in three phases to enable the industry body to effectively coordinate and manage SCORE training services.

ANSWER: Natalia Molachanova

Explanation:
She is presumed dead. The family said it was feared she got into difficulties in the strong underwater current. Natalia, widely regarded as the greatest free diver in history, who holds 41 world records could halt a breath for nine minutes.

ANSWER: 6th August’15

Explanation:
An American B-29 bomber named Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb, dubbed "Little Boy", on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, in one of the final chapters of World War II.

ANSWER: Mathematician

Explanation:
He has been recognised for outstanding contributions in the area of algebraic K-theory, algebraic cycles and the theory of motives. The prize is awarded jointly by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and the International Mathematical Union (IMU) to a person under 45 working in a developing country.

ANSWER: Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

Explanation:
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, also known as Tirupati Balaji, is considered to be one of India's richest temple and receives crores of rupees, precious metals and stock certificates in donations every year. The temple, as of August 2014, had around 5,000kg of gold deposited with various banks in India.

ANSWER: On this day, the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905

Explanation:
The date 7th of August has been chosen due to its special significance in India`s history. On this day, the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes.

ANSWER: Egypt

Explanation:
The project being carried out at a cost of 8.5 billion dollars extension of the waterway is funded entirely by Egypt without foreign aid. The extension involved digging and dredging along 72 kilometers of the 193 kilometer canal, making a parallel waterway at its middle that will facilitate two way traffic accommodating the world's largest ships.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
NASA further said a lack of funding for development of private vessels by US companies Boeing and Space-X over the last five years has left NASA with no other option. As a result, the US will pay for use of space vessels belonging to the Roscosmos-Russian Space Agency.

ANSWER: Museums as Civic Spaces

Explanation:
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an International Conference on ‘Inclusive Museums’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 6th Aug’15.

ANSWER: 157

Explanation:
The 53-member Indian Police team has returned with a record-breaking haul of 157 medals including 88 Gold, 49 Silver and 20 Bronze medals. The tally of 157 medals is the biggest harvest of medals and at these prestigious Games has broken the record of 2013 World Police & Fire Games held at Belfast (Northern Ireland) wherefrom Indian Police team had come back with 48 Gold, 22 Silver and 13 Bronze medals (total 83 medals).

ANSWER: BSNL

Explanation:
This will help BSNL to realign its structure in the highly competitive telecom sector. It will also help the public sector company to unlock its tower assets and improve its financial position.

ANSWER: Airtel

Explanation:
On 6th Aug’15 Bharti Airtel launched pan-India 4G high-speed data services in 296 towns across India and it will be available to customers through 4G-enabled mobile phones, internet dongles and Wi-Fi routers.

ANSWER: Robert Downey Jr.

Explanation:
Robert Downey Jr. topped the list for the third year in a row with earnings of 80 million US dollars. Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan stood at seventh position with earnings of 33.5 Million US dollar.

ANSWER: Enable Cheque collections on Electronic Mode

Explanation:
The proposed law seeks to amend the Negotiable Instruments Act of 1881 in tune with the modern day requirements for enabling electronic mode of operations. Nearly 40 thousand cheque bouncing cases are pending with High Courts and about 19 lakh cases in lower courts across the country.

ANSWER: 5000 Crore

Explanation:
The Employment Provident Fund Organisation - EPFO will invest around Rs 5,000 crore this fiscal through SBI Mutual Fund's two index linked ETFs, one to the BSE's Sensex and the other to NSE's Nifty. The decision comes after the labour ministry allowed EPFO to invest 5 to 15 % of its incremental corpus in equities through ETFs. Asked why EPFO was starting off with just 5% of the corpus when it has the mandate for 15%, EPFO Commissioner K.K. Jalan said that the organisation had decided to go slow. Adding that investing through ETF route reduces risk, Mr. Jalan said fund allocation could increase to as much as Rs 70 billion to Rs 80 billion next year and that the organisation will also consider investing in other ETFs. Currently, EPFO has 8.5 trillion rupees under management, most of it invested in government bonds.

ANSWER: Nayi Manzil

Explanation:
The idea behind the new scheme is to help the students assimilate with their mainstream counterparts. Muslim clergies and academicians have welcomed the move. According to Government estimates, there are at least three lakh madrasas across the country. With an average of 100 students passing out of each madrasa every year, there are at least three crore new passouts.

ANSWER: Ram Nath Kovind

Explanation:
He is the senior BJP leader. Mr Kovind, who had been a two-time Rajya Sabha member between 1994 and 2006, hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. His appointment comes barely a few months ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar.

ANSWER: Acharya Dev Vrat

Explanation:
Mr Acharya Dev Vrat has been working as Principal in a Gurukul in Haryana's Kurukshetra. He has been a recipient of American Medal of Honor awarded by American Biographical Institute towards selfless dedication in the field of social service.

ANSWER: Because of the effects of drought

Explanation:
The Panama Canal Authority has said that from next month it would temporarily limit the size of ships using the waterway, because of the effects of drought. It says the water levels of two lakes through which the route passes have fallen significantly as a result of dry conditions caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

ANSWER: Foxconn

Explanation:
Foxconn manufactures gadgets for world’s leading electronic brands like Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, BlackBerry and Motorola. This is second major coup for Maharashtra in the past fortnight. On 30 July, General Motors announced an investment of Rs.6,400 crore in the state. This investment will generate 50,000 direct jobs and the Foxconn plant is most likely to come up at Talegaon in Pune district along the Pune-Mumbai expressway on 1,500 acres of land.

ANSWER: In protest against Pakistan not inviting the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly

Explanation:
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, a meeting of Speakers of all states has unanimously decided that India will boycott the meeting of the CPA if the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir is not invited. She also said that India is writing to the CPA Chairperson that if Jammu and Kashmir is not invited India will not attend the meeting or the venue be changed so that it can attend the conference.

ANSWER: Wheat

Explanation:
This is announced in Lok Sabha on 7th Aug’15. It will result in the revenue gain of about Rs 90 crore to the exchequer.

ANSWER: China

Explanation:
China Railway Eryuan Group has been entrusted with feasibility study of Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysore corridor for raising the speed of passenger trains to 160 kilometer per hour as a part of cooperation in the rail sector.

ANSWER: Data Usage

Explanation:
The directive issued on 7th Aug’15 mandates telecom operators to provide toll free number '1925' from September 1 to activate or deactivate mobile internet service either by making a call on the number and following instruction or by sending a SMS. The new directive from TRAI follows a large number of complaints from customers that mobile operators are keeping the process of deactivation very complex to earn extra revenue. The new amendment issued in Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations directs telecom operators not to charge subscribers for usage beyond subscribed limit without their explicit consent.

ANSWER: 21.23%

Explanation:
There is a net increase of 5871 square kilometers in the forest cover of the country as compared with India State of Forest Report – 2011. As per India State of Forest Report – 2013, the total forest cover in the country is 697,898 square kilometers which is 21.23% of the total geographical area of the country.

ANSWER: North Korea

Explanation:
On 15th Aug’15 North Korea will celebrate 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule at the end of the World War II. At present North Korea has the same time zone as of Japan.

ANSWER: UCO Bank

Explanation:
The Gross Non-performing Assets as a percentage of total advances increased to 7.3 percent during June quarter, from 4.3 percent in the same period last fiscal. Net non-performing assets also rose to 4.5 percent against 2.3 percent during the same quarter last year.

ANSWER: Urban Areas

Explanation:
In a notification on its website, RBI said banks can “shift, merge or close all branches except rural branches and sole semi-urban branches at their discretion”. Shifting, merging or closing a branch in a rural area or a sole branch in a semi-urban area would, however, continue to require prior permission from RBI.

ANSWER: Suraksha Bandhan

Explanation:
The schemes are Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, PMSBY, and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PMJJBY. The drive launched in the back drop of Raksha Bandhan aims at taking forward the Government’s objective of creating a universal social security system in the country, targeted especially at the poor and the under-privileged.

ANSWER: Nepal

Explanation:
The agreement resolves contentious issues of federalism under the new constitution, a crucial development praised by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. Mr Koirala and top leaders of CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, Unified CPN-Maoist and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic, MPRFD, were present during the meeting. However, UCPN-Maoist and MPRFD, have signed the deal with some reservations.