General Awareness Test (July - 15) - Set 4

ANSWER: Italy

Explanation:
The two Italian marines were accused of killing two Indian fishermen three years ago. The court allowed one of them to remain in Italy for six more months on medical grounds. On the other hand, Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha told the apex court bench, hearing the case said that India had jurisdiction to try the two Italian marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, as the alleged offence had taken place in the Indian waters.

ANSWER: Gagan

Explanation:
Gagan, which stands for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation, is a satellite-based system meant to improve the accuracy and integrity of the navigation systems. India will become the fourth country globally to do so. It will augment GPS signals over the Indian landmass, the Bay of Bengal, South East Asia, the Middle East and the Arabian Sea widening its reach up to Africa. At present radio navigation aids are used for precision landing and approaches at Indian airports. It will make it easier for aircraft movements to small airports which do not have navigation aids.

ANSWER: Nag

Explanation:
India has test-fired its indigenously developed Nag anti-tank guided missile. It can hit a target upto seven kilometres, from a helicopter. Three-round trial of helicopter-launched Nag (HeliNa) missile were conducted on 12th July’15 at the Chandhan firing range in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer. HeliNa is a helicopter-launched version of Nag and has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

ANSWER: Brussels

Explanation:
Amid one of the worst crises in the EU's history, the head of the European Commission said the risk of Greece leaving the eurozone had been averted. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that after a tough battle, Greece had secured a growth package and debt restructuring. Greece will now have to pass reforms demanded by the eurozone by 15th July’15.

ANSWER: Romania

Explanation:
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has been charged with several counts of corruption in a long-running investigation. The country's anti-corruption agency said he faces charges of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering dating back to when he was a lawyer before he became Prime Minister in 2012.

ANSWER: New Horizons Spacecraft

Explanation:
After travelling almost five billion kilometres, the Probe, which was launched from earth nine years ago, is now within two million kilometres of the dwarf planet. New Horizons should pass close to Pluto tomorrow, taking photographs and collecting data from the surface. The Probe has already relayed some photographs back to earth on Wednesday.

ANSWER: Nashik

Explanation:
The Nashik city and its nearby holy town Trambakeshwar are set ready for the Grand congregation or the Kumbh mela beginning from 14th July’15.

ANSWER: N Balasubramanyam

Explanation:
He is an Andra Pradesh-cadre IPS officer. Special CBI judge M B Gosavi passed the order on 13th July’15. The court has so far discharged BJP president Amit Shah, Former Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan-based businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief P C Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri, Gujarat police officer Abhay Chudasama, Yashpal Chudasama and Ajay Patel from the case. Sohrabuddin, a gangster who the Gujarat police claimed had links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by Gujarat ATS from Hyderabad on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra in 2005.

ANSWER: Hikesh Shah

Explanation:
Hiken Shah was found guilty of breaching BCCI's Anti-Corruption Code for participants. he BCCI stated that Hiken Shah made a corrupt approach to one of his colleagues from first-class cricket, who is also a member of one of the IPL teams. The approached player immediately informed the incident to his franchise team. The franchise team followed the process of informing the incident to the Anti-Corruption Unit of the BCCI.

ANSWER: Maha Pushkarams

Explanation:
Twenty-seven people including 21 women and one child were killed in a stampede that occurred at one of the Pushkar ghats in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, at the beginning of River Godavari’s 12-day Maha Pushkarams.

ANSWER: Both A & B

Explanation:
On 14th July’15, Star-studded Chennai Super Kings, two-time champions in the IPL, and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the cricket league for two years for the betting activities of their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra during the 2013 season. Meiyappan, the former Team Principal of CSK, and Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, were suspended for life for indulging in betting and bringing the IPL and the game into disrepute.

ANSWER: 15th July’15

Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch ‘Skill India campaign’ at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. On this occasion, Meghalaya Skill Development Society will be organizing the programme under the theme, “Why Skill Development is necessary for the youth of Meghalaya?” in conformity with the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

ANSWER: Coal Scam Case

Explanation:
Madhu Koda, ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta, former Jharkhand Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others were ordered to be put on trial by a special court on charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating in connection with a coal block allocation scam case.

ANSWER: 14th July’15

Explanation:
No explanation is available for this question!

ANSWER: 14th July’15

Explanation:
No explanation is available for this question!

ANSWER: Georgia

Explanation:
The MoU was signed by the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr. Nasim Zaidi and Chairperson, Central Election Commission of Georgia, Ms Tamar Zhvania.

ANSWER: 956%

Explanation:
A total of 1,26,214 tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa during the period. During the month of June this year, a total of 15,557 tourists arrived on e-Tourist Visa. The tourists from USA account for about 42% percent in it. The high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-Tourist Visa for 76 countries as against coverage of earlier Tourist Visa on Arrival scheme for 12 countries. The Government of India had launched Tourist Visa on Arrival enabled by Electronic Travel Authorization, presently known as e-Tourist Visa scheme in November last year for 43 countries. Later, the Government extended this Scheme to the nationals of 33 countries this year.

ANSWER: Pentaquark

Explanation:
Scientists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider announced the discovery of a new class of exotic subatomic particles called the pentaquarks. Pentaquark was first predicted to exist in the 1960s but, much like the Higgs boson particle before it, the particle eluded science for decades until its detection at the LHC.

ANSWER: 2030

Explanation:
The AIDS epidemic can end by 2030 highlighting the global response that has averted 30 million new HIV infections worldwide in the last 15 years including in India, which ranks among the top five worst affected countries.

ANSWER: M S Viswanathan

Explanation:
He was 87, and is survived by four sons and three daughters. The southern veteran musician has composed music for over a thousand films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam and was fondly called as the “King of Light Music.” He has the distinction of having worked with four chief ministers in the film world, MG Ramachandran, NT Ramarao, M.Karunanidhi and J.Jayalalithaa. MS Viswanathan was born in a village in Palghat district of Kerala.

ANSWER: 48%

Explanation:
The increase in FDI is attributed to the launch of Make in India initiatives in September last year. In 2014-15, the country witnessed unprecedented growth of 717 percent, to 40.92 billion dollars investment by Foreign Institutional Investors. The FDI inflow under the approval route saw a growth of 87 per cent during the period with inflow of 2.22 billion dollars and more than 90 percent of FDI through automatic route. These indicators reflect remarkable pace of approval being given by the government and confidence of investors in the resurgent India.

ANSWER: 15th July’15

Explanation:
To raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development, the United Nations General Assembly has decided to celebrate the first World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) on 15 July 2015.

ANSWER: Integrated Power Development Scheme

Explanation:
Under the IPDS, Varanasi will get about 572 crore rupees to strengthen city’s power infrastructure.

ANSWER: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed

Explanation:
He was selected for the prestigious award for his contributions towards reducing hunger in Bangladesh and 10 other countries through his organisation Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC).

ANSWER: 27

Explanation:
The warning could be issued some seconds before the earthquake strikes. An official release issued by Ministry of Earth Science said, India is also planning to launch a satellite to track the changes that take place on earth's surface before the tremors.

ANSWER: Pakistan

Explanation:
The plan is to completely replace English with Urdu for official business within the next 10 to 15 years. It follows concerns that many young Pakistanis are shunning their national dress and language to adopt a more Western point of view.

ANSWER: Varanasi

Explanation:
It has been chosen in the music category under UNESCO's "field of excellence" plan. The fields of excellence are classified into categories of literature, film, music, craft and folk art, design, media arts and gastronomy.

ANSWER: Gujarat

Explanation:
The rail line is India’s first railway-line built with private sector participation under Non-Government Railway (NGR) Policy 2012 of Indian Railways. The broad-gauge railway line between Gandhidham and Tuna-Tekra Port in Gujarat was inaugurated by flagging off a goods train.

ANSWER: Rakesh Sahni

Explanation:
Earlier he was Chairman of MP Electricity Regulatory Commission. He retired as an IAS officer after serving post of chief secretary of States.

ANSWER: Delhi

Explanation:
An official release issued by Urban Development Ministry in New Delhi said that the TOD is a key policy initiative for low-carbon, high-density and compact living spaces. The TOD zone would comprise approximately 20 percent of Delhi’s overall area.

ANSWER: Ministry of Agriculture

Explanation:
Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister launched 3 web portals viz. Soil Health Card portal, Fertiliser Quality Control System portal and Participatory Guarantee System – India portal. Under the scheme, Soil Health Card portal has been developed for registration of soil samples, recording test results of soil samples and generation of Soil Health Card (SHC) along with Fertilizer Recommendations.

Fertilizer Quality Control System (FQCS) is a web based and configurable workflow application developed by NIC for processing of sample collection, testing and generation of analysis reports. Participatory Guarantee System is a process of certifying organic products which ensures agriculture production process in accordance with the standards laid down for organic products and that desired quality has been maintained.

ANSWER: Maharashtra

Explanation:
The bill will empower citizens to avail their rights in stipulated time with less efforts and cost and pave way for curbing corruption, bringing transparency and empowering citizens. In case of failure in delivery in the stipulated time, the government employee will be penalized for default, which ranges between 500 rupees to 5000 rupees.

ANSWER: 30 days

Explanation:
According to an order, the Labour Ministry had notified the changes to the three schemes for the purpose on 2nd July’15. EPFO had settled 1.29 crore claims in 2014-15, of which more than 90 per cent were disposed off within 20 days.

The cumulative figure regarding claim settlement for the current fiscal i.e; from April to June stood at 33.35 lakh claims, out of which 43% were settled within 3 days.

ANSWER: 4

Explanation:
These companies are National Insurance, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance. In its order, the fair trade regulator also asked them to cease and desist from anti-competitive. The present case relates to bid rigging in public procurement for social welfare schemes Rashtriya Swashtya Bima Yojana and Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme of Kerala government. The beneficiaries of the schemes were BPL families.

The investigation by the CCI concluded that the insurance companies colluded with each other and manipulated with tendering process initiated by the Kerala government.

ANSWER: JNV Churachandpur

Explanation:
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) of Churachandpur in Manipur emerged winner from a list of 64 JNVs spread across 8 regions of Navodaya Vidyalaya Saimiti in the country.

ANSWER: Both A & B

Explanation:
The court was hearing a PIL filed by NGO All India Drug Action Network alleging that the Market Based Pricing (MBP) was never used for any price regulatory purposes and this was making medicines costlier.

The three-judge bench headed by Justice TS Thakur and comprising Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice R Banumathi asked the Department of Pharmaceuticals of Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to pass a reasoned order on the issue within six months after hearing all parties concerned.

ANSWER: Goa

Explanation:
The Port is supposed to be existed between 1000AD - 3500 AD. The researchers are also of the opinion that they may discover a dockyard similar in structure to Lothal dockyard in Gujarat which was discovered by Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1954.

ANSWER: World University Games 2015

Explanation:
World University Games was held in Gwangzhou, Korea from 3 July to 14 July 2015. Men’s compound team of India comprising Gurwinder Singh, Kanwalpreet Singh and and Aman were unavailable at the start of the match against Italy at 10am local time in Gwangju and as per the World Archery rules the game was forfeited.

ANSWER: National Policy on Skill Development 2009

Explanation:
It is the first such policy on entrepreneurship since independence in India. The policy was unveiled in a programme held on the occasion of first-ever World Youth Skills Day.

ANSWER: National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, National Skill Development Mission (NSDM), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and Skill Loan scheme

Explanation:
The four initiatives are aimed at making India as a hub of world’s human resource capital.