GENERAL AWARENESS

July 2019
Vol. 8, Issue 01

A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &

TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH

Contents NATIONAL NEWS

CURRENT AFFAIRS
03-41 MAY
March to May 2019
BULLET NEWS
42-52 STAGE SET FOR 17th LOK SABHA
Dec. 2018 to Feb. 2019
LATEST 100 GK MCQs 53-59
SSC - CGL TIER - I
60-73
Model Test Paper
CURRENT GK BYTES 74-100

FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (04.04.2019) 6.00%
REVERSE REPO RATE 5.75%
MARGINAL STANDING 6.25%
FACILITY RATE
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO 19.00%
(w.e.f 13-04-2019)
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 6.25%
BASE RATE(s) 8.95 to True became the popular slogan, “Phir ek baar, Modi Sarkar” when charismatic
(of various banks) 9.40% Narendra Modi lead the National Democratic Alliance - NDA to a historic
majority of securing 353 seats out of 542 seats for 17th Lok Sabha, its highest
INDIA’s RANK IN
ever score in. BJP won its highest ever seats - 303.
Start-up Ecosystem Rankings 17th The Congress led UPA - United Progressive Alliance could manage only 91 seats
World Press Freedom Index 140th with contribution of 52 seats by Congress and 23 by the DMK - Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu. Remaining 98 seats were gathered by
Global Energy Transition Index 76th
other parties where Trinamool Congress and YSR Congress won 22 seats each.
Inclusive Internet Index 47th The BJP’s CR Patil won the Navsari Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat by a difference of
UN World Happiness Report 140th 6.89 lakh votes — the highest margin in the 2019 polls.
International IP Index 36th
Digital Civility Index 7th
VICE PRESIDENT EMBARKS ON VIETNAM TRIP
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu embarked on a four-day official visit to Vietnam
Bloomberg's Innovation Index 54th on May 9. He participated in the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak at Tam Chuc
Global Corruption Index 78th Pagoda in Vietnam. He held talks with Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan
Global Trust Index 2nd Phuc on a wide range of issues and underscored the importance of
Global Talent Competitive Index 80th strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two
EIU Global Democracy Index 41st nations to ensure peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Gender Gap Index 2018 108th
Global Passport Index 69th
INDIA RE-ELECTED TO ARCTIC COUNCIL
India was re-elected as Observer to the Arctic
Ease of Doing Business Index -WB 77th
Council, an intergovernmental forum based at
Attracting and Retaining Talent 53rd
Tromso, Norway. The Council works for promoting
Adoption of E-payments 28th
cooperation, coordination and interaction among
Nation Brands -2018 Report 9th the Arctic countries (countries sharing boundary
Global Hunger Index 103rd with Arctic Ocean). It focuses on issues related to
Global Pension Index 33rd sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 3

NGT ASKS STATES TO SUBMIT ACTION PLANS
The National Green Tribunal has directed 18 States and
2 Union Territories to submit their respective action
plans on utilisation of treated wastewater to reduce
pressure on the groundwater resources across the
country. The States have been directed to submit their
plans latest by June 30, 2019, failing which, the tribunal
will consider coercive measures, including
compensation for loss to the environment.
INDIA JOINS CONSULTATIVE GROUP OF GFDRR
India has been selected to the Consultative Group (CG)
of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery
(GFDRR) for the fiscal year 2020. The GFDRR is a global
partnership program for disaster risk management and
climate change adaptation managed by the World Bank
on behalf of its members.
BSNL TIES UP WITH GOOGLE TO PUSH WIFI
On the occasion of World Telecom Day on May 17, the
telecom major BSNL - Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
partnered with Google to increase access to its WiFi
footprint in the country. This initiative will allow
customers use BSNL's high speed internet services in
WiFi mode free at more than 38,000 BSNL wifi hotspots.
 A postage stamp was released to commemorate the
750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan, a
great saint of Vaishnavism in 14th century from
Tamil Nadu.
 The World Trade Organisation, WTO’s two days (May
13-14) ministerial meeting of developing countries
was held in New Delhi.
 India's first engineless train, 'Vande Bharat Express',
completed 1 lakh running kms on May 16, without
missing a single trip in just 3 months.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
APRIL
INDIA TOPS IN RECEIVING REMITTANCES
According to the latest edition of the World Bank’s
Migration and Development Brief, India retained its
position as the world’s top recipient of inward
remittances with its diaspora sending a whopping $ 79
billion back home in 2018. India is followed by China ($
67 billion), Mexico ($ 36 billion). Remittances grew by
more than 14 per cent in India, probably on account of
heavy amount sent by the migrants during flooding
disaster in Kerala.
AYUSH AND CSIR JOIN HANDS FOR RESEARCH
The Union Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) and the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
signed a MoU for cooperation in research and education
in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its
integration with modern science.
RUSSIA HONOURS INDIAN PRIME MINISTER
Russia conferred its highest civil decoration - “The
Order of St Andrew the Apostle” on Prime Minister
Narendra Modi for his exceptional services in promoting
privileged strategic partnership between the two
countries.
This special honour is awarded to prominent statesmen,
public figures and those working in the fields of science,
culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional
services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia.
100 YEARS OF JALLIANWALA BAGH
April 13 this year marks the 100 years of the Jallianwala
Bagh Massacre that claimed over 1,000 lives and left
over 1200 wounded. On the fateful afternoon of April
13, 1919, the troops under the command of Colonel
Reginald Dyer fired ruthlessly into a crowd of Indian
civilians who had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar
for a peaceful meeting to protest against the Rowlatt
Act. Which authorised the British government to
imprison any person without trial and conviction in a
court of law.
4
INDIAN POPULATION ESTIMATED AT 1.36 BN INDIA MOVES UP IN STARTUP RANKINGS
India jumped 20 spots to secure 17th position among
100 countries in Startup Ecosystem Ranking for 2019
released by StartupBlink, a global startup research
group based at Zurich, Switzerland. It was ranked 37th
spot last year. It takes into consideration startup
ecosystems of 1,000 cities and 100 countries for the
ranking. The rankings are topped by USA, followed by
UK and Canada.

INDIA RANKED 140th IN PRESS FREEDOM

In the World Press Freedom Index 2019, released by
Reporters Without Borders, Norway has secured top
According to a recent report by the United Nations
position among 180 countries of the world. The Paris
Population Fund (UNPFA), India’s population grew at an
based NGO works to document and combat attacks on
average annual rate of 1.2% between 2010 and 2019 to
journalists around the world. India was placed pretty
1.36 billion, more than double the annual growth rate of
low at 140th spot.
China. In comparison, China’s population stood at 1.42
billion in 2019, growing from 1.23 billion in 1994, a  Indonesia released a special commemorative stamp
growth of hardly 0.62 percent. on the theme of Ramayana to mark the 70th
anniversary of the establishment of its diplomatic ties
TCS TO TRANSFORM INDIA POST with India.
The Department of Posts has tied up with India's largest
IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services, with a
view to transform its 1,50,000 offices network into a
multi-service digital hub. It will modernise the delivery
of mail and packages, enhance customer experience, and
launch innovative services that will drive new revenues.

IIT MADRAS TOPS THE NIRF RANKINGS

Ministry of HRD released the National Institutional
Ranking Framework (NIRF) report on April 8 in New
Delhi. The report ranked the top educational institutes
of India in nine categories as under:
Overall best Institute Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Best University Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Best Engineering Institute Indian Institute of Technology, Madras MARCH
Best Management Indian Institute of Management, EC PLACES ORDER FOR INDELIBLE INK
Institute Bengaluru The Election Commission placed an order for 26 lakh
Best Medical Institute AIIMS, New Delhi indelible ink vials of 10 cc each, worth Rs 33 crore with
Best Architecture Institute Indian Institute of Technology,
the Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd, Mysore, a
Kharagpur (WB)
Best College Delhi University's Miranda House
government of Karnataka undertaking. It is the only
Best Law College National Law School, Bangalore authorised manufacturer of indelible ink for the EC. The
Best Pharmacy Institute Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi ink is prepared based on a secret chemical formula
developed by the National Physical Laboratory, New
Delhi and is exported to several other countries also.
LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON ‘cVIGIL’
The Election Commission launched last year in July an
Android-based mobile application 'cVIGIL' (citizens’
vigil), using which a person can secretly send to it
geotagged videos and photos of illegal money being
distributed or a hate speech being made during polls or
instances of unauthorised postering / banners or any
other violation of ‘code of conduct’ during elections.
The identity of the informer can be kept confidential.
Election Commission is receiving thousand of
complaints on the app.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 5
FACT SHEET ON ELECTORAL ROLL DATA 2019
 There are 89.78 crore registered voters.
 Out of this, 16.63 lakh are from armed forces
 Uttar Pradesh has largest number of voters: 14.41 cr.
 Malkajgiri in Telangana is the constituency with
largest number of voters – over 31.83 lakh voters
 Lakshadweep constituency has smallest number of
voters – less than 0.50 lakh
 Over 1.51 crore voters are in the age group 18-19 yrs.
 The Electors Photo Identity Card coverage of 99.36
percent has been achieved till date.
 The Elector/Population Ratio is 631 per thousand and
Gender Ratio is 958.
MICROSOFT TO PUSH FOR SWACHH BHARAT
Global IT major Microsoft has partnered with the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to promote its
project ‘Sangam’ aimed at promoting Swachh Bharat
Mission in India. Sangam is a cloud-hosted, mobile-first
community learning platform. Through this partnership,
over 110,000 municipal functionaries have been
successfully trained on best sanitation practices across
4000 plus cities in India.
SC REFERS AYODHYA DISPUTE TO MEDIATION
The Supreme Court referred the politically sensitive
Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute at
Ayodhya to mediation and appointed former top court
judge Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla, spiritual Guru
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Chennai-based advocate Sriram
Panchu as mediators to find an amicable solution.
Justice Kalifulla will be the chairperson of the panel.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
INDIA GETS ITS FIRST LOKPAL
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra
Ghose has been appointed as the country's first Lokpal
by the President of India who also administered the
oath of office to him. His name was finalised and
recommended by the Selection Committee headed by
the Prime Minister.
The Lokpal office, the anti-corruption watchdog, will
have four judicial and four non-judicial members. The
Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, which envisages
appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas
in states to look into cases of corruption against certain
categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.
NO DISTANCE LEARNING PROG IN AGRI
The University Grants Commission has prohibited
imparting distance degree programmes
(correspondence course) in agriculture on the ground
that a degree programme in agriculture is technical in
nature and it requires practicals or laboratory courses.
It may be noted that similarly other professional
programmes such as medicine, engineering, and
architecture, are not permitted to be offered in distance
learning mode.
THE KUMBH MELA ENTERS GUINNESS BOOK
The Kumbh Mela that concluded on March 4 on
Mahashivratri made it to the Guinness World Records in
three sectors:
 the largest traffic and crowd management plan
 the biggest painting exercise of public sites under
paint my city scheme
 the biggest sanitation and waste disposal
mechanism
FIRST EVER “DICTIONARY OF MARTYRS”
In a first ever attempt to compile the names of our
martyrs; Government released a “Dictionary of Martyrs
of India’s Freedom Struggle” (1857-1947). The five-
volume dictionary contains account of the martyrs from
India’s First War of Independence in 1857, to India’s
freedom struggle in 1947. Each of these five volumes
contains zone wise information of over 13,500 martyrs
from all over India.
6
US TO SUPPORT 6 NUCLEAR PLANTS IN INDIA
India and the United States have agreed to build six
nuclear power plants in India, in an effort to boost
bilateral civil nuclear energy cooperation. The US also
reaffirmed its strong support of India’s early
membership in the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group.
PAK TO OPEN SHARADA PEETH CORRIDOR
Pakistan has approved a proposal to open the Sharada
Peeth Corridor for Hindu pilgrims to allow Hindu
pilgrims from India to visit ancient Sharada Peeth
temple located in PoK in Sharda village, about 130 kms
north of Srinagar. Kashmiri Pandits consider Sharada as
their “kuldevi” or principal deity.
GURUGRAM MOST POLLUTED IN WORLD
As per the World Air Quality Report 2018 released by
IQAir AirVisual and Greenpeace, seven of the top 10
most polluted cities in the world are in India. Gurugram
topped the list, followed by Ghaziabad, Faridabad,
Noida, and Bhiwadi in the top six worst-affected cities.
INDIA GROUNDS BOEING 737 AIRCRAFTS
India decided to ground all the Boeing 737 Max 8
aircrafts used by the country's airlines in light of the
March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash involving this plane
that killed 157 people near Bishoftu, just six minutes
after its take off from the International airport of Addis
Ababa. Several other countries around the world also
grounded the aircraft as a safety measure.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
INDIA IMPROVES IN ENERGY TRANSITION
India has moved up two places to rank 76th on a Global
Energy Transition Index released by Geneva-based
World Economic Forum. It ranked 115 economies on
how well they are able to balance energy security and
access with environmental sustainability and
affordability.
Sweden remains at the top, followed by Switzerland and
Norway in the top three. The study shows that fossil
fuels’ share of total primary energy supply at 81 percent
has remained constant over the past three decades.
INDIA RANKS 47th ON INTERNET INDEX
The London based business research group ‘Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the ‘Inclusive Internet
Index 2019’ covering 100 countries which represent
94% of the world’s population and 96% of global GDP.
The countries were ranked on the basis of the scores of
availability, affordability, relevance and readiness
aspects of availability of internet network. Sweden
topped the index, followed by Singapore and the USA.
India was ranked 47th in the index.
INDIA SLIPS TO 140th RANK IN HAPPINESS
Indians are not as happy in 2019 as they were in 2018
as the country figures at 140th place, seven steps down
from last year, on this year’s UN World Happiness
Report. Finland topped the list for the second year in a
row, followed by Denmark and Norway at 2nd and 3rd
place, respectively. People in war-torn South Sudan are
the most unhappy with their lives.
 A new visa agreement with Maldives provides for
liberal visa policy for Maldivians seeking medical
treatment and education in India.
 A unique museum ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’, dedicated to
the unsung heroes of the country’s freedom struggle,
was opened in the Red Fort premises in New Delhi.
 The National Green Tribunal slapped a fine of Rs 500
crore on German auto major Volkswagen for
damaging the environment through the use of “cheat
device” in its diesel cars in India.
 The 16th edition of BioAsia 2019, Asia’s largest
biotechnology and life-sciences forum, was held in
Hyderabad, Telangana from Feb 25 to 27.
7
 KERALA FIRST TO ISSUE ‘MASALA BONDS’
NEWS FROM STATES Kerala became the first state to tap into masala bond
market by listing the Kerala Infrastructure Investment
MAY Fund Board (KIIFB)’s masala bond worth of $312
million (Rs 2,150 crore) in London Stock Exchange
RESULTS FOR 4 STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS (LSE)’s International Securities Market (ISM).

SHOPS ALLOWED TO OPEN 24 HOURS

Gujarat state Assembly has notified a new act as per
which commercial establishments in municipal
corporations’ limits, or those near national highways,
railway stations, state transport depots, hospitals and
petrol pumps will now be allowed to operate 24 hours.

RICH GRAPHITE SOURCES IN ARUNACHAL

The Geological Survey of India, GSI, has revealed that 35
per cent of the country's Graphite deposits are available
in Arunachal Pradesh. India at present, is importing this
Assembly elections of four states were also held mineral from other countries. Graphite, also known as
alongwith Lok Sabha elections. In two states there was plumbago or blacklead or mineral carbon, is a stable
change of leader while other two states returned their form of naturally occurring carbon. It has wide
leader. industrial applications for lubrication, refractories,
State Chief Minister Party brake linings, pencils, etc.
Odisha Naveen Patnaik Biju Janata Dal
(re-elected)
Sikkim Prem Singh Golay Sikkim Krantikari
(Tamang) Morcha
Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mohan YSR Congress
Reddy
Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu BJP
(re-elected)

HOLY CHAR DHAM YATRA BEGINS

In Uttrakhand, the world renowned and much awaited
Chardham Yatra began on the auspicious occasion of
Akshay Tritya (May 7). The four pilgrimage centers
include Gangotri and Yamunotri dhams and Badrinath
and Kedarnath dhams.

WOMAN COMMANDOS TO FIGHT NAXALITES

The Chhattisgarh police for the first time has inducted
 Mangaluru City Police in Karnataka has launched an
all-women police patrol unit named ‘Rani Abbakka
an all women platoon of 30 commandos in the District
Force’ with a focus on controlling issues related to
Reserve Guard (DRG), its frontline anti-Naxal force.
eve-teasing and chain-snatching, among others.
Named 'Danteshwari Ladaake' (fighters of Goddess
Danteshwari, they are fully trained for jungle combat.
APRIL
TRIPURA RANKS HIGH IN CHILD MARRIAGES
A study by a team of University of Oxford based on the
data from the National Family Health Survey (2015-16),
reveals that Tripura occupies the second position in
India in terms of child marriages among girls between
15-19 years of age.
As per “Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006”, both
women under 18 and men under 21 cannot legally get
married. Parents or older spouses can be punished with
up to two years in prison for coordinating or allowing
arrangements that ignore these restrictions.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 8
GUWAHATI IS FIRST GREEN RAILWAY STATION
The Guwahati Railway Station in Assam has become the
first ever railway station in the Indian Railways to get an
ISO certification for Environment Management System
from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for “providing
passenger amenities in a clean and green environment.”
CPCB ORDERS CLOSURE OF POLLUTING UNITS
The Central Pollution Control Board has ordered the
Haryana State Pollution Control Board to identify and
immediately shut industrial units in Yamunanagar,
Panipat and Kundli which are not complying with the
norms prescribed under the Water (Prevention and
Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, thereby polluting
Yamuna River.
GI TAG FOR 5 COFFEE VARIETIES
Five varieties of Indian coffee have been granted the GI
tag. The five varieties include three from Karnataka -
Coorg Arabica, Chikmagalur Arabica and Baba Budangiri
Arabica while Wayanad Robusta is from Kerala and
Araku Valley Arabica is from Andhra.
ANTI TERROR GROUP SET UP IN J&K
The Government constituted a Multi Disciplinary Terror
Monitoring Group (MDTMG) to ensure concerted action
against terror financing and other terror related
activities in the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The
group will meet on a weekly basis and submit its action
report regularly to the Union Home Ministry.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
COUNTRY’s 1st BIRD PARK OPENS IN MUMBAI
India’s first exotic bird park ‘Essel World Bird Park’ has
been launched by EsselWorld Leisure Pvt. Ltd, in
Mumbai. The Park is spread over 1.4 acres of land and
surrounded by flora and fauna. It is home to over 500
exotic birds from more than 60 species of flying,
terrestrial and aquatic birds and has 200 species of
special plants and trees for the birds.
 Telangana topped in e-Learning training, covering
over 20,000 staff during 2018-19 in a project of the
Deptt. of Personnel and Training of the HRD ministry.
 'Kandhamal Haldi', a variety of turmeric indigenous
to southern Odisha, got the GI tag from Geographical
Indications Registry, Chennai.
MARCH
SPECIAL STAMP RELEASED ON ICE STUPA
The Indian Department of Post released a ‘special stamp
cover on Ice Stupa’ at a function organised at the Ice
Stupa site at Gangles Village in Leh in J&K. Ice Stupas,
also known as artificial glaciers, are being built with an
aim to reduce the problem of water shortage, faced by
Ladakhi farmers due to receding of glaciers.
“PRANAM” TO TAKE CARE OF PARENTS
Assam launched the PRANAM Commission to monitor
issues related to the protection of parents of state
government employees. The Parents Responsibility and
Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM)
Bill, stated to be the first-of-its-kind bill in the country,
aims to protect elderly parents of government
employees in their times of need.
INDORE REMAINS CLEANEST CITY
Swachh Survekshan 2019 covered all 4247 Urban Local
Bodies in the country, making it the largest such
cleanliness survey in the world. Indore bagged the
cleanest city award for third straight year.
The ‘Cleanest Big City’ award has been bagged by
Ahmedabad, Gujarat. New Delhi Municipal Council area
got the cleanest small city award. Gauchar in
Uttarakhand was adjudged the Best Ganga Town.
9
ASSAM PRONE TO ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ RISK
Indian scientists have developed a common framework
for the assessment of climate change vulnerability in all
the states in the Himalayan region. Vulnerability refers
to level of the inherent risks a district faces, primarily by
virtue of its geography and socio-economic situation.
The assessment shows that on a scale of 0 to 1,
“Vulnerability Index” is the highest for Assam (0.72) and
Mizoram (0.71). Sikkim is the least vulnerable state with
the index being 0.42.
ERODE TURMERIC & SIRSI SUPARI GET GI TAG
Erode turmeric (of Tamil Nadu) was granted
Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the GI Registry,
Chennai. Erode turmeric is specially developed plant
that produces both, finger and bulb variety.
The ‘Sirsi Supari’ (Areca Nut or betel nut) was also
granted GI tag. It is grown in Sirsi and adjoining areas of
Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka.
The traditional handmade Marayoor Jaggery from the
Marayoor town in Idukki district of Kerala, also got the
GI tag..
SOUTHERN COAST RAILWAY - NEW ZONE
Railway Minister announced formation of a new zone of
the Indian Railways in Andhra Pradesh. Named
Southern Coast Railway, it will be the 18th railway zone
of the country and will be headquartered at
Visakhapatnam. The new zone will comprise the
existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions that
currently fall under the South Central Railway.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
MAY
DEGREES TO HAVE QR CODE
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed
universities and higher educational institutions to
introduce identification mechanisms like hologram of
the institute and QR code in students’ certificates and
degrees for facilitating proper verification and curbing
duplication.
ICMR GEARS UP TO FIGHT MALARIA
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
launched the 'Malaria Elimination Research Alliance
(MERA) India', a gathering of partners working together
to plan and scale up research to eliminate Malaria from
India by 2030.
KVIC PROVIDES ONE LAKH BEE BOXES
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
distributed more than one lakh bee boxes to the farmers
and unemployed people across the country to boost
Honey-Mission and providing source of income to
unemployed people. The KVIC also arranged for basic
training of beekeeping to these persons. Apart from
raising honey production, beekeeping also promotes
pollination that improves crop production.
PHASE 2 LAUNCHED OF FAME SCHEME
Centre government has announced that Electric and
hybrid vehicle (xEVs) manufacturers will have to
indigenise a significant portion of components to avail
benefits under a revised set of rules of the phase 2 of the
Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and
Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme. The scheme is part of
the government's increased thrust to boost electric
mobility through greater indigenization.
10
EVs TO HAVE ONLY GREEN NUMBER PLATES
The Central government has asked the state transport
departments to make it mandatory for all EVs (electric
vehicles) to use the green number plates, irrespective of
the year in which they were bought. The new mandate
will help provide preferential treatment to these
vehicles like parking, free entry in congested areas as
well as a concessional toll on highways.
APRIL
WAGES REVISED UNDER MGNREGA SCHEME
The Rural Development Ministry revised the wages
under the MGNREGA scheme from April 1 for the year
2019-20. The wages paid under the Scheme are linked
with the Consumer Price Index for agricultural
labourers (CPI-AL). Different states have different wage
rates. Wages in Haryana are highest at Rs. 284/day and
lowest in Bihar and Jharkhand at Rs. 171 per day.
MARCH
SCHEME TO PROMOTE FOOD PROCESSING
The Government of India plans to launch Gram Samridhi
Yojana, a Rs 3,000 crore scheme funded by the World
Bank. The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry
of Food Processing Industries in order to strengthen the
unorganised food processing sector concentrated in
rural areas.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
‘STARS’ FOR FUNDING SCIENCE PROJECTS
On the occasion of the National Science Day on Feb 28,
HRD ministry launched ‘STARS’ or Scheme for
Translational and Advanced Research in Science. The
scheme will provide Rs 250 crore for funding around
500 science projects. It will be coordinated by the Indian
Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
VAN DHAN SCHEME TO FIX MSP FOR TRIBALS
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Van Dhan
scheme for announcing Minimum Support Price (MSP)
for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Development of
Value Chain of MFPs. The Scheme will offer
remunerative MSP for 50 commercially viable items to
over 5.5 crores tribals residing in the dense forest areas.
‘E-DHARTI’ APP FOR DIGITAL LAND RECORDS
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched e-Dharti
app where all the three modules- Conversion,
Substitution and Mutation related to properties have
been made online in the Land and Development Office.
JI-VAN YOJANA TO PROMOTE BIOFUELS
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved
the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool
fasal awashesh Nivaran (JI-VAN) Yojana’ for providing
financial support to the Integrated Bioethanol Projects.
The project aims at reducing import of Petroleum fuel
by promoting use Biofuels instead. It will also help in
achieving the greenhouse gas emissions reduction
targets through progressive substitution of fossil fuels.
CBSE LAUNCHES ‘SHIKSHA VANI’ PODCAST APP
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
launched a new podcast app 'Shiksha Vani' to
disseminate crucial information to students and parents
in a timely manner. The first episode is based on the
evaluation process of Class 10 and 12 board
examinations.
This will help all the students to understand as to how
their completed papers will be evaluated.
Podcast: is a digital audio file made available on the
Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device.
11
NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD
For facilitating seamless travel through different metros
and other transport systems across the country, govt
launched ‘One Nation, One Card’ Model from
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The ‘National Common Mobility Card’ introduced by the
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs can also be
used for retail shopping and purchases.
SCHEME TO PROMOTE AGRI EXPORTS
The government launched “Transport and Marketing
Assistance” scheme for providing financial assistance
for transport and marketing of agriculture products to
boost their export in Europe and North America. Under
the scheme, the government would reimburse a certain
portion of freight charges and provide assistance for
marketing of agricultural produce.
CBSE INTRODUCES THREE NEW SUBJECTS
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has
decided to introduce artificial intelligence (AI), early
childhood care education and yoga as new subjects in
the school curriculum for the senior secondary classes
from the upcoming academic session.
DL & RC TO BE ISSUED AS CARDS ONLY
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has
decided to do away with the paper or booklet-based
driving licence or registration certificate. These
documents (DL and RC) will now be issued as plastic
cards in a uniform standard format across the country.
The cards be either made of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) or
of Polycarbonate.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
MORE JOB RESERVATION FOR KASHMIRIS
The Union Cabinet approved the Constitution
(Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order,
2019. Once notified, this will pave the way for giving the
benefit of promotion in service to the SCs, STs and also
extend the reservation of up to 10 per cent for the
economically weaker section in educational institution
and public employment in addition to the existing
reservation in the state.
STATES MAY USE THE ‘ENEMY PROPERTIES’
The Centre has allowed state governments to put to
public use some enemy properties. Enemy properties
are those properties that were left behind by people
who migrated to Pakistan since the partition in 1947
and to China after the 1962 Sino-Indian war and took
citizenship of Pakistan and China. There are over nine
thousand such properties left behind by Pakistani
nationals and over one hundred by Chinese nationals.
AIIMS TO BE CONVERTED IN UNIVERSITY
The Union Cabinet approved the implementation of
Master Plan to convert AIIMS (All India Institute of
Medical Sciences), New Delhi into a world class Medical
University. The project will provide highly specialized
state of the art healthcare to the patients.
The Cabinet also approved setting up of new AIIMS at
village Manethi, near Rewari in Haryana, some 120 kms
away from Delhi. This will be the 22nd AIIMS of the
country, set up under the “Pradhan Mantri Swasthya
Suraksha Yojana”.
‘SHREYAS’ TO SKILL THE GRADUATES
The ‘Scheme for Higher Education Youth in
Apprenticeship and Skills’ (SHREYAS) launched for
providing industry apprenticeship to fresh graduates of
2019. The scheme aims to skill non-technical students of
BA, BSc. BCom courses. The scheme aims to boost the
employment skills of Indian youth by providing them
with ‘on the job work exposure’ through the National
Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the
National Career Service (NCS).
12

ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
MAY
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.1% - UN REPORT
A report by the United Nations says India's economy is
projected to grow at 7.1 per cent in the fiscal year 2019-
20 on the back of strong domestic consumption and
investment, as against 7.0 per cent in 2018-19.
The report titled “The World Economic Situation and
Prospects 2019 Mid-year Update” noted that growth
projections for 2019 have been revised downward in
all major developed economies.
IRAQ TOP SUPPLIER OF CRUDE TO INDIA
Iraq has, for the second year in a row, become India’s
top crude oil supplier, meeting more than a fifth of the
country’s oil needs in 2018-19 fiscal year. Iraq sold
46.61 million tonnes of crude oil to India during FY
2018-19. India imported 207 mt of crude oil in 2018-19.
INDIA TO FINANCE OIL REFINERY IN MONGOLIA
India extended a $1 billion Line of Credit to Mongolia to
set up its first-ever petrochemical refinery at Sainshand
in Dornogovi Province. The line of credit will be
implemented with Exim Bank funding. The1.5 million
metric tons/per annum refinery is expected to be
completed by 2022.
RELIANCE ACQUIRES HAMLEYS TOY COMPANY
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) acquired British toy
retailer Hamleys in an all cash deal for about 67.96
million pounds (about Rs. 620 cr). One of the oldest toy
company, it has 167 stores across 18 countries.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
RELIANCE TOPS IN ANNUAL TURNOVER
Private sector Reliance Industries (RIL) has toppled
govt owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to become the
country’s biggest company in terms of revenue.
In the year 2018-19 ending March 31, RIL reported a
turnover of Rs 6.23 lakh crore against Rs 6.17 lakh crore
by IOC. In terms of profit too, RIL clocked a net profit of
Rs 39,588 crore in FY19 while IOC earned net profit of
Rs 17,274 crore only.
 In one its biggest ever funding to India, Asian
Development Bank to provide $750 million loan to
electrify railway tracks in India.
APRIL
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.5% - WORLD BANK
The World Bank’s latest report on South Asia says that
India’s GDP growth is expected to accelerate moderately
to 7.5% in fiscal year 2019-20, driven by continued
investment strengthening, particularly private-
improved export performance and resilient
consumption.
RELIANCE RETAIL CROSSES 1 TRILLION MARK
For the fiscal 2018-19, Reliance Retail -- the retail arm
of RIL -- reported revenue of Rs 1.30 lakh crore, an
88.68 per cent growth, and the highest by any retailer in
India. It also became the first Indian retailer to cross the
10,000-plus stores milestone, operating 10,415 retail
stores in over 6,600 cities.
BSE TIES UP WITH MOSCOW EXCHANGE
BSE (earlier known as Bombay Stock Exchange) and
India International Exchange (India INX) have signed a
MoU with Moscow Exchange (MOEX) to connect
investor community and companies in both countries
besides allowing a capital formation platform.
i-PHONE 7 TO BE ASSEMBLED IN INDIA
Tech giant Apple has announced to start the assembling
of iPhone 7 in India. The phones will be assembled at its
supplier Wistron’s facility in Bengaluru. Taiwanese
industrial major Wistron already assembles iPhone 6S
in its Bengaluru plant.
13
FLIPKART RANKED AS THE ‘BEST EMPLOYER’ GDP GROWTH SLOWS DOWN TO 6.6%
India’s economic growth in the quarter ended 31st
December, 2018 slowed to 6.6%, the lowest in the last
six quarters, as per the data released by the Central
Statistics Office, New Delhi.
The growth rate is much as lower compared to 7.7 %
achieved in the same quarter last year. Accordingly, the
GDP growth during 2018-19 is now estimated at 7% as
compared to 7.2% achieved in 2017-18.
The slowdown was led by agriculture, which is
estimated to grow at 2.7%, against the earlier estimate
of 3.8%. The size of the economy in terms of nominal
GDP is now estimated to be Rs. 190.54 lakh crore.

JET AIRWAYS CHAIRMAN STEPS DOWN

Online marketplace Flipkart beat Amazon to emerge as In a milestone development in the Indian aviation
the most sought after employer where Indian sector, the Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal stepped
professionals want to work and stay, according to a new down from the board of the Indian carrier he founded
LinkedIn report "2019 Top Companies". Hotel 25 years ago, in a bid to save the airline from
aggregator OYO secured third position. LinkedIn ranks bankruptcy.
companies based on four pillars: interest in the Saddled with debt of more than $1 billion, Jet has been
company; engagement with employees; job demand; on the brink of collapse, and had to ground flights as it
and employee retention. struggled to pay lenders, suppliers, pilots and leasing
companies.
INDIA USA TO EXCHANGE TAX REPORTS
India and the US signed an agreement for exchange of
country-by-country (CbC) reports. This will give huge
relief to subsidiaries of US-headquartered companies in
the taxation-related matter. The arrangement will
facilitate automatic exchange of the reports filed by the
parent companies of the multinational enterprises in the
respective jurisdictions pertaining to the years
commencing on or after January 1, 2016.
MARCH
ICF CHENNAI BECOMES NO 1 IN WORLD
The Integral Coach Factory at Chennai, Tamil Nadu
manufactured around 3,000 coaches in April - March
2019, putting it among the largest railcar builders in the
world. Top Chinese manufacturers produce around
2,600 coaches a year. The ICF churned out coaches for
the India’s fastest train Vande Bharat also.
SPICEJET JOINS IATA AS MEMBER
Indian low-cost airlines SpiceJet has become the first
Indian budget carrier to join the IATA - International Air
Transport Association. The IATA has over 290 airlines
as members. The membership of IATA will allow
SpiceJet to explore and grow its collaborations with
international member airlines of IATA.

INDIAN I T CORRIDOR LAUNCHED IN CHINA

India launched its third IT corridor in China at Xuzhou
to facilitate partnerships between Indian and Chinese
companies. The corridor will facilitate match-making
between Indian companies wanting to collaborate with
companies in China. The earlier two corridors are at
Dalian and Guiyang cities.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 14
HDFC BANK CROSSES 6 TRILLION MARKETCAP
HDFC Bank became the first bank to cross the Rs 6
trillion market capitalization mark. Overall, it is the
third Indian firm—after Tata Consultancy Services and
Reliance Industries to achieve this milestone.
 The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council is
going to set up ‘India Jewellery Park’ with an
investment of Rs.14,467 crore at Navi Mumbai on the
outskirt of Mumbai.
BANKING & FINANCE
MAY
RBI WHITE PAPER ON E-PAYMENT SYSTEM
Reserve Bank of India has released a vision document
for ensuring a safe, secure, convenient, quick and
affordable e-payment system. The move comes as the
apex bank expects the number of digital transactions to
increase more than four times to about 8,707 crore by
December 2021.
CIC PULLS UP RBI FOR NON-DISCLOSURE
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed
the RBI to disclose the list of big loan defaulters that it
had sent to banks for resolution. The matter relates to
12 large accounts comprising about 25% of the total
non-performing assets.
HOUSING LOAN LIMIT HIKED FOR RRBs & SFBs
The Reserve Bank of India has decided to enhance the
housing loan limits for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and
Small Finance Banks (SFBs) for eligibility under priority
sector lending. Now RRBs and SFBs can give housing
loan to individuals up to Rs 35 lakh in metropolitan
centers (with population of 10 lakh and above) and up
to Rs 25 lakh in other centers.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
NBFCS TO HAVE CHIEF RISK OFFICERS
The RBI has asked all shadow banks (read NBFCs) with
asset size of over Rs. 5,000 crore to appoint chief risk
officers (CROs) at the apex level with clearly specified
roles and responsibilities in the area of risk
management. The CRO shall be involved in the process
of identification, measurement and mitigation of risks
associated with all credit products (retail or wholesale).
Shadow Banking refers to banking like activities done by
large non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
PAYTM TO ISSUE CREDIT CARD
Digital payments company Paytm launched its first
credit card called “Paytm First Card” in association with
Citibank. The card to be issued by Citibank comes with
unlimited cash back and will be accepted in India as well
as across the world.
OLA LAUNCHES NEW CREDIT CARD
Ride-hailing company Ola has launched Ola Money SBI
Credit Card in partnership with SBI Card, powered by
Visa. Bangalore-based company aims to provide a
flexible and convenient payment system alongside
several benefits to its customers.
 State Bank of India launched India’s first ‘Green Car
Loan’ to encourage customers to buy electric vehicles.
 The RBI to issue Rs. 20 denomination notes in
greenish yellow colour with the motif of Ellora Caves
on the reverse, depicting the country's cultural
heritage.
APRIL
RBI LOWERS REPO RATE TO PUSH GROWTH
The Monetary Policy Committee at its meeting on April
4 decided to reduce the policy repo rate by 25 basis
points to 6.0 percent from 6.25 percent wef 4th April.
The decision was in line with the objective of
achieving the medium-term target for consumer price
index (CPI) inflation of 4 per cent within a band of +/- 2
per cent, while supporting the growth of economy.
Consequently, the reverse repo rate stands
adjusted to 5.75 per cent, and the marginal standing
facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.25 per cent. The
reserve ratios remain unchanged; CRR at 4 percent and
SLR at 19.0 percent.
15
RBI DIVESTS FULLY IN NHB AND NABARD
Based on the recommendations of second Narasimham
Committee, 1998, that RBI cannot hold interests in the
entities that it regulates, the Reserve Bank has divested
its entire stake in National Housing Bank and the
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
and transferred it to the government of India.
Now both these institutions are fully owned by the
government of India.
Mr. M. Narasimham was the 13th Governor of RBI
RBI FIXES WMA AT RS.75,000 CRORE
The RBI in consultation with the government of India
has set the limits for Ways and Means Advances (WMA)
for the first half of the financial year 2019-20 (April 1,
2019 to September 30, 2019) at Rs 75000 crore. WMA
is the temporary loan facility provided by the RBI to the
center and state governments. It was introduced in
1997 to meet any temporary mismatches in the receipts
and payments of the government.
RBI GUIDELINES FOR CURRENCY CHESTS
RBI has come out with guidelines for banks to set up
new currency chests, which include minimum area of
1,500 square feet for strong room. The RBI said that the
new chests should have a processing capacity of 6.6 lakh
pieces of banknotes per day. Chests situated in the
hilly/ inaccessible places, should have processing
capacity of 2.1 lakh pieces of banknotes per day.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
RBI BEGINS INTEREST EASING CYCLE
The Reserve Bank has become the first central bank in
the Asia-Pacific region to begin an explicit interest rate
easing cycle. This is reflected from the fact that in the
four months of 2019, the RBI has cut policy interest
rates twice by 0.25% each to a one-year low of 6%.
RBI MODIFIES NPA GUIDELINES
RBI has advised that henceforth, banks should disclose
divergences that may arise if “the additional
provisioning for NPAs assessed by RBI exceeds 10% of
the reported profit before provisions and contingencies
of the bank.
HDFC MUTUAL FUND RANKED AT TOP
According to data released by the Association of Mutual
Funds in India (Amfi), HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd
has secured the top spot among mutual funds, with
average assets under management of Rs3.42 trillion.
HDFC BANK RANKED BEST IN INDIA
In a survey by the Forbes magazine to select the best
bank, HDFC Bank emerged as India's No. 1 bank. The
survey did not measure financial performance rather,
customers were asked to rate banks on overall
recommendation and satisfaction. ICICI Bank and DBS
Bank were placed at 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
CANARA BANK GETS EMV CARDS
ACI Worldwide, the global provider of real-time
electronic payment and banking solutions, announced
that Canara Bank has become first Indian bank to
successfully roll out EMV (Europay-Mastercard-Visa)
card acquiring across its ATM network. The EMV cards
contain a special chip that makes them more secure. RBI
had directed all the banks to issue only EMV cards after
December 31, 2018.
PAPERLESS ACCOUNT OPENING FOR NRIS
The IDBI Bank has launched the ‘NRI-Insta-Online’
account-opening process for NRIs residing in Financial
Action Task Force (FATF) member countries to facilitate
account opening without submitting paper documents.
All the required documents can simply be uploaded on
Bank’s website and after due verification, the account
will be opened avoiding the physical visit of the
customer to the branch.
16
VIJAYA BANK/DENA BANK BECOME HISTORY
The merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with the Bank
of Baroda became operational wef April 1. All branches
of the former two banks will now function as branches
of BoB. Post the merger, BoB has become the third
largest bank in the country.
ISLAMIC BANK OFFERS ‘CHAT BANKING’
Emirates Islamic, bank in Dubai has become first Islamic
bank in world to offer Chat Banking services to its
customers via WhatsApp. The bank’s customers will
now be able to conduct daily banking activities via
WhatsApp in a seamless and hassle-free manner.
 HDFC Bank has been adjudged as the 'Best Digital
Bank' in the country at the Asiamoney Best Bank
Awards 2019.
MARCH
3 MORE BANKS OUT OF PCA
RBI allowed three more banks — Allahabad Bank and
Corporation Bank, from the public sector, and
Dhanlaxmi Bank from the private sector out from the
prompt and corrective action (PCA) framework. Earlier,
such restrictions were taken off Bank of India, Oriental
Bank of Commerce and Bank of Maharashtra. There are
another six banks that are still under PCA framework.
IDBI BANK IS NOW PRIVATE BANK
The RBI has notified that IDBI Bank has been
categorised as a private sector lender following
acquisition of majority stake by Life Insurance
Corporation. In January, LIC completed the process of
picking up a controlling 51% stake in the nearly
crippled IDBI Bank.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
RBI NOTIFIES ‘D-SIBs’ FOR 2018
The RBI has advised that the SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC
Bank continue to be in the category of Domestic
Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) for 2018. D-SIBs
are required to maintain higher capital as compared to
other banks. A systemically important bank is one
whose performance is critical for the entire system.
INDIA SIGNS BSA WITH JAPAN
Reserve Bank of India and Bank of Japan have signed a
Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA). The arrangement
provides for India to access $75 billion. India can access
this fund for the purpose of maintaining an appropriate
level of balance of payments or short-term liquidity,
whenever the need there be.
RBI FINES PNB Rs. 2 CRORE
The RBI has slapped a penalty of Rs 2 crore on Punjab
National Bank for non-compliance of regulatory
directions with regard to SWIFT operations. SWIFT is
global messaging software used for transactions by
financial entities.
PNB TOPS IN ‘REFORMS AGENDA’
According to the BCG-IBA Report, Punjab National Bank
secured the top spot among all public sector banks in
the implementation of ‘Reforms agenda’, leaving behind
Bank of Baroda and State Bank of India at second and
third spot, respectively. The study measured the
performance of each PSB on 140 objective metrics
across six themes, including customer responsiveness,
credit off take, and digitalisation.
SBI LINKS SAVINGS RATE TO REPO RATE
In a first-of-its kind move that will ensure faster
transmission of monetary reliefs announced by the RBI,
the State Bank of India announced linking of its savings
deposits rates and short-term loans rates to the RBI’s
repo rate, wef May 1, 2019. The move would help
speed up the monetary transmission process wherein
lenders pass on RBI’s rate cuts to borrowers.
17
SBI OFFERS CARDLESS CASH WITHDRAWAL
The State Bank of India launched a first of its kind new
service called ‘YONO Cash’ for its customers to facilitate
withdrawal of money from ATMs without using debit
cards. The facility is available over 16,500 of its ATMs
through the 'You Only Need One' mobile app platform.
TASK FORCE FOR OFFSHORE RUPEE MARKETS
The RBI constituted an eight-member task force headed
by Usha Thorat former Deputy Governor to look into
issues related to the offshore rupee markets and
recommend appropriate policy measures to ensure the
stability of the external value of the rupee.
 The RBI imposed fine totaling to Rs 8 crore on three
banks — Karnataka Bank, United Bank of India and
Karur Vysya Bank — for non-compliance of
directions on Swift messaging software.
 The Finance Ministry released a new Rs 20 coin.
Made in copper, zinc and nickel, the coin has 12-
edged polygon (dodecagon) shap.e
 IFFCO Tokio General Insurance has launched India’s
first ‘bank locker protector policy’, with a plan to
protect the contents of a bank locker such as
jewellery, title documents, and other valuables.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
MAY
AIR FORCE GETS APACHE HELICOPTER
The Indian Air Force
has received the first
AH 64E Apache
Guardian helicopter
from US aircraft
manufacturer, Boeing.
It is world’s most
advanced multi - role
attack helicopter.
Induction of this
helicopter is a significant step towards modernization of
the Air Force and boosting its attack capability.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
2019 - ‘YEAR OF NEXT OF KIN’
The Indian Army is commemorating 2019 as the ‘Year of
Next of Kin’ to reach out to the next of kin of battle
casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers. The
exercise aims at informing them of entitled financial
benefits, welfare schemes and help them resolve their
pension-related problems.
AIR VERSION OF BRAHMOS TESTED
Indian Air Force successfully fired the BrahMos air
version missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter
aircraft. Supersonic BrahMos missile is one of the fastest
missiles in the world, having speed of 3400 to 3700
km/per hour (2.8 Mach).
Any object moving faster than the speed of sound (1235
km/hr or Mach-1), the speed is rated as supersonic.
Speeds over 5 Mach are rated as Hypersonic.
 India delivered the first pair of Russia made Mi-24
attack helicopters to the Afghan Air Force to
strengthen its capabilities in counter insurgency
operations.
 For the first time in the history of the Indian Air
Force, an all women crew flew a Mi-17 medium lift
helicopter at Chandigarh base.
 The Indian Coast Guard ship (ICGS) Vigraha was
decommissioned at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
after having served the Coast Guard for over 29 years.
 The DRDO successfully flight tested the drone
ABHYAS, a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target
(HEAT). The ABHYAS offers a practical threat
scenario for practice of weapon systems
 The fourth of Indian Navy’s stealth Scorpene class
Submarines, named ‘INS Vela’ was launched at
Mazagon Dock Limited at Mumbai. The submarines
are being built in collaboration with M/s Naval
group, France.
 INS Ranjit, Indian Navy’s frontline missile destroyer
of Russian origin, was decommissioned on May 6,
after 36 years of service.
 DRDO successfully test fired the Akash-1S surface to
air defence missile system capable of striking down
enemy fighter jets and drones very effectively.
18
 ISRO LAUNCHES RISAT-2B SATELLITE
Indian Space Research Organisation successfully
launched its radar imaging earth observation satellite
RISAT-2B onboard PSLV-C46 from the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre, Sriharikota. Data from the satellite would
be vital for the Armed Forces, agriculture forecasters
and disaster relief agencies.

ULTRASENSITIVE QUANTUM THERMOMETER

Researchers at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, have
developed an ultrasensitive quantum thermometer
using graphene quantum dots. It can precisely measure
a wide range of temperatures changes from 27 degree C
to –196 degree C in extreme quick response time of just
about 300 milliseconds. The device can find widespread
 Lt. Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot of applications in cryogenic (very low temperature
the Indian Air Force to qualify to undertake missions freezing) temperature sensing.
by day on a fighter aircraft, flying MiG-21 Bison.
 Commandos of the premier counter-terror force NEW VINE SNAKE DISCOVERED IN ODISHA
National Security Guard (NSG) created history as
they scaled the Mount Everest on May 16 in their
maiden attempt.
 The 8th edition of the Indo-Myanmar coordinated
patrol (IMCOR) was held near Andaman and Nicobar
Islands in Bay of Bengal in which ships from Indian
and Myanmar navy took part.
 SIMBEX 19: The Indian Navy held a major bilateral
naval exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy in
the South China Sea.
 Varuna 19.1: The first part of the Indo-French joint
naval exercise was held off the Goa coast. French
Navy’s aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle also
took part in the exercise.
 Exercise Bullstrike was conducted at Teressa Island A species of new vine snake has been discovered in the
near Andamans to showcase joint operations eastern part of Odisha, after a century or so.
capability of the Indian armed forces. Researchers took 10 years of field and lab work to
confirm the species and named it Ahaetulla laudankia
PROJECT LAUNCHED ON HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY vine snake. The local name for vine snakes is Laudankia
Department of Biotechnology under ministry of science or Laudaka, as they resemble in appearance to dried
and technology recently launched human tissue stems (‘danka’) of bottle gourd (‘lau’).
mapping project called “MANAV: Human Atlas
Initiative”. The project aims to improve understanding NEW SNAKE SPECIES DISCOVERED
of human physiology by mapping every single tissue of A team from Indian Institute of Science Education and
human body to find out role of tissues and cells in a Research, Pune found a new species of reddish-brown
variety of ailments. pit viper snake in Arunachal Pradesh, with a unique
heat-sensing system, the first in past 70 years in India.
It has been named 'Trimeresurus arunachalensis' after
Arunachal Pradesh, where it was discovered.

RAIN LOVING SNAKE FOUND IN MIZORAM

Researchers have found a new ‘rain loving’ snake
species named “Smithophis atemporalis” in Mizoram in
North-east India. The species is reported to be a non-
venomous and inoffensive kind and strictly aquatic. The
finding is significant because such a discovery has been
made for the first time after almost 150 years.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 19
CHINA TESTS SUPERFAST MAGLEV TRAIN
China has tested a new floating maglev bullet train
capable of hitting speeds of 600 kilometers per hour. A
prototype for this high-speed magnetic-levitation
(maglev) train project rolled off the assembly line in the
eastern Chinese city of Qingdao.
Maglev trains use magnetic repulsion, both to levitate the
train up from the ground, which reduces friction, and to
propel it forward.
KILOGRAM JOINS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
On May 20, the kilogram joined other standard units of
measure such as the second, metre, ampere, Kelvin,
mole and candela (measurement of luminosity) that
would no longer be defined by physical objects. The
measures are all now defined on the basis of unchanging
universal, physics constants. The kilogram now hinges
on the definition of the Planck Constant.
Planck constant is a physical constant that is the quantum
of electromagnetic action, which relates the energy
carried by a photon to its frequency. It is named after the
German scientist, Max Planck.
NEW RECYCLABLE PLASTIC INVENTED
Researchers in USA have reportedly created recyclable
plastic. The plastic can be separated into various parts,
down to the molecular level. This plastic can be recycled
into any colour, form or shape without losing its original
quality. Scientists have named it poly diketoenamine, or
PDK plastic.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
APRIL
ARMY GETS ADVANCED ‘DHANUSH’ GUNS
The Ordnance Factory Board handed over the first batch
of six Dhanush artillery guns to the Army at a special
ceremony held at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Dhanush,
produced at the Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur, is the
indigenously upgraded version of the Swedish Bofors
gun procured in the 1980s. It is a 155 mm, 45-calibre
towed artillery gun with a range of 36 to 38 km.
GRSE FIRST TO DELIVER 100 WARSHIPS
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE),
Kolkata became the 'first Indian shipyard' to build and
deliver 100 warships to the Indian Navy, Indian Coast
Guard and Mauritius Coast Guard. The 100th warship
was the landing craft utility 'IN LCU L-56' handed over
to Indian Navy. GRSE is under the administrative control
of the Ministry of Defence.
USA TO SELL SEAHAWKS TO INDIA
USA has confirmed sale of 24 multi-role MH-60 ‘Romeo’
Seahawk helicopters built by the Lockheed Martin
Corporation to India at an estimated cost of $2.4 billion
(Rs.16,500 crore).
It is considered as the world's most advanced maritime
helicopter. Designed for hunting submarines as well as
knocking out ships and conducting search-and-rescue
operations at sea, these helicopters would replenish
India’s ageing fleet of British-made Sea King helicopters.
WARSHIP IMPHAL LAUNCHED
The Indian Navy launched guided missile destroyer war
ship named ‘Imphal’ at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai. The
ship features cutting-edge advanced technology and is
comparable to the best ships of similar class anywhere
in the world.
‘VEER PARIVAR APP’ FOR CRPF MARTYRS
Government launched ‘Veer Parivar App’ for families of
CRPF personnel killed in the line of duty. The app will
act as an interface between the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) authorities and the next of kin of the slain
personnel. It will render all assistance to the families of
the martyr such as issuance of ex gratia, pensionary
benefits and all information regarding the welfare
schemes introduced for them by the government.
20

INS Kozhikode, the minesweeper warship of Indian
Navy was decommissioned in an elegant ceremony held
at Naval Jetty, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It
served the navy for almost 30 years.
INS Kolkata and INS Shakti - Two warships of Indian
Navy, took part in the International Fleet Review in
Qingdao, China as part of 70th Anniversary celebrations
of People's Liberation Army Navy.
India successfully test-fired its first indigenous long-
range subsonic cruise missile 'Nirbhay' from a test range
in Odisha. The all-weather missile has a 1,000-kilometre
strike range.
Bold Kurukshetra–2019: A joint exercise between
Indian and Singapore Military forces was held in Babina
Cantonment in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh from April 8 to 10.
IN – VPN BILAT EX: The bilateral maritime exercise
held between the Indian Navy and Vietnam Peoples’
Navy near Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam.
AUSINDEX 19: Bilateral exercise between navies of
India and Australia held near Visakhapatnam coast,
Andhra Pradesh from April 2 to April 16 with focus on
anti-submarine warfare.
The biannual (half yearly) Army Commanders’
Conference was held in New Delhi from April 8 to 14.
The conference is chaired by the Chief of the Army Staff.
The Army Ordnance Corps celebrated the Platinum
Jubilee of the Battle of Kangla Tongbi, also known as
Battle of Imphal, on April 7 at Kangla Tongbi War
Memorial near Imphal, Manipur.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
The ‘Fire & Fury Corps’ of Indian Army has
successfully built the longest suspension bridge named
‘Matiri Bridge’ over the Indus River in the Leh-Ladakh
region in a record time of 40 days.
DRDO’s EMISAT PUT INTO ORBIT
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on April
1 put into orbit the Emisat, an electronic intelligence
satellite for the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) alongwith 28 other international
satellites, of which 24 were from USA, two from
Lithuania and one each from Spain and Switzerland.
‘YUVIKA’ TO SHARE SPACE TECH
ISRO has launched a special programme named “Young
Scientist Programme” or Yuva Vigyani Karyakram
(YUVIKA) for school children. The programme is
primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on space
technology, space science and space applications to the
younger ones with the intent of arousing their interest
in the emerging areas of space activities.
WORLD's LARGEST AIRCRAFT
The world's largest aircraft by wingspan and largest all-
composite aircraft took to the air for the first time on
April 13. Named Stratolaunch, it has been built by the
Scaled Composites of USA. Its wingspan is 385 feet and
weighs over 3,40, 000 kg. It can carry payloads of up to
250,000 kg in the form of externally carried rockets and
satellites on its reinforced central wing, from where
they will be launched into low-Earth orbit.
MOST POWERFUL ROCKET LAUNCHED
The space venture of Elon Musk - SpaceX successfully
launched its new and improved Falcon Heavy rocket
from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. It is the world's
most powerful operation rocket with 27 engines firing
at liftoff. It placed into orbit ‘Arabsat-6A’, a Saudi
Arabian communication satellite weighing 5,900 kg.
WORLD's 1st ARMED AMPHIBIOUS DRONE
China has successfully tested the world's first armed
amphibious drone boat named ‘Marine Lizard’ which
can be used in land assault operations and is capable of
forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other
drone ships. It can be remotely controlled with the help
of satellites and has operational range of 1200 km.
21
FIRST-EVER IMAGE OF A BLACK HOLE
Astronomers have taken the first-ever image of a black
hole, which is located in a distant galaxy known as
'Messier 87' (M87), around 50 million light years away.
The image was captured by a network of eight
telescopes across the world. It shows an intensely bright
'ring of fire' surrounding a perfectly circular dark hole.
HAYABUSA-2 CREATES A CRATER
The Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft successfully
dropped an explosive charge on the asteroid Ryugu to
create an artificial crater there. The spacecraft will later
return to gather samples from the gouged depression.
Scientists believe these samples could help them better
understand how Earth and the other planets were
formed in the early Solar System.
WORLD's FIRST 3D PRINTED HEART
Researchers from Tel Aviv University, Israel have
succeeded in making world's first 3D printed
vascularised engineered heart using a patient's own
tissues and biological materials.
They managed to produce an entire heart, complete
with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers. This
first prototype is the size of a rabbit’s heart but
researchers hope to stimulate the printed heart into
functioning like a real one.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
CHINA LAUNCHES DATA SATELLITE
China successfully launched Tianlian II-01- the first of
its new-generation data relay satellites into orbit that
will provide data relay, measurement and control
services for its manned spacecraft. The satellite was
launched by a long March-3B carrier rocket from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's
Sichuan Province on March 31.
5G NETWORK OPERATIONAL IN SOUTH KOREA
South Korea became first nation in world to launch full-
fledged 5G mobile networks in the country. The
superfast communications heralded by fifth-generation
wireless technology will facilitate near-instant
connectivity in smart phones - 20 times faster than the
existing 4G. The 5G's hyper speed can connect one
million devices within a one square kilometre zone
simultaneously. It will promote self-driving vehicles
that send data traffic to one another in real time,
industrial robots, drones and other elements of the
Internet of Things.
Russia has successfully tested the world’s first floating
nuclear power plant- ‘Akademik Lomonosov’, a
subsidiary of Rosatom Nuclear Corporation. Reactors of
this floating atomic block were launched in Nov. 2018.
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have
joined hands to map, validate and protect smaller
wetlands in coastal regions.
YouTube has confirmed that India has become its
largest and fastest growing market with more than 265
million monthly active users in India.
Nepal successfully launched its first satellite NepaliSat-
1 into space from Virginia in the United States. The
satellite was developed by the Nepalese scientists.
Sri Lanka’s first satellite ‘Raavana-1’ was launched
into space from NASA’s Flight Facility in Virginia, USA.
Google launched a new cloud based platform - ‘Anthos’
that allows users to run applications from anywhere, in
unmodified form, on existing on-premise hardware or
on the public cloud.
22

MARCH
ANTI SATELLITE MISSILE TESTED
India has become the fourth nation in the world after
United States, China and Russia to demonstrate anti-
satellite missile capability by shooting down a live
satellite. An anti-satellite weapon A-SAT, developed by
DRDO, successfully targeted a live satellite on a low
earth orbit, under the ‘Mission Shakti’.
INDIA SECOND IN ARMS IMPORT
Sweden-based think-tank Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its annual
report for the five-year period (2014-2018) titled
‘Trends in International Arms Transfers-2018’. As per
this report, India was the world’s second largest
importer of major arms in 2014-18 and accounting for
9.5 percent of the global total. Almost 58 percent of this
came from Russia. Saudi Arabia ranked number one
with 12 percent share. Among exporters, USA was at the
top, accounting for 36 percent of total exports, followed
by Russia at 21 percent.
ICGS VIJIT VISITS INDONESIA
Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Vijit' became the first-ever
Coast Guard ship to visit Sabang, Indonesia. The crew
will have interaction with officials of Bakamla
(Indonesian Coast Guard), Indonesian Armed Forces
and the local civil administration aimed at strengthening
the bilateral ties with Indonesia.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
BSF PUTS ELECTRONIC FENCE ON BD BORDER
The BSF launched the project BOLD-QIT - Border
Electronically Dominated QRT (quick reaction team)
Interception Technique on India-Bangladesh border in
Dhubri District of Assam where River Brahmaputra
enters into Bangladesh. In this area there are vast char
lands (sand bars) and innumerable river channels thus
making border guarding a daunting task especially
during rainy season.
NAVY LAUNCHES NBCTF FOR TRAINING
Indian Navy launched its Nuclear, Biological and
Chemical Training Facility (NBCTF) at INS Shivaji in
Lonavala, near Pune, Maharashtra. The NBCTF,
christened "Abhedya" (impenetrable in Sanskrit), will
help train personnel of naval ships fitted with nuclear,
biological and chemical detection & protection systems.
RUSSIA TO PROVIDE NUCLEAR SUBMARINES
India signed a $ 3 billion deal with Russia for leasing a
nuclear-powered attack submarine for the Indian Navy
for a period of 10 years. The Akula class submarine
(Chakra III) will be delivered by 2025.
INDIA TO MANUFACTURE AK-203 RIFLES
India signed a deal with a Russian firm Concern
Kalashnikov to manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles, the
latest version of the AK-47 rifles. They will be produced
at the Indian Ordnance Factory at Korwa in Amethi,
Uttar Pradesh.
OPERATION SAHAYATA TO HELP MOZAMBIQUE
Indian Navy launched 'Operation Sahayata' to provide
medical relief to the cyclone-hit African nation
Mozambique. The Navy deployed its ships Sujata,
Sarathi and Shardul to carry out humanitarian and
disaster relief activities.
 The DRDO successfully test-fired the indigenously
developed guided rocket system ‘Pinaka’ at Pokhran
in Rajasthan.The rockets have range of 80 to 90 kms.
 The annual joint exercise 'Mitra Shakti-VI' was held
between the troops from Sri Lanka and India in
Diyatalawa, Sri Lanka from March 26 to April 8.
 Exercise Al Nagah was held between army units of
India and Oman from March 12 to 25 in Jabel Al
Akhdar Mountains in Oman.
23
 ‘SWAGAT’ FOR SEEMLESS COMMUTING
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a defence public
sector undertaking, launched SWAGAT - the Automatic
Fare Collection Gating System. SWAGAT is compliant
with the National Common Mobility Card ecosystem for
hassle-free commute across various modes of transport
in India.

BRAILLE LAPTOP FOR VISUALLY- IMPAIRED

The researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology,
Delhi have created India's first Braille laptop for the
visually- impaired. The laptop is named Dot Book, and it
 The Indian Army held a 10-day military exercise
has a feature-packed, affordable Braille display. The
AFINDEX - Africa-India Field Training Exercise with
laptop has 10-cell refreshable Braille Cell modules.
armed forces of 17 African nations at Aundh near
Pune in Maharashtra.
 India and Bangladesh conducted a 14 day joint
THE INTERNET COMPLETES 30 YEARS
military exercise “Sampriti 2019” at Tangail in
Bangladesh.
 BSF and Border Guards Bangladesh conducted
‘Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019’ as a ‘Confidence
Building Measures’ between two border guards.
 The 33rd edition of the India-Indonesia Coordinated
Patrol (Ind-Indo Corpat) was held near Andaman &
Nicobar Islands from March 19 till April 4.
IIT DELHI DEVELOPS MEDICAL TEST KIT
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Delhi have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
nano technology based electronic hardware system that
can detect mechanically malaria, tuberculosis, intestinal March 12 marked completion of 30 years of the World
parasite, and cervical cancer in milliseconds from the Wide Web, an invention that changed the future of the
blood sample. This will facilitate healthcare access in human world. The credit for creating the modern day
resource-constrained areas which have limited access to web goes to Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist working at
human specialists. Europe's CERN lab - a massive nuclear physics
laboratory in Switzerland.
YOUNG SCIENTIST PROGRAMME
Initially in 1989, Lee envisioned "a large hypertext
The ISRO launched a special programme for school
database with typed links," named “Mesh,” to share
children called Yuva Vigyani Karyakram or Young
information amongst multiple computers. Later, using the
Scientist Programme for imparting basic knowledge on
HTML language, he developed the HTTP application, and
space technology, space science and space applications
WorldWideWeb.app— the first Web browser and page
to the younger ones with the intent of arousing their
editor. By 1991, the external Web servers were up and
interest in the emerging areas of space activities.
running.

FIRSTEVER SELFIE FROM SPACE

Israel's first lunar lander, named Beresheet sent back a
selfie taken from a distance of 37,600 kilometers with
the Earth clearly visible in the background. It marks an
important milestone in the space history as it is the first
in-space selfie.

APPLE TO LAUNCH VIRTUAL CREDIT CARD

Tech giant Apple has announced launch of virtual credit
card in tie-up with Goldman Sachs Group. The Apple
Card will have no numbers or CVN numbers for security
reasons. It will sync with iPhone users' Apple Wallet
and work through its payment system Apple Pay.

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 24

APP ‘BOLO’ TO HELP HINDI/ENGLISH READING
Tech giant Google unveiled a new app 'Bolo' that aims to
help children in primary school learn to read in Hindi
and English. The free app, which has been launched in
India first, uses Google's speech recognition and text-to-
speech technology. The app features an animated
character 'Diya', which encourages children to read
stories aloud and helps if the child is unable to
pronounce a word.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
MAY
ONLINE INITIATIVE TO COMBAT EXTREMISM
France and New Zealand launched a new initiative
named "Christchurch Call” aimed at curbing extremism
online. It began from New Zealand after a white
supremacist gunned down 51 people at two mosques in
the New Zealand city in March this year.
The initiative will bring together tech chiefs from 80
countries in Paris to find ways for new technologies to
eliminate violent extremist content on social media and
other online platforms. India, alongwith 18 other
countries has endorsed the call but USA has declined to
toe the line saying that it hampers freedom of speech.
BRITISH PM SURRENDERS TO ‘BREXIT’
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced her
resignation as the UK's Conservative Party leader from
June 7 "in the best interests of the country", as she failed
to win over the house on the issue of withdrawal of
Britain from the European Union.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
TENSION SORES BETWEEN US AND IRAN
In his sternest direct threat to Tehran (capital of Iran),
US President warned that a military confrontation with
America would “be the official end of Iran.” Tensions
between the US and Iran have been growing as Iran
refuses to bow down to various strict economic
sanctions imposed on it on account of alleged violations
of nuclear ban treaty.
Iran suspended its commitments under the 2015
landmark international nuclear deal, and threatened to
resume production of enriched uranium which is used to
make reactor fuel and nuclear weapons.
CHANGE OF EMPEROR ERA IN JAPAN
Emperor Akihito of Japan formally stepped down on
April 30, marking the end of ‘Heisei’ era in Japan. This
was first abdication in last 200 years in the world's
oldest monarchy. His son Naruhito took over the
Chrysanthemum Throne as 126th emperor to usher in a
new imperial era, named ‘Reiwa’.
ALGERIA, ARGENTINA NOW ‘MALARIA FREE’
The World Health Organization has certified Algeria and
Argentina as malaria-free as no new cases of the deadly
disease have been reported there for three consecutive
years. The malaria parasite, which kills more than
400,000 people each year, was discovered in Algeria in
1880. Most of its victims are children under the age of
five, in Africa.
US EXITS UN ARMS TRADE TREATY
USA has announced its withdrawal from the UN Arms
Trade Treaty, in response to concerns from gun rights
activists that it could impinge on Americans’ right to
bear arms.
The UN treaty seeks to regulate international trade in
conventional arms, including everything from tanks to
small arms, with a view to “prevent and eradicate the
illicit trade in conventional arms and prevent their
diversion.”
25
SAUDI OPENS DOOR FOR SKILLED MIGRANTS
For the first time in the history, the Saudi government
has approved a scheme that permits permanent
residency to certain expatriates, allowing them to own
real estate in the kingdom and reside with their families,
without a Saudi sponsor. The scheme aims to attract
skilled foreign labour to help implement an economic
reform programme aimed at reducing the kingdom’s
dependence on oil.
US OFFERS MERIT BASED IMMIGRATION
US President Donald Trump rolled out a merit-based
immigration system which will benefit foreigners,
including hundreds of Indian professionals and skilled
workers, waiting to get Green Cards or permanent legal
residency in USA. As per the proposed system,
permanent legal residency would be given based on
points for their age, knowledge, job opportunities and
civic sense.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY IN IRELAND
Ireland has declared climate emergency in their country,
to be the second country after Britain did so on May 1.
The declaration calls for the government to fast track
legislative changes with respect to climate deterioration.
It also involves drastic cut down of greenhouse gas
emissions by 2030.
POPE PASSES LAW FOR REPORTING SEX ABUSE
Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, on May 9
passed a landmark law to make reporting sex abuse
obligatory. The Pope's personal authority issued ‘Motu
Proprio’, declaring that those who know about sex
abuse or suspect it in the Catholic Church, are obliged to
report it right away to the church authorities. The law
will come into effect from June 1, 2019.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
SINGAPORE TURNS HEAT ON FAKE NEWS
Singapore has passed a controversial bill that equips the
government with extensive powers to police online
media and free speech. According to the law, those
found guilty of indulging in fake news may be fined up
to Singapore $100,000 ($74,000) or a potential 10-year
jail term. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter face fines
of up to SG$1 million ($740,000) for their role in such
activities.
SINGAPORE FINDS CASE OF ‘MONKEYPOX’
Singapore recently reported the first ever case of the
Monkeypox Virus, a rare virus similar to the human
smallpox. The virus might have been brought in by a
Nigerian who arrived in Singapore in April end, 2019.
The human cases of Monkeypox Virus were first
reported in the West and Central Africa in 1970s.
However, it was eradicated in 1980.
INDONESIA PLANS TO MOVE ITS CAPITAL
Indonesia announced its plans to move its capital from
Jakarta to a new location. Jakarta, home to over 10
million people, is sinking at one of the fastest rates in
the world. It is feared that large parts of city may
submerge by 2050. The city sits on the coast on swampy
land, criss-crossed by 13 rivers. Half of Jakarta is below
sea level. Besides, it is very heavily congested leading to
worst traffic jams.
INDIA 4TH IN MILITARY EXPENDITURE
As per the recent report from Sweden based Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India
was the world’s fourth biggest military spender in 2018,
behind the United States (first), China (second), and
Saudi Arabia (third). At $66.5 billion, India accounts for
3.7% of the global defence spending. The USA and China
accounted for almost half of the world’s military
spending.
 The 5th UN Global Road Safety Week was celebrated
from May 6 to 12. It is celebrated once in two years.
The theme this time was ‘Leadership for Road Safety’.
26

 Taiwan has passed a law that grants legal sanction to
same-sex marriage, making it first country in Asia to
legalise same sex unions.
 The 5th Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Media
Summit on Climate Action & Disaster Preparedness
was held at Kathmandu, Nepal.
 The World Bank and the Commonwealth Bank of
Australia (CommBank) have teamed up to enable
recording of secondary market bond trading using
blockchain technology.
APRIL
BRUNEI INTRODUCES SHARIA LAW
Brunei became the first nation in South East Asia to
introduce harsh new Sharia laws that make offences
such as rape,adultery and homsexuality punishable by
stoning to death. It also introduced public flogging as
punishment for abortion and criminalises exposing
Muslim children to the beliefs and practices of any
religion other than Islam.
The decision to push ahead with the punishments has
sparked alarm around the world too, with the United
Nations labelling them cruel and inhumane.
WORLD OBSERVES ‘EARTH HOUR’
On March 30, cities around the world marked Earth
Hour by turning off lights at their local time 8:30 p.m. to
9.30 pm in a call for global action on climate change.
The campaign is headed by the NGO World Wildlife
Fund. Beginning in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has
spread to more than 180 countries, with tens of millions
of people joining in for support.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
THE WORLD BANK GETS NEW PRESIDENT
David Malpass, US President’s nominee to lead the
World Bank, won unanimous approval from the
executive board of the Bank. Malpass said he would
uphold the bank’s commitment to reducing poverty in
the poorest countries and to fight climate change.
With 189 member countries, the World Bank Group,
having headquarters in Washington DC, USA, is a unique
global partnership fighting poverty worldwide through
sustainable solutions by providing funds for development
projects of its member countries.
WORLD ECONOMY TO GROW BY 3.3% - IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report
“World Economic Outlook 2019” has projected that
global growth will be 3.3% in 2019, down from 3.6% in
2018 and 4% in 2017. This lower projection is due to
lower global expansion in the second half of 2018
caused by U S - China trade tensions, macro-economic
stress in Turkey and Argentina and tighter credit
policies in China.
RWANDA GOES IN FOR 100 DAYS MOURNING
Rwanda, a tiny landlocked country in Central East Africa
began on April 7 one hundred days of national
mourning to pay homage to over 800,000 people
slaughtered in a genocide that shocked the world about
25 years back. The killings began on April 7, 1994 after
the killing of then President, a Hutu leader, in an aircraft
attack which sparked ethnic conflict against local Tutsi
and Hutu communities that lasted for about 100 days.
MALAWI TRIES FIRST MALARIA VACCINE
The world's first-ever malaria vaccine was launched in a
pilot project in Malawi, a small country in south east
Africa. The vaccine, known as RTS,S, (trade name
Mosquirix) will be made available to children up to 2
years of age. Two other countries, Ghana and Kenya will
introduce the vaccine soon. About 93% of the world's
malaria-related deaths in 2017 occurred in Africa.
EU PASSES BAN ON SINGLE USE PLASTICS
European Parliament voted with good majority to ban
single-use plastic products. It includes plastic cutlery,
cotton buds, straws and stirrers as part of a sweeping
law against plastic waste that despoils beaches and
pollutes oceans.
27

 India was made the Guest of Honour country at the
2019 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF)
held in UAE from April 24-30.
 Saudi Arabia announced that it will be hosting the
G20 summit in November 2020 in its capital Riyadh.
This would be the first G20 summit in the Arab world.
 The World Allergy Organization organized the World
Allergy Week 2019 globally from 7-13 April 2019.
The theme for the event was "The Global Problem of
Food Allergy".
 In New Zealand, Parliament has voted to ban all
types of semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles
following the Christchurch attacks wherein 50
persons were killed by a fanatic gunman.
 Bolivia signed the framework agreement to join the
International Solar Alliance as its 74th member.
MARCH
US & ALLIES LIBERATE SYRIA FROM IS
US-backed forces in Syria announced on 23rd March
that they have liberated the last area held by the Islamic
State (IS) in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz,
declaring victory over the extremist group and the end
of its self-declared Islamic caliphate.
The fight by the US and its partners to liberate Syria
from the IS spanned five years and killed untold
numbers running in to lakhs, of fighters and civilians.
Five years ago, IS controlled 88,000 square km of
territory stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
BRITISH PARLIAMENT TO DELAY BREXIT
The British Parliament rejected the Brexit deal for a
second time, plunging the UK into a state of uncertainty,
just two weeks ahead of the country's divorce from the
European Union. The House of Commons voted against
the deal by 391 votes to 242. Later, they voted to seek a
delay to the 29th of this month's deadline for the UK to
exit the European Union (EU).
The delay in the Brexit process would now require the
unanimous approval of all 27 remaining EU member
states. The UK had voted to leave the EU in a
referendum in June, 2016.
VIENA IS THE MOST LIVEABLE CITY
The global human resource consulting firm, Mercer
released its annual Quality of Living Survey 2019 to
rank the most liveable cities has placed Austria’s capital
city Vienna at the number one spot, for the 10th year in
a row. In India, Hyderabad and Pune, at a joint rank of
143, continue to be the most liveable cities.
49 KILLED IN NEW ZEALAND SHOOTOUT
A gunman killed 49 persons and injured 20 in attacks at
two mosques in the Christchurch city in New Zealand.
The mosques were packed with worshippers gathered
for Friday prayers. He live-streamed the attacks on
Facebook for 17 minutes using an app. The shooter,
arrested by the police, is a 28-year-old Australian citizen
Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a diehard extremist filled
with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim ideas.
Capital: Wellington PM: Ms. Jacinda Ardern
HANOI SUMMIT ENDS IN A DRAW
After eight months of their historic summit in Singapore,
the US President Trump and the Supreme leader of
North Korea (official name Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea) Kim Jong-Un met once again in for a
two day summit (Feb 27-28) in the Vietnamese capital
Hanoi.
However, the two leaders failed to reach a
formal deal at the Summit as the Trump refused North
Korean demand to lift all international sanctions till
Korea confirms complete denuclearisation.
28
BRAZIL HOLDS FIRST BRICS SHERPA MEETING
The first BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa) Sherpa meeting was held in Curitiba, Brazil
under the Presidency of Brazil. The Indian delegation
was led by T S Tirumurti, Secretary in the Ministry of
External Affairs.
LARGEST E-WASTE RECYCLING PLANT
The world’s largest e-waste recycling plant has been
opened in Dubai Industrial Park, Dubai by ‘Enviroserve’
company with a total cost of $5 million. It will recycle
annually over 100,000 tonnes of Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment, IT asset disposition, refrigerant
gas and specialized waste.
MALAYSIA JOINS THE ICC
Malaysia has become the 124th member of the
International Criminal Court, headquartered at The
Hague, Netherlands. The ICC is the world’s only
permanent war crimes court and aims to prosecute the
worst abuses when national courts are unable or
unwilling.
 Oslo, the capital city of Norway is set to become the
world’s first city to install wireless, induction-based
charging stations for its fleet of electric taxis to have
a zero-emission cab system by the year 2023.
 Batman, popular hero of Detective Comics, celebrated
its 80th birthday on March 30, just three days after
the related Comic book will reach issue no. 1000.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
PERSONS IN NEWS
MAY
Chhaya Sharma: An IPS officer, who investigated the
infamous Nirbhaya rape case (2012), was felicitated
with McCain Institute Award 2019 for courage and
leadership. The award is given by the McCain Institute
for International Leadership at Arizona University, USA.
Kapil Sharma: Popular comedian-actor has been
acknowledged as the most viewed stand-up comedian in
India and abroad by the World Book of Records, London.
The 38 year old comedian became immensely popular
with his TV show “Comedy Nights With Kapil”.
Captain Aarohi Pandit: 23-year-old pilot from Mumbai
became the world's first woman to cross the Atlantic
Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA) covering a
distance of over 3,000 kms.
Masood Azhar: In a huge diplomatic win for India, the
U N Security Council designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-
Mohammed chief as a "global terrorist" after China lifted
its hold on a proposal to blacklist him. A "global
terrorist” designation will subject Azhar to an assets
freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo.
A known fugitive, 50-year old Azhar, who formed the JeM
in 2000, is the mastermind of various suicide strikes in
India including attack on Parliament in 2001, Pathankot
air base attack in 2016 and recent suicide attack on CRPF
convoy in Pulwama.
Victor Vescovo: 53 years old diver and deep sea
explorer from USA broke the world record for the
deepest dive in history. He dived to the deepest point in
the ocean, going down to 10,927 meters in the
Challenger Deep in Mariana Trench in Western Pacific
ocean. He set another record by becoming the first and
only person who visited highest and deepest point of the
world as he had climbed Mount Everest also.
Kami Rita Sherpa: 49 year old sherpa reached the top
of Mt Everest for the 24th time, creating a new world
record for scaling the world’s highest point at 8,850-
metre for maximum number of times. His first ascent to
the peak was in May 1994, after which he has been
scaling the peak almost every year.
Saray Khumalo: Mountaineer from South Africa
became the first black woman to scale Mount Everest.
Drake Graham: The multi talented rapper, singer from
Canada created new record at the popular US music
awards - Billboard Music Awards by taking home 12
awards, including Top Artist, bringing his lifetime total
to 27, the most by any artist.
29
 APRIL
Amartya Sen: The London School of Economics and
Political Science (LSE) has announced the creation of the
Amartya Sen Chair in Inequality Studies, named in
honour of the India-born economist, philosopher, and
Nobel laureate, who was Professor of Economics at LSE
from 1971-82.
Prof. Gagandeep Kang: She has become the first Indian
female scientist to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal
Society (FRS) in the UK fellowship's 358-year-history.
The 56-year-old is the Executive Director of
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute at
Faridabad, Haryana.
Shah Rukh Khan: The Bollywood star was conferred
honorary doctorate in Philanthropy from The University
of Law, London. The actor received the merit during a
graduation ceremony held at the Barbican in London.
Omar al-Bashir: President of Sudan was ousted and
arrested by the Sudan's army in a sudden development
of events that followed months of nationwide protests
against him. He was ruling the country for past 30 years.
However, his failure to control high inflation and deep
economic crisis , turned the people against him.
Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder was arrested by
the London police from the Ecuadorian embassy in
London. Assange took refuge in the embassy seven
years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual
assault case that has since been dropped. Ecuador said
it withdrew Mr Assange's asylum after his repeated
violations of international conventions.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika: Algerian President resigned
after weeks of mass protests. The eighty-two-year-old
leader was in power for 20 years and was under
mounting pressure to step down since his decision to
seek a fifth term.
MARCH
Mukesh Ambani: Richest Indian with worth jumping to
$50 billion, jumped six positions to rank 13th on Forbes
World's Billionaire list released recently.
Dipa Karmakar, Indian gymnast was selected as role
model for new series of Barbie dolls launched to mark
the 60th anniversary of the Barbie doll made by Mattel
Company of USA.
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Kazakhstan's President abruptly announced his
resignation from the position on March 19, 2019 after
remaining in power for nearly three decades.
The 78 year old charismatic leader was praised for
maintaining stability and ethnic peace in Kazakhstan and
for modernizing the nation's oil industry.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Kylie Jenner: 21 year old iconic artist of her family’s
American reality TV show “Keeping Up with the
Kardashians” was named the youngest self - made
billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine, thanks to the
booming cosmetics company she founded 3 years ago.
APPOINTMENTS
MAY
CHIEF MINISTERS APPOINTED IN 4 STATES
State Chief Minister Party
Odisha Naveen Patnaik Biju Janata Dal
(re-elected)
Sikkim Prem Singh Golay Sikkim Krantikari
(Tamang) Morcha
Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mohan YSR Congress
Reddy
Arunachal Pema Khandu BJP
Pradesh (re-elected)
Sanjiv Puri: Managing Director of ITC (Indian Tobacco
Company), Kolkata, has been appointed as the new
Chairman of the company with the designation as the
Chairman and Managing Director.
Jagjit Pavadia: Re-elected by the UN Economic and
Social Council to a five-year term on International
Narcotics Control Board.
Mueenul Haq: Pakistan appointed the senior diplomat
as the High Commissioner to India.
Prof. Tijjani Mohammed Bande: Appointed as the
new President of the United Nations General Assembly
for 2019-20. He is a senior statesman and diplomat from
Nigeria.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn: Crowned as the new king
of Thailand. He will be known as Rama X, or the 10th
king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782.
Cyril Ramaphosa: Re-elected as the President of South
Africa.
Joko Widodo: Re-elected as the President of Indonesia
Scott Morrison: Elected as the new Prime Minister of
Australia
APRIL
Karnam Sekar: Appointed as the new Managing
Director and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank
Prof. Najma Akhtar: Appointed as the first woman
vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. It is a
central university formed under an act of parliament.
Vikram Kirloskar: CMD of Kirloskar Systems Ltd., and
vice-chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, elected as
President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
for 2019-20.
30
Keshav Murugesh: CEO of WNS Global Services Group
appointed as the Chairman of NASSCOM - The National
Association of Software and Services Companies, for
2019-20.
Vipin Anand: Appointed as the Managing Director of
Life Insurance Corporation of India. It may be noted
that Chairman of LIC is M R Kumar.
Manu Sawhney: Appointed as the CEO of the
International Cricket Council, Dubai
David Malpass: Elected as the President of the World
Bank, Washington DC, USA.
Abdelkader Bensalah: Elected as the new President of
Algeria.
Benjamin Netanyahu: Won the election of Prime
Minister of Israel for record 5th time.
Zuzana Caputova: Elected as first woman President of
Slovakia
Volodymyr Zelenskiy: Elected as the President of
Ukraine. He is a famous comedian by profession.
MARCH
Vice Admiral Karambir Singh Nijjar: Appointed as
the next Chief of Indian Navy in the rank of Admiral. He
will succeed Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on 31st of
May this year.
Subhash Chandra Garg: Appointed as the Union
Finance Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
Ajit Kumar Mohanty: Distinguished scientist appointed
Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
Mumbai.
Bhagwan Lal Sahni: Appointed as the chairman of the
newly constituted National Commission for Backward
Classes (NCBC).
Hasmukh Adhia: Former Finance Secretary appointed
as non-executive chairman of Bank of Baroda.
Pramod Sawant: BJP leader elected as the next Chief
Minister of Goa, after the sad demise of Manohar
Parrikar.
M.R. Kumar: Appointed as the chairman of Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
Pranav R Mehta: Became the first Indian to hold the
post of the President of Global Solar Council (GSC),
Washington D.C., USA. A visionary in the field of solar
energy, he is the chairman of National Solar Energy
Federation.
Mohammad Shtayyeh: Appointed as the new Prime
Minister of Palestine.
Muhammadu Buhari: Re-elected as the President of
Nigeria.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
AWARDS & HONOURS
MAY
National Intellectual Property Award: Dr. Benny
Antony won the award in individual category for
Patents and Commercialization. He has over 80
international patents to his credit.
Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize: Awarded to
author Rana Dasgupta for his 2010 novel "Solo". The
prize carries cash reward of $10,000, a Tagore statue
and a certificate.
Global Asian of the Year 2018-19 award: Bengaluru-
based medical doctor Hema Divakar was honoured with
this prestigious award in Dubai for her yeomen services
and contributions to the women's healthcare ecosystem,
in India.
Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction:
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
(UNDRR), Geneva, conferred the prestigious award
upon Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal
Secretary to Prime Minister of India for his outstanding
contribution in improving the safety net of the socially
and economically marginalised and promoting the
inclusive growth of societies.
The award is sponsored by Nippon Foundation of Japan
headed by Yohei Sasakawa.
Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Legion d'Honneur:
Former ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar was conferred
with France's highest civilian honour for his
contribution to India-France space cooperation.
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star: Japan’s
second highest national award conferred upon Shyam
Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India, for his
contributions to strengthen the strategic ties and
enhancing mutual understanding between India and
Japan.
Palme d'Or: The prize for the best film at the 72nd
Cannes Film Festival in France was won by the South
Korean director Bong Joon Ho's film "Parasite".
Man Booker International Prize: Jokha Alharthi, an
author from Oman has won the prestigious literary
award for "Celestial Bodies". She is the first Arabic-
language writer to take the 50,000 pounds prize, half of
which will go to her UK-based translator, Marilyn Booth.
APRIL
The Order of St Andrew the Apostle: The highest civil
decoration of Russia conferred upon Prime Minister
Narendra Modi for his exceptional services in promoting
privileged strategic partnership between the two
countries.
31

The Order of Zayed: The highest civilian decoration of
United Arab Emirates was conferred upon Prime
Minister Narendra Modi for recognising his outstanding
contribution to international leadership and
strengthening relations with the UAE.
Saraswati Samman 2018: Telugu poet K Siva Reddy
selected for this prestigious literary award for his
collection of poetry titled ‘Pakkaki Ottigilite’. Instituted
by the KK Birla Foundation, it carries a cash prize of
Rs.15 lakh, a citation and a plaque. The award is given
annually for an outstanding literary work in any Indian
language and published during the last 10 years.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga ‘Namami
Gange’ won the distinction of “Public Water Agency of
the Year” by Global Water Intelligence at the Global
Water Summit in London.
AIMA Managing India Award: Won by Indian Oil
Corporation for outstanding PSU of the year.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman: Swiss-based NRI scientist
Dr Rajendra Joshi was conferred with the Award by the
President of India in recognition of his valuable
contribution in promoting the honour and prestige of
India abroad.
MARCH
The 64th Filmfare awards were declared on March
23 at Jio Garden, Mumbai.
Best Film: Raazi by Meghna Gulzar
Best Actor (Female): Alia Bhatt, Raazi
Best Actor (Male): Ranbir Kapoor, Sanju
Best Director: Meghna Gulzar, Raazi
Vyas Samman 2018: Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagudi
(from Uttarakhand) selected by the KK Birla Foundation
for this prestigious award for outstanding work in Hindi
literature, for his collection of poems “Jitne Log Utne
Prem”. It carries a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
34 get S S Bhatnagar prize
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes awarded to 34
budding scholars in New Delhi. It is the most coveted
national recognition bestowed upon young scientists
and engineers to honour their research and
developmental work in India.
Dr Bhatnagar was a renowned scientist in the field of
Chemistry. A Padma Bhushan awardee, he was known as
“father of research laboratories” in India.
Commonwealth Youth Award: A social entrepreneur
from Tamil Nadu, Padmanaban Gopalan, founder of No
Food Waste, won the award for the Asian region at a
ceremony at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
His initiative runs a geo-mapping platform, which
allows users to drop food at specified “hunger spots”. So
far they have recovered over 6.5 lakh meals in 14 cities.
Golden Peacock Innovative Product Award: ACKO
General Insurance, a new-age digital insurance company
was awarded the coveted award for their contextual
micro insurance product -“Ola Ride Insurance”.
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India won the
First Prize in the category of TV Cinema Spot at the
prestigious international Golden City Gate Tourism
Awards held at Berlin, Germany.
The Pritzker Architecture Prize: Japanese architect
Arata Isozaki won the prize for 2019. Considered as
“the Nobel of Architecture,” it is bestowed annually by
Chicago’s Pritzker family through its Hyatt Foundation.
Templeton Prize: Awarded to Marcelo Gleiser, a
college professor from USA who says he is a religious
agnostic but whose work has focused on the links
between science and the mysteries of creation. 60 year
old native of Brazil is the first Latin American to win this
$1.45 million prestigious spiritual prize given by the
USA based John Templeton Foundation.
The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a
living person who, in the estimation of the judges, "has
made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's
spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery,
or practical works
Abel Prize: University of Texas professor Karen
Uhlenbeck has become the first woman to win this
prestigious prize. The 76-year-old mathematician was
awarded for the impact of her work on "analysis,
geometry and mathematical physics".
Modelled after the Nobel Prize, the Abel Prize is
presented by the King of Norway and carries a $700,000
cash award.
Global Teacher Prize 2019: Peter Tabichi, 36, a
science teacher from remote village in Kenya’s Rift
Valley has been crowned the world’s best teacher and
awarded a $1million prize, beating 10,000 nominations
from 179 countries. He donates 80% of his salary to
help poorer students. The prize is given by the London
based Varkey Foundation.
32

BOOKS & AUTHORS
MAY
Jugaad: The Coalition Handbook by Saba Naqvi,
senior journalist
Game Changer - an autobiography of Shahid Afridi,
famous Pakistani cricketer.
The City And The Sea by Raj Kamal Jha
Theodore Boone: The Accomplice by John Grisham
The Forest Of Wool And Steel by Natsu Miyashita
The Ministry of Truth by Dorian Lynskey
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
APRIL
Martyrdom to Freedom by Rajesh Ramachandran
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
MARCH
I Have Become The Tide by Githa Hariharan
Half the Night is Gone by Amitabha Bagchi
The Third Pillar by Raghuram G Rajan
Every Vote Counts-The Story of India’s Elections by
Navin Chawla, former Chief Election Commissioner
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
Becoming - Memoirs of US First Lady Michelle Obama
OBITUARY
MAY
Y C Deveshwar: Noted industry
leader and ITC chairman (Yogesh
Chander Deveshwar) who
transformed the cigarette major
into a diversified player with
interests in FMCG, hospitality, IT
and other sectors, passed away
on May 11 after a brief illness in
a hospital in Gurugram, Haryana.
He was 72. He headed the conglomerate for over 23
years. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2011 for
his service to the nation.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Veeru Devgan: Bollywood’s
famous stunt and action
choreographer, father of
popular actor Ajay Devgan
passed away in Mumbai at the
age of 77. He directed the fight
and action scenes in over 80
Hindi films including ‘Phool Aur
Kaante’, ‘Mr. India’, and
‘Himmatwala’ and many others.
Niki Lauda: The former Formula One driver and three-
time world champion from Austria, passed away at the
age of 70. He was hugely admired, respected and liked
within F1 circles.
APRIL
Pradeep Choubey: Renowned Hindi poet and humorist
died of a cardiac arrest in his hometown Gwalior, MP. He
was 70. His elder brother, Shail Chaturvedi was also a
very famous humorist poet.
MARCH
Manohar Parrikar: Former Defence Minister and four
time Chief Minister of Goa, lost the battle of life fighting
the pancreatic cancer. He was 63. He was the first IITian
to become a Chief Minister and was known for his utter
simplicity and excellent administrative skills.
Andre Previn: Legendary composer and pianist passed
away at the age of 89 in Manhattan, New York, USA. He
was a 10-time Grammy Award winner and had won 4
Oscars for his composition.
PLACES IN NEWS
MAY
Surat: In a tragic incident, at least 23 students of a
private coaching class were killed — several of them
literally jumping to their death — in a devastating fire in
a four-storeyed commercial complex in Sarthana locality
of Surat on May 24.
Cyclone Fani: Extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani
made landfall on the eastern coast wreaking havoc in
Odisha on morning of May 03. Extensive damage was
caused by near 200 kmph winds and heavy to very
heavy rainfall. Over 11 lakh people were successfully
evacuated to safer areas. The cyclone later ravaged the
coastal areas in West Bengal also.
Gadchiroli: Fifteen security personnel were martyred
and a driver of a private vehicle was killed in a high-
intensity land-mine blast executed by Naxalites at
Jambhulkheda, in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.
33
Peru: A powerful earthquake measuring 8 on the richter
scale, toppled houses, blocked roads and knocked out
power in parts of the country on May 26.
Peru lies in western part of South America on the so-
called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines that circles the
Pacific Basin and is prone to frequent earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions.
APRIL
Tashigang: The Himachal Pradesh village at an altitude
of 15,256 feet has now become the highest polling
station in the world, covering just two villages,
Tashigang and Gate.
Sri Lanka: Around 300 people were killed and more
than 400 injured in a series of bomb blasts targeting
churches across the country and three five-star hotels in
Colombo during Easter services on April 21.
Notre-Dame Cathedral: A massive fire consumed the
850 year old ancient Cathedral in Paris on April 15,
stunning France and the world. Fortunately, the
firefighters could save the main bell towers and outer
walls from collapse before bringing the blaze under
control.
London: It has become the first city in the world to
implement 24x7 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
norms as per which vehicles will have to meet tough
emissions standards or face a charge. Introduction of
the ULEZ aims to reduce toxic air pollution and protect
public health.
Sharjah: Popular as the cultural capital of UAE, the
Arabian city has been designated as the World Book
Capital for 2019 by UNESCO, with the slogan "Read - you
are in Sharjah".
Phayeng: The village in Imphal West district of
Manipur has become India’s first carbon-positive
settlement. This means it earns more carbon credits
than carbon emitted by it, slowing accumulation of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) and mitigating effects of
climate change.
Singapore's Changi Airport has been crowned the
world's best aviation hub for the seventh time in a row,
according to the Skytrax World Airport Awards.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
MARCH
Astana/Nursultan: Kazakhstan's parliament voted to
rename the country's capital Astana as Nursultan in
honour of longtime ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev, a day
after he resigned as president.
Cyclone Idai: Around 1,000 feared dead in
Mozambique and in neighbouring Zimbabwe and
Malawi after tropical cyclone Idai tore through the three
southern African countries. Several other persons went
missing after the storm brought strong winds, heavy
rains and flash flooding.
SPORTS WORLD
MAY
3rd ISSF World Cup Rifle and Pistol tournament in
Munich, Germany
Apurvi Chandela won gold in 10m Air Rifle competition
at. Saurabh Chaudhary won 10m Air Pistol Gold and also
created a new world record. Apurvi holds number one
position in world in 10m Air Rifle category.
Saurav Ghoshal and Joshna Chinappa won their
respective Asian Individual Squash Championship titles
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Bajrang Punia won the gold medal in 65kg freestyle in
the Ali Aliyev Wrestling Tournament in Kaspiysk,
Russia.
Pankaj Advani, India’s ace cueist won the Asian
Snooker Tour title in Bengaluru.
CEAT Cricket Rating International Awards 2019
International Cricketer & Batsman of the Year: Virat Kohli
International Bowler of the Year: Jasprit Bumrah
India won 57 medals including 12 Gold, 18 Silver and
27 Bronze at the 2nd India Open International Boxing
tournament held in Guwahati.
8th Asian Youth Women Handball Championship will
be held in Jaipur in August 2019.
Asian Boxing Championships, Bangkok: India won
13 medals, including 2 gold, 4 silver, and 7 bronze.
Boxers Pooja Rani and Amit Panghal gave India 2 gold
medals.
Igor Stimac: Former star footballer and coach from
Croatia appointed as the Coach for Indian men’s football
team.
G S Lakshmi has become the first ever woman to be
appointed to the ICC International Panel of Match
Referees and will be eligible to referee international
games with immediate effect.
34
Indian Premier League: Mumbai Indians became IPL
champions for the fourth time after defeating Chennai
Super Kings by one run in a thrilling final in Hyderabad.
World’s first exclusive women's cricket magazine
'Criczone' was recently released in India. Published
from Pune, the magazine features only women
cricketers. Its first edition featured Smriti Mandhana as
cover story.
Popular milk products brand Amul has decided to be the
principal sponsor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the
upcoming World Cup, slated to be held in England and
Wales from May 30.
INTERNATIONAL
Kiki Bertens of The Netherlands won the Women’s
Singles Title in Madrid Open tennis in Spain, defeating
Simona Halep.
French Open Tennis, the second Grand Slam of the
season, began in Paris on May 26.
Lewis Hamilton of Britain won the Monaco Grand Prix
for the team Mercedes. He also won the Spanish grand
prix at Barcelona, Spain.
Valtteri Bottas (Finland) of team Mercedes won the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix F1 championship.
Brooks Koepka: 29 year old American reached the top
of world rankings in professional golf after winning the
US PGA Championship victory at Bethpage Black.
Sana Mir: Pakistani off-spinner has become the most
successful women's ODI spinner in history after she
took her 147th wicket, highest ever by any spinner in
One-day International (ODI) cricket.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of
Greece to win his third Madrid Open title.
Italian Open: Rafael Nadal of Spain won the title after
beating Novak Djokovic in the final played in Rome.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Barcelona Open: Dominic Thiem (Austria) won the
Tennis cup defeating Daniil Medvedev (Russia) in Spain.
Raheem Sterling of Britain has been named the 2019
footballer of the year by the Football Writers'
Association (FWA).
Australia's Claire Polosak has become the first female
umpire to officiate in a men's one-day international at
the ICC World Cricket League match.
Asian Wrestling Championships, Xi’an, China: Iran
topped the medal tally with 11 gold and 6 bronze. India
secured 8th position with 16 medals (1 Gold, 6 Silver &
9 Bronze). The sole gold was won by Bajrang Punia.
Sudirman Cup: China won the world mixed team
badminton championship at Nanning, China by
defeating Japan.
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
World Cup, Beijing: India topped the medal tally with
four medals, three golds and a silver.
The 46-day tournament of ICC ODI
world Cup (men’s) will be played
across 11 venues in the United
Kingdom and Wales from 30th of
May. The tournament will offer ten
million US Dollars or a little more
than 70 crore rupee as the prize
money.
TWO NEW FORMATS OF BADMINTON
The world body governing Badminton, BFA, has
launched two new formats of the game - AirBadminton
and Triples with new field dimensions and an
innovative shuttlecock called Airshuttle. AirBadmintion
will be outdoor sports. In Triples format, the match will
be played between a team of three players each with the
presence of at least one female.
APRIL
Bajrang Punia, 25 year old wrestler regained the world
number one spot in the men's 65 kg freestyle category,
as per the latest rankings issued by United World
Wrestling on April 17.
Mithali Raj, Indian women's cricket team captain has
been named the goodwill ambassador of Team India at
the Street Child Cricket World Cup.
Meena Kumari Maisnam won gold in the 54 kg
category in the Boxing World Cup at Cologne, Germany.
WISDEN CRICKETERS’ ALMANACK - 2019
Cricketer of the year (men): Virat Kohli.
Cricketer of the year (women): Smriti Mandhana
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, popularly called Wisden
or Bible of Cricket is a 154 year old treasury of cricket
data, published annually from London.
35
Santosh Trophy: The Services team emerged as winner
of the popular Football trophy after defeating Punjab
team in the finals played in Ludhiana, Punjab.
ISSF World Cup in Beijing: Indian team could win only
two gold medals at the international shooting event.
Asian Athletics Championships, Doha: India ended at
the fourth spot in the medals tally with 3 Gold, 7 Silver
and 7 Bronze. Bahrain topped the table with 11 Gold, 7
Silver and 4 Bronze.
India Tops ICC Test Rankings
India secured the top spot in the International Cricket
Council (ICC) Test rankings, winning prize of $1 million
for the third consecutive year and retained the ICC Test
Championship Mace. New Zealand and South Africa
were ranked second and third, respectively.
Graham Reid, veteran Australian hockey player named
as the new chief coach of the Indian men's hockey team
by Hockey India.
Saurav Ghosal became the first Indian squash player in
the men’s category to enter the top 10 in latest
Professional Squash Association (PSA) world rankings,
being placed at 10th spot. In women’s category, Joshna
Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal had earlier reached top 10
in the world rankings.
Praful Patel, President of All India Football Federation
has become the first Indian to be elected as a member of
the FIFA Executive Council, Zurich, Switzerland.
INTERNATIONAL
Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix for team
Mercedes at Manama in Bahrain, a tiny island country in
the Persian Gulf. He also won the Formula One’s 1,000th
world championship race - Chinese Grand Prix in
Shanghai, China.
Malaysia Open (Badminton), Kuala Lumpur
Men’s title won by Chinese badminton ace Lin Dan
Women’s title won by Taiwanese top seed Tai Tzu-ying
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: South Korea won the hockey
tournament by defeating India in the finals played at
Ipoh, Malaysia.
Belgium topped the world football rankings released
by FIFA, closely followed by France on second spot,
while Brazil was placed at third spot. India rose two
points and got 101st rank.
MARCH
ASIAN AIRGUN CHAMPIONSHIP, TAOYUAN, TAIWAN
Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary, created a new
world record while securing gold in the 10m air pistol
mixed team event. Yash Vardhan and Shreya Agrawal
bagged three gold medals each in 10 mt air rifle events -
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
individual, team and mixed. India finished with 25
medals that included 16 gold, five silver and four
bronze.
Pooja Dhanda claimed gold in the 59 kg category in
Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament in Ruse, Bulgaria.
Bajrang Punia also won gold medal in 65 kilogram
freestyle category in the same tournament.
Deepak Singh, National boxing champion won gold
while five others claimed silver medals in the Makran
Cup in Chabahar, Iran.
Kavinder Singh Bisht won the gold in the 56 kg-
category while Shiva Thapa and three others claimed
silver medals at the 38th GeeBee Boxing Tournament in
Helsinki, Finland.
India scored its 500th ODI victory by beating
Australia at Nagpur. India played their first ODI in 1974
and have played 963 matches since then.
For the first time in nine years, two India bowlers,
Jhulan Goswami (first) and Shikha Pandey (fifth),
joined the top five clubs in the latest ICC women's
cricket rankings for ODI bowlers. Among batswomen,
Smriti Mandhana retained her number one spot.
Irfan K T of India qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
as he secured 4th position at the Asian Race Walking
Championship at Nomi in Japan.
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's
Championship: India lifted the cup for fifth time in a
row, defeating host Nepal in the final by 3-1 in
Biratnagar, Nepal.
AMBANI RICHEST SPORTS TEAM OWNER
As per the Forbes' List of World's Richest Sports Team
Owners, Mukesh Ambani, CMD of Reliance Industries
topped the list with a net worth of around $50 billion.
INTERNATIONAL
Valtteri Bottas (Finland) of team Mercedes won the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne.
Roger Federer claimed the 100th ATP title of his career
after winning the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Afghanistan's cricket team on March 18 recorded its
maiden Test win after beating Ireland by seven wickets
in a one-off game at Dehradun in Uttarakhand.
Afghanistan scored the highest-ever total in T20s,
scoring 278 playing against Ireland in Dehradun,
Uttarakhand.
In Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Hong
Kong, Indian youth team finished second in the overall
medals tally with a total of 26 medals including eight
gold, nine silver and nine bronze medals. China topped
the overall medals tally with 31 medals.
36
Special Olympics World Games 2019 were held from
March 14 to March 21 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The games
made history by welcoming a record-breaking 200
nations ahead of the Games. India bagged 368 medals -
85 Gold, 154 Silver and 129 Bronze.
These games are held for the sports persons who are
intellectually impaired. The next Special Olympic
Games are set to take place in Sweden in 2021.
T-10 – NEW FORMAT OF CRICKET
In a new development in Cricket, the Abu Dhabi will be
hosting an exclusive T10 Cricket League (matches with
only 10 overs a team) for the next five years in the
Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, starting with the
2019 season.
YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships
was held at Birmingham in England.
Men’s Singles: Kento Momota (Japan)
Women’s Singles: Chen Yufei (China)
FIFA (International Federation of Football Associations)
has confirmed that India will host the Women's World
Cup 2020. President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino
FIFA HQ: Zurich, Switzerland
DAYS & DATES
MAY
May 1: The Labour Day
Also known as International Workers Day and May Day.
The day is celebrated all over the world by the working
classes, supported by the socialists and communists.
The day commemorates the Haymarket Massacre of
May 4, 1886 in Chicago, USA that led to declaration of 8
hours as the legal time for the workers. The theme for
this year is “Sustainable Pension for all: The Role of Social
Partners”.
May 2: World Tuna Day
Supported by the UNO, the day is celebrated to raise
awareness about the importance of the popular fish
Tuna and to promote more sustainable fishing practices.
A large number of countries worldwide depend on Tuna
for both food security and nutrition. More than 80
countries have Tuna fisheries.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
May 03: World Press Freedom Day
The day is celebrated to uphold the fundamental
principles of freedom of press and to defend the media
persons from attacks on their independence. This year’s
celebrations are being jointly organized by UNESCO, the
African Union Commission and Ethiopia. This year's
theme is - “Media for Democracy: Journalism and
Elections in Times of Disinformation”.
May (5): World Laughter Day
Celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. It is a
day to raise awareness about laughter and its many
health benefits. It was started in 1998 in Mumbai by Dr
Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga
movement.
May (7): World Asthma Day
This day is celebrated globally on first Tuesday in May
with support from the Global Initiative for Asthma, USA
to improve asthma awareness and its control around
the world. The theme for this year is ‘STOP for Asthma’.
STOP stands for Symptom evaluation, Test response,
Observe and assess, Proceed to adjust treatment.
Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airways
become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra
mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger
coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
May 8: World Red Cross Day
The day is an occasion to pay respect to all the
volunteers who have made unparalleled contribution to
people in need. Incidentally, the day is also the
birthday of Henry Dunant, who founded the Red Cross
Committee of the International (ICRI) in 1863 in
Switzerland, Geneva. The theme for this year is ‘#Love’.
May 8: International Thalassaemia Day
Celebrated every year around the world to sensitise the
policy makers and the health and patient committees at
large on Thalassaemia: How to prevent, treat and cure it
in a patient-centred manner.
This year’s theme is “Universal access to quality
thalassaemia healthcare services: Building bridges with
and for patients”. Thalassaemia is an inherited blood
disorder passed on from parents to children in which
the body makes inadequate amount of haemoglobin.
37
May 11: National Technology Day
The day marks the anniversary of the Pokhran nuclear
Tests (Shakti Pokhran II) of 1998. The day celebrates
the groundbreaking achievements of India’s scientists,
technicians and engineers who have made valuable
contribution in the field of science and technology. The
theme for this year is “Science for People and People for
Science”.
May (11) World Migratory Bird Day
It is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting
the need for the conservation of migratory birds and
their habitats. It is celebrated twice a year, on the
Second Saturday in May and again in October. The
theme for this year is ‘Protect Birds: Be the Solution to
Plastic Pollution’.
May 12: International Nurses Day
Celebrated around the world to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the famous British
social worker who rendered outstanding nursing
services during the war of Crimea (1854-56). She is
known as founder of modern nursing and also famous as
“Lady with the lamp”. The theme for this year is "Nurses
– A Voice to Lead – Health for All".
May 15: The International Day of Families
Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, the
day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of
issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of
the social, economic and demographic processes
affecting them. The Theme for 2019 is “Families and
Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13".
May 16: National Dengue Day
Observed in India with the support of Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare to create awareness about dengue;
and to intensify preventive measures and preparedness
for the control of disease in the country before
transmission season starts. Dengue is a viral disease
caused by dengue virus transmitted by bite of Aedes
aegypti mosquito.
May 17: World Hypertension Day
Celebrated to raise awareness about high blood
pressure in people across the world. A healthy lifestyle
with a balanced diet, regular exercise, good amount of
sleep and less stress and salt can help in having a
normal blood pressure. Normal blood pressure levels
range between 120/80 to 140/90. The theme for this
year is “Know Your Numbers”.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
May 17: World Telecommunication & Information
Society Day
The day marks the anniversary of the signing of the first
International Telegraph Convention and the creation of
the International Telecommunication Union on this day
in 1865. The theme for 2019 is 'Bridging the
Standardization Gap'.
May 20: World Bee Day
Celebrated across the world with UN support to raise
awareness of the importance of pollinators (such as
bees, butterflies, bats and hummingbirds), the threats
they face and their contribution to sustainable
development.
The day coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who
in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping
techniques in his native Slovenia.
May 20: World Metrology Day
Metrology is the science of making measurements and
establishing various units of measurements. The day
celebrates the signing of the Metre Convention on this
day in 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations to
set up the framework for global collaboration in the
science of measurement. The theme for this year is “The
International System of Units - Fundamentally better”.
Please note a similar term is ‘Meteorology’ which is
scientific study of atmosphere and weather systems. The
World Meteorological Day is celebrated on March 23.
May 21: Anti-terrorism Day
Observed in India to pay homage to former Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was killed in a suicide
terrorist attack on this day in 1991 in Sriperumbudur,
Tamil Nadu. On this day Anti Terrorism pledge is taken
in all the government offices and other public
institutions. He served as the prime minister from 1984
to 1989.
38
May 22 The International Day for Biological
Diversity
Observed globally to increase understanding and
awareness of biodiversity issues such as variety of
natural food resources, fisheries, animal habitats,
variety of plant species, their protection and
preservation. The theme for the year 2019 is “Our
Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health”.
May 23: World Turtle Day
Observed around the world to help people celebrate and
protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing
habitats around the world. This day’s theme every year
is “Protection of Turtles and Tortoises - all around the
world”.
MAY 29: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UN PEACE KEEPERS
The day is observed to pay tribute to all the men and
women who have served and continue to serve in UN
Peacekeeping operations for their high level of
professionalism, dedication and courage, since 1948.
MAY 31: WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY
Observed every year with support from the WHO for
highlighting the health and other risks associated with
tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to
reduce tobacco consumption. The focus for this year is
on "Tobacco and lung health".
APRIL
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day
The day is meant to raise awareness about autism, a
developmental disorder which impairs your ability to
communicate and interact. It is a complex neuro
behavioural condition which causes problems with
language and communication skill, particularly in young
children.The theme for this year is “Assistive
Technologies, Active Participation”.
April 4: International Mine Awareness Day
Organized across the world to foster the establishment
and development of national mine-action capacities in
countries where mines and explosive remnants of war
constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives
of the civilian population. The theme for this year is
"United Nations Promotes SDGs – Safe Ground – Safe
Home".
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
April 04: World Health Day
Observed all around the world to commemorate the
founding of World Health Organisation - WHO on this
day in 1948. It is an opportunity to draw worldwide
attention to a subject of major importance to global
health each year.
The theme for this year is ‘Universal Health Coverage:
Everyone, Everywhere’.
April 5: National Maritime Day
Celebrated every year to mark the beginning of Indian
shipping that started on this day in 1919 when the SS
Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation
Company Ltd travelled from Mumbai to London. The
theme for this year is “Indian Ocean-An ocean of
opportunity”.
April 6: Hindu New Year
Several parts of the country celebrated beginning of
traditional Hindu Lunar New Year on April 6. It is the
first day of the lunar month of Chaitra. Festivals of
Chaitra Sukladi (north India), Ugadi (Andhra and
Telangana), Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra), Cheti Chand (by
Sindhis), Navreh (Kasmir) and Sajibu Cheiraoba
(Manipur) are being celebrated with traditional fervour
and gaiety.
April 6: International Day of Sport for Development
and Peace
Observed across the world to commemorate the
inauguration of the first ever Olympic games of the
modern era on this day in Athens, Greece in 1896. The
day aims to spread awareness about the positive
influence that sports can have on the advancement of
human rights and economic development.
April 10: World Homoeopathy Day
The day is observed to commemorate the birth
anniversary (April 10, 1755) of the founder of
Homoeopathy, Dr. Christian Fredrich Samuel
Hahnemann.
April 11: National Safe Motherhood Day
Observed to raise awareness about the proper
healthcare of women and maternity facilities to
pregnant and lactating women. The theme for this year
is "Midwives for Mothers".
39
April 13/14: Baisakhi Festivals
The nation celebrated harvest festivals on 13/14 April
across the country to mark harvesting of Rabi (winter)
crops. On this day farming community pays tribute to
God for the abundant harvest.
In many parts, it is also celebrated as the beginning of
the solar New Year - first day of Baisakh. The festival has
different names in different parts of the country like
Vaisakhi (North India), Vishu (Kerala), Rongali Bihu
(Assam), Naba Barsha/Poila Boisakh (Bengal),
Puthandu (Tamil Nadu).
April 17: World Haemophilia Day
Celebrated every year to raise awareness about
hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. It is
an initiative of ‘World Federation of Haemophilia’. It is
an inherited condition that causes bleeding for a long
time after injury or surgery and painful swelling of the
joints either after injury or even without injury. This
year’s theme is “Outreach and Identification”.
April 18: World Heritage Day
Also known as the ‘International Day for Monuments
and Sites’, it is observed across the world to create
awareness among the people to conserve and protect
the valuable assets and cultural heritage across the
world. The theme for the day this year was ‘Rural
Landscapes’.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
April 21: Civil Services Day
On this day civil servants re-dedicate themselves to
work and live for the cause of citizens. It was on this day
in 1947 that Sardar Patel addressed the first batch of
civil servants in independent India. The civil services
were introduced in India in late 1780’s by then Governor
General Warren Hastings and later more reforms were
done by his successor Charles Cornwallis, known as the
"Father of Civil Services in India".
April 22: Earth Day
Observed worldwide to raise concern about issues like
climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking
and poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution and
pesticides to name a few. The campaign is supported by
the Washington, USA based NGO, Earth Day Network.
This year’s theme is – Protect Our Species.
April 23: The World Book and Copyright Day
Observed across the world to highlight the power of
books and to promote UNESCO’s vision of knowledge
societies that are inclusive, pluralistic, equitable, open
and participatory for all citizens. This year, UNESCO
designated Sharjah as the World Book Capital for 2019.
April 24: National Panchayati Raj Day
This day marks the passing of Constitution (73rd
Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect
from 24 April 1993, providing constitutional validity to
Panchayats as 'Institutions of self-government'.
Panchayati System works at three levels - Gram
Panchayat at village level; Panchayat Samiti at Block
level and Zila Parishad at district level.
April 25: World Malaria Day
People around the globe observe this day to raise
awareness and funds for the treatment and prevention
of Malaria. This year, the theme for the day is “Zero
malaria starts with me” and it is being hosted by the
World Health Organisation (WHO).
April 26: World Intellectual Property Day
Observed across the world to spread awareness about
the role that intellectual property rights like patents,
trademarks, industrial designs and copyrights play in
encouraging innovation and creativity. The day is
supported by the Geneva based World Intellectual
Property Organization -WIPO, an agency of UNO. This
year's theme is “Reach for Gold: IP and Sports”.
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES.
40
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GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 41

 Bullet News
(December 2018 – February 2019)
For details visit – www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
FEBRUARY
 India got its first war memorial, built up in New
Delhi, near the grand monument of the India
Gate.
 The memorial comprises of graphic panels and
stone murals along with busts of the 21
awardees of Param Vir Chakra.
 The names of all the 25,942 war martyrs till
date have been inscribed across 16 walls.
 The National Salt Satyagraha Memorial at Dandi
village in district Navsari, Gujarat was dedicated
to the nation on January 30 by the Prime
Minister.
 Bangladesh signed a MoU with Indian
government for training its 1800 Civil Servants at
the National Centre for Good Governance in New
Delhi.
 The last session of 16th Lok Sabha came to an
end on 13th of February, 2019. Speaker of the
house, Ms. Sumitra Mahajan delivered the
valedictory address.
JANUARY
 The 106th Indian Science Congress was hosted by
Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar with
the theme ‘Future India: Science and Technology’.
 The 15th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was
held at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh from Jan 21 to
23.
 The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind
Jugnauth was the Chief Guest of the event.
 The day commemorates the return of
Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in
Bombay on January 9, 1915.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
 Social activist Nanaji Deshmukh, Music maestro
Bhupen Hazarika and former President Pranab
Mukherjee have been awarded with country's
highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna.
 The President approved conferment of 112
Padma Awards that included 4 Padma Vibhushan,
14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri Awards.
 The nation celebrated its 70th Republic Day with
a grand military parade at Rajpath in New Delhi.
 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was
the Chief Guest on the occasion.
 Tripura bagged 1st prize for the state tableau
depicting 'Empowering Rural Economy the
Gandhian Way'.
 The Railways has named India’s first locomotive-
less semi-fast Train 18 as Vande Bharat Express.
It will ply from the New Delhi to Varanasi.
 The National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC)
was inaugurated in Mumbai on January 19.
 The Home Ministry has notified that Aadhaar
cards will be valid travel documents for Indians
under 15 and over 65 travelling to Nepal and
Bhutan.
 In a first, the Global Aviation Summit 2019 with
the theme “Flying for all” was organized by the
Ministry of Civil Aviation from January 15-16 in
Mumbai.
 Oxford Dictionaries declared ‘Nari Shakti’ as the
Hindi word for the year 2018.
 The 26th National Children's Science Congress
was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
DECEMBER
 India’s longest rail-road bridge, connecting the
north and south banks of the Brahmaputra near
Dibrugarh in eastern Assam, was thrown open to
public.
The 4.94 km Bogibeel Bridge has double rail track
on the lower deck and a 3-lane road on top deck.
42
 India and the United Arab Emirates signed a pact
on currency swap to enable the two countries
paying for trading in their own currency.
 South Korean nationals will now be allowed visa
on arrival, a special privilege available till now to
Japanese only.
NEWS FROM STATES
FEBRUARY
 A new 24x7 channel of Doordarshan, named ‘DD
Arun’ was launched in Itanagar, Arunachal
Pradesh.
 The Kala Ghoda festival, India’s largest multi-
cultural street festival was held in Mumbai from
Feb 2 to 10 to celebrate its 20 years of art and
culture.
 The first project under the Swadesh Darshan
Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism was launched
at the Zero Point, Gangtok, Sikkim.
 The 79th Indian History Congress was hosted by
the Barkatullah University, Bhopal in Madhya
Pradesh from Feb 26 to 28
 Country’s second Tulip garden will come up over
50 hectares of forest land in Pithoragarh district
of Uttarakhand at a cost of Rs 50 crore.
 The 40th International Annual Desert Festival was
held on the sand dunes in Jaisalmer.
JANUARY
 The Defence Minister inaugurated the Tamil
Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor in
Tiruchirappalli
 This will be the country's second defence
industrial corridor after the first one was
launched in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, August last
year.
 The Telangana Forest Department has decided to
set up an armed “State Tiger Protection Force” to
protect the wildlife.
 The Ardh Kumbh Mela started on Makar
Sankranti, January 15 in Prayagraj (Allahabad)
and concluded on Maha Shivratri, March 4, 2019.
 India’s longest 300-meter single lane steel cable
suspension bridge was inaugurated in Arunachal
Pradesh.
 The bridge has been built across the Siang
River at Yingkiong in Upper Siang district and
has been named Byorung Bridge.
 Gujarat has become first state in India to
announce the benefits of 10 per cent quota for
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Economically Weaker Sections of general
category.
 Six states – UP, Haryana, HP, Delhi, Rajasthan and
Uttarakhand signed an agreement for Renukaji
Dam Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project.
 It is to be built on Giri River, a tributary of
river Yamuna, in Sirmour District of Himachal
Pradesh.
 3 islands in Andaman Nicobar were renamed as a
tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who
hoisted tricolour there 75 years ago.
 The Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose Dweep, the Neil Island as
Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as
Swaraj Dweep.
 The Union Home Ministry approved the Uttar
Pradesh government’s proposal to rename
Allahabad as Prayagraj.
 The 42nd Indian Social Science Congress was
held at KIIT University campus in Bhubaneswar,
Odisha.
 Madhya Pradesh has declared Kuno wildlife
sanctuary as a national park for translocation of
Asiatic lions from Gir in Gujarat.
DECEMBER
 The NITI Aayog released the Baseline Report of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India
Index 2018.
Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu were
ranked as Front Runner states.
 Amongst the best-performing police stations,
Kalu police station near Bikaner in Rajasthan was
adjudged best in the country.
 Gujarat has emerged as the best performing state
in the Startup Ranking 2018 as per the National
Report on States' Startup Rankings.
 J&K was put under President's rule from Dec 19,
marking end to six months of Governor's rule.
 The Nagaland organised the annual Hornbill
Festival from December 01 to 10 to showcase the
rich traditions and the vibrant culture of
Nagaland.
 The Railway is constructing the world’s tallest
girder railway bridge in Manipur across river Ijai
near Noney with a pillar height of 141 meters.
 HP became the first state to launch a single
emergency number ‘112’ which will connect to
police, fire, health and other help lines.
 World’s tallest statue - ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat
has slowly become one of India’s top tourist
43
 spots, attracting around 30,000 visitors every
day.
 The country’s first music museum will be set up
in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu.
 International Gita Mahotsav was held in
Kurukshetra, Haryana from 07 to 23 December.
The Mauritius was the partner country this year.
 With the beginning of Kannur international
Airport in Kerala, the state has become the first
state to have four international airports.
 The government cleared a proposal to implement
the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project in Punjab on the
River Ravi with a Central assistance of Rs 485.38
crore.
GOVT INITIATIVES
FEBRUARY
 The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
(PM-KISAN) was launched from Gorakhpur, U P
on Feb. 24 to provide Rs 6,000 per anum to poor
farmers.
 Railways launched Rail Drishti Dashboard to
keep people informed about the work going on in
the Railways across the country.
 The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan
scheme became operational w.e.f. 15 February for
workers of the unorganised sector.
 They will receive a minimum pension of Rs. 3,000
per month, after attaining the age of 60 years.
 Online initiative SWAYATT launched on the
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to promote
Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through
e-Transactions.
 ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan’ -
KUSUM launched to provide financial and water
security to farmers.
 Union Law Ministry launched a tele-law mobile
application ‘Nyaya Bandhu’, an online legal advice
and consultation service.
 Operation Digital Board launched to provide
seven lakh classrooms of 9th, 10th and 11th
standards and two lakh classrooms of colleges
and Universities with digital boards
 Ministry of women and child dev launched three
initiatives to promote the safety of women.
 The 3 initiatives are - Emergency Response
Support System – 112, Investigation Tracking
System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and Safe City
Implementation Monitoring Portal.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
 The Anoop Satpathy committee for “Determining
the Methodology for Fixation of the National
Minimum Wage” submitted its report.
 It recommended the fixation of need based
National Minimum Wage at Rs 375 per day or Rs
9,750 per month.
 Government launched the ‘India Size’ project in
Mumbai to arrive at a standard Indian Size for the
ready-to-wear clothing industry.
 Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog to be established for
conservation, protection and development of
cows.
 The govt has changed the name of the
Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion
(DIPP) to the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade.
JANUARY
 The online campaign ‘WebWonderWomen’
launched in collaboration with Twitter and
Breakthrough to honour the exceptional
achievements of women.
 The Constitution 124th (Amendment) Bill, 2019
passed to amend Article 15 and 16 through 103rd
amendment in the constitution.
 It provides 10% reservation to economically
weaker sections in the Gen category in direct
recruitments and admission in higher
educational institutions.
 The EWS will include people earning less than
Rs 8 lakh annually.
 “Womaniya on GeM” launched on Government e
Marketplace [GeM] to enable women
entrepreneurs to sell their products online.
 They can sell handicrafts and handloom, jute
and coir products, and office furnishings,
directly to various Govt ministries, deptts.
and institutions.
 'Samantha Express’- A special tourist train will
cover prominent places associated with Dr BR
Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha.
 The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill to amend the Citizenship Act,
1955 to make illegal migrants eligible for Indian
citizenship.
 This will cover Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain,
Parsi and Christian migrants from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan,
provided their stay in India is over 6 years.
 ‘Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan
(disaster management) Puraskar’ started to
reward persons working for disaster relief
operations.
44
  The award will include a cash prize of Rs. 51
lakh.
 Two new TV channels launched for promoting
science and technology. ‘DD Science’ will be
relayed by the Doordarshan and ‘India Science’
will be internet based online channel.
 FSSAI has asked all the food businesses to not to
use recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap
food articles, by July 1, 2019.
 The Ministry for Information & Broadcasting has
decided to share All India Radio News with
private FM broadcasters, free of cost, initially till
31.5.19.
DECEMBER
 A new national honour 'Sardar Patel Award for
National Integration' for national unity on the
pattern of Padma Awards, to be started soon.
 Government has decided to hike its contribution
to NPS (National Pension Scheme) to 14 per cent
from existing 10 per cent.
 The government launched Bhasha Sangam to
introduce school students to 22 Indian languages
that are listed in the schedule VIII of the
Constitution.
 Union Home Ministry launched a Twitter handle
named '@CyberDost' to spread awareness about
cybercrimes and normal precautions to be taken.
ECONOMY
FEBRUARY
 Indian Railways created history by converting a
diesel locomotive into electric locomotive for the
first time in the world.
 This was made possible by the Diesel Locomotive
Works (DLW) in Varanasi.
JANUARY
 As per the Central Statistics Office data, the
average per capita annual income doubled in 7
years, from Rs 0.63 lakh in 2011-12 to Rs 1.25
lakh in 2018-19.
 In a “massive relief” to small businesses, the GST
Council doubled the limit for exemption from GST
to Rs 40 lakh (from earlier Rs 20 lakh) for all
small businesses.
 Small traders and businesses paying 1% tax on
the turnover under composition scheme, the limit
has been raised by 50% to Rs.1.5 crore.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
 Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first
Indian private sector company to report a
quarterly profit of more than Rs 10,000 crore.
DECEMBER
 NTPC - National Thermal Power Corporation
crossed the milestone of generating 5 trillion
units of electricity as on November 30.
 India Ports Global Ltd. formally took over the
operations of Iran’s Shaheed Behesti port in
Chabahar, opening a trade route between India
and central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.
 Budget carrier IndiGo has become the first
domestic airline to have 200 aircraft in its fleet.
BANKING & FINANCE
FEBRUARY
 3 Banks Taken Out of PCA: The RBI allowed three
public sector banks — Bank of India, Bank of
Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Commerce —
to exit the PCA framework.
 This has reduced the number of banks under PCA
from 11 to 8.
 RBI has hiked the limit of collateral (additional
security) free agricultural loans from one lakh to
1.6 lakh.
 New Women’s Livelihood Bonds launched to
provide loans to women in sectors like food
processing, agriculture, services, and small units.
 This is joint venture of World Bank, United
Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and
SIDBI.
 Indian Banking Association has asked banks to
waive off the processing, documentation,
inspection and all other service charges for Kisan
Credit Card and crop loans upto 3 lakh rupees.
The RBI has raised the 'bulk deposits' limit for banks
to Rs 2 crore from the current Rs 1 crore, to provide
more operational freedom to bankers to raise funds.
JANUARY
 The RBI appointed a committee headed by
former SEBI chairman U.K. Sinha to review and
propose long-term solutions for revival of MSME
sector.
45
 RBI has constituted a high level committee
headed by UIDAI’s former Chairman Nandan
Nilekani on Deepening of Digital Payments.
 The RBI released guidelines on tokenisation for
various card transactions, including from debit
and credit cards.
 Tokenisation improves security of the
payment system by replacing actual card
details with a unique alternative code called
‘token’.
 The Cabinet approved to increase the authorized
capital of Exim Bank to Rs 20,000 crore, from Rs
10,000 crore at present.
 Nepal’s Central Bank has banned the use of
Indian currency notes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs
200 denominations.
 The govt amalgamated three Regional Rural
Banks - Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank
and Sutlej Gramin Bank - into a single RRB -
Punjab Gramin Bank, wef Jan 1, 2019.
 A commemorative silver coin of Rs 350 and a
stamp was released on the 352nd birth
anniversary of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind
Singh Ji.
DECEMBER
 RBI formed expert committee to decide the
appropriate size of reserves that it should
maintain and the dividend it should give to the
govt.
The committee shall be headed by Dr. Bimal Jalan.
 The RBI has announced to reduce the statutory
liquidity ratio – SLR to 18% from 19.5% at
present.
 It will be slashed in a phased manner, reducing
25 basis points every quarter beginning January,
2019.
 On the eve of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 94th birth
anniversary, a Rs. 100 commemorative coin was
released in the memory of the former premier.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY
 The first batch of 4 Chinook military helicopters
for the Indian Air Force were placed at
Chandigarh station.
 The CH-47F Chinook is a multi-role helicopter
used for transporting troops, artillery, equipment
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
and fuel with carrying capacity of up to 10
tonnes.
 The 12th edition of Asia's premier Air show 'Aero
India-2019' was held at Yelahanka Air Force
Station, Bengaluru.
 Samsung unveiled at San Francisco a smartphone
that unfolds to become a tablet, becoming the
first major manufacturer to offer the feature.
 Scientists from Columbia University, USA have
created an AI based system that directly
translates thoughts into intelligible, recognisable
speech.
 India’s first Humanoid Police Robot named KP-
BOT, ranked as Sub-Inspector (SI), was inducted
at the Police Headquarters in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
JANUARY
 A new airbase 'INS Kohasa' has been made
operational in the Andaman and Nicobar
territories near Diglipur.
 The second edition of the India-Myanmar
bilateral army exercise, IMBEX 2018-19 was held
at Chandimandir cantt near Chandigarh.
 The Union Cabinet approved Rs. 10,000 crore for
the Gaganyaan project by ISRO to send three
Indian astronauts in space.
 The ISRO launched the UNNATI (UNispace Nano-
satellite Assembly and Training by ISRO)
programme for on nanosatellite development.
 NASA's Mars rover Opportunity completed 15
years of its touchdown on the surface of Mars.
 IIT Hyderabad announced country’s first full-
fledged graduation programme in Artificial
Intelligence (AI) from the new academic session.
DECEMBER
 The Indian Air Force created history by flying its
transport aircraft AN-32 using aviation turbine
fuel (ATF) blended with 10% biofuel (Jatropha
oil).
 The Indian Navy inducted its first “deep
submergence rescue vehicle” (DSRV) in Mumbai,
joining the select nations that have this type of
vehicle.
 SHINYUU Maitri-18: Bilateral air exercise held
with the Japanese Air Self Defence Force by the
Indian Air Force at A F Station Agra, Uttar
Pradesh.
 Indian and US air force units conducted a 12-day
joint exercise 'Cope India 2019' in West Bengal
from December 3 to 14.
46
 Naval forces from India and the United Kingdom
held a joint exercise ‘KONKAN’ near Goa coast to
share best practices of each other.
 Troops from China and India held a joint 14-day
drill ‘Hand in Hand’ near Chengdu city in
southwest China to improve their capabilities in
fighting terrorism.
 The ISRO launched satellite GSAT-7A onboard
GSLV-F11 to immensely enhance the
communication network of the Indian Air Force.
 The ISRO launched GSAT-11, its heaviest ever
(5854 kg) satellite from Kourou Launch Zone,
French Guiana in South America.
 Google has unveiled ‘Google Shopping’, a
dedicated search engine intended to provide an
immersive and improved online shopping
experience.
INTERNATIONAL
FEBRUARY
 USA and Russia decided to pull out of the three-
decade-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
Treaty.
 The United Nations announced 2019 as the
International Year of the Periodic Table of the
Chemical Elements to highlight its first
publication in 1869.
 NATO Allies signed the accession protocol with
the Republic of North Macedonia to admit it as its
30th member.
 The central banks of the UAE and Saudi Arabia
have launched a common digital currency called
"Aber", for financial settlements between them.
 JP Morgan Chase, USA has launched a
cryptocurrency of its own, named ‘JPM Coin’.
 Abu Dhabi has decided to include Hindi as the third
official language used in its courts, alongside
Arabic and English.
JANUARY
 The United States and Israel officially quit the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
 The Annual Meet of the World Economic Forum
(WEF) was held in Davos, Switzerland. World
leaders from various walks of life participated in
the event.
 The UNESCO has announced that the Brazilian
city of Rio de Janeiro will be the World Capital of
Architecture for 2020.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
 The parliament of the Republic of Macedonia
voted on January 11 to change their country’s
name to the “Republic of North Macedonia.
DECEMBER
 As per the Climate Change Performance Index,
Sweden topped the index in terms of controlling
release of greenhouse gases. India was ranked at
11th place.
 Delegates from nearly 200 nations took part in
the COP 24 to the UNFCCC at Katowice, Poland.
 The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
approved India’s proposal to observe the year
2023 as the International Year of Millets.
 France witnessed four nationwide
demonstrations against fuel tax rises, high living
costs and other issues.
 The rallies became known as the "yellow vest" or
"gilets jaunes" movement because protesters
wore the high-visibility yellow jackets.
 Afghanistan has overtaken Iraq to become the
world’s deadliest country for terrorism,
according to the latest Global Terrorism Index
2018.
 The European Central Bank launched a new
digital payment system aimed at letting banks
settle payments instantly across Europe.
 Named ‘TIPS’ (TARGET Instant Payment
Settlement) system, it will facilitate instant
transfer Euros.
 Qatar announced its withdrawal from the oil
cartel OPEC - Organisation of Petroleum
Exporting Countries to increase its own oil
production outside the cartel’s constraints.
 Merriam-Webster, the noted American dictionary
has chosen “Justice” as its 2018 word of the year,
driven by the churning news cycle over months
and months.
 Cambridge Dictionary has named "nomophobia" -
- the "fear or worry at the idea of being without
your mobile phone or unable to use it" as word of
the year.
PERSONS IN NEWS
FEBRUARY
P V Sindhu: Badminton star became the first woman
to fly the Light Combat Aircraft, the Tejas. It was done
by Ministry of defence to celebrate women achievers
in aerospace.
47
Pope Francis: The supreme global head of
Christianity, visited Abu Dhabi becoming the first
pontiff to visit the Arabian peninsula.
JANUARY
Arunima Sinha: The first female amputee to have
conquered Mt Everest, created yet another record as
she became world's first woman amputee to climb
Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.
Satyarup Siddhanta: Became the first Indian and
youngest, (35yrs/262days) man to climb the seven
highest peaks and volcanic summits across all
continents, the last being Antarctica's highest volcano
point, Mount Sidley.
DECEMBER
Dr. Urjit Patel: RBI Governor stepped down from his
post on Dec 10, citing personal reasons. His three
year term was to end on Sep 23, 2019.
Jamal Khashoggi: Saudi journalist, who was
murdered in October at his country’s Istanbul
consulate, was named Time magazine’s “Person of the
Year”, along with other persecuted journalists
dubbed as “guardians” of the truth.
APPOINTMENTS
FEBRUARY
Pramod Chandra Mody: Appointed as the chairman
of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Rishi Kumar Shukla: Appointed as the new Director
of the Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI.
Justice DK Jain (retd.): Appointed by the Supreme
Court as the first Ombudsman for the BCCI - Board of
Control of Cricket in India.
JANUARY
Sudhir Bhargava: Appointed as the Chief
Information Commissioner in the Central Information
Commission.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dinesh
Maheshwari appointed as the Judge in the Supreme
Court.
Kumar Rajesh Chandra: Senior IPS officer
appointed as the Director General of the Sashastra
Seema Bal.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Gita Gopinath: India born Economist became the
first woman to join International Monetary Fund as
its Chief Economist.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah: Elected as
Malaysia's new king by the members of the country's
royal families.
Stefan Lofven: Re-elected as the PM of Sweden.
Su Tseng-chang: Appointed as the PM of Taiwan.
Felix Tshisekedi: Elected as the President of Congo,
Africa.
Sheikh Hasina: Re elected as the Bangladesh Prime
Minister after her party Awami League achieved
landslide victory in recent general elections.
DECEMBER
4 NEW CHIEF MINISTERS ELECTED
Ashok Gehlot Rajasthan
Kamal Nath Madhya Pradesh
Bhupesh Baghel Chhattisgarh
Zoramthanga Mizoram
K. Chandrasekhar Rao Telangana (re-elected)
Shaktikanta Das: Appointed as the 25th Governor of
RBI. He is the former Union Finance Secretary.
Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian: Appointed as the
new Chief Economic Advisor to the Govt of India, for a
period of 3 years.
A M Naik: Appointed as the Chairman of National Skill
Development Corporation.
Arvind Saxena: Appointed as the new Chairman of the
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Pranab Kumar Das: Appointed as chairman of the
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
Harsh Vardhan Shringla: Appointed as the
Ambassador of India to the United States of America.
Brijendra Pal Singh: Noted producer-director, famous
for his TV serial ‘CID’, appointed as the President of the
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.
Ueli Maurer: Elected as the new President of
Switzerland.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador: Sworn in as the new
President of Mexico.
AWARDS & HONOURS
FEBRUARY
EY Entrepreneur of the Year: Siddhartha Lal, MD &
CEO, Eicher Motors, has been selected for this award.
48
Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award:
Conferred upon Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Ltd
OSCAR AWARDS DECLARED
The 91st Academy Awards, popularly known as Oscar
Awards, were conferred on February 24 at famous
Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA.
Best Picture — Green Book by Peter Farrelly, USA
Best Director — Alfonso Cuarón for Roma
Best Actor — Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Actress — Olivia Colman for The Favourite
Guneet Monga's film 'Period. End of Sentence' won
the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject.
BAFTA AWARDS ANNOUNCED
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts
(BAFTA) Film Awards were declared on Feb 10 at
Royal Albert Hall, London. The top awards included:
Best Film: Roma by Alfonso Cuarón
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón for Roma
Leading Actress: Olivia Colman for The Favourite
Leading Actor: Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody
61st Grammy Awards honouring the best in the
music industry were presented at a ceremony in Los
Angeles, USA on Feb 10.
Record of the Year: This Is America by Childish
Gambino
Album of the Year: Golden Hour by Kacey
Musgraves
Song of the Year: This Is America (lyrics) by Donald
Glover and Ludwig Goransson
Best New Artist: Ms. Dua Lipa, British singer
Best Pop Solo Performance: Joanne (Where Do You
Think You’re Goin’?) by Lady Gaga
Best Pop Vocal Album: Sweetener by Ariana Grande
Best Rap Album: Invasion Of Privacy by Cardi B
Best Music Video: This Is America by Childish
Gambino
Dan David Prize 2019: Given to noted Indian
historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam
Martin Ennals ward (for human rights): Conferred
upon Abdul Aziz Muhamat, a refugee and human
rights defender.
JANUARY
Ashoka Chakra: Country's highest peacetime
gallantry award was conferred posthumously upon
Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Wani, 38-year-old pro-
government militant-turned-soldier.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Gandhi Peace Prize, 2018
Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of Nippon Foundation,
Japan and Goodwill Ambassador of the World Health
Organization for Leprosy Elimination.
The prize carries a cash award of Rs one crore, a
plaque and citation.
Saraswati Samman, 2017: Awarded to noted
Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashaschandra for his poetry
collection in Gujarati named “Vakhar”.
Philip Kotler Presidential Award: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi received the first edition of the
prestigious global award for his outstanding
leadership for the nation.
The 76th GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS were delivered
at a grand ceremony at Beverly Hills, California, USA
on Jan 07, 2019.
Best Picture: Bohemian Rhapsody by Bryan Singer
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron for Roma
Best Actress, Drama Glenn Close, The Wife
Best Actor, Drama Rami Malek, Bohemian
Rhapsody
DECEMBER
Jnanpith Award 2018: Veteran English writer
Amitav Ghosh has been honoured with this year's
Jnanpith Award.
Knight of the Legion of Honour: (Chevalier de la
Legion d'Honneur) The highest French civilian award
conferred upon tech tycoon and philanthropist Azim
Premji for his contribution to developing the IT
industry in India and his economic outreach in
France.
Sonam Kapoor: Popular actress has been named
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
India's Person of the Year for 2018 for promoting
various animal welfare activities.
Glinka World Soil Prize: Considered as the highest
honour in the soil science profession, awarded to
Rattan Lal, a distinguished Professor at the Ohio State
University, USA.
UN Human Rights Prize: Pakistan’s renowned social
activist Asma Jahangir was posthumously honoured
by the UN with its prestigious prize.
Miss World 2018: Vanessa Ponce de Leon of Mexico
Miss Universe 2018: Catriona Elisa Gray from
Philippines won the title.
49
Miss India Worldwide 2018: Punjab-born Indian-
American Shree Saini won the title in USA.
OBITUARY
FEBRUARY
Raj Kumar Barjatya: Veteran Bollywood film
producer and father of filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya,
passed away in Mumbai at the age of 77 years.
Namvar Singh: Noted Hindi writer and critic passed
away in New Delhi, at the age of 92.
Gordon Banks: One of the world’s most famous
goalkeepers passed away at the age of 81 in England.
He was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the year six times
and earned 73 caps for England between 1963 and
1972.
JANUARY
Kader Khan: Veteran actor-writer passed away in
Toronto, Canada in a hospital after struggling for
months for life.
Mrinal Sen: Legendary filmmaker, Padma Bhushan
and Dada Saheb Phalke awardee, winner of 12
international awards, passed away at the age of 95 in
Kolkata.
George Fernandes: Former Union Defence Minister,
founder of Samta Party, passed away in Delhi after
fighting with various health related issues for long.
Krishna Sobti: Eminent Hindi author and essayist
passed away in Delhi. She was 93.
Ramakant Achrekar: Veteran cricket coach, who
trained Sachin and Vinod Kambli, among many other
star cricketers, passed away following a heart attack.
DECEMBER
Mushirul Hasan: Eminent historian and former
Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University
passed away in Delhi after struggling with several
ailments.
Sulagitti Narasamma: Known as the midwife of
Krishnapura, a remote village in Karnataka, the
Padma Shri awardee social worker passed away in
Bengaluru at the age of 98.
George H W Bush: Former American President
passed away at the age of 94 in Houston, USA.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
PLACES IN NEWS
FEBRUARY
Golaghat: The district in Assam was in news as over
190 persons were killed there due to consumption of
illicit brew, called ‘hooch’ locally.
Dubai International Airport: The airport retained
its position as the world's busiest airport for
international customers for the fifth consecutive year.
JANUARY
Brumadinho: In Brazil, death toll from a dam burst
at an iron ore mine in Brumadinho, claimed over 60
lives with more than 305 people missing.
Hidalgo: More than 110 persons were killed in a
massive fire explosion at an illegally tapped oil
pipeline in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo state, Mexico.
Storm Pabuk: In Thailand, tropical storm Pabuk
caused flash floods and blackouts on Jan 5, affecting
nearly 30,000 people.
Storm Usman: The tropical depression destroyed
infrastructure and displaced more than 40,000
people in Philippines.
DECEMBER
Phethai: Cyclone 'Phethai' wrecked havoc in East
Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh
Kaiga: The indigenously developed Kaiga Atomic
Power Station in Karnataka has set a new world
record among all the operating nuclear power
stations, with one of its units operating uninterrupted
for 941 days as on Dec 10, 2018.
Carita: A volcano-triggered tsunami left over 400
people dead and hundreds more injured around
Carita in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait.
Butembo: City in eastern Congo suffered the second-
largest Ebola outbreak in history, reporting hundreds
of cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever.
SPORTS WORLD
FEBRUARY
S. Mirabai Chanu, world champion Indian
weightlifter won the gold medal at the EGAT Cup in
Chiang Mai, Thailand.
50
Manpreet Singh, captain of Indian Hockey team was
selected for the “Player of the Year” award by the
Asian Hockey Federation.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta lifted the Cannes
International Open trophy by defeating Pier Luigi
Basso of Italy in the finals played at Cannes, France.
The ISSF (International Shooting Sports Federation)
World Cup 2019 held in New Delhi from Feb. 23-27.
Apurvi Chandela won the gold medal in the
women's 10-metre air rifle event setting a new world
record.
16 year-old Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold in
men’s 10m air pistol, also creating a new world
record.
Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker claimed
gold in 10-metre air pistol mixed team event.
Irani Cup (cricket): Ranji champions Vidarbha beat
Rest of India in Nagpur to retain the title.
85th Ranji Trophy: Defending champions Vidarbha
won the title, beating Saurashtra in the summit clash
held at Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Indian captain Mithali Raj became the first woman
cricketer in the world to play 200 ODIs. The 36-year-
old is also the highest run-getter in ODIs with 6,622
runs.
INTERNATIOAL
Jamie Chadwick from England made history by
becoming the first female driver to win the MRF
challenge title in F2000 premier class after scoring a
triple win in the final round in Chennai.
Chris Gayle, the explosive batsman from Jamaica
(West Indies) now has 477 sixes to his name, highest
ever in the world.
2019 LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS
Sportswoman of the Year: Simone Biles, Gymnast
from USA
Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic, Tennis star
from Serbia
Team of the Year: Football World Cup winner
French team.
The International Hockey Federation announced
Players of the Year for 2018:
Female Player of the Year: Eva de Goede from
Netherlands
Male Player of the Year: Arthur van Doren of
Belgium
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
JANUARY
D Gukesh - Boy from Tamil Nadu became the
youngest Indian to win the Grand Master title at 12
years, 7 months and 17 days.
Ankita Raina, India’s top ranking tennis star won the
International Tennis Federation’s $25,000 Women's
tournament in Singapore.
Virat Kohli created history by becoming first ever
cricketer to win all the three top most honours - Sir
Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year,
the ICC Men's Test Player of the Year and the ICC ODI
Player of the Year - for his performances in 2018.
Smriti Mandhana has been named as the ICC
Women's Cricketer of the Year. She has also been
named as the ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year
M C Mary Kom attained number one position in the
International Boxing Association's (AIBA) latest
world rankings, becoming first Indian to achieve this
top rank.
Jasprit Bumrah, 25-year-old fast bowler became the
highest international wicket-taker across all formats
in 2018. He took a total of 78 wickets in the calendar
year.
Indian cricket team created history by winning their
first ever series on Australian soil beating the home
team 2-1 in Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The second edition of Khelo India Youth Games
was held in Pune, Maharashtra from Jan 9 to 20.
Maharashtra topped the medal tally with 111
medals, including 37 golds.
Srihari Nataraj, Karnataka swimmer won the record
7 gold medals in swimming, highest in the Games.
Abhinav Shaw, the ten year old shooter from
Asansol, West Bengal, became the youngest gold
medallist at the Games.
Birendra Prasad Baishya, President of the Indian
Weightlifting Federation has been named Chef de
Mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
INTERNATIONAL
Roger Federer won the Hopman Cup for a record
third time, playing for Switzerland in Perth, Australia.
51
AUSTRALIAN OPEN, year’s first Grand Slam of
Tennis concluded in Melbourne, Australia.
Men's Singles title: Novak Djokovic of Serbia
defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain to win his record 7th
Australian Open title.
Women's Singles title: Naomi Osaka of Japan beat
Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic to become the first
Japanese player to win the Australian Open
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has admitted
USA Cricket as its 105th member. It is the 93rd
Associate Member of ICC.
DECEMBER
P V Sindhu: Ace Indian shuttler lifted the prestigious
World Tour Finals trophy at Guangzhou, China.
Shubhankar Sharma, 22, emerged as the youngest
Indian to win the 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit
champion golf title.
Vedangi Kulkarni from Pune became the fastest
Asian to cover the globe on cycle.
FIH Hockey World Cup 2018: Belgium won the
prestigious Cup for the first time, defeating the
Netherlands (Holland) in the final played in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Abhinav Bindra, India’s only Olympics gold medal
winner in a solo sport, has become the first Indian to
be awarded the Blue Cross, the highest honour in the
sport of shooting, given by the Athletes Committee of
ISSF - International Shooting Sport Federation.
"Meethoileima" (par excellent queen): The
Manipur government honoured legendary boxer MC
Mary Kom with this award for winning record
breaking sixth gold medal at the AIBA World Women
Boxing championships.
Manika Batra won the 'Breakthrough Table Tennis
Star' award at the prestigious International Table
Tennis Federation (ITTF) Star Awards in Incheon,
South Korea.
INTERNATIONAL
IAAF Athlete of the Year-2018
Male: Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya's world marathon
record holder
Female: Caterine Ibarguen, high jump, long jump and
triple jump champion from Colombia
IAAF: International Association of Athletics
Federations
Luka Modric, star footballer from Croatia, playing for
Real Madrid, won the coveted Ballon d'Or award for
2018, ending over 10 years reign of Ronaldo and
Messi.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Ada Hegerberg of Norway won the first Ballon d'Or
award for the best woman player in football.
Golden Shoe Award: Lionel Messi, the Argentinian
star footballer won the award for record fifth time for
scoring highest - 34 goals in 68 games playing for
Barcelona in 2018.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the World Chess
Championship for the fourth time in a row in finals
played in London.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India by P
Chidambaram, former Finance Minister
Indian Fiscal Federalism by Y. V. Reddy and G. R.
Reddy
Bridging East & West: Romain Rolland and
Rabindranath Tagore correspondence - compiled by
Chinmoy Guha
Coming Out as Dalit by Yashica Dutt
Virtus in Arduis - I did it my way by Parthasarathi
Shome
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India by P
Chidambaram, former Finance Minister
Indian Fiscal Federalism by Y. V. Reddy and G. R.
Reddy
Bridging East & West: Romain Rolland and
Rabindranath Tagore correspondence - compiled by
Chinmoy Guha
Coming Out as Dalit by Yashica Dutt
Virtus in Arduis - I did it my way by Parthasarathi
Shome
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and
Where We Came From by Tony Joseph
Things to Leave Behind by Namita Gokhale
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from
Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai,
Nobel Peace Prize winner Pakistani social activist
The Wicked King by Holly Black
52
 Model Test For
General / Economy /
Banking Awareness
MAY GK TEST - 01 c) Kochi d) Visakhapatnam
e) Mumbai
6) Name the girl from Nepal who danced
1) An increase in CRR by the Reserve Bank of continuously for 126 hours to set a Guinness
India results in: World Records on ‘Longest Dancing Marathon
a) Decrease in debt of the government by an Individual’.
b) Reduction in liquidity in the economy a) Aarti b) Bandana
c) Attracting more FDI in the country c) Sushma d) Reshma
d) More flow of credit to desired sectors e) Basundhara
e) None of these 7) Which of the following state has passed an act
2) Consider the following statements regarding that will allow the shops and other businesses
Reserve Bank of India: in the state to operate 24×7?
1. It is a banker to the Central Government. a) Gujarat b) Goa
2. It formulates and administers monetary policy. c) Karnataka d) Punjab
3. It acts as an agent of the Government of India at e) Madhya Pradesh
IMF/World Bank. 8) Which nation has decided to mobilize its
4. It handles the borrowing programme of military in the fight against African swine
Government of India. fever?
Which of the above statements are correct? a) Philippines b) Indonesia
a) 1 and 2 b) 3 and 4 c) Singapore d) Vietnam
c) 2, 3 and 4 d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 e) Bangladesh
e) None of these 9) What is the name of the new ‘province’ that
3) Which of the following is/are considered a includes India also, which recently has been
policy rate(s) in the hands of the RBI? claimed by the Islamic State terror group?
1. Repo rate 2. SLR a) Wilayah of Levant b) Wilayah of Hind
3. Base Rate c) Wilayat Sinai d) Wilayat Khorasan
a) Only 1 b) Only 2 e) None of these
c) Only 3 d) Only 1 and 2 10) RBI has decided to change the nomenclature
e) All 1, 2 and 3 of no-frill account to ______________account.
4) As per the RBI guidelines housing loans given a) Basic Savings Bank Account
by RRBs and SFBs to individuals up to Rs. b) Primary Saving Bank Account
_______ in metropolitan centers (with c) Fully Covered Savings Bank Account
population of 10 lakh and above) and Rs. 25 d) Small Savings Bank Account
lakh in other centers, will be eligible for e) None of these
classification under priority sector lending. 11) Banks in India are categorized as Public
a) 35 lakh b) 32 lakh Sector and Private Sector Banks. Which of the
c) 40 lakh d) 38 lakh following types of banks are called Public
e) 45 lakh Sector Banks?
5) The IBSA (India, Brazil & South Africa) a) Those in which Government of India has a
Sherpas’ Meeting, following the 9th IBSA controlling stake i.e. 51% or more.
Trilateral Ministerial Meeting, was held in b) Those which are giving services to poor
_______. sections of society like those living below poverty
a) Imphal b) Nagpur line.

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 53

 c) Those who are governed and regulated by the 18) Name the Indian-American student who won
Reserve Bank of India only. the ESPN Esports championship held in
d) Only those banks are called public sector Houston.
whose shares are traded in stock markets. a)Shivay Nanda b)Abhishek Gupta
e) None of these c)Preet Chadha d)Shiv Chopra
12) When a cheque is crossed, it means that it e) Shivang Patel
cannot be: 19) Who led the Indian delegation in May second
a) Paid in cash when presented for payment week for an official visit to Vietnam to
b) It reduces the risk of the proceeds of the enhance bilateral ties?
cheque going to persons having no title to the a) Sushma Swaraj
cheque b) Ram Nath Kovind
c) The cheque can be paid only to the person c) Narendra Modi
whose name appears on the face of the cheque d) M Venkaiah Naidu
d) Both a and b e) All a, b & c e) Nitin Gadkari
13) The Public Ltd companies can raise capital 20) The ‘Nifty 50’ or ‘Nifty’ is benchmark stock
through public issues. These issues are known market index of ________.
as: a) NASDAQ of New York
a. Initial Public Offering (IPO) b) National Stock Exchange of India
b. Follow-on Public Offering (FPO) c) Bombay Stock Exchange of India
c. New Fund Offer d) Shanghai Stock Exchange of China
d. ASBA e) Taiwan Stock Exchange of Taipei
a) Only a b) Only a & b 21) Which sector of Indian economy contributes
c) Only a, b & c d) Only maximum to the Gross Domestic Product?
e) All of these a) Primary Sector b) Secondary Sector
14) Which of the following country's Air Force c) Tertiary Sector d) Public Sector
Research Laboratory tested a laser system e) None of these
called Self-Protect High Energy Laser 22) RBI has directed banks to pay interest in
Demonstrator (SHiELD) that successfully shot savings bank accounts at ___________ or
down multiple air-launched missiles while in shorter intervals:
flight? a) Weekly b) Fortnightly
a) France b) Russia c) Monthly d) Quarterly
c) Israel d) USA e) Half Yearly
e) UK 23) Indian Banking Association has issued
15) Which of the following countries recently advisory requesting banks to waive off the
honoured Lt. Gen. (retd) Jack Farj Rafael (JFR) processing, documentation, inspection and all
Jacob, who negotiated the historic surrender other service charges for Kisan Credit Card
of Pakistani troops in Dhaka after the 1971 and crop loans up to _________ lakh rupees.
Bangladesh’s liberation war, with a plaque on a) 15 lakh rupees b) 10 lakh rupees
the Wall of Honour? c) 5 lakh rupees d) 6 lakh rupees
a) Bangladesh b) France e) 3 lakh rupees
c) Israel d) Germany 24) Who among the following has been appointed
e) UK as the head coach of the men’s national team?
16) Who among the following has been honoured a) Hugo Conte b) Dindin Santiago
in the UK with 2019 V K Krishna Menon award c) Mariusz Wlazly d) Karch Kiraly
for his outstanding contribution as a pioneer e) Dragan Mihailovic
of decolonised journalism? 25) The theme of World Asthma Day 2019 was
a) Kuldeep Nayyar ________.
b) GD Robert Govender a) Keep Its Symptoms Under Control
c) Sudhir Chaudhary d) Prannoy Roy b) Stay in Clean Environments
e) BK Amol Sharma c) STOP for Asthma
17) Which among the following retired Supreme d) Quit Smoking
Court judges has been appointed to the e) You Are at Risk
Supreme Court of Fiji? 26) The G7’s (Group of Seven) Environment
a) Jagdish Singh Khehar Ministers gathered for a 2-day meeting
b) Arjan Kumar Sikri in__________ to discuss on steps required to
c) Madan Bhimarao Lokur handle deforestation, plastic pollution and
d) Kurian Joseph e) None of these depletion of coral reefs.

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 54

 a) UAE b) USA agreement for Rs 5,000 crore with
c) UK d) France ____________________.
e) Italy a) Bank of Baroda b) State Bank of India
27) Which of the following telecom operator has c) Punjab National Bank
signed a five-year multi-million-dollar IT d) Exim Bank e) Union Bank of India
outsourcing deal with tech giant IBM? 35) Who among the following has been re-elected
a) Airtel b) Vodafone Idea with the highest number of votes by the UN
c) Jio d) Aircel Economic and Social Council to a five-year
e) BSNL term on the International Narcotics Control
28) The Union Home Ministry has extended the Board (INCB)?
ban imposed on which among the following a) Rakesh Tewari b) Ram Sevak Sharma
militant organizations? c) Utpal Bora d) Anita Karwal
a) LTTE b) ISIS e) Jagjit Pavadia
c) LeT d) JeM 36) Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
e)Al Qaeda (CBIC) had organised a 2-Day meeting of the
29) Name the Indian regulatory body, whose Regional Heads of Customs Administration of
subsidiary Nabventures launched Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs
‘NABVENTURES Fund I’ to provide support for Organisation (WCO) in________.
agriculture, food and rural startups with a a) Chennai b) Kochi
capital investment of Rs 700-crore. c) Hyderabad d) Ahmedabad
a) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural e) Pune
Development (NABARD) 37) India won 57 medals including 12 Gold, 18
b) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Silver and 27 Bronze at the 2nd India Open
c) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) International Boxing tournament. It was held
d) Insurance Regulatory and Development in which place:
Authority (IRDAI) a) New Delhi b) Jaipur
e) Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) c) Mumbai d) Guwahati
30) In May, 2019 India has extended 1 billion e) Ahmedabad
dollar Line of Credit to which nation for 38) Indian boxers finished with a rich haul of six
building its 1st petro chemical refinery? medals, including two gold at the 36th Feliks
a) Angola Stamm International Boxing Tournament
b) Central African Republic in________.
c) Mongolia d) Maldives a) Sweden b) Norway
e) Pakistan c) Vietnam d) Poland
31) Which of the following Payment Banks has e) USA
announced the launch of a sweep account 39) Which country has recently commissioned
facility in association with Suryoday Small two new Type 052D guided missile
Finance Bank (SSFB)? destroyers?
a) Fino Payments Bank a) U.S. b) Russia
b) India Post Payments Bank c) Japan d) China
c) Airtel Payments Bank e) India
d) Jio Payments Bank 40) Name the Human Atlas Initiative that has been
e) Aditya Birla Payments Bank launched to understand the role of tissues and
32) Where is the Head Office of Indian Banks' cell in the human body, by the Department of
Association? Biotechnology (DBT).
a) Chennai b) New Delhi a) HUM-CELL b) CELL
c) Mumbai d) Kolkata c) MANAV d) TISSUE
e) Bengaluru e) MANCEL
33) RBI has decided to treat deposits of over Rs. 41) What is the name of the 100% recyclable
_______ crore as ‘bulk’ deposits as it has hiked plastic created by the U.S. Department of
the limit for the same from the earlier Rs. 1 Energy‘s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in
crore? California?
a) 3 b) 5 a)Polydiketoenamine(PDK)
c) 2 d) 6 b) Polyethylene Terephthalate(PETE)
e) 4 c) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
34) State-owned power giant NTPC has d) Polypropylene (PP)
announced that it has signed a term loan e) None of the above

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 55

42) State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, MAY GK TEST - 02
public sector banking and financial services
statutory body. Who is present Chairperson of
SBI? 1) The government has approved
a) Rajnish Kumar recapitalization of Rs 48,239 crore in
b) Arundhati Bhattacharya _______________ public sector banks in this fiscal
c) Pratip Chaudhuri d) Om Prakash Bhatt to help them maintain regulatory capital
e) Arun Kumar Purwar
requirements and finance growth plans.
43) MCLR is the minimum interest rate, below
which a bank is not permitted to lend. What is a) 10 b) 12
the full form of MCLR? c) 18 d) 15
a) Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate e) 08
b) Marginal Cost of Financial based Lending Rate 2) According to the Asian Development Outlook
c) Marginal Cost of Funding based Lending Rate 2019 report Asia-Pacific region is projected to
d) Management Cost of Funds based Lending Rate grow by ______ in 2019.
e) Marginal Condition of Funds based Lending
a) 5.1 % b) 3.6 %
Ratio
44) HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has c) 4.7 % d) 5.7%
announced the launch of 'Trip Protector’ e) 6.3 %
insurance policy recently. Where is the 3) Defence ministry has approved the
Headquarters of HDFC ERGO General procurement of 10 Kamov Ka-31 Airborne
Insurance Company? Early Warning and Control helicopters for the
a) New Delhi b) Chennai
Indian Navy. Which country will supply these
c) Mumbai d) Pune e) Lucknow
45) World Red Cross Day (also known as Red helicopters?
Crescent Day) is observed every year a) USA b) China
on________. c) Russia d) Israel
a) May 6 b) May 8 e) France
c) May 5 d) May 10 e) May 1 4) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a
46) What is the total number of seats in the Lok postage stamp to commemorate the________
Sabha?
birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan in
a) 545 b) 542
c) 554 d) 553 e) 543 New Delhi.
47) The eighth edition of the Indo-Myanmar a) 1000th b) 600th
coordinated patrol (IMCOR) was held at which c) 550th d) 750th
place? e) 650th
a) Near Vishakhapatnam b) Near Chennai 5) Xavi Hernandez has announced that he will
c) Near Goa d) Near Kochi retire from professional football at the end of
e) Near Andeman Nicobar
the current season. He plays for _______.
48) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has
appointed_________ as its policy director for a) Argentina b) Italy
India. c) Belgium d) France
a) Arvind Saxena b) Sanjay Ubale e) Spain
c) Vijay Gokhale d) Tushar Verma 6) Where was the new non-venomous ‘rain
e) M. C. Chowdary loving’ snake species named Smithophis
49) Which nation has placed some Chinese,
Atemporal unearthed recently?
Pakistani companies on entity list over
national security concern? a) Odisha b) Andhra Pradesh
a) India b) United States c) Mizoram d) Meghalaya
c) Russia d) Germany e) UAE e) Arunachal Pradesh
50) Scientists from which university have created 7) The Indian Army is commemorating which
the World’s Smallest Colour Pixels by trapping among the following themes in the year 2019?
the particles of light? a) Nation First b) Year of Next of Kin
a) Oxford University b) University of Cambridge
c) Martyrs of India d) No one can stop us
c) Harvard University
d) University College London e) End the Terrorism
e) University of Massachusetts

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 56

8) Small Business Fin Credit India Pvt. Ltd. for all EVs to use the______colour number
(SBFC) is a systemically important Non- plates.
Banking Finance Company for entrepreneurs. a) Yellow b) Red
Where is the headquarters of SBFC? c) Green d) Pink
a) Hyderabad b) Ahmedabad e) White
c) Kochin d) Mumbai 17) Who among the following has set a record
e) Jaipur with the most wins ever, taking home 12
9) Who among the following has been sworn in honours at the Billboard Music Awards 2019?
as the top military officer of the 29-nation a) Taylor Swift b) Drake Grahm
military alliance NATO? c) Justin Bieber d) Big Sean
a) Mark A. Milley b) Tod D. Wolters e) Eminem
c) Robert P. Burke d) William F. Moran 18) Master Hirannaiah passed away at the age of
e) David H. Berger 85. He was a noted_________theatre personality,
10) Which of the following city will host the 8th satirist and TV actor.
Asian Youth Women Handball Championship a) Marathi b) Hindi
in which 10 teams will be participating in c) Kannada d) Gujarati
August 2019? e) Bhojpuri
a) New Delhi b) Pune 19) Who won the 2019 McCain Institute Award for
c) Jaipur d) Dehradun Courage and Leadership?
e) Visakhapatnam a) Kiran Bedi
11) Which of the following city hosted the 16th b) Archana Ramasundaram
Ministerial Meeting of Asia Cooperation c) Meera Borwankar
Dialogue (ACD)? d) Chhaya Sharma e) Rita Khanna
a) Doha b) Dubai 20) Which company unveiled software for
c) Muscat d) Manila verifiable voting known as “ElectionGuard”?
e) Hanoi a) IBM b) Microsoft
12) Which of the following organisation has c) TCS d) Infosys
launched ‘Udyam’, a skilling center in e) Adobe
Bengaluru? 21) Which country has blocked social media
a) SBI b) TCS platforms after the attack on churches?
c) LIC HFL d) Infosys a) Pakistan b) Afghanistan
e) ONGC c) Sri Lanka d) Bangladesh
13) BSE has appointed __________ as its first e) Australia
independent woman director? 22) The government has amalgamated three
a) Indu Malhotra b) Preeti Verma Regional Rural Banks – Punjab Gramin Bank,
c) Jyotika Nainwal d) Sunita Bakshi Malwa Gramin Bank and Sutlej Gramin Bank
e) Jayshree Vyas into a single RRB with effect on and from-
14) Where was the 14th meeting of the Conference a) 01st February 2019 b) 01st January 2019
of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC c) 01st April 2019 d) 01st March 2019
COP-14) held? e) 01st June 2019
a) Beijing, China b) Vienna, Austria 23) Private sector ___________________ inducted
c) Geneva, Switzerland d) Paris, France former SBI Managing Director B Sriram and
e) New Delhi, India management consultant Rama Bijapurkar on
15) The name of Kerala’s largest temple festival, its board as independent director recently.
which began on May 12, 2019, is ____. a) South Indian Bank b) Yes Bank
a) Thrissur Pooram b) Vishu c) HDFC Bank d) Axis Bank
c) Onam e) ICICI Bank
d) Aranmula Boat Race e) Rath Yatra 24) Six grassroot environmental activists received
16) The Central government has asked the state the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.
transport departments to make it mandatory It is also known as the______.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 57
 a) The Green Grammys b) The Palme d’Or a) Nomadic Elephant 19.2
c) Green Nobel Prize b) Garuda 18.2 c) Varuna 19.1
d) The Green Pulitzer Prize d) Vahini 3.3 e) Vajra Prahar 19
e) The Environment Academy Award 32) Who among the following has become the first
25) Indian shooting ace_________ has been ranked Indian to break into the top-25 of world
the world number one in the women’s 10 rankings in Table Tennis?
metres air rifle. a) Anthony Amalraj b) Sharath Kamal
a) Apurvi Chandela b) Heena Sidhu c) G Sathiyan d) Kamlesh Mehta
c) Tejaswini Sawant d) Aditi Singh e) Harmeet Desai
e) Avneet Sidhu 33) Prem Singh Golay has been elected as the new
26) Who among the following has been named as Chief Minister of which State?
the next President of Marylebone Cricket Club a) Arunachal b) Jharkhand
(MCC), becoming the first non-British c) Assam d) J&K
President of the club? e) Sikkim
a) Wasim Akram 34) Scott Morrison has been elected as the new
b) Mahela Jayawardene Prime Minister of which country?
c) Saurabh Ganguli a) Australia b) Canada
d) Sachin Tendulkar c) Newzealand d) Austria
e) Kumar Sangakkara e) None of these
27) Which of the following bank had announced 35) National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
that it will link its interest rate on savings Development is an apex development
account with a balance above Rs. 1 lakh and financial institution in India, headquartered at
short-term loans like overdraft and cash Mumbai with regional offices all over India.
credit facility to Reserve Bank of India’s repo NABARD came into existence in-
rate, effective 1 May 2019? a) 2000 b) 1992
a) BoB b) IOB c) 1990 d) 1982 e) 1935
c) PNB d) SBI 36) The International Monetary Fund has agreed
e) ICICI Bank to bail out ______ with $6 billion worth fund.
28) The United Nations Security Council has a)Bangladesh b) Afghanistan
designated Jaish-e-Mohammed chief _______ as c) Pakistan d) Syria
a global terrorist. e) UAE
a) Ayman al-Zawahiri b) Hafiz Saeed 37) The Union Environment Ministry has
c) Masood Azhar constituted a committee to implement the
d) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed NCAP. What does C stands for in NCAP?
e) Abdul Rahman Yasin a) Cheque b) Cleanliness
29) Which of the following country has become c) Credit d) Clean
India’s top crude oil supplier for the second e) Credibility
consecutive year, meeting more than one-fifth 38) Who among the following was appointed as
of the country’s oil needs in the 2018-19? the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the office
a) Qatar b) USA of India's Lokpal?
c) UAE d) Iran a) Dilip Kumar b) Manoj Kumar
e) Iraq c) Sandeep Bakshi d) Naina Parmar
30) Recently WHO collaborated with IFBA to e) Ramesh Mohan Singh
eliminate industrially produced trans fat by 39) Which city hosted the two-day WTO
which year? ministerial meeting on May 13-14?
(A) 2023 (B) 2025 a) Bengaluru b) New Delhi
(C) 2026 (D) 2030 c) Beijing d) Kuala Lumpur
(E) 2021 e) Pune
31) The first part of the Indo-French joint naval
exercise,______ was kicked off the Goa coast.
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 58
40) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced e) Tanaka
that India has allowed an Iranian bank, 48) Which film won the prestigious Palme d'Or
Pasargad Bank, to open a branch in- award for the best film at the Cannes Film
a) Hyderabad b) New Delhi Festival, France?
c) Mumbai d) Chennai a) A Hidden Life
e) Kolkata b) The Young Ahmed
41) The National Democratic Alliance - NDA c) Parasite
secured a historic majority by winning d) Sorry We Missed You
_______ seats out of 542 seats for 17th Lok e) None of these
Sabha? 49) Which country won the Sudirman Cup for
a) 351 b) 353 mixed team Badminton championship?
c) 355 d) 354 a) China b) Japan
e) 352 c) Indonesia d) Thailand
42) Which of the following firm has recently e) South Korea
launched a recurring payment service for 50) Which country tested in May end a new
merchants that are working on a digital floating maglev bullet train capable of hitting
subscription model? speeds of 600 kilometers per hour?
a) PhonePe b) Amazon Pay a) Japan b) France
c) Paytm d) Google Pay c) China d) Germany
e) MobiKwik e) USA
43) Markets regulator SEBI directed ______to pay
more than Rs 625 crore in the case of misuse ANSWER KEY MAY GK TEST - 01
of its co-location facility.
a) Tata Steel b) NSE Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
c) BSE d) Facebook 1 B 2 D 3 D 4 A 5 C
e) Paytm 6 B 7 A 8 E 9 B 10 A
44) Which of the following players has won the 11 A 12 D 13 B 14 D 15 C
Purple Cap by taking 26 wickets in IPL season 16 B 17 C 18 D 19 D 20 B
2019? 21 C 22 D 23 E 24 E 25 C
a) Dale Steyn b) Shubhman Gill 26 D 27 B 28 A 29 A 30 C
c) Andre Russell d) Imran Tahir 31 A 32 C 33 C 34 B 35 E
e) David Miller 36 B 37 D 38 D 39 D 40 C
45) __________ launched world’s first zero waste 41 A 42 A 43 A 44 C 45 B
flight. 46 A 47 E 48 B 49 B 50 B
a) Qantas Airways b) Vistara
c) GoAir d) Emirates
ANSWER KEY MAY GK TEST - 02
e) Malaysian Airlines
46) India was the world’s ______biggest military
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
spender in 2018 according to recent report
1 B 2 D 3 C 4 D 5 E
from data according data think tank
6 C 7 B 8 D 9 B 10 C
Stockholm International Peace Research
11 A 12 C 13 E 14 C 15 A
Institute (SIPRI).
16 C 17 B 18 C 19 D 20 B
a) 1st b) 3rd
c) 4th d) 2nd 21 C 22 B 23 E 24 C 25 A
e) 5th 26 E 27 D 28 C 29 E 30 A
47) Who has become the first Japanese Emperor 31 C 32 C 33 E 34 A 35 D
to step down from the throne in more than 36 C 37 D 38 A 39 B 40 C
200 years? 41 B 42 C 43 B 44 D 45 A
a) Akihito b) Takahashi 46 C 47 A 48 C 49 A 50 C
c) Watanabe d) Nakamura
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 59
 SSC–CGL
TIER - 1 Model Test Paper
REASONING ABILITY 8) The set which resembles the given set 1, 5, 12
is
a) 7, 11, 35 b) 4, 8, 24
Directions (1 - 2): In each of the following questions,
c) 10, 14, 44 d) 9, 13, 42
select the related number / word / letter from given
Directions (9): In each of the following questions, a
alternatives.
series is given, with one term missing. Choose the
correct alternative from the given ones that will
1) 9 : 7 :: 80 : ?
complete the series.
a) 48 b) 50
c) 78 d) 82
9) ELFA, GLHA, ILJA, ?, MLNA
a) OLPA b) KLMA
2) Defer : Put off :: Deduce : ?
c) LLMA d) KLLA
a) Infer b) Protect
c) Delate d) Oppose
10) 4, 18, 48, ?, 180
a) 80 b) 100
Directions (3- 4): In each of the following questions,
c) 105 d) 125
which one set of letters when sequentially placed at
the gaps in the given letter series shall complete it?
11) In a certain code, LONDON is coded as 24 – 30
– 28 – 8 – 30 – 28. How will FRANCE be coded?
3) a_ _ b abba_abb a_ba
a) 10 – 24 – 6 – 28 – 6 – 12
a) abab b) abba
b) 12 – 26 – 6 – 28 – 8 – 10
c) aabb d) aaab
c) 12 – 36 – 2 – 28 – 6 – 10
d) 12 – 26 – 2 – 28 – 8 – 10
4) AZB _, AZ_Y, A_BY, _ZBY
a) YBZA b) BYAZ
12) In a certain code, MAARK is written as KRAAM.
c) BZYA d) AZBY
How PASSI can be written in that code?
a) ISSAP b) ISSPA
5) Find out the wrong number in the sequence
c) SSIPA d) ASSIP
102, 101, 98, 93, 86, 74, 66, 53
a) 101 b) 66
13) If 29 x 48 = 576, 35 x 16 = 90, 22 x 46 = 96,
c) 74 d) 93
then 42 x 17 = ?
Directions (6- 7): In each of the following questions, a) 56 b) 286
select the one which is different, from other three c) 48 d) 64
responses.
14) If ‘P’ denotes ‘multiplied by’, ‘T’ denotes
6) a) Detach b) Affix
‘subtracted from’, ‘M’ denotes ‘added to’ and
c) Append d) Fasten
‘B’ denotes ‘divided by’ then: what should be
7) a) Man = 13114 b) Ram = 18113 the correct responses of
c) Jug = 10217 d) Hub = 82110 12 P 6 M 15 T 16 B 4 ?
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 60
 a) 70 b) 75 Question Figure:
c) 83 d) 110

Directions (15): In each of the following questions,

select the missing number form the given Answer Figures:
responses:
15) 95, 115, 145, 155, ?
a) 215 b) 175
c) 185 d) 165
16) Rohan walks a distance of 3 km towards
North, then turns to his left and walks for 2 20) Which of the four cubes pictured below are
km. He again turns left and walks 3 km. At this correct view when the six squares are folded
point he turns to his left and walks for 3 km.
(in clockwise direction) into a cube?
How many kilometers is he from the starting
Question Figure:
point?
a) 1 km b) 2 km
c) 3 km d) 4 km

17) Rani and Sarita started from a place X. Rani

Answer Figures:
went West and Sarita went North,
bothtravelling with the same speed. After
sometimes, both turned their left and walked
a few steps. If they again turned to their left,
in which directions’ the faces of Rani and
Sarita will be with respect to X?
21) Which one of the following diagrams best
a) North and East b) North and West
depicts the relationship among Black eyed
c) West and North d) East and South
people, Brown haired people, Indian

Directions (18): In each of the following questions,

one/two statements are given followed by three
conclusions. You have to consider the statements to
be true even it they seem to be at variance from
commonly known facts. You have to decide which of
the given conclusions. If any, follow from the given
statements.
22) Find out which of the following answer figures
will exactly make up the question figure?
18) Statements:
Question Figure:
Some ladies are beautiful.
Some beautiful are honest.
All honest are sensitives.
Conclusion I: Some sensitives are beautiful.
Conclusion II: Some honest are ladies.
Conclusion III: Some sensitives are ladies.
a) None of the Conclusion follows. Answer Figures:
b) Only Conclusion I follows.
c) Only Conclusion I and II follow.
d) All Conclusions follow.

19) Which one of the answer figures shall

complete the given question figure?
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 61
23) Which one of the answer figures is hidden in NUMERICAL ABILITY
the following question figure?
Question Figure:
26) If the side of a square is reduced by 50% its
area will be reduced by
a) 75% b) 80%
Answer Figures: c) 60% d) 50%

27) Two triangles ABC and PQR and congruent. If

the area of ABC is 60 sq. cm. then area of
PQR will be
24) From the answer figures, find out the figure a) 60 sq. cm. b) 30 sq. cm.
which is the exact mirror image of the c) 15 sq. cm. d) 120 sq. cm.
question figure, when the mirror is placed on
the line MN. 28) The least number which must be added to
Question Figure: 1728 to make it a perfect square is …………….
a) 36 b) 32
c) 38 d) 30

Answer Figures: 29) For a triangle ABC,D and E are two points on
1 1
AB and AC such that AD  AB , AE = AC,
4 4
IF BC = 12 cm, the DE is
a) 5cm b) 4 cm
c) 3 cm d) 6 cm
25) In the following question, a word is
represented by a set of numbers as given in 30) If tan  + cot  = 2 then the value of  is
any one of the alternatives. The sets of a) 45 b) 60
numbers given in the alternatives are c) 90 d) 30
represented by alphabets as in the matrices
given below. The columns and rows of matrix
31) The term to be added to 121a2+64b2 to make
are numbered from 1 to 6. A letter from these
matrices can be represented first by its row a perfect square is
and next by its column number, e.g., ‘A’ can be a) 176 ab b) 276 a2b
represented by 42, ‘S’ can be represented c) 178 ab d) 188 b2a
by 21, etc. Similarly, you have to identify the
set for the word ‘PLAY’. 32) A can do a piece of work in 6 days. B in 10
days and C in 15 days. They jointly complete
1 2 3 4 5 6
the work and earn Rs 300. The sum of their
1 H R E I P S
wages for 2 days is
2 S G N D Z I a) Rs 180 b) Rs 200
3 B U F T K L c) Rs 160 d) Rs 120
4 V A P C Y A
5 H W C O X N 33) A sum of Rs 76 is divided among A, B and C in
such a way that A gets Rs 7 more than that
6 B A E F L Q
what B gets and B gets Rs 6 more than what C
a) 43, 36, 42, 23 gets. The ratio of their shares is
b) 43, 32, 33, 33 a) 19 : 24 : 33 b) 32 : 25 : 19
c) 15, 12, 42, 45 c) 32 : 24 : 20 d) 19 : 25 : 33
d) 43, 65, 62, 45

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 62

34) If the opposite sides of a quadrilateral and bc a c a b
also its diagonals are equal, then each of the 41) If   = 1 and a – b + c  0
a b c
angles of the quadrilateral is
then which one of the following relations is
a) 90 b) 120
true?
c) 100 d) 60
1 1 1 1 1 1
a)   b)  
5 c a b a b c
35) If cos x = x2 – x + , then value of x will be
4 1 1 1 1 1 1
c)   d)  
a) 0 b) 1 b a c b a c
c) – 1 d) None of the above
42) A train crosses a platform in 30 seconds
36) A tank 40 m long, 30m broad and 12m deep is travelling with a speed of 60km/h. If the
dug in a field 1000m long and 30m wide. By length of the train be 200 metres then the
how much will the level of the field rise if the length (in metres) of the platform is
earth dug out of the tank is evenly spread a) 400 b) 300
over the field? c) 200 d) 500
a) 2 metre b) 1.2 metre
c) 0.5 metre d) 5 metre 43) If FGH is isosceles and FG  3 cm, GH = 8 cm,
then of the following the true relation is
37) In a triangle, if orthocentre, circumcentre, a) GH = FH b) GF = GH
incentre and centroid coincide, then the c) FH  GH d) GH  GF
triangle must be
a) obtuse angled b) isosceles 1
c) equilateral d) right-angled 44) The numerical value of 1 + 2 - sec227
cot 63
 1  1
38) If a = 2 + 3, then the value of  a 
2
 is + 2 - cosec227 is
 a2  sin 63
a) 1 b) 2
a) 12
c) – 1 d) 0
b) 14
c) 16
45) A and B together can complete a job in 8 days.
d) 10
Both B and C, working alone can finish the
same job in 12 days. A and B commence work
39) For what value(s) of k the expression p+
on the job, and work for 4 days, whereupon A
1 leaves. B continues for 2 more days, and then
p + k2 is a perfect square?
4 he leaves too. C now starts working, and
1 1 finishes the job. How many days did C
a)  b)  require?
3 4
a) 5 b) 8
1 1 c) 3 d) 4
c)  d) 
8 2
1
40) If 15% of x is same as 20% of y then x : y is 46) If x = 3  2 then the value of x3 - is
x3
a) 4 : 3 b) 5 : 4
c) 6 : 5 d) 3 : 4 a) 10 2 b) 14 2
c) 22 2 d) 8 2

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 63

47) What is the product of the roots of the 54) Which of the following schemes aims at
equation x2 - 3 =0? constructing two crore houses with a grant of
Rs. 1-2.30 lac per house?
a) + 3 b) 3i A. Housing for All
c) - 3I d) - 3 B. Indira Awas Yojana
C. Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana
D. Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana
cos cos
48) If x = , then is equal to
1  sin 1  sin  55) In May, 2019 India has extended 1 billion
1 dollar Line of Credit to which nation for
a) x – 1 b) building its 1st petro chemical refinery?
x a) Angola
1 1 b) Central African Republic
c) d) c) Mongolia
x 1 1 x d) Maldives

49) On what sum of money will the difference 56) The normal temperature of a human body is
between S.I and C.I for 2 years at 5% per A. 90°F B. 98.4°C
annum be equal to Rs 25? C. 98.4°F D. 96.4°F
a) Rs 10,000 b) Rs 10,500
c) Rs 9,500 d) Rs 9000 57) Malik Kafur was a favourite general of
A. Balban B. Alauddin Khalji
50) In ABC, B = 90 and AB : BC = 2 : 1. The C. Mohammad Tughlaq D. Firoz Tughlaq
value of sin A + cot C is
2 5 58) The Funny Bone in the human body is actually
a) 3 + 5 b) A. A muscle B. A nerve
2 5 C. A bone D. A blood vessel
c) 2  5 d) 3 5
59) Photosynthesis involves
A. oxidation of H2O and release of O2
B. reduction of CO2 and oxidation of H2O
GENERAL AWARENESS C. reduction of CO2 and release of O2
D. reduction of CO2, oxidation of H2O and release
51) The companies contributing to the Swachh of O2
Bharat campaign can claim tax rebate under
the CSR guidelines. The acronym CSR stands 60) The Mohemmadan Anglo-Oriental college of
for Aligarh was founded by
A. Corporate Social Responsibility A. Md. Ali Jinnah B. Mohammad Ali
B. Common Social Responsibility C. Shaukat Ali
C. Cumulative Social Rejuvenation D. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
D. Community Social Responsibility
61) The words Satyameva Jayate in the State
52) The respiratory centre in humans is situated Emblem of India have been adopted from
on the A. Mundak Upanishad
A. Cerebrum B. Cerebellum B. Brahma Upanishad
C. Medulla oblongata D. Diencephalon C. Mudgala Upanishad
D. Maitreyi Upanishad
53) The pH of human blood ranges between
A. 6.5-7 B. 7.5-8 62) The expounder of Yoga philosophy was
C. 8-9 D. 4.5-5 A. Patanjali B. Gautam
C. Jaimini D. Sankaracharya
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 64
 C. 2 1 4 3
63) The Preamble to our Constitution describes D. 1 2 4 3
India as
A. Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic 71) Our skin colour is due to the presence of
Republic A. rennin B. melanin
B. Sovereign, Democratic, Socialist, Secular C. mesotosin D. metatonin
Republic
C. Socialist, Sovereign, Democratic, Secular 72) The Hazarat Nizamuddin Auliya shrine is in
Republic A. Aligarh B. Roorkee
D. Democratic, Sovereign, Secular, Socialist C. Delhi D. Ajmer
Republic
73) The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a
64) Mahaparinirvan refers to the ___________ of the
Buddha. formal organization which originated from
A. Passing away B. First sermon the erstwhile
C. Marriage A. League of Nations B. GATT
D. Departure from home C. Brettonwoods Agreement
D. European Economic Community
65) Jharoka Darshan was a practice followed by
A. Akbar B. Shahjehan 74) Match the following:
C. Babar D. Jahangir Element Nature
A. Sodium 1. Gas
66) The President's Rule in a state means that the B. Phosphorus 2. Halogen
state is ruled by C. Iodine 3. Alkali metal
A. A caretaker government D. Radon 4. Transition metal
B. The Chief Minister nominated by the President 5. Non-metal
C. The Governor of the State A B C D A B C D
D. The President directly A. 2 5 3 1 B. 3 5 2 1
C. 4 2 3 5 D. 5 3 4 2
67) The largest gland in the human body is
A. heart B. liver 75) Match the following:
C. kidney D. brain Process Changes
A. Evaporation 1. Liquid into gas
68) The Mid Day Meal scheme was launched first B. Sublimation 2. Gas into liquid
of all by C. Freezing 3. Solid into gas
A. Tamil Nadu B. Rajasthan D. Melting 4. Solid into liquid
C. Goa D. Kerala 5. Liquid into solid
A B C D A B C D
69) …….. had a separate department of slaves. A. 1 2 5 4 B. 3 1 2 4
A. Feroz Tughlaq B. Mohd Tughlaq C. 3 1 5 4 D. 1 3 5 4
C. Aurangzeb D. Qutbuddin Aibak

70) Match List-1 with List – II and select the

correct answer from the codes given below ENGLISH LANGUAGE
the lists:
List - I List - II
Directions (76– 80): In the following questions,
(Forms of Government) (Principles)
some parts of the sentences have errors and some
A. Presidential system 1. Separation of powers
B. Parliamentary system 2. Close relationship are correct. Find out which part of a sentence has an
between executive and error. The number of that part is your answer. If a
legislature sentence is free from error, then your answer is (4)
C. Federal System 3. Concentration i.e. No error
D. Unitary System 4. Division of power
Code: A B C D 76) After tasting both /(a) John prefers /(b) tea
A. 1 2 3 4 than coffee /(c) No error (d)
B. 2 1 3 4

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 65

 a) After tasting both b) John prefers 83) If you say to someone. “You’re so full of
c) Tea to coffee d) No error yourself” they’ll probably feel ______ .
a) upset b) pleased
77) I loved /(a) the drawings /(b) they were so c) calm d) proud
real /(c) No error (d)
a) ) I loved b) the drawings 84) The archer missed the ______ by an inch.
c) they were so real d) No error a) score b) point
c) blow d) aim
78) Suddenly they saw a car coming /(a) at a
break neck speed /(b) An old man were 85) Bob and Jane decided to tie the knot because
crossing the road at the zebra crossing /(c) No a) they loved one another
error (d) b) they needed to save money
a) Suddenly they saw a car coming c) they wanted to make a long rope
b) at a break neck speed d) it had come undone
c) An old man were crossing the road at the zebra
crossing d) No error Directions (86–88): In the following questions, out
of the four alternatives, choose the one which best
79) I sprained my ankle /(a) When I was /(b) expresses the meaning of the given word.
playing basketball /(c) No error (d)
86) CREDIBLE
a) I sprained my ankle b) When I was
a) Charming b) Serious
c) playing basketball d) No error
c) Believable d) Worthy

80) It is time /(a) we should accept all our people 87) EXTRICATE
as equals /(b) and as partners in the task of a) Free b) Tie
building a strong and united nation /(c) No c) Complicate d) Pull
error (d)
88) OBSTREPEROUS
a) It is time
a) Unrule b) Lazy
b) we should accept all our people as equals
c) Awkward d) Sullen
c) and as partners in the task of building a strong
and united nation
Directions (89– 91): In the following questions,
d) No error
choose he word opposite in meaning to the given
word.
Directions (81– 85): In the following questions,
sentences are given with blanks to be filled with an 89) ACQUIT
appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are a) Despair b) Mild
suggested for each question. Choose the correct c) Smart d) Condemn
alternative out of the four.
90) DISSENT
81) Lella said the new restaurant was nothing to
a) Discord b) Disagreement
write about. She thought it was ______ .
c) Unacceptable d) Agreement
a) just average b) really terrible
c) splendid d) excellent 91) GROUP
a) Singular b) Individual
82) My Nigerian friend, Fela is having trouble c) Alone d) Solitary
finding work here in London, but he says if
push comes to shove he can always _______ . Directions (92– 93): In the following questions, four
a) go to jail b) win the lottery alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase printed
c) end of the journey that is life in bold. Choose the alternative which best expresses
d) go back to Nigeria the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase.

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 66

92) After his business failed, he had to work very the NHDP, as of 2011. This includes over 2,600 km of
hard to keep the wolf from the door expressways currently under construction.
a) keep away extreme poverty
b) earn an honest living 96) What is the current measurement of
c) regain his lost position expressways under construction in India?
d) defend from enemies a) 15,000 km
b) 30,000 km
93) The mention of her former husband’s name still
c) 2,600 km
makes Rita foam at the mouth.
d) 1,000 km
a) angry b) vomit
c) shy d) fall sick
97) What is the responsibility of the NHAI?
94) He found a wooden chair that has broken in the a) planning of National Highways
room. b) building upgrading and maintaining of
a) wooden and broken chair National Highways
b) broken wooden chair c) control of National Highways
c) broken and wooden chair d) expansion of National Highways
d) No improvement
98) What is the measurement of two –lane
95) The hosts were taken aback when many guests
National Highways of India?
who had been invited did not turn up for the
a) 15,000 km b) 61,000 km
party.
c) 50,000 km d) 71,000 km
a) had been invited b) had invited
c) was invited d) No improvement
99) What percentage of roads in India are
National Highways?
Directions (96– 100): In the following questions, you
a) 2% b) 30%
have two passages with 5 questions in each passage.
c) 4% d) 40%
Read the passages carefully and choose the best
answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
100) The majority of National Highways in India
have:
The National Highways Network of India measures over
a) two -lanes b) six -lanes
70,934 km as of 2010, including over 1,000 Km of
c) eight -lanes d) four –lanes
limited –access expressways. Out of 71,000 km of
National Highways 15,000 plus km are 4 or 6 lanes and
remaining 50,000 km are 2 lanes. The National ANSWER KEY
Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is the nodal agency
responsible for building upgrading and maintaining Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
most of the National Highways network. The National 1 C 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 C
Highways Development Project (NHDP) is a major effort 6 A 7 D 8 B 9 D 10 B
to expand and upgrade the network of highways. NHAI 11 C 12 A 13 A 14 C 15 B
often uses a public –private partnership model for
16 A 17 D 18 D 19 B 20 A
highway development, maintenance and toll –
21 A 22 B 23 C 24 D 25 D
collection. National Highways constituted about 2% of
26 A 27 A 28 A 29 C 30 A
all the roads in India, but carried about 40% of the total
31 A 32 B 33 B 34 A 35 D
road traffic as of 2010. The majority of existing National
36 C 37 C 38 B 39 C 40 A
Highways are two lane roads (one lane in each
direction), through much of this is being expanded to 41 C 42 B 43 A 44 D 45 D
four lanes, and some to six or eight lanes. Some sections 46 C 47 D 48 B 49 A 50 B
of the network are toll roads. Over 30,000 km of new 51 A 52 C 53 B 54 A 55 C
highways are planned or under construction as part of 56 C 57 B 58 B 59 C 60 D
61 A 62 A 63 A 64 A 65 A

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 67

 66 C 67 B 68 A 69 A 70 B
71 B 72 C 73 B 74 B 75 D
76 C 77 C 78 C 79 D 80 B
81 A 82 D 83 D 84 D 85 A
86 C 87 A 88 A 89 D 90 D
91 B 92 A 93 A 94 B 95 D
96 C 97 B 98 C 99 A 100 A

8) b) 1 + 5 = 6 and 6 x 2 = 12
SOLUTIONS Similarly, 4 + 8 = 12 and 12 x 2 = 24
9) d)
1) c) (3)2 = 9 : (3) 2 – 2 = 7
Similarly,
(3)4 – 1 = 81 – 1 = 80
(3)4 – 3 = 81 – 3 = 78
In simple way, 9 – 2 = 7 and 80 – 2 = 78
2) a) Defer means ‘to delay something until a later
time’, ‘to postpone’. 10) b)
Put off means ‘to put something to a later time or
date’, ‘to delay’.
Thus, Defer and Put off are synonymous to one
another.
Deduce means ‘to infer’, ‘to arrive at facts’.
Infer means ‘to arrive at a conclusion’
3) a)
11) c) L  12; 12 x 2 = 24
O  15; 15 x 2 = 30
4) a) N  14; 14 x 2 = 28
D  04; 04 x 2 = 08
5) c) 102 – 1 = 101 O  15; 15 x 2 =30
101 – 3 = 98 N  14; 14 x 2 = 28
98 – 5 = 93 Therefore,
93 – 7 = 86 F  06; 06 x 2 = 12
R  18; 18 x 2 =36
A  01; 01 x 2 = 02
77 – 11 = 66
N  14; 14 x 2 = 28
66 – 13 = 53
C  03; 03 x 2 = 06
Therefore, the number 74 is wrong in the
E  05, 05 x 2 = 10
sequence.
12) a) The letter have been written in the reverse order.
6) a) ‘Detach’ is different from the other three words.
MAARKKRAAM
Detach means ‘to separate or remove something
from a large or longer part Therefore,
Affix means ‘to stick fasten or attach something.’ PASSIISSAP
Append means ‘to attach to add something’.
7) d) 13) a) 29 x 48
 2 x 9 x 4 x 8 = 576
35 x 16
 3 x 5 x 1 x 6 = 90
The position number of letters in the English 22 x 46
alphabet.  2 x 2 x 4 x 6 = 96
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 68
 Therefore,
42 x 17

14) c)
I + A  I – type of Conclusion
Px T-
“Some beautifuls are sensitives.”
M+ B
Conclusion I is Converse of it.
12 P 6 M 15 T 16 B 4 = ? 19) b)
 ? = 12 X 6 + 15 – 16  4

15) b)

20) a)

16) a)
In option (b) 3 is on the adjacent face of dot.
In option (c) is on the adjacent face on W.
In option (d)  is on the top and hence the
positions of dot (.) and W are not correct.
21) a) Some black eyed people may be brown haired
and vice-versa.
Some black eyed people may be Indians and vice-
Required distance = 1 km versa.
Some brown haired people may be Indians and
vice-versa.
17) d) Some black eyed and brown haired people may
be Indians and vice-versa.

22) b)All the components of the Question Figure are

present in the answer figure (b)
Rani is facing towards East and Sarita is facing
towards South.
18) b) The first and second Premises are Particular
Affirmative (I - type).
The Third Premise is Universal Affirmative (A -
type).

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 69

23) c) 30. a) tan  + cot  = 2
1
 tan  + =2
tan
tan 2   1
 =2
tan 
24) d)  tan2 + 1 = 2tan
 tan2 - 2tan + 1 = 0
(tan - 1)2 = 0
 tan = 1 = tan 45
  = 45
25) d) P  15, 43: 31. a) 121a2 + 64b2
L  36, 65; (11a)2 + (8b)2
A  42, 46, 62; (x + y)2 = x2 + y2 + 2xy
Y  45  Required expression
= 2 x 11a x 8b
= 176ab
32. b) (A + B + C)’s 1 day’s work
1 1 1 53 2 1
=    
6 10 15 30 3
Hence, the work will be completed in 3 days.
26. a) Required percentage decrease  Their 2 day’s wages = Rs. 200
  50  50  33. b) B’s share = Rs. B
=   50  50  % A’s share = Rs. (b + 7)
 100  C’s Share = Rs. (b – 6)
= - 100 + 25 = 75%  b + b + 7 + b – 6 = 76
27. a) Both the triangles are congruent.
 3b = 76 – 1 = 75
 ABC = 60 sq. cm.
 b = Rs. 25
PQR = 60 sq. cm.
 A’s share = 25 + 7 = Rs. 32
28. a) 41 x 41 = 1681
C’s share = 25 – 6 = Rs. 19
42 x 42 = 1764
 Required ratio = 32 : 25 : 19
Required answer
= 1764 – 1728
= 36
29. c)
34. a)

AB = CD
BC = AD
AD AB AC = BD

AE AC It will be a rectangle and each angle will be right
 ADE   ABC angle.
1 5
 DE = x 12 = 3 cm 35. d) cosx = x2 – x +
4 4

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 70

 1 1 1 5 bc a c a b
= x2 – 2.x.    41. c)   1
2 4 4 4 a b c
2
 1 bc ab ac
= x  +11    1  0
 2 a c b
We know that - 1  cos x  1 b  c a b a  c b
   0
So answer is None of these a c b
36. c) Volume of earth taken out c b b a a c b
= 40 x 30 x 12   
= 1440 cu. Metre a c b
Area of the rectangle field c 2  bc  ab  a 2 a  c  b
= 1000 x 30 = = 30000 sq. metre
 
ac b
Area of the region of tank
= 40 x 30 = 1200sq. metre 
c 2

 a 2  bc  ab  a  c  b

Remaining area ac b
= 30000 – 1200 c  a c  a  bc  a
= 28800 sq. metre 
ac
Increase in level
a  c b
14400 =
= = 0.5 metre b
28800
37. c) In an equilateral triange, orthocenter, cirum-
c  ac  a  b  a  c  b

centre, incentre and centroid coincide. ac b
38. b) a = 2 + 3 ca 1
 
1 1 1 2 3 ac b
  
a 2 3 2 3 2 3     
a a 1
 
ac ac b
2 3
=  2 3 1 1 1
43   
2
a c b
1  1
 a2 + 2   a    2
a  2 42. b) Speed of train = 60 kmph
5

= 2 32 3  2
2 
=  60   m /sec.
18 
= 16 – 2 = 14

1 50
39. c) p+ p  k2 = m/sec
4 3
2 2 If the length of platform be
1 1 1
=   2
p  2. p .        k 2
8 8 8
= x metre, then
Speed of train
2 Lengthof train  platform 
1 1 =
 k2 =    k   Time taken in cros sin g
8 8
15 20 50 200  x
  y  
40. a) x 3 30
100 100
 50 x 10 = 200 + x
 x x 15 = y x 20
 x = 500 – 200 = 300 metre
x 20 4
  
y 15 3
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 71
43. a) 47. d) x2 - 3 =0
1
1  
 x2 - 32 = 0  x2 -  3 4  = 0
 
 
1 1
  
  x  3 4  x  3 4  = 0
  
F G  3 cm   
G H = 8 cm  x = 31/4 or -31/4
Clearly, FH = GH  Product or roots
The sum of two sides to a triangle is greater than
= 31/4 x – 31/4 = - 3
its third side.
Note : Product of the roots of
1 1
44. d) 1 + 2 - sec227 + 2 - cosec227 c
cot 63 sin 63 ax2 + bx + c = 0 is
a
= 1 + tan263 – sec227 + cosec263 - cosec227
 Product of the roots of
= 1 + tan2 (90 - 27) – sec227 + cosec2(90- 27)
– cosec227 x2 – b.0 - 3  0is  3
= 1 + cot227 – sec227 = sec227 – cosec227 cos  cos  (1  sin  )
48. b) x = 
= 1 + cot227 – cosec227 1  sin  (1  sin  )(1  sin  )
=1–1=0
cos  (1  sin  )
[+ cosec2 - cot2 = 1] =
45. d) Work done by A and B in first 6 days
1  sin 2 
= (A + B)’s 4 day’s work + B’s 2 day’s work cos  (1  sin  )
=
1 2 1 1 3 1 4 2 cos 2 
=4x  =     1  sin  cos 1
8 12 2 6 6 6 3 =  
Remaining work cos 1  sin  x
2 1 PR 2
= 1  49. a) Difference =
3 3 10000
1 P  5 5
Time taken by C =  12 = 4 days  25 =  P = Rs. 10000
3 10000
46. c) x = 3 2
1 1 3 2
  
x 3  2  3  2  3  2  50. b)
  
3 2
=  3 2
3 2
1
x- = 3 2 3 2
x AB 2

=2 2 BC 1
3  AB = 2k, BC = K
1  1  1
 x3 - 3   x    3 x  
x  x  x  AC = 2k 2  k 2  5k 2 = 5 k
   3 2
= 2 2
3
2 = 16 2  6 2  22 2  sin A + Cot C =
BC BC

AC AB

GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 72

 k k 1 1 2 5
=  =  
5k 2 k 5 2 2 5
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GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019 73

 Latest G.K.Bytes
MAY - 2019
1) A powerful earthquake on May 26 measuring 8 on
the Richter scale devastated parts of which
country in South America: Peru
2) Name Bollywood’s famous stunt and action
choreographer, who passed away in Mumbai at
the age of 77 on May 27: Veeru Devgan
3) Which authority directed the RBI to disclose the
list of 12 big loan defaulters that it had sent to
banks for resolution: The Central Information
Commission (CIC)
4) For the first time in the history of the Indian Air
Force, an all women crew flew a ______medium lift
helicopter at Chandigarh base: Mi-17
5) The University Grants Commission (UGC) has
directed universities and higher educational
institutions to introduce what type of
identification mechanisms in degrees issued by
them: Hologram of the institute and QR code
6) Which Indian shooter created a new world record
in May end in the 10 m air pistol category:
Saurabh Chaudhary
7) DRDO successfully test fired the Akash-1S missile
system recently. It is what type of missile:
Surface to air
8) Game Changer is an autobiography of which
famous cricketer: Shahid Afridi, Pakistan
9) "The Ministry of Truth" is a recent novel written
by which author: Dorian Lynskey
10) Who is the author of the popular book "Jugaad:
The Coalition Handbook": Saba Naqvi
11) Name the Indian ride-hailing company that
launched its own credit card in tie-up with the SBI
Card: Ola
12) The WHO recently declared which two countries
as free from Malaria: Algeria, Argentina
13) Name the Indian lady doctor who recently won
the Global Asian of the Year 2018-19 award:
Hema Divakar
14) In May end, Asian Development Bank approved a
$750 million loan to India for what purpose:
Electrification of railway tracks
15) Which country tested in May end a new floating
maglev bullet train capable of hitting speeds of
600 kilometers per hour: China
16) What is the expanded form of maglev: Magnetic
levitation
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
17) French Open Tennis, the second Grand Slam of the
season, began in ______ on May 26: Paris
18) Sudirman Cup is associated with which sports:
Badminton
19) ________ won the world mixed team badminton
championship at Nanning, by defeating Japan:
China
20) Narendra Modi led the National Democratic
Alliance - NDA to a historic majority of securing
_______ seats out of 542 seats for 17th Lok Sabha:
353
21) The prestigious Palme d'Or award is given for
what purpose: Best Film at the Cannes Film
Festival
22) Which film won the 2019 Palme d'Or: Parasite
23) Scott Morrison has been elected as the new Prime
Minister of which country: Australia
24) In which state, Prem Singh Golay has been elected
as the new Chief Minister: Sikkim
25) Who has been become the new Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh: Jagan Mohan Reddy
26) Which MP won the Navsari Lok Sabha seat in
Gujarat by a difference of 6.89 lakh votes — the
highest margin in the 2019 polls: CR Patil of BJP
27) India won 57 medals including 12 Gold, 18 Silver
and 27 Bronze at the 2nd India Open
International Boxing tournament. It was held in
which city: Guwahati
28) Name the British prime minister who announced
her resignation from June 07 "in the best interests
of the country": Theresa May
29) What is the main reason that compelled Theresa
May to resign: Her failure to win over the house
on the issue of withdrawal of Britain from the
European Union
30) In which city over 23 students lost their lives in a
deadly fire in their coaching centre: Surat
31) Lt. Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot
of the Indian Air Force in what regard: To
undertake missions by day on a fighter
aircraft, flying MiG-21 Bison
32) A global index which ranks how countries adhere
to and are equipped to improve child rights,
placed India at which rank: 117th
33) Which country topped the kids rights index:
Iceland
34) Saray Khumalo, mountaineer from _________
74
 became the first black African woman to scale
Mount Everest: South Africa
35) The World Bank teamed up with which bank to
enable recording of secondary market bond
trading using blockchain technology:
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
36) Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected as the
President of which country: South Africa
37) Indian Air Force successfully fired the BrahMos
air version missile recently from which of its
aircraft: Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft
38) Pakistan appointed which senior diplomat as the
High Commissioner to India: Mueenul Haq
39) The eighth edition of the Indo-Myanmar
coordinated patrol (IMCOR) was held near which
place: Andaman and Nicobar Islands
40) Niki Lauda, the three-time world champion of
________ from Austria, passed away at the age of
70: F1 Racing
41) Name the 29 year old American who recently
reached the top of world rankings in professional
golf: Brooks Koepka
42) Kapil Sharma, popular comedian-actor was in
news recently for what reasons: He has been
acknowledged as the most viewed stand-up
comedian in India and abroad by the World
Book of Records, London.
43) Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star is the
2nd highest national award of which country:
Japan
44) Name the Indian diplomat recently honoured
with the above award: Shyam Saran, former
Foreign Secretary of India
45) The International Day for Biological Diversity is
observed on which date: May 22
46) What was the theme for this year's International
Day for Biological Diversity: “Our Biodiversity,
Our Food, Our Health”
47) On which day of May the World Turtle Day is
celebrating: 23rd
48) Which company has toppled govt owned Indian
Oil Corporation (IOC) to become the country’s
biggest company in terms of revenue and net
profit: Reliance Industries
49) Which two countries are hosting the ICC ODI
world Cup (men’s): Great Britain and Wales
50) How many teams are competing in the ICC ODI
world Cup (men’s): 10
51) Man Booker International Prize is given for
outstanding work in which field: Best book
translated in to English and published in UK
52) Who won the Man Booker International Prize for
2019: Jokha Alharthi for her novel Celestial
Bodies
53) Jokha Alharthi hails from which country: Oman
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
54) ISRO recently launched its radar imaging earth
observation satellite. What is its name: RISAT-2B
55) The data from RISAT-2B shall be used for what
purpose: For the Armed Forces, agriculture
forecasters and disaster relief agencies
56) The telecom major BSNL - Bharat Sanchar Nigam
Ltd. partnered with ____ to increase access to its
WiFi footprint in the country: Google
57) The world body governing Badminton, BFA, has
launched ____ new formats of the game: Two
58) What are the 2 new formats of badminton
launched by the BFA: Air Badminton and
Triples
59) The World Metrology Day is observed on May
20th. What is metrology: The science of making
measurements and establishing various units
of measurements
60) Which International Day is celebrated to raise
awareness of the importance of pollinators (such
as bees, butterflies, bats and hummingbirds):
World Bee Day, May 20
61) _______ became the first state to tap into masala
bond market: Kerala
62) Kerala listed the Kerala Infrastructure Investment
Fund Board (KIIFB)’s masala bond worth of $312
million (Rs 2,150 crore) in which stock exchange:
London
63) Which popular measurement unit of weight was
recently re-defined in terms of unchanging
universal, physics constants: Kilogram
64) Recently USA threatened which country saying
that a military confrontation with America would
“be its official end": Iran
65) What is the main bone of contention behind the
soaring tensions between USA and Iran: Alleged
violations of nuclear ban treaty by Iran
66) Joko Widodo has been re-elected as the President
of which country: Indonesia
67) India delivered the first pair of Russia made Mi-24
attack helicopters to the Air Force of which
country: Afghanistan
68) Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk
Reduction is conferred by which international
organization: UN Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNDRR), Geneva
69) Name the Indian civil servant recently honoured
with the Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk
Reduction: Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra,
Additional Principal Secretary to Prime
Minister of India
70) Name the tennis star who won the Italian Open
2019: Rafael Nadal of Spain
71) The Indian Navy held a major bilateral naval
exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy. Can
you name it: SIMBEX 19
72) SIMBEX 19 naval exercise was held at which
75
 place: South China sea
73) National Dengue Day is observed in India on
which day of May: 16
74) Dengue is a viral disease caused by dengue virus
transmitted by bite of _____ mosquito: Aedes
aegypti
75) Which day marks the anniversary of the signing of
the first International Telegraph Convention and
the creation of the International
Telecommunication Union on this day in 1865:
World Telecommunication & Information
Society Day
76) Which Arabian country has for the first time
approved a scheme that permits permanent
residency to certain expatriates, allowing them to
own real estate in the kingdom and reside with
their families, without a local sponsor: Saudi
Arabia
77) _________ became 1st country in Asia to pass a law
that grants legal sanction to same-sex marriage:
Taiwan
78) Observation of the International Day of Light on
May 16 is supported by which UN organization:
UNESCO
79) What is the full form of UNESCO: United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
80) Where are the headquarters of UNESCO: Paris
81) Which global day is celebrated on May 17 to raise
awareness about high blood pressure in people
across the world: World Hypertension Day
82) What is the general blood pressure levels range:
Between 120/80 to 140/90
83) What is the theme for this year's world
hypertension day: Know your numbers
84) Which big country has recently rolled out a merit-
based immigration system to grant residency
based on points for their age, knowledge, job
opportunities and civic sense: USA
85) Commandos of which premier counter-terror
force created history by scaling the Mount Everest
on May 16 in their maiden attempt: NSG -
National Security Guard
86) Exercise Bullstrike was conducted between
armed forces of which country: Only India
87) Exercise Bullstrike was conducted at which place:
Teressa island near Andamans
88) Which train was in news recently for competing 1
lakh running kilometres on May 16, without
missing a single trip in just three months of its
launch: Vande Bharat Express
89) Captain Aarohi Pandit, 23-year-old pilot from
Mumbai became the world's first woman in what
regard: To cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a
Light Sports Aircraft
90) The RBI has asked all NBFCs with asset size of
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
over Rs. 5,000 crore to appoint chief risk officers
for what purpose: To minimize risk associated
with all the loan products
91) Researchers in which country have reportedly
created recyclable plastic: USA
92) What name has been given to the recently created
recyclable plastic: Poly diketoenamine, or PDK
plastic
93) A species of new vine snake has recently been
discovered in the eastern part of_________, after a
century or so: Odisha
94) Victor Vescovo, 53 years old diver and deep sea
explorer from USA broke the world record for
which item: Deepest dive in history, diving
down to 10,927 meters
95) Where is the deepest (in ocean) point on the
earth: The Challenger Deep in Mariana Trench
in Western Pacific ocean
96) Digital payments company Paytm launched its
first credit card called “Paytm First Card” in
association with which bank: Citibank
97) The International Day of Families is observed on
which day of May: 15th
98) Name the sherpa who reached the top of Mt
Everest for the 24th time, creating a new world
record: Kami Rita Sherpa
99) The Geological Survey of India, GSI, has revealed
that 35 per cent the country's Graphite deposits is
available in __________: Arunachal Pradesh
100) Graphite is used widely in which two ways in the
automobile industry: Lubricants and brake
linings
101) Which organization released a vision document
for ensuring a safe, secure, convenient, quick and
affordable e-payment system: Reserve Bank of
India
102) Which organization has directed 18 States and 2
Union Territories to submit their respective
action plans on utilisation of treated wastewater
to reduce pressure on the groundwater
resources: National Green Tribunal
103) India has been selected to the Consultative Group
(CG) of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and
Recovery. Where are its headquarters:
Washington DC, USA
104) Which global financial giant manages and
supports activities of Global Facility for Disaster
Reduction and Recovery: World Bank
105) India recently extended a $1 billion Line of Credit
through EXIM bank to which country: Mongolia
106) India extended a $1 billion Line of Credit to
Mongolia for what purpose: To set up its first-
ever petrochemical refinery
107) World’s first exclusive women's cricket magazine
was recently released in India. What is its title:
'Criczone'
76
108) Chhaya Sharma, an IPS officer was felicitated with
McCain Institute Award 2019 for courage and
leadership. She is known for investigation of
which infamous case: Nirbhaya rape case, 2012
109) G S Lakshmi has become the first ever woman to
be appointed to the _______.: ICC International
Panel of Match Referees
110) The DRDO successfully flight tested the drone
ABHYAS. What is it: a High-speed Expendable
Aerial Target (HEAT)
111) Department of Biotechnology under ministry of
science and technology recently launched human
tissue mapping project. What is its name:
“MANAV: Human Atlas Initiative”
112) Researchers have found a new ‘rain loving’ snake
species named “Smithophis Atemporalis” in
_________ in North-east India: Mizoram
113) The Indian Air Force has received the first Apache
Guardian helicopter from which company:
Boeing USA
114) Apache Guardian is what type of Helicopter: Multi
role attack helicopter
115) Prof. Tijjani Mohammed Bande has been elected
as the president of which international forum: UN
General Assembly
116) Prof. Bande is a senior politician and career
diplomat of which country: Nigeria
117) Which women cricketer created world record of
securing highest number of wickets by a spinner
in ODI cricket: Sana Mir, Pakistan
118) Who has been appointed as the Coach for Indian
men’s football team: Igor Stimac, Croatia
119) World celebrates International Nurses Day on
May 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of
which famous person: Florence Nightingale
120) Who was Florence Nightingale and she became
famous for what work: British social worker
who rendered outstanding nursing services
during the war of Crimea in late 19th century
121) A new species of reddish-brown pit viper snake
has been found in_________, having a unique heat-
sensing system: Arunachal Pradesh
122) As per the CEAT Cricket Rating International
Awards 2019, ________ won the award for
International Cricketer and Batsman of the Year:
Virat Kohli
123) _______ won the International Bowler of the Year
award in the CEAT Cricket Rating International
Awards 2019: Jasprit Bumrah
124) The World Trade Organisation, WTO’s ministerial
meeting of developing countries was held in
which place: New Delhi
125) _______ has been appointed as the new Chairman of
the ITC company: Sanjiv Puri
126) What is the full form of ITC: Indian Tobacco
Company
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
127) Where are the headquarters of ITC: Kolkata
128) Which International Day is observed twice, on
2nd Saturday of May and October 2 highlight the
need for the conservation of migratory birds and
their habitats: World Migratory Bird Day
129) Name the noted industry leader and ITC chairman
who passed away in second week of May: Y C
Deveshwar
130) What was the major contribution of Y C
Deveshwar in the ITC that stood as its turning
point: He transformed the cigarette major into
a diversified player with interests in FMCG,
hospitality, IT and other sectors
131) Mumbai Indians became IPL champions for the
fourth time after defeating which team: Chennai
Super Kings
132) India celebrates May 11 as the National
Technology Day to commemorate which major
event: Conducting of Pokhran nuclear Tests
(Shakti Pokhran II) of 1998
133) Dia Mirza, the Indian actress has been appointed
as the Goodwill Ambassador for India for which
UN programme: UN Environment programme
134) The Indian Army is commemorating 2019 as the
__________ to reach out to the next of kin of battle
casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers:
Year of Next of Kin
135) The 5th United Nations Global Road Safety Week
was celebrated from May 6 to 12. What was its
theme: Leadership for road safety
136) Popular milk products brand Amul has decided to
be the principal sponsor of which international
cricket team for the upcoming world cup:
Afghanistan
137) Which country declared climate emergency in
2nd week of May: Ireland
138) What is the objective of declaring climate
emergency in a country: To achieve drastic
reduction in green house gas emissions
139) Which country recently reported the first ever
case of the Monkeypox Virus, a rare virus similar
to the human smallpox: Singapore
140) Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) acquired one of the
oldest companies, British toy retailer __________ in
a all cash deal: Hamleys
141) Which state for the first time has inducted an all
women platoon of 30 commandos as anti naxal
force: Chhattisgarh
142) What is the name of the all women platoon of 30
commandos recently inducted in Chhattisgarh:
Danteshwari Ladake
143) India was re-elected as Observer to the Arctic
Council. Where is its headquarters: Tromso,
Norway
144) World over May 8 is celebrated as International
Thalassaemia Day. This is what type of decease:
77
 An inherited blood disorder marked by
inadequate amount of Hemoglobin
145) Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected by the UN
Economic and Social Council to a five-year term
on which of its outfit: International Narcotics
Control Board
146) World Red Cross Day is observed on which date:
May 8
147) The World Red Cross Day is celebrated to
commemorate the birthday of founder of Red
Cross. Who was he: Henry Dunant
148) Where is the headquarters of Red Cross: Geneva,
Switzerland
149) What is the theme for this year's World Red Cross
Day: #Love
150) Vice President Venkaiah Naidu embarked on a
four-day official visit to _____ on May 9: Vietnam
151) Which organization distributed more than one
lakh bee boxes to the farmers and unemployed
people recently: KVIC-Khadi and Village
Industries Commission
152) Which state has notified a new act as per which
commercial establishments in certain specified
areas will now be allowed to operate 24 hours:
Gujarat
153) Which international body supports the
celebration of World Asthma Day: Global
Initiative for Asthma, USA
154) What is the theme for this year's World Asthma
Day: STOP for Asthma
155) What is the full form of STOP: Symptom
evaluation, Test response, Observe and assess,
Proceed to adjust treatment
156) Asthma effects which vital system of the human
body: Respiratory system
157) The Reserve Bank has decided to enhance the
housing loan limits for priority sector for which
banks: Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Small
Finance Banks (SFBs)
158) As per new RBI guidelines, RRBs and SFBs can
give housing loan to individuals up to Rs. ____ lakh
in metropolitan centers: 35
159) As per new RBI guidelines, RRBs and SFBs can
give housing loan to individuals up to Rs. ____ lakh
in other than metropolitan centers: 25
160) Uttarakahand is famous for its Chaardham Yatra
(Pilgrimage of four centres). Name the four
places: Gangotri and Yamunotri dhams and
Badrinath and Kedarnath dhams
161) Govt. has launched FAME scheme for boosting
promotion of electric vehicles in the country.
Expand the acronym FAME: Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
162) Extremely severe cyclonic storm ______ made
landfall on the eastern coast wreaking
widespread destruction: Fani
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
163) Which state suffered most on account of cyclone
Fani: Odisha
164) International organizations talked about which
particular aspect of cyclone Fani: Excellent
disaster management efforts by the local
administration
165) World Laughter day is celebrated on _______
Sunday of May: First
166) Saurav Ghoshal and Joshna Chinappa won their
respective Asian Individual _________
Championship titles in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
Squash
167) The fourth of Indian Navy’s stealth Scorpene class
Submarines, named _______ was launched at
Mazagon Dock Limited at Mumbai: ‘INS Vela’
168) INS Vela has been built in collaboration with
which country: France
169) King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been crowned as
the new king of which country: Thailand
170) King Maha Vajiralongkorn is the 10th king of
______ dynasty founded in 1782: Chakri
171) Which city in Karnataka has launched an all-
women police patrol unit named ‘Rani Abbakka
Force’: Mangaluru
172) INS Ranjit, Indian Navy’s frontline missile
destroyer of Russian origin was in news recently
for what reasons: It was decommissioned after
36 years of service
173) Which Indian wrestler won the gold medal in
65kg freestyle in the Ali Aliyev Wrestling
Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia: Bajrang Punia
174) Which Indian scientist was honoured with
Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Legion
d'Honneur award in 1st week of May: A S Kiran
Kumar
175) Who is A S Kiran Kumar: Former Chairman of
ISRO
176) Which UN organization supports the celebrations
of the World Press Freedom Day on May 3:
UNESCO
177) Which international day is observed on May 2 to
highlight importance of a particular fish: World
Tuna Day
178) The Central government has asked the state
transport departments to make it mandatory for
all EVs (electric vehicles) to use only ______ colour
number plates: Green
179) A postage stamp was released to commemorate
the 750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta
Desikan. He hailed from which country: Tamil
Nadu
180) Researchers at__________, New Delhi, have
developed an ultrasensitive quantum
thermometer using graphene quantum dots:
Jamia Millia Islamia
181) Raheem Sterling of ____ has been named the
78
 Footballer of the year by the Football Writers'
Association: Britain
182) What is the name of the first part of the Indo-
French joint naval exercise that was held off the
Goa coast: Varuna 19.1
183) Which country became India’s top crude oil
supplier, meeting more than a fifth of the
country’s oil needs in 2018-19: Iraq
184) Fifteen security personnel were martyred in a
land -mine blast executed by Naxalites in
Gadchiroli district of which state: Maharashtra
185) The U N Security Council designated Pakistan-
based Jaish-e- Mohammed chief as a "global
terrorist". What is his name: Masood Azhar
186) Which country has announced its plans to move
its capital as the present capital is very heavily
congested and is sinking at one of the fastest rates
in the world: Indonesia, (Capital Jakarta)
187) As per the recent report from Sweden based
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI), India was the world’s _____ biggest
military spender in 2018: Fourth
188) As per a report by SIPRI, ______ is the biggest
military spender in the world: USA
189) Which country announced its withdrawal from
the UN Arms Trade Treaty as it hinders its
citizen's right to bear arms: USA
190) Which country hosted the Asian Wrestling
Championships: China
191) India secured _____ position with 16 medals in the
Asian Wrestling Championships: 8th
192) Which country witnessed its first abdication of its
emperor in past 200 years: Japan
193) What is the name of the new emperor of Japan:
Naruhito
194) Coronation of Naruhito as the emperor of Japan
marked the beginning of a new imperial era
named _________: Reiwa
195) The Labour Day is celebrated on May 1 to
commemorate the Haymarket Massacre of May 4,
1886. Where this incident took place: Chicago,
USA
196) Australia's _________ has become the first female
umpire to officiate in a men's one-day
international at the ICC World Cricket League:
Claire Polosak
197) Valtteri Bottas of team Mercedes won the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix F1 championship. He hails
from which country: Finland
198) Which country topped the medal tally in the
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
World Cup, Beijing held in April end: India
199) Which national organization launched the
'Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA)
India' to eliminate Malaria from India by 2030:
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
200) Who is the winner of this year's National
Intellectual Property Award: Dr. Benny Antony
201) Which bank launched India’s first ‘Green Car
Loan’ to encourage customers to buy electric
vehicles: SBI
202) Which author won the $10,000 Rabindranath
Tagore Literary Prize: Rana Dasgupta
203) India won 13 medals at the Asian Boxing
Championship held in _______: Bangkok
204) Name the India’s ace cueist who won the Asian
Snooker Tour title in Bengaluru: Pankaj Advani
APRIL - 2019
205) World Intellectual Property Day is observed on
April 26, supported by specialized UN agency
WIPO. What is the full form of WIPO: World
Intellectual Property Organization
206) Where isthe headquarter of World Intellectual
Property Organization: Geneva, Switzerland
207) The world's first-ever malaria vaccine was
launched recently in a pilot project in________ , a
small country in south east Africa: Malawi
208) What is the name of the first ever malaria vaccine
launched recently: RTS,S(trade name Mosquirix)
209) The World Malaria Day is observed on which
date: April 25
210) What is the theme of this year's World Malaria
Day:Zero malaria starts with me
211) The Reserve Bank has become the first central
bank in the Asia-Pacific region to begin an explicit
interest rate easing cycle. What does it imply:
Gradual reduction of Repo Rate
212) In the recently concluded Asian Athletics
Championships in Doha, what was India's rank in
medal tally: 4th
213) VolodymyrZelenskiy, recently elected as the
President of Ukraine, is a famous ______________ by
profession: Comedian
214) Which country has successfully tested the world’s
first floating nuclear power plant- ‘Akademik
Lomonosov’: Russia
215) We celebrate April 24 as the National Panchayati
Raj Day. Which amendment of constitution
provided constitutional status to Panchayati Raj
System: 73rd
216) There are how many tiers in the Panchayati Raj
System: Three
217) What are the three tiers of the Panchayati Raj
institutions: (i) Gram Panchayat (ii) Gram
Samiti (iii) ZilaParishad
218) The Reserve Bank has divested its entire stake in
which of its two organizations: National Housing
Bank and the National Bank for Agriculture
and Rural Development
219) After disinvestment by RBI, which authority is the
is the sole owner of NHB and NABARD: Govt. of
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 India
220) Which country released a special commemorative
stamp on the theme of Ramayana to mark the
70th anniversary of the establishment of its
diplomatic ties with India: Indonesia
221) Which institution has announced the creation of
the Amartya Sen Chair in Inequality Studies,
named in honour of noted economist and Nobel
laureate: London School of Economics
222) ‘Martyrdom to Freedom’ is a famous book written
by which author: Rajesh Ramachandran
223) "Lost Roses" is a best seller novel written by
which author: Martha Hall Kelly
224) What is the name of the latest novel authored by
Della Owens: Where the Crawdads Sing
225) The Union Ministry of AYUSH and CSIR signed a
MoU for cooperation in research and education in
areas of traditional systems of medicine. What is
full form of CSIR: Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research
226) Headquarters of Council of Scientific & Industrial
Research are located at which place: New Delhi
227) The acronym AYUSH stands for what? Ayurveda,
Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and
Homoeopathy
228) UNESCO has designated ______ as the World Book
Capital for 2019: Sharjah
229) Headquarters of UNSECO are located at which
place: Paris, France
230) Which international day is celebrated on April
23to highlight the power of books: The World
Book and Copyright Day
231) Santosh Trophy is associated with which sports:
Football
232) Which team won this year's Santosh Trophy:
Services
233) The Department of Posts has tied up with which
IT company for complete digitalisation and
modernization of India Post: TCS
234) Which retail company in India has become the
first retail company to cross 1 trillion revenue
mark: Reliance Retail
235) Reliance Retail has become 1st retail company in
India to operate more than _____ stores across the
country: 10,000
236) In Startup Ecosystem Ranking for 2019 released
by StartupBlink, India has been placed at which
rank: 17th
237) ________ has been ranked at no. 1 in the Startup
Ecosystem Ranking for 2019: USA
238) Which international organisation supports the
celebrations of World Haemophilia Day:
WorldFederation of Haemophilia
239) World Haemophilia Day is observed on which
date: April 17
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
240) Which country was the Guest of Honour country
at the 2019 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
(ADIBF): India
241) Which day is observed worldwide on April 22 to
raise concern about issues like climate change,
deforestation, habitat loss, pollution, etc.: Earth
Day
242) What is the theme of this year's Earth Day:
Protect Our Species.
243) Name the 25 year old wrestler who regained the
world number one spot in the men's 65 kg
freestyle category: BajrangPunia
244) We celebrate which international day on April 18
to create awareness among the people to
conserve and protect our cultural heritage: World
Heritage Day
245) The RBI recently issued its first bank notes signed
by its new Governor, in which denomination: 50
246) In which country around 300 people were killed
and more than 400 injured in a series of bomb
blasts: Sri Lanka
247) Civil Services Day is observed on April 21. Which
British Governor General introduced civil services
in India: Warren Hastings
248) What is the full form of EMV: Europay-
Mastercard-Visa
249) What is the special feature of EMV cards: They
are chip based which makes them very secure
250) _________ has been named the goodwill ambassador
of Team India at the Street Child Cricket World
Cup: Mithali Raj
251) With which country India held the bilateral
maritime exerciseIN – VPN BILAT EX: Vietnam
252) Who is the first Indian female scientist to be
elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in
the UK: Prof. Gagandeep Kang
253) In the World Press Freedom Index 2019, which
country has been placed at the top: Norway
254) India has been placed at ______ rank in the World
Press Freedom Index: 140th
255) Which country has announced to host the G20
summit in November 2020: Saudi Arabia
256) Two warships of Indian Navy, INS Kolkata and
INS Shakti took part in the International Fleet
Review in______, China: Qingdao
257) What was the name of the first satellite launched
recently by Sri Lanka: Raavana-1
258) Nepalese scientists developed their first satellite
named ___________ that was launched successfully
by NASA: NepaliSat-1
259) The Indian Navy launched guided missile
destroyer war ship _________ at Mazagon Dock in
Mumbai: Imphal
260) Researchers from Tel Aviv University, Israel have
succeeded in making world's first 3D printed
80
 vascularised engineered model of which part of
human body: Heart
261) Which country recently successfully tested the
world's first armed amphibious drone boat
named ‘Marine Lizard’: China
262) India’s first exotic bird park ‘Essel World Bird
Park’ has been opened at which place: Mumbai
263) A massive fire consumed the 850 year old ancient
Cathedral in Paris on April 15, stunning France
and the world. Can you name it: Notre-Dame
Cathedral
264) Name the bilateral exercise that was held
between navies of India and Australia near
Visakhapatnam coast: AUSINDEX 19
265) The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
has joined hands with which organization to map,
validate and protect smaller wetlands in coastal
regions: ISRO
266) Who has been appointed as the first woman vice-
chancellor of Jamia MilliaIslamia: Prof. Najma
Akhtar
267) Where in India we have the central university
Jamia MilliaIslamia: Delhi
268) Who organized the World Allergy Week 2019
globally from 7-13 April 2019: World Allergy
Organization
269) India successfully test-fired its first long-range
subsonic cruise missile. What is its name:
Nirbhaya
270) What is the approximate strike range of the
Nirbhaya missile: 1000 kms
271) What is the name of the world's largest aircraft
that took to the air for the first time on April 13:
Stratolaunch
272) INS Kozhikode, the warship of Indian Navy that
was decommissioned recently was which type of
warship: Mine sweeper
273) Who won the Formula One’s 1,000th world
championship race - Chinese Grand Prix: Lewis
Hamilton
274) Entire India celebrates the harvest festival on
13/14 April to mark the harvesting of which
season crop: Rabi
275) In which state of India Baisakhi festival is
celebrated by the name of Vishu: Kerala
276) In the state of Assam, Baisakhi festival is
celebrated by which name: Rongali Bihu
277) In which part of India people celebrate Baisakhi
by the name of Puthandu: Tamil Nadu
278) April 13 this year marks the 100 years of the
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. The gathering there
was protesting against which British Act:Rowlatt
Act
279) What was the name of the Colonel who ordered
firing on the peaceful gathering in Jallianwala
Bagh: Colonel Reginald Dyer
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
280) Which authority ordered the Haryana State
Pollution Control Board to identify and
immediately shut polluting industrial units in
Yamunanagar, Panipat and Kundli: Central
Pollution Control Board
281) Which space company recently launched world's
most powerful operation rocket with 27 engines
firing at liftoff: Space X
282) What is the name of world's most powerful
operation rocket: Falcon Heavy
283) Name the Saudi Arabian communication satellite
weighing 5900 kg launched by the Falcon Heavy
rocket: Arabsat-6A
284) Which Ganga cleansing programme won the
distinction of “Public Water Agency of the Year” at
the Global Water Summit in London:
NamamiGange
285) Google launched a new cloud based platform -
_______ that allows users run applications from
anywhere, in unmodified form: Anthos
286) Which PSU won the AIMA Managing India Award
for outstanding PSU of the year: Indian Oil
Corporation
287) In a survey by the Forbes magazine in India to
select the best bank, ______ was ranked at no. one:
HDFC Bank
288) The Order of St Andrew the Apostle is the highest
civil decoration of which country: Russia
289) Recently Russia honoured which Indian dignitary
with its highest civil decoration: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
290) World over April 12 is celebrated as what day to
commemorate space flight of Gagarin:
International Day of Human Space Flight
291) SaraswatiSamman is awarded for honouring
outstanding work in which field: Literature
292) SaraswatiSamman is awarded for outstanding
work of literature in which language: Any one of
the 22 languages recognized by Constitution
293) SaraswatiSamman is conferred by which
organization: KK Birla foundation
294) What is the cash component of the
SaraswatiSamman: Rs. 15 lakh
295) K Siva Reddy, winner of SaraswatiSamman 2018,
is a prominent author of which language: Telugu
296) "It shows an intensely bright 'ring of fire'
surrounding a perfectly circular dark hole". What
is this: First-ever image of a black hole
297) According to a recent report by UNPFA, India’s
population stood at 1.36 billion in 2019. What is
UNPFA: United Nations Population Fund
298) Abdelkader Bensalah has been elected as the new
______ of Algeria: President
299) In which African country the national army
conducted a coup to over throw the President:
Sudan
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300) What is the name of the Sudanese President over
thrown by its army: Omaral-Bashir
301) Government launched which app for the benefit
of the families of CRPF personnel killed in the line
of duty: ‘Veer Parivar App’
302) According to data released by the AMFI, which is
the largest mutual fund of India: HDFC Mutual
Fund
303) What is the full form of AMFI: Association of
Mutual Funds in India
304) Which bank in Dubai has become first Islamic
bank in world to offer Chat Banking services to its
customers via WhatsApp: Emirates Islamic
305) _______ has become the first city in the world to
implement a 24x7 Ultra Low Emission Zone
(ULEZ) norms: London
306) As per the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack - 2019,
who has been named as the 'Cricketer of the Year'
in both, Men and Women category: Virat Kohli,
Smriti Mandhana
307) What is the popular nick name of the Wisden
Cricketers’ Almanack: Bible of Cricket
308) Joint military exercise Bold Kurukshetra - 2019
was held at Babina Cantonment. Where is this
place: Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
309) __________ has been become the first ever railway
station in the Indian Railways to get an ISO
certification for Environment Management
System from the National Green Tribunal:
Guwahati Railway Station
310) In which of its report The International Monetary
Fund has projected that global growth will be
3.3% in 2019: World Economic Outlook 2019
311) As per various global reports, trade tensions
between which two countries are having negative
impact on global growth: USA and China
312) Who won the election of Prime Minister of Israel
for record 5th time: Benjamin Netanyahu
313) The Army Ordnance Corps recently celebrated the
Platinum Jubilee of the Battle of KanglaTongbi at
which place: Imphal, Manipur
314) Malaysia Open Badminton Championship was
held at which place: Kuala Lumpur
315) Graham Reid, the new chief coach of the Indian
men's hockey team hails from which country:
Australia
316) The first batch of 6 indigenously produced
Dhanush artillery guns work inducted in Indian
army. Which factory manufactured these guns:
Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur
317) What is the strike range of Dhanush Artillery
guns: 36 to 38 km
318) According to the latest edition of the World
Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, _____ is
the world’s top recipient of inward remittances
from its diaspora: India
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
319) The RBI has directed banks that new currency
chests should have minimum area of _____ square
feet for strong room: 1,500
320) The RBI has said that the new currency chests
should have a processing capacity of _____ lakh
pieces of banknotes per day: 6.6
321) Ministry of HRD released the NIRF report on April
8 in New Delhi. What is full form of NIRF:
National Institutional Ranking Framework
322) As per NIRF ranking which higher education
institution has been ranked as the "Overall Best
Institute": IIT Madras
323) NIRF has ranked ____________, Bengaluru as the best
university in India: IndianInstitute of Science
324) Which Indian college has been ranked at No. 1 by
the NIRF: Miranda House, Delhi
325) April 10 is celebrated as the birthday of the
founder of Homoeopathy. Who was he:
Dr.Christian Fredrich Samuel Hahnemann
326) The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference
2019 was held in New Delhi. Who chairs this
conference: Chief of the Army Staff
327) Which international day is observed to
commemorate the inauguration of the first ever
Olympic games of the modern era on April 6 in
Athens, Greece in 1896: International Day of
Sport for Development and Peace
328) Which village in Manipur has become India’s first
carbon-positive settlement: Phayeng
329) Who has become the first Indian to be elected as a
member of the FIFA Executive Council: Praful
Patel
330) Praful Patel is the _______ of All India Football
Federation: President
331) Hayabusa-2 spacecraft successfully dropped an
explosive charge on the asteroid Ryugu to create
an artificial crater there. This is which country's
spacecraft: Japan
332) World Health Day is observed on which date:
April 4
333) World Health Day commemorates which
historical event: Founding of World Health
Organisation - WHO in 1948
334) Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood star was
conferred honorary doctorate in Philanthropy by
the University of Law in which city: London
335) Which country topped the world football rankings
released by FIFA in April: Belgium
336) BSE and India INX have signed a MoU with which
Russian exchange for connecting investors of the
two countries: Moscow Exchange
337) Keshav Murugesh, CEO of WNS Global Services
Group has been appointed as the Chairman of
NASSCOM. Expand the acronym NASSCOM:
National Association of Software and Services
Companies
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338) Who is Vikram Kirloskar, recently elected as
President of the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) for 2019-20: CMD of Kirloskar Systems
Ltd., and vice-chairman of Toyota Kirloskar
Motor
339) Who has been elected as the President of the
World Bank: David Malpass
340) Where are the Headquarters of the World Bank:
Washington DC, USA
341) David Malpass is a citizen of which country: USA
342) How many countries are the member of World
Bank: 189
343) The popular Hindu festival of Chaitra Sukladi
marks which event: It is the first day of the
lunar month of Chaitra
344) The RBI recently fixed the WMA limits for the first
half of the FY 2019-20 at Rs. 75,000 crore. What is
WMA: Ways and Means Advances
345) What is the purpose of Ways and Means
Advances: Temporary loan facility provided by
the RBI to the center and state governments
346) Who has been appointed as the Managing
Director of Life Insurance Corporation of India:
Vipin Anand
347) Name the present Chairman of the Life Insurance
Corporation of India: M. R. Kumar
348) Which international day is observed on April 4 to
spread awareness about dangers of explosive
mines: International Mine Awareness Day
349) RBI recently lowered Repo Rate by 25 basis
points to 6.0 percent. How it will impact economic
growth: It is likely to improve
350) With the recent lowering of Repo Rate, what are
the new MSF rate and Bank Rate: Both 6.25
percent
351) The "Order of Zayed" is the highest civilian
decoration of which country: United Arab
Emirates
352) UAE recently honoured which noted statesman
with the Order of Zayed: PM Narendra Modi
353) Who became the first Indian squash player in the
men’s category to enter the top 10 in latest
Professional Squash Association (PSA) world
rankings: Saurav Ghosal
354) According to a new LinkedIn report "2019 Top
Companies", _______ is the most sought after
company where Indian professionals want to
work and stay: Flipkart
355) _______ became first nation in world to launch full-
fledged 5G mobile networks in the country: South
Korea
356) _______ became the first nation in South East Asia
to introduce harsh new Sharia laws: Brunei
357) Name the Algerian President who resigned after
weeks of mass protests against him: Abdelaziz
Bouteflika
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
358) Indian Army has successfully built the longest
suspension bridge named ‘Matiri Bridge’ over
______ River in the _____ region: Indus; LehLadakh
359) Which South American country signed the
framework agreement in March end to join the
International Solar Alliance: Bolivia
360) 'KandhamalHaldi', an indigenous variety of
turmeric recently got the GI Tag. It is from which
state: Odisha
361) Which country has confirmed sale of 24 multi-
role MH-60 ‘Romeo’ Seahawk helicopters to India:
USA
362) Which multinational company makes the
Seahawk helicopters: Lockheed Martin
Corporation
363) Japan has declared ______ as the name of its new
imperial era that will begin on May 1, 2019:
Reiwa
364) What is the name of the new Emperor of Japan:
Crown Prince Naruhito
365) Name the Indian who has been appointed as the
CEO of the International Cricket Council, Dubai:
Manu Sawhney
366) ______ successfully launched Tianlian II-01 - the
first of its new-generation data relay satellites:
China
367) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd.
became the 'first Indian shipyard' to build and
deliver 100 warships. It is located at which place:
Kolkata
368) World over, April 2 is celebrated as the World
Autism Awareness Day. Autism refers to which
disability: A complex neuro behavioural
condition which causes problems with
language and communication skill,
particularly in children
369) ________ has been adjudged as the 'Best Digital
Bank' in India at the Asiamoney Best Bank
Awards: HDFC Bank
370) Tech giant Apple has announced to start
assembly of which of its mobile phones in India:
iPhone 7
371) Which country ranked first in ICC test rankings,
for the third consecutive year: India
372) Which country announced 30 days of electricity
rationing from April 1 as part of steps taken to
deal with its deep economic crisis: Venezuela
373) Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is associated with which
sports: Hockey
374) ___________ won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup by
defeating India: SouthKorea
375) Which country hosts the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
on regular basis: Malaysia
376) Which Ministry revised the wages under the
MGNREGA scheme from April 1 for the year 2019-
20: Rural Development Ministry
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377) Which state has fixed highest wages under
MGNREGA scheme for the year 2019-20:
Haryana (Rs. 284)
378) Bihar and _______ have lowest per day wages of Rs.
171 under MGNREGA for 2019-20: Jharkhand
379) Which multinational grouping voted with good
majority to ban single-use plastic products in
member countries: European Union
380) Name the Swiss-based NRI scientist who has been
conferred PravasiBharatiyaSamman this year: Dr.
Rajendra Joshi
381) On March 30, cities around the world marked
Earth Hour by turning off lights at their local time
____ p.m. till _____ pm: 8:30, 9.30
382) Zuzana Caputova has been elected as first woman
______ of Slovakia: President
383) The ISRO on April 1 put into orbit satellite Emisat
for what purpose: Electronic intelligence
satellite for DRDO
384) On April 1, ISRO launched 29 satellites, out of
which 24 satellitesare from one country. Name it:
USA
385) Singapore's _____ Airport has been crowned the
world's best aviation hub for the seventh time in a
row: Changi
386) ________ has launched a special programme named
“Young Scientist Programme” or
YuvaVigyaniKaryakram (YUVIKA) for school
children: ISRO
387) Coorg Arabica, Chikmagalur Arabica, Baba
Budangiri Arabica, Wayanad Robusta and Araku
Valley Arabica are five varieties of ______ that have
been granted GI-Tag recently: Coffee
388) Name the village in HP which has become the
highest polling station in the world at an altitude
of 15,256 feet: Tashigang
389) Which country honoured our President with its
highest civilian honour “Cóndor de Los Andes en
el Grado de Gran Collar”: Bolivia
MARCH - 2019
390) India has become the ______ nation in the world to
demonstrate anti-satellite missile capability by
shooting down a live satellite: Fourth
391) What is the name of the Anti Satellite missile
developed by the DRDO: A-SAT
392) Name the mission under which the DRDO
successfully targeted a live satellite on a low earth
orbit: Mission Shakti
393) The UGC has prohibited imparting
correspondence course in which subject on the
ground that it is technical in nature and requires
practical or laboratory courses: Agriculture
394) "Becoming", is a book related to which global
celebrity: Former US First Lady Michelle
Obama
395) What is the title of the latest book by Raghuram G
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Rajan released in March: The Third Pillar
396) President Kovind was recently honoured with the
Grand Order of King Tomislav by which country:
Croatia
397) Tech giant Apple has announced launch of a
virtual credit card in tie-up with which global
financial company: Goldman Sachs Group
398) Which IIT has developed a superfast medical test
kit using Nano Technology and Artificial
Intelligence: IIT Delhi
399) The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
has decided to introduce three new subjects in the
school curriculum for the senior secondary
classes. Name these subjects: Artificial
Intelligence (AI), early childhood care
education and yoga
400) After opening of Kartarpur corridor, the Pakistan
recently announced opening of another corridor
for a Hindu temple. What is the name of this
corridor: Sharada Peeth Corridor
401) Which community considers Goddess Sharada as
their “kuldevi” or principal deity: Kashmiri
Pandits
402) Which city of Norway is set to become the world’s
first city to install wireless, induction-based
charging stations for its fleet of electric taxis: Oslo
403) The RBI has slapped a penalty of Rs. 2 crore on
Punjab National Bank for non-compliance of
regulatory directions in which regard: SWIFT
operations
404) What is the full form of SWIFT: Society for
Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication
405) World Theatre Day is observed on which day of
March: 27th
406) Which organization supports the celebrations of
World Theatre Day: International Theatre
Institute, Paris
407) Why March 23 has been selected as World
Meteorological Day: Itis the founding day of the
World Meteorological Organization
408) Which international day has adopted “The Sun,
the Earth and the weather” as the theme for the
year 2019: World Meteorological Day
409) The Shiksha Vani podcast app has been launched
by which organization: CBSE
410) What is the purpose of the Shiksha Vani App: To
disseminate crucial information to students
and parents in a timely manner
411) Which Unit of the Indian Railways recently
became the largest producer of rail coaches in the
world: Integrated Coach Factory
412) Integrated Coach Factory of Indian Railways is
located at which place: Chennai
413) India celebrates Shaheed Diwas on March 23 to
pay homage to which martyrs: Bhagat Singh,
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 Rajguru and Sukhdev
414) Where in India is the memorial devoted to Bhagat
Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the place where they
were cremated: Hussainiwala, Distt Ferozpur,
Punjab
415) Which is the first Indian budget airline to become
member of IATA: SpiceJet
416) What is the full form of IATA:International Air
Transport Association
417) Name the only factory in India that is authorized
to produce indelible ink used in elections to put a
mark on the fingers: Mysore Paints and Varnish
Ltd, Mysore
418) The secret formula for producing the indelible ink
has been developed by which organisation?
:National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi
419) As per the Global Energy Transition Index
released by Geneva-based World Economic
Forum, _______ has been placed at number one
spot: Sweden
420) As per the Global Energy Transition Index, India
has been placed at _________ rank among 115
countries: 76th
421) The Indian Navy deployed its ships Sujata, Sarathi
and Shardul to carry out humanitarian and
disaster relief activities in which country:
Mozambique
422) Global Teacher Prize is awarded by which
organization: Varkey Foundation, London
423) What is the cash component given in the Global
Teacher Prize: $ 1 million
424) Who is the winner of the 2019 Global Teacher
Prize: Peter Tabichi, Kenya
425) March 24 is celebrated as an International Day to
spread awareness about which dreaded decease:
Tuberculosis
426) Who has been appointed as the next Chief of
Indian Navy: Vice Admiral Karambir Singh
Nijjar
427) What is the rank of the Chief of Indian Navy:
Admiral
428) Templeton Prize is awarded for excellence in
which field: Human Values and Spiritualism
429) What is the cash component of the Templeton
Prize: $1.45 million
430) Who is the winner of the Templeton Prize 2019:
Marcelo Gleiser
431) The International Day of Forests is observed on
which day of March: 21st
432) Forests cover roughly ______ % of the Earth's land
mass: 33%
433) What is the theme of this year's International Day
of Forests: Forests and Education: Learn to
Love Forests
434) March 20 is observed every year to raise
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
awareness about the role of which common bird
in our life: Sparrow
435) What is the theme for this year's World Sparrow
Day: I Love Sparrows
436) The 33rd edition of the India-Indonesia
Coordinated Patrol (Ind-Indo Corpat) was held at
which place: Near Andaman & Nicobar Islands
437) Which international prize is considered as Nobel
of Mathematics: Abel Prize
438) Abel Prize is presented by King of which country:
Norway
439) What is the cash component of the Abel Prize: $ 7
lakh
440) Name the professor from the University of Texas
who became the first woman to win the Abel
Prize: Karen Uhlenbeck
441) Which international day is celebrated worldwide
on March 22 with an aim to tackling the water
crisis: World Water Day
442) “Leaving no one behind” is the theme for this
year's _____ day: World Water Day
443) The International Day of Happiness is observed
on which date: March 20
444) What is the theme of this year's International Day
of Happiness: Happier Together
445) As per the UN World Happiness report, citizens of
______ feel most happy in the world: Finland
446) What is India's rank in the latest UN World
Happiness report: 140th
447) Special Olympics World Games 2019 were held
from March 14 to March 21 in which country:
UAE, Abu Dhabi
448) The Special Olympic World Games are organized
for which category of sports persons:
Intellectually impaired
449) The next Special Olympic Games are set to take
place in _______ in 2021: Sweden
450) India bagged a record ______ medals at the Special
Olympic World Games: 368
451) Which country recently changed the name of its
capital in the honour of its longtime ruler who
resigned recently: Kazakhstan
452) What is the new name of the capital (Astana) of
Kazakhstan: Nursultan
453) Global Recycling Day is observed on which day of
March: 18
454) What is the name of mobile app of the Election
Commission where anyone can post photos /
videos of any violation of code of conduct: cVIGIL
455) Who has been appointed as the first Lokpal of
India: Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
456) Who is the appointing authority for the Lokpal:
The President
457) The Lokpal is administered the oath of office by
which authority: The President
85
458) The equivalent of the Lokpal at the state level is
designated at _____: Lokayukt
459) What is the name for Lokpal in English:
Ombudsman
460) What is the role of the office of Lokpal: To look
into cases of corruption against certain
categories of public servants
461) How many judicial and non judicial members are
there in the office of Lokpal: 4 each
462) VyasSamman isconferredfor excellence in which
field: Hindi Literature
463) Which organization awards the Vyas Samman: KK
Birla Foundation
464) Who is the winner of Vyas Samman 2018:
LeeladharJagudi
465) What is the name of the book for which
LeeladharJagudi won the Vyas Samman: Jitne Log
UtnePrem
466) The Indian Department of Post released a special
stamp cover on Ice Stupa. It is found at which
place: Gangles Village in Leh in J&K
467) What is the purpose of forming Ice Stupas: Water
conservation
468) Irfan K T of India qualified for the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics in which sports category: Race Walking
469) In the coming general elections, which state has
the largest number of voters: Uttar Pradesh
470) As per the Quality of Living Survey 2019 by
Mercer, _____ has secured no. 1 spot for the 10th
year in a row: Vienna, Capital of Austria
471) Which Indian cities have secured joint 143rd
rank, highest among Indian cities, in the Quality of
Living Survey 2019: Hyderabad and Pune
472) In terms of vulnerability to the risks of climate
change, recently which Himalayan state has been
assessed as most vulnerable: Assam
473) Which bank launched a first of its kind new
service called ‘YONO Cash’ for its customers to
facilitate withdrawal of money from ATMs
without using debit cards: State Bank of India
474) What is the full form of YONO: You Only Need
One
475) Which IT major has partnered with the Ministry
of Housing and Urban Affairs to promote its
project ‘Sangam’ aimed at promoting Swachh
Bharat Mission in India: Microsoft
476) As per the Forbes' List Of World's Richest Sports
Team Owners, who has been placed at the top:
Mukesh Ambani
477) Mukesh Ambani, ranked as the No. 1 in the list of
World's Richest Sports Team Owners, is the
owner of which team: Mumbai Indians (IPL
Cricket Team)
478) The Asian Youth Athletics Championships were
hosted by which country: Hong Kong
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
479) What was the rank of Indian team in the Asian
Youth Athletics Championships where it secured
26 medals: 2nd
480) Which country topped the medal tally in the Asian
Youth Athletics Championships: China
481) The RBI has named which 3 banks in the category
of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-
SIBs) for 2018: SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank
482) D-SIBs are required to maintain ______ capital as
compared to other banks: Higher
483) Which country has been named by FIFA for
hosting the Women's World Cup 2020: India
484) What is the full form of FIFA: International
Federation of Football Associations
485) Which International Day is observed on March 15
to promote basic rights of consumers: The World
Consumer Rights Day
486) What is the theme of this year's World Consumer
Rights Day: Trusted Smart Products
487) Which world day is observed annually on the
Friday before the March Equinox on the Earth:
World Sleep Day
488) M.R. Kumar has been appointed as the chairman
of which apex national organization: Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
489) The RBI has notified which Bank as a ‘private
sector’ lender following acquisition of majority
stake in it by LIC: IDBI Bank
490) Pranav R Mehta became the first Indian to hold
the post of the President of Global Solar Council.
Where are its headquarters: Washington D.C.,
USA
491) Erode turmeric was granted Geographical
Indication (GI) tag recently. It is in which state:
Tamil Nadu
492) The ‘Sirsi Supari’ (Areca Nut or betel nut) that
was granted the GI-tag recently, is a product of
which state: Karnataka
493) Name the badminton player who is the 1st
Japanese to win Men's Singlestitle at the YONEX
All England Open Badminton Championships:
KentoMomota
494) Which Indian sports person has been selected as
role model for new series of Barbie dolls launched
to mark the 60th anniversary of the Barbie doll:
DipaKarmakar
495) The DRDO successfully test-fired the indigenously
developed ___________ ‘Pinaka’ at Pokhran in
Rajasthan: Guidedrocket system
496) Following an Ethiopian Airlines crash, which
plane was grounded all over the world for safety
considerations: Boeing 737 Max 8
497) India launched its third IT corridor in China at
______ to facilitate partnerships between Indian
and Chinese companies: Xuzhou
498) Which Union Ministry won the First Prize in the
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 category of TV Cinema Spot at the prestigious
international Golden City Gate Tourism Awards:
The Ministry of Tourism
499) ACKO General Insurance won the Golden Peacock
Innovative Product Award for which of its
innovative product: Ola Ride Insurance
500) What do we call the properties that were left
behind by people who migrated to Pakistan since
the partition in 1947 and to China after the 1962
Sino-Indian war: Enemy properties
501) Why the enemy properties were in news recently:
Govt.allowed states to put these properties to
public use
502) March 12 marked completion of 30 years of the
World Wide Web. Who is credited with its
invention: Sir Tim Berners-Lee
503) As per the annual report by SIPRI, ______ is the
largest importer of major arms after Saudi Arabia:
India
504) Which country is the largest exporter of major
arms accounting for 36 per cent share: USA
505) What is the full form of SIPRI: Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute
506) The CEC announced that 2019 elections will be
conducted through VVPAT machines. What is
VVPAT: Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail
507) In how many states assembly elections will also
be held along with Lok Sabha elections: Four
508) The Pritzker Architecture Prize is given by which
foundation: Hyatt Foundation, Chicago
509) Name the Japanese architect who won this year's
Pritzker Prize: Arata Isozaki
510) India signed a $ 3 billion deal with ______ for
leasing a nuclear-powered attack submarine for
the Indian Navy: Russia
511) International Women's Day is observed on which
date: March 8
512) #BalanceforBetter is a campaign launched to
celebrate which international day: International
Women's Day
513) Which bank announced linking of its savings
deposits rates and short-term loans rates to the
RBI’s repo rate: State Bank of India
514) Which country's first lunar lander, named
Beresheet sent back a first of its kind selfie taken
from a distance of 37,600 kilometers: Israel
515) Where in India ‘India Jewellery Park’ is being set
up with an investment of Rs.14,467 crore: Navi
Mumbai
516) In a first ever attempt to compile the names of our
martyrs, Government released a “Dictionary of
Martyrs of India’s Freedom Struggle”. It covers
which period: 1857-1947
517) The National Green Tribunal slapped a fine of Rs.
500 crore on which automobile company for
damaging the environment through the use of
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
“cheat device” in its diesel cars in India:
Volkswagen
518) Malaysia has become the 124th member of the
ICC headquartered at The Hague, Netherlands.
What is ICC: International Criminal Court,
519) The Finance Ministry released a new Rs.20 coin
made in copper, zinc and nickel. What is its shape:
12-edged polygon
520) Govt. has decided to do away with the paper or
booklet-based driving licence or registration
certificate with what other form: Plastic Cards
521) The Supreme Court referred the politically
sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land
dispute at Ayodhya to mediation. Who is the head
of the mediation panel: Justice Kalifulla
522) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched e-
Dharti app for what purpose: To facilitate online
execution of Conversion, Substitution and
Mutation related to land properties
523) The United States reduced the visa duration for
______ citizens from five years to just three
months: Pakistani
524) The government launched “Transport and
Marketing Assistance” scheme for providing
financial assistance for transport and marketing
of _____ products: agriculture
525) Bharat Electronics Ltd. launched SWAGAT - the
Automatic Fare Collection Gating System for what
purpose: To facilitatehassle-free commute
across various modes of transport in India
526) Who is Kylie Jenner, 21, named the youngest self-
made billionaire of all time by Forbes magazine:
American TV artist and business woman
527) A unique museum ‘Azaadi-Ke-Diwane’, dedicated
to the unsung heroes of the country’s freedom
struggle, was opened at which place: Red Fort
premises in New Delhi
528) Tech giant Google unveiled a new app 'Bolo' that
aims to help children in primary school learn
what: To read in Hindi and English
529) Ajit Kumar Mohanty, distinguished scientist has
been appointed Director of which apex national
scientific organization: Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre
530) The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is located at
which place: Mumbai
531) Swachh Survekshan2019, covering all 4247
Urban Local Bodies in the country, ranked which
city at the top: Indore
532) Government has decided to celebrate March ____
as the JanaushadhiDiwas to create awareness
about the use of generic medicines available at
much cheaper rates: 7
533) According to the Delta ranking report released by
NITI Aayog, Hailakandi has become the top
aspirational district. It is in which state: Assam
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534) The world celebrates the World Wildlife Day
every year on March 03. What is the theme for
this year: Life below water: for people and
planet
535) Who has been appointed as the chairman of the
newly constituted National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC): Bhagwan Lal Sahni
536) Mukesh Ambani, richest Indian with worth
jumping to $50 billion, jumped six positions to
rank _____ on Forbes World's Billionaire list: 13th
537) India scored its 500th ODI victory by beating
which team at Nagpur: Australia
538) As per the World Air Quality Report 2018, which
Indian city has been ranked most polluted in the
world: Gurugram, Haryana
539) The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
launched ‘National Common Mobility Card’ for
what purpose: For facilitating seamless travel
through different metros and other transport
systems across the country
540) The ISRO launched a special programme
"YuvaVigyaniKaryakram" for imparting scientific
knowledge to which category of persons: School
Children
541) Which international financial body has agreed for
the funding of Gram Samridhi Yojana: World
Bank
542) Which insurance company has launched India’s
first ‘bank locker protector policy’: IFFCO Tokio
General Insurance
543) India signed a deal with a Russian firm Concern
Kalashnikov to manufacture which weapon in
India: AK-203 rifles
544) India will manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles at
which Indian ordinance factory: At Korwa in
Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
545) For the first time in nine years, two India bowlers
joined the top five club in the latest ICC women's
cricket rankings for ODI bowlers. Can you name
them: JhulanGoswami (first) and Shikha
Pandey(fifth)
546) Which Indian woman cricketer has been ranked
No. 1 in ICC women's cricket rankings for ODI:
Smriti Mandhana
547) The BSF recently launched the project BOLD-QIT -
Border Electronically Dominated QRT (quick
reaction team) Interception Technique on which
part of Indian border: District Dhubri in Assam
on Bangladesh Border
548) The researchers of the IIT, Delhi have created
India's first Braille laptop for the visually-
impaired. What is its name: Dot Book
549) The KumbhMela that concluded on March 4 on
which auspicious day:Mahashivratri
550) The RBI constituted a task force headed by ______,
former Dy. Governor to look into issues related to
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
the offshore rupee markets: Usha Thorat
551) _______ claimed the 100th ATP title of his career
after winning the Dubai Tennis Championships:
Roger Federer
552) On the occasion of the National Science Day on
Feb 28, HRD ministry launched ‘STARS’ scheme.
The acronym STARS stands for what: Scheme for
Translational and Advanced Research in
Science
553) Which apex Indian institute has been designated
as the coordinator for the STARS scheme: Indian
Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
554) The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes were
recently awarded to 34 budding scholars in which
field: Science and Technology
555) The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Van
Dhan scheme for what purpose: To provide
Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor
Forest Produce to Tribals
556) According tothe BCG-IBA Report, which Bank
secured the top spot among all public sector
banks in the implementation of ‘Reforms agenda':
Punjab National Bank
557) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
approved the JI-VAN Yojana for providing
financial support to the Integrated Bioethanol
Projects. Expand the acronym JI-VAN:
JaivIndhan-
VatavaranAnukoolfasalawasheshNivaran
558) HasmukhAdhia, former Finance Secretary has
been appointed as non-executive chairman of
which bank: Bank of Baroda
559) India celebrates National Science Day on which
date: February 28
560) The National Science Day is dedicated to the
honour of which great scientist: Sir CV Raman
561) Sir CV Raman won the Nobel prize in 1930 in
which field: Physics
562) As per the Inclusive Internet Index 2019, ______ is
the best country in terms of availability,
affordability and readiness of internet network:
Sweden
563) India was ranked ____ in the Inclusive Internet
Index 2019: 47th
564) Deepak Singh is the current national champion of
which sports: Boxing
565) RBI signed a Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA)
for $75 billion with central bank of which
country: Japan
566) The summit meet between the US President
Trump and the Supreme leader of North Korea
was held at which place: Hanoi, Vietnam
567) What is the official formal name of North Korea:
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
568) The Union Cabinet approved the upgradation of
which AIIMS into a world class Medical
88
 University: New Delhi
569) Under which central scheme the 22nd AIIMS of
the country is being setup at village Manethi, near
Rewari in Haryana: Pradhan Mantri Swasthya
Suraksha Yojana
570) Govt. launched the SHREYAS scheme for
providing industry apprenticeship to which
category of persons: Tonon-technical students
of BA, BSc. BCom courses
571) What is the expansion of the term SHREYAS:
Scheme for Higher Education Youth in
Apprenticeship and Skills
572) Which state launched the PRANAM Commission
to monitor issues related to the protection of
parents of state government employees: Assam
573) The PRANAM Commission has been setup under
the PRANAM Bill passed by the Assam state.
Expand the acronym PRANAM: Parents
Responsibility and Norms for Accountability
and Monitoring
574) Which African country has re-elected
Muhammadu Buhari as its President: Nigeria
575) Railway Minister announced formation of a 18th
zone of the Indian Railways in Andhra Pradesh.
What is the name of new zone: Southern Coast
RailwayatVisakhapatnam
FEBRUARY - 2019
576) Indian Air Force used which fighter jets to carry
out surgical strike on Balakot: Mirage - 2000
577) GST council has slashed GST on non-affordable
houses to ____percent, from the present 12
percent: 5
578) In case of affordable houses, the GST rate has
been reduced to _____ percent, from 8 percent at
present: 1
579) Under which scheme the first instalment of Rs
2,000 was directly credited to the bank accounts
of selected beneficiary farmers of 24 States and
the UTs on Feb 24: Pradhan Mantri
KisanSamman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN)
580) Railways launched ______ Dashboard to keep
people informed about the work going on in the
Railways across the country: Rail Drishti
581) _______ has become the first state in the country to
have raised a special dog squad to detect liquor
consignments: Bihar
582) Which Indian Bank in collaboration with World
Bank, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
launched Women's Livelihood Bonds: Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
583) Individual women entrepreneurs can borrow up
to Rs. ______ under Women's Livelihood Bonds:
Rs.3 lakh
584) Who has been selected for the “Player of the Year”
award by the Asian Hockey Federation:
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Manpreet Singh
585) Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won which
international title recently: Cannes International
Open trophy (chess)
586) The 79th Indian History Congress was hosted by
the Barkatullah University in which place:
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
587) India got its first War Memorial, established in
New Delhi, just next to which grand monument:
India Gate
588) The National War Memorial has been built up
with a layout of ______ concentric circles: Four
589) Which Indian entry won the Oscar for the Best
Documentary Short Subject category: Period.
End of Sentence
590) Who is the producer of the film Period, “End of
Sentence”: Guneet Monga
591) Which film won the Oscar for the Best Picture
category: Green Book
592) The Oscar for the Best Director was won by which
person: Alfonso Cuarón
593) What is the title of the book launched recently,
written by P Chidambaram, former Finance
Minister: Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India
594) Name the title of the novel written by Jane Harper
that was released in February 2019: The Lost
Man
595) The EPFO raised the interest rate on Employees’
Provident Fund (EPF) by ______ basis points to
8.65 percent for 2018-19: 10
596) Who has been appointed as the first Ombudsman
for the BCCI - Board of Control of Cricket in India
by the Supreme Court: Justice DK Jain (retd.)
597) India’s first Humanoid Police Robot named KP-
BOT, ranked as Sub-Inspector (SI), was inducted
at :: ThiruvananthapuraPolice , Kerala
598) Which IT giant company recently launched
world's first folding smart phone: Samsung
599) What is the name of the first folding smart phone
launched by Samsung: The Galaxy Fold
600) The 12th edition of Asia's premier Air show 'Aero
India-2019' began at Yelahanka Air Force Station.
Where is this venue: Bengaluru
601) Govt. launched KUSUM programme with what
objective:Providing financial and water
security to farmers
602) What is the full form of KUSUM: KisanUrja
Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan
603) There are how many components in the KUSUM
scheme: Three
604) The central govt. and the state govt., each will
provide __________ per cent subsidy for financing of
solar agriculture pumps under KUSUM scheme:
30
605) Prince Salman who visited India in 3rd week of
89
 February, is Deputy Crown Prince of which
country: Saudi Arabia
606) Saudi Arabia recently became ____ member of the
International Solar Alliance: 73rd
607) Government launched an online initiative
SWAYATT on the Government e Marketplace
(GeM). Write its full form: Start-ups, Women and
Youth Advantage Through e-Transactions
608) The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated on
which day: February 20
609) Which UN organization supports the promotion of
The World Day of Social Justice: International
Labour Organization
610) What is the theme of this years' World Day of
Social Justice: "If You Want Peace &
Development, Work for Social Justice"
611) Indian Railways has created history by converting
a diesel locomotive into electric locomotive for
the first time in the world. Which railway
organization achieved this feat:
DieselLocomotive Works, Varanasi
612) Which Union Ministry launched the Nyaya
Bandhu app for spreading the coverage of legal
aid: Law Ministry
613) Government launched which major initiative
recently to provide better digital education in
schools, colleges and universities:
OperationDigital Board
614) Which international day is observed on February
21, with support from UNESCO for preserving the
linguistic diversity: International Mother
Language Day
615) South Korea honoured our Prime Minister with an
international peace award. Can you name it:
Seoul Peace Prize
616) Martin Ennals Award is conferred for outstanding
work in which field: Human Rights
617) Who is the winner of the Martin Ennals Award for
2019: Abdul Aziz Muhamat
618) Which country plans to replace the words
'mother' and 'father' with 'parent 1' and 'parent 2'
on official forms in an attempt to be more
inclusive to LGBT families: France
619) Who has been selected as the Laureus
Sportswoman of the year: Simone Biles
620) Who is Simone Biles: Star gymnast from USA
621) Who has been selected as the Laureus Sportsman
of the year: Novak Djokovic
622) Novak Djokovic hails from which country: Serbia
623) Which international team won the "Laureus team
of the year" award for 2019: Football World Cup
winner French team
624) Which is the first major US Bank that launched a
crypto currency of its own: JP Morgan Chase
Bank
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
625) What is the name of the crypto currency launched
by the JP Morgan: JPM Coin
626) The crypto currency operations are usually based
on which technology: Blockchain
627) The International Hockey Federation announced
which player as the Female Player of the Year
2018: Eva De Goede, Netherlands
628) The International Hockey Federation announced
which player as the Male Player of the Year 2018:
Arthur van Doren of Belgium
629) The RBI Board approved an early transfer of Rs.
28,000 crore to the government on what account:
Interim dividend for the half year ending
December 31, 2018
630) _____ won the 83rd edition of Senior National
Badminton Championships: SainaNehwal
631) Irani Cup is associated with which sports: Cricket
632) Which team won the 2019 Irani Cup: Vidarbha
633) Who was the head of the committee setup for
"Determining the Methodology for Fixation of the
National Minimum Wage": Anoop Satpathy
634) Anoop Satpathy committee recommended the
fixation of need based National Minimum Wage at
Rs. _______ per day: 375
635) Which series of Lok Sabha came to an end on 13th
February, 2019: 16th
636) What is the name of the pension scheme launched
for the workers of the unorganised sector:
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan
scheme
637) What is the amount of the minimum pension
assured under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi
Maan-Dhan scheme: Rs. 3,000/-
638) To be eligible for pension under Pradhan Mantri
Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan scheme, a persons salary
should not exceed _______ rupees: 15,000/-
639) Only workers in the age group of _____ to _____ are
eligible for joining the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi
Maan-Dhan scheme: 18 to 40
640) World Radio Day is observed all over the world
on February 13. It is supported by which UN
organization: UNESCO
641) The CCEA approved the Credit Linked Capital
Subsidy and Technology Up-gradation Scheme for
what purpose: To facilitate technology up-
gradation for improvement in quality of
products by MSMEs
642) Often, we read in the newspapers that MSMEs
should aim at achieving ZED practices in
manufacturing processes. What is the full form of
ZED: zero defect and zero effect
643) Dan David Prize is given in which country: Israel
644) Sanjay Subrahmanyam won the Dan David Prize
2019. He is associated with which field: History
645) What is the name of the new 24x7 satellite
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 television channel of Doordarshan launched in
Itanagar: Arun Prabha
646) Which big bird has been selected as the mascot
for the CMS-COP 13: Great Indian Bustard
647) Which UAE emirate has decided to include Hindi
as the third official language used in its courts,
alongside Arabic and English: Abu Dhabi
648) Which country signed an MoU with Indian
government for training its 1800 Civil Servants at
the National Centre for Good Governance in New
Delhi: Bangladesh
649) The Grammy awards are conferred to recognize
outstanding performances in which field: Music
650) Which city hosted the 61st Grammy Award on
February 10: Las Angeles (USA)
651) Which musical creation won the Grammy "Record
of The Year": This is America
652) Grammy for the "Album of the Year" was won by
which Album: Golden Hour
653) The BAFTA award are given to recognize
excellence in which field: Cinema and TV
654) What is the full form of BAFTA: British Academy
of Film and Television Arts
655) Which film won the BAFTA award for the best
film: Roma
656) Alfonso Cuaron won the BAFTA award for best
director for which film: Roma
657) The first batch of four heavy lift transport
helicopters from USA was recently received in
India. Can you name this helicopter: CH-47F
Chinook
658) Which Indian badminton star signed a whopping
four-year sports sponsorship deal of Rs. 50 crore
with Chinese sports brand Li-Ning: P V Sindhu
659) Which UN organization has said that 2018 was set
to be the fourth warmest year in recorded
history: World Meteorological Organisation
660) Where are the headquarters of the World
Meteorological Organisation: Geneva,
Switzerland
661) Which Indian corporate was conferred with the
Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award:
Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Ltd
662) The Digital Civility Index by Microsoft placed
India at which rank: 7th
663) China is the largest consumer of LPG in the world.
Which county is next to it: India
664) Besides 'India Size' which are the other two most
popular global world sizes: UK Size and USA Size
665) The RBI has decided to raise the criteria for 'bulk
deposits' for banks to Rs. _____ crore from the
current Rs. 1 crore: Two
666) The 85th edition of the prestigious Ranji Trophy
was won by Vidarbha by beating which team:
Saurashtra
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
667) The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of the
Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for what purpose:
For conservation, protection and development
of cows
668) The United Kingdom along with other European
nations such as Germany and France set up a new
transaction channel. What is the name of this
channel: ‘INSTEX’ (instrument in support of
trade exchanges)
669) Which Indian state was placed at the top in a
survey to study the best practices followed by
states in the budget formulation and
implementation: Assam
670) ISRO launched successfully GSAT-31 from Kourou
in French Guiana on board the Ariane-5 rocket.
What type of satellite it was: Communication
satellite
671) Which two super powers announced their
decision to pull out of the three-decade-old
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty: USA
and Russia
672) Who became the first pontiff to visit the Arabian
peninsula (Abu Dhabi): Pope Francis
673) The United Nations announced 2019 as the
International Year of the Periodic Table. It is a
table of which items: Chemical elements
674) How many chemical elements have been listed in
the Periodic Table: 118
675) Which international day is celebrated every year
to raise global awareness on the value of wetlands
for humanity and the planet: World Wetlands
Day
676) World Wetlands Day is observed on which date:
February 02
677) Which govt. department announced a new set of
policy rules formed for the regulation of business
of e-commerce companies: DPIIT
678) What is the full form of DPIIT: Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
679) Which country became the 30th member of the
defence organization NATO: Republic of North
Macedonia
680) Indian Banking Association has issued advisory
requesting banks to waive off the processing,
documentation, inspection and all other service
charges for which farmer loan scheme: Kisan
Credit Card and crop loans uptoRs.3 lakh
681) Who has been appointed as the new Director of
the Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI: Rishi
Kumar Shukla
682) The first project under the Swadesh Darshan
Scheme was launched at the Zero Point. Where is
this place: Gangtok, Sikkim
683) Which scheme was launched for integrated
development of theme based tourist circuits in
the country in 2014-15: Swadesh Darshan
91
 Scheme
684) Country’s second Tulip garden is to be setup in
Pithoragarh district of which state: Uttarakhand
685) India recently replaced Japan as the world’s _____
largest steel producing country: 2nd
686) _____ is the largest producer of steel in the world:
China
687) ________ Airport retained its position as the world's
busiest airport for international customers for the
fifth consecutive year: Dubai
688) In the Innovation Index - 2019 compiled for top
60 economies of the world, India figured for the
first time, at what rank: 54
689) _______ continues to top the Innovation Index for
the sixth time in a row: South Korea
690) The central banks of the _____ and ______ have
launched a common digital currency called
"Aber": UAE, Saudi Arabia
691) Which contingent was selected as the Best
Marching Contingent among the three services in
this year's Republic Day Parade: Gorkha Brigade
Contingent
692) _______ won the prize for best Marching Contingent
among paramilitary forces in this year's Republic
Day Parade: CRPF
JANUARY – 2019
693) January 30 Martyr Day of Mahatma Gandhi is
observed as which special day in India: Anti
Leprosy Day
694) International Day of Education is observed on
which date: January 24
695) Which international day is observed on last
Sunday of January to achieve the target of zero
cases of leprosy-related disabilities: World
Leprosy Day
696) What is the formal name given to the India's
fastest train T18: Vande Bharat
697) The train Vande Bharat Express will run between
which two cities: NewDelhi - Varanasi
698) Oxford dictionaries declared ________ as the Hindi
word for the year 2018: ‘Nari Shakti’
699) Ace shuttler SainaNehwal recently won which
international title for the first time: Indonesia
Masters, Jakarta
700) Australian Open, year’s first Grand Slam of Tennis
was held in which city: Melbourne
701) __________ won the Men's single title of Australian
Open for the record 7th time: Novak Djokovic
702) Name the first woman Japanese player to win the
singles title at Australian Open: Naomi Osaka
703) India celebrated its _________ Republic Day on
January 26, 2019: 70th
704) Cyril Ramaphosa was the Chief Guest on this
year's Republic Day Parade. Who is he: President
of South Africa
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
705) Contingent of which paramilitary force created
history on becoming the first ever all women
contingent to take part in Republic Day Parade:
Assam Rifles
706) Special tourist train named ______ has been started
to visit places linked with Dr. Ambedkar:
Samantha Express
707) What is the title of the recent book by Malala
Yousafzai: We Are Displaced:- My Journey and
Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World
708) Who is the author of the popular book "The
Wicked King": Holly Black
709) The Union Government Instituted an annual
award titled ‘Subhash Chandra Bose
AapdaPrabandhanPuraskar' for what purpose: To
reward persons engaged in disaster
management
710) NASA's Mars rover named ____________completed
15 years of its touchdown on the surface of Mars:
Opportunity
711) Name the famous women folk singer who has
been listed for awarding of Padma Vibhushan:
Teejan Bai
712) Who is A M Naik whose name figures in the four
Padma Vibhushan declare this year: Chairman of
Larsen & Toubro
713) Former CAG V K Shunglu has been awarded which
Padma award this year: Padam Bhushan
714) Name the iconic face of MDH spices who has been
decorated with the Padma Bhushan: Mahashay
Dharam Pal Gulati
715) What is the full name of Bharat Ratna Awardee
Nanaji Deshmukh: ChandikadasAmritrao
‘Nanaji’ Deshmukh
716) Nanaji Deshmukh established India’s first
university devoted to rural development. Name
this university: ‘ChitrakootGramoday
Vishwavidyalaya, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh
717) Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has been
elected as _______ new king by the members of the
country's royal families: Malaysia
718) National Voters Day is observed on which date:
January 25
719) What is the theme of this year's National Voters
Day: No Voter to be left behind
720) Which two satellites were launched successfully
by ISRO on board its rocket PSLV C 44: Kalam-Sat
and Microsat R
721) Ashoka Chakra, country's highest peacetime
gallantry award was conferred posthumously
upon Lance Naik _________.: Nazir Ahmed Wani
722) National Girl Child Day is observed on which date:
January 24
723) Virat Kohli created history by becoming first ever
cricketer to win all the three top most ICC
honours. Name these awards: Cricketer of the
92
 Year, Test Player of the Year and ODI Player of
the year
724) Which national institution announced country’s
first and only the third globally full-fledged
graduation programme in Artificial Intelligence
(AI) technology: IIT Hyderabad
725) Which neighbouring country in India has banned
use of Indian currency notes of Rs.2,000, Rs.500
and Rs.200 denominations: Nepal
726) Name the India’s topranking tennis star won the
International Tennis Federation's $25,000
Women's tournament in Singapore: Ankita Raina
727) As per the Global Trust Index, released by the
World Economic Forum, ________ is the most
trusted country in the world: China
728) As per the Global Trust Index, released by the
World Economic Forum, India has been placed at
which rank: Second
729) India will host the 14th session of the Conference
of Parties to the UNCCD in Oct 2019. What is
UNCCD: United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification
730) The Home Ministry has notified that from now
onwards ____________ will be valid travel
documents for Indians under 15 and over 65
travelling to Nepal and Bhutan: Aadhaar cards
731) In the ‘Khelo India’ Youth Games concluded on
January 20, which state topped the medal tally:
Maharashtra - 228 Medals
732) In which Indian state is first Defence Industrial
Corridor of Indialocated: Uttar Pradesh
733) The Vibrant Gujarat Summit was hosted by which
city in Gujarat: Gandhinagar
734) The annual meet of WEF is always held at one
particular city of Switzerland. Can you name it:
Davos
735) The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced
that the Brazilian city of ___________will be the
World Capital of Architecture for 2020: Rio de
Janeiro
736) Name the Bharat Rattan Awardee scientist who
has been conferred Sheikh Saud International
Prize for Materials Research: CNR Rao
737) The Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas is observed on which
date: January 9
738) The Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas is observed on
January 9 to commemorate which historical
event: Return of Mahatma Gandhi from South
Africa in 1915
739) The government will soon set up over 460 more
Eklavya Model Residential Schools across the
country. What is the objective of these schools:
Providing free education to tribal students
740) An Eklavya Model Residential School has to be
setup in every block of the country having more
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
than ______ percent ST population and at least
20,000 tribal persons: 50
741) The ISRO launched the UNNATI (UNispace Nano-
satellite Assembly and Training by ISRO)
programme with what objective: To promote
capacity building on nanosatellite
development
742) The Union Cabinet has approved the
recapitalization of Export Import Bank of India
(Exim Bank) to the tune of Rs ________crore: 6,000
743) Govt. has approved to increase the authorized
capital of Exim Bank to Rs. _______ crore, from Rs.
10,000 crore at present: 20,000
744) Global chemical giant BASF has signed a MoU with
the Adani Group to invest €2 billion (Rs. 16,000
crore) for what purpose: To set up a mega
chemical plant in Gujarat at Mundra port
complex
745) The BASF company is based in which country:
Germany
746) Name the private sector Indian company which
became first to report a quarterly profit of more
than Rs.10,000 crore: Reliance Industries Ltd
(RIL)
747) Name the boy from Tamil Nadu who became the
youngest Indian(and second youngest in the
world) to win the Grand Master title at 12 years, 7
months and 17 days: D Gukesh
748) Name the young mountaineer from Kolkata who
conquered Antarctica's highest volcano point,
Mount Sidley: SatyarupSiddhanta
749) What is the name of the global prize having a cash
award of Rs. One crore, instituted by the govt. of
India in the honour of Mahatma Gandhi: Gandhi
Peace Prize
750) Who is the winner of the Gandhi Peace Prize
2018: YoheiSasakawa
751) The government launched two TV channels
devoted to science and technology. What is their
name: DD Science, India Science
752) Which Union Ministry organised 9th International
Micro Irrigation Conference in Aurangabad,
Maharashtra: Ministry of Water resources and
River Development
753) Government e Marketplace [GeM] has launched
“Womaniya on GeM” initiative with what
objective: To enable women entrepreneurs to
sell online handicrafts, home décor and office
furnishings, directly to various Govt outfits
754) India and the five Central Asia nations held their
first ever India-Central Asia Dialogue on January
13 at which place: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
755) A country in North of Greece changed its official
name by passing a resolution in its parliament.
Name this country: Republic of North
Macedonia
93
756) Abhinav Shaw, the ten year old boy from Asansol,
West Bengal, became the youngest gold medalist
at the Khelo India Youth Games, in which sports:
Shooting
757) Karnataka swimmer Srihari Nataraj was in news
for which of her achievement at the Khelo India
Youth Games: Winningrecord 7 gold medals in
swimming, highest in the Games
758) The Indian army celebrates the Army Day on
which date: January 15
759) The Army Day is observed on January 15 to
commemorate which historical event: Handing
over of charge of Indian Army to Indian
General in 1949 on this day
760) Who was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of
the Indian Army: Lt Gen K M Cariappa
761) Name the Indian dignitary who was honoured
with the first edition of the prestigious global
award - Philip Kotler Presidential Award:
Narendra Modi
762) The 11th edition of EIU Global Democracy Index
2018 was topped by which country: Norway
763) India was placed at which rank in the 11th edition
of EIU Global Democracy Index 2018: 41st
764) Which day is celebrated across the country on
January 12 to promote youth related activities to
commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda: National Youth Day
765) What was the name of Guru of Swami
Vivekananda: Ramakrishna Paramhansa
766) What was the original name of Swami
Vivekananda: Narendra Nath Datta
767) The world's largest spiritual gathering - The
Ardh-Kumbh started on which festival and will
continue till which festival: Makar Sankranti-Jan
15, Maha-Shivratri - March 4
768) _________has become first state in India to
announce the benefits of 10 per cent quota for
Economically Weaker Sections of general
category in educational institutions and
government jobs from Jan 14: Gujarat
769) Renuka Ji Dam is to be constructed on which river
and at which place: On river Giri, Near Sirmour
District, Himachal Pradesh
770) India’s longest 300-meter single lane steel cable
suspension bridge was inaugurated in which
state: Arunachal Pradesh
771) Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change launched which programme to
tackle the increasing air pollution problem across
the country in a comprehensive manner:
National Clean Air Programme
772) Which day is celebrated across the world on
January 10 to popularize and promote the use of
Hindi Language: World Hindi Day
773) The sea planes will be operated under the UDAN
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
Scheme of the govt. The acronym UDAN is stands
for what: UdeDesh ka AamNagrik
774) Col. Ranveer Singh Jamwal, the adventure loving
Colonel has become the first Army officer for
which achievement: Havingscaled the seven
highest mountain summits in each of the
seven continents
775) In a “massive relief” to small businesses, the GST
Council doubled the limit for exemption from GST
to Rs. ________ lakh from Rs. 20 lakh earlier :40
776) The turn over limit for small traders and
businesses paying 1 percent GST on the turnover
has been increased to Rs. ____ crore: 1.5
777) As per the Henley Passport Index 2019 which
passport has been ranked as the world's most
powerful passport in 2019: Japan
778) As per the Henley Passport Index 2019, Indian
passport enjoys ________ rank having friendly
access to only 61 countries: 79th
779) A report by World Economic Forum says that
________ is set to become the world's third largest
consumer market behind only USA and China by
2030: India
780) A recent amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955
seeks to make illegal migrants who are Hindus,
Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from
3 countries, eligible for Indian citizenship: Name
these three countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Pakistan
781) Govt. launched an online campaign,
‘WebWonderWomen’ with what objective: To
discover and celebrate the exceptional
achievements of women working for social
change via social media
782) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has
admitted which country as its 105th member:
USA
783) Which tennis star created the record of having
won the Hopman Cup for a record third time:
Roger Federer
784) As per the December-end data released by
Association of Mutual funds in India (AMFI),
which mutual fund is largest AMC in India: HDFC
Mutual Fund
785) Which country's spacecraft, has made the first-
ever landing on the far side of the moon, the side
that perpetually faces away from the Earth: China
786) The Ministry for Information & Broadcasting has
decided the sharing of All India Radio News with
which other media outfit: Private FM
broadcasters
787) The latest data released by the CSO shows that the
income earned by an average Indian doubled in 7
years, from Rs 63,642 per year in 2011-12 to Rs
_____ lakh in 2018-19: 1.25 lakh
788) Kumar Rajesh Chandra, senior IPS officer has
94
 been appointed as the Director General of which
force: Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
789) The RBI recently released guidelines on
introducing which new process for various card
transactions, including from debit and credit
cards: Tokenisation
790) New food packing guidelines by FSSAI prohibit
use of which items for wrapping food articles:
Recycled plastics and newspapers
791) RBI has constituted a high level committee
headed by UIDAI’s former Chairman __________ on
Deepening of Digital Payments: Nandan Nilekani
792) Recently which articles of constitution have been
amended to provide for 10% reservation to EWS
in general category:Article15 and Article 16
793) To be eligible for 10% reservation, annual family
income should be less than Rs. ______ lakh: 8
794) Families that have agriculture land above _____
acre are not eligible for 10% EWS reservation: 5
795) The recent amendment to the constitution
providing for 10% reservation to EWS in general
category is ______ amendment of the constitution:
103rd
796) __________, India born Economist became the first
woman to join International Monetary Fund as its
Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath
797) Name the Indian fast bowler who became the
highest international wicket-taker across all
formats in 2018, claiming 78 wickets:
JaspritBumrah
798) The Union Home Ministry approved the Uttar
Pradesh government’s proposal to rename
Allahabad as _________: Prayagraj
799) Who became world's first woman amputee to
climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in
Antarctica: Arunima Sinha
800) Which state of India topped ‘Ease of Doing
Business Index’ rankings given by Asia
Competitiveness Institute, Singapore: Andhra
Pradesh
801) The RBI has recently formed UK Sinha committee
for what purpose: To propose long-term
solutions for revival of the micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSME) sector
802) The Golden Globe Awards are conferred to
recognize excellence in________: Cinema and TV
803) The Golden Globe Awards are given in which
country: USA
804) The Bohemian Rhapsody won the Golden Globe
Awards in which category: Best Picture, Drama
805) Alfonso Cuaron won the Golden Globe award for
Best Director for which film: Roma
806) Indian cricket team created history by winning
their first ever series on Australian soil. What was
the name of this series: Border-Gavaskar
Trophy
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
807) Who has been re-elected as the Bangladesh Prime
Minister after her party Awami League achieved
landslide victory in recent general elections:
Sheikh Hasina
808) Which two countries officially quit the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) with the close of 2018:
USAand Israel
809) Who has been appointed as the head of the
Central Information Commission: Sudhir
Bhargava
810) At which place in India 3 islands were renamed as
a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose:
Andaman & Nicobar
811) For which major project of ISRO the Union
Cabinet approved a budget of Rs. 10,000 crore:
Gagan-yaan Project
812) What is the main objective of the Gaganyaan
Project: To send three Indian astronauts in
space for up to seven days by 2022
813) Madhya Pradesh has declared Kuno wildlife
sanctuary as a national park for translocation of
which endangered animal: Asiatic lions from Gir
in Gujarat
814) Niti Aayog released the 2nd Delta Ranking of the
Aspirational Districts Programme. Which are
AspirationalDistricts: 115 most backward
districts of the country
DECEMBER – 2018
815) The birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee on December 25 is celebrated as which
special day: Good Governance Day
816) Indian firm India Ports Global Ltd. recently
formally took over the operations of Shaheed
Behesti port at which place: Chabahar, Iran
817) RBI has appointed ________ to head the committee
that will decide on the appropriate size of
reserves that the central bank should maintain:
Dr. Bimal Jalan
818) In which state did its own new High Court started
functioning from Jan 1, 2019: Andhra Pradesh
819) The Andhra Pradesh High Court is ______ High
Court of the country: 25th
820) Name the PM of Bhutan who came to India on a 3
day visit: Dr. LotayTshering
821) ___________ police station near Bikaner in Rajasthan
has been adjudged best in the country: Kalu
822) National Farmers Day is observed on which date:
December 23
823) Burundi, a tiny country in north west of Tanzania,
was in news recently for what reasons: It
changed its capital to city of Gitega
824) What is the name of India’s longest rail-road
bridge opened recently: Bogibeel Bridge
825) Bogibeel bridge has been built across which river:
Brahmaputra
95
826) The Bogibeel bridge connects which two states of
North East India: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
827) India observes the National Consumer Day on
which date: December 24
828) Which state launched Krushak Assistance for
Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA), to
provide farmers Rs 10,000 a year for their crops:
Odisha
829) The New York best seller "Queen of Air and
Darkness" is a book written by which author:
Cassandra Clare
830) "Once Upon A River" is a popular novel written by
which author: DianeSetterfield
831) Which day is observed to honour the birthday of
legendary Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan:
National Mathematics Day
832) National Mathematics Day is observed on which
date: December 22
833) What is the name of the new national honour to
be instituted for promoting national integration:
Sardar Patel Award for National Integration
834) Vedangi Kulkarni from Pune became the fastest
Asian in which context: Covering the globe on
cycle
835) The country’s first music museum is to be set up
at which place: Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu
836) What is the nick name of the heavenly body
discovered recently that is farthest from the Sun
in our solar system: Farout
837) Globally which day is observed on December 18
to support the cause of migrants: International
Migrants Day
838) What is the theme of this year's International
Migrants Day: Migration with Dignity
839) India has been ranked _______ in World Economic
Forum (WEF) Gender Gap Index 2018, compiled
for 149 countries: 108th
840) Which country has been ranked at No. 1 for
minimizing the Gender Gap among her citizens:
Iceland
841) The International Tennis Federation (ITF) named
Serbia’s ________ as the 2018 ITF World Champion-
Men: Novak Djokovic
842) Who has been named as the 2018 ITF World
Champion- Women: Simona Halep
843) Simona Halep hails from which country: Romania
844) Golden Shoe Award is given in recognition of
which achievement: Scoring highest football
goals in the year in Europe
845) Who won the Golden Shoe Award 2018 by scoring
34 goals: Lionel Messi
846) Who is the winner of this year's UN Human Rights
Prize: LateAsma Jahangir
847) Who was Asma Jahangir: Pakistan’s renowned
social activist
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
848) As per the Startup Ranking 2018 released by the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, ________
emerged as the best performing state: Gujarat
849) ________ has been appointed as the Ambassador of
India to the United States of America: Harsh
Vardhan Shringla
850) The IAF recently tested flying which aircraft with
biofuel mixture: AN-32 Transport Aircraft
851) Which biofuel was used to mix with the aviation
turbine fuel in a recent test on AN-32 aircraft:
Jatropha oil
852) The finals of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2018
were played in which city: Bhubaneswar, Odisha
853) The Belgium won the Hockey World Cup 2018 by
defeating which country: Netherlands
854) Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnataka was in
news for what reasons: For setting world record
of operating uninterrupted for 941 days
855) Merriam-Webster, the noted American dictionary
has chosen _______ as its 2018 word of the year:
Justice
856) Catriona Elisa Gray from Philippines won which
international beauty crown recently: Miss
Universe 2018
857) Why we celebrate Vijay Diwas on December 16:
To mark the victory of Indian forces over Pak
forces in 1971 war
858) _________ has been elected as the Chief Minister of
Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot
859) Bhupesh Baghel has recently been elected as Chief
Minister of which state: Chhattisgarh
860) _________ has been elected as the Chief Minister of
Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath
861) What is the name of the recently elected Chief
Minister of Mizoram: Zoramthanga
862) K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been re-elected as the
Chief Minister of which state: Telangana
863) What is the name of the new search engine
launched by Google for online shopping lovers:
Google Shopping
864) ________ won the 'Breakthrough Table Tennis Star'
award at the ITTF Star Awards in Incheon, South
Korea: Manika Batra
865) The Aga Khan Gold Cup is associated with which
sports: Hockey
866) As per the Climate Change Performance Index -
2019, what is India's rank in terms of controlling
release of greenhouse gases: 11th
867) As per the Climate Change Performance Index -
2019, _______ is the best country in terms of
controlling release of greenhouse gases: Sweden
868) What is the name of apex constitutional body
formed for development of policies and strategies
to reduce the energy use: Bureau of Energy
Efficiency
96
869) National Energy Conservation Day is observed on
which date: December 14
870) Who is the winner of this year's
JnanpithAward:Amitav Ghosh
871) Amitav Ghosh is a famous writer of which
language: English
872) What is the amount of cash award given in the
Jnanpith Award: Rs. 11 lakh
873) Which UN organization supports the celebration
of the International Universal Health Coverage
Day on December 12: WHO - World Health
Organization
874) Who has been appointed as the new President of
the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII),
Pune: BP Singh
875) BP Singh is the producer / director of which
famous TV serial: CID
876) Legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was recently
honoured with Meethoileima award by which
state: Manipur
877) The Indian Navy inducted its first DSRV for what
purpose: To conduct submarine rescue
operations
878) What is the full form of DSRV: Deep
Submergence Rescue Vehicle
879) The International Anti-Corruption Day is
observed around the world on which date:
December 09
880) The Northeast Frontier Railway is constructing
the world’s tallest girder railway bridge in which
state: Manipur
881) Which International Day is observed on
December 11 to encourage sustainable
development in mountains: International
Mountain Day
882) PrathameshMaulingkar,boy from Goa created
history by becoming the first Asian/Indian to
win___________ title: Mr. Supranational
883) The Time magazine named _______ as the "Person
of the Year" for 2018: Jamal Khashoggi
884) Who has been appointed as the new Governor of
RBI: S. Das
885) With the beginning of Kannur international
Airport, ________ has become the first state to have
four international airports: Kerala
886) _________ form the largest diaspora in terms of
sending remittances to their country, a whopping
$ 80 billion in 2018: Indians
887) Which international day is observed on December
10 to commemorate Universal Declaration of
Human Rights: Human Rights Day
888) What is the approximate range of the ICBM Agni-
V: 5000 kms
889) What is the full form of ICBM: Inter-Continental
Ballistic Missile
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
890) Government has decided to hike its contribution
to NPS (National Pension Scheme) to ______ per
cent from existing 10 per cent: 14
891) Shubhankar Sharma, 22, the youngest Indian to
win the 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit
Champion, is associated with which sports: Golf
892) The government cleared a proposal to implement
the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project in which state:
Punjab
893) The Shahpur Kandi Dam Project is being built on
which river: Ravi
894) Which carrier has become the first domestic
airline to have 200 aircraft in its fleet: IndiGo
895) Which country witnessed month long "Yellow
Vests" demonstrations against fuel tax rises, high
living costs and other issues: France
896) The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Council of the United Nations approved India’s
proposal to observe the year _______ as the
International Year of Millets: 2023
897) Maharashtra launched project SMART in 10,000
villages to achieve sustainable farming. What is
the full form of SMART: State of Maharashtra
Agribusiness and Rural Transformation
898) Vanessa Ponce de Leon of Mexico won which
coveted international beauty crown recently:
Miss World 2018
899) To commemorate induction of its first submarine,
the Indian Navy celebrates December 9 as what
day: Submarine Day
900) The NITI Aayog recently launched 'AI 4 All Global
Hackathon' to explore new frontiers in which
field: Artificial Intelligence
901) Which country plans to make all public
transportation free to minimize traffic congestion:
Luxembourg
902) Which Union Ministry won the Skoch Award for
National Significance for promoting 73 GW
renewable energy capacity in the country:
Ministryof New and Renewal Energy
903) Who has been appointed as the new Chief
Economic Advisor to the Govt of India, for a
period of 3 years: Dr. Krishnamurthy
Subramanian
904) Which national day is observed on December 07,
to express gratitude to the martyrs as well as the
men and women in uniform: Armed Forces Flag
Day
905) Who is Eliud Kipchoge, the winner of this year's
IAAF Athlete of the year - male award: World
marathon record holder from Kenya
906) Name the jump queen from Colombia who won
this year's IAAF female Athlete of the year -
award: CaterineIbarguen
907) Which country has overtaken Iraq to become the
world’s deadliest country for terrorism, according
97
 to the latest Global Terrorism Index 2018:
Afghanistan
908) Based on the results of a popular vote, Cambridge
Dictionary has named ________ as the Word of the
Year, 2018: Nomophobia
909) What is the meaning of "nomophobia": Fear of
being without mobile phone
910) With which country India recently signed a pact
on currency swap to enable the two countries to
trade in their own currency: United Arab
Emirates
911) Which day is observed on December 6 all around
the world to focus attention on the importance of
healthy soil: World Soil Day
912) The European Central Bank launched a new
digital payment system - TIPS recently. Write full
form of TIPS: Target Instant Payment
Settlement
913) The ISRO successfully launched GSAT-11, its
heaviest ever satellite from which space port:
Kourou Launch Zone, French Guiana in South
America
914) What is the main function of the GSAT-11
satellite: Providing enhanced high speed
broadband services in remote rural areas
915) Which Maharatna company recently crossed the
milestone of generating 5 trillion units of
electricity as on November 30 since its inception
in Nov 1975: NTPC-National Thermal Power
Corporation
916) Which Arabian county recently announce its
withdrawal from the oil cartel OPEC: Qatar
917) What is the full form of OPEC: Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
918) The Headquarters of OPEC are located in which
city: Vienna, Austria
919) Which star footballer won the coveted Ballon d'Or
award for 2018: Luka Modric(Croatia)
920) Indian Navy Day marks the crucial victory of the
Indian navy on which enemy port: Karachi,
Pakistan
921) _______ has become the first state in the North East
to launch common emergency number ‘112’:
Nagaland(Himachal Pradesh was first in India)
922) Who is the first Indian to be elected to the seven
member Judges Committee of the International
Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF): Pawan Singh
923) Delegates from nearly 200 nations took part in
the two-week long COP 24 (conference of parties)
at which place: Katowice, Poland
924) COP 24 made efforts to find ways to implement
the provisions of which important climate treaty:
2015 Paris treaty
925) December 03 aims to promote the rights and
well-being of persons with disabilities in all
spheres of society. What is formal name of this
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
day: International Day of Persons with
Disabilities
926) ____________ became the first Indian state to launch
a single emergency number ‘112’: Himachal
Pradesh
927) Which 3 countries recently signed the USMCA
trade agreement: USA, Mexico and Canada
928) This day provides an opportunity for people
worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and to
show support for people living with HIV. Name
this day: World AIDS Day
929) World AIDS Days is observed on which date:
December 01
930) What is the theme for this year's World AIDS Day:
Know Your Status
931) The Blue Cross, the highest honour in the sport of
shooting, has recently been conferred on which
Indian sports person: Abhinav Bindra
932) Which initiative has been launched to introduce
school students to 22 Indian languages listed in
the Constitution: Bhasha Sangam
933) Which state organizes Hornbill festival to
showcase its rich culture, traditions and rituals:
Nagaland
934) Name the grand master who won the World Chess
Championship for the fourth time in a row:
Magnus Carlsen, Norway
935) Azim Premji, IT tycoon was recently honoured
with highest civil award of France. Name the
award: Knight of the Legion of Honour
936) A collection of speeches of President R.N.Kovind
has been published as a book under which title:
The Republican Ethic
937) What is the title of the book written by former PM
Manmohan Singh, released in December 2018:
Changing India
938) International Day for Elimination of Violence
against Women is observed on which date:
November 25
939) What is the theme of this year's International Day
for the Elimination of Violence against Women:
“Orange the World: #HearMeToo”.
940) “Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca” is one of the
highest civilian honour of which country: Mexico
941) Name the Indian honoured this year with the
“Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca”: Prof.
Shyama Prasad Ganguly
942) India observes the Constitution Day on which
date: November 26
943) The Constitution of India was implemented from
which date: January 26, 1950
944) Team from which country won the Women's
World T20 Championship: Australia
945) Nahid Afrin, popular singer of Assam has been
appointed as the first 'Youth Advocate' of the
98
 northeastern region by which UN organization:
UNICEF
946) The ‘SHe-Box’ portal has been created for what
purpose: To report complaints of sexual
harassment at the workplace
947) The ‘SHe-Box’ portal has been created by which
Union Ministry: The Ministry of Women and
Child Development
948) What is the name of the highest international
body of the world for accurate and precise
measurements: General Conference on Weights
and Measures
949) What is the approximate location of the tiny
island country Papua New Guinea: North of
Australia in South Pacific Ocean
950) Subroto Cup is associated with which sports:
Football
951) Which team lifted the Subroto Cup International
Football Tournament - Junior: Bangladesh Krida
Shiksha Prothishtan
952) Where in India is being constructed country's first
"Justice City": Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh
953) Who is the youngest ever (14 years) goodwill
ambassador of UNICEF, appointed on the occasion
of World Children’s Day: Millie Bobby Brown
954) Who is Millie Bobby Brown: Popular star of hit
Netflix series “Stranger Things”
955) World / Universal Children’s Day is observed on
which date: November 20
956) Which UN organization supports the celebration
of World Children's Day: UNICEF
957) Name the winner of this year's Indira Gandhi
Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development:
Centre for Science and Environment
958) The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament
and Development is awarded by which
organization: Indira Gandhi Trust, New Delhi
959) What is the amount of cash prize given in the
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
Development: Rs. 25 lakh
960) Wasim Jaffer became the first Indian batsman to
touch the 11,000-run figure in which national
tournament: Ranji Trophy
961) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved 100% mandatory packaging of which
item in Jute bags: Foodgrains
962) Which committee has suggested creation of a new
asset management company to resolve high value
NPAs: Sunil Mehta Committee
963) What is the name of the proposed new asset
management company to resolve high value
NPAs: Sashakt India Asset Management
964) What is the cut off limit for NPA cases to be
handled by the Sashakt India Asset Management:
Above Rs. 500 crore
GYANMGENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2019
965) Prime Minister Modi recently inaugurated KMP
expressway. What is KMP: Kundli - Manesar -
Palwal
966) KMP expressway is aimed to reduce considerably
vehicular pollution in which area: Delhi
967) In a global annual ranking of 63 countries in
developing, attracting and retaining talent, what
is the rank of India: 53rd
968) Name the country that has decided to re-join the
Commonwealth Group after a gap of 2 years:
Maldives
969) Who is the current head of the Commonwealth
Group: Queen Elizabeth II
970) The government launched the Grand Challenge on
the Startup India Portal for what purpose: To
invite innovative ideas based on Artificial
Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data
Analytics, Blockchain and other cutting-edge
technology to reform Government processes
971) What is the aim of launching the Grand Challenge:
Improving the India’s ranking in ‘Ease of
Doing Business’ to within 50, from 77 at
present
972) Which Bank launched ‘Nexxt Credit Card’ which
empowers customers with a choice of payment
options such as EMI, Reward Points or Credit at
the push of a button, on the card: IndusInd Bank
973) Who has been appointed as the new Revenue
Secretary in the Ministry of Finance: Ajay
BhushanPandey
974) The Ayush Ministry celebrated the India's first
Naturopathy Day on which date: November 18
975) What is the full form of Ayush: Ayurveda, Yoga
and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and
Homeopathy
976) Supported by the UNO, the World Toilet Day is
celebrated across the world on which date:
November 19
977) Out of 17 SDGs, which number Sustainable
Development Goal of UNO aims to ensure
availability and sustainable management of
sanitation and water for all by 2030: 6th
978) Which player became India’s highest T20 run-
getter, including men and women, scoring 2,283
T20 runs: Mithali Raj
979) The Union Ministry of Women and Child
Developmentproposes to use which fund to fast
track cases of rape of children and women under
POCSO: Nirbhaya Fund
980) NguyễnPhươngKhánh of Vietnam won which
international beauty crown recently: Miss Earth
2018
981) Who has been crowned the Miss International
2018: MariemVelazcoof Venezuela
982) Oxford dictionaries selected which word as the
'Word of the Year': Toxic
99
983) Name the Barcelona star footballer who was ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FORM
named La Liga Player of the Year for 6th time:
Lionel Messi FOR SOFT COPY ONLY
984) November 16 is celebrated as the International
Day for ___________ all over the world: Tolerance (Only Online Mode)
985) Which national day is observed on November 16
to honour the existence of free and responsible TO SUBSCRIBE THE MAGAZINE
press in India: The National Press Day
WhatsApp or SMS <MAGAZINE> TO 09646888377
986) Why November 16 has been selected to celebrate
the National Press Day: It was on this day in SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD: ONLY 12 MONTHS
1966 that the Press Council of India started
functioning FROM (MONTH) …………………..TO……………. (MONTH)
987) Ministry of Agriculture launched the
‘YuvaSahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support AMOUNT: Rs.400/-
and Innovation Scheme’ for what purpose: To
attract the youth to launch cooperative
business ventures Name: Mr./Ms……………………………………………….………
988) HRD Ministry launched which programme for
online professional development of 15 lakh
higher education faculty:ARPIT Address:…………………………………………………………….
989) What is the full form of ARPIT: Annual Refresher
……………………………………………………………………
Programme In Teaching
990) On November 14, ISRO launched its heaviest ever City:……………………………District:…………………….
satellite. Can you name it: GSAT-29
991) The GSAT-29 was launched by which heavy lift State: ………………..…………………..PIN:
rocket: GSLV-Mark III
(GSAT- Geo-synchronousSatellite) Email: …………………………………………………………………..
(GSLV-Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle )
992) The GSAT-29 shall be used for what purpose: To
facilitate high speed internet connections for Ph./Mob…………………………………………………..…………
better communications with the Village
Resource Centres established by the ISRO
993) Notes of a Dream is the autobiography of which The subscription amount can be
famous celebrity: A.R. Rehman
994) ‘Kingdom of Ash’ is a chart buster book by which remitted to our following account:
author: Sarah J. Mass
995) Why November 14 has been selected for
observing the world Diabetes Day: The day
marks the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting,
who co-discovered insulin along with Charles
Best in 1922
……………………………………………………………………………………………
996) Ministry of Finance has decided to release a
commemorative coin of Rs.75 to mark which PARTICULARS OF REMITTANCE:
historic event: 75th anniversary of the hoisting Amount remitted: Rs………… Date:…./…./……
of Tricolour for the first time by Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair Bank………………………………..Branch……………
997) Which day is observed on November 12 to
commemorate the first and last visit of the Transaction no…………………………..
Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio,
Delhi: The Public Service Broadcasting Day DATE:_________ Signature
998) Knight of the Legion of Honour, France's highest
civilian honour was recently conferred upon (Magazine will be sent through Online Mode only)
which Indian: Jawahar Lal Sarin
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