Thursday 8 August 2013

Raguram Rajan to be new RBI Governor

He will succeed D Subbarao whose term ends on September 5
Raghuram Rajan, currently the Chief Economic Advisor to the government of India was on 06 August 2013(Tuesday) appointed the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) governor. Finance Ministry's office has confirmed the appointment for three years..
There were two other contenders -- economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram and Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri.
Rajan will replace D Subbarao, who completes his five-year term on September 4, and will be the 23rd Governor of the central bank. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved appointment of Raghuram Rajan as Governor of RBI for a term of three years," an official statement said.
Rajan, a former IMF chief economist, was appointed as the Chief Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry in August last year.Known for his frank views, Rajan was also honorary economic advisor to the Prime Minister. He was acclaimed for predicting the 2008 global financial crisis.
An alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad and IIT-Delhi, Rajan did his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business before taking over as CEA.
Rajan was also involved with the report on Financial Sector Reforms, which was authorised by the Planning Commission.
The former IMF chief economist had emerged as the key pointsman for Finance minister P Chidambaram, dealing with issues as diverse as a new development index to calm down nerves in the markets.
Apart from a sound understanding of the economic and financial system, what also works in favour of Rajan is his familiarity with key players in the global economic system, especially in uncertain times like at present. Besides, he is expected to get new ideas into RBI, which many on Raisina Hill believe is too conservative.
At the same time, a professional economist like Rajan is expected to take an independent view of applicants for bank licences and not act under the finance ministry's pressure. Rajan's appointment comes at a time when the economy is struggling with a high Current Account Deficit (CAD) and a depreciating rupee.

August 2013- Latest Current Affairs

August 2013- Latest Current Affairs
Latest Current Affairs from 1st Week of August 2013 in PDF- useful for all competitive Examinations!!!!!
Q1. Who was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan on 30 July 2013?
Ans. Mamnoon Hussain
Note: He belonged to the PML-N Party. He will be administered the oath on 9 September 2013. He defeated Wajihuddin Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
Q2. India on 3 August 2013 created history by recording their first-ever ODI series whitewash on foreign soil. Against which country India has achieved this feat?
Ans. Zimbabwe
Note: India won all the five ODIs played in the series. Amit Mishra was declared the Man of the Series. He took a total of 18 wickets in the series.
Q3. Which Malayalam poetess on 2 August 2013 won the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012 for Manalezhuthu (the Writings on the Sand), a collection of poems in Malayalam?
Ans. Sugathakumari
Note: Saraswati Samman was constituted by K. K. Birla Foundation in 1991. The award carries cash prize of 10 lakh Rupees, a plaque as well as a citation. This is the 22nd Samman, conferred in the history of the Award.
Q4. Name the veteran Music Director who died on 2 August 2013 at his residence in Mylapore, Chennai at the age of 94?
Ans. V Dakshinamoorthy
Note: The veteran who was known as Swamy in the music industry and gave music to songs of more than 125 films in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.
Q5. Who was appointed as the managing director and chief financial officer of the State Bank of India (SBI) on 02 August 2013?
Ans. Arundhati Bhattacharya
Note: The SBI has four managing directors, five deputy managing directors and 18 chief general managers apart from its chairman. SBI chairman Pratip Chaudhuri will be retiring in September 2013.
Q6. Union Cabinet of India on 2 August 2013 cleared an amendment to the RTI Act to keep the political parties out of its ambit. In which year RTI came into force in India? 
Ans. 2005
Q7. Who took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Central Bank of India on 1 August 2013?
Ans. Rajeev Rishi
Q8. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of Congress Party, on 30 July 2013 decided to recommend to the Central Government to form the 29th State which will comprise of 10 districts. What will be its name?
Ans. Telangana
Note: It will be formed bifurcating existing state of Andhra Pradesh
Q9. Name the 10 districts which will be part of Telangana?
Ans. Hyderabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahaboobnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and Warangal.
Q10. Name the advanced weather satellite of India, which was launched on 26 July 2013 from Kourou, French Guyana, which was successfully placed inGeosynchronous orbit after three orbit raising manoeuvres commanded from ISRO`s Master Control Facility at Hassan?
Ans. INSAT-3D
Q11. Name the Indian snooker player who clinched the gold medal in the World Games, beating China's Liang Wenbo, 3-0, in the final?
Ans. Aditya Mehta
Note: The event was held in Cali, Columbia. Aditya Mehta hails from Mumbai.
Q12. Who was declared as the Highest Paid Actress of Hollywood by Forbes recently? 
Ans. Angelina Jolie
Q13. India defeated which country by 1-0 to lift the South Asian Football Federation Under-16 Championship title in Kathmandu on 30 July 2013?
Ans. Nepal
Q14. Name the Bollywood actor who held the Guinness World Record for being the most type-cast actor, died on 28 July 2013 at Mumbai?
Ans. Jagdish Raj
Q15. World Hepatitis Day was observed across the world on 28 July 2013. What was the theme of the day this year?
Ans. This is Hepatitis, Know it, Confront it.
Q16. The six-member team of the students from India won Two Silver & Three Bronze Medals at the 54th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2013. Where it was held?
Ans. Santa Marta, Colombia
Q17. Agni-V will be inducted by 2015 with Two or Three Successful Test Firings in 2013 as announced by Director of Agni Missile Project recently. Who is the  Director of Agni Missile Project? 
Ans. Tessy Thomas
Note: Agni V missile is one of the biggest achievements of India. The ballistic missile has a range of 5000 km.
Q18. Dadra and Nagar Haveli celebrated its 60th Liberation Day on 2 August 2013. From which rule it got liberation 60 years ago?
Ans. Portuguese
Q19. Who took Charge as the 20th Delhi Police Commissioner recently?
Ans. Bhim Sain Bassi
Note: He will succeed Neeraj Kumar.
Q20. Who was chosen for the 21st Rajiv Gandhi National Sadhbhavna Award for his contribution towards promotion of communal harmony and peace?
Ans. Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan
Q21. World’s first talking robot Kirobo was successfully sent into space on 4 August 2013 by which country?
Ans. Japan
Q22. Which country on 1 August 2013 granted one year Asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the National Security Agency leaker?
Ans. Russia
Q23. International Olympic Committee sold the broadcasting rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics to which country?
Ans. STAR India
Note: Overall package includes the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing in China, 2014 Sochi Winter Games and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Q24. Who released the book entitled An Agenda for India’s Growth: Essays in Honour of P. Chidambaram in New Delhi on 31 July 2013?
Ans. Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Q25. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins on 31 July 2013 signed the bill (Government’s Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill) into law. The law comes in the wake of the tragic death of which Indian in Ireland on 28 October 2012 of blood poisoning as a result of a miscarriage?
Ans. Savita Halappanavar
Q26. Who in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation developed the first Hydrogen-powered automobile bus of India, after various years of research? Visit- http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/
Ans. Tata Motors Limited (TML)
Q27. Name the new Respiratory Virus related to SARS spread in Saudi Arabia recently?
Ans. MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
Q28. Which bank became the first lender to hike lending and deposit rates in India recently?
Ans. Yes Bank
Q29. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on 4 August 2013 expanded his cabinet by inducting six new ministers. Governor administered the oath to all the new ministers at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. Who is the present Governor of Jharkhand?
Ans. Syed Ahmed
Q30. Name the breast cancer drug of GlaxoSmith Kline Plc for which India on 1 August 2013 revoked the patent granted?
Ans. Tykerb
Q31. Executive committee of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) on 2 August 2013 approved a proposal to increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from 26 percent to ............... percent in print media?
Ans. 49
Q32. The SAARC Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS visited India from 31 July 2013 to 2 August 2013. Name her? Visit- http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/
Ans. Runa Laila
Note: Runa Laila from Bangladesh has been conferred the honorary title of SAARC Goodwill Ambassador by SAARC Secretariat till 2015
Q33. World Breastfeeding week was observed to encourage breastfeeding as the best source of nourishment for babies. The week organised by the WHO and UNICEF is celebrated every year from ........Aug to .......Aug?
Ans. 1 to 7 August 2013
Q34. Name the Mobile scheme planned to launch by Union Government under which one member of every rural household who has completed 100 days of work under MGNREGA can get free mobile device?
Ans. Bharat Mobile Scheme
Q35. Senate of US approved the decision of Barack Obama to choose ................. as the next director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?
Ans. James Comey
Q36. Name the footballer who won the Journalists' Player of the Year Award announced by the Kicker magazine on 28 July 2013?
Ans. Bastian Schweinsteiger
Q37. A suicide attack took place near the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city of which country recently?
Ans. Afghnaistan
Q38. CCEA on 1 August 2013 approved the proposal for the sale of 10 percent Government stake in Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). What is the full form of CCEA?
Ans. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

Postal/Sorting Assistant Exam(PA/SA) Results 2013 update

Postal/Sorting Assistant Exam(PA/SA) Results 2013 update
Postal Department today published the list of candidates short listed from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Panjab, Uttrakhand Postal Circles for Paper-II based on their performance in Paper-I. Update available in India Post website is as follows:

UPDATE as on 05-AUG-2013
I. The List of shortlisted candidates for the Computer Typing / Data Entry (PAPER II) for Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Panjab, Uttrakhand Postal Circles is added in the given link below.
II. PAPER II for Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Odisha and West Bengal Postal Circles is scheduled on 24th and 25th August 2013.The Admit cards for the same have been dispatched. If not received by 13 August, 2013 then it can be downloaded from this website from August 14, 2013.

First in India....

First in India....
Useful study material for all competitive Examinations.....

1) President—Dr. Rajendra Prasad
2) Prime-Minister—Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru
3) Governor-General of Independent India—Lord Lewis Mountbatten
4) Indian Governor-General of Independent India—Chakravarti  Rajgopalachari
5) Indian Commander-in-Chief of Free India —General Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, 1949
6) Field Marshall—General S. H. F. J. Manekshaw
7) Speaker of Loksabha—Shri G.V. Mavalankar (15 May 1952- 27 February 1956).
8) Vice-President—Dr. Sarvapalli RadhakrishnanSardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
9) Home Minister—Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
10) Finance Minister of India—R. K. Shanmukham Chetty
11) Auditor General of India—V. Narahari Rao
12) Director of CBI— DP Kohli
13) National Security Adviser— Brijesh Mishra
14) Governor of RBI— Sir Osborne Smith
15) Non-Congress Prime-Minister— Morarji Desai from Janata Party in 1977-79.
16) British Governor-General of Bengal—Warren-Hastings
17) Space traveller—S. Leader-Rakesh Sharma
18) Civil Servant—Satendra Nath Tagore
19) Woman IAS Officer—Anna Ranjan George, 1950
20) Swimmer who crossed over the English channel by swimming—Mihir Sen
21) Woman to swim across the English Channel—Arati Saha, 1959
22) Raman-Magsaysay awardee—Acharya Vinoba Bhave
23) Nobel prize winner—Rabindra Nath Tagore
24) Nobel Prize in Physics—C. V. Raman in 1930
25) President of National Congress—Wyomesh Chand Banerjee
26) Chairman of Lok Sabha—G. B. Mavlankar
27) First Woman Chief Minister—Sucheta Kriplani
28) Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha—Smt. Meira Kumar, 2009
29) Chief Election Commissioner—Sukumar Sen
30) Indian Chairman in International Court—Justice Dr. Nagendra Singh
31) Foreigner awardee of Bharat Ratna—Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
32) Leader of the Indian Antarctica Mission—Dr. Syed Zahuv Quasim
33) Chief Justice of Supreme Court—Justice Hiralal J. Kaniya
34) Awarded with ‘Bharat Ratnas’—Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Chakravarti Rajgopalachari, Sir C. B. Raman
35) Woman Awarded with ‘Bharat Ratna’— Indira Gandhi
36) Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters— Mrinal Sen
37) Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letter—Sivaji Ganeshan
38) Posthumally Bharat Ratna Awardee—Lal Bahadur Shastri
39) Person awarded Bhartiya-Gyan-Peeth Purskar—G. Shankar Kurup (Malayalam–1965)
40) Woman awarded with Bhartiya-Gyan-Peeth Purskar—Ashapurna Devi, 1976
41) Woman Sahitya Akademi Award Winner—Amrita Pritam, 1956
42) Woman Honours Graduate—Kamini Roy
43) Woman Director General of Police—Kanchan C Bhattacharya
44) Successful Surgeon who transplanted heart—Dr. P. Venugopal
45) Woman to receive Nobel Prize— Mother Teresa
46) Woman Governor—Sarojini Naidu
47) Licensed Pilot— J R D Tata
48) Woman Air Pilot—Durba Banerjee
49) Woman Teacher—Savitribai Phule
50) Successful heart transplanted person—Devi Ram (1994)
51) President of National Human Rights Commission—Justice Rangnath Mishra
52) Hindi Literature person-awarded Bhartiya Gyan Peeth Purskar—Sumitra Nandan Pant (1968)
53) Indian who won the World Billiard award—Wilson Jans
54) Indian who won the Grammy award—Pt. Ravi Shankar
55) Person delivered the Lecture in Hindi in U.N.O.— Atal Bihari Bajpai (1977)Dada Bhai Naoroji
56) Indian member in British House of Commons— Dada Bhai Naoroji (1892)
56) First President of Indian Science Congress—Sir Asutosh Mukherjee
57) Mountaineer who scaled Mount Everest 8 times—Sherpa-Augarita
58) Writer who was awarded ‘Vyas Samman’—Ramvilas Sharma
59) Indian Managing Director of World Bank—Gautam Kazi
60) Player awarded ‘Padam Bhusan’—C. K. Naidu
61) Actress to win Padma Shri Award—Nargis Dutt, 1958
62) Indian players played Davis Cup—M. Salim and S. M. Jacob (Singles), A. A. Faiyaz and L. S. Dare (Doubles) (1921)
63) Tennis Grandslam title winner—Mahesh Bhupati
64) Indian player who played the test cricket—K. S. Ranjeet Singh (from England)
65) Scientist elected for Lok Sabha—Dr. Meghnad Saha
66) Scientist awarded Ghanshyam Das Birla award—Prof. Ashish Datta (1991)
67) Literature who was awarded Murti Devi Purskar—C. K. Nagraj Rao (1993)
68) Person, who became High Commission in Great Britain—V. K. Krishna-Menon
69) Indian who was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize—Dr. Safuddin Kichlu (1952)
70) First Indian who contested the election for British Parliament—Lal Mohan Ghose
71) Woman Graduates—Kadambini Ganguly and Chandramukhi Basu, 1883
72) Woman Chief Justice of High Court—Leila Seth, Himachal Pradesh, 1991
73) An Indian, appointed the judge of High Court, during the British period—Ram Prasad Ram
74) Indian member of Viceroy Executive Council—Sir. S. P. SinhaMorarji Desai
75) Leanin Peace Prize— Saifuddin Kitchlew
76) Chairman of Finance Commission—K. C. Niogi
77) Woman Doctorate of Science—Asima Chatterjee (1944)
78) Woman IPS—Kiran Bedi
79) Woman Supreme Court judge—Kumari Fathima Beevi
80) Indian member of American Congress—Deleep Singh
81) Editor of Time Magazine—Bobby Ghosh
82) Director of CBI becoming Governor—Ashwani Kumar
83) Person to reach the North Pole—Squadron Leader Sanjay Thapar
84) Person to reach the South Pole—Col Jatinder Kumar Bajaj
85) Nishan-e-Pakistan Award—Morarji Desai, 1990
86) Magsaysay Award—Vinoba Bhave, 1958 Sushmita Sen
87) Miss World—Reita Faria in 1966
88) Miss Asia Pacific—Zeenat Aman in 1970
89) Miss Universe—Sushmita Sen in 1994
90) Miss Earth—Nicole Faria in 2010
91) Place to get electricity—Darjeeling in 1897
92) Sound film—Alam Ara (1931) directed by Ardeshir Irani
93) Colour film—Kisan Kanya (1937), directed by Moti B. Gidvani
94) Oscar winner—Bhanu Athaiya for Best Costume Design for Gandhi (film) in 1982.
95) Dadasaheb Phalke Award—Devika Rani in 1969
96) Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters—Sivaji Ganesan
97) Test-tube baby—Durga Agarwal, born 1978
98) Newspaper—Hickey's Bengal Gazette started in 1760Tenzing Norgay
99) First Lady Doctor—Anandibai Joshi
100) Satellite—Aryabhata, launched on 19 April 1975
101) Man to climb Mt Everest—Tenzing Norgay
102) Man to climb Mt Everest without oxygen—Phu Dorjee, 1984
103) Woman to climb Mt everest—Bachendri Pal
104) District to achieve 100% literacy rate—Ernakulam district, Kerala, 1990
105) Captain in Tests—C. K. Nayudu for the 1932 tour of England
106) ODI captain—Ajit Wadekar
107) Bowler who made hat-trick in Test Cricket—Harbhajan Singh
108) Batsman who made 300 runs in test Cricket—Virendra Sehwag
109) First Marshal of Indian Air Force—Arjan Singh
110) Individual Medal in Olympic games—KD Jadhav
111) Grandmaster— Viswanathan Anad
112) Woman Grandmaster—Koneru Humpy
113) First Indian who individually won the Gold medal in Olympic games—Abhinav Bindra
114) First Indian who won the Bronze medal in Boxing in Olympic games—Vijendra Kumar
115) Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge—Srinivasa Ramanujan
116) Fellow of the Royal Society—Ardaseer Cursetjee
117) Post Office- Kolkata(1727)
118) University- Nalanda University