Current Affairs
December 6, 2013
** Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela passed away
Nelson Mandela (95), South African anti-apartheid icon passed away at his residence at Johannesburg. The death of the great statesman is being mourned by his nation and the world with tributes flooding in from the leaders and people all over the globe.
Awards and Honors:
Mandela was showered with several national and international honors from countries and organizations across the globe. He received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Soviet Order of Lenin, and the Bharat Ratna.
1. UPA proposes Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill in the present parliamentary session
· BJP’s current PM candidate Mr. Narendra Modi opposes the bill and has linked it with vote bank politics.
· According to Mr. Modi the bill is poorly drafted and even the timing is not right.
2. Union cabinet approves, 29th state Telangana
· Telangana will have 10 districts
· Rest of Andhra Pradesh will have 13 districts
· Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Area will be the common capital for 10 years
· Both states will have special status under Article 371-D of Constitution
· Rajya Sabha Seats: Telangana- 7, Andhra Pradesh- 11
3. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s death anniversary is remembered throughout the nation as Mahaparinirvan Diwas
· Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has played an important role in the drafting of our constitution as well as he shared his ideas to the Hilton Young Commission which further led to the formation of The Reserve Bank of India.
4. 18 th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to start in Thiruvanantapuram
· Kerala Chief Minister, Mr. O. Chandy to inaugurate the function in Kairali Theatre
· Korean Director Mr. Kim Ki Duk, is all set to be present in this event
5. 100 Crore Nano Park and an institute for Nano Science will come up in outskirts of Bangalore
6. Kolkata’s Don Bosco wins The Hindu Young World Quiz
· Class 9 students, S Basu and K Chakroborty of Don Bosco emerged as winners of the 14 th edition of The Hindu Young World Quiz
7. World’s Largest Vessel: Prelude
· Built by South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries
· It’s a 1,601 feet Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Platform
8. West Indies – New Zealand Test Series
· Shivnarine Chanderpaul becomes 7th Batsman in Test History to cross 11,000 run milestone.
9. South Africa win by 141 runs in the first ODI versus India.
· Q. De Kock got Man of the Match award for his century.
10. India to host Under 17 World Cup
· It will be played in the year 2017
· It will be a 24 member event
11. National Insurance Company Limited celebrates its 108 Foundation Day
· Head Quartered in Kolkata
· Founded in 1906 and Nationalised in1972
· Headed by NSR Chandraprasad as Chairman
12. Sushma Singh – Chief Information Commissioner
· Deepak Sandhu completes her term recently.
13. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), national Food Safety Award 2013: Metro Cash and Carry
· Metro Cash and Carry is an International Self Service wholesaler
· Head Quartered in Dusseldorf , Germany
· CEO: Olaf Koch
14. BRAZUCA, official 2014 FIFA World Cup Match Ball
· Manufacturer: Adidas
· BRAZUCA in an informal local term means Brazilian
· 2014 FIFA World Cup will be played in Brazil featuring 32 teams
15. Reserve Bank of India has made it compulsory to punch PIN (Personal Identification Number) for all Debit card Transactions from 1 st December ‘ 2013
Current Affairs related Questions
1) Nelson Mandela – South Africa’s first black President and one of the world’s most beloved statesmen and a colossus of the 20th century when he emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa, passed away on 5 December, 2013. South African President Jacob Zuma made this announcement saying “we’ve lost our greatest son.” He was conferred Nobel Peace Prize jointly with FW de Klerk in 1993. He was the second non-citizen and first non-Indian to be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. In which year he was conferred with the Bharat Ratna?
In 1990 (He became South Africa’s first black President in 1994 and stepped down in 1999. His death closed the final chapter in South Africa’s struggle to cast off apartheid, leaving the world with indelible memories of a man of astonishing grace and good humor)
2) The Union Cabinet on 5 December, 2013 approved a bill for the creation of a Telangana state with 10 districts, paving the way for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to give birth to the India’s 29thstate. Some of the highlights of the bill are – Telangana will have 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will have 13 districts, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area will remain the common capital for both states for a period not exceeding 10 years, an expert committee will identify the alternative capital for Telangana within 45 days of the gazette notification and a joint public service commission will be in place for the two states. Which Article of Indian Constitution provides special status to both states for equitable opportunities?
Article 371-D
3) The bandh called by TRS in Telangana region on 5 December, 2013 against a reported proposal by GoM to merge two districts of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh with the proposed state of Telangana hit normal life in the region. Which two districts are these?
Anantapur and Kurnool (The proposed idea of merging of Anantapur and Kurnool into Telangana has been popularly known as “Rayala-Telangana” move and this idea was suggested by some Congress leaders as a way to address problems like water sharing that are involved in the division of Andhra Pradesh. The ruling Congress leaders from Telangana and opposition parties like BJP had opposed Rayala-Telangana. However, later this proposal was rejected by the Union Cabinet and it approved a bill for the creation of a Telangana state with 10 districts only and keeping Anantapur and Kurnool out of Telangana)
4) The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), in its recent memorandum to the Finance Minister, has kept which demand prominently which has huge support of bank employees all over the country?
Working for five-days in a week (Trade unions in the banking sector have raised this demand as part of their bipartite wage negotiations with the Indian Banks’ Association. With alternative channels such as ATMs, Internet and mobile banking in place, the unions feel that the time is ripe for moving to a five-day week. Unions argue that not only Central and State Government ministries/departments but even the Reserve Bank of India follows the five-day work schedule. However, another section of bankers were of the opinion that five-day week was not advisable as it would come in the way of efforts towards financial inclusion)
5) India was ranked 94th out of 177 countries on Global Corruption Perception Index 2013, which was released by Transparency International on 3 December, 2013. Which two countries were tied to be named as the least corrupt countries in this list?
Denmark and New Zealand (In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, Denmark and New Zealand tied for first place with scores of 91. On the other hand Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia scored just 8 in this index to be placed at the bottom of the list. India’s rank (94th) has remained unchanged from the last year)
6) Who is the Indian diplomat who came to limelight for composing the first-ever Anthem for SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)?
Abhay Kumar (Abhay Kumar is the first secretary (Press, Information and Culture) at the Indian Embassy at Nepal. The SAARC Anthem written by him is originally in Hindi but it will also be made available in the languages of the other seven SAARC countries. This anthem has been penned by him in a bid to foster regional consciousness and bring member-states closer)
7) Which natural gas pipeline inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 3 December, 2013 is the first one to connect Southern India to the national grid?
Dabhol – Bangaluru Gas Pipeline of GAIL (The Dabhol – Bangaluru gas pipeline is 1,000 km long and has been put-up with an investment of around Rs. 4,500 crore. The pipeline starts at Dabhol in Maharashtra and passes through Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag, Bellary, Devanagere, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Ramanagaram, Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru Urban districts)
QUIZ
1. On January 31, 2013 NGT had banned dumping of debris including construction material into Yamuna and had directed the states of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to remove the rubble immediately while making such an offence punishable with a fine of Rs five lakh. But the Centre on 5th Dec 2013 informed the NGT that debris have not been completely removed from the area along river Yamuna despite its orders. What does NGT stands for?
[A] National Green Treaty
[B] National Grameen Tribunal
[C] New Green Tribunal
[D] National Green Tribunal
2. Which company launched its premium European brand Vredestein to cater to high-end cars and SUVs in India?
[A] Apollo Tyres
[B] MRF Tyres
[C] Goodyear India Ltd.
[D] Ceat Ltd
3. On 4 December 2013, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to maintain the same oil output per day as in 2013 for the year 2014. The decision was taken at the 164th meeting of OPEC Oil Ministers in Vienna, Austria on 4 December 2013. What is the output to be maintained?
[A] 10 million barrel per day
[B] 20 million barrel per day
[C] 30 million barrel per day
[D] 40 million barrel per day
4. Which country launched the Chang'e 3 lunar probe incorporating a robotic lander and Jade Rabbit rover on 2nd Dec 2013?
[A] USA
[B] Germany
[C] India
[D] China
5. A case for allegedly hurting religious sentiments was lodged at Kotwali police station following a complaint by Hasan Raza Khan Noori Miyan, son of the 'sajjadanasheen' of Dargah-e -Ala Hazrat Maulana Subhan Raza Khan Subhani Miyan, who objected to certain tweets by this person against clerics on November 6. Against whom this FIR has been lodged on 5th Dec 2013?
[A] Salman Rushdie
[B] Tasleema Nasreen
[C] Zakir Naik
[D] Isioma Daniel
Answers:
1. [D]
2. [A]
3. [C]
4. [C]
5. [B]
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