Manthan

A General Awareness Weekly

16th to 22nd October, 2017

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 1

PREFACE

Dear Students,

The ‘Current Affairs’ section is an integral part of any examination. This edition of Manthan has been
developed by our team to help you cover all the important events of the Week. This comprehensive bulletin will
help you prepare the section in a vivid manner. We hope that our sincere efforts will serve you in a better way
to fulfill aspirations.

Happy Reading

Team CL

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 POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
National

Women of India Organic Festival 2017

 The Women of India Organic Festival organized by the Ministry of Women & Child Development came to a
successful close on 15th October, 2017.
 The main aim of the Festival was to support and encourage women and women-led groups that promote
organic farming, thus supporting their local community’s economy, creating jobs and keeping farmers thriving, in
addition to spreading proper awareness about the benefits of organic products.
 The Women of India Organic Festival 2017 was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Women and Child
Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on 1st October, 2017.
“#IamThatWoman”
 In an attempt to end Gender bias in women against women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is
undertaking online campaign #IamThatWoman.
 Through the campaign, the Ministry seeks to highlight the various aspects of women standing 'by' and 'for'
women.
Maharashtra plans to separate woman police investigation wing
 The Maharashtra government will start a woman police investigation wing in all the districts to effectively deal
with crime against women.
 A 16-member investigation team will be formed under the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Economic Offences
Wing) at district level.
 This team will investigate cases related to atrocities against women, frame charges against the accused and
submit charge sheet on time.
Arunachal assembly adopt a resolution on citizenship to Chakmas, Hajongs
 A resolution adopted by the Arunachal Pradesh assembly, asking Centre to protect rights of tribal population
while considering citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs refugees residing in the state for decades has kicked up a
fresh row.

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  In September, 2017 the Centre had decided to grant citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs (original residents of
Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh) living in Arunachal Pradesh since the 1960s, as per a 2015 Supreme Court
order.

‘Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga’

 Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) Project, popularly known as ‘Pradhan
Mantri Urja Ganga’, at a total investment of about Rs. 13,000 Crore is being implemented by GAIL (India) Ltd.
 The Pipeline passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
 The longest stretch of the project – 769 kms – will be built in Odisha. This pipeline will lead to industrial
development of eastern India.
Rajasthan government brings ordinance to shield judges, bureaucrats from probe
 Rajasthan government has passed the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 which seeks to
protect both serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in Rajasthan from being investigated
for on-duty action without its prior sanction.
 It also seeks to bar the media from reporting on accusations till the sanction to proceed with the probe is
obtained.
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 International

The deadliest single attack in Somalia’s history

 The most powerful bomb blast ever witnessed in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu killed at least 231 people with
more than 275 injured, a senator said , making it the deadliest single attack in this Horn of Africa nation.
 The Mogadishu bombing is larger than the Garissa University attack in Kenya in 2015 and the US Embassy
bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
Bangladesh has announced plans to build the world’s largest refugee camp
 Bangladesh has announced plans to build a refugee camp that could accommodate around 800,000 Rohingya
Muslims pouring over the border from Myanmar. The camp would be the largest in the world.
 Bidibidi, Uganda: Bidibidi is a village in the Yumbe district of Uganda, became a refugee settlement in August
2016 and now hosts nearly 285,000 people, according to figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Currently, Bidibidi is the world’s largest refugee camp.
US-backed forces celebrate fall of Islamic State ‘capital,’ Raqqa
 US-backed Syrian forces celebrated in the devastated streets of Raqqa after gaining control of the northern city
of Syria that once was the heart of the Islamic State’s self-styled caliphate, dealing a major defeat to the
extremist group that has seen its territory shrink ever smaller since summer.
 Militants took over the vibrant metropolis on the Euphrates River in 2014, transforming it into the epicenter of
their brutal rule, where opponents were beheaded and terror plots hatched.
Scotland gives the world first floating wind farm
 The world’s first floating offshore wind farm started delivering electricity to the grid in the north of Scotland.
 The Hywind project has five turbines floating 25 kilometres (16 miles) off the coast of Peterhead, near Aberdeen.
 The project has a capacity of 30 megawatts and cost about 200 million euros ($263 million) to construct.
Canada’s Quebec province passes law banning face coverings
 The Canadian province of Quebec has passed a law banning face coverings which prohibits public workers from
wearing the niqab or burqa and bars citizens from wearing a veil when riding public transit or receiving
government services.
 It is believed to be the first such law to have been passed in North America.
Italians vote in autonomy referendums
 Lombardy and Veneto two wealthy regions of northern Italy began voting in referendums for autonomy, ballots
that could fan regional tensions in Europe at a time when neighbouring Spain is striving to prevent Catalonia from
breaking away.

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  Unlike the Spanish region of Catalonia, which held an independence referendum on October 1 despite it being
ruled unconstitutional, the Italian referendums are within the law.
India, Japan agreed to explore joint cooperation in the areas of LNG import
 India and Japan agreed to explore joint cooperation in the areas of sourcing, swapping and optimization of
liquefied natural gas sources in the global market and commercial exploitation of methane hydrates.
 India is the fourth largest importer of LNG in the world.
 Methane Hydrate:
 Methane hydrate is a cage-like lattice of ice inside of which are trapped molecules of methane, the chief
constituent of natural gas.
 If methane hydrate is either warmed or depressurized, it will revert back to water and natural gas. When
brought to the earth's surface, one cubic meter of gas hydrate releases 164 cubic meters of natural gas.
Nirmala Sitharaman has attended Southeast Asian defence ministers’ meeting
 In her first foreign visit as defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman traveled to the Philippines to attend a
Southeast Asian defence ministers’ meeting, the ADMM-Plus.
 The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners to strengthen security and defence
cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
 The inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi in 2010.
Japan, Spain opted out of mega submarine project in India
 Japan and Spain have opted out of India's proposed project to build six advanced stealth submarines for an
estimated Rs 70,000 crore ($10.9 billion) through a collaboration between a foreign ship-builder and an Indian
shipyard.
UAE declares 2020 'Unique Year for Space Sector'
 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has highlighted its intention to make 2020 a unique year for the country's space
sector by launching the first Arab probe to Mars.

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 ECONOMY AND FINANCE

Led by Chinese, nearly 600 companies line up $85 billion investments in India
 Sany Heavy Industry heads up a list of close to 600 companies planning to invest a total of about $85 billion in
India in projects that will create an estimated 700,000 jobs in the country in next five years.
 Invest India, the government's foreign investment promotion agency, is planning to actively promote the country
as an investment destination and has drawn up a list of 200 companies not present in India that it wants to target.
India will have 530mn smartphone users by 2018
 According to a new study by USA-based media agency Zenith, China will have highest number of smartphone
users, 1.3 billion, in 2018, followed by India with 530 million users.
 The USA will be a distant third, with 229 million users.
First Investment Agreement signed between NIIF and a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu
Dhabi Investment Authority
 The first investment agreement between National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Master Fund and a
wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has been signed on 16 October.
 The investment from ADIA Group would be 1 billion USD.
 As a part of the agreement, ADIA will become the first institutional investor in NIIF’s Master Fund and a
shareholder in the NIIF’s investment management Company.
Google most authentic brand in India
 Search engine giant Google has emerged as the most authentic brand in the country, followed by Microsoft,
Amazon, Maruti Suzuki and Apple, according to New York-based global communications firm Cohn & Wolfe.
 Sony, YouTube, BMW, Mercedes Benz and British Airways are the other brands to feature in the top 10.
China’s GDP rose to $12.1 trillion in last five years: Xi Jinping
 China has maintained its position as the world’s second largest economy and contributed more than 30 per cent
of global economic growth.
 China’s GDP rose from 54 trillion to 80 trillion yuan (about $12.1 trillion) over the past five years.

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 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Inventions/Discoveries
Planet Nine does exist in our solar system, claims NASA
 NASA believes a ninth planet does exist that might be 10 times the mass of Earth and 20 times farther from the
Sun than Neptune.
World's largest combustion research centre at IIT Madras
 The world's largest combustion research centre NCCRD, which will impart a major boost to the Indian scientific
community was inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
 The National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) was inaugurated by NITI Aayog
member V K Saraswat.
Europe launches sixth Sentinel Earth observation satellite
 Europe launched the sixth of its Sentinel Earth observation satellites as part of the multi-billion-euro Copernicus
program to monitor volcanic ash and ultraviolet radiation.
 The Copernicus project is described by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the most ambitious Earth
observation program to date.
LIGO now detects gravitational waves from neutron stars’ merger
 Scientists at the LIGO detectors and the world over detected the first gravitational waves produced by the
merger of two neutron stars.
 The neutron stars merged in a galaxy called NGC 4993, located about 130 million light years from Earth in the
constellation Hydra.
 The Neutron Stars:
 When the core of a massive star undergoes gravitational collapse at the end of its life, protons and electrons
are literally scrunched together, leaving behind one of nature's most wondrous creations: a neutron star.
 Neutron stars cram roughly 1.3 to 2.5 solar masses into a city-sized sphere perhaps 20 kilometers (12 miles)
across.
 Matter is packed so tightly that a sugar-cube-sized amount of material would weigh more than 1 billion tons,
about the same as Mount Everest!
 Most known neutron stars belong to a subclass known as Pulsars.

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Cassini data finds that Saturn’s largest ring is kept in place by 7 of its moons
 After poring over NASA’s Cassini mission data, astronomers have determined that it takes the teamwork of seven
moons to keep Saturn’s A ring – the largest and farthest of the visible rings – contained.
 The scientists discovered that confinement of the A ring is shared among the moons Pan, Atlas, Prometheus,
Pandora, Epimetheus, Mimas and Janus.
Source of world’s largest mud eruption traced to volcano
 Lusi, the world’s largest mud eruption that began on the Indonesian island of Java in 2006, is not stopping any
time soon as deep underground it is connected to a nearby volcanic system, scientists have determined.
World’s deepest lake Baikal in peril
 Lake Baikal is undergoing its gravest crisis in recent history, experts say, as the government bans the catching of a
signature fish (Omul fish) that has lived in the world’s deepest lake for centuries but is now under threat.
 Holding one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, Baikal in Russia’s Siberia is a natural wonder of
“exceptional value to evolutionary science” meriting its listing as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Dawn mission extended at Ceres
 NASA has authorized a second extension of the Dawn mission at Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter.
 Dawn is a space probe launched by NASA in September 2007 with the mission of studying two of the three
known protoplanets of the asteroid belt, Vesta and Ceres.
INS Kiltan
 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commissioned the indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth
corvette INS Kiltan at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
 INS Kiltan is the latest indigenous warship after Shivalik class, Kolkata class and sister ships INS Kamorta and INS
Kadmatt to have joined the Indian Navy.
 It is India’s first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material resulting in improved
stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs.

Health/ Diseases
Robots can now use flexible skin sensor to perform everyday tasks
 Scientists from University of Washington (UW) in the USA have developed a flexible sensor “skin” that can be
stretched over any part of a robot’s body or prosthetic and lets them successfully grasp and manipulate objects.
 It measures this tactile information with similar precision and sensitivity as human skin, and could vastly improve
the ability of robots to perform everything from surgical and industrial procedures to cleaning a kitchen.
Kerala will became first Indian state to come out with own anti-rabies vaccine
 Kerala is planning to come out with its own anti-rabies vaccine at a cost of about Rs 150 crore, probably making
it the first state in the country to manufacture the vaccine directly.
 The vaccine for both humans and animals would be developed simultaneously at separate labs at the Institute of
Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAH&VB) at Palode near here, under the state Animal Husbandry
Department.

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The first-ever road map to combat animal tuberculosis (bovine TB) as launched at the 48th
Union World Conference
 The first-ever road map to combat animal tuberculosis (bovine TB) and its transmission to humans, referred to as
zoonotic TB, was launched at the 48th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Guadalajara, Mexico.
 Four partners in health- the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE),
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
(The Union) - have joined forces to develop the road map and, address the major health and economic impact of
this disease.
 Zoonotic TB spreads through consumption of contaminated untreated meat or dairy products from diseased
animals.
Most pollution-linked deaths occur in India
 According a study report published in “The Lancet” India is ranked number one globally on the toll taken by
pollution, with a staggering 2.51 million deaths in 2015, an international commission has reported.
 Of an estimated 9 million premature deaths linked to pollution worldwide, the country accounted for about
28%.
 Air pollution, the leading cause, killed 6.5 million people around the world. Again, air pollution took the
heaviest toll in India (1.81 million), followed by water (0.64 million).
 China had the second highest mortality from air pollution at 1.58 million, while water pollution in the
neighbouring country was linked to about 34,000 deaths, compared with 0.64 million in India.

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 SPORTS

Sports Personalities in News

Roger Federer
 Roger Federer brushed aside world number one Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters 2017 and
register his fourth victory of the year over his Spanish rival.
Hashim Amla
 Hashim Amla once again rewrote the history books as he notched up his 26th ODI century. With this, he also
broke Virat Kohli’s record of being the fastest to reach the same number of centuries.
 While Kohli had achieved the feat 166 innings whereas Amla did it in just 154.
 A couple of months back Amla broke Kohli’s record of fastest to 7000 runs in ODIs. While Kohli achieved the feat
in 169 innings, Amla took 150.
 Noticeably Amla also holds the record of being the fastest to reach 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 ODI runs and thereby
becoming South Africa’s run-machine.
Kavita Devi
 Kavita Devi made history by becoming the first ever woman wrestler from India to be awarded a WWE
developmental contract.
 Devi is an accomplished power-lifter who won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games, representing India.
Ruth Beitia
 Olympic champion high jumper Ruth Beitia has retired from athletics due to persistent injuries.
 Beitia, who won the high jump competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last year, is the only Spanish
female athlete to have won an Olympic gold.
Lionel Messi
 Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal and his 50th goal in 2017.
 The only other player to score 100 goals or more in European competition is Real Madrid’s, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Hasan Ali
 Pakistan all-rounder Hasan Ali scripted his name in history books as he became the fastest bowler to reach 50
ODI wickets for his country. Ali broke the record of former great Waqar Younis who had taken 27 ODIs to achieve
the landmark. Hasan Ali achieved in 24 one-day internationals.

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 Sport Events
FIFA U-17 World Cup: India finish bottom in maiden event
 India made their first appearance at a FIFA event by qualifying directly as hosts of the FIFA U-17 World Cup which
began on October 6 with games in New Delhi and Navi Mumbai.
 After the end of all group games, India have finished bottom, 24th, among all teams that qualified for the FIFA U-
17 World Cup.
Indian women bag silver in Archery World Championships
 The Indian women’s compound team has bagged a silver medal after losing to Colombian rivals in the World
Archery Championships.
 Eyeing India’s first ever gold medal, Trisha Deb, Lily Chanu Paonam and Jyothi Surekha Vennam went down 228-
234 to the fourth seeded Colombian team of world record holder Sara Lopez, Alejandra Usquiano and Nora
Valdez in the final played.
 This was India’s fifth medal at the World Championships and all of them have been silver.
 It was also the first time India won any medal in the compound team archery section at the World
Championships.
China secure maiden World Cup qualification, South Korea out
 China will be competing in the Hockey World Cup for the first time ever after they pipped South Korea to qualify
for the 2018 edition in India.
 China’s place was confirmed when South Korea drew 1-1 with Malaysia in the Asia Cup in Dhaka, a result which
put the Malaysians into the final against India.

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 MISCELLANEOUS
New Guinness Record at India International Science Festival (IISF) in Anna University
campus at Chennai
 The India International Science Festival (IISF) in Anna University campus at Chennai saw the making of a new
Guinness World Record for the Largest Biology Lesson.
 One thousand forty nine (1049) students participated in the record breaking session. The World record which was
created in the IISF Chennai 2017 had students from Class 9 and Class 10.
BJP is India’s richest political party: ADR Report
 The Bharatiya Janata Party is the richest national political party in the country with assets worth over Rs 893
crore in the year 2015-16, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
 The report analyses the assets and liabilities of seven national parties from the year 2004-05 to 2015-16, on the
basis of data submitted by these parties to the Election Commission of India.
 The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) is a non-partisan, non-governmental organization which works in
the area of electoral and political reforms. ADR came into existence in 1999.
IIT Bombay top ranked Indian institute in QS Asia University Rankings 2018
 The top-ranked Indian institute in the QS Asia University Rankings, IIT Bombay saw its best position at 34th rank
in the last three years since its 46th rank in 2016.
 Earlier this year, IIT Bombay was ranked 179th in the QS World University Rankings, showing an improvement in
its 2017 performance by 40 places.
UP government set Guinness World Record by lighting 1.87 diyas in Ayodhya
 When the banks of the Saryu and the holy city of Ayodhya light up with 187,213 earthen oil lamps on Diwali eve,
the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh surpassed the Guinness World Records held in this respect by
the jailed Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
 The dera had on September 23 last year set the Guinness World Record by organising the largest display of
1,50,009 oil lamps in Sirsa.
CIPAM-DIPP Launches Logo and Tagline Contest for Geographical Indications of India
 The Cell for IPR Promotions & Management (CIPAM) under the aegis of the Department of Industrial Policy
Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched a logo and tagline/slogan contest for
Geographical Indications (GIs) of India on MyGov.in website.
 A Geographical Indication (GI) is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and
industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
 Some of the examples of registered Indian GIs are Darjeeling Tea, Tirupathi Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur
Orange, Kashmir Pashmina, Banarasi Saris etc.
Delhi among the world’s worst megacities for women safety
 A survey by Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked Delhi among the world’s worst megacities when it comes to
women safety.
 Delhi has been placed at fourth position after Cairo, Karachi and Kinshasa. India’s capital and Brazil’s Sao Paulo
are ranked worst in the cases of sexual harassment, while Tokyo emerged as the safest city.

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Biography: 'Beyond the Dream Girl'
 ‘Beyond the Dream Girl’ is the official biography of Hema Malini, written by veteran journalist Ram Kamal
Mukherjee.
 The biography also features a foreword written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ISKCON’s Govardhan Eco Village gets green platinum award
 The Govardhan Eco Village, set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Palghar
district, Maharashtra has won the ‘green platinum award’.
 The village’s director, Gauranga Das, received the award, instituted by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) of
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), during the Green Building Congress-2017 at Jaipur in Rajasthan.
 The IGBC has been established by the CII to enable sustainable built-environment for all.
‘Responsible Tourism Mission’
 Responsible Tourism (RT) is mainly conceived with three kinds of responsibilities which are termed as the ‘triple
bottom-line’ economic responsibility, social responsibility and environmental responsibility.
 It would help to turn the local tourism industry as a market for local products.
 ‘Responsible Tourism Mission’ was first implemented at four destinations, including Kovalam, Kumarakom,
Thekkady and Wayanad in Kerala.
 Among these destinations Kumarakom was honored by Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India for the best
Responsible Tourism initiative in Kerala and it also bagged the national award for rural tourism.
SpiceJet to electrify remote village in Assam's Majuli
 SpiceJet will electrify the remote village of Baruahchuck in Majuli district of Assam. It will set a 'solar microgrid'
on the site in about 75 days.
 'Solar microgrid' is a small-scale power grid that can operate independently or in conjunction with the area's
main electrical grid to provide electricity to a limited number of households.
Note: The Guinness World Records recognized Majuli as the world's largest river island situated in the Brahmaputra
River.
Jaipur and Srinagar Airports rated Best Airports in the World in 2-5 million Passenger
category in ACI-ASQ Survey
 The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport got the first and second rank respectively in the category of 2-5 million
passengers in ACI-ASQ Survey.
 Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, Airports Authority of India along with his team received the ACI-ASQ
Award at a function held in Mauritius on 17th October 2017.
 This is for the second consecutive time that Jaipur Airport has been rated the Best Airport in the World in the
traffic volume of 2 to 5 million passengers per year.
Exercise ‘INDRA 2017’
 Giving the Indo-Russian defence cooperation a major boost, Exercise INDRA-2017, the first ever Tri Services Joint
Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces is being conducted in the Eastern Military District of Russia
from 19 to 29 Oct 2017.

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  Exercise INDRA in its previous nine avatars has been conducted as a single service exercise alternately between
the two countries.
 The year 2017 marks a major milestone as this Exercise has been upgraded to involve all the three Services of the
Armed Forces (Army, Navy & Air Force).
The first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the All India Institute of Ayurveda, in New Delhi, to the Nation
on the National Ayurveda Day.
 The first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) is set up along the lines of AIIMS.
 As an apex institute under the Ministry of AYUSH, the AIIA will bring synergy between the traditional wisdom of
Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology.
PM visited Kedarnath Temple
 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Kedarnath Temple.
 Lord Shiva manifested in the form of Jyotirlingam or the cosmic light. Kedarnath is highest among the 12
Jyotirlingas.
 This ancient and magnificent temple is located in the Rudra Himalaya range. The present temple was built by Adi
Shankaracharya.
 Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the devout Hindu. It is set amidst the stunning mountainscape of
the Garhwal Himalayas at the head of the Mandakini River.

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 PERSONS IN NEWS
David Hoey
 David Hoey, chief executive of WorldSkills International, which promotes skill development globally, believes
that India’s huge youth population is a challenge as well as an opportunity.
Ranjit Kumar
 Solicitor General of India Ranjit Kumar, the second highest ranking law officer of the government, resigned with
immediate effect.
 Mr. Kumar joined the government’s team of law officers in the Supreme Court in 2014, cited personal reasons
and family commitments for his decision.
Emperor Akihito
 Japan’s Emperor Akihito is likely to abdicate at the end of March 2019 and Crown Prince Naruhito is expected
to ascend the throne in April, the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in nearly two centuries.
 In June, 2017 Japan’s parliament passed a law allowing Emperor Akihito to abdicate and the government needs
to hammer out the details including the timing.
Richard Wilbur
 Richard Wilbur, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and translator who intrigued and delighted generations of readers
and theatergoers through his rhyming editions of Moliere, recently died in the age of 96.

Appointments
Joyita Mondal
 Joyita Mondal, a transgender from North Dinajpur, West Bengal has scripted history by becoming nation’s first
transgender to be appointed as a judge.
Naresh Kumar Gupta
 Naresh Kumar Gupta, a retired Madhya Pradesh High Court judge, was sworn-in as the state Lokayukta
(ombudsman).
 Madhya Pradesh Governor O P Kohli administered the oath of office to Gupta in a ceremony held at Raj Bhawan.
Sebastian Kurz
 Sebastian Kurz is an Austrian politician who on track to become Europe's youngest head of government.

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 AWARDS
Singer T M Krishna to get Indira Gandhi National Integration Award
 The 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2015 and 2016 has been awarded to Carnatic
vocalist T.M. Krishna, for his services in promoting and preserving national integration in the country.
 The singer also won the Ramon Magsaysay award for bringing “social inclusiveness in culture” in 2016.
George Saunders wins 2017 Man Booker Prize for 'Lincoln in the Bardo'
 US author George Saunders became only the second American writer to win Britain's renowned Man Booker
Prize, which was awarded for his first full-length novel "Lincoln in the Bardo".

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 IMPORTANT DAY
World Food Day: 16 th October
 World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.
 The theme of World Food Day 2017 is: “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural
development”.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: 17 th October
 This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of 22
December 1992, of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
 This year theme is “Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive
societies”.
National Ayurveda Day 2017: 17 TH October 2017
 Ministry of AYUSH had decided to celebrate the National Ayurveda Day every year on Dhanwantari Jayanti.
 This year, it is celebrated on 17th October 2017.
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References:
The Hindu
The Economics Times
Indian Express
Press Information Bureau of India
The Times of India
Business Standard
News on AIR
Hindustan Times

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 QUESTIONS
1. Who is set to become the world's youngest head of government in Austria?
(a) Sebastian Kurz (b) Enrico Carattoni
(c) Jigme Khesar Namgyel (d) Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

2. India's first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material is:
(a) INS Kalvari (b) INS Kiltan (c) INS Virat (d) INS Vikram

3. Who among the following will be conferred with the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015-16?
(a) Mandakini Amte (b) T.M. Krishna
(c) Bezawada Wilson (d) Jayaprakash Narayanan

4. The most powerful bomb blast ever witnessed in Somalia's capital killed at least 231 people. Name the capital city of Somalia.
(a) Geerisa (b) Hobyo (c) Mogadishu (d) Adale

5. A new Guinness World Record for the Largest Biology Lesson was recorded in:
(a) Andhra University campus at Vishakhapatnam
(b) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University at Lucknow
(c) Anna University campus at Chennai
(d) Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University at Agra

6. Name the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and translator, who passed away in October 2017.
(a) Richard Wilbur (b) Barry England (c) William Trevor (d) Dame Muriel Spark

7. The world's largest combustion research centre, which will impart a major boost to the Indian scientific community, was inaugurated at:
(a) Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi (b) Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
(c) Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (d) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

8. Recently, Scientists from which space agency has claimed that ninth planet does exist that might be 10 times the mass of Earth and 20
times farther from the Sun than Neptune?
(a) JAXA (b) NASA (c) ISRO (d) ESA

9. Who among the following tennis players has won the Shanghai Masters 2017?
(a) Novak Djokovic (b) Roger Federer
(c) Rafael Nadal (d) Andrew Barron Murray

10. World Food Day is observed every year on:

(a) October 14 (b) October 15 (c) October 16 (d) September 15

11. The first ever Tri Services Joint Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces is being conducted in the Russia. Name the Joint
Exercise between India and Russia.
(a) Mithra Shakti 2017 (b) INDRA 2017 (c) Garuda 2017 (d) Surya Kiran 2017

12. The first Indian state to come out with own anti-rabies vaccine is:
(a) Kerala (b) Maharashtra (c) Gujarat (d) Rajasthan

13. Recently, which country has announced plans to build the world's largest refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims?
(a) India (b) Indonesia (c) Bangladesh (d) Nepal

14. Which among the following firms has become the first institutional investor in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Master
Fund and a shareholder in the NIIF?
(a) New York Investment Authority (NYIA) (b) Singapore Investment Authority (SIA)
(c) Hong Kong Investment Authority (HKIA) (d) Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)

15. Recently, which space agency has launched the sixth of its Sentinel-5P satellite, part of a system of satellites that is to monitor Earth?
(a) Indian Space Research Organisation (b) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
(c) European Space Agency (d) National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 19

 th
16. The first-ever road map to combat animal tuberculosis (bovine TB) and its transmission to humans was launched at the 48 Union World
Conference on Lung Health in:
(a) USA (b) China (c) India (d) Mexico

17. Who among the following cricket players has broken the Virat Kohli record of being the fastest to reach the 26th ODI century?
(a) AB de Villiers (b) Hashim Amla (c) SPD Smith (d) Joe Root

18. Who among the following authors won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for 'Lincoln in the Bardo'?
(a) Jerome David Salinger (b) George Saunders (c) Ray Douglas Bradbury (d) Kathy Acker

19. The online campaign #IamThatWoman has been launched by:

(a) National Organization for Women (b) United Nations
(c) Ministry of Women and Child Development of India (d) Zonta International

20. According to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which is the richest national political party in the country
for the year 2015-16?
(a) Communist Party of India (Marxist) (b) Bharatiya Janata Party
(c) Indian National Congress (d) Nationalist Congress Party

21. Which among the following Indian Institutes has emerged the best Indian university in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University
Rankings for 2018?
(a) Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (b) Indian Institute of Technology Madras
(c) Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (d) Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

22. Raqqa or al-Raqqah city has been in the news; this city is located in which country?
(a) Syria (b) Libya (c) Iraq (d) Nigeria

23. How many non- permanent members are there in the UN Security Council?
(a) 5 (b) 10 (c) 15 (d) 20

24. Who is the current chief executive of WorldSkills International?

(a) Robert Allen Iger (b) James Dimon (c) David Hoey (d) Howard Schultz

25. Scientists at the LIGO detectors and the world over detected the first gravitational waves produced by the merger of two neutron stars. The
neutron stars merged in a galaxy called:
(a) LIGO 5993 (b) NGC 4993 (c) NIO 3908 (d) GWO 6999

26. Who has become the first ever woman wrestler from India to be awarded a WWE developmental contract in October 2017?
(a) Sakshi Malik (b) Arundhati Maurya (c) Kavita Devi (d) Sikha Sharma

27. Which country is the fourth largest importer of LNG in the world?
(a) China (b) USA (c) India (d) Russia

28. The world's first floating offshore wind farm started delivering electricity to the grid in:
(a) Greenland (b) Singapore (c) India (d) Scotland

29. Recently, which among the following first North America countries has passed a law banning face coverings which prohibits public worker
from wearing the niqab or burqa and bars citizens from wearing a veil when riding public transit or receiving government services?
(a) USA (b) Canada (c) Mexico (d) Cuba

30. According to New York-based global communications firm Cohn & Wolfe, which among the following companies has emerged as the most
authentic brand in India in 2017?
(a) Microsoft (b) Amazon (c) Maruti Suzuki (d) Google

31. Which country maintained its position as the world's second largest economy?
(a) China (b) USA (c) India (d) Japan

32. According to NASA's Cassini mission data, astronomers have determined that it takes the teamwork of _________moons to keep Saturn's A
ring - the largest and farthest of the visible rings.
(a) Four (b) Five (c) Six (d) Seven

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33. According to ACI-ASQ Survey 2017, which among the following Airports has been rated the Best Airport in the World in the traffic volume
of 2 to 5 million passengers in 2017?
(a) New York Airport (b) London Airport (c) Singapore Airport (d) Jaipur Airport

34. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated every year on:
(a) October 17 (b) October 18 (c) October 19 (d) October 16

35. Union Government has decided to grant citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs living in which among following states of India?
(a) Arunachal Pradesh (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Bihar

36. Who is set to become New Zealand's third female prime minister in October 2017?
(a) Mabel Howard (b) Jacinda Ardern (c) Helen Clark (d) Dame Jenny Shipley

37. Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) opened its first electric vehicle recharging points at three gas stations in:
(a) Britain (b) China (c) Canada (d) India

38. NASSCOM is setting up centres of excellence on artificial intelligence (AI) and data sciences, for a better understanding on the emerging
technologies in:
(a) New Delhi and Pune (b) Mumbai and Chennai
(c) Bengaluru and Hyderabad (d) Pune and Kolkata

39. Madame Tussauds is expected to open its first museum in India in:
(a) Delhi (b) Mumbai (c) Hyderabad (d) Bhopal

40. The sources of world's largest mud eruption have discovered. Lusi, the world's largest mud eruption, is situated in which of the following
countries?
(a) Myanmar (b) Indonesia (c) Chile (d) Laos

41. Recently, scientists from which country have developed a flexible sensor "skin" that can be stretched over any part of a robot's body or
prosthetic?
(a) Israel (b) USA (c) India (d) Japan

42. Which among the following village set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has won the 'green platinum
award 2017' instituted by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)?
(a) Arna Jharna (b) Auroville
(c) Kedia Village (d) Govardhan Eco Village

43. Who among the following football players has joined the Cristiano Ronaldo to score 100 goals or more in European competition in October
2017?
(a) Luis Suárez (b) Neymar Jr.
(c) Lionel Messi (d) Gareth Frank Bale

44. Recently, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Kedarnath Temple. Kedarnath is situated on the bank of river:
(a) Dhauliganga (b) Alaknanda (c) Bhagirathi (d) Mandakini

45. Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake is undergoing its gravest crisis in recent history. This lake is located in:
(a) Canada (b) USA (c) Russia (d) France

46. According to the journal “The Lancet”, which of the following countries is ranked number one globally on pollution-linked deaths, with a
staggering 2.51 million deaths in 2015?
(a) China (b) India (c) Japan (d) Uzbekistan

47. Recently the Responsible Tourism Mission was launched in:

(a) Tamil Nadu (b) Kerala (c) Karnataka (d) Andhra Pradesh

48. Name the Solicitor General of India, the second highest ranking law officer of the government who resigned from his post?
(a) Sushil Rawat (b) Ranjit Kumar
(c) Dheeraj Chandra (d) Ramesh Chandra Sen

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49. Name India's first transgender who has been appointed as a judge?
(a) Deepika Namami (b) Rashmi Sahai
(c) Joyita Mondal (d) Rajeshwari Gaekwad

50. Which of the nation has highlighted its intention to make 2020 a unique year for the country's space sector by launching the first Arab
probe to Mars?
(a) Kuwait (b) Iraq
(c) Lebanon (d) United Arab Emirates

51. Recently, which state government has passed an ordinance that seeks to protect both serving and former judges, magistrates and public
servants from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction?
(a) Rajasthan (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Bihar

52. Which among the following countries have opted out of India's proposed project to build six advanced stealth submarines for an estimated
Rs 70,000 crore in October 2017?
(a) China and Russia (b) Germany and Israel (c) Japan and Spain (d) Russia and Norway

53. The ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting)-Plus meeting 2017 was held in:
(a) Malaysia (b) Philippines (c) Vietnam (d) Thailand

54. "Lombardy and Veneto" regions have been in the news for voting in referendums for autonomy. These two regions belong to which
country?
(a) Iran (b) Spain (c) Denmark (d) Italy

55. Mali has extended the state of emergency by a year in October 2017. Which of the following is the capital of Mali?
(a) (b) Syria (c) Libya (d) Nigeria

56. How many companies has banned by the SEBI for raising funds without complying with the public issue norms?
(a) 5 (b) 10 (c) 14 (d) 20

57. Dawn mission is a space probe launched by:

(a) ISRO (b) JAXA (c) CERN (d) NASA

58. The remote village of Baruahchuck will be electrified by SpiceJet with 'solar microgrid' for 75 days. This village is located in which state?
(a) Gujarat (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Assam (d) Bihar

59. Which country secured maiden Hockey World Cup Qualification for the 2018 edition in India?
(a) Japan (b) UK (c) Brazil (d) China

60. Which among the following countries women's compound team has bagged a silver medal in the World Archery Championships, held in
Mexico?
(a) China (b) South Korea (c) Colombia (d) India

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 ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATION
1. a The centre of political gravity in Austria shifted to the right after the conservative Austrian People's party (ÖVP) came out top in national
elections, making its 31-year-old leader, Sebastian Kurz, the world's youngest head of government.

2. b Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commissioned the indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan at the
Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. It is India's first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material
resulting in improved stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs.

3. b Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna will be conferred with the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015-16. The singer, who won the
Ramon Magsaysay award for bringing "social inclusiveness in culture" in 2016, will be presented with the honour by Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on October 31, Indira Gandhi's death anniversary.

4. c The most powerful bomb blast ever witnessed in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu killed at least 231 people with more than 275 injured, a
senator said , making it the deadliest single attack in this Horn of Africa nation.

5. c Day two of the India International Science Festival (IISF) in Anna University campus at Chennai saw the making of a new Guinness World
Record for the Largest Biology Lesson. One thousand forty nine (1049) students participated in the record breaking session.

6. a Richard Wilbur, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and translator who intrigued and delighted generations of readers and theatergoers
through his rhyming editions of Moliere and his own verse on memory, writing and nature, died. He was 96.

7. d The world's largest combustion research centre, the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD), was inaugurated
at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

8. b NASA believes a ninth planet does exist that might be 10 times the mass of Earth and 20 times farther from the Sun than Neptune,
debunking myths that the planet, dubbed 'Nibiru' by doomsayers, will end of the world.

9. b Roger Federer brushed aside world number one Rafael Nadal 6-4 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters and register his fourth victory of the year
over his Spanish rival.

10. c Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the
Organization in 1945. World Food Day is a chance to show world’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – to achieve Zero
Hunger by 2030.

11. b Giving the Indo-Russian defence cooperation a major boost, Exercise INDRA-2017, the first ever Tri Services Joint Exercise between Indian
and Russian Armed Forces is being conducted in the Eastern Military District of Russia from 19 to 29 Oct 2017.

12. a Kerala is planning to come out with its own anti-rabies vaccine at a cost of about Rs 150 crore, probably making it the first state in the
country to manufacture the vaccine directly.

13. c Bangladesh has announced plans to build a refugee camp that could accommodate around 800,000 Rohingya Muslims pouring over the
border from Myanmar. The camp would be the largest in the world and has raised concerns about the risks of concentrating vulnerable
people, such as the spread of disease.

14. d The first investment agreement between NIIF Master Fund and a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has
been signed on 16 October. The investment from ADIA Group would be 1 billion USD. As a part of the agreement, ADIA will become the
first institutional investor in NIIF's Master Fund and a shareholder in the NIIF's investment management Company.

15. c Europe launched the sixth of its Sentinel Earth observation satellites as part of the multi-billion-euro Copernicus program to monitor
volcanic ash and ultraviolet radiation. The Sentinel-5P satellite, part of a system of satellites that is to monitor Earth, blasted off on board a
Rocket launcher from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia's north-western Arkhangelsk region.

16. d The first-ever road map to combat animal tuberculosis (bovine TB) and its transmission to humans, referred to as zoonotic TB, was
launched at the 48th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Guadalajara, Mexico.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 23

17. b South Africa's opening batsman in ODI cricket has continued on his record-breaking spree. Hashim Amla once again rewrote the history
books as he notched up his 26th ODI century. With this, he also broke Virat Kohli's record of being the fastest to reach the same number of
centuries. While Kohli had achieved the feat 166 innings, Amla did it in just 154.

18. b US author George Saunders became only the second American writer to win Britain's renowned Man Booker Prize, which was awarded for
his first full-length novel "Lincoln in the Bardo".

19. c In an attempt to end Gender bias in women against women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is undertaking online
campaign #IamThatWoman.

20. b The Bharatiya Janata Party is the richest national political party in the country with assets worth over Rs 893 crore in the year 2015-16,
according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

21. d Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay emerged the best Indian university in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University Rankings
for 2018, which saw most of the top Indian schools slipping in their rankings in Asia.

22. a USA-backed Syrian forces celebrated in the devastated streets of Raqqa after gaining control of the northern city that once was the heart of
the Islamic State's self-styled caliphate, dealing a major defeat to the extremist group that has seen its territory shrink ever smaller since
summer.

23. b There are 5 permanent and 10 non- permanent members in the UN Security Council.

24. c India must follow the example of countries like Russia and China by holding skill competitions, starting at school level, to realise its rich
demographic dividend and boost vocational education, WorldSkills International CEO David Hoey said.

25. b Scientists at the LIGO detectors and the world over detected the first gravitational waves produced by the merger of two neutron stars. The
neutron stars merged in a galaxy called NGC 4993, located about 130 million light years from Earth in the constellation Hydra.

26. c Kavita Devi made history by becoming the first ever woman wrestler from India to be awarded a WWE developmental contract.

27. c India and Japan agreed to explore joint cooperation in the areas of sourcing, swapping and optimization of liquefied natural gas sources in
the global market and commercial exploitation of methane hydrates. India is the fourth largest importer of LNG in the world.

28. d The world's first floating offshore wind farm started delivering electricity to the grid in the north of Scotland.

29. b The Canadian province of Quebec has passed a law banning face coverings which prohibits public workers from wearing the niqab or burqa
and bars citizens from wearing a veil when riding public transit or receiving government services. It is believed to be the first such law to
have been passed in North America.

30. d Search engine giant Google has emerged as the most authentic brand in the country, followed by Microsoft, Amazon, Maruti Suzuki and
Apple, according to New York-based global communications firm Cohn & Wolfe.

31. a China has maintained its position as the world's second largest economy and contributed more than 30 per cent of global economic
growth. China's GDP rose from 54 trillion to 80 trillion yuan (about $12.1 trillion) over the past five years.

32. d After poring over NASA's Cassini mission data, astronomers have determined that it takes the teamwork of seven moons to keep Saturn's A
ring - the largest and farthest of the visible rings - contained. The scientists discovered that confinement of the A ring is shared among the
moons Pan, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Epimetheus, Mimas and Janus.

33. d The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport got First and second rank respectively in the category of 2-5 million passengers in ACI-ASQ Survey. Dr.
Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, Airports Authority of India along with his team received the ACI-ASQ Award at a function held in
Mauritius on 17th October 2017. This is for the second consecutive time that Jaipur Airport has been rated the Best Airport in the World in
the traffic volume of 2 to 5 million passengers per year.

34. a This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992, of 17
October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year theme is "Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A
path toward peaceful and inclusive societies".

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 24

35. a Recently a resolution adopted by the Arunachal Pradesh assembly asking Centre to protect rights of tribal population while considering
citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs refugees residing in the state for decades has kicked up a fresh row. In September month, the Centre
had decided to grant citizenship to Chakmas and Hajongs (original residents of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh) living in Arunachal
Pradesh since the 1960s, as per a 2015 Supreme Court order.

36. b New Zealand's Labour leader Jacinda Ardern will form the country's next government after gaining the support of a small nationalist party
holding the balance of power following an inconclusive September 23 election. Ardern set to become New Zealand's third female prime
minister and its youngest leader in recent years.

37. a Royal Dutch Shell plc or Shell opened its first electric vehicle recharging points at three gas stations in Britain; part of the oil giant's efforts
to respond to a global push toward zero-emission vehicles. Three charging stations are in London, Surrey and Derby, with seven more
expected by the end of the year. It comes only days after Shell agreed to buy electric vehicle charging firm NewMotion.

38. c Software industry lobby NASSCOM is setting up centres of excellence on artificial intelligence (AI) and data sciences in Bengaluru and
Hyderabad for a better understanding on the emerging technologies.

39. a The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has approved three foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals, including that of
Merlin Entertainment-owned Madame Tussauds to undertake single-brand retail. Madame Tussauds is expected to open its first museum
in India in Delhi.

40. b Lusi, the world's largest mud eruption that began on the Indonesian island of Java in 2006, is not stopping any time soon as deep
underground it is connected to a nearby volcanic system, scientists have determined.

41. b Scientists have developed a flexible sensor "skin" that can be stretched over any part of a robot's body or prosthetic and lets them
successfully grasp and manipulate objects. The bio-inspired robot sensor skin, developed by researchers from University of Washington
(UW) in the USA, mimics the way a human finger experiences tension and compression as it slides along a surface or distinguishes among
different textures.

42. d Govardhan Eco Village, set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Palghar district, has won the 'green
platinum award'. The village's director, Gauranga Das, received the award, instituted by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) of
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), early this month during the Green Building Congress-2017 at Jaipur in Rajasthan.

43. c Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona. The only other player to score 100 goals or more in European
competition is Real Madrid's, Cristiano Ronaldo.

44. d Kedarnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini River in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in
India.

45. c Lake Baikal is undergoing its gravest crisis in recent history, experts say, as the government bans the catching of a signature fish that has
lived in the world’s deepest lake for centuries but is now under threat. Holding one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, Baikal in
Russia’s Siberia is a natural wonder of “exceptional value to evolutionary science” meriting its listing as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

46. b According to the journal “The Lancet”, India witnessed most pollution-linked deaths, with a staggering 2.51 million deaths in 2015. Of an
estimated 9 million premature deaths linked to pollution worldwide, the country accounted for about 28%.

47. b Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that his government will extend to all tourist spots the responsible tourism model successfully
implemented at Kumarakom. Inaugurating the launch of the Responsible Tourism Mission, the Chief Minister said the new model stressed
the importance to regard every tourist as a cherished guest.

48. b Within months of the Centre giving him an extension, Solicitor General of India Ranjit Kumar, the second highest ranking law officer of the
government, resigned with immediate effect.

49. c Joyita Mondal, a transgender from North Dinajpur's Islampur has scripted history by becoming nation's first transgender to be appointed as
a judge.

50. d The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has highlighted its intention to make 2020 a unique year for the country's space sector by launching the
first Arab probe to Mars.

51. a The Vasundhara Raje government has passed an ordinance which seeks to protect both serving and former judges, magistrates and public
servants in Rajasthan from being investigated for on-duty action without its prior sanction.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2017 Page : 25

52. c Japan and Spain have opted out of India's proposed project to build six advanced stealth submarines for an estimated Rs 70,000 crore
($10.9 billion) through a collaboration between a foreign ship-builder and an Indian shipyard.

53. b The ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting)-Plus meeting on October 23 and 24 was held in Philippines.

54. d "Lombardy and Veneto", two wealthy regions of northern Italy, began voting in referendums for autonomy, ballots that could fan regional
tensions in Europe at a time when neighbouring Spain is striving to prevent Catalonia from breaking away.

55. a Bamako is the capital and largest city of Mali.

56. c Capital Regulator SEBI has banned Grass Root Finance & Investment Company (India) Ltd and 13 others from the capital markets for raising
funds without complying with the public issue norms.

57. d NASA has authorized a second extension of the Dawn mission at Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
During this extension, the spacecraft will descend to lower altitudes than ever before at the dwarf planet, which it has been orbiting since
March 2015.

58. c SpiceJet will electrify the remote village of Baruahchuck in Majuli district of Assam. It will set a 'solar microgrid' on the site in about 75 days.
Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest river island, Majuli is situated close to the Brahmaputra River and hence is
frequently flooded.

59. d China will be competing in the Hockey World Cup for the first time ever after they pipped South Korea to qualify for the 2018 edition in
India.

60. d The Indian women's compound team has bagged a silver medal after losing to Colombian rivals in the World Archery Championships, held
in Mexico.

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