GENERAL AWARENESS --IBPS CLERKS DECEMBER 2016

·         What is India’s rank in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report? -112^th Rank

Ø  India has been placed on the 112^th position in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report, suffering 10 positions loss this year.  Hong Kong topped the list, having the highest level of economic freedom worldwide while Venezuela remained on the last position.  The report is based on data from 2014 and measures the economic freedom by analyzing the policies and institutions of all 159 countries in the list.

·         India launched its naval warship Mormugao which is a - Guided Stealth Missile Destroyer

Ø  The Mazagaon Dock shipbuilders Ltd’s second Visakhapatnam class-stealth Guided Missile Destroyer under project 15-B was launched by Chief Guest Reena Lamba, wife of Admiral Sunil Lamba, the chief of Indian Naval Staff on September 18, 2016 in Mumbai.  Mormugao having a displacement of 7,300 tonne with a maximum speed of 30 knots has about 68 per cent indigenous content.  It is named after a beautiful port of Goa-Mormugao.  Equipped with the Barak-8 missiles, surface to air and surgace missiles and anti-submarine total launchers, it can carry two anti-submarine warface helicopters.  Under project 15-B, MDL will build a total of four such stealth guided missile destroyers.  Mormugao is the second in line as the first one was launched as Visakhapatnam last year.

·         Who has been named India’s richest person in Forbes list? – Mukesh Ambani

Ø  Industrialist Mukesh Ambani was on September 22, 2016 named India’s richest man for the ninth consecutive year with a sharp increase in networth to $ 22.7 billion in `Forbes list of India’s 100 Richest People’.  Sun Pharma’s head Dilip Shanghvi was second in the list with a wealth of $16.9 billion.  Forbes said the combined networth of India’s 100 richest persons is $ 381 billion.

·         Who is the author of the book `Citizen and Society’? – Hamid Ansari

Ø  President Pranab Mukherjee on September 23, 2016 released the book `Citizen and Society’ written by vice-President of India Hamid Ansari at a function held a Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.  This book is a collection of lectures on diverse themes such as polity, women empowerment and other traits of a democratic country.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his several cabinet collegues, former PM Manmohan Singh were present at the function of he launching of `Citizen and Society’.

·         Which team emerged the champion of 128^th Durand Cup? – Army Green

Ø  Army Green defeated Neroca FC 6-5 on penalties in the final to life its maidan Durand Cup Football the Durand Cup final for the first time and played a tough final as both sides remained goalless in the regular and extra time.  Then the penalties system was taken to decide the champion.  Here Army Green proved itself superior to Neroca PC and won the 128^th edition of Durand Cup.  Army got  45 lakh as prize money while Neroca FC received  20 lakh.

Who became India’s first woman to win a medal at the Paralympics? – Deepa Malik

Ø  Deepa Malik became the first woman para athlete of India to win a medal in the Paralympic a Games when Janeiro on September 12, 2016.  Deepa threw her personal best 4-61 metres to finish second in the event behind Bahrain’s Fatema Nedham who claimed the gold with a superb performance of 4.76 metres.  Dimitra Korokida of Greece clinched the bronze in the women’s shot put – F53 event.

·         Who become the fastest Indian Cricketer to reach the 200^th Test wicket mark? – R. Ashwin

Ø  India’s talented off-spinner R. Ashwin became the fastest Indian Cricketer and Second-fastest in the World to achieve the 200 Test Wicket milestone when he snared New Zealand’s Kane Williamson for the second time in the first Test of India-New Zealand Test Series in Kanpur on September 25, 2016.  Ashwin took the 200^th Test wicket in his just 37^th Test match, one Test more than the record holder Clarrie Grimmett of Australia.  Grimmett reached the milestone of his 200 Test wickets in his 36^th Test, the fastest in the world.  R. Ashwin surpassed the record of Harbhajan Singh as the fastest Indian to reach 200 Test wickets mark.  He created this record in India’s historic 500^th Test match which India later won by 197 runs.

·         Who has been appointed the World Bank’s country director for India? – Junaid Ahmad of Bangladesh

Ø  Junaid Ahmad of Bangladesh has been appointed the World Bank’s country director for India, succeeding Onno Ruhl on this post.  Prior to this new assignment.  Mr.Ahmed was the Chief of staff to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. He has been serving the world Bank on numerous posts since 1991.

·         Who has been named UN goodwill ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking? – Nadia Murad Basee Taha

Ø  Nadia Murad Basee Taha, a young Iraqi woman of Yazidi community was on September 16, 2016 named the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking.  The 23-year old brave girl survived rape and abuse as sex slave by the terrorists of the Islamic State.  As a UN goodwill ambassador she will raise voice against cruelties and atrocities committed against women and children through trafficking worldwide.  She will spread awareness about the plight of the countless victims of trafficking especially in Iraq.

·         Where was the first BRICS Film Festival Organised? – New Delhi

Ø  The first BRICS Film Festival was organized from September 2-6, 2016 in New Delhi.  Total 20 movies from BRICS nations were screened at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi.  Four movies from each BRICS nation (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) were screened.  The opening film of the festival was Veeram, a Malayali Movie.  The closing movies was `Skiptrace’, a Chinese movie directed by Renny Harlin.  The Kannada movie `Thithi’ from India was awarded the Best Film honour of the festival.  Special Jury honour went to `Between Valleys’, a Brazillian film.  `Mr. Huo Jianqi’ from China was honoured with the Best Director award fro his film `Xuan Chang’.   Mr Thabo Rametsi (South Africa) and Ms. Yulia Pereslid (Russia) were felicited with Best Actor and Actress awards respectively in the festival.

·         Which film won the Golden Lion Award at 73^rd Venice Film Festival? – The Woman who left (Ang. Babaeng Humayo)

Ø  Philippine director Lav Diaz’s revenge drama `The Woman who Left’ (Ang Babaeng Humayo) was honoured with the Golden Lion Award for best film at the 73^rd Venice International Film Festival on September 10, 2016 in Venice.  Ang Babaeng Humayo is a film about a woman’s crave for revenge and her feelings of forgiveness.  Tom Ford’s movie Noctural Animal finished runner-up in the race of best movie and took away Grand Jury Prize.  English director Sam Mendes was the chairman of the award jury in the festival.

·         Which is India’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film category at Oscar Awards – 2017? – Visaranai

Ø  Visaaranai, a national award winning Tamil Crime thriller directed by Vetrimaran has been selected as India’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89^th Academy Awards, also known as Oscar Awards in 2017.  Visaaranai pipped several hit films like `Bajirao Mastani’, `Fan’, `Sultan’, `Airlift’ to be chosen for India’s official entry for the 89^th Oscar.  Visaaranai based on the novel `Lock up’ by M. Chandrakumar documents four migrant workers story of police brutality and corruption against them.  Veteran filmmaker Ketan Mehta was the chairman of the selection panel of Film Federation of India to decide on the official Indian entry to be 89^th Oscars.

·         Which Indian-origin physician was honoured with the US National Humanities Medal – 2015? – Abraham Veghese

Ø  Abraham Varghese, an Indian-origin physician, author and a professor of medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine was decorated with the National Humanities Medal for 2015, America’s highest humanities honour by US President Barack Obama for his contribution in the field of medicine in Washington.  Mr. Abraham has several well-acclaimed book to his credit including `My own Country’ and `Cutting for Stone’.  He was felicitated with the medal along with several other recipients.

·         Which country commissioned the world’s largest radio telescope `FAST’? - China

Ø  China commissioned the world’s largest radio telescope, `Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in Pingtang, in Southwestern China’s Guizhou province on September 25, 2016.  China says this project will help humanity search for alien life.  Built at a cost of 1.2 billion Yuan ($ 180 million), the FAST is much larger than the Arecibo observatory in Puerto Rico, the world’s largest radio telescope before the commissioning of the FAST in China.  The Chinese radio telescope has a reflector as large as 30 football fields.  China started its construction in 2011.

·         Who clinched the 2016 US open Men’s Singles title? – Stan Wawrinks of Switzerland

Ø  Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland clinched the US Open Men’s Singles title on September 11, in New York as the third-seed champion beat World No.1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in a nail-bitting final by a margin of 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.  It was Wawrinka’s third Grand Slam singles title of his career as he had clinched the Australian Open in 2014 and French Open in 2015.  He secured his place in the final of the 2016 US Open, beating Kei Nishikori of Japan in the semi-final.  Germany’s Angelique Kerber won the US Open Women’s singles title, beating Karolina Pliskova Pliskova of Czech Republic in the final.