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:: National :: Q. 1 1. Jayalalithaa had launched several public welfare schemes doling out numerous freebies under the ‘Brand Amma’. 2. Jayalalithaa steered the AIADMK since 1989 when the party, which had split into two following MGR’s death in December 1991. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q. 2 1. Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar was recommended as the 44th Chief Justice of India. 2. Justice Khehar will be the first Chief Justice from the Sikh community . Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 :: International :: Q. 3 1. Kofi Annan, expressed concern about the alleged human rights violations in Myanmar . 2. The Rohingyas have faced persecution in mainly Buddhist Myanmar for generations. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2. . . . . . . . . . ....

:: National :: Q. 1 1. The Centre has proposed amending law to empower States to pay wages by cheque or credit into bank accounts. 2. For that Union Labour ministry has proposed changes in the Section 6 of the Payment of Wages Act of 1936. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q. 2 1. B.S. Bhullar, a 1986-batch IAS officer, has been appointed chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). 2. Vaduvendra Mathur, Chairman and Managing Director of Exim Bank, has been shifted to NDC as Additional Secretary. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 :: International :: Q. 3 1. Uzbekistan’s interim leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev has registered a crushing presidential election victory. 2. As per data provided by Central Election Commission Mr. Mirziyoyev scooped 88.6 per cent of the vote. Which of the following statements is/are ...

:: National :: Q. 1 1. The NITI Aayog will provide incentives to District Collectors for shifting to digital payment mode. 2. The top ten performing districts of India will be awarded the Digital Payment Champions award. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 :: International :: Q. 2 1. The U.S. government with US army cooperating to improve the security of digital networks. 2. The cyber security report urged the U.S. to seek harmonized international cyber security policies. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 & 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 :: Business and Economy :: Q. 3 1. The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue new Rs. 20 and Rs. 50 notes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005. 2. The new notes will bear the signature of RBI Governor Urjit R. Patel, and the year of printing 2016. Which of the following statements is/are true-? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 ...

Donald Trump’s entry into the White House must not lead to the triumph of climate change denial. That’s the prayer on everyone’s lips as the 45th President of the United States takes the Oath of Office just ten weeks after stunning the world by winning the US election.  As the US has already started witnessing climate refugees and a broad scientific consensus seems to emerge on how human activity is the primary cause of global warming, the Donald Trump’s presidential administration has lot to learn and unlearn. From freakishly warm Arctic winter to coral bleaching in Great Barrier Reef and Japan, the signs of global warming are getting more and more evident. The President, who wants to ‘Make America Great Again’, cannot ignore the fact that the US has suffered climate-related losses worth $27 billion in 2016. As the global temperature is expected to rise by 2.9°C to 3.4°C by this century, the climate change believers must turn up the heat on Trump so that he doesn’t water down...

The new US administration announced this week that it will be reviewing America’s Clean Power Plan, domestic legislation brought in by the previous administration in 2015 aimed at reducing US power sector emissions and increasing renewable energy production. The review comes shortly after the new US administration also submitted its first budget to Congress covering a wide range of areas from defense to education and including changes in funding for the US Environmental Protection Agency. These two announcements form part of well publicized election pledges made by the new President during last year’s campaign. As Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC I, like many people and organizations around the globe, are watching these developments with interest. Budget proposals in the United States often involve long and complex negotiations before they are finally approved in part or in full by Congress. The review of the Clean Power Plan may also take some time before an outcome emerge...

April is gearing up be an historic month for India’s contaminated waterways. In late February, the country’s Supreme Court mandated that all polluting industries must ensure that waste water discharges meet quality standards by installing effective primary effluent treatment facilities by March 31 2017. The Conversation River and lake pollution is a major problem across much of India, and regulatory inertia toward industrial waste water has exacerbated the situation. The court’s decision represents a watershed moment in the governance of natural resources. Gujarat’s challenge The issue is particularly salient in the drought-prone industrial state of Gujarat. Numerous efforts over the years have not stemmed widespread discharge of untreated effluents, which has reduced the biodiversity and regenerative capacity of its water bodies. Coastal areas in this western state have seen a 15% decline in high-value fish stocks, and many rivers are facing extinction of fish communities. In...