Current Affairs - June 2013

Current Affairs - June 2013

Current Affairs June 2013 Questions and Answers for preparing Exams| RBI Assistant Exam|SSC | UPSC | Civil Services | Bank | RRB and all other Competitive Examinations.

Latest Current Affairs from 4th Week of June 2013 in PDF- useful for all competitive Examinations!!!!!


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Q1. Which team lifted the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on 23 June 2013?
Ans. India
Note: India beat England by 05 runs in the final. Final was held at at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England.
Man of the Match- Ravindra Jadeja
Man of the Series- Shikhar Dhawan

Q2. Who was sworn in as Australia’s new prime minister on 27 June 2013?
Ans. Kevin Rudd
Q3. Name the Secretary of State of the United States who completed his India visit on 25 June 2013?
Ans. John Kerry
Note: He was on three-day visit to India from 23 June 2013 to 25 June 2013.

Q4. Who was named the most powerful celebrity on 26 June 2013 by Forbes?
Ans. Oprah Winfrey
Note: Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011.

Q5. International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed recently. Identify the date on which it was observed?
Ans. 26 June
Note: The United Nations General Assembly declared 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the year 1987. The objective of observing this day is to strengthen the action as well as cooperation in order to achieve the aim of a society free of drug abuse.

Q6. Union Cabinet of India on 28 June 2013 gave its approval to the proposal for the ....................... communication satellite project along with procurement of launch services and insurance. (Visit-http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/)
Ans. GSAT-15
Note: GSAT-15 is part of the Indian Research Organisation’s (ISRO`s) efforts towards in-orbit spare capacity to meet contingency and to protect the services of existing users.

Q7. Name the former Italian Prime Minister who was sentenced to 7 years Jail in Sex Trial and banned from public office for life?
Ans. Silvio Berlusconi

Q8. Which country became the first country in South Asia to end testing ofCosmetic product on animals in the month of June 2013?
Ans. India

Q9. Name the Walmart India Head who resigned on on 26 June 2013?
Ans.  Raj Jain
Note: Ramnik Narsey was named as the interim head of India operations. Raj Jain served WalMart for six years. Ramnik Narsey, as of now, was the senior vice president for Walmart International.

Q10. 39th edition of the G8 Summit concluded on 18 June 2013. Where it was held?
Ans. Lough Erne in Northern Ireland

Q11. Name the country which maintained the top most position in ICC ODIrankings recently released?
Ans. India
Note: India has the rating points of 123 now and its nearest rivals, England as well as Australia have the ranking of 113 points. South Africa, on the other hand has rating of 111.

Q12. The I &B ministry in the Month of June 2013 has cancelled the license of 15 channels and suspended the license of seven others for 30 days. Name the reason for such a move by the ministry?)
Ans. They  failed to abide by with licensing conditions.
Note: Most of channel whose license are cancelled are regional.

Q13. Who was on 28 June 2013 appointed as Secretary of Information & Broadcasting Ministry?
Ans. Bimal Julka
Note: Julka will succeed Uday Kumar Varma, who will retire from his office on 30 June 2013.

Q14. US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell on 23 June 2013 announced that US would provide .................... US dollar through the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID) to NGOs that are working for affected areas of Uttarakhand?
Ans. 150000

Q15. Name the marketplace located in Delhi which has been ranked fifth in the list of world’s most expensive office market due to its strong demand amid limited supply as per the CBRE report?
Ans. Connaught Place

Q16. International Olympic Day was celebrated across the world on 23 June 2013. What was the purpose of this day?
Ans. This day is celebrated for promotion of participation of people in the sports all across the world, irrespective of athletic, gender or age ability.

Q17. Largest as well as the brightest moon of the year 2013, called the Supermoon was observed on 23 June 2013. What was special about Super moon?
Ans. Supermoon is said to be that situation when the moon is closer to Earth inthe orbit than every other day.

Q18. Name the landmark bill passed by United States Senate on 27 June 2013?
Ans. Immigration Bill

Q19. Name the prestigious award which was received by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on 28 June 2013 from UN for his mass contact programme initiative?(Visit-http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/)
Ans. United Nations Public Service Award

Q20. Muthoot Finance got in-principal approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for establishing as well as operating which type of ATMs recently?
Ans.  White Label ATMs (WLAs)
Note: The White Label ATMs (WLAs) are the ones which are not owned and operated by the bank but by another non-bank entity. By paying a stipulated fee, anyone can use it for the purpose of financial transaction with any other bank branch.

Q21. Who was appointed as the coach of Australian Cricket team recently?
Ans. Darren Lehmann
Note: He was appointed replacing Mickey Arthur who was sacked two weeks before the Australia Ashes Tour which was set to start on 10 July 2013.

Q22. A book entitled Ziauddin Barni’s Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi was released on 28 June 2013. Who released the book?
Ans. Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari

Q23. Which Indian Port regained top position in Seafood Exports for second consecutive year recently?
Ans. Pipavav port
Note: It is the first private sector port of India located in Saurashtra, Gujarat, remained at the top most position for second year in a row in FY13 on the basis of quantity.

Q24. Which film won Golden Goblet on 23 June 2013 for best feature film at the 16th Shanghai International Film Festival?
Ans. The Major, a Russian film.

Q25. Computerworld Honors Laureate selected which India Govt. Project for 21st Century Achievement Award 2013 under the category Economic Development?
Ans. UIDAI

Q26. Who established the new world record on Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA) world electric land speed record when the lightweight electric powered car reached the top speed of 328.6 km per hour?
Ans. Drayson Racing Technologies

Q27. United Nations General Assembly designated which day of June as the UN Public Service Day in its resolution?
Ans. 23 June
Note: This day is celebrated across the world to celebrate the virtue as well as value of public service to the community.

Q28. Who became First Man to Successfully Walk across Grand Canyon on Tightrope on 23 June 2013?
Ans. Nik Wallenda

Q29. Name the unique scheme for energy conservation launched by Rajasthan government on 27 June 2013?
Ans. Mukhyamantri Bijli Bachat Lamp Yojna

Q30. Who bagged a Silver medal for India at the 3rd China Open boxing tournament on 22 June 2013?
Ans. Manjeet Singh

Q31. The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari released a book entitled Healing Memories: Civilizations in Dialogue on 24 June 2013. What was the issue being discussed in the book?
Ans. Dialogue among cultures and civilizations expressing circumvention of conflict and seeking solutions to problems on the norms of civilized behaviour.

Q32. Japan's highest Mountain and famous landmark Mount Fuji was in news recently. Why was it in news?
Ans. It was given world heritage status by the UNESCO World Heritage committee on 20 June 2013.

Q33. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on 26 June 2013 flagged off first train which connects Banihal in Jammu with Qazigund in Kashmir. The trainalso chugged through the 11-kilometer Pir Panchal railway tunnel. What is special about Pir Panchal railway tunnel?
Ans. It is the longest tunnel of India and is a part of 17.7 kilometer Qazigund-Banihal railway track.

Q34. Which drug firm on 25 June 2013 announced that it was given World Health Organisation (WHO) pre- qualification for the anti-malarial tablets which will be launched immediately?(Visit-http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/)
Ans. Strides Arcolab Pharma.
Note: These tablets are called Artemether and Lumifantrine (AL) tablets.

Q35. Japan got its First MOX Nuclear Shipment port since Fukushima incident on 28 June 2013. Name the country from which it was arrived?
Ans. France
Note: The Nuclear Shipment was arrived in order to restart their atomic reactors.

Q36. What was the minimum Support Price for Paddy fixed by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 28 June 2013?
Ans. 1310 Rupees per Quintal

Q37. Name the three major medicines banned by Government recently in wake of health risks associated with them?
Ans. Anti-diabetes drug pioglitazone, painkiller analgin and anti-depressant deanxit.

Q38. Union ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 23 June 2013 constituted a committee to review the rate revision of the newspaper advertisements. Who was the head of the committee?
Ans. JS Mathur
Note: JS Mathur is the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Q39. Who dedicated the first Unit of ONGC’s Mega Power project in Tripura to the nation on 21 June 2013?
Ans. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee

Q40. Union government on 27 June 2013 increased by how many times the price at which natural gas is supposed to be sold to producers of power, fertilizer, minerals and steel?
Ans. Doubled

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AIPAEA - POSTAL ACCOUNTS CADRE RESTRUCTURING PROPOSAL ACCEPTED BY POSTAL BOARD

AIPAEA - POSTAL ACCOUNTS CADRE RESTRUCTURING PROPOSAL ACCEPTED BY POSTAL BOARD

The AIPAEA (All India Postal Accounts Employees Association) has intimated through its official website that the proposal of cadre restructuring accepted by the Postal Board, the content of the post is reproduced here under for your information...

POSTAL ACCOUNTS CADRE RESTRUCTURING PROPOSAL ACCEPTED BY POSTAL BOARD COMRADES,

WITH THE CONSTANT PERSUASION AND FOLLOW UP BY AIPAEA AND UNSTINTING SUPPORT FROM NFPE, FINALLY THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF POSTS HAS APPROVED THE CADRE RESTRUCTURING RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO POSTAL ACCOUNTS. THE FILE IS BEING PROCESSED TO SEND IT TO THE NODAL MINISTRY, DOP&T FOR FURTHER NECESSARY ACTION.

AIPAEA CONVEY ITS THANKS TO THE SECRETARY POSTS, JS&FA, DDG (PAF) AND OTHER OFFICERS IN THE DIRECTORATE.

THIS RESTRUCTURING WILL BENEFIT THE SORTERS AND LDCs OF PAOS AS THEY WILL GET THE GRADE PAY OF Rs. 2400/- AND CHANGE IN THE DESIGNATION AS ' ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT'.

THE RESTRUCTURING OF JA, SA AND AAO IS UNDER PERSUASION AT THE LEVEL OF AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS JAC.

AIPAEA IS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO GO MILES TO TURN THIS PROPOSAL INTO REALITY. AIPAEA IS CONFIDENT OF ACHIEVING THIS WITH THE HELP OF NFPE AND CONFEDERATION.

THANKS TO THE NFPE LEADERSHIP.

Source: AIPAEA
[http://aipaea09.blogspot.in/2013/06/postal-accounts-cadre-restructuring.html]

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Salient Features of New All India Time Table ‘Trains at A Glance’ New Time Table Comes into Effect From 1st July 2013

Salient Features of New All India Time Table ‘Trains at A Glance’ New Time Table Comes into Effect From 1st July 2013 


The Ministry of Railways has released its new All India Railway Time Table known as “TRAINS AT A GLANCE (TAG)” which has come into effect from 1st July, 2013.  In addition to the “Trains at a Glance”, all the 17 Zonal Railways to release their Zonal Railway Time Tables which will come into effect from 1st July, 2013.   Passengers are advised to refer to the new timings  w.e.f. 1st July 2013 before starting the journey.  The new Trains at a Glance will also be shortly uploaded on Railways’ official website i.e. www.indianrailways.gov.in.

The salient features of Trains at a Glance-2013 are as under:

1.      Encouraged by the public response over the past few years all the user-friendly features of Trains at a Glance viz. how to read a table, route map, station index,  trains between important stations,  station code index, Train number index,  Train name index, has been retained.

2.      Commercial information of passenger use and interest viz. advance reservation period, reservation through internet, Tatkal scheme, Refund rules and rail travel concessions have been suitably updated.

3.      Information regarding Vigilance organization, Public grievance machinery, disaster management and catering services have been incorporated.

4.      Railway Budget 2013-14 announcements: The Mail/Express services (introduction, extension and increase in frequency of the existing services) that have been  announced  in the Railway Budget/announced in the Parliament have been incorporated in the new Trains at a Glance are as under:

Name of service	No. of services
Introduction of new trains
Fully AC Express	6
Express Services	76
Extension
Express Services	42
Increase in frequency
Express Services	23

   Source : PIB

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SMS & USSD Based Ticketing System – Non Internet based Mobile ticket booking for train journey

SMS & USSD Based Ticketing System – Non Internet based Mobile ticket booking for train journey

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Railways

28-June-2013 17:30 IST

Mallikarjun Kharge Launches SMS Based Ticketing System

This New System will Improve Customer Convenience and Empower the Common Man: Kharge

The Minister of Railways Shri Mallikarjun Kharge launched SMS based ticketing system at a function here today. While addressing a gathering on the occasion, Shri Kharge said that this user-friendly service which will be effective from today i.e 28th June 2013, is being introduced in order to further improve the customer convenience and empower the common man who does not have access to internet and cannot afford to buy smart phones.

He said that since the mobile penetration in India has increased rapidly and more than 80 per cent people have mobile phones, this new system will be helpful in enabling booking of tickets by masses themselves. Ticket booking through non-internet based mobile, introduced as a pilot project by Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, will also help Railways in overcoming the menace of touting whereby unsuspecting people are fleeced by such elements.

This will particularly be useful for labourers and workers staying away from their home and who have to book tickets for travel to their native place, the Minister added.

The Railway Minister further said that inconvenience in booking reserved railway tickets has been a cause of concern for all.  In order to facilitate easy access, Indian Railways have been making efforts by expanding the    passenger reservation system counters network.  The online booking through IRCTC has now grown up to about 45% of total reserved tickets.  This has eased the rush at counters to a great extent. While internet access in India is only about 10%, mobiles are now in easy reach and more than 80% people in our country use mobile phones, the Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal said that Indian Railways’ initiative of launching the non-internet based ticketing through a mobile phone would further enhance the scope and each of ticketing since it has huge potential to tap the power of mobile phone. Shri Mittal said that this service will be improved further with provision of more payment options, user-friendly interface and value added services like alerts and updates.

Payment through mobiles is still in an evolving state and Commercial Banks, RBI and National Payment Corporation of India are working on providing a safe, secured and quick payment mechanism through mobile. As the payment option mature and user gets accustomed to SMS booking, it has the potential of overtaking bookings through internet as well as counters, he added.

In his welcome address, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director, IRCTC, Shri Rakesh Tondon said that this is, indeed, IRCTC’s successful effort in making railway ticket booking even easier through SMS or menu based USSD technology which works on all mobile phones.  Through this service, customer can not only book ticket but also can search for stations, trains, availability, PNR enquiry, make cancellation etc, he added.

Launch of ticket booking service through mobile phones had been announced in Railway Budget 2012-13.    This initiative will go a long way in customer convenience.  With the passage of time, it is expected that mobile booking will surpass reserved ticket booking by all other modes like internet and counters.  Mobile booking is not only convenient but it also saves time and money.  The user will have to get mobile money account opened from his/her bank or mobile money providing agencies as approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

The key features of ticket booking on mobile:

• Ticket can be booked within minutes;
• basic mobile phones are sufficient; no internet connection is required;
• The user will get ticket details on SMS instantly.
• SMS along with valid ID in original can be used for travel, no printout is required.

Book your ticket through USSD:

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based booking for Airtel subscribers*

Registration

•     Register for Airtel money by dialing *400#.

•     Load cash on this or recharge from any Airtel money outlet.

Booking Flow

•     Dial *400# and select book tickets option.

•     Select Reservation.

•     Enter your IRCTC User ID.

•     Enter the details of ticket (station, train no. date of journey, class etc.).

•     Enter mPIN for authorizing payment.

•     Booking confirmation SMS is sent by IRCTC and same can be used during journey along with valid ID proof.

•     Fare & IRCTC service charges are debited from your Airtel money account.

•     Charges: No PG Charges.

•     Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable

Helpline No.: 121

Helpline Email : 121@airtelmoney.in

Book your ticket through SMS:

1. SMS based booking through 139*

Registration

•     Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with your bank.

•     Bank provides MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) & OTP (one time password) for authorization of payment.  (More than 25 banks are providing this facility. For details, visit website:  http://www.npci.org.in/bankmember.aspx.)

Booking Flow

•     Send SMS, in the following syntax, to 139

      BOOK

•     You will receive Transaction ID alongwith other details.

•     Make payment through sending an SMS, in the following syntax, to 139

      PAY and your ticket is booked.

•     Service is available to all mobile subscribers.

•     SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking).

•     PG charges Rs 5/- for ticket amount Rs 5000/- (as applicable by bank).

•     Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable

Helpline No.: 139

Helpline Email : smsticket139@bharatbpo.in

2. SMS based booking through 5676714*

Registration

Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with m-wallet (http://www.zipcash.in/user/nlogin.aspx)

Send SMS, to 5676717, in the following syntax START for user authentication (first time only)

Booking Flow

• Send an SMS to 5676714 to book a ticket in the following syntax:
• BOOK,, , ,, ,,
• You will receive the Transaction number.
• Send the 2nd SMS, for payment, in the following syntax.

1.   “PAY , MPAY, ” for authorizing payment through MPAY

or

2.   “PAY  ,,, ,” for authorizing payment through IMPS.

• After payment is made booking confirmation is sent to your mobile.
• Charges: No PG Charges. Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable. SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking).

Helpline No. : 8882001001

Helpline Email : support@saarthii.com

3. SMS based booking through BSNL*

User should have the following:

1.   BSNL SIM card installed.

2.   Java enabled mobile phone.

3.   Andhra Bank Prepaid card.

This is a menu driven application where user has to enter the details asked for in simple step-by-step process to get the ticket.

Registration

•     Install the application.

•     Select the Register option to get the mPIN.

Booking

•     Click the icon BSNL Prepaid Card

•     Select Ticketing > Train (IRCTC)

•     Fill up the journey details such as From stn, To Stn, Train No, DOJ, Class, Quota, passenger details.

•     Enter the mPIN to get the ticket information.

•     Charges: No PG Charges. Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable. SMSes without charges.

Helpline No. : +91-8801298038

Helpline Email : bsnl.support@pyrogroup.com

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90% DA from July, 2013 may be announced in view of AICPIN, May 2013

90% DA from July, 2013 may be announced in view of AICPIN, May 2013

Expected DA : 90% DA from July, 2013 may be announced in view of  AICPIN, May 2013

Expected Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief from July 2013 : Central Government employees and Pensioners will get one more installment of additional DA and DR from July 2013 will be 10%, as per the release of AICPIN for the month of May 2013. Though the requirement of one more month of AICPIN for June to finalise the enhancement of Dearness allowance, there is possible to get 90% Dearness allowance and Dearness Relief from July 2013. The calculation table describes the steps as under:

Month / Year	B.Y. 2001=100	Total of   12 Months	12 Months   Average	% Increase   over 115.763	App. DA	DA %
Dec-12	219	2512	209.33	93.57	80.83	80
Jan-13	221	2535	211.25	95.49	82.49	82
Feb-13	223	2559	213.25	97.49	84.22	84
Mar-13	224	2582	215.17	99.41	85.87	85
Apr-13	226	2603	216.92	101.16	87.38	87
May-13	228	2625	218.75	102.99	88.97	88
Jun-13	Expected					90

 

Labour Bureau released the statistics number of Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) for the month of May 2013 on its official portal , which is important factor to calculate additional DA and DR to CG employees and CG Pensioners and the same is reproduced here for your information.

 

Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW)-May, 2013 

The All-India CPI-IW for May, 2013 rose by 2 points and pegged at 228 (two hundred and twenty eight). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 0.88 per cent between April and May compared with 0.49 per cent between the same two months a year ago.

The largest upward contribution to the change in current index came from Food group which increased by 1.22 per cent, contributing 1.64 percentage points to the total change. At item level, Rice, Arhar Dal, Fish Fresh, Poultry (Chicken), Milk, Chillies Green, Garlic, Ginger, Tomato, Root & Green Vegetables, Tea Leaf, Tea (Readymade), Cigarette, Country Liquor, Electricity Charges, Medicine (Allopathic), Repair Charges, etc. are responsible for the rise in index. However, this was compensated by Petrol putting downward pressure on the index.

The year-on-year inflation measured by monthly CPI-IW stood at 10.68 per cent for May, 2013 as compared to 10.24 per cent for the previous month and 10.16 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year. Similarly, the Food inflation stood at 13.24 per cent against 12.39 per cent of the previous month and 10.61 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.
At centre level, Chennai and Nagpur recorded the largest increase of 8 points each followed by Nasik (7 points) and Warrangal, Coonoor, Hubli Dharwar, Madurai and Tripura (6 points each). Among others, 5 points rise was registered in 2 centres, 4 points in 14 centres, 3 points in 6 centres, 2 points in 12 centres, and 1 point in 12 centres. On the contrary, a decline of 6 points was reported in Delhi, 5 points in Ghaziabad, 4 points in Srinagar, 3 points in 2 centres, 2 points in 2 centres and 1 point in 7 centres. Rest of the 10 centres’ indices remained stationary.

The indices of 38 centres are above All-India Index and other 38 centres’ indices are below national average. The index of Jabalpur and Haldia centres remained at par with all-India index.

The next index of CPI-IW for the month of June, 2013 will be released on Wednesday, 31 July, 2013. The same will also be available on the office website www.labourbureau.gov.in.

Source: Central Government News

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