Daily Current Affairs: 30 October 2014

1) Pankaj Advani won World Billiards Championship: Pankaj Advani won a grand double by clinching the World billiards championship (time format) at Leeds (England), just days after winning the points format title. Advani cruised past England’s Robert Hall 1928-893 in the final late on Wednesday night, capping a memorable week. The 29-year-old has now become the first cueist to bag the double three times in his career, the earlier occasions coming in 2005 (Malta) and 2008 (Bangalore). In the last four months, he has captured four world titles — in snooker and billiards. Last Week, Pankaj claimed the World Title in the Points Format by beating Peter Gilchrist, current World No. 1 in the Finals.

2) ‘I’m proud to be gay’ says Apple CEO Tim Cook: Apple CEO Tim Cook says he’s proud to be gay. The public declaration, in an essay written for Bloomberg Businessweek, makes Mr. Cook the highest-profile business CEO to come out. Mr. Cook said that while he never denied his sexuality, he never publicly acknowledged it, either. The executive said that for years he’s been open with many people about his sexual orientation and that plenty of his Apple colleagues know he is gay. Mr. Cook wrote in the column published on Thursday that it wasn’t an easy choice to publicly disclose that he is gay, but that he felt the acknowledgement could potentially help others. “I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important,” he wrote. Mr. Cook added that he considers “being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me”.

3) Union Government launches austerity measures: India announced a slew of austerity measures, including a 10% cut in certain types of government spending and curbs on foreign travel and conferences, to meet its deficit-reduction goal amid slower-than-estimated revenue growth and spiralling expenses. The government is aiming to narrow the nation’s fiscal deficit to 4.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) for the current fiscal, a goal that has been termed as challenging by economists as well as the government, prompting the expenditure-reduction measures on Thursday. The austerity steps have also placed restrictions on foreign travel and a ban on first class air travel. The finance ministry has also banned conferences in five-star hotels, purchase of vehicles and creation of new posts.

4) Low cost generic respiratory drug launched by Cipla: Taking the patent battle to Novartis, India's Cipla has launched low-cost generic version of the Swiss drug maker's respiratory drug Indacaterol sold under the Onbrez brand, while asking the government to revoke patents over the medicine.

5) WhatsApp founders own nearly $9b in Facebook stock: WhatsApp founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton received 116 million shares of Facebook stock currently worth nearly $9 billion when they sold their unprofitable messaging service to the social networking leader earlier this month. The breakdown of the big winners in Facebook Inc.’s $22 billion acquisition emerged Wednesday in a regulatory filing.

6) Arvind Mayaram appointed as Secretary in the Minority Affairs: Senior bureaucrat Arvind Mayaram has received a second transfer order in a fortnight. Mayaram, who was earlier shifted out of the Finance Ministry to Tourism, has now been appointed as Secretary in the Minority Affairs Ministry. The current posting is considered even low-profile than the one in the Tourism Ministry. New order issued on Thursday states that the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared Mayaram's appointment as the new Minority Affairs Secretary.

7) ISRO plans second Mars Mission with rover and lander in 2018: After the success of the recent Mars Orbit Mission (MOM), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to revisit the Red Planet in 2018 with a heavier satellite which will carry a lander and a rover. The Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) Satellite Centre Director S Shiva Kumar said the space agency is planning to launch a second Mars mission in 2018, to conduct more experiments for which they have to develop new technologies

Marketing Quiz

1. Bank Marketing means
1) Selling of banks
2) Buying of banks
3) Merger of banks
4) Selling bank’s products and services
5) Selling various items in banks


2. Proper pricing is needed for
1) Extra charges for extra services
2) Levy of VAT
3) Good customer service
4) Putting burden on the customer
5) Service with extra facilities

3. A lead means
1) A Bank’s marketing staff
2) A Religious leader
3) Bank’s Chairman
4) Target customer
5) Leash tied to a dog

4. A good salesman should be
1) aggressive
2) pushy
3) fierce
4) polite but firm
5) talkative

5. Relationship Selling means
1) Preparing a list of relatives
2) Cross-selling
3) Selling to relatives
4) Selling to strangers
5) Telemarketing

6. A true marketing mindset requires.............
(1) Control mindset
(2) Command mindset
(3) Passive mindset
(4) Active mindset
(5) Inert mindset

7. Innovation means
(1) Inspiration
(2) Enthusiasm
(3) Compensation
(4) Creativity
(5) All of these

8. Internal marketing means
(1) Marketing to self
(2) Marketing to family members
(3) Marketing to the staff members
(4) Marketing inside India
(5) Marketing outside India

9. Modern styles of marketing are
(1) telemarketing
(2) web marketing
(3) advertisements on the net
(4) e-mails
(5) All of the above

10. A good and effective DSA should
(1) Copy the competitor company
(2) Criticise the competitor company
(3) Join the competitor company
(4) Be passive
(5) Be more effective than the competitor company


Answers
1. 4
2. 3
3. 4
4. 4
5. 2
6. 4
7. 4
8. 3
9. 5
10. 5

Daily GK update - 31st October 2014

1. PM Modi flags off Run for Unity on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as National Unity Day.
ii. Flagging off run for unity on the 139th birth anniversary of the first Home Minister of the country celebrated as "Rashtriya Ekta Divas", Modi said Patel devoted his life for the unity of the Nation .

iii. It was unfortunate that "our very own people" were killed on his birth anniversary 30 years ago. Mr.Modi said with reference to anti-Sikh riots that followed then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination this day 30 years ago.
iv. Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on 31 October 2014 laid foundation stone of the Statue of Unity - the world's tallest statue of Iron man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.



2. Fadnavis takes over as first BJP Chief Minister of Maharashtra


i. Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Friday.
ii. Seven Cabinet Ministers and two Ministers of State were sworn in along with Mr. Fadnavis at a ceremony held at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium.
iii. Eknath Khadse, Sudhir Munguntiwar, Vinod Tawde, Chandrakant Patil, Vishnu Sawra, Prakash Mehta and Pankaja Munde were the Cabinet Ministers. Dilip Kamble and Vidya Thakur took over as Ministers of State.

3. 350 national highways to have electronic toll plazas by December

i. As many as 350 toll plazas on national highways across the country will adopt the electronic tax collection method from December 31, resulting in savings worth Rs 34,000 crore.
ii. A pilot project for interoperable ETC system of 10 toll plazas between Mumbai (Charoti) and Ahmedabad has already been tested and seamless ETC on this section is in operation.
iii. For implementing ETC across the country, a new company under Company's Act, 1956, with equity participation from NHAI (25 per cent), concessionaires (50 per cent) and financial institutions (25 per cent) has already been constituted.
iv. The name of the new company is "Indian Highways Management Company Limited".

4. Infants to get free treatment till age one in Rajasthan

i. Extending the scope of the Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSY) with an aim to bring down the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the State, the Rajasthan government has decided to provide free treatment to newborns till they complete one year.
ii. The scheme is applicable to all children born in public health facilities. The decision comes amidst reports of suspected diphtheria deaths in Alwar district over the past few days.
iii. The JSSY, launched by the United Progressive Alliance government in 2011, provides free treatment for a mother and her newborn for up to one month in a public healthcare facility.

5. Sweden became the first European Union country to recognize the State of Palestine

i. Sweden became the first European Union (EU) country to officially recognise the State of Palestine.
ii. Israel protested against the Sweden decision and the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador shortly after the announcement.
iii. 130 other nations that already recognise the Palestinian State include Hungary, Slovakia and Poland although these three countries took this step before joining the EU.

6. Facebook sets up India Client Council

i. World’s largest social networking site Facebook has set up the India Client Council to offer a forum to brands to share ideas about the future of marketing.
ii. The Council includes companies like Tata Motors, Flipkart, Airtel, P&G, Madison World, ICICI Bank, HUL, Micromax and Future Group among others.
iii. India is the largest market for Facebook outside the US, with over 100 million users. Globally, it had 1.35 billion monthly active users as of September 30, 2014.

7. Warren Anderson, wanted in Bhopal gas tragedy, dies

i. Former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson, wanted in India in connection with the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy has died aged 92.

ii. The Indian government made multiple requests to extradite him, and officially labelled him a fugitive. A judge also called him an “absconder”.
iii. The Bhopal horror began around midnight on December 2-3, 1984, when a chemical reaction in a plant that made insecticides caused a leak of toxic gases.

8. Pankaj Advani won IBSF World Billiards Championship

i. Pankaj Advani on 30 October 2014 won IBSF World Billiards Championship (Point Format) in Bangalore.

ii. He won by defeating Robert Hall of the UK with a score of 1928 – 893 in the finals.
iii. This is his 12th title in the Timed Format and third Grand double

Reasoning Quiz

Directions (1-4): These questions are based on the following letter/number/symbol arrangement. Study it carefully and answer the questions. 

3 D 6 $ C 4 E 8 # N 5 F 1 A P * 9 M @ K 2 B % 7 H U

1. Based on the above arrangement, #51 is related to NFA in the same as P9@is related to which of the following groups of letter/number/symbol? 

a) KB7
b) M*A
c) *M2
d) *M@
e) None of these

2. How many such consonants are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately preceded by a number but not immediately followed by another consonant? 
a) None
b)Two
c) Four
d) Five
e) None of these

3. Four of the following are alike in a certain way based on their positions in the above arrangement and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group? 
a) A*F
b) MK9
c) 2%@
d) $4D
e) #5E

4. How many such symbols are there in the above arrangement each of which is immediately preceded by a consonant and also immediately followed by a number? 
a) None
b) One
c) Two
d) Three
e) None of these

Directions (5-9): Each question below is followed by two statements I and II. You are to determine whether the data given in the statement is sufficient to answer the question. You should use the data and your knowledge of Mathematics to choose between the possible answers. 

Give answer—
(1) If the statement I alone is sufficient to answer the question, but the statement II alone is not sufficient.
(2) If the statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question, but the statement I alone is not sufficient.
(3) If either the statement I alone or the statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question.
(4) If you cannot get the answer from the statements I and II together, but need more data.
(5) If both statements I and II together are needed to answer the question.

5. What are the codes for “green” and “apple” respectively?
I. “Khulja Ka Dabra Aabra” means “green and yellow apple”.
II. “Aabra Ka Dabra Simsim” means “apple yellow and red”

6. A cube is being cut into 64 smaller identical size cubes. How many smaller cubes have no face painted?
I. 3 faces of the bigger cube are painted blue.
II. 2 faces of the bigger cube are not painted and 1 face is painted red.

7. Is ‘x’ a leap year?
I. Chunky, was not able to celebrate his birthday in that year.
II. The year is not divisible by 4.

8. Who is the tallest among A, B, C, D and E.
I. C is shorter than D but taller than at least two people. E is shorter than B.
II. D is taller than at least 3 people. A is taller than E and C.

9. In a family of 5 people. How is Tanya related to Dhruv?
I. Rakesh is father-in-law of Tanya and Dhruv is son of Tanya.
II. Dhruv's sister is Payal who is Kapil's daughter. Dhruv is grandson of Rakesh.

Directions (10-14): Study the following information to answer the given questions: A word and number arrangement machine when given an input line of words and numbers rearranges them following a particular rule. The following is an illustration of input and rearrangement. 

Input: sum 28 have 19 96 48 luck nice 78 rope 
Step I: have sum 28 19 48 luck nice 78 rope 96 
Step II: luck have sum 28 19 48 nice rope 96 78 
Step III: nice luck have sum 28 19 rope 96 78 48 
Step IV: rope nice luck have sum 19 96 78 48 28 
Step V: sum rope nice luck have 96 78 48 28 19 

And step V is the last step of the rearrangement. As per the rules followed in the above steps, find out in each of the following questions the appropriate step for the input given below:

Input: 49 last zen 16 82 yet can vast 33 aim 87 54 

10. How many steps will be needed to complete the arrangement? 
(1) IV 
(2) V
(3) VI 
(4) VII
(5) None of these

11. Which step number would be the following output?
Vast last can aim zen 16 yet 33 87 82 54 49 
(1) III 
(2) II
(3) VII 
(4) IV
(5) There will be no such step

12. Which of the following would be step I? 
(1) aim 49 can zen 16 yet vast 33 54 87 82
(2) vast last can aim zen 16 yet 33 87 82 54 49
(3) zen 49 last 16 82 yet can vast 33 aim 54 87
(4) aim 49 last zen 82 yet can vast 33 87 54 16
(5) None of these

13. In step V, which of the following words/numbers would be at 6th position from the right? 
(1) 87 
(2) 16
(3) 33 
(4) zen 
(5) aim

14. Which of the following would be the final arrangement? 
(1) zen yet vast last can aim 16 33 49 54 82 87
(2) aim can last vast yet zen 16 33 49 54 82 87
(3) aim can last vast yet zen 87 82 54 49 33 16
(4) zen yet vast last can aim 87 82 54 49 33 16
(5) None of these


ANSWERS
Solutions (1-4)

1.(5)

2. (4) Five
D 6, 4 E 8, 5 F 1, 9 M @, 2 B %

3. Ans (2) MK9
4. Ans (3) P * 9,  B % 7

Solutions (5-9)
5. 4; Code for apple cannot be determined even by using both the statements together.
6. 4; Can’t be determined even by using both the statements together.
7. 3; By using any of the statements alone we can determine that x is not a leap year.
8. 4
9. 4; Even by using both the statements together gender of Tanya cannot be determined. So, we cannot say if Tanya is mother or father of Dhruv.

Solutions (10 – 14):
Input: 49 last zen 16 82 yet can vast 33 aim 87 54
Step I: aim 49 last zen 16 82 yet can vast 33 54 87
Step II: can aim 49 last zen 16 yet vast 33 54 87 82
Step III: last can aim 49 zen 16 yet vast 33 87 82 54
Step IV: vast last can aim zen 16 yet 33 87 82 54 49
Step V: yet vast last can aim zen 16 87 82 54 49 33
Step vi: zen yet vast last can aim 87 82 54 49 33 16


10. Ans: (3) VI step
11. Ans: 4: IV step
12. Ans: (5)
13. Ans: (2) 16
14. Ans (4)

Quant Quiz

Directions (1 – 5) In each of the these questions a number series is given. After the series a number is given followed by (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e). You have to complete the series starting with the given number following the sequence of original series and answer the questions that follow the series. 

1.

 What will come in place of (c)?
(1) 660
(2) 495
(3) 656
(4) 493
(5) None of these


2.

What will come in place of (e)?
(1) 374
(2) 373
(3) 382
(4) 383
(5) 385

3.

What will come in place of (d)?
(1) 35
(2) 33
(3) 43
(4) 45
(5) None of these

4.

What will come in place of (c)?
(1) 49
(2) 47
(3) 57
(4) 55
(5) 69

5.

What will come in place of (b)?
(1) 80
(2) 90
(3) 95
(4) 88
(5) None of these

Directions (6-10): Following line graph shows the percentage profit of two companies A and B in the period of 2000-2005.

6. If the expenditure of Company A and Company B is 20 lakhs and 15 lakhs respectively in 2000 then what is the sum of their income in the same year?
1) 36.4 lakhs
2) 40.4 lakhs
3) 44.6 lakhs
4) 48 lakhs
5) None of these

7. In year 2004 the percentage profit of Company B is what percentage of percentage profit of Company A?
1) 120%
2) 125%
3) 136%
4) 150%
5) None of these

8. If in year 2003 the expenditure of Company A and Company B are 36 lakhs and 40 lakhs respectively then what is the average profit they gain?
1) 5 lakhs
2) 6 lakhs
3) 7 lakhs
4) 7.5 lakhs
5) 8.5 lakhs

9. If the income of Company A in 2001 and Company B’s in 2001 is 30 lakhs each then what is the total expenditure of Company A in 2001 and Company B in the same year?
1) 56 lakhs
2) 52 lakhs
3) 50 lakhs
4) 49 lakhs
5) 48 lakhs

10. If the income of Company A in year 2002 is 80 lakhs then what is the expenditure of Company B in the same year?
1) 76 lakhs
2) 72 lakhs
3) 70 lakhs
4) 64 lakhs
5) Cannot be determined


ANSWERS
Solutions (1-5)

1.
(2) First number series
4 x 5 + 5 = 25
25 x 4 + 4 = 104
104 x 3 + 3 = 315
315 x 2 + 2 = 632
Therefore: 7 x 5 + 5 = 40 (a)
40 x 4 + 4 = 164 (b)
164 x 3 + 3 = 495 (c)

2.
(4) First number series
7 x 2 + 1 = 15
15 x 2 + 1 = 31
31 x 2 + 1 = 63
Therefore:
11 x 2 + 1 = 23 (a)
23 x 2 + 1 = 47 (b)
47 x 2 + 1 = 95 (c)
95 x 2 + 1 = 191 (d)
191 x 2 + 1 = 383 (e)

3.
(1) First number series
9 x 0.5 + 0.5 = 4.5 + 0.5 = 5
5 x 1 + 1 = 5 + 1 = 6
6 x 1.5 + 1.5 = 9 +1.5 = 10.5
Therefore:
17 x 0.5 + 0.5 = 8.5 + 0.5 = 9 (a)
9 x 1 + 1 = 9 + 1 = 10 (b)
10 x 1.5 + 1.5 = 15 +1.5 = 16.5 (c)
16.5 x 2 + 2 = 33 + 2 = 35 (d)

4.
(3) First number series
3 x 1 + 12 = 3 + 1 = 4
4 x 2 + 22 = 8 + 4 = 12
12 x 3 + 32 = 36 + 9 = 45
Therefore,
5 x 1 + 12 = 5 + 1 = 6 (a)
6x 2 + 22 = 12 + 4 = 16 (b)
16 x 3 + 32 = 48 + 9 = 57 (c)
5.
(5) First number series
5 x  6  - 6 = 30 – 6 = 24
24 x 5  - 5 = 120 – 5 = 115
115 x 4  - 4 = 460 – 4 = 456
Therefore,
4 x 6  - 6 = 24 – 6 = 18 (a)
18 x 5  - 5 = 90 – 5 = 85 (b)

Solutions (6 – 10)

6. (3);
In 2000,  Profit of A = 30%
Profit of B = 24%
For A, Profit = (Expenditure * Profit%)/100
= (20*30)/100 = 6 lakhs
Income = 20 + 6 = 26 lakhs
For B, Profit = (15*24)/100 = 3.6 lakhs
Income = 15 + 3.6 = 18.6 lakhs
Total = 26 + 18.6 = 44.6 lakhs

7. (4);
In 2004, Percentage profit of A = 16%
Percentage profit of B = 24%
% = (15*24)/100  = 150%

8. (4);
In 2003, Percentage profit of A = 25%
Expenditure of A = 36 lakh
Profit of A = (25*36)/100 = 9
In 2003, Percentage profit of B = 15%
Expenditure of B = 40 lakhs
Profit of B = (40*15)/100 = 6
Average = (9+6)/2 = 7.5 lakhs

9. (4);
In 2001, Percentage profit of A = 25%
Income of A = 30 lakhs
Expenditure of A = (30*100)/125 = 24lakhs
In 2001, Percentage profit of B = 20%
Income of B = 30 lakhs
Expenditure of B =  (30*100)/120 = 25 lakhs
Total Expenditure  = 49 lakhs

10. (5);
By given data we cannot find the expenditure of B in 2002.