GK Current Affairs Quiz: May 3, 2017

Ans. C

To provide broadband connectivity to post offices in rural areas through BharatNet, Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), Department of Posts and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have signed a tripartite agreement. This is the first tri-partite agreement which will provide broadband connectivity to about 1.3 lakh post offices in rural areas and 25,000 sub-post offices will be provided high speed internet connectivity to the rural masses. BSNL would provide broadband services, and the cost of setting up of infrastructure and the operational expenses would be paid by the Department of Posts.

Ans. B

The small village of Bhilar is about 250 kms from Mumbai and close to the twin hill-stations of Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani, in Maharashtra’s ‘strawberry country’. It is scenic and green most of the year and pink in the winter cropping season. Now, it has been converted into ‘India’s first a book village.’ The project was undertaken by the Marathi Bhasha department wherein 25 locations around the village will turn into reader hot spots or mini-libraries. The Education minister Vinod Tawde is the main force behind this project. Also, the state has provided several facilities such as chairs, tables, decorated umbrellas and glass cupboards to local villagers to help them enhance the reading experience of literary connoisseurs visiting there. The government has financed around 15,000 books to be kept there permanently for the public at around 25 key locations around the village of 600 families. Anybody can simply pick up a book of his/her choice, read for as long as they want. Though the project is based on Britain’s Welsh town famous for its bookstores and literature festivals, Hay-on-Wye, best care has been taken to contextualise Bhilar as Maharashtra’s book village by incorporating elements of the best literary, cultural, and intellectual traditions of Maharashtra.

Ans. A

The National Mission for Clean Ganga observed ‘Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day’ on May 2 at various places in the river’s basin states to spread awareness and ensure public participation for the programme. The events were organised in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Hardoi, Bithoor and Vidhur Kuti; Uttarakhand’s Srinagar and Devprayag; Patna and Bhagalpur in Bihar; Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Kolkata (West Bengal). The pledge day was also held at 30 other locations with the help of Ganga Vichaar Manch, local NGO’s, volunteers and the state government.

Ans. D

Tallahassee Tennis Challenger is a professional tennis tournament that is currently played as a part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Tour. The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts. Since 2000, it is held annually at the Forestmeadows Tennis Complex in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. The top-seeded pair of Leander Paes and American Scott Lipsky came from behind to pip Argentine third seeds Leonardo Mayer and Maximo Gonzalez 4-6 7-6(5) 10-7 in the summit clash. Paes had won the Leon Challenger in Mexico with Adil Shamasdin, earlier.

Ans. C

The annual flagship report of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has been released. The report ‘The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2017’ on May 1, 2017 specifies that India is expected to achieve 7.1% GDP growth rate in 2017, as re-monetisation restores consumption, and infrastructure spending increases. The report stated that India’s growth would edge up to 7.5% in 2018. Though, it warned that the country faces heightened risks related to the concentration of bad loans in the public sector banks.