Banking Awareness PYQs

• Forbes has compiled a first-ever list of the World's Best Bank 2019 in terms of customer services and technological advancements.
• The private lender, HDFC Bank, was ranked at the top of the list.
• After HDFC Bank, another private lender ICICI Bank took the second spot, while DBS was at the third rank in Forbes list of Indian banks.

• The Walled City of Jaipur, known for its iconic architectural legacy and vibrant culture, on Saturday made its entry into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list
• The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in south-west Victoria has been included in UNESCO's World heritage list.
• It is the 20^th site in Australia to make it to the UNESCO's List.
• The landscape is marked for its Aboriginal cultural importance.
• It is considered as one of the oldest aquaculture sites in the world.
• The site was cared for over 6,600 years and is important to the Gunditjmara People.
• A World Heritage Site is an area which is selected by the UNESCO as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties.
• At present, there are 38 UNESCO's World heritage sites in India.

• Global Gender Gap Index Report is published every year by the World Economic Forum.
• India ranked 108^th in the 2018’s Report.
• It was first published in the year 2006.
• Iceland Holds the 1^st position in Global gender gap index.
• Parameters of Global gender gap
• **India ranked lower on all segments - economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival ranking, and political empowerment,**women’s participation

• Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta lifted the Cannes International Open trophy on 25 February 2019 for chess.
• He won the tournament with 7.5 points over nearest rivals Nikita Maiorov of Belarus, Nasuta Grzegorz of Poland and Yuri Solodovnichecko of Ukraine.
• He took an easy draw with Pier Luigi Basso of Italy in the ninth and final round.

• The total deposits in bank accounts opened under the Jan Dhan scheme crossed Rs 1 lakh crore
• The cumulative balance in 35.29 crore accounts under the flagship programme of the Modi government reached Rs 97,665.66 crore as on April 3, 2019.
• The Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) on August 28, 2014.

• The lenders of Essar Steel have told the Supreme Court that the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has misconstrued and misinterpreted the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to such an extent that the statute itself has been literally rewritten.

• A Public Sector Enterprise, New Space India Limited (NSIL) has been incorporated as a new commercial arm of Department of Space to tap the benefits of the Research & Development carried out by ISRO.
• It will spearhead commercialization of various space products including production of launch vehicles.
• The Budget Estimates for Department of Space for FY 2019-20 is Rs 12,473.26 crore.

• Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired the Guided PINAKA from Pokhran ranges on 11 March 2019.
• The weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising of an advanced navigation and control system.
• The indigenously developed Guided Pinaka by DRDO will significantly boost the capability of the artillery to make precision hits.

• A Centre for Disability Sports will be set up at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
• It will ensure the effective participation of Persons with Disabilities in sports activities.
• It is being developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• It will have an Outdoor Athletic Stadium, Indoor Sports Complex and Aquatic Centre.

• Indian captain Virat Kohli bagged the International Cricketer and Batsman of the Year award during the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2019.
• Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as International Bowler of the Year.
• Ashutosh Aman was awarded Domestic Cricketer of the Year.
• Mohinder Amarnath was bestowed with the 'CCR International Lifetime Achievement Award'.

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has become the first public sector enterprise to make a transaction on the "TReDS platform". TReDS is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers. In 2017, the government mandated all major PSUs to join TReDS platform.It is a joint trade venture of NSE and SIDBI.

Captain Aarohi Pandit, a 23-year-old pilot from Mumbai became the world’s first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA).

• Ranidugama- The 1^st Model Village having 2400 houses and built with Indian assistance in Sri Lanka was inaugurated.
• This is a part of housing project meant for civil war-affected people and estate workers.
• India has partnered with Sri Lankan Ministry of Housing and Construction and Cultural Affairs and will also provide a grant of Rs 1,200 million (USD 17.5 million) for the same.

• Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world.
• Finland overtakes Norway as the world's happiest country for 2018.
• World Happiness Day is celebrated every year on 20 March.
• The theme for International Day of Happiness 2018 “Share Happiness”
• The theme for International Day of Happiness 2019 is “Happier Together”.
• India’s rank** on the 2019 UN World Happiness Report is **140.

• Aviva Life Insurance has announced the launch of ‘Wings’, a specially designed mentorship program to empower the female workforce.
• The new initiative has been aimed to empower the women in Aviva to fulfil their professional and personal goals.
• The program is an initiative of the SHE division of the company, which was conceptualised in 2016 by Aviva India’s Women Network, for mentoring all the women employees.

• PM Narendra Modi reached the Japanese city of Osaka to attend the G20 Summit which will be held on 28-29 June 2019.
• He will hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and meet US President Donald Trump on 28 June 2019.
• He will attend nearly 30 programmes during his 57 hours stay in this visit.

• Dutee Chand clinched a gold medal in the World Universiade in 100 m dash event at Napoli in Italy.
• With this, she became the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win Gold.
• She took 11.32 seconds to finish the race.
• Dutee has now become the second Indian sprinter to win a gold in a global event after Hima Das.

• RBI has appointed former deputy governor Rama Subramaniam Gandhi as an additional director on the board of Yes Bank for two years, from 14 May 2019 to 13 May 2021.
• The appointment has been made under sub-section (1) of Section 36 AB of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Karnataka is set to launch a major water conservation scheme titled ‘Jalamrutha’, which focusses on drought-proofing measures, including protection and rejuvenation of water bodies.

• A memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Moscow Exchange and India's BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and the India International Exchange Limited.
• The ultimate objective of the MoU is of connecting the investors’ community and companies in both countries and allowing a capital formation platform on a larger scale.
• The MoU was signed in Moscow on 3 April 2019.