General Awareness Questions

Ashwani Lohani is IRSME officer, appointed as new Chairman of the Indian Railway Board soon after A.K. Mittal stepped down from the post. He is former Chairman & Managing Director of Air India.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its 3136 kg GSAT-19 communication satellite with its brand new and heaviest – Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III D-1 (GSLV-Mk III D-1) satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on June 5, 2017. The satellite GSAT-19 has an intended life span of 10 years and is developed to improve telecommunication and broadcasting areas. The GSLV-Mk III is popularly known as “fat boy” and is developed for 15 years at a cost of around Rs 300 crore. The rocket is capable of carrying payloads of up to 4,000 kg into the GTO and 10,000 kg into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The GSLV-Mk III is a three stage rocket. Its first stage is made of two strap on motors filled with solid fuel. The second stage uses the liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic upper stage “C25”, which is powered by the highly complex indigenous cryogenic engine “CE20”. The number 20 denotes the 20-ton thrust it generates for the rocket to reach the intended height with the heavy mass on board.

The researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed a new technology to manufacture cheaper, quicker and pollution-free bio-fuel. The ‘soil-to-soil’ manufacturing technology developed at the P K Sinha Centre for bio-energy at IIT-KGP is in the process of being patented. The technique will ensure relatively quicker production of bio-fuel and the process is completely green. The green leafy part of corn and sugarcane plants, the waste part of paddy straw, bamboo, banana plant, pineapple and cotton plants, kans grass (kassh phool), castor plant and even non-edible weeds that grow in dry and waste land and a mix of all has been used by IIT-KGP to produce bio fuel. The project is funded by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Private sector lender HDFC Bank has made online fund transfer through RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) and NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) free with effect from November 1, with an aim to promote digital economy.

According to the revised charges, customers of savings and salary accounts of HDFC Bank will not have to pay any charge for transferring funds online using its RTGS and NEFT facilities.

Reliance Industries