Excellence by Saikat Sir: February 2016

Union Budget 2016 Highlights.

1. Rs. 35984 crores allotted for agriculture sector.
2. Rs. 17000 crores for irrigation projects.
3. Two new Organic farming scheme for 5 lakh acres.
4. Rs. 19000 crores for Gram Sadak Yojana
5. Rs. 9 Lakh Crores Agriculture Credit Target.
6. Rs. 38500 crores for MANREGA, highest ever.
7. Rs. 2.87 Lakh crores to be spent on Villages in total.
8. Rs. 9000 crores for Swach Bharat Mission.
9. Rs. 97000 Crores for Roads.
10. Total Outlay on Roads and railway Rs. 2.18 Lk Crores.
11. Rs. 2.21 Lakh Crores on Infra Projects.
12. NHAI to raise Rs. 15000 crores via NHAI Bonds.
13. More benches for SEBI Appellate tribunal.
14. Registration of Company in One Day for Start-ups.
15. Rs. 25000 crores for Banks rehabilitation.
16. 100% FDI for food processing.
17. Non planned expenditure of Rs. 14.28 Lk Crores.
18. Planned expenditure increased by 15.3% .
19. Relief Section 87A Rs. 2000 to Rs. 5000
20. Relief Sec 80GG Rs. 24000 to Rs. 60000
21. Section 44AD limits Rs. 1 crores to Rs. 2 crores. Rs. 50 Lakh for professional
22. Accelerated depreciation limited to 40%
23. New manufacturing companies will pay tax @ 25%.
24. LTCG on unlisted securities limited to 2 years.
25. 100% tax deduction for companies building houses upto 30 sq. mtrs.
26. Additional interest deduction for first house.
27. No service tax for building houses upto 60 sq mtrs.
28. 10% dividend tax for recipient over Rs. 10 lakh per annum.
29. TCS on purchase of asset over Rs. 2 Lakh in case and luxury cars.
30. VDS Scheme @ 30% + surcharge, Ist June to 30th September 2016.
31. Dispute resolution for appeal pending before Commissioner(Appeals).
32. Penalty for concealment of Income from 100-300% to 50-200%.
33. Rationalisation of TDS provisions.
34. 11 new benches for Income Tax Appellate tribunal.
35. No face to face scrutiny.

Top Headlines - 29.02.2016

Top Headlines - 29.02.2016
======================

1. The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated Integrated Operations Control Room (IOCR), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo Informatics (BISAG) & Tele-medicines projects.

2. The Afghan passport has been identified as the least powerful in the world and the German Passport is the most powerful passport in the world for third year in row. Indian Passport has been placed at 48th position in the list of 50 Most Powerful Passports in the world.

3. Gianni Infantino of Switzerland has been elected as the President of World football's governing body (FIFA). He will replace 79 years old Sepp Blatter. Gianni is also the General Secretary European Governing body (UEFA).

4. President Pranab Mukherjee launched country's largest conservation project and Kerala's first green project 'Muziris Heritage project' at the oldest port town, about 50 km from Kochi.

5. Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh will be awarded with the Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.

6. Malyalam Filmmaker Rajesh Pillai died. He was 41.

7. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has nominated India's mega-budget film "Baahubali: The Beginning" for the 42nd Saturn Awards under five categories.

8. Uttarakhand's Gurmeet Singh turned out to be the winner as a record number of seven Indian 20 km race walkers bettered the Rio Olympics qualifying standards on a fast Jaipur course in the National Championships.

9. According to the Economic Survey 2015-16, India is far from being a full tax-paying democracy with about 5.5 per cent of the people who earn paying tax and only 15.5 per cent of the net national income being reported to the tax authorities.

Vocabulary Words – 29.02.2016

Vocabulary Words – 29.02.2016
============================

1. PROGENITOR (NOUN): predecessor

Synonyms: ancestor, precursor

Antonyms: successor, descendant

Example Sentence:

The King has chosen his progenitor.

2. KITTENISH (ADJECTIVE): playful

Synonyms: sportive, childish Antonyms: lethargic, stiff

Example Sentence:

With the passage of time, people lose their kittenish habits.

3. RAVEN (VERB): overeat

Synonyms: prey, stuff Antonyms: abstain, reduce

Example Sentence:

You have to quit your raven eating habits.

4. CHOCKER (ADJECTIVE): crowded

Synonyms: congested, jam-packed Antonyms: empty, deserted

Example Sentence:

I hate the chocker streets of my city.

5. HYPNOSES (NOUN): unconsciousness

Synonyms: coma, slumber Antonyms: consciousness, wakeful

Example Sentence:

The victim has recovered from hypnoses and you can interrogate him.

6. FOURBERIE (NOUN): deception

Synonyms: deceit, fake Antonyms: honest, truthful

Example Sentence:

Mr. Dey is an expert in fourberie. Hence, beware of him.

7. VAGABOND (ADJECTIVE): a person who leads an unsettled life

Synonyms: wanderer, gypsy Antonyms: settled, local

Example Sentence:

Stop acting like a vagabond and get settled in life like Mr. Singh.

8. HOBO (NOUN): a homeless person

Synonyms: tramp, wanderer Antonyms: rich, prominent

Example Sentence:

Have mercy on hobos, they deserve to live with respect too.

9. PLUVIAL (ADJECTIVE): precipitating

Synonyms: wet, damp Antonyms: dry, rough

Example Sentence:

It’s extremely humid and pluvial outside.

10. NATTER (VERB): nonstop speaking

Synonyms: chatting, talking Antonyms: shut up, calming

Example Sentence:

I am tired of Noor’s constant natter about his i-card tag.

Vocabulary Words - 27.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 27.02.2016
============================

1. EQUITABLE (ADJECTIVE): equal to all

Synonyms: impartial, proper

Antonyms: biased, intolerable

Example Sentence:

The Indian Penal Code is equitable for every criminal.

2. CUNCTATION (NOUN): disturbance

Synonyms: interruption, adjournment Antonyms: assistance, promotion

Example Sentence:

The opposition is creating problems in the parliament by regular cunctations.

3. MUCKRAKER (NOUN): the one who finds faults

Synonyms: quibbler, vilifier Antonyms: supporter, promoter

Example Sentence:

Mr. Kumar is a muckraker, ignore him and do your work.

4. GAUDY (ADJECTIVE): immoral

Synonyms: uncultured, flashy Antonyms: cultured, moral

Example Sentence:

Students should avoid gaudy things in order to achieve their goals in life.

5. SYNERGISM (NOUN): teamwork

Synonyms: coaction, unity Antonyms: division, solitary

Example Sentence:

Synergism is an extremely important aspect for companies these days.

6. DIMMET (NOUN): early evening

Synonyms: nightfall, sundown Antonyms: daybreak, sunrise

Example Sentence:

Ms. Rastogi teaches the poor children of her locality at dimmet.

7. PEEWEE (ADJECTIVE): small

Synonyms: miniature, pint sized Antonyms: enormous, huge

Example Sentence:

Try to avoid peewee mistakes while writing any application.

8. UNFURL (VERB): spread out

Synonyms: unwind, unroll Antonyms: conceal, compress

Example Sentence:

The Prime Minster unfurled the tricolor on 15th August.

9. SUAVENESS (NOUN): courtesy

Synonyms: charm, refinement Antonyms: immorality, vulgarity

Example Sentence:

Learn suaveness to keep your family and friends happy.

10. ARCIFORM (ADJECTIVE): curved

Synonyms: arched, bent Antonyms: straight, aligned

Example Sentence:

His legs have become permanently arciform after the accident.

Top Headlines - 27.02.2016

Top Headlines - 27.02.2016
=======================

1. The government has appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General (DG) of Coast Guard, the country’s coastal protection force. This is the first time an officer from within has been promoted as its Chief.

2. Leading global telecom operators including China Mobile, Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and SoftBank have joined hands to launch five-year programme GTI 2.0, which aims to advance existing 4G technology and industrialization of 5G technologies.

3. Bangladeshi cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was appointed as National Goodwill Ambassador for Youth by the United National Development Programme (UNDP). Mashrafe Mortaza will work for the development of youth.

4. Haiti's provisional president has appointed reputable economist Fritz Jean as the new prime minister of the country.

5. The UAE Space Agency has signed a significant memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UK Space Agency, aiming to facilitate collaboration between the two countries in the short and long terms.

6. China's five biggest commercial banks announced that they will no longer charge fees on domestic yuan transfers through cellphone, including inter-bank transactions.

7. Renowned writer Dr Sunita Jain was selected for Vyas Samman 2015 for her Poetry collection 'Kshama'. This award is given by K K Birla Foundation.

8. U.S. Air Force successfully tested its Intercontinental ballistic missile. This is 15th test of US since January 2011.

9. Eminent actor of Hindi cinema Naseeruddin Shah inaugurated the second edition of 'film preservation & restoration workshop India 2016'.

10. India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5 per cent of world production, achieving an annual output of 146.3 million tons during 2014-15 as compared to 137.69 million tons during 2013-14 recording a growth of 6.26 per cent. The FAO has reported a 3.1 per cent increase in world milk production.

11. According to UN's first global assessment of pollinators report released in Oslo, Bees and other pollinators face increasing risks to their survival, threatening foods such as apples, blueberries and coffee worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Pesticides, loss of habitats to farms and cities, disease and climate change were among threats to about 20,000 species of bees as well as creatures such as birds, butterflies, beetles and bats that fertilise flowers by spreading pollen.

12. Despite the global meltdown, Indian economy will continue to grow more than 7 percent for the third year in succession in 2016-17 helped by a normal monsoon. According to Economic Survey (2015-16), conditions do exist for raising the economy’s growth momentum to 8 percent or more in the next couple of years.

13. Reliance Industries has emerged as the top company in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR), having spent over Rs. 760 crore, followed by state-owned ONGC and IT giant Infosys. The new Companies Act mandates every company with a net worth of Rs. 100 crore to set aside minimum 2 per cent of their three-year average annual net profit for CSR activities.

Vocabulary Words - 24.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 24.02.2016
=========================

1. AGAPE (ADVERB): amazed

Synonyms: confounded, astonished

Antonyms: expect, clear up

Example Sentence:

They stand agape before the universal competence of this wonderful genius.

2. IREFUL (ADJECTIVE): furious

Synonyms: crazed, frenetic Antonyms: calm, elated

Example Sentence:

In this ireful frame of mind, Mabel met the members of the Council.

3. ACCOST (VERB): approach for conversation or solicitation

Synonyms: annoy, confront Antonyms: avoid, dodge

Example Sentence:

The father decided to teach her daughter a gentle lesson and not accost her.

4. LETHAL (ADJECTIVE): deadly

Synonyms: dangerous, destructive Antonyms: harmless, beneficial

Example Sentence:

Even in the case of violent demonstrations, lethal force may be used as a last resort only.

5. ABYSMAL (ADJECTIVE): great extent; immeasurable

Synonyms: boundless, complete Antonyms: infinite, low

Example Sentence:

For everybody else, public schools were the only option—and these institutions have an abysmal record.

6. SUFFERANCE (NOUN): discount; concession

Synonyms: rebate, reduction Antonyms: increase, refusal

Example Sentence:

Having no tenure, and his future career being at the sufferance of her political enemies, objectively he lacked independence.

7. DIDDLY (NOUN): nothing

Synonyms: ounce, shred Antonyms: lot , plenty

Example Sentence:

The charge of racism without a diddly proof, much less irrefutable evidence, is doing terrible damage to our cultural fabric.

8. VISCEROUS (ADJECTIVE): intuitive

Synonyms: instinctive, natural Antonyms: material, physical

Example Sentence:

It seemed to me that in spite of her lack of previous training she had a viscerous gift for language.

9. SNAP (NOUN): easy thing to accomplish

Synonyms: ease, pie Antonyms: difficulty, complexity

Example Sentence:

Others took a moment to snap photos with Bollywood stars.

10. ELUSIVE (ADJECTIVE): evasive, mysterious

Synonyms: ambiguous, tricky Antonyms: honest, stable

Example Sentence:

Naturally, foreign journalists have beaten a path to the relative safety of neighboring Kenya to interview the elusive pirates.

Top Headlines - 24.02.2016

Top Headlines - 24.02.2016
======================

1. The Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley, inaugurated an exhibition on the “Coin and Currency of India” in the Great Hall of North Block.

2. Indian-origin Sikh officer Amar Singh appointed Kuala Lumpur's Commissioner of Police. It is the highest police rank achieved by a Sikh in Malaysia.

3. Pakistan parliament became the first in the world to completely run on solar power, a venture supported by China with USD 55 million funding.

4. India has yet again emerged as the world's largest importer of arms, with Russia being the top supplier garnering 70 per cent of the Indian market, a Stockholm-based think-tank said.

5. Actress Lucy Liu has been named as Harvard University’s Artist of the Year. The Harvard Foundation presented her with the honour at the Cultural Rhythms Festival for contributions to the performing arts and humanitarian work as UNICEF Ambassador.

6. Long-distance runner Lalita Babar was named as the Sports Person of the Year in the India Sports Awards 2015.

7. National Award winner Malayalam film 'Ottal' has been named the best children's film at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival and honoured with the Crystal Bear award in the 'Generation KPlus' section.

8. India's Kumaravel Prem Kumar bagged silver in long jump at the 7th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Prem Kumar cleared a creditable 7.92m in his final attempt to win the silver.

9. Health Minister JP Nadda inaugurated international conference on Antimicrobial Resistance in New Delhi.

10. According to WTA Tennis ranking American tennis player Serena Williams has remained on No.1 spot. Serena Williams hits 157 consecutive weeks at No.1, passing Martina Navratilova for the second-longest streak at No.1 in WTA history.

Vocabulary Words - 25.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 25.02.2016
=========================

1. EMINENCY (NOUN): eminence

Synonyms: distinction, excellence

Antonyms: unimportance, imperfection

Example Sentence:

Is it your grace and goodness, or eminency in religion that you are proud of?

2. EREMETIC (ADJECTIVE): non-participating; avoiding company

Synonyms: alienated, antisocial Antonyms: friendly, participating

Example Sentence:

Our study of Buddhism has brought to light its extremely individualistic nature, and its lack of eremetic ideal.

3. DEVOUR (VERB): swallow, consume

Synonyms: absorb, ingest Antonyms: preserve, create

Example Sentence:

You get the sense that they want to eat each other, to devour each other.

4. ROILY (ADJECTIVE): turbid

Synonyms: blurred, confused Antonyms: clear, understanding

Example Sentence:

The water was not roily, but of a rich coffee-color, from the leaching of the woods.

5. STINGINESS (NOUN): a lack of generosity

Synonyms: greed, avarice Antonyms: philanthropy, generosity

Example Sentence:

I am tired of the stinginess shown by him.

6. SCALPING (VERB): charging extra money

Synonyms: fleece, overcharge Antonyms: discount, free

Example Sentence:

The shopkeeper was condemned for scalping foreign tourists.

7. FLAKY (ADJECTIVE): mad

Synonyms: eccentric, insane Antonyms: sane, normal

Example Sentence:

Ms. Roma is absolutely flaky when it comes to talking.

8. LAPIDATING (VERB): throwing

Synonyms: bombarding, pelting Antonyms: collecting, catching

Example Sentence:

I don’t know who told you to start lapidating stones at him.

9. XING (VERB): blemish, stain

Synonyms: blot, dent Antonyms: smoothen, mend

Example Sentence:

Your wrong actions will xing our department in the future.

10. FRITH (VERB): protect

Synonyms: secure, guard Antonyms: endanger, expose

Example Sentence:

The security agencies tried their best to frith the minister but they failed.

Top Headlines - 25.02.2016

Top Headlines - 25.02.2016
======================

1. The Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.4 percent in the current fiscal, slightly lower than 7.6 percent projected in advance estimates of Central Statistics Office, industry body FICCI said.

2. RBI has extended the currency swap arrangement to SAARC nations till November 14, 2017. Under the arrangement, RBI will be offering swap arrangement up to an overall amount of USD 2 billion both in foreign currency and Indian rupee.

3. Former Chief Justice of India Justice H. L. Dattu was selected as the next Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.

4. Distinguished Scientist K. N. Vyas took over as the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He succeeded Sekhar Basu, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy.

5. Justice Dinesh Maheshwari of Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court sworn-in as the chief justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

6. The Assam Cabinet approved the detailed project report (DPR) for a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Guwahati. The cabinet also gave green signal to setting up of the Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

7. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president C. K. Khanna has been appointed the principal advisor to the supervisory committee for the ICC World T20 matches to be held at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium by retired Justice Mukul Mudgal.

8. Australia has replaced India at the top of the world's test rankings with a 2-0 test series victory over New Zealand.

9. Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis defeated the Chinese pair of Yi-Fan Xu and Saisai Zheng in the WTA Qatar Open to extend their unbeaten streak to 41 matches.

10. Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises (MoHI & PE), Shri Anant G Geete inaugurated a new state of the art and modern test facilities installed as a part of the National Automotive Testing and R & D infrastructure project (NATRiP) at International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar in Gurgaon district of Haryana.

Top Headlines - 23.02.2016

Top Headlines - 23.02.2016
======================

1. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the National Rurban Mission from Kurubhat, in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. This scheme would complement the Smart Cities initiative by creating Smart Villages.

2. The Public Investment Board has approved the Rs. 800-crore proposal from India Post for setting up a payments bank. PIB, under the Finance Ministry, whets the investment proposals by state-run entities. The department is also in the process of finalising selection of a consultant for setting up of the India Post payments bank.

3. K. Sanath Kumar has taken charge as the Chairman-cum Managing Director of Kolkata-based National Insurance Company. The post of CMD at National Insurance had been lying vacant for the last two years.

4. The Environment Ministry has extended to December 2018 a scheme granting default Forest Department approval for public utility projects in Naxal-affected regions. Such a scheme has been in place since 2011 in 117 districts, including those in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Telangana. This directive is an extension of this programme that lapsed in December 2015.

5. “Swachh Parayatan Mobile App” was launched by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation at a function. This Mobile App is available on Google Search Engine as ‘Swachh Paryatan’ and initially it is available on Android Phones.

6. Minister of Urban Development Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu asked the first batch of 20 cities selected in the first round of competition to launch respective smart city projects by 25th of June this year marking the one year of launch of the Mission by Prime Minister last year.

7. Justice Vineet Saran will be the new Chief Justice of Orissa High Court. The new CJ will take oath on February 26. Prior to his present appointment, Justice Saran was officiating as a senior judge of Karnataka High Court.

8. Aiming to strengthen India-UAE economic ties, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed an MoU with Dubai Exports to boost trade and explore business opportunities. CII, a non-government organisation, has signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Exports, which works with other Dubai Government Departments to simplify the export process.

9. Nicole Kidman has won best actress in a play honours at London’s WhatsOnStage Awards for her depiction of a real-life scientific heroine in “Photograph 51.”

10. India has overtaken China’s air pollution levels in 2015 and the average particulate matter exposure was higher for the first time in the 21st century, a Greenpeace analysis of NASA satellite data has shown.As per World Health Organization (WHO), India is home to 13 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world.

Vocabulary Words - 23.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 23.02.2016
===========================

1. DEIFY (VERB): elevate, glorify

Synonyms: idealize, exalt Antonyms: condemn, despise

Example Sentence:

To do so is to deify a celebrity for being what we need them to be, while willfully ignoring who they really are.

2. BYZANTINE (ADJECTIVE): complex

Synonyms: complicated, difficult Antonyms: simple, easy

Example Sentence:

Now they've responded to our criticisms—with typical Byzantine bureaucracy and towering ineptitude.

3. ABORT (VERB): stop or cancel something

Synonyms: halt, interrupt Antonyms: begin, start

Example Sentence:

Ellen makes her choice, and she throws herself down the stairs to abort the baby.

4. EXTORTIONATE (ADJECTIVE): oppressive

Synonyms: greedy, exacting Antonyms: libel, generous

Example Sentence:

She took the house at his own price; she accepted his terms, extortionate and grasping as they were.

5. COGENT (ADJECTIVE): effective

Synonyms: compelling, convincing Antonyms: invalid, weak

Example Sentence:

The author makes a cogent argument as to why women should consider the long-term repercussions of being on the pill.

6. TENUOUS (ADJECTIVE): weak, thin

Synonyms: delicate, insubstantial Antonyms: certain, strong

Example Sentence:

Today Liberians go to the polls in what will be a defining moment for their tenuous democracy.

7. CONFLUENCE (ADJECTIVE): coming together

Synonyms: assemblage, junction Antonyms: division, separation

Example Sentence:

This Garden is located at the confluence of four rivers.

8. ABADDON (NOUN): place of the condemned; bad situation

Synonyms: nightmare, purgatory Antonyms: calm, contentment

Example Sentence:

He is termed Abaddon, the angel of the bottomless pit—the prince of darkness.

9. BUCOLIC (ADJECTIVE): rural or rustic

Synonyms: pastoral, agrarian Antonyms: urban, cultivated

Example Sentence:

They are both in the study of my old farmhouse, in a room that has three nice sized windows, each with a lovely, bucolic view.

10. BEQUEATH (VERB): give in a will

Synonyms: bestow, entrust Antonyms: take, keep

Example Sentence:

Which will, in turn, mean they retire with less wealth, and bequeath less wealth to their children.

Top Headlines - 18.02.2016

Top Headlines - 18.02.2016
========================

1. The Union Minster of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health & Family Welfare Shri Shripad Yesso Naik launched the pilot project ‘Integration of Homoeopathy/Yoga with National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS) in Krishna District’ at Gudivada near Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

2. Boutros-Ghali, the former UN secretary general died. He was 93. He was the UN secretary general from 1992 to 1996.

3. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) hiked the interest rate on provident fund from 8.75% to 8.8% for 2015-16. It was announced by Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

4. Noted Malayalam novelist and short story writer Akbar Kakkattil passed away. He was 62.

5. Indian Railways has won The National Chess team Championship for the first time. The 36th National Chess team Championship was held at Bhubaneswar.

6. BAE Systems announced selection of Mahindra as its India partner for the nearly USD 700 million deal for the supply of 145 M777 howitzers, which are ultra light weight artillery guns having a strike range of 25 kms.

7. The Space Applications Centre (SAC) of ISRO and Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) of University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies are collaborating on developing the 'Next Generation Earth Monitoring and Observation and Aerosol Monitoring' (NEMO-AM) satellite.

8. Cabinet approves Agreement for collaborative activities in the area of Traditional Medicine between Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization.

9. India signed off 12th South Asian Games with a record breaking performance grabbing 308 medals including 188 gold medals.

10. The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), an Agency of Government of Singapore on cooperation in the field of Urban Planning and Governance.

11. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today gave its ex-post facto approval for Memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed between India and various countries for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.

Vocabulary Words - 18.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 18.02.2016
==========================

1. SAPPY (ADJECTIVE): foolish, sentimental

Synonyms: maudlin, silly

Antonyms: realistic, serious

Example Sentence:

This is going to sound completely sappy, but it's my honest answer.

2. PECCADILLO (NOUN): small fault

Synonyms: impropriety, indiscretion Antonyms: major fault

Example Sentence:

The accused was joking in the court as if the bombing was a mere peccadillo and not a serious crime.

3. POLEMIC (ADJECTIVE): argumentative

Synonyms: belligerent, contrary Antonyms: harmonious, similar

Example Sentence:

The document is a convincing polemic that reveals the corruption rampant in the corporation.

4. STOLID (ADJECTIVE): apathetic, stupid

Synonyms: impassive, indifferent Antonyms: aware, interested

Example Sentence:

They are stolid, dependable people, and have more facial hair than anybody else.

5. CONTENTIOUS (ADJECTIVE): quarrelsome

Synonyms: combative, antagonistic Antonyms: agreeable

Example Sentence:

In general, I always avoid contentious topics of conversation because they lead to arguments.

6. ABORTIVE (ADJECTIVE): failing to achieve a goal

Synonyms: futile, fruitless Antonyms: productive, profitable

Example Sentence:

All the friends made an abortive effort to bake a cake for their friend’s birthday party.

7. PREMONITION (NOUN): feeling that an event is about to occur

Synonyms: portent, hunch Antonyms: information, knowledge

Example Sentence:

In the movie, the eight year old boy wakes in the early hours of the morning with a premonition of disaster.

8. SUBVENTION (NOUN): grant

Synonyms: allocation, allotment Antonyms: repudiation, refusal

Example Sentence:

In whole of the Europe and America, the Governments are offering subventions to their farmers on regular basis.

9. ENSHROUD (VERB): cover

Synonyms: conceal, hide Antonyms: disclose, reveal

Example Sentence:

The central region of this galaxy is enshrouded in dust, as a result the regions where stars are formed are hidden.

10. PALATIAL (ADJECTIVE): grand, opulent

Synonyms: deluxe, magnificent Antonyms: common, impressive

Example Sentence:

In the forecourt of a most palatial hotel, the birthday girl was waiting.

Vocabulary Words - 16.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 16.02.2016
=========================

1. ZANY (ADJECTIVE): crazy, funny

Synonyms: campy, comical

Antonyms: serious, sincere

Example Sentence:

It's all very madcap and zany, anarchic in a way familiar to any contemporary viewer of late-night TV made decades later.

2. NECROMANCY (NOUN): sorcery

Synonyms: charm, conjuring Antonyms: ugliness, repulsion

Example Sentence:

Saudi Arabia has recently beheaded women for “necromancy” but has avoided apostasy trials involving its few Christian converts.

3. ESCULENT (ADJECTIVE): fit to be eaten

Synonyms: comestible, consumable Antonyms: inedible, unpalatable

Example Sentence:

Sure, we may come for the recipes, but we stay to be entertained by the cook's own peculiar passion for the world of the esculent.

4. USURIOUS (ADJECTIVE): greedy

Synonyms: desirous, avaricious Antonyms: generous, unselfish

Example Sentence:

She made, so it was said in business offices, usurious loans by means of her brother, who appeared as a money-lender.

5. COUNTERMAND (VERB): annul, cancel a command

Synonyms: repeal, rescind Antonyms: permit, sanction

Example Sentence:

I told thee my reasons for not going in search of a letter of countermand.

6. INCONGRUITY (NOUN): incompatibility

Synonyms: discrepancy, disparity Antonyms: suitability, appropriateness

Example Sentence:

How do you feel when you see a picture like that, almost showing the incongruity of

war and a religious belief?

7. BAPTIZE (VERB): initiate in church rite

Synonyms: immerse, cleanse Antonyms: dirty, ignore

Example Sentence:

A well-known politician, who died only recently, was born in the village, and the old rector was called on to baptize him.

8. GROGGY (ADJECTIVE): dizzy, stunned

Synonyms: confused, dazed Antonyms: steady, stable

Example Sentence:

As I start to make calls, groggy American colleagues walk into the newsroom.

9. CONVIVIALITY (NOUN): a noisy drinking party

Synonyms: festivity, merriment Antonyms: recluse, boredom

Example Sentence:

He was often melancholy, and wild conviviality and celebrity made no difference to that.

10. BAROQUE (ADJECTIVE): decorative, especially architecture

Synonyms: florid, ornate Antonyms: plain, undecorated

Example Sentence:

Focused on evening wear, the baroque richness and detailed workmanship reflected the gilt-embossed walls of the venue.

Top Headlines - 16.02.2016

Top Headlines - 16.02.2016
======================

1. Chief Justice Dhirendra H. Waghela of the Orissa High Court was sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.

2. Chief Justice of America Justice Antonin Scalia died. He was 79.

3. The 24th National Homoeopathic Congress ‘Homeo-Vision 2016’ was inaugurated by the Minister of State for AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health and Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in Nagpur.

4. Famous Malayalam poet and Jnanpith-winner Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (O N V Kurup) passed away. He was 84.

5. Department of Electronics & Information Technology and M/s. Canbank Venture Capital Fund Ltd Launched Electronics Development Fund (EDF) in Mumbai.

6. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the Infosys Prizes for the year 2015 in New Delhi. The Infosys Prizes has been established by the Infosys Science Foundation with the aim of making heroes and role models of exemplary researchers, whose work makes a difference to their field.

7. Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis won the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and extended their remarkable winning streak to 40 matches in the process.

8. Noted music director Rajamani died. He was 60.

9. Gemini Arabians have won the maiden edition of Masters Champions League (MCL) by defeating Leo Lions in the final match.

10. 'The Revenant' won the Best Film and Leonardo DiCaprio won the Best actor Award at the 69th British Academy Films Awards (BAFTAs).

11. West Indies defeated three time champions India by five wickets in the final match to win their maiden U-19 Cricket World Cup.

Top Headlines - 15.02.2016

Top Headlines - 15.02.2016
=======================

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Make in India Week’ in Mumbai. Over 2,500 international and 8,000 Indian companies are scheduled to participate in the exhibition which will go on for a week.

2. India's Ambassador to Tajikistan Biraja Prasad passed away. Biraja Prasad, a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service officer of Odisha, was the youngest IFS officer to be appointed as India's Ambassador to any country.

3. The first Mega Food Park of Madhya Pradesh promoted by M/s Indus mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd was inaugurated by Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries at Village Panwa, Tehsil Kasarwad, District Khargone.

4. New Zealand Captain Brendon McCullum becomes the first cricketer to play 100 continuous Tests since debut, without missing a single Test in between. McCullum is only the third New Zealand player after Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori to play 100 tests for New Zealand.

5. Ashok Chawla has been appointed as the chairman of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Board.

6. Thisara Perera became the fourth bowler to pick up a hat-trick in T20’s. He achieved this feat against India in the 2nd T20 match in Jharkhand.

7. Prime Minister inaugurated new building complex of Bombay Art Society, in suburban Bandra in Mumbai.

8. Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida agreed to work to boost ties between their two countries.

9. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) appointed women ministers to the newly created portfolios for happiness and tolerance, and youth affairs.

10. Retail inflation in January inched up to a 17-month high of 5.69 per cent, led mainly by a sharp acceleration in food prices.

Vocabulary Words - 15.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 15.02.2016
==========================

1. CERULEAN (ADJECTIVE): sky, sea color

Synonyms: azure, cobalt

Antonyms: clean, happy

Example Sentence:

The binding is of cerulean satin, richly embroidered with thread of changeful golden tissue.

2. ASKANCE (ADVERB): sideways

Synonyms: skeptically, suspiciously Antonyms: surely, confidently

Example Sentence:

As he bent his head she looked at me askance, and I thought she blushed.

3. PERIPATETIC (ADJECTIVE): constantly traveling

Synonyms: nomadic, roving Antonyms: settled, fixed

Example Sentence:

Still, she is influenced by her background and her peripatetic youth.

4. VERDANT (ADJECTIVE): green, blooming

Synonyms: grassy, lush Antonyms: dying, barren

Example Sentence:

It was a typical suburban dwelling with a verdant lawn and lots of flowering shrubs.

5. REPRIEVE (NOUN): relief of blame, responsibility

Synonyms: abatement, deferment Antonyms: continuation

Example Sentence:

Bad weather, however, gave her a reprieve; a spring rainstorm forced a postponement, pushing her appearance back 24 hours.

6. BLIGHT (VERB): ruin, destroy

Synonyms: mar, taint Antonyms: improve, repair

Example Sentence:

Increasingly, cities long left to rot are rising from the ashes of blight as they try to become shining examples of new urbanism.

7. SIMPATICO (NOUN): liking or inclination toward something

Synonyms: affection, closeness Antonyms: dislike, hatred

Example Sentence:

In the Italian phrase the whole place was simpatico; it repeated and crooned over to everyone the mood in which he came to it.

8. TINSEL (NOUN): particular type of embellishment

Synonyms: finery, design Antonyms: plainness, eyesore

Example Sentence:

His exuberant style is Venetian; it is velvet and brocade, which he bestrews with tinsel and spangles.

9. MONASTIC (ADJECTIVE): with communal life

Synonyms: secluded, austere Antonyms: sociable

Example Sentence:

We will now see the monks at work, and spend a day with them in their monastic home.

10. MATTE (ADJECTIVE): drab, lackluster in effect on senses

Synonyms: flat, subdued Antonyms: excited, cheerful

Example Sentence:

The salad is somewhat matte, with only lettuce to complement the chicken with.

Here's a big news for IBPS aspirants!

POSTED BY BANKERS GURU ON -

IBPS clerk results: No interviews this year after main exams?

Here's a big news for IBPS aspirants!

In all likelihood, the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) won't conduct any interview for clerk posts this year.

According to media reports and sources close to banking sector, IBPS is all set to scrap the interviews this year.

Also, there is a possibility that IBPS may introduce psychometric test for the IBPS clerk aspirants.

Moreover, IBPS is set to declare the scorecard soon on its official website after they get final nod and clarification from the concerned authorities.

The director has requested to follow IBPS website for further information on IBPS clerk V mains exams results.

Source

Current Affairs February 2016

Current Affairs, February 2016

29th February, Current Affairs:
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley present the budget for the year 201617 with no change in income tax slabs.
• The 88th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Spotlight wins the best picture Oscar award, while Alejandro González Iñárritu wins best Director award for The Revenant. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson win the Best Actor and Actress award respectively. For complete list click Here.
• IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma today took charge as the new Commissioner of Delhi Police who will succeeds BS Bassi.
• National Science day is observed today in India.

Top Headlines - 12.02.2016

©banking hub

========================

1. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced the appointment of India's nominee, Dr. D.J. Pandian, as the Vice-President, Chief Investment Officer of the newly formed USD 100 billion multilateral development bank.

The CWE V clerk examination was conducted in the month of December/January 2016 by IBPS. According to the official notification, from January 1 there will be no recruitment with the interview at the junior level posts in the government of India ministries, departments, attached and subordinate offices, autonomous bodies and PSUs. All central government ministries and their Public Sector

Undertakings (PSUs) have been asked to dispense with the requirement of interviews for selections at junior level posts within next two days, however, they may continue with skill or physical test.

The main exam was conducted on January 3 and 4. The paper comprised

LIC AAO & IBPS SO: Quant Quiz

LIC AAO & IBPS SO: Quant Quiz

Dear Readers,

We bring to you a Quant Online test for Bank exam specially designed keeping in mind LIC AAO Syllabus and Pattern, as we are in the middle of our week, we have slightly increased the level of the questions, just go out there and have fun with numbers.

Directions (Q. 1-4): What will come in place of the question mark (?) in the following

Daily Wordlist: For LIC AAO and Bank Exams

Daily Wordlist: For LIC AAO and Bank Exams

Dear Readers,

Here is the Daily Wordlist for you to improve your verbal aswell as your written English. Now a days Level of English section has been increased in Competitive Exam and same will be followed in LIC AAO and other upcoming Bank Exams. So learn these words and try to use them in your day to day lives, starting now down below in the comments section.

1. Avalanche(N): Falling large mass

Reasoning Quiz LIC AAO and SO

Reasoning Quiz LIC AAO and SO

Dear Readers,

We are providing you this Reasoning Quiz keeping in mind the upcoming LIC AAO Exam pattern and syllabus. LIC AAO Exam is not going to be easy one so practice these Quizzes on daily basis.

1. How many meaningful English words can be formed with the letters MASTE using each letter only once in each word?

Statement Assumptions and Chinese Coding

Directions (1-2): In each question below a statement (or a passage) is followed by two assumptions numbered I and II. (An assumption is something supposed or taken in for

granted). You have to consider the statement and the following assumptions and then decide which of the assumptions is implicit in the statement.

Give answer:

(1) if only assumption I is implicit.

Vocabulary Words - 08.02.2016

banking hub

==========================

1. MULTITUDINOUS (ADJECTIVE): many, considerable

Synonyms: abundant, countless

Antonyms: few, limited

Example Sentence:

Top Headlines - 08.02.2016

Top Headlines - 08.02.2016
=======================

1. IMF growth forecast for India hovers around 7.5 per cent for the 2016-17 fiscal. IMF Chief Christine Lagarde has hoped that India would be able to implement a series of critically important economic reforms for unleashing the country’s growth potential.

Vocabulary Words - 06.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 06.02.2016
===========================

1. JANGLE (NOUN): cacophony of noises

Synonyms: clang, racket

Antonyms: calm, peace

Example Sentence:

Top Headlines - 06.02.2016

Top Headlines - 06.02.2016
======================

1. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, dedicated to the nation, Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, a petrochemical complex, at Lepetkata, near Dibrugarh. He also dedicated to the nation, the wax plant of Numaligarh Refineries Limited.

Top Headlines - 05.02.2016

Top Headlines - 05.02.2016
===========================

1. Mrs. Aruna Sethi (ICoAS 1985), Principal Adviser (Cost), took over the charge of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) as head. She is the first lady ICoAS officer who has achieved this laurel. She has earlier held important portfolios in Government of India.

2. S.S. Tarapore, former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), passed away. He was 80.

Vocabulary Words - 05.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 05.02.2016
==========================

1. INEBRIATED (ADJECTIVE): drunk

Synonyms: intoxicated, boozy

Antonyms: sober, straight

Vocabulary Words - 04.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 04.02.2016
===========================

1. IMMACULATE (ADJECTIVE): very clean; unspoiled

Synonyms: spotless, flawless

Antonyms: defective, imperfect

Example Sentence:

Top Headlines - 04.02.2016

Top Headlines - 04.02.2016
=======================

1. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RUSNANO OJSC of Russia. Both NIIF and RUSNANO have agreed to Set-Up the Russia-India High Technology Private Equity Fund for Joint Implementation of Investments into Projects in India.

Top Headlines - 03.02.2016

Top Headlines - 03.02.2016
======================

1. Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram has been appointed Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the first woman to head a paramilitary force.

Vocabulary Words - 03.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 03.02.2016
===========================

1. PARLANCE (NOUN): idiom

Synonyms: jargon, argot

Antonyms: standard, listening

Top Headlines - 02.02.2016

Top Headlines - 02.02.2016
=======================

1. Nitish Kumar has been chosen for the 'K Veeramani Award for Social Justice 2015' for his contribution towards social justice as Chief Minister. The award is given away by Periyar International, a Chicago-based voluntary organisation.

Top Headlines - 02.02.2016

Top Headlines - 02.02.2016
=======================

Vocabulary Words - 02.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 02.02.2016
==========================

1. TRIBULATION (NOUN): pain, unhappiness

Synonyms: grief, misfortune

Antonyms: delight, pleasure

2016 Australian Open

The 2016 Australian Open was a tennis tournament that took place at Melbourne Park between 18–31 January 2016. It was the 104th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. The tournament consisted of events for professional players in singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. Junior and wheelchair players competed in singles and doubles tournaments.

Top Headlines - 01.02.2016

Top Headlines - 01.02.2016
========================

1. Cuba has signed two agreements with North Korea on cooperation in foreign trade and scientific and technological development. The deals were signed by Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba Rodrigo Malmierca and North Korea’s ambassador in Havana, Pak Chang Yul.

Vocabulary Words - 01.02.2016

Vocabulary Words - 01.02.2016
=========================

1. BILK (VERB): cheat

Synonyms: deceive, defraud

Antonyms: be honest, give

Example Sentence:

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