1.Mujib Killer Majed’s Mercy plea was rejected by the President of which country?
a. India
b. Afghanistan
c. Pakistan
d. Bangladesh
S-d
EXPLANATION-
• President of Bangladesh M. Abdul Hamid rejected the mercy plea of Abdul Majed, the fugitive convicted killer of the founder President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib in 1975.
• A Dhaka court had issued his death warrant after he was arrested on Tuesday by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Bangladesh from Mirpur area of Dhaka.
The jail authorities will take steps to hang him as per jail code provisions.
• Abdul Majed is among the 12 former army personnel who were awarded death sentence in 1998. It was later confirmed by the High Court in 2009. Five of the convicted army personnel were hanged in 2010 while one died. Six of the convicted army personnel have been absconding. Abdul Majed was one of them.
2. Which of the following countries’ President invoked ancient Indian epic, Ramayana in his tanks letter to PM Modi.?
a. Brazil
b. Sri Lanka
c. Maldives
d. Egypt
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the export of raw materials to Brazil for the production of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, cited by many as a viable therapeutic solution to fight coronavirus infection.
• In the letter to Modi, the Brazilian leader invoked ancient Indian epic, Ramayana, mentioning the story of how Lord Hanuman brought a holy medicine from the Himalayas to save the life of Laxmana.
• Bolsonaro requested Modi to ensure that Brazil gets the supply of the raw material ordered prior to the imposition of the ban on hydroxychloroquine.
• Modi and Bolsonaro had a telephonic conversation on April 4 during which the Brazilian leader requested Modi to allow export of the drug as well as raw materials for its production in Brazil.
• Separately, in a letter to Modi, Bolsonaro mentioned that two Brazilian laboratories, EMS and Apsen, have been importing raw materials from India for several years to produce hydroxychloroquine and that Brazil's internal supply of the drug depends on its production by the two firms.
• On March 25, India banned export of hydroxychloroquine in the midst of views in some quarters that the drug could be used to fight COVID-19. India is the largest exporter of the drug.
• The ban was partially lifted.
• Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, has recorded close to 14,000 coronavirus cases and over 660 deaths due to the infection. Globally, the virus has killed over 75,000 people and infected more than 13 lakh.
• Bolsonaro said Brazil hoped that the use of hydroxychloroquine would help in the treatment of coronavirus-infected people in his country.
3. Oriental Bank of Commerce, and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender with which of the following?
a. Punjab National Bank
b. Dena Bank
c. Union Bank of India
d. Indiana Bank
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Punjab National Bank (PNB), Oriental Bank of Commerce, and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender.
• Effective from April 1, 2020, the balance sheets as well as stocks of these banks will be integrated.
• The government approved a scheme for the amalgamation of 10 state-owned banks into four, putting to rest any doubts about a possible delay in the process.
• After the mergers, the country will have 12 public sector banks.
4. Which of the following banks has taken over Syndicate Bank?
a. Canara Bank
b. Union Bank of India
c. Dena Bank
d. SBI
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Canara Bank will take over Syndicate Bank.
• The merger of Syndicate Bank with Canara Bank will create the fourth largest public sector bank with ₹15.20 lakh crore business and a branch network of 10,324.
5. Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank have been merged with which of the following banks?
a. Union Bank of India
b. Syndicate Bank
c. Indian Bank
d. Punjab National Bank
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Union Bank of India amalgamated with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.
• Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank's merger with Union Bank of India will create India's fifth largest public sector bank with ₹14.59 lakh crore business and 9,609 branches.
