Which Mobile payment services firm which is backed by Alibaba on 24 April 2015 announced its foray into the eCommerce space, putting itself in direct competition with giants like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal.?: Paytm
Explanation: According to the consultancy firm PwC, the e-commerce sector in India is expected to grow by 34 percent to USD 22 billion in 2015 compared with last year. Thus Paytm on 24 April decided to forey into Ecommerce business and compete with existing layers like snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon etc. Paytm, in which world's one of the largest e-tailers Alibaba had picked up stake, expects its eCommerce entry to help revenue run rate to more than double to USD 4 billion (Rs 25,417 crore) by year-end from USD 1.5 billion now.
IT giant Infosys on 24 April 2015 announced acquisition of which digital commerce company for USD 120 million (about Rs 763 crore)?: Kallidus
Explanation: Its third takeover since Vishal Sikka took over as CEO in August last year. The country's second largest software services exporter said it has also acquired minority stake in an air quality monitoring startup Airviz for USD 2 million (about Rs 13 crore). In February, Infosys said it will acquire the US-based automation technology company Panaya for USD 200 million (over Rs 1,200 crore). It is an all-cash deal for a total consideration of USD 120 million retention bonus and a deferred component. Kallidus delivers a cloud hosted platform for mobile websites, apps, and other digital shopping experiences across mobile, tablet, desktop, in-store and all emerging channels to large retail clients worldwide
Which US private funding agency on 23 April 2015 was put under MHA watch list in "national interest and security" of India?: Ford Foundation
Explanation: The step was taken after Ford Foundation was caught in violations noticed, where it was found that the Ford Foundation had been involved in funding non-FCRA registered entities which amounts to serious violation of the FCRA 2010 law i.e funding non-registered NGOs. The agency is not registered as either a NGO under the Societies Act or under the Companies Act or even the Trusts Act. It only had permission of RBI to run a branch office in India, which was routing funds amounting to Rs 100 crore every year in violation of I-T laws.
Who has been named as the neutral judge on the international arbitration panel looking into Vodafone's Rs 20,000-crore tax dispute with the Indian government over an eight-year-old acquisition?: Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf
Explanation: Vodafone faces a demand of over Rs 20,000 crore, of which Rs 8,000 crore is the tax due and the rest in interest and penalty. The dispute is over tax liability arising out of Vodafone's 2007 purchase of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd's Indian assets. Mr Yusuf, who is vice president of the ICJ, will join government arbitrator former chief justice of India R C Lahoti and Vodafone nominee Yves Fortier of Canada on a three-member panel constituted to resolve the issue.
To boost landline business, Which entity on 23 April 2015 announced unlimited free calling scheme during night hours from its fixed line phones to any operator including mobile phones anywhere in the country from 1 May 2015?: The state-run BSNL
Explanation: State Run BSNL dominates landline market was the biggest loser of fixed-line customers in February while Airtel emerged as top gainer. The company had over 1.66 crore landlines at the end of February and after losing 162,556 landline customers in the same month. The scheme is launch to increase the market share and usage of the BSNL service. Thus the scheme would be operational between 9 PM to 7 AM and would cover all type of connections. Under the scheme, all major landline general plans of rural and urban areas, landline special plans as well as all major Combo (landline with broadband) plans are covered.
Indian Railways on 22 April 2015 launched a Mobile app to book ticket under which category; which is seen as a step towards paperless ticketing?: Unreserved Category
Explanation: The application was launched as a pilot project on Egmore-Tambaram Suburban Section of Chennai, through video conferencing at Shantipath in New Delhi. The process defined to get this app downloaded on mobile is as user download the App from the Google App store for Android-based mobile phones. After the download, the user will get a registration ID number for creation of a railway e-wallet. Besides booking tickets, user can even renew season tickets using the App, which seen as a great help for commuters in the unreserved ticketing segment.
Reliance Power on 22 April 2015 notified that it has fully commissioned 3,960 MW Sasan ultra mega power project in which state?: Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Reliance Power is operating all six units comprising 3,960 MW (6x660 MW) continuously for 24 hours however the fifth 660 MW unit of the Sasan plant was commissioned in August last year. Sasan UMPP is an integrated power plant cum coal mining project at a single location involving investment of over Rs 27,000 crore. Reliance Power's generation capacity is now 5,945 MW, which includes 5,760 MW of thermal capacity and 185 MW of renewable energy based capacity.
Looking at stiff opposition from the locals and some political parties against Coca Cola's proposed project in the state which state government on 21 April 2015 notified that it has cancelled allotment of 71.34 acres of land for the company's unit.?: Tamil Nadu government
Explanation: The 21st June 2013 allotment order had earmarked 71.34 acres in SIPCOT's premises in Perundurai in Erode District however SIPCOT (State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited) notified that it had a few days ago sent a notice to the company for non-compliance of terms and conditions for commencing the project and also Locals had first expressed apprehension that the unit could cause rapid groundwater depletion and pollution of River Bhavani if the plant was allowed to come up. Thus, TN government has cancelled the allotment of 71.34 acres of land in Erode in Tamil Nadu.
Buoyed by diesel price decontrol, Reliance Industries will reopen all its 1,400 petrol pumps this fiscal as notified by RIL on 18 April 2015. Besides RIL, which other company hold the private petrol pump/ private refiner in India?: Essar Oil Ltd
Explanation: RIL had shut down all of its 1,432 petrol pumps around March 2008 because of huge losses it incurred in trying to match public sector firms, which sold fuel at rates much lower than their cost as they got government subsidies. RIL and Essar Oil Ltd, the only other private refiner in India, had together captured about 17 percent of domestic retail market for diesel and 10 percent of petrol by 2006 before heavily subsidised sales by state-run firms took a heavy toll on private firms' fuel sales. The government in June 2010 deregulated or freed petrol pricing by not providing any more subsidies. This allowed Essar to re-enter the retailing arena, selling only petrol from most of its 1,400 outlets. RIL's present network comprises of about 900 retail outlets that are owned by the company and the rest by dealers.
Which Auto major company notified that it had won a $9.2 billion order to supply engines for 50 A380 aircraft for Dubai`s Emirates airline, providing a boost for the British company after a torrid year of profit warnings?: Rolls-Royce
Explanation: The order was the largest in Rolls-Royce history, thus pushing its shares up 2.1 percent to 1001 pence in early trading, making it one of the biggest gainers on the FTSE 100 index. It is the first time the Gulf carrier has ordered Rolls-Royce engines for its superjumbo fleet, the rest of which is powered by Engine Alliance, a joint venture of General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. The contract includes a long-term "Totalcare" package, which means Rolls-Royce will also provide service and maintenance to Emirates for the Trent 900 engines. Rolls-Royce is the world`s second-largest maker of aircraft engines after U.S. group General Electric, but cancelled orders in other parts of its business, where it makes power systems for use in the oil and gas, marine and industrial sectors have hit its outlook.
