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General Awareness Test For the Week: March 6 to 12, 2011

No of questions: 100

Answers marked by *

Explanatory answer at the end

TEST - I

1. Consider the following statement about Indipex-2011.

1. Kavery Banerjee was the Chairperson of Indipex-2011

2. India Post is the largest postal network in the world in terms of number of post offices

3. U.S. Postal Service is world‘s biggest network in terms of turnover

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3*

2. The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted trials of Nishant recently. Which of the following

organisations involved in the development of Nishant and their locations is/are correctly matched?

1. Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory – Hyderabad

2. Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) – Pune

3. Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment – Agra

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only*

(d) 1, 2 & 3 only

3. Consider the following statements about the District Information System for Education (DISE) report on Universal Elementary

Education (UEE).

1. More than 70% schools had Pucca Building

2. More than 60% schools had Girls‘ Toilets

3. More than 15% schools had Computer Facilities

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only*

(d) 1, 2 & 3 only

4. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below:

List I

(Person)

List II

(Known for expertise

in)

A. Mahesh N Buch 1. Education

B. Ramdas Madhav

Pai

2. Administration

C. Dashrath Patel 3. Design

D. K. Raghavan

Thirumulpad

4. Ayurveda

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b)* 2 1 3 4


(c) 1 2 4 3

(d) 4 3 1 2

5. The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry has announced assistance worth Rs. 5 crores to the PT Usha run Usha Athletics School,

for development of Synthetic Turf at ______

(a) Kochi

(b) Alleppey

(c) Thrissur

(d) Kozhikode*


List I

(Person)

List II

(NGO)

A. Dunu Roy 1. Naz Foundation

B. Venkat Krishnan 2. GiveIndia

C. Anjali Gopalan 3. Hazards Centre

D. Shabana Azmi 4. Mijwan Welfare

Society

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 1 3 4

(c)* 3 2 1 4

(d) 4 3 1 2

7. Which port was renamed after freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaranar recently?

(a) Ennore

(b) Chennai

(c) Tuticorin*

(d) Cochin

8. Jerdon‟s Courser, which was included in the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats‟ (IDWH) scheme recently, is an

endangered species of ________.

(a) mammal

(b) fish

(c) bird*

(d) amphibian


List I

(Person/persons)

List II

(Industry)

A. Dilip Shanghvi 1. Consumer goods

B. R S Agarwal, R S

Goenka

2. Pharmaceuticals

C. Rahul Bhatia 3. Aviation

D. Rajesh Agarwal 4. Mobile phones

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b)* 2 1 3 4

(c) 3 2 1 4


(d) 4 3 1 2

10. Where is India‟s second National Institute of Design coming up?

(a) Bongaigaon

(b) Dibrugarh

(c) Jorhat*

(d) Sibsagar


List I

(Person/persons)

List II

(Industry)

A. Ronnie Screwvala 1. Finance

B. Rajju Devidas

Shroff

2. Pharmaceuticals

C. Rajiv Lall 3. Agriculture

D. Shyam S Bhartia,

Hari S Bhartia

4. Media

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 1 3 4

(c) 3 2 1 4

(d)* 4 3 1 2

12. Which of the following belonging to the Indian Navy created a new national record by diving to a depth of 233 metres in the

seas off Kochi coast recently?

(a) INS Nirdeshak

(b) INS Nireekshak*

(c) INS Jamuna

(d) INS Sarvekshak


List I

(Person)

List II

(Industry)

A. Nikhil R. Meswani 1. Healthcare

B. Vineet Nayar 2. Oil & gas

C. Pawan Goenka 3. Information

Technology

D. Prathap Reddy 4. Automobiles

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b)* 2 3 4 1

(c) 2 4 3 1

(d) 4 3 1 2

14. Consider the following statements about the world‟s first airmail flight.

1. Its centenary was celebrated recently

2. It was between Kanpur and Delhi


3. Henri Pequet was the pilot

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2only

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1and 3 only*

(d) 1 2 nd 3

15. The government has decided to depute Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Officers to which of the following to enhance Indian

capabilities in tackling money laundering, tax crimes and bribery recently?

(a) Transparency International

(b) IMF

(c) World Bank

(d) OECD*

16. Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a separatist organisation in which ASEAN country?

(a) Indonesia

(b) Cambodia

(c) Vietnam

(d) Philippines*

17. NCDC Biennial awards are given in the field of _________

(a) Civil Aviation

(b) Consumer goods

(c) Cooperatives*

(d) Community Development

18. Which of the following pairs of NASSCOM Awards and their winners is not correctly matched?

(a) Global Business Leader – Louis Chenevert

(b) Global Strategist – Viswanathan Anand

(c) Global Indian – Lord Meghnad Desai*

(d) Global Innovator – Shantanu Narayen


List I

(Sports

organisation)

List II

(Head)

A. FIFA 1. Leandro Negre

B. International

Hockey Federation

(FIH)

2. Sepp Blatter

C. International

Olympic

Committee (IOC)

3. Jacques Rogge

D. International

Tennis Federation

(ITF)

4. Francesco Ricci Bitti

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b)* 2 1 3 4

(c) 2 2 3 4

(d) 4 3 1 2


20. Which country holds the Presidency of G20 in 2011?

(a) Mexico

(b) Argentina

(c) South Korea

(d) France*


List I

(Region/province)

List II

(Country)

A. Andalusia 1. Netherlands

B. Zeeland 2. China

C. Inner Mongolia 3. Spain

D. Kamchatka

Peninsula

4. Russia

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 1 3 4

(c)* 3 1 2 4

(d) 4 3 1 2

22. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India in the energy-

related infrastructure sector, has entered into a joint venture with Abengoa of Spain for which of the following?

(a) Tidal energy

(b) Nuclear energy

(c) Wind energy

(d) Solar energy*

23. The Union Cabinet has approved amendments in the Coinage Bill 2009 that seeks to amalgamate four existing Acts relating to

coinage recently. Which of the following Acts is the oldest?

(a) The Indian Coinage Act

(b) The Small Coins (Offences) Act

(c) The Metal Token Act*

(d) The Bronze Coin (Legal Tender) Act

24. Which among of the following international magazines has introduced an India-specific version in association with Ananda

Bazar Patrika (ABP) Group?

(a) Forbes

(b) The Economist

(c) Fortune*

(d) Time

25. Which of the following is India‟s topmost trading partner among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries representing

60% of India‟s exports to the region in 2009-10?

(a) Kuwait

(b) Oman

(c) Saudi Arabia

(d) UAE*


26. Who among the following is the American counterpart of Indian diplomat Hardeep Puri?

(a) Lisa P. Jackson

(b) Ron Kirk

(c) Susan Rice*

(d) Austan Goolsbee



List I

(Person)

List II

(Known as/for)

A. Surendra Singh 1. Insurance Industry

B. Ajai Chowdhary 2. Cardiology

C. Analjit Singh 3. Information Technology

industry

D. Keki Byramjee Grant 4. Civil Services

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 1 4 3

(c) 3 4 1 2

(d)* 4 3 1 2

28. Author Pradeep Chakravarty and photographer Vikram Sathyanathan were in news recently for their recent book on which

temple town in Tamil Nadu?

(a) Kumbakonam

(b) Thanjavur*

(c) Mahabalipuram

(d) Rameshwaram

29. Lieutenant Colonel Man Bahadur Rai who passed away recently was the oldest recipient of _______.

(a) Maha Vir Chakra

(b) Shaurya Chakra

(c) Ashok Chakra*

(d) Victoria Cross


List I

(People in

Obama

administration)

List II

(Designation)

A. Gary Locke 1. Secretary of

Commerce

B. Timothy Geithner 2. Secretary of the

Treasury

C. Eric Holder 3. Secretary of Defense

D. Robert Gates 4. Attorney General

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 1 3 4

(c) 1 4 2 3

(d)* 1 2 4 3

31. Karl Theodor Guttenberg who came on an official visit to India recently is Germany‟s Federal Minister of _______.

(a) Foreign Affairs

(b) Finance


(c) Defence*

(d) Labour & Social Affairs

32. The report titled „Unlocking the Potential of the Indian Aerospace and Defence Industry‟ has been jointly prepared by CII

and which consulting firm?

(a) Deloitte

(b) PricewaterhouseCoopers

(c) McKinsey

(d) KPMG*

33. Which state government gives the Bhim awards for achievements in sports?

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Haryana*

(c) Rajasthan

(d) Jharkhand

34. India‟s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has decided to enter into an agreement with Defence

Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) of _________ for development and manufacture of defence and security systems

recently.

(a) France

(b) Australia

(c) Canada

(d) UK*

35. Where was the 17th

Commonwealth Law Conference organised recently?

(a) New Delhi

(b) Mumbai

(c) Bangalore

(d) Hyderabad*

36. “Known and Unknown” is the recently released autobiography of who among the following members of President George W

Bush administration?

(a) Henry Paulson

(b) Donald Rumsfeld*

(c) Dick Cheney

(d) Colin Powell

37. Red Herring Global 100 awards are given in the field of:

(a) Architecture

(b) Journalism

(c) Information Technology*

(d) Science fiction

38. “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange‟s War on Secrecy” is a recent book by journalists working at which British newspaper?

(a) The Guardian*

(b) The Observer

(c) The Independent

(d) The Times

39. India has decided to oppose the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, 2010 of Obama administration because:

(a) It reduces the annual quota of visas for India‘s IT professionals wanting to work in the US

(b) It removes tax exemptions to companies that outsource work to IT companies in India

(c) It imposes tax an additional tax on goods and services imported from India*

(d) It imposes restrictions on Indian companies doing business with Iran


40. T. Vaikuntam, Suhas Roy, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Jehangir Jani, Dhiraj Choudhury and Gogi Saroj Pal are well known:

(a) Journalists

(b) Architects

(c) Vocalists

(d) Painters*

41. KK “Jumbo” Majumdar was a pioneer in the field of:

(a) Shipping

(b) Aviation*

(c) Railways

(d) Oil exploration

42. All India ___________ Conference was organised in Berhampur, Orissa from February 4-6, 2011.

(a) Tamil

(b) Marathi

(c) Oriya

(d) Telugu*

43. Fisheries and aquaculture provide livelihood to what percentage of world population, according a report of the Food and

Agriculture Organisation (FAO) unveiled recently?

(a) 8%*

(b) 12%

(c) 15%

(d) 21%

44. Parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved the naming of a mountain peak in the Tien Shan range after who among the following

recently?

(a) Genghis Khan

(b) President of Kyrgyzstan

(c) Rafael Nadal

(d) Prime Minister of Russia*


List I

(Luxury automobile)

List II

(Company)

A. Maybach 1. Rolls-Royce

B. Veyron Grand Sport 2. Mercedes Benz

C. Cayenne 3. Porsche

D. Phantom 4. Bugatti

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b)* 2 4 3 1

(c) 3 2 1 4

(d) 4 3 2 1

46. Which of the following pairs of recent books and authors is/are correctly matched?

1. ‗Great Indians — Surendranath Banerjee to Gandhi‘ by Balraj Krishna

2. ‗Civil Disobedience — Two Freedom Struggles, One Life‘ by L.C. Jain

3. ‗150 Years: India in Photographs‘ by Homai Vyarawalla

(a) 1 and 2 only*

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only


(d) 1, 2 and 3

48. Project-75 India refers to which of the following?

(a) Next generation submarines for the Indian Navy*

(b) Next generation combat aircrafts for the Indian Air Force

(c) Next generation battle tanks for the Indian Army

(d) Project to build a new aircraft carrier

49. Which of the following pairs of recent books and authors is/are correctly matched?

1. ‗Grit Guts and Gallantry – Officers and Gentleman of the Indian Army‘ by Mahip Chadha

2. ‗Indian Aircraft Industry‘ by Brahma Chellaney

3. ‗Hyde And Seek: The Truth About Indo-Us Nuclear Deal‘ by Jasjit Singh

(a) 1 only*

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

50. Which countries contribute the largest share of the International Criminal Court‟s $100m budget?

(a) Germany and Japan*

(b) America and Britain

(c) Switzerland and Finland

(d) Norway and Denmark


TEST - II


List I

(Light House to be

developed for

promoting tourism)

List II

(State)

A. Dolphin Nose 1. Goa

B. False Point 2. Andhra Pradesh

C. Kadalur Point 3. Orissa

D. Aguada 4. Kerala

Code:

A B C D

(a)* 2 3 4 1

(b) 2 4 3 1

(c) 3 2 4 1

(d) 3 4 1 2

2. Where was the Wildscreen Festival, the global wildlife and environmental film festival, organised recently?

(a) Chennai

(b) Mumbai

(c) Bangalore

(d) Hyderabad*

3. Consider the following statements about the recent US veto at the UN Security Council.

1. The veto was on a draft resolution that condemned US invasion in Iraq and Afghanistan

2. US used the veto for the first time since 2006

3. This was the first instance of Veto use by the Obama administration


(b) 2 and 3 only*

(c) 3 and 1 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

4. Where was the G20 annual Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting organised recently?

(a) Canberra

(b) Paris*

(c) London

(d) Jakarta


List I

(Chinese/Indian

traveller)

List II

(visited in)

A. Hiuen Tsang to

India

1. 1st Century AD

B. Fa-Hien to India 2. 4th

Century AD

C. I-Tsang to India 3. 7th

Century AD

D. Kasyapa Matanga

and Dharmaraksha

4. 10th

Century AD


to China

Code:

A B C D

(a) 2 1 4 3

(b) 3 1 4 2

(c)* 3 2 4 1

(d) 3 4 1 2

6. Defence Minister of which European country was in news for renouncing his doctorate over charges of plagiarism recently?

(a) France

(b) Britain

(c) Germany*

(d) Russia

7. „Air Power in Modern Warfare; Non-provocative Defence‟, „Nuclear India‟, „Kargil 1999‟, „Pakistan‟s Fourth War for

Kashmir‟ and „India‟s Defence Spending: Assessing Future Needs‟ are books authored by who among the following well known

defence analysts?

(a) C. Uday Bhaskar

(b) K. Santhanam

(c) K. Subrahmanyam

(d) Jasjit Singh*

8. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration, conferred on journalist M. J. Akbar recently, is given by

which state government every year?

(a) Assam*

(b) West Bengal

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Bihar

9. Professor Arun Mohanty was conferred with _______ Medal for his contribution to studies on Russia and promotion of

bilateral cultural ties and friendship recently.

(a) Lenin

(b) Pushkin*

(c) Gorbachev

(d) Sakharov

10. Which of the following is not a hedge fund?

(a) Highbridge

(b) Gartner*

(c) Blackstone

(d) D.E. Shaw

11. Which of the following became the first in Asia to install „anti-hail guns‟ to protect its apple crops recently?

(a) Jammu & Kashmir

(b) Uttarakhand

(c) Sikkim

(d) Himachal Pradesh*

12. What is the new low-cost computing device introduced by the Union HRD Ministry recently named?

(a) Param


(b) Akshay

(c) Sakshat*

(d) Prakhar


13. Consider the following statements about Bahrain.

1. Manama is the capital

2. Rial is the currency

3. Bahrain is ruled by the Al Sabah royal family

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only*

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

14. Whose record of playing six World Cups was equalled by Sachin Tendulkar recently?

(a) Brian Lara

(b) Vivian Richards

(c) Ravi Shastri

(d) Javed Miandad*

15. The European Space Agency‟s space freighter which successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) recently is

named after who among the following astronomers?

(a) William Herschel

(b) Nicolaus Copernicus

(c) Galileo Galilei

(d) Johannes Kepler*

16. Preferred Provider Network (PPN) is a term used in which of the following businesses?

(a) Commodities trading

(b) Retailing

(c) Health insurance*

(d) Cable TV

17. Consider the following statements about the District Information System for Education (DISE) report on Universal

Elementary Education (UEE).

1. Gross Enrollment Ratio at the Primary Level exceeded 100 in 2009-10

2. Number of students enrolled in Primary Level (I to V) exceeded 13 crore in 2009-10

3. Number of students enrolled in Upper Primary Level (VI to VIII) was less than 6 crore in 2009-10


(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 & 3 only*

18. The Kerala government has introduced a Bill in the State Assembly to force which company to pay compensation for the

alleged negative ecological and health effects of its factory at Plachimada in Palakkad district recently?

(a) Hindustan Unilever

(b) Coca-Cola*

(c) Proctor & Gamble

(d) GlaxoSmithKline

19. Which state has been able to improve enrollment of girls in schools because of its “Mukhya Mantri Balika Cycle Yojna” that

gives Rs 2,000 to every girl to buy herself a bicycle?

(a) Rajasthan

(b) Bihar*

(c) Jharkhand

(d) Chhattisgarh


20. Which of the following has won the design competition held by the revenue department for the construction of National Tax

Headquarters on the Kasturba Gandhi Marg in the National Capital recently?

(a) Morphogenesis

(b) C. P. Kukreja Associates

(c) Vistaar Architects & Planners*

(d) Pragathi Associates

21. „Impressions‟, released recently, is a collection of poems by who among the following Parliamentarians?

(a) Veerappa Moily

(b) Salman Khursheed

(c) Najma Heptullah*

(d) Jayanti Natarajan

22. Vihang Netra, developed by DRDO, is India‟s first______

(a) Radar

(b) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle*

(c) Night-vision device

(d) Minesweeper

23. Which Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member-country is the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, the U.S. Naval Forces

Central Command, and the Combined Maritime Forces?

(a) Bahrain*

(b) Kuwait

(c) Oman

(d) Qatar

24. “Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan”, the oldest festival of Indian Classical Music in the world, will complete 136

Years in December 2011. Where is this annual festival organised?

(a) Ludhiana

(b) Amritsar

(c) Patiala

(d) Jalandhar*

25. Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) is an initiative by who among the following to groom Olympic champions in the country?

(a) Michael Ferreira and Vijay Amritraj

(b) Rajyavardhan Rathore and Pullela Gopichand

(c) Prakash Padukone and Geet Sethi*

(d) Milkha Singh & PT Usha

26. Which of the following DRDO R&D institutions and their locations is/are correctly matched?

1. Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) – Kochi

2. Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) – Visakhapatnam

3. Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) – Ambernath, Mumbai

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3*

27. Which of the following statements about the ICC and Cricket World Cup is/are correct?

1. 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will feature 10 teams

2. Malcolm Speed is the CEO of International Cricket Council

3. 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup features fourteen teams


(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only*

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

28. Consider the following statements about the New-Delhi based Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).

1. Satish G. Inamdar is the Director General

2. Defence Minister of India is the President

3. The initiative for setting up IDSA came from then Defence Minister V. K. Krishna Menon, who was one of the Institute‘s founding

members

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 only*

(d) 2 and 3 only

29. Which of the following won the „Best Marching Contingent‟ award amongst the paramilitary forces recently?

(a) Border Security Force

(b) Assam Rifles

(c) Central Reserve Police Force

(d) Indo-Tibetan Border Police*

30. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Quick estimates of national income, consumption expenditure, saving and

capital formation for the financial year 2009-10 recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Gross Domestic Savings in 2009-10 were 33% of GDP

2. Gross Domestic Savings in 2009-10 grew 22.7% over 2008-09

3. Private Corporate Sector Savings exceeded Household Sector Savings in 2009-10

(a) 1 and 2 only*

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

31. Consider the following statements about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

1. Over 4 crore households have been provided jobs in 2010-11 upto December 1, 2010

2. Over 150 crore person-days have been generated in 2010-11 upto December 1, 2010

3. Women constitute less than half of those working in MGNREGA in 2010-11


(b) 2 only

(c) 3 and 1 only*

(d) 1, 2 and 3

32. Which of the following has decided to collaborate with the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) to create jobs for over

five lakh employable graduates in the country over the next 10 years recently?

(a) NIIT

(b) TeamLease Services Pvt. Ltd

(c) Talent Management International*

(d) Ma Foi Randstad


List I

(Airport)

List II

(Operating

company)

A. Indira Gandhi International Airport,

New Delhi

1. GVK group


B. Bengaluru International Airport 2. GMR Group

C. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport,

Hyderabad

D. Chhatrapati Shivaji International

Airport, Mumbai

Code:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 1 2

(b)* 2 1 2 1

(c) 1 1 2 2

(d) 2 2 1 1

33. Which of the following positions is occupied by a diplomat from Egypt, a country in news for change in government recently?

(a) Secretary-General of the Arab League*

(b) Executive Director of UNICEF

(c) Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

(d) Chairperson of the African Union

34. Who won the „best Test batting performance award‟ at the fourth annual ESPNcricinfo Awards recently?

(a) V.V.S. Laxman*

(b) Michael Hussey

(c) Virender Sehwag

(d) Sachin Tendulkar

35. The District Information System for Education (DISE) report on Universal Elementary Education (UEE) was released

recently.

1. Less than 10% schools were Single Teacher Schools in 2009-10

2. Less than 90% of schools had Drinking Water Facility in 2009-10

3. Average Student-Classroom Ration (SCR) for All Schools was less than 35 in 2009-10


(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only*

(d) 1, 2 & 3 only

36. Ranabir Chakravarti, Pushpa Prasad, N. Rajendran, Madhavi Thampi and D.P. Agrawal are well known:

(a) Painters

(b) Philatelists

(c) Historians*

(d) Astronomers


recently.

1. More than 5.5 million teachers were employed in 2009-10

2. Average Number of Teachers per School for All Schools was less than 5 in 2009-10

3. Average Number of Teachers per School for Government Schools was more than 4 in 2009-10

Which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only*

(b) 2 only


(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

38. The Union Ministry of Shipping launched a project for promoting lighthouses as tourist spots recently. The project involves

setting up of a National Heritage Museum at ___________ at a cost of Rs.50 crore.

(a) Nagapattinam

(b) Ramanathapuram

(c) Mamallapuram*

(d) Tuticorin

39. Who among the following well-known economists is the Chairperson of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) that reviewed

the functioning of the National Rural Health Mission recently?

(a) Amartya Sen

(b) Paul Krugman

(c) Joseph Stiglitz

(d) Jeffrey D Sachs*

40. Which of the following runs the Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law set up in collaboration with George

Washington University Law School?

(a) IIT, Delhi

(b) IIT, Madras

(c) IIT, Mumbai

(d) IIT, Kharagpur *

41. Consider the following statements about Belgium which recently created the dubious record of the longest period without the

formation of a new government after elections.

1. Belgium broke the record held by Iraq

2. Dutch speaking people form the majority in Wallonia, one of the two regions in Belgium

3. French speaking people form the majority in Flanders, one of the two regions in Belgium

Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only*

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

42. „Jogorku Kenesh‟ is the Parliament in which Central Asian country?

(a) Kazakhstan

(b) Kyrgyzstan*

(c) Turkmenistan

(d) Uzbekistan

43. With which of the following G7 countries has India signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

recently?

(a) UK

(b) Japan*

(c) France

(d) Canada

44. Who among the following was named as its Special Envoy by Paris-based UNESCO to address the issue of World Heritage

Site–Preah Vihear?

(a) Federico Mayor Zaragoza

(b) Koichiro Matsuura*

(c) T. John Wilkinson Taylor

(d) Jaime Torres Bodet


45. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has projected a growth rate of ______ for 2011-12 in its latest review of

the country‟s economy recently.

(a) 7.4%

(b) 8.2%

(c) 8.8%*

(d) 9.2%

46. Which of the following has introduced a new tool named Data Ware Housing and Business Intelligence System (DWBIS) for

speedy analysis of data and identification of violations?

(a) IRDA

(b) SEBI*

(c) TRAI

(d) PFRDA

47. The government has decided to recapitalise five state-owned banks recently. Which of the following will get the highest

amount?

(a) Dena Bank

(b) UCO Bank*

(c) United Bank of India

(d) Vijaya Bank

48. Which of the following is the greenest city in Asia as per the Asian Green City Index unveiled recently?

(a) Singapore*

(b) Tokyo

(c) Hong Kong

(d) Seoul


List I

(Person)

List II

(NGO)

A. Ramesh

Ramanathan

1. Janaagraha

B. Akhila Sivadas 2. Center For Advocacy

& Research

C. Dr Pradip Kumar

Sarmah

3. Centre for Rural

Development

D. Anshu Gupta 4. Goonj

Code:

A B C D

(a)* 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 1 3 4

(c) 3 2 1 4

(d) 4 3 1 2


recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Pupil-Teacher Ratio was more than 40 in 2009-10

2. Gender Parity Index from Primary Level (I to V) was less than 1 in 2009-10

3. Gender Parity Index from Upper Primary Level (VI to VIII) was less than 1 in 2009-10

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only*

(d) 1, 2 & 3 only


EXPLANATORY ANSWERS

TEST - I

Answer 1:

The week-long Indipex-2011 World Philatelic Exhibition organised at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi concluded on February 18, 2011. The

unique exhibition, where the world‘s top postal organisations marked their presence, saw around 1.25-lakh footfalls, while visitors bought

unique articles to add to their philately collection. ―It is one unique show where the world‘s oldest postal organisation, the Royal Mail

from Britain; the world‘s largest postal network with over 1.5-lakh post offices, India Post; and the world‘s biggest network in terms of

turnover, the U.S. Postal Service; participated,‖ said Indipex-2011 director Harpreet Singh. Apart from the three big postal organisations,

595 collectors from 70 countries, 28 philatelic dealers and 31 postal administrations took part in the exhibition. Kavery Banerjee was the

Chairperson of INDIPEX 2011

Answer 2:

Indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Nishant has successfully completed a series of confirmatory trials conducted by the Army at

Chandan Range Pokharan, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) said on February 3, 2011. Nishant was designed

and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO laboratory specialising in UAVs, Flight Control Systems and

simulators, in partnership with Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory, Dehradun, Research & Development Establishment

(Engineers), Pune, and Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment, Agra.

Answer 3:

‗District Information System for Education (DISE) Flash Statistics: 2009-10, Progress towards UEE (Universal Elementary Education)‘

was released on February 2, 2011 by Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal. These statistics are based on the data collected during the year

2009-10 with 30th

September 2009 as its date of reference.

Answer 4:

2011 Padma Bhushan awardee Mahesh N Buch joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1957 and held a number of senior posts

under the state government in the Madhya Pradesh. Buch is currently Chairman of the National Centre for Human Settlements and

Environment at Bhopal, an applied research institution working in the field of settlements planning, afforestation, environmental

protection, watershed management, consumer protection and skill development. His main areas of concern are Town Country Planning,

Housing, Afforestation and Environmental Protection.

2011 Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Ramdas Madhav Pai is President Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Manipal,

Karnataka.

2011 Padma Bhushan awardee late Dashrath Patel (passed away in December 2010) was a well known artiste. He helped found the

National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad.

2011 Padma Bhushan awardee late K. Raghavan Thirumulpad (passed away in November 2010) was an Ayurvedic scholar and

physician hailing from Kerala.

Answer 5:

The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry has announced assistance worth Rs. 5 crores to the PT Usha run Usha Athletics School, for

development of Synthetic Turf at Kozhikode, Kerala on February 13, 2011. The sporting legend who was present on the occasion said that


the synthetic turf would help the athletes training at her school immensely since in this monsoon affected region of Kerela dry tracks and

turf were very difficult to find and maintain.

Answer 6:

Anubrotto Kumar Roy popularly known as Dunu Roy obtained a B.Tech in 1967 and an M. Tech in 1969 from the IIT Bombay. A

chemical engineer, he provided technical expertise to rural communities, carried out prolonged experiment in environmental planning and

now provides succour to those who became victims of Delhi‘s hazardous life. He runs an institution named the ―Hazard Centre‖ in Delhi.

Anjali Gopalan is the Founder and Executive Director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust.

Mijwan Welfare Society is an NGO run by actress Shabana Azmi after the death of her father Late Kaifi Azmi, who was the founder of

MWS.

Venkat Krishnan N. graduated from IIM-Ahmedabad in 1993 and started his career with the media, working first at "The Times of

India" in various corporate and brand management functions. In 1996, he co-founded Eklavya Education Foundation along with 3 other

IIMA alumni. Venkat set up and ran the Eklavya School. The school used innovative pedagogical approaches to help children learn rather

than be taught. The school also ran a novel programme integrating children from the slums and from some of the wealthiest families of

Ahmedabad city into the same classrooms. Venkat set up GiveIndia in 2000, to create a "giving culture" in India by providing people with

opportunities to contribute to good causes.

Answer 7:

Tuticorin Port in South Tamil Nadu was renamed as V.O. Chidambaranar Port after the legendary freedom fighter on February 19, 2011.

Answer 8:

Jerdon‘s Courser, a nocturnal bird from Andhra Pradesh which is one of the 50 rarest birds of the world, is facing the threat of extinction.

A high-level committee of the Environment Ministry in February 2011 decided to include the Jerdon‘s Courser as the 16th

species in its

Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats‘ (IDWH) scheme under which measures are taken for protection of the endangered species.

The list of endangered species for whose protection special steps are being taken include snow leopard in Kashmir, brow antlered deer in

Manipur and the megapode from Nicobar. It also includes the Asiatic lion, which is now only found in Gir wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat.

Answer 9:

Dilip Shanghvi – CMD, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries

R S Agarwal and R S Goenka – Executive chairman and Director, respectively, Emami Ltd

Rahul Bhatia – MD, Interglobe Aviation Ltd (operates the budget airline IndiGo)

Rajesh Agarwal – MD, Micromax Informatics Ltd

Answer 10:

PM Dr Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of National Institute of Design at Jorhat Campus in Assam on February 19, 2011. This

will be the second Institute of its type in India after the first National Institute of Design was set up in Ahmedabad fifty years ago.

Answer 11:

UTV Software Communications Ronnie Screwvala

Rajju Devidas Shroff – CMD, United Phosphorus Ltd (crop protection, chemicals and seeds)

Rajiv Lall – Managing director and CEO of Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited (IDFC)

Shyam S Bhartia and Hari S Bhartia – CMD/Co-Chairman & MD, Jubilant Lifesciences Ltd

Answer 12:

A group of naval divers on board INS Nireekshak, the Navy‘s only Diving Support Ship, on February 16, 2011 set a new national

record by diving to a depth of 233 metres in the seas off Kochi coast, bettering a record of 218 metres attained by Navy divers in March

2007.

Answer 13:

Nikhil R. Meswani is Executive Director at Reliance Industries Ltd.

Vineet Nayar is CEO, Vice Chairman, HCL Technologies

Pawan Goenka is President – Automotive Sector at Mahindra & Mahindra

Prathap Reddy is the founder Chairman of Apollo Hospitals


Answer 14:

Around 5:00 PM on February 18, 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet loaded a sack of 6,500 cards and letters on a two-seater bi-plane

stationed at a polo field in Allahabad and soared into the evening sky. The flight to Naini lasted barely 13 minutes; the plane flew a mere

five miles. But history had been made. This was the world‘s first official airmail. Among the letters was one written by Motilal Nehru to

his son Jawahar; some were addressed to England‘s King George V. To commemorate the occasion 100 years later, India Post re-enacted

that historic moment through a special flight between Allahabad and Naini on Feb 12. On Feb 18, 2011, La Poste in France issued a stamp

of Pequet, who was only 23 years old when he made the flight.

Answer 15:

After deciding to deploy revenue service officers at eight overseas Income Tax units, the government will now depute IRS officers to an

international economic body OECD to enhance Indian capabilities in tackling money laundering, tax crimes and bribery. Finance Minister

Pranab Mukherjee in February 2011 approved the proposal for deputing the officials to Paris-headquartered body as advisors. Indian tax

officials will function in three broad areas of tax administration and tax crimes - exchange of tax crime information, transfer pricing and

the global forum for transparency and exchange of information for tax matters. The government wants these officers to liaise with tax

authorities of other countries and subsequently gain expertise to effectively tackle the issue of black money and stashing of illegal funds in

tax haven nations.

Answer 16:

The Philippine government is holding peace talks with the country‘s main Islamic militant group. After months of delays, delegates from

President Benigno Aquino‘s peace panel are meeting their counterparts from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The discussions started in

the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur in February 2011.

Answer 17:

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Arun Yadav presented the NCDC Biennial awards to 27 Primary

Cooperative Societies from different parts of the country in New Delhi on February 4, 2011. NCDC is National Cooperative Development

Corporation.

Answer 18:

The National Association of Software & Services (NASSCOM) on February 8, 2010 announced the winners of its 7th

Annual Global

Leadership Awards. The Award Winners:

Global Business Leader: Louis Chenevert, CEO & Chairman, UTC (United Technologies Corporation)

Global Strategist: Viswanathan Anand, World Chess Champion

Global Indian: Prof. Raghuram G. Rajan, Economist

Global Innovator: Shantanu Narayen, President and CEO, Adobe Systems Inc.

Answer 19:

Leandro Negre is President of International Hockey Federation (FIH)

Sepp Blatter is President of FIFA

Jacques Rogge is President of International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Francesco Ricci Bitti is President International Tennis Federation (ITF)

Answer 21:

Andalusia is an autonomous community of Spain and recognized as a historical nationality.

Zeeland is a province in Netherlands

Inner Mongolia is a Mongol autonomous region of the People‘s Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a 1,250-km long peninsula in the Russian Far East.

Answer 22:

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India in the energy-related

infrastructure sector and Abengoa, Spain, the European leader in solar and other energy-related projects, in February 2011 joined hands to

develop state-of-the-art Concentrated Solar Power projects in India. The agreement will enable both the organisations to leverage their

capabilities in offering EPC solutions for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects in India, as well as give them the opportunity to

explore cooperation in energy projects in other parts of the world.


Answer 23:

The Union Cabinet on February 10, 2011 approved the proposal of Ministry of Finance to move the necessary amendments in the Coinage

Bill 2009. A Bill to this effect will be introduced in the Parliament. The Coinage Bill 2009 seeks to amalgamate four existing Acts relating

to coinage, namely (i) The Indian Coinage Act, 1906; (it) The Small Coins (Offences) Act, 1971; (iii) The Metal Token Act, 1889 and the

Bronze Coin (Legal Tender) Act, 1918, apart from revision of the provisions of these Acts keeping in view the present realities.

Answer 24:

The ABP Group (publisher of weekly magazine BusinessWorld) launched Fortune India under a licensing agreement with Time Warner

Inc. Fortune India is only the third country-specific edition for the 80-year-old magazine, apart from the American one. These are in the

Chinese language and Fortune Turkey.

Answer 25:

Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry in a bilateral meeting between and Sheikha Lubna Bint Al Qasimi, Minister of

Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates in New Delhi on February 10, 2011 said that bilateral trade between India and UAE has registered

an increase over 300% in the last five years. He said that UAE is the topmost trading partner of India representing about 60% of India‘s

export to GCC countries 2009-10. Bilateral trade has increased from US $ 12,945.87 million in 2005-06 to US$ 43,469.50 million in

2009-10. The Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] was established in an agreement concluded on 25 May 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

between: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Answer 26:

Hardeep Singh Puri is India‘s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN). Susan Rice is US Ambassador to the UN.

Answer 27:

Surendra Singh, a former Union Cabinet Secretary, is among the Padma Bhushan awardees for 2011. Joining IAS in 1959, he served the

UP Government and the Union Government in various capacities. After retirement, Singh served as Executive Director on the Board of

the World Bank, representing India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Singh continues to advise Government of India in the capacity of

a Member of Government of India Consultative Committees on Industry, International Economic Relations, Energy, Transport and

Tourism.

An engineer by training, Ajai Chowdhry is one of the six founder members of HCL, India‘s leading Technology and IT Enterprise. HCL,

India‘s original IT garage start-up founded in 1976, is today a US$ 5.7 billion Global Enterprise. He was awarded 2011 Padma Bhushan

recently.

2011 Padma Bhushan awardee Analjit Singh is the Founder & Chairman of Max India Limited, Chairman of Max New York Life

Insurance Company Limited; Max Healthcare Institute Limited.

2011 Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Keki Grant is a renowned Cardiologist. He is founder of Ruby Hall Clinic. He was conferred Padma

Bhushan Posthumously.

Answer 28:

―Thanjavur: A Cultural History‖, a book by author Pradeep Chakravarty and photographer Vikram Sathyanathan was released in February

2011.

Answer 29:

The oldest recipient of Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, Lieutenant Colonel Man Bahadur Rai passed away at Jorhat

in Assam on February 14, 2011. He was 95. Lt. Col. Man Bahadur Rai served in 8 Assam Rifles during the tumultuous era of the sixties.

He was awarded the Ashok Chakra in 1961 for his gallant action against insurgents in Nagaland, where he led a platoon through two

hostile positions into the heart of their stronghold and dislodged them.

Answer 30:

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke

Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates


Attorney General Eric Holder

Answer 31:

The German Defence Minister, Karl Theodor Guttenberg met Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi on February 9, 2011.

Answer 32:

The Minister of State for Defence, M.M. Pallam Raju released a CII-KPMG report titled ‗Unlocking the Potential of the Indian Aerospace

and Defence Industry‘ on February 10, 2011.

Answer 33:

Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia on February 3, 2011 conferred the Bhim Award on Dinesh Kumar of Bhiwani (Boxing), Suman

Kundu of Jind (Wrestling), Anil Kumar of Jhajjar (Judo), Kavita of Hisar (Boxing), Jayati Pathak of Yamunanagar (Taekwondo), Sunita

Devi of Rohtak (Paralympics athletics) and Gyanand Singh of Bhiwani (Paralympics athletics). They were given a cash award of Rs. 2

lakh each apart from a Bhim idol, a scroll, a blazer and a tie.

Answer 34:

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), U.K., and Defence Research and Development Organisations (DRDO) will soon

enter into mutual agreement in different technology areas as part of building mutual relationship in Defence and security system. Richard

Paniguian, Head of U.K. Trade and Investment‘s Defence and Security Organisation, on February 8, 2011 said that both the organisations

have identified their areas of interest and an agreement will be formalised shortly.

Answer 35:

The 17th

Commonwealth Law Conference (CLC) was organised in Hyderabad February 5 to 0, 2011. Over 1,000 lawyers, judges, and

legal academics from 54 Commonwealth countries attended the CLC. The theme of the conference was ‗Emerging Economies and the

Rule of Law: Challenges and Opportunities‘.

Answer 36:

Donald Rumsfeld, who as Defence Secretary led the United States military in two wars, says his President George W Bush did not ask

him whether invading Iraq was the right action, in his memoirs that are also critical of the former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. In

his exhaustive book ―Known and Unknown‖, unveiled in February 2011, Rumsfeld is critical of many of his former colleagues and says

he wanted to quit following the Abu Ghraib human rights scandal but his resignation was vetoed by the President.

Answer 37:

Innoz Technologies, a mobile value-added services company based in Thiruvananthapuram won the Red Herring Global 100 award for

2010 in January 2011. This honour is bestowed every year on the 100 most promising technology companies across the globe, that are

expected to lead the next wave of ‗disruption‘ and industry innovation.

Answer 38:

WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange on February 6, 2011 threatened to sue The Guardian over a book its journalists have written about his

whistleblowing website. The book — ―WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange‘s War on Secrecy‖ by David Leigh and Luke Harding — being

publicised as the ―first full-scale biography‘‘ of Assange and the ―WikiLeaks phenomenon‘‘ is said to be not wholly flattering to him.

Besides revealing details about his personal life, it is reported to be critical of his robust style and his alleged tendency to be a ―control

freak‘‘. ―This book will bring you as close to the unvarnished truth as you‘re likely to get,‖ said Mr. Leigh who played a key role in

forging the deal that allowed The Guardian to publish cables. Alleging that the book contained ―malicious libels‘‘, Mr. Assange‘s website

said it would be taking legal action.

Answer 39:

India is contemplating moving the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the US James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act,

2010, which levies a two per cent tax on all goods and services procured by the US from countries not party to an international

procurement agreement with it. India is likely to take up the case with the WTO arguing that it violates the very premise of the WTO that

calls for Most Favourable Nation (MFN) and national treatment obligation to the countries which are a part of the world trade body.

According to the act, signed by US President Barack Obama this year, an additional tax of 2 per cent is imposed on any foreign person

that receives federal procurement payments. However, countries with which the US has a GPA or bilateral agreement will not be impacted


by the act. Thus developed countries which have a government procurement agreement (GPA) with the US will be cushioned against the

new levy. However, developing nations like India would be at a disadvantage.

Answer 41:

The third edition of ―Jumbo‖ Majumdar International Conference on ―Aerospace Leadership in the coming decades‖ was organised in

New Delhi on February 3-4, 2011. The conference was jointly organized by the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), Air Headquarters

and Vivekananda International Foundation. The conference commemorates one of the great pioneers of the Indian Air Force (IAF), late

Wing Commander KK ―Jumbo‖ Majumdar, who was twice decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), first with IAF in Burma

front 71 years ago, and second in the European theatre of World War-II, flying with the Royal Air Force.

Answer 42:

The three-day long sixth All India Telugu Conference was organised in Berhampur, Orissa from February 4-6, 2011. The conference,

organised by Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (PSTU) in association with Berhampur based Telugu organisation ‗Andhra

Bhasabhivardhani Samajam‘ and several other associations was attended by around 2,000 delegates from across the country.

Answer 43:

Global fish consumption has increased to an all-time high of 17 kg per person on average because of increasing aquaculture activities, the

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said. Fish now accounts for at least 15 per cent of the animal protein intake

of over three billion people, an FAO statement said on February 1, 2011. The FAO report, titled, ‗State of the World‘s Fisheries and

Aquaculture‘, said that fisheries and aquaculture provide livelihood to an estimated 540 million people, or 8 per cent of the world

population. Fish products continue to be the most-traded of food commodities, raking in a record USD 102 billion in 2008, up 9 per cent

compared to 2007. Global production of fish and fish products rose from 140 million tonnes in 2007 to 145 million tonnes in 2009,

according to the FAO report.

Answer 44:

The Kyrgyz parliament on February 18, 2011 approved the naming of a mountain peak after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The

lawmakers overwhelmingly agreed with a proposal by Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev to dedicate a peak in the Tien Shan

(Heavenly Mountains) range to his Russian counterpart. The Putin peak is located in the Chui Region close to the border with Kazakhstan

with an altitude of 14,586 feet.

Answer 45:

Mercedes Benz – Maybach; Bugatti – Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport; Porsche – Cayenne; Rolls-Royce –Phantom

German premium carmaker Mercedes Benz reintroduced its super premium sedan, Maybach, in India on February 1, 2011 sporting a

maximum tag of Rs. 5.10 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). Some of the other luxury carmakers operating in India are Rolls-Royce, Bentley,

Bugatti and Porsche. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is the most expensive car priced at 16 crore.

Answer 46:

―Great Indians — Surendranath Banerjee to Gandhi‖ by Balraj Krishna

―Civil Disobedience — Two Freedom Struggles, One Life‖ by L.C. Jain

―150 Years: India in Photographs‖ by S. Prasannarajan

Answer 48:

The Navy will issue a global tender for procuring six next generation submarines worth over Rs 50,000 crore by the end of this year. "The

government has cleared Project-75 India which is the next lot of six submarines... At the moment we are going with the Request for

Information (RFI) process, I hope within this year we would be able to push off the tender," Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said on

February 16, 2011. Project-75 India is a follow on of the Scorpene submarine project, six of which are being built by the Mazagon

Dockyards Limited (MDL) under a Rs 20,000 crore deal with French company DCNS. With a depleted submarine strength, the Navy is

planning to induct over 12 submarines in the next 10-12 years.

Answer 49:

‗Grit Guts and Gallantry – Officers and Gentleman of the Indian Army‘ by Mahip Chadha

‗Indian Aircraft Industry‘ by Jasjit Singh

‗Hyde And Seek: The Truth About Indo-Us Nuclear Deal‘ by Brahma Chellaney


Answer 50:

Japan and German contribute the largest share of the $100 million-plus budget of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is a

permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression (although it

cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression). The creation of the ICC perhaps constitutes the most significant

reform of international law since 1945. It gives teeth to the two bodies of international law that deal with treatment of individuals: human

rights and humanitarian law. The official seat of the court is in The Hague, Netherlands, but its proceedings may take place anywhere.


TEST - II

Answer 1:

Union Minister of Shipping G.K.Vasan launched the project for promoting lighthouses as tourist spots, in Chennai on February 12, 2011.

The ambitious project for promotion of tourism in 14 lighthouses across the country is estimate to cost Rs. 300 crore. The objective is to

turn these lighthouses and surrounding areas into maritime landmark destinations and develop allied maritime infrastructure. Some of the

light houses included in the project are: Dolphin Nose Light House in Andhra Pradesh; Kadalur Point in Kerala; Aguada Light House in

Goa; False Point Light House in Orissa

Answer 2:

Wildscreen Festival, the global wildlife and environmental film festival, was organised in Hyderabad from February 15 to 19, 2011.

Organised by the British Council in partnership with Taj Krishna and Prasads Media Corporation Ltd., the five-day festival saw screening

of award-winning films on climate change and wildlife.

Answer 3:

The United States on February 18, 2011 vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution that condemns Israel‘s settlement activity in the

Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. The Palestinian-backed draft resolution came to a vote in an open meeting of the 15-

member Council, after relentless efforts by U.S. President Barack Obama‘s administration to persuade Palestinian leaders to drop the

action. The resolution received 14 votes in favor, but was shot down by the U.S opposition and veto power as a permanent member of the

Council. The veto is the Obama Administration‘s first in the powerful world body.

The United States issued its last veto in November 2006 against a resolution that called on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza. The

Council resolution was drafted by Arab countries and co- sponsored by more than 120 UN member states. It refers to all Israeli settlement

activity in the Palestinian territory as ―illegal‖ and as ―a major obstacle to the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.‖

The resolution falls in line with previous calls by the international community, including the United States, for Israel to halt construction

of the settlements. But the Obama administration has argued that the issue should be resolved by direct negotiations between the

Palestinians and Israelis, rather than taken up by the Security Council. The peace negotiations are at a standstill as Palestinian leaders

ended U.S.-brokered direct talks with Israel in September, following Israel‘s refusal to extend a moratorium on settlement construction.

Answer 4:

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting reached a deal on indicators to detect economic imbalances at the

meeting held in Paris on February 20, 2011. The world‘s leading economies agreed on a compromise after ―frank, sometimes tense‖

negotiations, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said. The deal was agreed after softening criteria on current account surpluses to

get China on board. The aim is to co-ordinate policies more to avoid another economic crisis. There had been lengthy discussion on the

indicators to be used, after reports that China, sensitive over its currency policy, had resisted the inclusion of some economic indicators.

G20 members: South Africa, Canada, Mexico, United States, Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Saudi

Arabia, Russia, Turkey, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Australia. Collectively, the G-20 economies

comprise 85% of global gross national product, 80% of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population.

Answer 5:

An exhibition ―Treasures of Ancient China‖ was inaugurated on February 19, 2011 in New Delhi. The exhibition has been organized by

Archaeological Survey of India in collaboration with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and Art Exhibitions China as

its executing agency. Ninety-five Chinese artefacts will be showcased representing Chinese culture from the Neolithic period (about

10,000 BC) to the Qing dynastic period. The ancient silk route and the introduction of Buddhism from India to China were some

important connections between the two countries in ancient times. Fa-Hien (4th

century AD), Hiuen Tsang (7th

century AD) and I-Tsang

(10th

century AD) are some important Chinese travellers to India whose travel accounts form important basic source materials for Indian

history. Indian monks Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksha went to China in 68 AD on white horses carrying Buddhist scriptures and

established the first Buddhist temple in China namely the White Horse Temple at Luoyang, then China‘s Capital. The exhibition currently

on display at the National Museum, New Delhi till 20th March 2011 will also travel to three other venues in India as per the following

schedule: a) Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales Museum), Mumbai in Apr-Jun, 2011; b) Salar

Jung Museum, Hyderabad in Jun-Aug, 2011; and c) National Library, Kolkata from Sept-Nov 2011.

Answer 6:


German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg on February 18, 2011 renounced his doctorate title following accusations of

plagiarism. German media allege several passages of his 2006 thesis were lifted from other people‘s work. The minister strongly denied

the claims. He said there were undoubtedly mistakes and he was unhappy about them.

Answer 7:

Air Commodore (Retd) Jasjit Singh is a former Director of Operations of the IAF. He is one of the leading analysts of Indian military and

strategic thought. He has published extensively and is the author and editor of more than two dozen books on strategic and security issues

of South Asia, including - Air Power in Modern Warfare; Non-provocative Defence; Nuclear India; Kargil 1999: Pakistan‘s Fourth War

for Kashmir; and India‘s Defence Spending: Assessing Future Needs. Dr Jasjit Singh is currently the Director of the New Delhi based

Centre for Air Power Studies.

Answer 8:

The PM Dr. Manmohan Singh presented Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award 2008 and 2009 and unveiled the plaque of Jica Assisted

Water Supply Project for Guwahati City in Guwahati on February 18, 2011. The Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National

Integration, instituted by the Assam government was conferred on M. J. Akbar and Hema Bharali for the years 2008 and 2009

respectively. While Akbar is a distinguished editor and a prolific author, Bharali is an eminent freedom fighter closely associated with the

Bhoodan movement. Over the past several decades, she has constantly engaged herself in promoting education and activities for social

uplift of the under privileged sections of our society, thus contributing to the cause of social harmony.

Answer 9:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in February 2011 awarded the prestigious Pushkin Gold Medal to Professor Arun Mohanty of the

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for his contribution to studies on Russia and promotion of bilateral cultural ties and friendship. The

Pushkin Gold Medal is the highest honorary award given in recognition of outstanding contributions to the promotion of the Russian

language and culture. More than 10 Indian scholars and public figures have been awarded the medal since its institution in 1977.

Answer 10:

Gartner, Inc. is an information technology research and advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It was known as

Gartner Group until 2001. A hedge fund is an investment fund that is typically open to a limited range of investors who pay a

performance fee to the fund‘s investment manager. Every hedge fund has its own investment strategy that determines the type of

investments it undertakes and these strategies are highly individual. As a class, hedge funds undertake a wider range of investment and

trading activities than traditional long-only investment funds, and invest in a broader range of assets including long and short positions in

shares, bonds and commodities. As the name implies, hedge funds often seek to hedge some of the risks inherent in their investments

using a variety of methods, notably short selling and derivatives. Magellan, Highbridge, Blackstone and D.E. Shaw are world‘s top four

hedge funds.

Answer 11:

To the relief of apple growers in the state, Himachal Pradesh on February 16, 2011 announced it will become the first state in Asia to

install ‗anti-hail guns‘. The equipment has already been tested successfully, said Horticulture Minister of the state. It has been installed in

Shimla with a cost of Rs 3 crore. Whenever the radar will detect hail bearing clouds, the guns will automatically fire to change hails in to

rain. The range of one gun shall be 3 km in radius. The instrument shall start functioning in March-April during the blooming period of

apple trees.

Answer 12:

The government in January 2011 introduced Sakshat, said to be the world‘s cheapest tablet priced at around $35 (around Rs 1,500).

Sakshat will be available in different screen sizes like 5-inch, 7 and 10. Other features include 2GB of RAM, web-conferencing, PDF

reader unzip, WiFi, camera and USB connectivity. The Government has assigned Rs 300 million for Sakshat tablet project. At the time of

showcasing the product in July 2010, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal had said that the low cost-access-cum

computing device could become even cheaper if more companies decide to manufacture a similar device.

Answer 13:

Bahrain, a Constitutional Monarchy, is a small island country located near the western shores of the Persian Gulf and ruled by the Al

Khalifa royal family. While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest (Bahrain Island) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km

(11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway. Qatar is to the southeast across the

Gulf of Bahrain. Manama is the capital and the largest city while Bahraini Dinar is the currency.


King: Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa

Crown Prince: Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa

Prime Minister: Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa

Thousands of mourners called for the downfall of Bahrain‘s ruling monarchy as burials began on February 18, 2011 after a deadly assault

on pro-reform protesters that has brought army tanks into the streets of one of the most strategic Western allies in the Gulf. The cries

against Bahrain‘s king and his inner circle reflect an escalation of the demands from a political uprising that began just with calls to

weaken the Sunni monarchy‘s hold on top government posts and address claims of discrimination against the Shiite majority in the tiny

island nation.

Answer 14:

Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad‘s record of six World Cup appearances -- the most by any cricketer – was equalled by Sachin

Tendulkar in February 2011. The ongoing World Cup is Tendulkar‘s sixth, whose first appearance in the quadrennial tournament came in

1992 in Australia and New Zealand. Miandad played in World Cups from 1975 to 1996.

Answer 15:

The European Space Agency‘s space freighter Johannes Kepler on February 24, 2011 successfully docked with the International Space

Station (ISS). The 20-tonne ship is carrying food, fuel and equipment for the ISS, and will be used as a store cupboard by the ISS crew.

Answer 16:

Cashless medical facilities for persons insured with PSU companies are now available in 560 hospitals in four big cities and the network

will be expanded to four more cities as well, the Rajya Sabha was informed on February 22, 2011 by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Presently 560 hospitals are included in the Preferred Provider Network (PPN) in the four cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

It has also been decided to expand the PPN network to other four centres -- Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chandigarh," Mukherjee

said in written reply. Insurance companies have a network of hospitals, known as preferred provider network (PPN), which offers health

insurance services under cashless facility. The network hospitals are decided through the agreement between the Third Party

Administrators (TPAs) and the hospitals and the list is amended from time to time.

Answer 17:



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The Gross Enrolment Ratio or Gross Enrolment Index (GEI) is a statistical measure used in the education sector and by the United

Nations in its Education Index. The GER gives a rough indication of the level of education from kindergarten to postgraduate education.

The United Nations measures the GER as the percentage of students enrolled in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education out of

the school age population for the three levels.


Answer 18:

The Kerala government on February 23, 2011 introduced a Bill in the State Assembly to force Coca-Cola to pay compensation for the

alleged negative ecological and health effects of its erstwhile factory at Plachimada in Palakkad district, and to distribute this money to the

victims. The Plachimada Coca-Cola Victims — Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal —2011 Bill proposes to get

compensation from the company and to form a tribunal to provide time-bound compensation. The tribunal is to have a chairman, a

technical member and an administrative member.

Answer 19:

In the three-year-old ―Mukhya Mantri Balika Cycle Yojna‖, the Bihar Government gives Rs 2,000 to every girl to buy herself a bike. The

money is allotted to District Education Officer, who gives it to the school by bank draft, which then disburses it to the student

Answer 20:

The design of the National Tax Headquarters has been finalised after holding an open competition in association with the Council of

Architecture (CoA). Vistaar Architects & Planners, a Mumbai-based architect firm, on February 22, 2011 won the design competition

held by the revenue department for the construction of National Tax Headquarters on the Kasturba Gandhi Marg in the National Capital.

In this competition, the first prize of Rs 10 lakh has been awarded to architect Siddharth Shirur of Vistaar Architects & Planners of

Mumbai. The entire building rests on nine vertical cores and is essentially hung top-down from a set of large trusses which span the cores.

This allows for the ground level to be almost entirely free and mingle with the existing and the developed landscape seamlessly. The

second prize of Rs 5 lakh has been awarded to architect S.R. Sikka of Sikka Associates, New Delhi, while the third prize of Rs 3 lakh has

been given to the entry submitted by architect Manit Rastogi of Morphogenesis, New Delhi. Three consolation prizes of Rs 1 lakh each

have also been conferred.

Answer 21: BJP veteran L.K. Advani on February 14, 2011 released ‗Impressions‘, a collection of poems by senior parliamentarian

Najma Heptullah.

Answer 22: Vihang Netra is India‘s first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by DRDO. It can monitor snow cover and

avalanches in remote places, detect crevasses and help in mapping safe routes.

Answer 24:

―Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan‖, the oldest festival of Indian Classical Music in the world, will complete 136 Years in

December 2011. The Government of India has recognized this festival as one of the National Festivals of Music.

Answer 26: Since naval warfare is highly complex and technology-intensive, the DRDO set up the Directorate of Naval Research and

Development to coordinate the activities of the Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) in Kochi, the Naval Science and

Technological Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam and the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) at Ambernath, near Mumbai.

Answer 27: The number of teams for the 2015 ODI World Cup would be reduced to 10. This was confirmed by International Cricket

Council CEO Haroon Lorgat in Dhaka on February 18, 2011. The governing body‘s decision on team reduction was taken last year and

ratified by the executive board in Dubai recently. However, the ICC World Twenty20 will feature 16 teams. The 2011 ICC Cricket World

Cup being co-hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka features 14 national cricket teams, including ten full members and four associate

members.

Answer 28: IDSA was established in New Delhi in 1965. Its mission was to provide objective assessments of issues relating to national

and international security. The initiative for setting up the Institute came from then Defence Minister Yashwantrao Chavan, who was

one of the Institute‘s founding members. Narendra S. Sisodia is the Director General of IDSA while Defence Minister A. K. Antony is

the President. IDSA provides annual training programmes to civilian and military officers of the Government of India. The Institute is

funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence.

Answer 29:

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police on January 30, 2011 bagged the ‗Best Marching Contingent‘ award amongst the paramilitary forces. The

marching contingents of paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces included Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Coast Guard, Central

Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Railway Protection Force,

Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme.

Answer 30:


GROSS DOMESTIC SAVING (GDS)

(Rs. crore) 2008-09 2009-10 Growth (%)

GDS

GDS as share of GDP

17,98,347

32.2%

22,07,423

33.7%

22.74

HOUSEHOLD SECTOR SAVINGS

(Rs. crore) 2008-09 2009-10 Growth (%)

Household Sector Savings

Rate of Savings as share of GDP

13,31,033

23.8%

15,36,071

23.5%

15.40

PRIVATE CORPORATE SECTOR SAVINGS

(Rs. crore) 2008-09 2009-10 Growth (%)

Private Corporate Sector Savings

Rate of Savings as share of GDP

4,38,376

7.9%

5,31,403

8.1%

21.22

Answer 31:

4.1 Crore households have been provided jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in

2010-11 upto December 1, 2010 and 145 crore person-days have been generated. Women constitute 47% while Scheduled Castes account

for 28 %, and Scheduled tribes comprise 24% of those working in MGNREGA in 2010-11. The scheme has resulted in the financial

inclusion of around 10 crore workers who have opened bank/post office accounts under the Scheme, has encouraged thrift and savings.

Expenditure on wages since inception has been around Rs. 74677 crores which is around 70 % of the total expenditure.

Answer 32:

HR services provider Talent Management International (TMI) and the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) have in February

2011 decided to collaborate to create jobs for over five lakh employable graduates in the country over the next 10 years. According to the

joint venture, TMI‘s e2E (education to employability) Academy will provide training to graduates and diploma holders in areas such as

sales, customer services, technical support, manufacturing and back-office operations, as per market requirements. About 1,800 students

will be trained over the next few months, and another 15,000 by the end of 2012. The first batch of students is expected to start by April

this year. About 900 assessment and training centres will be set up across the country over a period of next 10 years, to carry this sort of

training forward.

Answer 32:

GVK, led by Chairman G V Krishna Reddy, is a diversified business entity with a focus on Infrastructure and Urban Infrastructure

projects. It also has a significant presence in the Hospitality, Life Sciences and Manufacturing sector.

GMR Group, led by Chairman Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, is one of the fastest growing infrastructure organisations in the country with

interests in Airports, Energy, Highways and Urban Infrastructure (including SEZ). Employing the Public Private Partnership model, the

Group has successfully implemented several infrastructure projects in India.

Answer 33:

Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian diplomat. Since 2001 he has been the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum

representing Arab nations. Moussa recently hinted that he might leave his post as and contest Presidential elections in Egypt.

Answer 34:

V.V.S. Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar won the awards for best batting performances in Tests and ODIs respectively, while Dale Steyn

bagged the top prize in Test bowling in the fourth annual ESPNcricinfo Awards, in Bangalore on February 14, 2011.

V.V.S. Laxman won the ‗best Test batting performance award‘ for his innings of 96 against South Africa in the Durban Test while Daryl

Steyn‘s seven for 51 against India at Nagpur won him the ‗best Test bowling performance‘ accolade.

Sachin Tendulkar won the ‗best ODI batting performance‘ award for his 200 against South Africa in Gwalior while Umar Gul‘s six for 42

for Pakistan versus England at The Oval in September was declared the ‗best ODI bowling performance‘.

Australia‘s Michael Hussey and Tim Southee of New Zealand won the T20 batting and T20 bowling awards respectively. While Hussey

won for his 60-run knock against Pakistan in the World T20 semifinal, Southee won for his five wickets for 18 runs against Pakistan in

Auckland.

Answer 35:




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Answer 36:

The 71st session of the Indian History Congress (IHC) was organised in West Bengal in from February 11 to 13, 2011. The sectional

presidents elected for the 72nd

session are: Professors Ranabir Chakravarti (Ancient India), Pushpa Prasad (Medieval India), N. Rajendran

(Modern India), Madhavi Thampi (Countries other than India), and D.P. Agrawal (Archaeology). N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu,

has been chosen president of the section on Contemporary India.

Answer 37:



2009-10 with 30th


Answer 38:

Union Minister of Shipping G.K.Vasan launched the project for promoting lighthouses as tourist spots, in Chennai on February 12, 2011.

The ambitious project for promotion of tourism in 14 lighthouses across the country is estimate to cost Rs. 300 crore. The objective is to

turn these lighthouses and surrounding areas into maritime landmark destinations and develop allied maritime infrastructure. As a part of

the project, a National Heritage Museum will be set up at Mamallapuram at a cost of Rs. 50 crore. Also a lighthouse museum, at a cost

of Rs. 5 crore, will come up on the Marina in Chennai.

Answer 39:

The 8th

Meeting of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) for reviewing the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was held in

February 2011 in New Delhi. The Panel led by Professor Jeffrey D Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, University of Columbia along with

their team of experts, commended the impressive performance and dramatic results achieved under NRHM in a record short span, terming

NRHM an extraordinary model in Public Health management. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad acknowledged that the


recommendations of the mid-term evaluation reports on the NHRM prepared by the IAP have helped provide useful inputs for improving

the programme implementation.

Answer 40:

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, has decided to adopt the LSAT-India Test or admission to its three-year LLB programme

on Intellectual Property Laws. LSAT-India is a standardised test designed for Indian law school admissions by the Law School Admission

Council (LSAC), U.S., which also administers the LSAT® used by leading law schools worldwide. IIT Kharagpur‘s Rajiv Gandhi School

of Intellectual Property Law, set up in collaboration with George Washington University Law School, has the distinction of being the only

law school at any IIT in India. LSAC is a non-profit corporation. More than 200 law schools in the US, Canada and Australia are members

of the Council. It was founded in 1947 to coordinate, facilitate and enhance the law school admission process.

Answer 41:

On February 17, 2011, Belgium broke the dubious world record of the longest period a country has gone without a government, taking

over the title from Iraq. It has been 250 days since elections in Belgium failed to give a simple majority to any single party/collation.

Several rounds of negotiations have taken place since June 2010 in an attempt to thrash out a compromise between MPs from Flanders,

the fiscally conservative and prosperous Dutch-speaking northern half of the country and Wallonia, the socialist and economically

depressed French-speaking south. However, although the two communities operate in large part as disconnected entities, the country‘s

welfare system is funded federally, which in practice means that Flanders pays for Wallonia‘s pensions and health care.

Answer 43:

India and Japan signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Tokyo on February 16, 2011. The objective of

the agreement is to ―liberalise and facilitate trade in goods and services between the parties. Bilateral trade between the two countries

currently amounts to $10.36 billion per annum. India‘s exports to Japan were 3629.54 million while imports were 6734.18 million in

2009-10. The agreement will eliminate tariffs on 94 per cent of two-way trade flows in 10 years after it comes into force. This is the third

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed by India, the others being with Singapore and South Korea.

Answer 44:

The Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on February 11, 2011 named its former

Director-General Koichiro Matsuura as special envoy to address the issue of Preah Vihear. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

has informed Cambodia and Thailand about the mission of Matsuura. Matsuura will visit Bangkok and Phnom Penh to discuss how the

World Heritage site can be safeguarded‖ and ―examine with both sides how to lessen tension and promote dialogue around the

preservation of the Temple. Bokova expressed concerns over the protection of the Preah Vihear Temple, which was inscribed on the

World Heritage List in 2008 but sparked clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, both claiming sovereignty over the antique temple.

Answer 45:

India‘s GDP growth is expected to slow down to 8.8 per cent next fiscal (2011-12) from the impressive 9.2 per cent projected for this

fiscal (2010-11), said the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said in its latest review of the country‘s economy in February

2011. Growth in 201-11 has been enabled by a rebound in the agriculture sector and a sharp pick-up in private consumption and this

growth momentum is expected to continue next fiscal as well. For 2011-12, when growth is expected to slow down, ―the downside risks

relate mainly to poor rainfall and to the performance of the global economy‖. Growth in the agricultural and allied sector, industrial sector

and in the services sector and its segments is expected to decelerate. However, the construction sector is expected to fare better 2011-12 in

than in 2010-11.

Answer 46:

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on February 14, 2011 implemented a new tool for speedy analysis of data and

identification of possible violations like insider trading and front running. The new tool, named Data Ware Housing and Business

Intelligence System (DWBIS), will significantly enhance SEBI‘s investigation and surveillance functions. DWBIS will also allow SEBI,

along with the similar tools available with the exchanges and depositories, to expedite the investigation and completion of its quasi

judicial orders arising from cases of violations pertaining to the securities market. The existing databases across departments of Sebi will

get linked with this new tool in a way to enable the efficient utilisation of the stored data for Sebi‘s investor protection and regulatory

roles.

Answer 47:

Two public sector banks will get a capital infusion of Rs 848 crore from the government. The announcement on February 18, 2011 will

help them boost their capital base and finance growth in loan portfolios. The government will infuse Rs 539 crore and Rs 368 crore in


Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, respectively, by subscribing to their equity shares on a preferential basis. With this move, the government is

all set to invest Rs 2,464 crore in five state-owned banks. Other banks include Corporation Bank, UCO Bank and United Bank of India.

UCO Bank will get Rs 940 crore (the highest among the five banks), the government will provide Rs 309 crore and Rs 308 crore in

Corporation Bank and United Bank of India, respectively. Earlier, the government said it aimed to recapitalise select state-owned banks to

help them maintain a Tier-I capital adequacy ratio of over 8 per cent this financial year.

CAPITAL GAIN

Bank Capital

(Rs cr)

Capita Adequacy

Ratio (%)

Tier-I Adequacy

Ratio (%)

Corporation Bank 309 14.27 8.13

Dena Bank 539 11.08 7.20

UCO Bank 940 13.02 7.47

United Bank of India 308 12.51 8.29

Vijaya Bank 368 13.67 9.25

Answer 48:

The Asian Green City Index unveiled in February 2011 shows that Singapore is Asia‘s greenest metropolis. Singapore stands out in

particular for its ambitious environmental targets and its efficient approach to achieving them. The Asian Green City Index, commissioned

by German firm Siemens, analysed the environmental sustainability of 22 major cities in Asia with respect to environmental and climate

protection. The unique research project examined the environmental performance of 22 major Asian cities in eight categories: energy and

CO2; land use and buildings; transport; waste; water; sanitation; air quality; and environmental governance.

Answer 49:

Ramesh Ramanathan is co-founder of Janaagraha, is a Bangalore based not-for-profit organisation that works with citizens and

government to change the quality of life in India‘s cities and towns.

Akhila Sivadas is a founder member of Center For Advocacy & Research (CFAR). CFAR is a non-profit organization committed to

advocacy on the rights of marginalized populations. This includes the urban and rural poor, HIV positive people, single women, people

living with disabilities, the girl child, women in sex work and sexual minorities.

Dr Pradip Kumar Sarmah is Executive Director of Centre for Rural Development, Guwahati. A veterinary surgeon by training but

with a passion to help the impoverished beleaguered rickshaw-pullers of Assam, Dr Sarmah has taken his ―case study‖ to Harvard and

also MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He has helped 5,000 rickshaw-pullers gain ownership of their own rickshaws, most of

whom had driven rented vehicles even after 16 years of toil.

Anshu Gupta is the founder of Goonj, a volunteer-run re-cycling center in New Delhi.

Answer 50:



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