General Knowledge Today

Quiz 341: General Economic Awareness & Business Current Affairs for All Examinations

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:46:00 +0000

1.The following options A to E are news headlines related to Union Budget 2010 , taken from some financial newspapers. Among them bring out the one that deals with Transfer Payments ?
(A)Government projects Rs. 248664 crore for Interest payments
(B)Government projects Rs. 301331 as corporation tax in 2010-11
(C)Government will spend Rs. 60000 Crore on Defense in 2010-11
(D)The Subsidy has been Reduced from Rs. 131025 crore to 116224 crore in Union Budget 2010
(E)The government pitches for Rs. 40000 crore for Disinvestment

2.In which of the following example the marginal productivity is close to zero?
(A)7 people working in a bank branch and 3 more join them after a massive recruitment drive of the bank
(B)7 people from a family working in a farm and 3 more join to them because they lost their jobs due to poor markets
(C)7 teachers teaching in a school and 3 more join them to teach 3 different subjects to a class of 100 students
(D)7 people are recruited by a company in unreserved category and 3 more recruited one of them was a physically disabled person
(E)None of them

3.As we all know that economic liberalization began in true sense in July 1991 in India. Which among the following was the first step of the government while taking the country towards Economic Liberalization?
(A)Substantial changes in industrial license policy were made
(B)The Rupee was made convertible
(C)Procedural formalities for Foreign direct Investment were removed
(D)The government significantly reduced the taxes
(E)The Government launched a highly focused Foreign Trade Policy

4.Who among the following is not a member of National Development Council?
(A)The Prime Minister of India
(B)The President of India
(C)The members of Planning Commission
(D)The Chief Minister of states
(E)All of above are members

5.Bhoodan Yojna which was a measure of gifting land by the rich landlords to the poor laborers was initiated by whom among the following?
(A)Acharya Narendra Dev
(B)Acharya Vinoba Bhave
(C)Raj Naraina
(D)Medha patkar
(E)Swami Sundaranand

6.As per 2001 census, which among the following states had lowest density of population per sq. kms?
(A)Mizoram
(B)Sikkim
(C)Nagaland
(D)Manipur
(E)Arunachal Pradesh

7.In a condition of monopoly, the monopolist has a control over the price he charges for his product. In which of the following conditions he will be able to maximize his profits?
(A)Lowering the prices if the demand curve is elastic
(B)Lowering the price, if the demand curve is inelastic
(C)Raising the price, if the demand curve is elastic
(D)In all of above situation
(E)in none of the above situations

8.A competitive firm maximizes its profit when _______?
(A)MR=AR
(B)MR=MC
(C)MC=AC
(D)MC=AR
(E)None of the above

9.Rs. 10000 are realized after selling 100 units and Rs. 14000 are realized after selling 120 Units. In this example, Rs. 200 is ________?
(A)Price per unit
(B)marginal cost
(C)marginal profit
(D)marginal revenue
(E)maximum profit

10.Who among the following is India's current Minister of State (Expenditure & Financial Services)?
(A)S S Palanimanickam
(B)Namo Narain Meena
(C)Dinsha J. Patel
(D)Jitin Prasada
(E)None of them

11.What is the current limit for collateral free loansto micro and small enterprises (MSEs) sector in India?
(A)Rs. 5 Lakh
(B)Rs. 10 Lakh
(C)Rs. 15 Lakh
(D)Rs. 8 Lakh
(E)None of them

12.As we read in the newspapers that Reserve bank of India is introducing Base rate System which shall be the new reference rate for determining lending rates for banks. The Base Rate System would bring in more transparency to loan pricing for customers. On which date is being introduced in India?
(A)April 1, 2010
(B)June 1, 2010
(C)July 1, 2010
(D)January 1, 2011
(E)April 1, 2011

13.Recently RBI has released on its website, the report of the Committee on Comprehensive Regulation of Credit Rating Agencies. Who among the following is the chairman of this committee?
(A)Dr. K.P. Krishnan
(B)Subir Gokarn
(C)Ashok Chawla
(D)Shri Vipin Malik
(E)Dr A.Vasudevan

14."On-line Electric Vehicle,"(OELV) is world ' s first commercial wireless electric vehicle. It was launched on March 9, 2010 in which of the following countries?
(A)Japan
(B)United States
(C)South Korea
(D)China
(E)India

15.With traded over 161 million contracts in 2009 , MCX has in February 2010 became word's ______largest commodity Exchange?
(A)Second
(B)Third
(C)Fourth
(D)Fifth
(E)Sixth

16.Recently we read in the newspapers that attorney generals of seven states of United States are investigating over the charges over world’s largest seed producer that it has abused its market power to lock out competitors and raise prices. Which of the following companies is this world's largest seed producer?
(A)Asgrow
(B)McKenzie Seeds
(C)Burpee Seeds
(D)Monsanto
(E)Unwins Seeds

17.Recently Bt varieties Bollgard-I and Bollgard-II were amid news as the reports in various news papers say that Bollgard-I has been phased out in many countries and Bolgard-II are preferred. These verities are of ________?
(A)Bt Cotton
(B)Bt Brinjal
(C)Bt Tomato
(D)Bt Potato
(E)None of them

18.Which among the following is the largest importer of Indian marine products as we read in the newspapers that it has decided to adopt the 20 per cent sampling method on Indian marine Products, especially shrimp, from April 2010 which shall lead to difficulty in exports?
(A)China
(B)Japan
(C)United States
(D)European Union
(E)Australia

19.Which among the following organizations holds the largest stake in India’s top depository, National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL)?
(A)National Stock Exchange
(B)IDBI Bank
(C)Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI)
(D)Bombay Stock Exchange
(E)None of them

20.What is Amfis related to in India?
(A)Banking
(B)Mutual Funds
(C)Marketing & Finance
(D)Power Industry
(E)Information Technology

© www.gktoday.in

Quiz 340: World Geography

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:29:00 +0000

1.Which among the following types of mountains are formed by the lifting up of land between faults or by the sinking of land outside the faults?
(A)Block Mountains
(B)New Mountains
(C)Residual Mountains
(D)Fold Mountains
(E)None of them

2.Northern hemisphere is considered as more suitable fordeep-space observation. Which among the following is a correct reason for this?
(A)North Pole faces galactic centre of the Milky Way
(B)North Pole faces away from galactic centre of the Milky Way
(C)North Pole is farthest from Sun all around a year
(D)Earth is inclined 1.57869° to Invariable plane
(E)All of above

3.In 2001, the North Magnetic Pole was determined by the Geological Survey of Canada to lie near which of the following Canadian Island?
(A)Baffin Island
(B)Victoria Island
(C)Ellesmere Island
(D)Newfoundland
(E)Axel Heiberg Island

4.Who among the following is known as the first to measure the distance round the earth and also known as Father of Geometry?
(A)Eratosthenes
(B)Euclid
(C)Happarchus
(D)Galileo
(E)None of them

5.Which among the following comes under the study area of Psychrometrics?
(A)Relative Humidity
(B)physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures
(C)theory and technique of educational and psychological measurement
(D)Atmospheric Pressure at Colder Regions of the World
(E)None of them

6.Which among the following is a correct definition of Aggradation?
(A)Floodplain Deposits can raise the elevation of the stream bed
(B)Channel deposits can raise the elevation at the banks of stream
(C)growth of a river delta farther out into the sea over time
(D)landward change in position of the front of a river delta with time
(E)None of them

7.Which of the city was the capital of Nigeria, before Abuja officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991?
(A)Lagos
(B)Calabar
(C)Apapa
(D)Burutu
(E)None of them

8.Bring out the incorrectly matched former capital?
(A)Quezon City: Philippines
(B)Saint Petersburg: Russian Empire
(C)Florence: Italy
(D)Bonn: Germany
(E)Almaty: Kazakhstan

9.Liming is the application of calcium and magnesium rich materials to soil in various forms, including marl, chalk, limestone, or hydrated lime. What is the purpose of liming? (more than 1 options)
(A)Increase the Soil pH
(B)Decrease the soil pH
(C)Increase the bacteria activity
(D)Decrease the bacterial activity
(E)Change the soil texture

10.Astronomical unit (AU) is a unit of length equal to about ?
(A)100 Million Kms
(B)150 Million Kms
(C)100 Billion Kms
(D)150 billion Kms
(E)200 million Kms

11.In which country is located world's largest Geothermal Power Plant?
(A)United States
(B)Canada
(C)Kenya
(D)El Salvador
(E)Philippines

12.In which of the deserts is located the Death Valley ?
(A)Mojave Desert
(B)Colorado Desert
(C)Amargosa Desert
(D)Kyzyl Kum deserts
(E)Taklamakan Desert,

13.Ganymede which is the largest natural satellite in the Solar System is a satellite of ______?
(A)Jupiter
(B)Saturn
(C)Uranus
(D)Neptune
(E)Pluto

14.Which among the following is an organic mineral?
(A)Amber
(B)Hornblende
(C)Angite
(D)Analcime
(E)Jurbanite

15.Which among the following is not an Ore?
(A)Chalcopyrite
(B)Sphalerite
(C)Cinnabar
(D)Bornite
(E)Andesite

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Quiz 339: General Awareness & Current Affairs : Business & Economy for Banking Examinations

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:47:00 +0000

1.Recently we read in the newspapers, that Reserve Bank of India is coming up soon with draft guidelines on the compensation packages of private sector bank chiefs. This move of the RBI is aimed at aligning the salary structures with business performance. This is our central bank's response to the concerns expressed over the high compensation packages of top bank executives at which of the following summits?
(A)2008 G-20 Washington summit
(B)2009 G-20 London summit
(C)2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit
(D)2008 Colombo SAARC summit
(E)2009 Beijing SCO summit

2.Government of India has set up some Commercial Offices abroad functioning in the Indian Missions which provide the institutional framework and are meant to promote India’s trade and economic exchanges with the world. By the end of 2009, what is the number of such commercial offices of India?
(A)36
(B)52
(C)66
(D)58
(E)78

3.Focus-ASEAN+2 is one of the programmes of the Government of India for promotion of its exports to select region. Apart from Asean the two countries which are denoted by +2 in this programme are which of the following?
(A)China & Hog Kong
(B)Malaysia & Philippines
(C)Australia & New Zealand
(D)Japan & South Korea
(E)South Korea and Sri Lanka

4.After disintegration of former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), 15 countries came into existence. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which was established in 1991, is successor body to the USSR, formed to ensure continued cooperation in trade and military policy and recognition of borders. However only 12 countries are known as CIS today and rest 3 are called Baltic States. which among the following are Baltic States?
(A)Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia
(B)Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia
(C)Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
(D)Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus
(E)Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan

5.How many of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries are covered by India's Focus CIS programme for trade promotion which was launched in 2003?
(A)6
(B)7
(C)8
(D)10
(E)12

6.Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is an inter-governmental body of which the Government of India is a founder member. The mission of Asian Productivity Organization is to enable its 20 members spread across Asia and pacific to achieve greater socioeconomic development through the
strategy of increasing productivity in all economic sectors. Where is based this organization?
(A)Singapore
(B)Seoul
(C)Tokyo
(D)Hong Kong
(E)Manila

7.In which year Government of India set up Tariff Commission as an independent expert committee to recommend appropriate tariff levels keeping in mind the larger economic interests of the country?
(A)1995
(B)1997
(C)1999
(D)2000
(E)2001

8.If a person joins the New Pension Scheme with a minimum contribution of Rs 1,000 and a maximum contribution of Rs 12,000 per annum during financial year 2010-11, how much amount will be contributed by the Central Government in his/her account for a year?
(A)Rs. 500
(B)Rs. 1000
(C)Rs. 1500
(D)Rs. 1200
(E)Rs. 2000

9.What name has been given to the apex-level organization charged with the responsibility of monitoring macroeconomic and prudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large financial conglomerates as announced in the Union Budget 2010-11?
(A)Financial Stability and Development Commission
(B)Financial Stability and Development Council
(C)Financial Monitoring Authority
(D)Financial Stability and Development Monitoring Authority
(E)None of them

10.As we read in the budget news in various newspapers that Government of India is planning to place GST from April 2011. The 13th Finance Commission, in its recent report, has asked the government to set aside how much amount to compensate the states for revenue losses on account of GST
implementation?
(A)Rs. 40,000 Crore
(B)Rs. 50,000 Crore
(C)Rs. 70,000 Crore
(D)Rs. 80,000 Crore
(E)Rs. 100,000 Crore

11.Who among the following is to head the eight-member committee appointed recently by the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation to discuss the draft guidelines of government's ambitious Rajiv Awas Yojanawhich aims to make the country slum-free?
(A)Aroon Purie
(B)Prannoy Roy
(C)Ashok Chawla
(D)Deepak Parekh
(E)None of them

12.The Top 3 cities with Highest per Capita Income in the Country are as follows:
(A)Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh
(B)Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai
(C)Chandigarh, Mumbai, Delhi
(D)Chandigarh, Goa, Delhi
(E)Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa

13.Recently we read in the newspapers that Reserve Bank of India is planning to amend its rules to control the non banking finance companies (NBFCs) from misusing the liberal rules governing limited liability partnership (LLP) firms as more and more NBFC turning themselves to LLPs. Which
among the following is the most appropriate reasons why the LLPs are getting so much popular among these NBFCs?
(A)Because LLPs are introduced and promoted by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India
(B)Because LLPs have easier winding up procedures and the liability of a partner is limited to the extent of his or her contribution to the LLP.
(C)Because LLPs are easy to introduce and start a business and little capital is required to start a LLP
(D)Since the LLPs are promoted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, they involve some facilities and sops by the government which are not available to NBFC
(E)The Rules of Business for LLPs are simpler and they are having lesser control of the Reserve Bank of India

14.Recently PADA deal of UK was in news as the Conservative Party of UK says that it will bring the UK Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) deal under review if comes to the power in elections in UK which are scheduled to held after 6 months. The deal is worth £ 600 million and is to administer the National Employee Savings Trust (NEST) scheme for 10 years. Which of the following companies of India has been awarded this deal?
(A)Finacle
(B)Oracle Financial Services Software
(C)Infosys Technologies
(D)Tata Consultancy Services
(E)Mahindra Satyam

15.Who among the following is the founder of Qualified Learning Systems Inc?
(A)Ram Charan
(B)Shiv Khera
(C)Vijay Govindarajan
(D)C K Prahalad
(E)Bala Balachandran

16.Which of the following company acquired online photo-editing site Picnik recently?
(A)Microsoft
(B)Google Inc.
(C)Yahoo
(D)AOL
(E)None of them

17.What is India's rank among 134 countries in the Gender Gap Index 2009 released by World Economic Forum?
(A)99
(B)101
(C)114
(D)117
(E)125

18.As per the Corporate Gender Gap report released by WEF (World Economic Forum) on March 8, 2010, what is the percentage of women employees in India ?
(A)15%
(B)23%
(C)34%
(D)36%
(E)27%

19.Recently Liveability Index 2010 prepared jointly by CII and Institute for Competitiveness was released. Which among the following city tops this list of 37 countries mapped in the list, prepared on parameters like living standard, socio-cultural environment, education, medical standards and recreational possibilities ?
(A)Delhi
(B)Mumbai
(C)Bangalore
(D)Pune
(E)Ahamadabad

20.Which of the following personalities from India is among 19 members chosen by UN chief Ban Ki-moon for a high-level advisory group on Climate Change Financing tasked with mobilizing funds pledged during the Copenhagen meet to tackle global warming? (March 5, 2010)
(A)Shyam Saran
(B)Montek Singh Ahluwalia
(C)Chandrashekhar Dasgupta
(D)Pradipto Ghosh
(E)Ajay Mathur

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Quiz 338: General Awareness : International

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:48:00 +0000

1.Hubbert peak theory is related to which of the following?
(A)Nuclear Energy
(B)Petroleum
(C)Currency Trade
(D)Metabolism
(E)None of them

2.Against which of the following nations, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on 24 March 2007 against this country's Nuclear Ambitions?
(A)Pakistan
(B)North Korea
(C)Iran
(D)India
(E)None of them

Some Resolutions against Iran
3.Which among the following organization issues letters of assist?
(A)United Nations
(B)World Bank
(C)International Monetary Fund
(D)World Economic Forum
(E)None of them

4.Who among the following is TIME's Person of the year 2009?
(A)Barak Obama
(B)Vladimir Putin
(C)Ben Bernanke
(D)Bill Gates
(E)Dalai Lama

5.Who among the following American author is known for his works Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Travels, Sphere, Rising Sun, Disclosure, The Lost World, Airframe, Timeline, Prey, State of Fear, Next?
(A)Stephen Hunter
(B)Michael Crichton
(C)Thomas Harris
(D)Scott Nicholson
(E)None of them

6.Which among the following American Global Financial Firm was founded by siblings Henry, Emanuel and Mayer?
(A)NetBank
(B)Lehman Brothers
(C)Washington Mutual
(D)New Century Financial Corporation
(E)None of them

7.Édgar Enrique Hernández, who has been dubbed as patient zero from the 2009 swine flu outbreak belonged to which of the following country?
(A)Brazil
(B)Mexico
(C)Honduras
(D)Spain
(E)None of them

8.Walk the World is an awareness campaign of which of the following UN agencies?
(A)United nations Environment programme
(B)United Nations Institute for Training and Research
(C)World Food Programme
(D)United Nations Children's Fund
(E)United Nations Population Fund

9.Who among the following Indians is the winner of United Nations Environment Programme established Champions of the Earth award for 2009?
(A)Tulsi Tanti
(B)Bindeshwar Pathak
(C)Meera Kosambi
(D)Sunderlal Bahuguna
(E)None of them

10.In which year Physical coins and banknotes were introduced for the first time in Euro?
(A)1999
(B)2000
(C)2001
(D)2002
(E)2003

11.Out of the present 16 members of the Eurozone, how many adopted Euro when Eurozone came into existence with the official launch of the euro on 1 January 1999?
(A)9
(B)10
(C)11
(D)12
(E)13

12.Which among the following country is the latest member of Eurozone?
(A)Slovenia
(B)Slovakia
(C)Malta
(D)Cyprus
(E)Greece

13.Martin Scorsese, an American Director and Producer was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures in which of the following ceremonies in January 2010?
(A)BAFTA Awards
(B)Oscar Awards
(C)67th Golden Globe Awards
(D)Academy Award
(E)None of them

14.Which of the following Oil Producing Africa country fulfills India's 20 to 25 percent of domestic oil demand?
(A)Libya
(B)Nigeria
(C)Algeria
(D)Angola
(E)None of them

15.On June 28, 2009, President Manuel Zelaya was deposed in a military coup. He was president of ___?
(A)Jamaica
(B)Guatemala
(C)Honduras
(D)Nicargua
(E)El Salvador

16.The need for ships to round the Cape Horn was greatly reduced by the opening of which of the following canals?
(A)Panama Canal
(B)Suez Canal
(C)Kiel Canal
(D)Volga–Don Canal
(E)Non of the above

17.Approximately what fraction of world's sugarcane is produced by Brazil?
(A)1/3
(B)2/3
(C)1/5
(D)2/5
(E)1/4

18.Which of the following Prime Minister is known for his "Iron Curtain Speech"?
(A)Clement Attlee
(B)Neville Chamberlain
(C)Winston Churchill
(D)Herbert Morrison
(E)None of them

19.Commonwealth of Nations which is normally called Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organisation of how many independent member states?
(A)36
(B)44
(C)54
(D)63
(E)69

20.Which among the following international treaty or protocol bans all mining in Antarctica, designating the continent as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science?
(A)Antractica Treaty System
(B)Antarctic Conservation Act
(C)CRAMRA
(D)Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
(E)None of them

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New Schedule of GKToday

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:58:00 +0000

This is the tentative new schedule of GKtoday from March 10, 2010. We are scrapping the megaquizzes from now onwards but making it suitable for all of you.

Monday:

General Awareness & Current Affairs (National): Covering national Events, appointments, awards, people in news, parliament, government policies, development programmes, new schemes and other related news content (20 questions)
Indian History- 15 Questions
A quiz on vocabulary
Updates

Tuesday:

General Awareness & Current Affairs (International) covering International news, people in news, science and technology developments, India's foreign affairs,International relations, UN Organisations and other related news content (20 Questions)
Indian Geography -15 Questions
A quiz on Vocabulary
Updates

Wednesday:

General Awareness & Current Affairs : (Business) Covering Companies, Entrepreneurs, Business people in news, Corporate news, Public Sector Companies, New tie ups, Mergers & Acquisitions,
World Geography (15 Questions)
a quiz on Vocabulary
Updates

Thursday:

General Awareness & Current Affairs: (India's Economy) Covering Economy news, Banking News, Reserve Bank of India's Press releases and other documents, Financial Markets, Economic Policies. (20 Questions)
General Biological Sciences (15 Questions)
A quiz on Computer Awareness with reference to banking.
Updates

Friday:

General Awareness & Current Affairs : Sports covering sports terminology, sports Gk, recent events in sports and games.
General Sciences- Physics and Chemistry
A quiz on Marketing Aptitude
Updates

Saturday:

General Knowledge for All examinations covering miscellaneous Topics
Indian Constitution
a quiz on marketing
Updates

Sunday:

Model Test paper for Civil Sevices Examination & State Civil Services Examinations till May end. (or a Break)

Your Suggestions Required Please ....

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:39:00 +0000

It has been our tradition to incorporate our readers suggestions in our blog. Some of our readers keep suggesting the improvements on this blog. Here is what one of our regular reader who also closely watches the minor changes in our blog , says:

The mega quiz arrangement is not fine, so Mega quizzes should be replaced with another arrangement.
There should be a daily quiz on current affairs with 10 questions with related notes everyday thus a total of 260-300 questions every month on current affairs and further subdividing the quizzes in National, International, Sports, Business & Economy and Banking current affairs.
Apart from this, the reader also wants me to reduce the number of the questions on quizzes from current number of 20 to 15 (and make a regular work, as it was our schedule a few months ago) other subjects like, Indian History, Geography, Polity, Constitution, Botany, Zoology and Chemistry.
This reader wanted me to make an arrangement like this:

Sunday: Keep for a model test paper for IAS or a break
Monday: 10 questions on National Current Affairs + 15 questions on Indian History + 10 new words in vocabulary
Tuesday: 10 Questions on International Current Affairs + 15 questions on Indian geography + 10 new words in vocabulary
Wednesday : 10 Questions on Economy + 15 questions on World geography + 10 new words in vocabulary
Thursday: 10 Questions on Banking + 15 questions on Botany & Zoology+ 10 new words in vocabulary
Friday : 10 Questions on Sports + 15 Questions on Physics & Chemistry + 20 Questions on Computer Awareness
Saturday: 15 questions on Indian Constitution + 20 questions on Marketing.

Apart from this Daily Updates in a very short and concise form are also demanded every day. The reader says that this arrangement if can be worked out, we can keep a balance within the reader community.

I would like you people to please suggest on this arrangement. You may leave your comments or send mail to gktoday.in@gmail.com

Mega Quiz February III Based upon Current Affairs

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:21:00 +0000

1.Who among the following is the commander of Expedition 22 currently going on & comes to end in March 2010?
(A)Jeffrey N. Williams
(B)Maksim Surayev
(C)Timothy Creamer
(D)Soichi Noguchi
(E)None of them

2.Where will be held the Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010?
(A)Tokyo
(B)Washington
(C)London
(D)Geneva
(E)Copenhagen

3.The two terms HELINA & NAMIKA are related to which of the following missiles developed by DRDO under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)?
(A)Prithvi
(B)Agni
(C)Trishool
(D)Akash
(E)Nag

4.Recently soleckshaws was in news as this solar-powered pedicab, developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, got the much needed push from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Union Budget 2010 to speed up its commercialization. Where was the Soleckshaw developed?
(A)Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur
(B)Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani
(C)Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi
(D)National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur
(E)Structural Engineering Research Centre, Chennai

5.What is India's combined debt-GDP ratio in the year 2009-10?
(A)65%
(B)72%
(C)76%
(D)82%
(E)60%

6.The XII Finance Commission had recommended that states achieve a debt-GDP ratio of 30.8% till the end of March 2010. What was debt GDP ratio of the state governments in 2008-09 revised estimates?
(A)32.8%
(B)31.2%
(C)26.2%
(D)28.9%
(E)33.3%

7.What is the new limit of deduction for investment in long-term infrastructure bonds notified by the Central government. ?
(A)Rs. 100,000
(B)Rs. 120,000
(C)Rs. 130,000
(D)Rs. 150,000
(E)Rs. 200,000

8.By what fraction the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) has been increased from of book profits in the Union Budget 2010-11?
(A)2%
(B)3%
(C)4%
(D)5%
(E)6%

9.In the Union Budget 2010, the Monorail projects for urban transport have been granted project import status. What has been kept the concessional basic duty for Monorail Projects?
(A)3%
(B)5%
(C)8%
(D)9%
(E)10%

10.Who among the following recently became the first woman ever to win the Oscar for best director?
(A)Cathy Schulman
(B)Wendy Finerman
(C)Kathryn Bigelow
(D)Donna Gigliotti
(E)None of them

11.Recently Asia's first Free Trade Zone, celebrating its 46th foundation day on 8th March 2010. Where is located this Asia's first Free Trade Zone?
(A)Karachi Export Processing Zone, Karachi
(B)Kandla Free Trade Zone , Kandla
(C)Dalian, Free Trade Zone , Dalian
(D)Inspira Pharma and Biotech Park, Aurangabad
(E)None of them

12.On 8th March , the world is Observing International Women's Day. In this context, UN Charter signed in San Francisco was the first international agreement in modern times to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. In which year this charter was signed?
(A)1935
(B)1940
(C)1945
(D)1948
(E)1952

13.What is India's rank in the world in exporting generic medicines?
(A)First
(B)Second
(C)Third
(D)Fourth
(E)Fifth

14.Carl-Peter Forster who was recently appointed new group chief executive of the Tata Motors was with which of the following companies prior to this appointment?
(A)General Motors
(B)Opel
(C)Saab
(D)Mc Kinsey
(E)BMW

15.On February 16,2010 the price of the aviation turbine fuel (Jet Fuel) was cut by a 2.5 per cent in response to the falling Global prices. Prior to this on February 1 the Jet Fuel prices went down by 5.5%. Approximately what fraction of operating cost of an airline is constituted by Jet Fuel?
(A)20%
(B)30%
(C)40%
(D)60%
(E)55%

16.Mahmoud al-Mabhouh who was recently killed in Dubai was related to (a commander of ) which of the following organizations?
(A)Fatah
(B)Hamas
(C)Tanjim
(D)Holy Jihad
(E)None of them

17.As per a latest report released by International Telecommunications Union , by the end of 2009, what fraction of all people on Earth were cell phone subscribers?
(A)27%
(B)37%
(C)47%
(D)57%
(E)67%

18.Which among the following country is world's largest producer of Liquefied Natural Gas?
(A)Oman
(B)Kuwait
(C)Qatar
(D)Iran
(E)Iraq

19.Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands has been an international issue recently in news. Among which of the following two countries is a dispute over Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands?
(A)Venezuela & United Kingdom
(B)Argentina & United Kingdom
(C)Brazil and United Kingdom
(D)Argentina and France
(E)Venezuela & France

20.As we all read in the newspapers that Sachin Tendulkar has proved himself as the greatest player in the history of cricket by breaching the 200-run mark in the 50 overs One Day International (ODI) Cricket format since it was introduced. In which year ODI was introduced?
(A)1965
(B)1969
(C)1971
(D)1973
(E)1979

21.Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych was sworn in as president of which of the following countries in February 2010?
(A)Ukraine
(B)Poland
(C)Slovakia
(D)Hungary
(E)Romania

22.In the recently presented railway Budget, the Railway Ministry decided to set up 5 sports academies in India. Which among the following is not a place where an sports academy has been decided to set up?
(A)Delhi
(B)Secundarabad
(C)Kolkata
(D)Lucknow
(E)Mumbai

23.According to recently released Economic Survey, by which of the following financial years, India's Gross Domestic product (GDP) will be crossing 9% ?
(A)2010-11
(B)2011-12
(C)2012-13
(D)2013-14
(E)None of them

24.Recently India's Rail coach Factory has developed a prototype of the country's first air-conditioned double-decker coach. Where is this Rail Coach factory Located?
(A)Bhatinda
(B)Kapurthala
(C)Chitranjan
(D)Patiala
(E)None of them

25.In the Union Budget 2010-11 , National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) for funding research and innovative projects in clean technologies was announced. The proposed money comes from the cess which shall be applicable to which of the following?
(A)Coal Produced in India only
(B)Coal Imported to India
(C)Coal Produced in India & Coal Imported to India Both
(D)No cess on Coal is Proposed
(E)Increased Custom duty on coal exported from India

26.During 2009-10, what was growth rate of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing?
(A)Positive 1.6%
(B)Negative 1.6%
(C)Positive 0.2%
(D)Negative 0.2 %
(E)negative 1.1%

27.What has been projected the Per capita Income (at 2004-05 prices) in 2009-10 as per the recently released economic survey?
(A)Rs. 38695
(B)Rs. 40745
(C)Rs. 43749
(D)Rs. 40141
(E)Rs. 39870

28.In which of the following states was declared India's first litigation controlled Tribal Panchayat in India recently?
(A)Rajasthan
(B)Tamilnadu
(C)Kerala
(D)Karnataka
(E)Gujarat

29.At which of the following places was launched recently, India's first 'Commercial Urban Mobile Network' of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) provided through WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology, the latest in the world and a 4G standard?
(A)Hyderabad
(B)Bangalore
(C)Kochi
(D)Chennai
(E)Ahamadabad

30.Which of the following films won 63rd British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on 21st February 2010 winning best film, director, original screenplay, editing, cinematography and sound?
(A)The Hurt Locker
(B)Avatar
(C)Up in the Air
(D)Precious
(E)A Single Man

31.In the union Budget of 2009-10, the revenue deficit and Fiscal Deficit have been projected as follows:
(A)Revenue Deficit : 4% , Fiscal Deficit 5%
(B)Revenue Deficit 4.5%, Fiscal Deficit 5.5%
(C)Revenue Deficit 4%, Fiscal Deficit 5.5%
(D)Revenue Deficit 3.5% , Fiscal Deficit 5.5%
(E)None of them is a correct combination

32.In cooperation with which of the following countries India will develop fifth-generation fighter jet 2015-2016 as per recent news papers reports?
(A)Israel
(B)Russia
(C)France
(D)United States
(E)South Korea

33.What is the revenue deficit of India , recommended by the 13th Finance Commission for 2011-12?
(A)1.2%
(B)2.3%
(C)3.2%
(D)2.2%
(E)4%

34.Recently we read in the news papers that, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) is operating the nations largest and the first indigenously built Cyclotron and has been delivered first time in India energetic Neon 20 and Argon 40 beams. Where is located this Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre?
(A)Mumbai
(B)Kolkata
(C)Kochi
(D)Thiruvanthapuram
(E)Bhubneshwar

35.Which among the following in India is responsible for manufacturing zirconium alloy clad, natural and enriched uranium oxide fuel assemblies for all the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and the Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) zirconium Alloy structural components for these reactors
including Calandria and Pressure Tubes for PHWRs and Square Channels for BWRs.?
(A)Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad
(B)Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad
(C)Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata
(D)Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
(E)None of them

© www.gktoday.in

Union Budget 2010-11

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:17:00 +0000

India's finance minister Pranab Mukherjee unveiled the Union Budget 2010-11 on Friday, February 26, 2010.
Budget is not just a statement of Government accounts, but it reflects the Government’s vision and indicates the policy of the government, which decides the path of the economy for the future.
In this post the budget has been discussed at a length. The author tried to clear all the fundamentals of the budget, which every person should know and understand. The author has started this discussion from the constitutional position of the budget to all aspects and tries to cover almost all topics of the budget with special emphasis on development programmes as well as covering almost all sectors of the Economy of India.
While going through the speech and other budget documents:

We can analyze that the Government wishes to bring the economy back to the growth rate of 9% on which it was a few years back.
We also come to know that Government has tried to mold its fiscal policy in tune with the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.
We can also see that a large chunk of expenditure is going to the Social Sector of our economy.
The budget also introduced some new schemes, Budget tried for fiscal consolidation and Govt. is coming back to the disinvestment agenda.

We can hear the voices of opposition regarding a cut motion they wish to bring, after the base excise tax on the petrol and diesel was raised.
Millions of words have been uttered in the media, and millions will more be uttered, but here, we have tried to bring out all those things which might be helpful for you to understand the basics as well as note & learn those points which may be useful for all examinations. Each Post has been linked to another so, that it does not confuse you while going through these pages.

Constitutional Position of the Union Budget
Components of the Union Budget
Budget Procedure
Size of Our Economy
From Where the Money will Come?
Central Government's Expenditure
Revenue Deficit
Fiscal Deficit
Plan Expenditures
Non Plan Expenditures
Expenditures on various Development Programmes Under Central Plan
Agriculture in Budget 2010-11
Rural Development in Budget 2010-11
Urban Development in Budget 2010-11
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises in Budget 2010-11
Unorganised Sector in Budget 2010-11
Textile in Budget 2010-11
Education in Budget 2010-11
Health Sector in Budget 2010-11
Environment in Budget 2010-11
Indirect and Direct tax proposals (will be updated on 8th March )
States Plan in Budget 2010-11 (will be updated on 8th March)
Defense in Budget (will be updated on 8th March)
Overall analysis of Budget
List of India's Development Programmes

End.

Railway Budget 2010-11

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:09:00 +0000

India’s Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee presented the new Railway Budget for the year 2010-11 in the parliament on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. This was second budget presented by Dr. Mamta Banerjee in this Lok Sabha. The earlier Budget was presented by her on July 3, 2009. Before this , she was India Rail Minister in NDA government and had presented the Rail Budget in 2000 which was her first railway Budget. Mamta is also known to start Duronto express and Yuva Express.
The second Budget was presented without any increase in passenger fares or freight tariffs. A marginal reduction in service charges for sleeper and air-conditioned class tickets was announced. A cut of Rs. 100 per wagon in the freight of food grains, and kerosene was also announced. Which seemed to be Mamta’s reply to the rising food & petroleum prices.
The Minister has also come up with a promise to set up a task force which shall be clearing PPP (Public Private Projects) for the railways within 100 Days.
The overall theme of the budget was “Good Intentions for a Better Future”
The following pages deal with the Railway Budget 2010-11 in brief and GKToday takes an opportunity to provide its readers an insight into what railways did in this year & what are the Good Intentions of the Indian Railways along with some policy measures which don’t seem to be very specific.

Economic Survey 2009-10

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:16:00 +0000

Economic Survey 2009-10 was presented in the Parliament on February 25, 2010 on the eve of the Budget. The theme of the Economic survey 2009-10 was that " Economy bounces back from the Global Slowdown and is now on the track to achieve its growth path of 9%"

In the following pages, GKtoday makes some efforts to present its readers a very simplified version of the Economic Survey 2009-10.

The idea behind this work is to make an average student, who is not from Economics background understand the basics of the macroeconomical trends of our economy, which is very much essential for every aspirant of every examination.

For advanced study , please download these 11 Chapters from the website of Government of India

Quiz 337: Indian Constitution for Civil Services, State Civil Services & Judiciary Examinations

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:08:00 +0000

1.Consider the following statements regarding the word Socialist of Indian Constitution:
1. It was inserted in the Indian constitution by the Constitution 42nd amendment act of 1976
2. The concept of socialism was not implicit in the constitution before this amendment
3. The socialism aims to end the erstwhile capitalist regime in the country and end poverty by nationalization of some large corporations
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)only 1 & 2 are correct
(B)Only 2 & 3 are correct
(C)Only 1 & 3 are correct
(D)Only 1 is correct
(E)all 1, 2 & 3 are correct

2.Article 13 of Indian constitution uses the words "to the extent of such inconsistency be void" Which of the following doctrines is coherent to this ?
(A)Doctrine of Eclipse
(B)Doctrine of Waiver
(C)Doctrine of Severability
(D)Doctrine of Lapse
(E)None of them

3.Under which of the following articles rule of law embodied under Article 14 of Indian constitution can be amended?
(A)Article 368
(B)Article 354
(C)Article 355
(D)Article 351 (2)
(E)None of them

4.Consider the following statements:
1. There can be a Judicial review of the economic policy of the government
2. Supreme court of India gave an important verdict regarding judicial review of economic policy in the BALCO employees Union vs. Union of India case
3. Disinvestment policy of the government is also subject to Judicial review in all conditions
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)only 1 is correct
(B)only 1 & 2 are correct
(C)only 2 & 3 are correct
(D)only 2 is correct
(E)only 1 is correct

5.Consider the following statements:
1. Article 18 of the constitution says that No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State
2. National awards like Bharat Ratna amount to the titles but are considered as exception with regard to this article
3. Titles violate the principle of equality as guaranteed by the constitution
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)all 1 , 2 & 3 are correct
(B)only 1 is correct
(C)only 1 & 2 are correct
(D)Only 1 & 3 are correct
(E)Only 2 & 3 are correct

6. For which of the following the date August 29, 1947 is known with regard to our constitution?
(A)Constituent assembly came into being
(B)Drafting committee was set up
(C)Draft constitution got ready
(D)constitution was adopted by the constituent assembly
(E)None of the above

7.Which among the following article is specifically excluded from the purview of the procedure of amendment as prescribed in Article 368?
(A)Article 54
(B)Article 55
(C)Article 214
(D)Article 169
(E)Article 241

8.Which among the following is a correct statementregarding powers of President of India:
(A)the military powers of the president is subordinate to executive powers
(B)the executive powers of the president is subordinate to military powers
(C)the military powers and executive powers are insubordinate with regard to each other
(D)the executive powers are subordinate to diplomatic powers
(E)None of them is a correct statement

9.As per the article 358, when the proclamation of emergency is made by the President under article 352, the freedoms guaranteed in which of the following articles are automatically suspended?
(A)Article 14
(B)Article 15
(C)Article 17
(D)Article 18
(E)Article 19

10.The Supreme court of India has held that "Where Article ___________comes in article 14 goes out. Fill in the blanks
(A)Article 30
(B)article 31 A
(C)Article 31 B
(D)Article 32
(E)Article 33

11.Which among the following end the life of the popular house?
(A)Session
(B)prorogation
(C)adjournment
(D)dissolution
(E)None of them

12.With which of the following Residuary Powers vests in __?
(A)President
(B)Prime Minister
(C)Council of Ministers
(D)Parliament
(E)Supreme Court

13.Article 213 which embodies the ordinance making power of the governor of the state is very similar to that of President embodies in which of the following articles?
(A)Article119
(B)Article 120
(C)Article 121
(D)Article 122
(E)Article 123

14.The bill to amend the constitution has to be introduced & passed in which of the following houses before presenting it to President for assent?
(A)Introduced and passed in Both Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha
(B)Introduced & Passed in Lok Sabha
(C)Introduced & Passed in Rajya Sabha
(D)Introduced in both houses but can be Passed in Lok Sabha only
(E)None of them

15.By which of the following amendment acts of the constitution, article 31-C was inserted in the constitution?
(A)24th
(B)25th
(C)26th
(D)27th
(E)28th

16.Why the Indian constitution called as Fundamental law of the land?
(A)Because Preamble indicates the source from which constitution comes that is people of India
(B)Because Constitution envisages the fundamental rights
(C)Because the government organs owe their origin to the constitution of India and derive their authority from & discharge their responsibilities within the framework of the constitution
(D)Because Constitution of India declares great rights and freedoms to all citizens of India
(E)Because Constitution of India secures Justice, Liberty, Equality and fraternity to all citizens of India

17.Which among the following is not a privilege of the president under article 361 of the constitution?
(A)The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and it shall be exercised by him (or her) in accordance with the constitution
(B)the president shall not be answerable to the any court for exercise and performances of the powers and duties of his/ her office or for any act done or purporting to be done by him in the exercise of those powers and duties
(C)No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted and continued against the president in any court during the term in the office
(D)No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the president shall be issued from any court
(E)all of above

18.In which of the following cases , Supreme Court of India held the Bundhs illegal as they cause violation of Article 19(1) and 21 of the constitution in addition to causing a national loss?
(A)People's Union for Civil Liberties v/s Union of India
(B)Communist party of India (M) v/s Bharat Kumar and Others
(C)Tata Press Ltd. v/s MTNL
(D)Union of India v/s Association for Democratic Reforms
(E)M Hasan v/s Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

19.Directive principles particularly article 39 (b) and (c ) of the constitution of India are many times referred as charters of the following?
(A)Liberty of religion
(B)Social and economic justice
(C)Liberty to move anywhere in India territories
(D)Imparting education to school children
(E)Safeguards of people under arrest

20."Test of reasonableness " is a very important consequence under the following articles?
(A)Article 13
(B)Article 14
(C)Article 15
(D)Article 16
(E)Article 17

Current Affairs : February 16, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:09:00 +0000

Appointments:
President of the All India Students Federation (AISF) - Paramajit Singh Dhaban
Mr Paramajit Singh Dhaban has been elected as the new national President of the All India Students Federation (AISF) in the 27th National Conference of AISF.

Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court - Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakru
Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakru who is a judge of Jannu & Kashmir High court has been Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court by President of India. (as per clause (1) of article 217 of the Constitution of India)

America's new special envoy to OIC - Rashad Hussain
Rashad Hussain is an Indian-origin lawyer and has been selected as America's new special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This is a key post and Rashad Hussain is entrusted with deepening and expanding the partnerships with Muslims across the world, an important element of Obama's foreign policy. Rashad Hussain is a respected member of the American Muslim community.

Awards:
Alumni Award by the University of Hawaii Alumni Association- Ashok Kumar Malhotra
Indian-American Ashok Kumar Malhotra is a noted professor of philosophy at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, will be honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Hawaii Alumni Association.

National Updates:
Educational Development Index - Punjab leads
National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) has conducted a survey which says that based upon Education Development Index which is prepared by NUEPA, Punjab pushes Delhi on second to lead with 0.917 points in school infrastructure index compared to Delhi.

Economy:
RBI's HR audit:
HR audit is a diagnostic tool which examines the organization’s HR policies and procedures to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of employees and suggests solution wherever required. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) embarks on its biggest ever human resources (HR) audit programme to take a complete re-look at its man management practices. Read This article on Business Standard

MOU for Biomass Gasifier Systems:
In order to facilitate the rice mills to avail the special financial package expeditiously a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between State Bank of India, Patna and M/s Beltron Telecommunication Ltd, Patna. Through this technical & financial mechanism, about 500 rice mills would be able to avail the benefit by setting up biomass Gasifier systems during 2010 which will lead to the saving of about 20-25 million liters of diesel annually and at the same time avail the benefits of a reliable power supply.

What is Biomass gasification?
Biomass gasification is basically conversion of solid biomass such as wood, wood waste, agricultural residues etc., into a combustible gas mixture normally called producer gas. They can be utilized for thermal and electrical applications. The required biomass yield can be obtained from energy plantations grown on wastelands. Further all types of agricultural wastes viz Rice husk, Coconut shells, briquettes of various agricultural residues, maize crops branches and twigs of plants are the possible fuel stocks for the Gasifier. Government of India (MNRE) Provides subsidy for these gasifiers as below:

Industries / Institutions

Thermal : Rs.2.00 lakhs / 300 KWe
Electrical Dual Fuel : Rs.2.50 lakhs / 100 KWe
100% Gas engine : Rs.15.00 lakhs / 100 KWe (educational Institution)
Rs:10.00 lakhs / 100 KWe (Commercial / Industries purpose)

Gasifier installed under MNRE / State subsidy

Industries / Institution : 2670 KWe (Thermal) 2140 KWe (Electricity)
Village Panchayat (Small Capacity) : 634 KWe (65 Nos.)

India World:
Partners in Population and Development
The Partners in Population and Development (PPD) is an intergovernmental alliance of twenty-four 'developing' countries. This is the only organization in the world which is fully dedicated to South-South partnerships. Headquarters are at Dhaka.

The 23 countries are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia Pakistan Thailand, Colombia, Mexico, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, Benin, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal , South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

A meeting of the Executive Committee of Partners in Population and Development (PPD) was held under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad at Dhaka. India, China, Tunisia, Kenya and Bangladesh are the members of the Executive Committee. Indian Health Minister is the current Chair of the Executive Committee as well as the Board of the organization.

In this meeting India has announced 10 fellowships at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi to the participants from Member Countries for building their capacity.

Bangladesh: Vested Property Return (Amendment) Act
Vested Property Return (Amendment) Act has been given a cabinet nod in Bangladesh. This act is now going to be passed in the Bangladesh Parliament (Jatiyo Sangshad) in the next session and is related to amend the law for restoring property seized from minority groups, mainly Hindus.

The Vested Property Act has been always a controversial law in Bangladesh because it was a tool for the Government to confiscate property from individuals it deemed as an enemy of the state and has been under criticism for being a tool to confiscate the lands of the minorities mainly Hindus. It was renamed in 1974.
Its notable that family property of Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen had been confiscated by the Pakistan government, however the government announced in 1999 that it is finding ways to return that property. The law has been highlighted by the U.S. Department of State and Amnesty International as a major human rights concern that has contributed to internal displacement, emigration and disenfranchisement

Quiz 336: Miscellaneous General Knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:01:00 +0000

1.In which part of the human body "Pleura" is found?
(A)Lungs
(B)Brain
(C)Liver
(D)Intestine
(E)Kidneys

2.What does NT stands for in Windows NT?
(A)New Technology
(B)Network Technology
(C)N-Ten
(D)Network Ten
(E)Net Tech

3.Hodophobia is a fear associated with which of the following?
(A)Sleeping
(B)Walking
(C)Traveling
(D)Running
(E)Sneezing

4.Syed Modi, Vimal Kumar and Rajeev Bagga have been the National champions of which of the following sports?
(A)Chess
(B)Table Tennis
(C)Billiards
(D)Badminton
(E)Golf

5.In which profession a qualification FRCS is awarded in many parts of the world?
(A)Doctors
(B)Architectures
(C)Engineers
(D)Chemists
(E)Pharmacists

6.Who among the following South Indian Stars was in a lead role in Bloodstone (1988) movie, which was mainly filmed in South India?
(A)Mohan Kumar
(B)Rajnikanth
(C)Prabhu Ganeshan
(D)Kamal Hassan
(E)Arvind Swamy

7.Which among the following is a correct definition of Saprophytes?
(A)A parasitic plant that can complete its life cycle independent of a host
(B)A heterotrophic plant that feeds upon other living plants
(C)A heterotrophic plant that feeds upon dead organic matter
(D)A plant that is unable to synthesize a particular organic compound
(E)None of them

8.In context with astronomy , what is Ceres?
(A)A galaxy
(B)A dwarf Planet
(C)A star
(D)A nebula
(E)A natural satellite

9.Which of the following country has the official name of "Dhivehi Jumhuriya" in its local language?
(A)Maldives
(B)Mauritius
(C)Thailand
(D)Cambodia
(E)Myanmar

10.World's oldest co-educational boarding school Dollar Academy is located in which of the following countries?
(A)United States
(B)Scotland
(C)Switzerland
(D)France
(E)Italy

11.SOFAR is a phenomenon which plays an important role in submarine warfare & also known as deep sound channel. Which of the following is correct full form of SOFAR?
(A)Sound Field Radio Ranging
(B)Sound Fixing and Altering Range
(C)Sound Fixing and Ranging channel
(D)Sound Fixing and Auto Reflection
(E)None of them

12.Which of the following famous leader had the original name Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili?
(A)Vladimir Lenin
(B)Joseph Stalin
(C)Benito Mussolini
(D)Mikhail Gorbachev
(E)None of them

13.Ballistics is a branch of science that deals with which of the following?
(A)Geologic study of the behavior of soil and rock
(B)Motion of multibody systems subjected to unilateral contacts and friction
(C)Flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles
(D)Kinetic energy of a system
(E)Behavior, and effects of stress on bodies

14.In which of the following sports Kamlesh Mehta and S. Raman were India's national champions?
(A)Lawn Tennis
(B)Table Tennis
(C)Badminton
(D)Gold
(E)Polo

15.What was the first route of the super fast Rajdhani Express which was introduced in 1969?
(A)New Delhi to Mumbai Central
(B)New Delhi to Howrah
(C)New Delhi to Chennai Central
(D)New Delhi to Bangalore
(E)None of them

16. In which state is located Shore Temple?
(A)Tamilnadu
(B)Karnataka
(C)Kerala
(D)Andhra Pradesh
(E)Orissa

17.Who among the following coined the term Bacterium?
(A)Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
(B) Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
(C)Louis Pasteur
(D)Robert Koch
(E)Paul Ehrlich

18."Marauder from Matara" is a sobriquet of a player who plays the following sports?
(A)Hockey
(B)Cricket
(C)Lawn Tennis
(D)Table Tennis
(E)Football

19.In which continent is located Błędów Desert ?
(A)Africa
(B)Europe
(C)Australia
(D)North America
(E)Asia

20.Which of the following stadiums in India was the first to Host a Test match in Independent India?
(A)Gymkhana Ground, Mumbai
(B)Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
(C)Eden Gardens, Kolkata
(D)Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
(E)M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

© www.gktoday.in

Quiz 335 : General Science for all Examinations

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:14:00 +0000

1.British Scientist JJ Thomson was awarded Nobel prize in Physics in 1906 for discovery of which of the following particle?
(A)Proton
(B)Electron
(C)Neutron
(D)Meson
(E)None of them

2.Who among the following is known to manufacture first Cyclotron?
(A)Ernest Lawrence
(B)Niels Bohr
(C)Rutherford
(D)Max Born
(E)John Cockroft

3.When a Radium with Standard atomic weight 226 and atomic number 88 emits an alpha particle, the result element Radon will have the following properties:
(A)Atomic Weight-222, Atomic Number - 86
(B)Atomic Weight-224, Atomic Number - 86
(C)Atomic Weight-224, Atomic Number - 88
(D)Atomic Weight-222, Atomic Number - 88
(E)Atomic Weight-226, Atomic Number - 84

4.Which among the following correctly defines Hypoglycemia ?
(A)Lower than normal level of thyroxin secretion
(B)Lower than normal level of protein
(C)Lower than normal secretion of one or more of the eight hormones normally produced by the pituitary gland
(D)Lower than normal level of blood glucose
(E)None of them

5.The volume of a gas at a given pressure and temperature is proportional to the number of atoms or molecules regardless of the nature of the gas. This concept is called as___?
(A)Avogadro's law
(B)Dalton's law
(C)Gay-Lussac's law
(D)Henry's law
(E)Ideal gas law

6.F block elements in the periodic table which are commonly called Lanthanides have the following atomic numbers:
(A)57-70
(B)58-71
(C)59-72
(D)58-70
(E)59-70

7.Fermi-Kurie plot is used for the study of which of the following?
(A)Alpha Decay
(B)Beta Decay
(C)Internal Conversion
(D)Cluster Decay
(E)Gamma Radiation

8.By which of the following process some stars which are of the size of Sun or smaller convert hydrogen to helium?
(A)Triple-alpha process
(B)Proton Proton Chain Reaction
(C)CNO Cycle
(D)R process
(E)Rp process

9.Which of the following organism grows on Common Bread?
(A)Bacterium
(B)Yeast
(C)Mucor
(D)Virus
(E)All of above

10.Consider the following:
1. Cell Wall 2. cell membrane 3. Protoplasm 4. DNA 5. RNA
Which among the above are found in Virus?
(A)2,3,4,5
(B)3,4,5
(C)4,5
(D)1,4,5
(E)2,4,5

11.Which among the following basic atoms are must in an Alkaloid?
(A)Sodium
(B)Nitrogen
(C)Magnesium
(D)Potassium
(E)Lithium

12.Bring out the statement which is wrong:
(A)Acetone is used as a solvent
(B)Adrenaline is used in the event of heart failure
(C)All alkalis don't dissolve in water
(D)graphite is an example of allotropy
(E)A mixture of a metal and nonmetal can also be an alloy

13.Which among the following will undergo a chemical reaction depending on the pH of the solution?
(A)Calcium Oxide
(B)Zinc Oxide
(C)Ferric Oxide
(D)Ferrous Oxide
(E)None of them

14.Which among the following is used as an antidote?
(A)Paracetamol
(B)Nicotine
(C)Thiamine
(D)Activated Charcoal
(E)Caffeine

15.Which among the following compound of barium is used as radio contrast agent for X-ray imaging and other diagnostic procedures and also commonly called as Barium Food?
(A)Barium Carbonate
(B)Barium Sulphate
(C)Barium Bromide
(D)Barium hydroxide
(E)Barium Iodide

16.Which among the following is a main component of some alert tablets such as Alert, No Doz, Stay Awake & Vivarin?
(A)Thein
(B)Caffeine
(C)Nicotine
(D)catechins
(E)None of them

17.Which among the following is not a beverage plant?
(A)Camellia sinensis
(B)Theobroma cacao
(C)Coffea Arabica
(D)Zingiber officinale
(E)Alonsoa grandiflora

18.Who among the following were awarded Nobel Prize in 1958 for One Gene One Enzyme Concept?
(A)Landsteiner & Weiner
(B)Avery, Mccleod and mc Carthy
(C)Jacob & Wollman
(D)George Beadle and Edward Tatum
(E)Lederberg and Edward Tatum

19.Who among the following established that genetic code of all organisms is spelled out in three-letter words, each set of three nucleotides codes for a specific amino acid?
(A)Hargobind Khorana
(B)Barbara McClintock
(C)Theodor O. Diener •
(D)Joseph L. Goldstein
(E)Paul Alfred Weiss

20.Plants growing on marshy areas are commonly called as _____? Read Note
(A)Oxylophytes
(B)Lithophytes
(C)Helophytes
(D)Psilophytes
(E)Screlophytes

© www.gktoday.in

Current Affairs Updates : Febraury 18, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:41:00 +0000

Places in News:
Where is Goddess Shri Maduraialaiamman Temple?
Goddess Shri Maduraialaiamman Temple is in Tiruchirapalli. On 18 February 2010, hundreds of devotees from different parts of Tamil Nadu participated in the 'Mahakumbhabhishekam' (consecration) of Goddess Shri Maduraialaiamman Temple.

Persons in News:
What is Mahesh Rangarajan committee related to?
Mahesh Rangarajan led 11-member Committee will submit its report about the disturbances in elephant corridors before May 2010. After this report is submitted, the central government will prepare the "elephant protection plan" to save wild elephants.

National Updates:
What is Environment Board for Western Ghats?
On February 18, 2010, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh announces creation of an Environment Board with five experts in the field as its members. Union Government will allocate Rs 120 crore to the Board to protect the Western Ghats. The board members and experts will visit all the 51 districts which come under the Western Ghats areas and submit a report on the measures to be taken by the government.

How much money have been granted to state government medical colleges to strengthen and upgrade them?
On February 18, 2010, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a one-time grant of Rs 1350 crore to state government medical colleges to strengthen and upgrade them, start new post graduate disciplines and increasing PG seats by 5000 in 148 medical colleges.This was a proposal of health Ministry and would result in strengthening the existing public health delivery system in the form of 5000 5000 additional seats in PG courses in 148 state government medical colleges in pre and para clinical disciplines like Anatomy, Microbiology, Physiology, Pharmacology, Bio-Chemistry, Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine and certain clinical disciplines like Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Anaesthesiology, General Medicine and General Surgery.

This grant is under a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme with funding pattern of 75 per cent by Central government and 25 per cent by state governments for starting new Post Graduate disciplines and increasing seats.

How much money was approved for Computerization of Commercial Taxes administrations of State Governments?
On February 18, 2010 Union Cabinet approved a Mission Mode Project with an overall cost of Rs 1133 crore for computerization of Commercial Taxes administrations of State Governments. This project will help States develop and upgrade the IT systems in their commercial taxes administrations. The focus is two pronged: On the one hand is to provide improved set of services to the dealers and on the other, to improve the efficiency of the commercial taxes administrations of the State Governments.

Note: The Commercial Taxes are the largest revenue sources for the States, often constituting up to two-thirds of a State's own revenue.

What is UNAIDS called related to 6th Millennium Development Goal?
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, or UNAIDS, is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV epidemic. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV and AIDS that includes preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS seeks to prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic from becoming a severe pandemic.

on 18th February 2010, UNAIDS called for an international effort to renew commitment for countries to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

The call was made ahead of the UN high-level meeting on Millennium Development Goals and asked all countries to review progress and barriers for achieving national targets for universal access. Please note that Millennium Development Goal 6 is "Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS"

Economy:
What are Smart Choice cafes?
Smart Choice are cafe outlets of PepsiCo and the company launched the first such cafe in Chennai recently to promote its key category -- the health segment -- which was marketed under the name Snack Smart. The company wants to launch one such outlet in Delhi and 4 more in other 4 cities in 2010. At Chennai, PepsiCo has partnered with the Centre for Nutrition Counseling, Research and Extension Activities at Women's Christian College, Chennai, for this project.

Which company signed MOU with IRRI on drip irrigation research?
On February 18, 2010, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd signed an MOU with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for jointly conducting research to investigate drip irrigation in rice paddies to determine if and how it can improve water-use efficiency and maintain yields. Jain irrigation is world's largest micro-irrigation manufacturer and this is for the first time that IRRI is experimenting with drip irrigation, that can reduce water use and increase yield, for paddy cultivation in India.

What is IRRI?
IRRI, a non-profit independent organization, is a global leader in rice science with offices in 15 countries across Asia and Africa, including its headquarters in the Philippines.

What is Aircell Nokia Siemens Deal?
Aircel which is the Indian subsidiary of Malaysia's Maxis Group signs a deal worth 300 million dollars with telecom network equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks to roll out GSM services in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan in April 2010.

What is MyOzNetwork.com?
Australian High Commissioner to India, Peter Verghese, launches a new networking website for Indian alumni and students Australia. It is an attempt to revive the sagging image of Australia in Indian students.

What is nutrient based subsidy policy?
On February 18, 2010 India's Union Cabinet approved the implementation of the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Policy on decontrolled Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizer with effect from April 1, 2010. Under this policy the subsidy will be based upon the nutrients in the Fertilizer viz. Nitrogen, Potash, Phsphorus and sulphur content in 2010-11. In addition to the fixed subsidy on these nutrients, there will be an additional per tonne subsidy for subsidized fertilizer carrying other secondary nutrients and micro nutrients in formulations approved under FCO 1985.

The NBS regime is expected to promote balanced fertilization and consequently increase agriculture productivity in the country through higher usage of secondary and micro nutrients. Ms Soni said it is also expected that new innovative fertilizer products would be developed subsequently under the NBS regime to meet the different requirements of Indian agriculture. The NBS regime is expected to depict the actual demand of fertilizers in the country and promote realistic pricing of fertilizer products in the international market. Unshackling of fertilizer industry is also expected to attract fresh investments in this sector.

Urea, which has the maximum tonnage consumed nitrogenous fertilizers in the country, will continue to be under the current MRP regime, but cabinet has decided to increase the maximum retail price of urea from Rs 4830 per tonne to Rs 5310 per tonne with effect from April 1, 2010, which is about ten per cent.

India World
India - Latvia Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement
On 18th Feb. 2010, India and Latvia signed a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) for a period of ten years. This agreement is aimed at enhancing bilateral investment and technology flows between the two countries by creating favorable conditions for investors.

India number 1 Gold Consumer
new datas from World Gold Council says that India retains the numero uno postion in Gold Consumption.

Which Indian Companies are investing in a China Pipeline to Myanmar?
China National Petroleum Corporation is building the USD 2.01-billion pipeline to ship gas from blocks A-1 and A-3, where OVL and GAIL India hold 17 per cent and 8.5 per cent stakes respectively, to China. On February 18, 2010, Government of India permits Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and GAIL to pick 12.5 per cent stake in a pipeline that China is building in Myanmar, and allowed them to invest $1 billion more in fields that will provide gas to be shipped to China through the pipeline.

World's 20 best companies for leadership: Infosys among them
Annual study by Hay Group & Bloomberg BusinessWeek.com has named Infosys among the world's 20 best companies for leadership, evident from its continued focus on employee development even during the global slowdown. The list has been topped by General Electric, followed by Southwest Airlines.

Which one is world's cheapest mobile?
Vodafone 150 is being dubbed as world's cheapest mobile handset. Vodafone unveiled the phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona recently and it was sold for $15.

What is 3GSM World Congress?
3GSM World Congress or GSMA GSM Association Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a congress featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, vendors and content owners from across the world. The event, initially named as GSM World Congress and later renamed as the 3GSM World Congress, is still often referred to as the GSM World Congress or simply the 3GSM.

It takes place at Barcelona, Spain.

Mobile World Congress 2010 was held on February 15th, 2010. One of the biggest news stories that came out of the event was the announcement of Microsoft's new revamped mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7 Series.

India Visit of Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav
Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav visited India from October 15 to 18. This was his first visit after assuming the office of the Nepal's President. He met President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh & exchanged views and held discussions on issues of mutual interest and concern. Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the progress in implementation of decisions taken during the visit of Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to India in August 2009.

To facilitate economic and infrastructure development in Nepal, Man Mohan Singh announced extension of a new concessional Line of Credit for US 250 million dollars.
India would supply 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 25,000 metric tonnes of rice and 10,000 metric tonnes of yellow peas dal to Nepal, in response to Nepal's request for supply of food items.
Prime Minister also conveyed India's readiness to supply 200,000 metric tonnes of wheat, if required by Nepal.

Agreements Signed:

Air Services Agreement (ASA)
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for extension of railway lines to five cross-border points along the Indo-Nepal border,
MOU on the establishment of Nepal-Bharat Maitri Polytechnic at Hetauda
MOU on the establishment of Nepal-Bharat Maitri Sabha Griha in Birgunj.

Obituary: Amlan Datta
Amlan Dutta was a renowned economist, who died in Kolkata. He is known to reopresent India at United Nations Social Development Commission in 1979. His first book titled for democracy was published in 1953. He received many awards including Vidyasagar Award, Desikottam Award and Ananda Puraskar.

Nirmal Pandey
At the age of just 41 years, Nirmal pandey who is best known for his role of Vikram Mallah in Shekhar Kapur's ''Bandit Queen,'' dies at Mumbai of a heart attack.

Current Affairs Notes & Updates : February 15, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:11:00 +0000

Appointments:
Carl-Peter Forster is Tata Motors group CEO
Carl-Peter Forster has been appointed new group CEO of Tata Motors. Earlier he was President of GM Europe, Chairman of the Opel Supervisory Board and Chairman of Saab. Forster will have the overall responsibility of Tata Motors' operations globally, including the British marquees Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR)

Events, Happenings & Observances:
Mysore: 'Pustakotsava'
'Pustakotsava' is the name of state level exhibition-cum-sale of Kannada Books, and was held at Mysore.

Manipur: Lui-Ngai-Ni
Lui-Ngai-Ni is the name of Naga seed sowing festival in which the blessings of the Almighty God are sought for a bountiful and bumper harvest for the well-being of mankind, is the common festival of the Nagas. Observed in Manipur and Nagaland of North East India.

Awards & Honors:

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships & Awards 2009
Prime Minister's Trophy to the best performing Integrated Steel Plant
Prime Minister's Trophy to the best performing Integrated Steel Plant was given for the year 2005-06 to Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd and for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

National Updates:
On National Institute of Oceanography
A Y shaped new building is inaugurated at National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) campus Dona Paula, Goa by Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Science Prithviraj Chavan. He mentions purchasing of 3 new research vessels. Rs. 250 crores will be spent for this purpose.

Vessels of NIO:
Here is brief description of the research vessels of NIO

Gaveshani is NIO's first research vessel acquired in December 1975. She serviced till 1994.
Sagar Sukti: It is a coastal research vessel, converted by acquiring a fishing trawler built 1990 by M/s Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL) Howrah, West Bengal, India and owned by NIO with refit in 2001 by Dempo Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd, Goa.
Sindhu Sankalp: Originally built as fishing training vessel (FV Chisio Maru) by the Japanese Government in 1989 was bought by NIO in 2008. It is undergoing extensive modifications and will be available for the scientist community from January 2010.
Sindhu Sadhna: Under construction at present. It will be a new multi-disciplinary oceanographic research vessel will have capabilities to undertake basin scare observations and will enable Indian oceanographers to take up studies not only in the seas around India, but also in any part of the Indian Ocean.

Andhra Pradesh : New Bills to be Introduced:
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet gives approval to four draft Bills for introduction in the current Budget Session of the State Legislature. The bills are:

National Academy of Legal Nalsar Bill Studies and Research University : providing 20 per cent reservation in the seats for Andhra Pradesh Students like in other States including Madhya Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Sports Authorities (Amendment) Bill 2010: to nominate in the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh(SAAP) eminent sportspersons working in State, Union Governments, corporations and nationalized banks.
Andhra Pradesh Excise Act(Amendment) Bill 2010: for maintenance of public peace and law and order as the government had to close retail IML (India Made Liquor) shops and bars in the State.
Andhra Pradesh Public Procurement Bill, 2010: for envisaging greater transparency, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, grievance redressal mechanism in public procurement

Arunachal Pradesh : Two Mountain Divisions of Indian Army
Defense Minister A K Antony announces raising of two mountain divisions of the Army that would be based in Arunachal Pradesh. A very important and significant announcement as in recent years China has been claiming parts of our land of the Rising Sun. Minister says that we are not interested in any country's territory but also would not concede ''an inch.

On Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap
Defense Minister A K Antony also announced that India will soon publish ''Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap'' for future production and procurement of Defense equipment keeping in mind the future needs of the armed forces

On FDI in Defense:
Defense Minister stressed the need for high level of indigenization of the Defense forces and called for more Public/Private Partnership (PPP) in the Defense sector. FDI by 26% will be soon permitted. (PIB)

Business & Economy:
Haryana: Second plant of Honda
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) Pvt Ltd which is the 100 per cent owned two-wheeler subsidiary of Japan's Honda Motor Company presently has its first plant at Manesar in Haryana. The plant has capacity of 15 Lakh units and now the company plans for a second plant in Haryana.

On Indian edition of 'Fortune' magazine:
Govt. of India permits publication of Indian edition of foreign magazine Fortune under title 'Fortune India', dealing with News and Current Affairs. It will be published here by Business media private Limited. Please note that any foreign magazine needs to get approval from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to be able to publish magazine in India. In recent times Spectator India and Forbes India had also been permitted by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for publication in the country.

Bharti's Third Attempt to Enter African Market:
Zain Group is a mobile telecommunications company founded in 1983 in Kuwait. Zain has commercial presence in 25 countries in Africa and Middle East. Bharti announced to hold discussion to talk with Zain Telecom for acquiring its African Operations. This will be third attempt of Bharti to make an entry in the African market as talks with MTN for two times had failed earlier.

'Trust Barometer' survey for 2010
'Trust Barometer' survey for 2010 was in the series of the annual surveys by public relations firm Edelman. The survey reveals that India headquartered companies have been ranked as trustworthy by 78 per cent of people surveyed in India, 63 per cent of respondents in Mexico and 52 per cent in United Arab Emirates.

India & World:
On India's Claim to Extended Economic Zone:
Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a sea zone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical miles from its coast. United States has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. Next comes is France. Australia has the third largest Exclusive Economic Zone with the total area actually exceeding that of its land territory.

India has 2,305,143 sq. Kms of Total Exclusive Economic Zone area. India has laid claim to 0.6 million sq km of the sea bed beyond the exclusive economic zones both in the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal. It is pending before UN.

John Kerry's Visit:
John Kerry is a United States Senator and Chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee was recently in India. He met Prime minister and discussed Afghanistan and Pakistan issue.

Ranking Web of World Depositories: Indian Institutions
A repository or Institutional Repository is an online locus for collecting, preserving, and disseminating -- in digital form -- the intellectual output of an institution, particularly a research institution. Ranking of World Repositories is a service which ranks the repositories of institutions and universities around the world. It is topped by Arxiv.org e-Print Archive of united States. Among Indian Institutions, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore ePrints is the top repository of the country which is on Rank 82. The other repositories in Top 400 are :

Rank 148: Openmed National Informatics Centre India
Rank 180: Indian Statistical Institute Digital Library
Rank 218: Indian Institute of Astrophysics Dspace
Rank 245: National Institute of Oceanography India Digital Repository

World Updates:
Bangladesh: Renaming Zia International Airport
Zia International Airport has been renamed as Shahjalal International Airport after 13th century Sufi saint Hazarat Shah Jalal.

Sports: Kapur, Bhullar, Lahiri Sponsored by Hero Honda
Hero Honda Motors Ltd. announces its latest sponsorship agreement with India's Golf stars Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri. A Brief Intro:

Shiv Kapur: He became a pro in 2004 and made the country proud with an individual gold medal in 2002 Asian Games.
Anirban Lahiri: He had a distinguished amateur career with six wins in 2006-07 turned pro in 2007 and has been one of the promising players in Asian Tour. He became the number one professional golfer on Aircel PGTI Indian Tour with some stupendous performances in 2009, recently made the country proud after he got a call-up for the Dubai Desert Classic.
Gaganjit Bhullar: Pro since 2006. he recently won Asian Tour International on february 7, 2010

Top 5 WTA Rankings Holders:
As of February 15, 2010, the top 5 WTA ranking Holders are as follows

Serena Williams, United States, 8,995 points
Dinara Safina, Russia, 6,480
Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 5,995
Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 5,861
Venus Williams, United States, 5,526

All Rankings are available on this Page

Quiz 334: Finance, Business & Economy For Banking Examinations

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:12:00 +0000

1.Recently we came across the fact regarding the Eurozone countries (16 countries that share Euro as single currency) that in spite of success of the single currency system in this largest trading bloc of the world, there are a large number of disparities between the Euro zone nations. Some of these countries are finding accruing debt increasing expensive and struggling to hold themselves against an spectre of state bankruptcy. From the following options bring out the one, which is not among these countries? Read Note
(A)Portugal
(B)Ireland
(C)Greece
(D)Spain
(E)Netherlands

2.Recently which of the following airports of India, was rated world's number one airport in the category of airports handling 5 to 15 million passengers by the Airport Council International?
(A)Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
(B)Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
(C)Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai
(D)Chennai International Airport, Chennai
(E)Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata

3.As we know that Microfinance is a provision of thrift, credit and other financial services and products of very small amount to the poor in rural, semi urban and urban areas for enabling them to raise their income levels and improve their living standards. The beginning of the micro finance movement in India could be traced to the self-help group (SHGs) - bank linkage programme (SBLP) started as a pilot project by National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD). In which year this pilot project had started?
(A)1985
(B)1989
(C)1992
(D)1994
(E)1996

4.The idea of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) in India was promulgated with RRB Act of 1976. In June 2004, an Advisory Committee on Flow of Credit to Agriculture and Related Activities recommended restructuring of RRBs in order to improve the operational viability of RRBs and take advantage of the economies of scale. Who among the following was the chairman of this committee?
(A)Prof V S Vyas
(B)PD Ojha
(C)Deepak Mohanty
(D)Prof. V K Sharma
(E)Prof.A.Vaidyanathan

5.As per an announcement made in the Union Budget of 1996, the Local Area Bank Scheme was introduced in August 1996 . The Local Area banks are the private local banks with jurisdiction over two or three districts. By the end of March 2009, what was the number of Local Area Banks in India?
(A)4
(B)8
(C)17
(D)21
(E)23

6.In which year Financial Stability Forum (FSF) was established?
(A)1998
(B)1999
(C)2000
(D)2001
(E)2002

7.Which among the following is used for a situation of "Too much money chasing too few goods?
(A)Demand Pull Inflation
(B)Cost pull inflation
(C)Stagflation
(D)Hyperinflation
(E)None of them

8.Many a times we read in the newspapers that Research and Development on Genetically Modified Crops has been so far confined to crops of High value meant for the market. As per a report of Food and Agricultural Organization (The name of the report is State of Agriculture Report) , neither public nor private sector has made any significant investment in "orphan Crops" such as cow pea and millets. Why the report says that investment on Orphan crops is also necessary?
(A)Because orphan crops are available everywhere in the world
(B)Because orphan crops, if genetically modified will produce more nutrient rich product
(C)Because orphan crops are very critical for the food supply and livelihood of world's poorest people
(D)Because orphan crops require very little investment and serve large number of people
(E)Because investments should be made on all kinds of crops for a better balance in distribution

9.In 2001 Reserve Bank of India introduced a system of OSS for scheduled (Primary) Urban Cooperative banks. What does OSS stand for?
(A)On site Surveillance
(B)Off-site Surveillance
(C)Open Surveillance System
(D)Open Surveillance Scheme
(E)None of them

10.Which of the following emirates bailed out Dubai, after the recent Dubai Crisis?
(A)Abu Dhabi
(B)Sharjah
(C)Ajman
(D)Ras al-Khaimah
(E)Fujairah

11.Which among the following is not a feature of Modified Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme Rastriya Krishi Bima Yojna which was introduced in Kharif 1999 after bringing down the Crop Insurance scheme of 1985 in 1988?
(A)This Scheme is administered by Agriculture Insurance Corporation which is promoted by NABARD, GIC and 4 public sector Insurance Companies
(B)This new scheme links the debt to the insurance , so the farmers who have taken loans are covered in this scheme
(C)It proposes that Government of India will underwrite the losses of the companies rather than subsiding the premia by state and central governments
(D)It covers all the crops weather food crops, oil crops horticultural crops or even commercial crops
(E)all of above are features of this scheme

12.CPGRAMS which has been recently developed by NIC (National Informatics Centre) is most close with which among the following?
(A)Financial Inclusion
(B)Customer Grievances
(C)Core Banking System
(D)Payment Gateway
(E)Security Trading

13.In which year The Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act came into force?
(A)2006
(B)2007
(C)2008
(D)2009
(E)None of them

14.Who among the following is the writer of the book "Everything I Possess I Carry With Me"?
(A)Herta Müller
(B)Doris Lessing
(C)Orhan Pamuk
(D)Elfriede Jelinek
(E)V. S. Naipaul

15.One-billion dollar line of credit is the largest ever one-time bilateral financial assistance India has provided to any country. Which country?
(A)Nepal
(B)Bhutan
(C)Bangladesh
(D)Sri Lanka
(E)None of them

16.Joginder Jaswant Singh is the Governor of which of the following states?
(A)Rajasthan
(B)Arunachal Pradesh
(C)Mizoram
(D)Karnataka
(E)West Bengal

17.Apart from English , in which language Kamala Suraiyya used to write who died in 2009?
(A)Tamil
(B)Telugu
(C)Bengali
(D)Malayalam
(E)Kannada

18."Challenges to Central Banking in the Context of Financial Crisis" this was the title of the first international research conference organized recently by Reserve Bank of India on February 12 & 13, 2010 at which of the following places?
(A)Hyderabad
(B)Mumbai
(C)New Delhi
(D)Kolkata
(E)Bangalore

19.In which of the following countries is prevalent the Pay as you earn (PAYE) , a withholding tax system?
(A)USA
(B)UK
(C)Australia
(D)Germany
(E)China

20.In context with the Budget, which among the following is not a Non-Plan Expenditure?
(A)Revenue and Capital Expenditure on interest payments
(B) Defense Expenditure
(C)Grants to State governments & Union territories
(D)Central Assistance to States and Union Territories
(E)Grants to foreign countries

© www.gktoday.in

Current Affairs Notes & Updates : February 14, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:54:00 +0000

Events & Happenings:
Rajasthan: Vintage Car Rally, Jaipur
The Jaipur Vintage Car Rally occurs annually in the month of January or February to preserve the heritage of the country. A congregation of old model cars of the yesteryears out of which some most popular vintage car models come to participate in this rally. This year more than 100 vintage cars took part in the rally which was the 12th version of the event. Major attraction was 1968 white Mercedes belonging to the late Rajmata Gayatri Devi.

The rally is organized by Rajputana Automotive Sports Car Club (RASCC) in association with the Rajasthan Tourism Department. 2010 rally featured Mercedes models ranging from 1936 to 1971, 14 different classic Jaguars, Cadillac, Daimler, Austin, Chrysler, Studebaker, Humber, Erskine, Ford Mustang and a 1938 model Fiat.

National Updates:

Bihar : New Bihar state unit Chief of JD-U Vijay Choudhary
New Bihar state unit Chief of JD-U is Vijay Choudhary, who has been appointed by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav. He replaces Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. Rajeev Ranjan Singh had resigned on February 1.

IIM-A - Cohort System
IIM-A sees a new placement process being conducted over continuous weekends which are called "cohorts". Each cohort hosts firms which offer similar roles, opportunities, offers, profiles, salaries, locations etc. Several cohorts comprise a cluster. This is a new placement system, which continues for about six to eight weeks. In the earlier system recruiting companies came together at the campus to interview eligible candidates and complete the selection process at a stretch over continuous three to five days.

The first weekend gathering of cohort-based placement season was held at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmadabad (IIM-A) ended on Sunday , February 14, 2010. The first cluster had companies across four cohorts - international investment banks, global strategy consulting, and global niche consulting and private equity/venture capital. It offered 50 openings.

Punjab : Who was Baba Moti Ram Mehra?
Baba Moti Ram Mehra was an ardent devotee and servant of Guru Gobind Singh. Following is a short story of this great martyr:

Mata Gujri and Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh (two sons of Guru Gobind Singh) were kept under at arrest at Thanda Burj by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (under Mughal Governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan), before they were martyred. Baba Moti Ram Mehra entered secretly to this Thanda Burj and served milk & water to the trio for 3 days.

After Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh martyred and Mata Gujri also left this world, it came in the knowledge of Mughals (Nawab Wazir Khan) that Baba Moti Ram Mehra had served them milk & water for 3 days. Baba Moti Ram Mehra accepted this bravely and the Mughals arrested him and his family including his son & his grandmother. They all together were sentenced to death by being squeezed in a Kohlu (oil press).

On February 14, 2010 at a state level function in Punjab, the Punjab Government announces to raise a Commemorative memorial in the memory of the great martyr at Sri Fatehgarh Sahib.

'Bharat Swabhimaan' Andolan
This is a crusade of Baba Ramdev against corruption and political nepotism.
Read Here

Karnatka: Ranganathittu Bird Sancutary
Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary is located in Mandya District of Karnataka. Comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. In 2009 Salim Ali Interpretation centre was opened in this century. Now the Department of Forest of the state comes up some new plans to provide additional amenities for tourists.

Sports
2010 PTT Pattaya Open (results)
20th edition of the PTT Pattaya Open (formerly known as the Pattaya Women's Open) was 2010 PTT Pattaya Open which was part of the International category on the 2010 WTA Tour. It was held in Pattaya City, Thailand from February 8 through February 14, 2009.

The winners are as follows:
Singles:
Vera Zvonareva (Russia) who defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand)

Doubles:
Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) & Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) who defeated Anna Chakvetadze & Ksenia Pervak (Both from Russia)

MRF Formula 1600 Challenge Champion - Aswin Sundar
Ashwin Sundar has emerged as the the overall champion of the first MRF Formula 1600 Challenge winning the last two races in the third and the final leg at the Madras Motor Sports Club.

Vera Zvonareva's image source

Allahabad Bank PO Examination : some questions based upon memory

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:05:00 +0000

Following are some questions asked in Allahabad Bank PO Examination Held on This Sunday. The Questions have been sent by kishore Bolisetty. Please note that I am publishing the questions without the exact verbatim as our readers contribute on the basis of memory.

Which Organisation has bought 200 tones of gold from IMF : RBI
After the financial crisis, which of the following crisis has affected the world : Dubai crisis.
With which profession Balraj puri is associated with : Journalism
A querstion about Basel II norms
A Book by V.S Naipaul : Half a Life
Who is Chief Justice of India : K.G. Balakrishnan
In which field Dada sahib phalke awards are given: films
Where is Dadaab camp : They are refugee camps in Kenya
Derby is a term used in which of the following the sport: Please note if it was Derby County then it is related to English football club , otherwise Horse race, However there are Bike derby, Fishing Derby also
Where was held East Asia Summit : It was held in Thailand after many postponements.
What is ECS : Electronic Clearing system
Which state started E-shakti yojana : Bihar (I recently wrote a note in my updates)
A question about Food and Agriculture Organisation , the question is not clear , However if they asked about it, it is a specialized agency of UN
Which Genetically modified crop in news : Of course it is Bt Brinjal. However please note that if the question asked about first Bt crop then it was BtCotton.
Which anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi celebrated : 140th & its worth noting that NREGA was Named as MNREGA on this occasion.
H5N1 is a – Bird Flu , If the querstion asked about H1N1 then it is swine flu
There was a question on India and china concerned over Payment Imbalance, the verbatim of question is not clear, if you have please leave comment.
India is getting Barak anti missile defence from which country : Please note that India is cooperating with israel for extended-range Barak ship defense system
India is concerned about instability in which of the following countries : Afganistan and pakistan are the answers if both were given under one option
Recently India signed a climate pact with : It was Indo China Cliamte Pact
One question regarding GDP growth in India was there .
Asked full form of TPF– Trade policy Forum.
Who is the new chairman of ISRO : K Radhakrsihna
Which country is Largest Steel Producer in the world : China
In which state are located Maximum Sugar mills : Uttar Pradesh
Mohammad Nasheed is president of which country : Maldives
A question about Mullaperiyar dam : Its in kerala being built on Periyar River
One question regarding National Skill development : Please note if the question was about National Skill Development Coordination Board then it is under Planning Commission and if asked about National Skill Development Corporation , then its under Ministry of Finance.
One question about award of Nobel prize: it is 10 million Swedish krona
One question was regarding Carbon Credit : Please note if the question was on certified Emission Reductions then answer is one metric tonne of CO2 emissions.
Orissa proposess the new name of state : Odisha
Player not Associated with Lawn Tennis: One option in this question was Anand Pawar and he plays Badminton.
Full form of POS : Point of sale
Who is Present EU President : Herman Van Rompuy
In which stream Ramakrihna venkatraman got nobel prize in : Answer is Chemistry
RBI has kept Emergency Fund facility for which of the following banks : Please note that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended the setting up of an emergency fund to help urban cooperative banks (UCBs) tide over liquidity problems
How many Runs completed by Sachin to create history in ODI : 17000 runs
Which scheme has been launched for pregnant and Lacting women : answer option is Indira Gandhi Matritava Sahayog Yojana.
In which field are given Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards : Science & Technology
A question about Social Audit : It is related to NREGA and if asked where was conducted recently then answer is Rajasthan
A question about CAMPA was there (Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority) question is not clear.
Question about Sudhir Gokhran : Recently he was appointed as 4th Deputy Governor of RBI.
A question about tax abolished: Fridge Benefit Tax & commodity transaction tax were abolished in budget 2009.
A question on banking terminolgy
A Economics terminology : Handedness was in options which is related to being right handed or left handed.
A question about terms related to hockey : Centre Forward is related to Football, they are attackers at nearest to opposing teams goals.
A question on FTA(Free Trade Agreement) : options were definitions
A question about UNIFEM : it is United Nations Development Fund for Women and its South Asian office is in New Delhi
Which country had opposed Manmohan singh to visit Arunachal Pradesh : The answer is China
Which of the following is not a government undertaking : correct option was ICICI bank
A question about title in Tennis – If the option was Grandmaster then it is related to Chess, memory and Martial arts so it was the correct option.
Which of the following is not a plant crop : all options are plant products (options have not been sent , the question seems to be lifted from Civil services 2008 Pre paper)
Which of the following is not a river : The options are not clear. If it is Ural then please note Ural is a mountain as well a River which flows through Russia and Khazhakhatan. If you remember all options please leave ur comment.
A question regarding Climate change terminilogy : correct option was Basel norms and all of you must know this
Winner of Champions trophy : 2009 winner is Australia .
Who is Winner of man booker prize 2009 : Hillary Mantel , 2008 winner is Arvind Adiga
A question about Zine El Abidine Ben Ali : he is president of Tunisia since 1987

I Hope all of you who appeared in this examination must have done very well.

Current Affairs Notes & Updates For Saturday, February 13, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:58:00 +0000

Events, Happenings and Observances:
Britain : Nuclear New Build Conference
British Business, Innovation and Skills Minister Pat McFadden was in India recently. He states that Civil Nuclear Cooperation declaration signed by India and the UK would help both the countries achieve low carbon growth. He also states that " UK will host a major Nuclear New Build Conference, focusing on new opportunities in India and the UAE. It has invited senior representatives from the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to set out India' s plans for developing nuclear power projects and technologies in the coming years. This event will be attended by nuclear leaders from 15 nations and will provide a platform for British Industry to forge new links and demonstrate their competitive edge."

Year of Tiger :
Chinese Year of Tiger starts from 15 February 2010 till 2 February 2011 and the elemental sign is Metal Tiger . The Year of Tiger is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

National Updates:
Gadkari on Article 370:
BJP president Nitin Gadkari says that Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, should be scrapped so that the region is open to all Indians.

More About Article 370:
Article-370 was created with a view that its existence would be temporary. The Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir signed the instrument of accession whereby only three subjects were surrendered i.e. External affairs, Defense and Communications, by the State to the Dominion of India. Thus the relationship between the State of J&K and the Union of India is exceptional. The State enjoys a greater measure of autonomy and the power of the Union of India is restricted, as regards other States. The Union of India is incompetent to declare financial emergency and emergency in case of failing of constitutional machinery with respect to the State of J&K. Only emergency due to War or External Aggression can be declared as it is within the scope of “Defense” as surrendered to the Union of India. The Union Legislature can not legislate on the matters provided in the Union list and Concurrent list which are not in accordance with the subjects provided in the instrument of accession. The consultation of the State Government is required in any matter that affects the State. It can be said that the Union of India has the power to act on an issue independently only if it is somehow related to the three subjects surrendered or those expressly mentioned in the instrument of accession

Himachal Pradesh : Inspiration from Costa Rica
Costa Rica government had announced in 2007 , that the country plans to become the first carbon neutral country by 2021. This country is fast emerging carbon neutral State in the near future by checking all possible greenhouse gas emission.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is in Costa Rica and he makes following statement:

''We are inspired from the achievements of Costa Rica and destined to emerge as the first carbon neutral state by 2021. The achievement by the small Central American country in successfully doubling its green cover from 21 per cent in 1988 to 42 per cent in the year 1997, was a remarkable and inspiring achievement for rest of the world to learn from,'

Himachal Pradesh plans to seek cooperation with Costa Rica in implementation of all environment protection measures in the State keeping in view the geo-physical conditions prevalent here.

On February 15, 2010, Mr. Dhumal also reveals the Himachal Government's plant to Open a Climate Change center in Himachal Pradesh soon.

Orissa: First Community Station
Orissa's first community radio station " Radio Namaskar" which has been established by Young India, an NGO has gone on air in Konark

New Delhi : Mughal Garden Opens to Public
The Mughal gardens are open to the public in February-March every year. Visitors are allowed entry to the garden from 9.30 A.M. till 2.30 P.M. on all days except Mondays. The Gardens are covering an area of 15 acres and this year's special attractions are Cactus Corner and a Bonsai Segment.

Note: Until 1950 Rastrapati Bhavan was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Viceroy of India. It is the largest residence of any Head of the State in the world.

Apple's answer to Kindle- iPad
On 27 January Apple Inc. announced the iPad - tablet computer which has similar in functionality to the iPhone and iPod touch. Since It is Apple's first device to use its iBookstore service and companion iBooks ebook reading application, the iPad has been compared to Amazon's Kindle,

Sports:
Ravindra Jadeja banned
Ravindra Jadeja has been slapped a one-year ban by the Indian Premier League governing council on charges of violating the IPL code of conduct as he was negotiating with other franchises for a higher pay package. He represents Saurashtra in first class cricket, and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in last two sessions.

2010 Hockey World Cup - Trophy unveiled:
12th Men's Hockey World Cup is FIH Hero Honda World Cup being organised in India from Feb 28 to March 13, 2010 at New Delhi's Dhyan Chand National Stadium.The trophy is unveiled in Ludhiana where after being displayed will be taken to other parts of the nation. Hockey World Cup trophy has been designed by Bashir Moojid of Pakistani army.

image comes from sandesh.com

General Awareness For All Exams : Quiz 333

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:58:00 +0000

1.In which state is located Bhakra Dam.?
(A)Haryana
(B)Punjab
(C)Karnataka
(D)Orissa
(E)Rajasthan

2.Which are the two countries connected by Karakoram Pass?
(A)India & Pakistan
(B)India & China
(C)China & Pakistan
(D)India & Nepal
(E)China & Nepal

3.Which of the following Sultans is known to have laid the foundation of Agra City?
(A)Bahlol Lodi
(B)Sikandar Lodi
(C)Ibrahim Lodi
(D)Shershah Suri
(E)Islam Shah Suri

4.Who among the following is the winner of 7th edition of Mumbai Marathon ?
(A)John Kelei
(B)Fileman Byet
(C)Ram Singh yadav
(D)Dennis Ndisso
(E)Haile Gebrselassie

5.Who among the following is the author of Sea of the Poppies?
(A)Arvind Adiga
(B)Amitav Ghosh
(C)Chetan Bhagat
(D)Vikas Swaroop
(E)None of them

6.India borrowed the idea of the concurrent list from the constitution of which of the following countries?
(A)UK
(B)Australia
(C)America
(D)Canada
(E)Russia Revolution

7.Chena Cultivation is common in which of the following countries?
(A)Thailand
(B)Malaysia
(C)Cambodia
(D)Sri Lanka
(E)Pakistan

8.Which of the following is India's First National Marine Park ?
(A)Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
(B)Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch
(C)Rani Jhansi Marine National Park
(D)Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
(E)None of them

9.The constitution 108th ( Amendment) Bill is related to which of the following?
(A)Inclusion of Gujjar Community of Rajasthan in the list of Scheduled Tribes
(B)Protection of the rights of the persons under arrest
(C)Establishing right to education as a fundamental Right
(D)Providing One third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies
(E)Providing protection to the consumers

10.Under whose prime minister ship , the Antidefection bill was passed?
(A)V P Singh
(B)Rajiv Gandhi
(C)Narsimha Rao
(D)Indira Gandhi
(E)A B Vajpayee

11.Which among the following decides Prime Lending Rate (PLR) in India?
(A)Reserve Bank of India
(B)Ministry of Finance, Government of India
(C)Finance Secretary of India
(D)Indian Banks Association
(E)None of them

12.Which among the following hydroelectric power projects has maximum installed capacity in MW?
(A)Sardar Sarovar
(B)Srisailam Dam
(C)Nathpa Dam
(D)Bhakra Dam
(E)Koyna

13.Which among the following is the first Latin American country to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement with India?
(A)Chile
(B)Mexico
(C)Venezuela
(D)Peru
(E)Brazil

14.Which of the following article deals with annual Financial Statement (Budget)?
(A)Article 112
(B)Article 212
(C)Article 370
(D)Article 73
(E)Article 360

15.Which of the following country was officially declared to be the world's first atheist state after world war II?
(A)Algeria
(B)Albania
(C)Croatia
(D)Slovenia
(E)Gibraltar

16.Which of the following country is known as first state to adopt Christianity as its religion in the early years of the 4th century?
(A)Kingdom of Armenia
(B)Kingdom of England
(C)Kingdom of Bohemia
(D)Kingdom of Ceredigion
(E)Kingdom of Bulgaria

17.Which of the present ministry of Government of India was formerly Ministry of Welfare ?
(A)Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
(B)Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
(C)Ministry of Law and Justice
(D)Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
(E)Ministry of Labor and Employment

18.Pope Benedict XVI belongs to which of the following country originally?
(A)France
(B)Italy
(C)Germany
(D)Austria
(E)Poland

19.Who among the following was the editor of Bengal Gazette or the Calcutta General Advertiser , which was the first English language newspaper, and first printed newspaper, to be published in the Indian sub-continent?
(A)Daniel Defoe
(B)Oliver Goldsmith
(C)James Augustus Hickey
(D)David Hume
(E)John Hunter

20.Which of the following rivers is called "Father of African Rivers"?
(A)Nile River
(B)Niger River
(C)Gambia River
(D)Yobbe River
(E)Saint paul River

© www.gktoday.in

Current Affairs February 12, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:33:00 +0000

Events & Happenings:
Defexpo India 2010
Defexpo India 2010 is the the sixth edition in the series of biennial Land and Naval Defence Systems Exhibition held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from Feb 15 to 18, 2010.

National Updates:
Task Force on Project Elephant
On February 12, 2010, Ministry of Environment and Forests has set up a task force on Project Elephant to give detailed recommendations to upgrade it for a more effective conservation and management of wild as well as captive elephants. Read Here

Update on Polavaram Project
Polavaram Project is located in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh.
Read Here

The Constitution (One Hundred and Eleventh Amendment) Bill, 2009
The Constitution (One Hundred and Eleventh Amendment) Bill, 2009 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 30 November, 2009. Read Here

Proposed National Seed Bank
Government of India is planning to establish a National Seed Bank. This seed bank will help farmers in the event of any crisis of shortage of seeds to cultivate. Read Here

Cabinet decided upon 13th Finance Commission Recommendations:
The Thirteenth Finance Commission was constituted by the President on 13th November, 2007 to give recommendations on specified aspects of Centre State fiscal relations during 2010 -2015.
The Commission had submitted its report covering all aspects of its mandate on 30th December, 2009. The Cabinet has considered the recommendations of the Commission covering the five years period commencing from April, 2010.

Now, in the budget session recommendations of the Commission will be laid on the Table of each House of Parliament.

How Finance Commissions are constituted?
The Finance Commissions are constituted by the President after every five years or earlier under Article 280 of the Constitution to give recommendations on specified aspects of Centre-State fiscal relations. The recommendations of these Commissions are based on detailed assessment of the financial position of the Central and State Governments and wide consultations with stakeholders.

Terms of Reference of B.N.Srikrishna Committee
Following are the terms of reference of B.N.Srikrishna Committee. Committee is requested to submit its report by December 31, 2010.

To examine the situation in the State of Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate State of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of a united Andhra Pradesh.
To review the developments in the State since its formation and their impact on the progress and development of the different regions of the State.
To examine the impact of the recent developments in the State on the different sections of the people such as women, children, students, minorities, other backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
To identify the key issues that must be addressed while considering the matters mentioned in items (1), (2) and (3) above.
To consult all sections of the people, especially the political parties, on the aforesaid matters and elicit their views; to seek from the political parties and other organisations a range of solutions that would resolve the present difficult situation and promote the welfare of all sections of the people; to identify the optimal solutions for this purpose; and to recommend a plan of action and a road map.
To consult other organisations of civil society such as industry, trade, trade unions, farmers’ organisations, women’s organisations and students’ organisations on the aforesaid matters and elicit their views with specific reference to the all round development of the different regions of the State.
To make any other suggestion or recommendation that the Committee may deem appropriate. (From PIB)

Second Advance Estimates of Crop Production
On February 12, 2010 second advance Estimates of production of major crops grown in the country were released.

The production of major crops during 2009-10 is as follows:

Total Foodgrains – 216.85 million tonnes (against 234.47 million tonnes in 2008-09, so please note that there is 7.51% decline)

Rice – 87.56 million tonnes
Wheat – 80.28 million tonnes
Coarse Cereals – 34.27 million tonnes
Maize – 17.30 million tonnes

Pulses – 14.74 million tonnes (pulses output is estimated to be slightly better at 14.74 million tonnes in the current year as against 14.57 million tonnes in 2008-09 season)

Tur – 2.50 million tonnes
Urad – 1.13 million tonnes
Moong – 0.67 million tonnes

Sugarcane - 251.26 million tonnes (as against 285.02 million tonnes in the 2008-09. )
Total Oilseeds – 26.32 million tonnes (as against 27.71 million tonnes in the 2008-09) Soyabean – 10.22 million tonne
Groundnut – 5.53 million tonnes
Cotton – 22.32 million bales of 170 kg each.
3rd Advance Estimates to be released in April, 2010 when more firmed up data from the States would be available.

India World:
Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) - Malaysia
ICCR president Karan Singh and Malaysia's Human Resource Minister S. Subramaniam inauguarte a full-fledged Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), complete with a dance studio, music and yoga rooms, in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

New Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Nepal
Keeping in view the recent developments in the civil aviation sector, and with a view to modernize and update the existing ASA based on the ICAO template, Government of India approves a new Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Nepal.

The agreement on new text was initiated in September 2009.

After this agreement , both the countries shall be entitled to designate any number of airlines for operation of mutually agreed services for which the respective country shall grant appropriate authorization and permission.

New ICC Representatives:
Gary Kirsten will be representative of national coaches as he is named by International Cricket Council's Cricket Committee, replacing Mickey Aurthur.
The Board has reappointed Ian Bishop and Mark Taylor to the ICC Cricket Committee as media representatives and also ratified the reappointment of Kumar Sangakkara and Tim May as current player representatives.

International Boxing Association (AIBA) rankings - Vijender Singh on top
Vijender Singh who defeated Carlos Góngora of Ecuador 9–4 in the quarterfinals of 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal — the first ever Olympic medal for an Indian boxer is on to the top spot in the middlewight category in the latest International Boxing Association (AIBA) rankings. He has 2513 points after he clinched a silver medal at the Champion of Champions tournament in China in february 2010.

Other Indian Champions in the rankings are :
Thokchom Nanao Singh
Suranjoy Singh
Jitender Kumar
Akhil Kumar
Jai Bhagwan
Dinesh Kumar

the rankings are available on this page:
Cricket in Olympics:
International Olympic Council (IOC) has granted recognition to International Cricket Council. Now Cricket can take part in IOC events. This is the first step towards making cricket an Olympic sports. Most likely the ICC will bid for 2020 Olympics for 20-20 version.
ICC chief executive - Haroon Lorgat

Current Affairs Mega Quiz February (Second) 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:47:00 +0000

1.Who among the following is the new chairman of Public Accounts Committee of Lok Sabha?
(A)Murli Manohar Joshi
(B)Yashwant Sinha
(C)L K Advani
(D)Gopinath Munde
(E)Jaswant Singh

2.Recently, after seven months of discussions, the name of a synthetic radioactive chemical element Copernicum (Cn) was officially endorsed by IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). What is the atomic number of this element? (February 19, 2010)
(A)110
(B)111
(C)112
(D)113
(E)114

3.Who among the following recently became Australia's first saint, after being approved by The Vatican for canonization?
(A)Mary MacKillop
(B)Joan Evans
(C)Janet Mead
(D)Vincent Whitty
(E)None of them

4.By which year the joint entrance examination (JEE) for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is likely to be abolished as the central government decides to work on a common entrance test for all government engineering colleges?
(A)2012
(B)2013
(C)2014
(D)2015
(E)2016

5.For which of the following sports would be organized Grand Club Championship from April 4, 2010 in India?
(A)Football
(B)Volleyball
(C)Basket Ball
(D)Hockey
(E)Cricket

6.Who among the following business people was recently in news for buying the colonial "East India Company" as the company has been relaunched in London this February?
(A)Sanjiv Mehta
(B)Bobby Thekkekara
(C)Karsanbhai Patel
(D)Suhas Gopinath
(E)None of them

7.Where is located India's first petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR)?
(A)Cuttak
(B)Vizag
(C)Kochi
(D)Jamnagar
(E)Mumbai

8.Which of the following hospital chain of India recently opened India's first department of interventional neurology ?
(A)Max Healthcare
(B)Apollo Hospitals
(C)Wockhardt Hospitals
(D)Fortis Helthcare
(E)None of them

9.In which month the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) 2008 has came into effect?
(A)January 2009
(B)December 2009
(C)January 2010
(D)February 2010
(E)November 2009

10.Which country won the Hopman Cup (Tennis) 2010?
(A)France
(B)Spain
(C)Britain
(D)Italy
(E)Germany

11.Which state is the winner of BC Roy Trophy ? (2010)
(A)Karnataka
(B)Orissa
(C)Tamilnadu
(D)Andhra Pradesh
(E)None

12.On which of the following dates in March is observed as United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace?
(A)5
(B)8
(C)9
(D)12
(E)16

13.Which of the following districts of Karnataka was recently in news as Arcellor Mittal decides to locate its proposed six million tonne per annum steel plant in this district?
(A)Gulbarga
(B)Bellary
(C)Bidar
(D)Coorg
(E)Gadag

14.Recently India concluded her first-ever tax information exchange agreement (TIEA) with which of the following Tax heavens?
(A)Bermuda
(B)Belize
(C)Bahamas
(D)Anguilla
(E)Cyprus

15.Which among the following is not a party in the 6 Party Talks?
(A)United States
(B)China
(C)Russia
(D)France
(E)Japan

16.Who among the following is India's first Oscar award winner?
(A)Satyajit Ray
(B)Guru Datt
(C)Bhanu Athaiya
(D)Gulzar
(E)Verma Malik

17.In which of the following states in India is coming up Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education and Development (MGIDE) which is being set up by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)?
(A)Meghalaya
(B)Nagaland
(C)Assam
(D)Manipur
(E)Mizoram

18.Recently which of the following noted film personality approached supreme court in his support to the Delhi High court's decision of July 2009 which had recommended to the Union Government to suitably amend section 377, IPC in context with the gay sex?
(A)Shyam Benegal
(B)Siddharth Kak
(C)Prakash Jha
(D)Sai Paranjape
(E)None of them

19.Which of the following date is the date of International Mother Language Day recognized by United Nations which also signifies Language movement Day in Bangladesh?
(A)January 29
(B)February 21
(C)March 02
(D)February 27
(E)April 21

20.In which state is being Organized a Kabaddi World Cup in March 2010?
(A)Punjab
(B)Haryana
(C)Rajasthan
(D)Uttar Pradesh
(E)Uttarakhand

21.Augastino Rono who recently won the latest Edition of Chennai Marathon belongs to which of the following countries?
(A)Ghana
(B)Kenya
(C)Maldives
(D)South Africa
(E)Mauritius

22.In which of the following festivals is presented a Golden Bear Award?
(A)Berlin International Film Festival
(B)Cannes International Film Festival
(C)Montreal International Film Festival
(D)Moscow International Film Festival
(E)None of them

23.As per a recent study carried out by Population Council, Delhi and International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai in six states - Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharastra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu , which was released by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad revealed what fraction of
girls get married before turning to 18 years ?
(A)25%
(B)35%
(C)50%
(D)55%
(E)65%

24.How many people were awarded Padma Vibhushan , the second highest civilian honor of India?
(A)4
(B)5
(C)6
(D)7
(E)8

25.Which of the following private sector bank recently started 'Mobile Money Services' in collaboration with Nokia and Obopay India , which enables transfer of money in a secured manner using the mobile device?
(A)Axis Bank
(B)Yes Bank
(C)ICICI Bank
(D)HSBC bank
(E)None of the above

26.Nodar Kumaritashvili an athlete who suffered a fatal crash during a training run for the 2010 Winter Olympics competition belonged to which of the following countries?
(A)Azerbaijan.
(B)Turkey
(C)Armenia
(D)Georgia
(E)None of them

27.Which of the following country recently successfully deployed a chemical oxygen iodine laser weapon (COIL) ,which is an infrared chemical laser?
(A)Russia
(B)China
(C)United States
(D)North Korea
(E)None of them

28.In which of the following countries was recently held Lantern festival (and is held every year on the 15th of the fist month of local calendar) ?
(A)Thailand
(B)Cambodia
(C)Myanmar
(D)Nepal
(E)China

29.The Chinese New year which started February 14, 2010 is a year of _____?
(A)Tiger
(B)Rabbit
(C)Dragon
(D)Snake
(E)Rat

30.In which country was started "Operation Moshtarak " on February 13, 2010?
(A)Pakistan
(B)Afghanistan
(C)Turkey
(D)Iraq
(E)Iran

31.BMW Oracle Racing which has won 33rd America's Cup (on February 14, 2010 ) belongs to which of the following countries?
(A)Italy
(B)United States
(C)France
(D)Canada
(E)None of them

32.In context with the Vancouver Olympics , who among the following has become Canada's first ever Olympic gold medal winner on home soil?
(A)Jean-Luc Brassard
(B)Shane McConkey
(C)Alexandre Bilodeau
(D)Jeff Bean
(E)None of them

33.To which of the following country did United Nations Special send an special Enoy Tomas Quintana on a five day visit to assess the progress on human rights?
(A)Sri Lanka
(B)Myanmar
(C)Thailand
(D)Pakistan
(E)Afghanistan

34.Who among the following is the receiver of TED prize for 2010?
(A)Sylvia Earle
(B)James Nachtwey
(C)Jamie Oliver
(D)Cameron Sinclair
(E)Karen Armstrong

35.Which of the following East African country has been selected as global host of World Environment Day on 5 June 2010?
(A)Rwanda
(B)Congo
(C)Tanzania
(D)Uganda
(E)Burundi

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Civil Services Examination 2010: Mock Test 6

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:53:00 +0000

Download This Quiz Here

1.Consider the following statements:
1. Telugu Kannada Tamil and Sanskrt are classical languages of India
2. Only languages which have a proven antiquity of over 1500 years qualify for status of classical language
3. The Tamil language was given a classical status because of an election promise made by NDA government
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)Only 1 is correct
(B)Only 1 & 2 are correct
(C)Only 2 & 3 are correct
(D)all 1,2,3 are correct
(E)None of them is correct

2.Which of the following programme was launched with effect from August 15, 1995?
(A)Mid Day Meal Programme
(B)Swaran Jayanti Rozgar Yojna
(C)Jawahar lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission
(D)National Literacy Mission
(E)None of them

3.Consider the following statements regarding National Knowledge Network:
1. National Knowledge Network will help to attain 100% literacy in India
2. The network comprises 1000 nodes which shall be connected with each other
3. National Knowledge Network will be used to play an important role in Healthcare in India
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)2 & 3 only
(D)all 1, 2, & 3
(E)None of the given statements is correct

4.Bring out the only incorrect statement regarding the Yashpal Committee Report ?
(A)The report recommended a 7 member body called Higher Education & Research under an act of the parliament
(B)The committee criticized & opposed the private investment in Education which has made the education a business.
(C)Th committee recommended that IITs and IIMs should be expanded in full fledged universities
(D)The committee suggested dismantling the UGC< AICTE , NCTE etc.
(E)The committee criticized the UPA's policy of setting up new IITs & IIMs

5.In which country has been produced Movia?
(A)India
(B)Canada
(C)China
(D)United States
(E)Brazil

6.Consider the following statements regarding World Heritage List
1. Italy is home to largest number of world heritage sites
2. Italy has 44 sites inscribed to this list
3. India has 4 natural properties in this list
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)2 & 3 only
(D)all 1, 2, 3,
(E)None of them is correct

7.Consider the following statements:
1.A new tax on Carbon emission was imposed in France
2. French President Nicolas Sarcozy makes fighting with climate change problem as a key part of his tenure
3. The tax was rejected by the constitutional court of France
(A)Only 1 is correct
(B)Only 2 is correct
(C)1 & 2 are correct
(D)2 & 3 are correct
(E)all are correct

8.Who among the following composed Dayabhaga?
(A)Vigyaneshwar
(B)Vishwaroop
(C)Jimutavahana
(D)Medatithi
(E)Lakshmidhar

9.Who will legislate on the subjects which have not been mentioned in any of the three lists of the Indian Constitution?
(A)State legislatures
(B)Parliament
(C)Parliament & State legislatures Both
(D)President
(E)None of them

10.Who among the following has written a Book: "A Minister and his responsibilities" ?
(A)Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(B)Morar Ji Desai
(C)Charan Singh
(D)Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(E)Jawahar Lal Nehru

11.Bring out the incorrect statement about Lok Sabha ?
(A)Representation is based upon Population
(B)Two members are nominated by the President from the Anglo Indian Community
(C)States are divided into territorial constituencies for the purpose of election
(D)33% seats are reserved for women
(E)all are correct statements

12.Which among the following does not fall under within the purview of Ordinance making power of the President ?
(A)Enactment of a new law
(B)Imposition of a new tax
(C)Passing of the budget
(D)Amendment of the constitution
(E)None of them

13.Jhakharana, Sirohi, Marwari, Barbari are the breeds of which of the following in India?
(A)Buffalo
(B)Horses
(C)Goats
(D)Cows
(E)Sheeps

14.Which among the following committee is known for recommending that Planning commission should be disbanded and its place should be taken by a statutory body?
(A)Chelliah Committee
(B)Santhanam Committee
(C)Swaran Singh Committee
(D)Rajamannar Committee
(E)None of them

15.Which among the following was nowhere related to Centre state relationships?
(A)Anandpur sahib resolution 1973
(B)West Bengal memorandum 1977
(C)Sarkaria Commission 183
(D)L M Singhvi Committee 1986
(E)None of them

16.By the end of which five year plan, India's Solar Mission recommends installation of 20,000 MW capacity ?
(A)Eleventh Five year plan
(B)Twelfth Five year Plan
(C)Thirteenth Five Year Plan
(D)Fourteenth Five year Plan
(E)None of them

17.Which among the following is correct regarding National Security Exception Act ?
1. This act creates an statutory body to strengthen the maritime security of India
2. This legislation was promulgated in the wake of 26/11 incident
3. This act in on the lines of Exon Florio act of USA
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)1 & 3 only
(D)3 only
(E)2 only

18.Consider the following statements regarding Chandrashekhar Panel:
1. The panel was constituted by Government of India to reduce the gap in the pensioner benefits to soldiers and officers
2. the recommendations of this panel were opposed by 10000 ex servicemen by returning their medals in 2009
3. The panel wanted to bring the benefits close to One rank one pension
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)only 1 is correct
(B)only 2 is correct
(C)1 & 2 are correct
(D)2 & 3 are correct
(E)1 & 3 are correct

19.How many states were covered under National Food Security Mission Rice component?
(A)9
(B)10
(C)12
(D)13
(E)16

20.What name has been given to the Naval version of Prithvi Missile?
(A)Prithvi -III
(B)Shaurya
(C)Dhanush
(D)Sagarika
(E)Trishul

21.Which among the following in India are covered by a Memorandum of Understanding with Reserve Bank of India with regard to Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) ?
(A)All states
(B)All states & All Union Territories
(C)All States & Some Union Territories
(D)Some states & Some Union Territories
(E)Some states & All Union territories

22.The outer ring of the Rs. 10 coin issued by Reserve Bank of India in 2009 has the following metals:
(A)Aluminum & Copper
(B)Aluminum & Nickel
(C)Copper & Nickel
(D)Aluminium,Copper & Nickel
(E)Aluminum, Zinc & Nickle

23.Which among the following are the two states which share the boundaries with maximum number of Indian states ?
(A)Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh
(B)Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
(C)Uttar Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
(D)Madhya Pradesh & Assam
(E)Uttar Pradesh & Assam

24.Who among the following rulers introduced Kabuliyat & patta as instruments of settlement?
(A)Alauddin Khilji
(B)Akbar
(C)Shershah Suri
(D)Shah Jahan
(E)Mohammed Bin Tughlaq

25.Which among the following is correct regarding the Hezbollah Group?
(A)It is pro US and anti Israel
(B)It is Pro Israel and anti US
(C)It is Pro Iran and Anti US
(D)It is Pro Israel and Anti Iran
(E)It is anti Israel and anti US

26.Which among the following is the basic component of Carbon nanotubes and Carbon nanobuds?
(A)Pyrene
(B)Phenanthrene
(C)Fullerene
(D)Rubrene
(E)Ovalene

27.At which of the following places was initiated Hindu mela in 1867 in British India?
(A)Mumbai
(B)Pune
(C)Calcutta
(D)Haridwar
(E)Varanasi

28.Which among the following Vitamin is also known as Aneurene?
(A)Vitamin B12
(B)Vitamin B2
(C)Vitamin E
(D)Vitamin B1
(E)Vitamin D

29.Which among the following is known as first avowed nationalist organization founded in British India?
(A)Indian National Congress
(B)Indian National Association
(C)Indian Independence League
(D)Home Rule Movement
(E)Workers and Peasants Party

30.In which of the following wars a defoliant comprising of equal parts of 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) was used?
(A)Korean War
(B)Vietnam War
(C)World War II
(D)World war I
(E)Iran Iraq War

31.Which among the following Nobel prize is not presented in Stockholm?
(A)Physiology
(B)Peace
(C)Literature
(D)Economics
(E)Chemistry

32.Bring out the incorrect statement:
(A)RDX is also known as Cyclonite
(B)Crookes Glass is used for cutting off ultraviolet rays
(C)Producing Urea is one of the function of Liver
(D)Parathoiroid hormone regulated sodium and potassium level in Human Body
(E)Lead and Tin are constituents of solder in Electronics

33.Which among the following is world's no. 1 tractor company?
(A)Mahindra & Mahindra
(B)Mitsubishi
(C)Massey Ferguson
(D)Deere & Company
(E)Escorts

34.How many cities in India have been approved in principle to be developed as Solar Cities?
(A)21
(B)25
(C)34
(D)35
(E)39

35.Consider the following statements in context with "Urban Infrastructure Development for Small and Medium Towns":
1. The frame for this programme is 7 years
2. It subsumed the existing schemes of Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns (IDSMT) and Accelerated Urban Water Supply Programme (AUWSP).
3. During 2009, the allocation for this scheme Rs. 6400 Crore
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)2 & 3 only
(D)1 & 3 only
(E)all 1, 2 & 3

36.Which among the following became the first African carrier to order and operate the ultra-long-range 777-200LR model in 2009?
(A)Ethiopian Airlines
(B)South African Airways
(C)EgyptAir
(D)Kenya Airways
(E)None of them

37.Which among the BASIC countries has pledged for cutting by a maximum fraction of carbon emissions by 2020, from 2005?
(A)India
(B)China
(C)Brazil
(D)South Africa
(E)None

38.Consider the following statements regarding National Archives of India:
1. It came into existence along with Archaeological survey of India in 1860
2. It was previously known as Imperial Records Department
3. It was established in Calcutta and later shifted to Delhi
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)2 & 3 only
(D)1 & 3 only
(E)3 only

39.Bring out the only correct pair:
(A)Centre for Cultural Resource and Training - Kolkata
(B)Connemara Public Library - Hyderabad
(C)Indira Gandhi Rastriya Manva Sangrahalaya - Bhopal
(D)National Council of Science Museums - Lucknow
(E)Gokhle Institute - Mumbai

40.Which among the following is a dependency of UK ?
(A)Glorioso Island
(B)Europa island
(C)Christmas island
(D)Bouvet Island
(E)Pitcairn islands

41.With which of the following country Tulip mania is related to ?
(A)Canada
(B)Turkey
(C)Netherlands
(D)France
(E)Italy

42.Consider the following Lines:
1. 35th parallel north
2. 33rd parallel north
3. 37th parallel north
Which among the above cross India?
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)2 only
(D)2 & 3 only
(E)3 only

43.In which year a coronation darbar was held in new Delhi to mark the occasion of accession of King Edward VII?
(A)1900
(B)1902
(C)1903
(D)1905
(E)1907

44.Which among the following revolutionaries was based in Canada?
(A)Lala Hardayal
(B)Bhai Parmamand
(C)Gyani Bhagwan Singh
(D)Mewa Singh
(E)Jiwan singh

45.Consider the following statements with regard to spread of Communalism:
1. It helped British in preventing unity among Indians
2. It earned the British some friends in the Indian Society
3. It gave the British a justification for continuation of their rule
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 & 2
(B)1 & 3
(C)2 & 3
(D)all 1, 2,3
(E)None of them

46.The large scale expression of the militant nationalism for the first time was against which of the following?
(A)Seditious Meetings Act 1907
(B)Partition of Bengal 1905
(C)The Indian Councils Act 1892
(D)Official Secrets Act 1904
(E)None of the above

47.Consider the following statements regarding Integrated Check Posts:
1. ICPs are to be set up on the borders between India & Pakistan Only
2. Attari is the first ICP where construction has started.
3. Land Ports Authority of India will be responsible for maintainance and management of these ICPs
Bring out the correct statements:
(A) 1 only is correct
(B) 2 only is correct
(C) 1 & 2 are correct
(D) 2 & 3 are correct
(E) all 1 , 2 & 3 are correct

48.Which among the following is considered first significant armed conflict of the Cold War?
(A)Korean War
(B)Berlin Blockade
(C)Chinese Civil War
(D)Vietnam War
(E)Afghanistan war

49.Which of the following states in India produces largest fraction of Isabgol or Psyllium seed husks?
(A)Gujarat
(B)Madhya Pradesh
(C)Rajasthan
(D)Maharastra
(E)Chhattisgarh

50.Consider the following statements regarding pepsin:
1. Pepsin is released by gastric zymogenic cells
2. It was the first animal enzyme to be discovered
3. It was the first enzyme to be crystallized
Bring out the correct statements:
(A) only 1 is correct
(B) only 2 is correct
(C) only 3 is correct
(D) only 1 & 3 are correct
(E)all are correct

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clarification: India's position in Steel production

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:46:00 +0000

There is a doubt among our readers regarding India's position in the world in Steel Production. In one of my quizzes, I said India is on fourth position. This question was based upon the This Press Release of Ministry of Steel, Government of India dated: January 1, 2010. The Title & first paragraph of this release says:

INDIA EMERGES AS THE FOURTH LARGEST STEEL PRODUCER IN THE WORLD
BECOMES THE 2ND LARGEST PRODUCER OF CRUDE STEEL
STEEL CONSUMPTION GROWS BY 6.8 PERCENT DURING APRIL-NOVEMBER 2009

""With production of 46.77 million tonnes of crude steel during the period January-October, 2009,India emerged as the fourth largest steel producer in the world and is expected to become the 2nd largest producer of crude steel in the world by 2015, provided all requirements for creation of fresh capacity are adequately met. ""

Please note that on the basis of estimated data India produced 46.77 million tonnes of crude steel from January to October which was just ahead of United States. However, the revised data for India as well as United States for the period of January through October 2009 are as follows:

Now Lets look at the overall production figures for the year 2009: (the source of this table is World Steel Association)

So, based upon the above data , India is on Fifth Position in the world in Steel production till the end of 2009.