Thursday, April 26, 2012

PSLV-C19 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES RISAT-1


The PSLV-C19, the newest in the series of polar satellite launch vehicles of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), burst off the launch-pads of Sriharikota in the wee hours of April 26 on its space mission of placing indigenously developed Radar Imaging Satellite the RISAT-1 in a polar circular orbit.
After a customarily tense countdown at the ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, at precisely 5.47 a.m., the launch vehicle’s core stage igniters and set of six strap-on motors ignited within seconds of each to signal the successful lift-off of the PSLV-C19 with the RISAT -1 firmly docked inside its metal frames. 
The RISAT-1 with a payload of 1858 kg, the heaviest satellite being launched yet by the PSLV, is a state-of-the-art Active Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload that will operate in the C-band. In simpler terms, the RISAT-1 can beam back imaging of the earth surface features during day and night and under all imagined weather conditions. The SAR which gives the RISAT-1 its magic lens also makes it superior to the generation of optical remote sensing satellites in terms of clearer imaging at all times and under any condition.
Once the PSLV-C19 successfully completed each of the four stages of its flight in a span of 18 minutes and reported normal parameters, congratulatory scenes broke out at the Mission Directorate at Sriharikota. 
According to ISRO scientists, once the satellite onboard propulsion system will raise the orbital altitude to 536 km with orbital inclination of approximately 97 degrees to place the RISAT-1 into a polar sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite will begin its daily routine of 14 orbits with a of 25 days. During its mission life of five years, RISAT-1 will use its active microwave remote sensing capability for cloud penetration and day-night imaging of the earth surface and provide critical data inputs for a range of applications.
The satellite’s applications will range across agriculture — paddy monitoring in the kharif season — and management of natural disasters like flood and cyclone and could greatly assist food security planning in India.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 21st flight (PSLV-C19), launches India’s first Radar Imaging Satellite – RISAT-1 into a Polar Circular Orbit with an altitude of 480 km (+ 40.5 km) and orbital inclination of 97.552 (+ 0.2). RISAT-1 weighing 1858 kg is the heaviest satellite being launched by PSLV.

This is the third flight of the high end version (PSLV-XL) with six extended strap-on motors, each carrying 12 tonnes of solid propellant. (The two earlier flights of PSLV-XL were used to launch Chandrayaan-1 and GSAT-12 Communication Satellite) 

 RISAT-1
Radar Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) is a state of the art Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Reader (SAR) Payload operating in C-band (5.35 GHz), which enables imaging of the surface features during both day and night under all weather conditions. 

Lift-off Mass 1858 kg
Orbit Circular Polar Sun Synchronous
Orbit Altitude 536 km
Orbit Inclination 97.552o
Orbit Period 95.49 min
Number of Orbits per day 14
Local Time of Equator Crossing 6:00 am / 6:00 pm
Power Solar Array generating 2200 W and one 70 AH Ni-H2 battery
Repetivity 25 days
Attitude and Orbit Control 3-axis body stabilised using Reaction Wheels, Magnetic Torquers and Hydrazine Thrusters
Nominal Mission Life 5 years
Launch date April 26, 2012
Launch site SDSC SHAR Centre, Sriharikota, India
Launch vehicle PSLV- C19

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Changes in Civil Services Exam

There is no proposal to introduce changes in the Main Examination of the Civil Services Examination, at present. However, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has appointed a committee of experts, headed by Prof. Arun S. Nigavekar, Ex. Chairman, UGC, to review the existing structure of Civil Services (Main) examination and suggest necessary changes.

Also there is no proposal to increase the number of attempts for all candidates appearing in Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC.

This was stated by Shri V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PMO in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

VACANCY ADDENDUM - REGARDING GROUP-II SERVICES (39/2011)

GROUP-II SERVICES
(GENERAL RECRUITMENT)

NOTIFICATION NO. 39/2011
VACANCY ADDENDUM

Name of the Service                          Existing                        Read as
Executive Posts                                     119                            119
Non-Executive Posts                            406                             502

Online submission is scheduled between 27/04/2012 to 27/05/2012 and Written Examination will be held on 15/07/2012. Candidates are advised to view the Commission’s Website: (www.apspsc.gov.in) for details.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

APPSC DRUG INSPECTORS EXAM 2008 SUBJECT QUESTION PAPER

                                                           

CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs FOR APPSC/UPSC EXAMS


1. The union government of India on 1 February 2012 gave the approval for setting up a National Council for Senior Citizens. It will be headed by the minister of____
a) External Affairs
b) Social Justice and Empowerment
c) Home
d) Finance
Answer: (b)


2.  As per the latest Sample registration System( SRS) bulletin, December 2011 released by the Registrar General of India(RGI), it is noted that Infant Mortality Rate(IMR) dropped further from __ to __ infant deaths per 1000 live births during 2010.
a) 50; 47
b) 52; 49
c) 53; 48
d) 48; 47
Answer: (a)


3. In the period from January to November 2011, Sri Lanka received just over 7.5 lakh tourists. Of this, over 1.5 lakh were Indians. Indians constituted about what per cent of the tourists to Sri Lanka in 2011?
a.    20%
b.    11%
c.    27%
d.    31%
Answer: (a)



4. The Review Committee on the Delhi School Education Act and Rules 1973 submitted its report to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on 30 January 2012. Which of the following facts are not true in this regard?
1.    The committee was chaired by legal expert Manish Kumar Gaur. The other members of the committee were Abha Joshi and Shailja Chandra.
2.    The committee’s report is aimed at bringing about purposeful amendments to the Act and related rules
3.     The committee, constituted in April 2011 was mandated to examine all issues related to DSEAR-73
4.    It suggested a new concept of conducting school inspections with the primary focus being on the learning outcomes of children.
a.    2 & 3
b.    3 & 4
c.    Only 3
d.    Only 1
Answer: (d)

5.    Freedom fighter and one of the doyens of Indian diplomacy who was an architecht of of the 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty passed away in New Delhi on 31 january 2012. Identify him.
a.    A K Damodaran
b.    Prakash Shah
c.    Bali Ram Bhagat
d.    Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra
Answer: (a)


6.    Which electronic gadget maker predicting a fourth consecutive year of losses, named Kazuo Hirai as chief executive officer, replacing Howard Stringer?
a.    Sony
b.    Samsung Electronics
c.    Videocon
d.    Hitachi
Answer: (a)

7.    Binani Industries, the holding company of Braj Binani group, cquired a Belgian fibreglass company for 275 million euros. The Belgian company is a leading manufacturer of fibreglass in Europe. Name the Belgian company.
1.    1B
2.    2B
3.    3B
4.    F2B
Answer: (c)

8.    Which state run company signed an agreement with its trade unions for increase in the wages under which minimum guaranteed benefit would be 25% of gross?
a.    BHEL
b.    CIL
c.    IOC
d.    ONGC
Answer: (b)

9.    Which of the following banks filed a criminal complaint against Sterling Biotech, and its six directors, for allegedly defaulting on repayments on credit facilities provided by the public sector lender?
a.    State Bank of Travancore
b.    State Bank of Mysore
c.    State Bank of Patiala
d.    State Bank of Indore
Answer: (b)

10.    Shailesh Rao, managing director (media & platforms) at Google’s Asia-Pacific operations, left the world’s biggest Internet search company to set up the international business of which of the following companies?
a.    Yahoo
b.    Rediffmail
c.    Skype
d.    Twitter
Answer: (d)


11.    United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) data for 150 countries over 40 years showed which two countries as the only two countries in the world where female infant mortality is higher than male infant mortality in the 2000s?
a.    Venezuela & Cambodia
b.    Nigeria & Ghana
c.    China & India
d.    Indonesia & China
Answer: (c)

12.  The fifth edition of the world future energy summit was held in Abu Dhabi from 16 to 19 January 2012. Abu Dhabi is the capital of ___.
a) UAE
b) UK
c) Iraq
d) Iran
Answer:  (a)

13.  Kamla Persad Bissessar visited India from 5 January 2012 to 14 January 2012. Consider the following statements on her.
i) She is the seventh Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
ii) She is the country’s first female Prime Minister.
Choose the right option:
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Only i is correct.
c)    Only ii is correct.
d)    Neither i nor ii is correct.
Answer:  (a)

14. What is SHADE?
a) A new pact among the naval forces of India, Japan and China
b) A new pact among the armed forces of India, Japan and China
c) A new pact among the naval forces of India, Japan and Russia
d) A new pact among the armed forces of India, Japan and Russia
Answer: (a)



15.    Market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 28 January 2012 decided to enhance the minimum investment amount per client managed by portfolio managers. Which of the following facts are not true with respect to the above statement?
2.    SEBI decided to enhance the minimum investment amount per client managed by portfolio managers to Rs.25 lakh from Rs.5 lakh
3.    insurance companies and mutual funds, which are broad-based investment vehicles representing the interests of the public at large to be included in the provisions of SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations
4.    As per the current norm, SEBI (ICDR) Regulations preclude companies from issuing preferential allotment to entities which have sold any of their holdings during the six months prior to the relevant date
5.    SEBI approved changes in the SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations, 1996, which ask the asset management companies (AMCs) to ensure a fair treatment to all investors.
a.    Only 1
b.    Only 2
c.    Only 3
d.    Only 4
Answer: (b)

16. The Union government in January 2012 decided to subscribe to preferential equity shares issued by which of the two public sector banks?
a.    SBI & PNB
b.    PNB & Union Bank
c.    SBI & UCO
d.    Bank of Baroda & Canara Bank
Answer: (a)

17. According to the data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on 30 January 2012, the growth rate of eight core industries slowed down to what per cent in December 2011 from 6.3 per cent in December 2010?
a.    2.5%
b.    3.1 %
c.    4%
d.    5.2%
Answer: (b)

18. The apex decision-making body of the communications ministry, the Telecom Commission decided to allow mobile phone companies to share spectrum. Identify the statement which is incorrect.
1.    The Commission has however limited this facility to 3G airwaves alone
2.    Only those operators that have airwaves in a particular region can share it. Spectrum can be shared only between two spectrum holders
3.    Two companies can share airwaves only if their combined holdings do not exceed the limits prescribed in the M&A norms
4.    Spectrum sharing deals will also have to be renewed every five years
a.    Only 4
b.    Only 2
c.    Only 1
d.    2 & 3
Answer: (c)

19.   
The Union government on 31 January 2012 revised the economic growth rate for 2010-2011 financial year to what percent in comparison to the previous estimate of 8.5 percent?
a.    8%
b.    8.4%
c.    7.5%
d.    7%
Answer: (b)



20.    Which team coached by R R Jadeja won its second consecutive Ranji Trophy title by defeating Tamil Nadu  at the MA Chidambaram stadium on 23 January 2012?
a.    Karnataka
b.    West Bengal
c.    Andhra Pradesh
d.    Rajasthan
Answer: (d)

21.   
Which Australian batsman was honoured with Austrlia’s  highest civil honour - an officer (AO) in the general division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the sport of cricket as a leading player?
a.    Ricky Ponting
b.    Adam Gilchrist
c.    Michael Hussey
d.    Andrew Symonds
Answer: (a)

22.   
The 2012 men’s final of the Australian Open went past the 2008 Wimbledon final time record, finishing after 5 hours and 53 minutes of play. Who emerged winner in the epic final?
a.    Andy Murray
b.    Roger Federer
c.    Novak Djokovic
d.    Rafael Nadal
Answer: (c)

23.   
Name the woman tennnis player who won her win first Grand Slam title by winning in the finals of of the Australian Open 2012.
a.    Victoria Azarenka
b.    Svetlana Kuznetsova 
c.    Maria Sherapova
d.    Caroline Wozniacki
Answer: (a)

24.    Which of the following table tennis players won his maiden national title by defeating a six time champion in the final of the 73rd Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships in Lucknow on 29 January 2012?
a.    A Sharath Kamal
b.    A Amalraj
c.    N Ganeshan
d.    T.Raju
Answer: (b)



25.    The White House on 10 February 2012 named India's renowned economist as the  receipient of the 2011 US National Humanities Medal. Identify him.
a.    Montek Singh Ahluwalia
b.    C. Rangarajan
c.    Usha Thorat
d.    Amartya Sen
Answer: (d)

26.   
Singer and actress Whitney Houston died on 11 February 2012 in a Beverly Hills hotel room California. Which of the facts about her are not true?
1.    Houston is a winner of six Grammy Awards including record of the year for I Will Always Love You and album of the year for The Bodyguard
2.    Houston's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
3.    She had made her national televised debut alongside Davis on Gimme a Break.
4.    She had won her first Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for Saving All My Love for You.
5.    She is the first artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Album") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts.
a.    1 & 5
b.    Only 2
c.    Only 5
d.    2 & 4
Answer: (c)

27.    The sixty-fifth annual British Academy Film awards, the BAFTA’s was held at the Royal Opera House in London 12 February 2012. Which film swept the award ceremony winning a total of 6 awards?
a.    The Iron Lady
b.    The Artist
c.    We Need to Talk About Kevin
d.    Hugo
Answer: (b)

28.    This British singer with six nominations, won all six awards at 54th Annual Grammy Awards held on 12 February 2012 for the album 21, thus tying BeyoncĂ©'s record for most wins by a female artist in one night. Identify the singer.
a.    Bon Iver
b.    Lady Gaga
c.    Adele
d.    Whitney Houston
Answer: (c)

29.   
Pakistani archaeologists discovered a rare Indus Valley civilization-era seal in steatite dating back to 2500-2000 BC from the Cholistan area of which of the following province in Pakistan?
a.    Punjab Privince
b.    Balochistan
c.    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
d.    FATA
Answer: (a)



30.    There were as many as 1359 foreigners, who availed themselves of the Visa on Arrival scheme in January compared with 790 in January 2011. What was the per centage growth recorded in number of foreigners availing Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme in January 2012?
a.    70%
b.    72%
c.    75%
d.    82%
Answer: (b)

31.   
As per the provisional figures of exports released on 9 February 2012, India’s exports in January 2012 rose to what per cent to $25.4 billion?
a.    10.1%
b.    7%
c.    12.32%
d.    8.3%
Answer: (a)

32.    Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 14 February 2012, issued the ‘Draft Circular for Deployment of White Label Automated Teller Machines (WLAs) from non-bank entities. Which of the following facts related to this statement is/are not true?
1.    The WLA operator can choose the location of the WLA. However, it will have to adhere to annual targets and the ratio of WLA between Tier I &II and Tier III-VI centres that may be stipulated by the RBI.
2.    Non-bank entities proposing to set up WLAs have to apply to the RBI seeking authorisation under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007
3.    The non-banking entities should have a minimum net worth of Rs. 1000 crore at the time of making the application and on a continuing basis after issue of the requisite authorisation.
4.    Being non-bank owned ATMs, the guidelines on five free transactions in a month for using other bank ATMs will not be applicable for transactions made on the WLAs.
5.    The WLA operator will have to declare one Sponsor Bank, which will serve as the Settlement Bank for the settlement of all the service transactions at the WLAs.
a.    2 & 5
b.    Only 1
c.    Only 3
d.    Only 5
Answer: (c)

33.    Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 15 February 2012 approved the auction route for selling 5 per cent stake in state-run oil major?
a.    IOC
b.    ONGC
c.    HPCL
d.    BPCL
Answer: (b)

34.    As per official data released on 14 February 2012, headline inflation eased to a 26-month low in January 2012 from 7.47 per cent in December 2011 on the back of further fall in vegetable prices. What did the headline inflation stand at in January 2012?
a.    6.55%
b.    5.33%
c.    5.75%
d.    7.1%
Answer: (a)

 1.    Name the veteran hindi film music composer Rajesh Roshan was honoured with the Lata Manageshkar award by the Madhya Pradesh government on 8 February 2012.
a.    A R Rehman
b.    Rajesh Roshan
c.    Adnan Sami
d.    Leslie Lewis
Answer: (b)

35.    Noted Hindi writer Professor Ramdarash Mishra was selected for the 21st Vyas Samman for his poetry collection. For which of his poetry collection was he selected for the award?
a.    Pak gai hai dhoop
b.    Path ke Geet 
c.    Kandhe par Suraj
d.    Aam Ke Patte
Answer: (d)

36.    Renowned Urdu poet  and noted lyricist of Umrao Jaan, Akhlaq Mohammad Khan passed away in Aligarh on 13 February 2012 after battling lung cancer. Which of the facts about the poet given below are not true?
1.    Akhlaq Mohammad Khan wrote under the pen name 'Shahryar'
2.    Shahryar started his career as a literary assistant at Anjuman Tarraqqi-e-Urdu. He then went on to join Jamia Millia Islamia, as a lecturer in Urdu and rose to become the chairman of the Urdu Department
3.    Shahryar had received the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award, in the year 2008.
4.    He edited the literary magazine Sher-o-Hikmat. In 1987 he received the Sahitya Akademy Award in Urdu for his poetry collection, `Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai'
a.    1 & 3
b.    Only 3
c.    Only 2
d.    3 & 4
Answer: (c)

37.    44th Session of Indian Labour Conference was held on 14 – 15th February, 2012 under the chairmanship of Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister of Labour & Employment. Which of the facts given below are not true about the conference?
1.    The conference was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
2.    The Conference deliberated upon very topical and critical issues viz., (i) Minimum Wages, (ii) Social Security and (iii) Employability and Employment.
3.    The first such tripartite consultation at the national level was held in 1942 as the Tripartite National Labour Conference – subsequently renamed as Indian Labour Conference since 1944
4.    45 Sessions of Indian Labour Conference have been held so far to discuss prominent labour related issues.
a.    Only 4
b.    2 & 3
c.    1& 3
d.    Only 3
Answer: (a)

38.   
Name the senior BJP leader and Higher Education Minister of Karnataka who died in Bangalore on 14 February 2012 following a massive cardiac arrest.
a.    Katti Ramesh Vishwanath
b.    G.S.Basavaraj
c.    K.H. Muniyappa
d.    V S Acharya

Answer: (d)


39. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1.    He was the founder of Max Telecom
2.    He is the founder and Chairman of Max India
3.    He has been appointed the Non-Executive Chairman of Vodafone India
4.    He is a veteran of Telecom Industry
(a).    Deepak Parekh
(b).    Sunil Bharati Mittal
(c).    KP Singh
(d).    Analjeet Singh
Answer: (d)

40.
Which of the following Indian Telecom company on 16 February 2012     got the RBI nod for FCCB redemption?
(a).    Reliance Telecom
(b).    Uninor
(c).    Airtel
(d).    Vodafone
Answer: (a)

41. Cognizant which on 13 February 2012 inked a 5-year deal with Future Group is a
(a).    Logistic Company
(b).    Aviation Company
(c).    Online Retail Company
(d).    Technology Solution Company
Answer: (d)

42. Kintetsu World Express of Japan and Gati on 13 February 2012 entered into a Joint Venture  of which of the following sector?
(a).    Electronic Equipments
(b).    Supply Chain
(c).    Single Brand Retail
(d).    Technology Solution
Answer: (b)

43. Legrand, the French electronic and digital equipments company on 9 February 2012 acquired the UPS business of which of the following Indian brand?
(a).    Luminous
(b).    Onida
(c).    Numeric Power
(d).    Invertabular
Answer: (c)



44. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1.    He is the Serbian National
2.    He holds number one position in world Tennis ranking
3.    He has been given the highest Serbian award, the Gold Star of Karadjordje on 15 February 2012
4.    He has five grand slam titles in his name
(a)    Novack Djokovik
(b)    Rafael Nadal
(c)    Roser Federar
(d)    Leton Hewit
Answer: (a)

45. Which of the following Indian company on 16 February 2012 withdrew its decision to quash all its ties with the BCCI
(a)    Reliance Industries
(b)    Essar
(c)    Sahara Group
(d)    Vodafone
Answer: (c)

46. Who was sacked as the Bowling Coach of Indian Cricket Team on 13 February 2012?
(a)    Garry Kirsten
(b)    Venkatesh Prasad
(c)    Eric Simons
(d)    Brad Hogg
Answer: (c)

47.
India had appealed to the International Olympic Committee to withdraw the sponsorship of which company from the London Olympics
(a)    Dow Chemicals
(b)    Vodafone
(c)    General Motors
(d)    Google
Answer: (a)

48.
Andrew Symonds, who announced his retirement from all the formats of cricket on 16 February 2012, is the player of
(a) England
(b) Newzeland
(c) Australia
(d) South Africa
Answer: (c)



49.    Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram inaugurated the the fourth and final regional hub of the National Security Guard (NSG) in which of the following places on 23 February 2012
a.    Mumbai
b.    Imphal
c.    Srinagar
d.    Vishakhapattnam
Answer: (a)

50.    As a part of the Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojna (CNSY) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on 20 February 2012 launched a major State-wide de-worming campaign. Which of the following facts are not correct with respect to the de-worming campaign?
1.    The campaign aims to de-worm the children and save them from worm-infested diseases such as anaemia, malnutrition, and physical and mental retardation
2.    Delhi Government had earlier conducted a study and found that the average prevalence of soil-transmitted worms was around 16 per cent
3.    To overcome this, all school-age children of Delhi Government schools, Municipal Corporation Delhi schools, New Delhi Municipal Council schools, Delhi Cantonment Board schools, pre-school children in Anganwadi centres, and the adolescent girls of SABLA programme was given one dose of the de-worming medication on 21 february 2012, the de-worming day.
4.    The exercise was conducted in schools and Anganwadi centres, where the teachers and Anganwadi workers would administer mebendazole de-worming tablets to every child.
5.    The Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojna was introduced in September 2010 to provide health check-ups and free treatment to students studying in Delhi government, New Delhi Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Cantonment Board schools
a.    3 & 4
b.    Only 4
c.    Only 5
d.    2 & 4
Answer: (c)

51.    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) panel on priority sector lending on 21 February 2012 proposed increment in the target (priority sector) for foreign banks to 40% of net bank credit from the current level of 32 per cent with sub-targets of 15 per cent for exports and 15 per cent for the MSE sector. The committee was headed by which of the following members?
a.    M. V. Nair
b.    Dr. D. Subbarao
c.    Dr. K.C. Chakrabarty
d.    Subir Gokran
Answer: (a)

52. The new version of MGNREGA included more than 25 agriculture and allied activities.  The new version of the act will be implemented from___.
a) 1 April 2012
b) 1 May 2012
c) 1 June 2012
d) 1 July 2012
Answer:  (a)

53. The Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari released a collection of poems titled LAVA in New Delhi. The poems were written by___.
a) Javed Akhtar
b) Hamid Ansari
c) Salman Rushdie
d) Salman Khan
Answer: (a)



54.  India asked which one of the following nations to bring in a national anti-piracy legislation for investigation and prosecution of suspected pirates?
a) Somalia
b) China
c) Egypt
d) Ghana
Answer: (a)

55.  India and Pakistan on 21 February 2012 agreed to extend the agreement to reduce the risk from accidents related to nuclear weapons for another___ years.
a) Five
b) Four
c) Three
d) Two
Answer: (a)

56. The largest  (12.76 carat) rough pink diamond ever found in Australia was discovered in a West Australian mine owned by Rio Tinto. What was diamond named?
a.    Argyle Pink Jubilee
b.    Williamson Pink
c.    Aurora Butterfly of Peace
d.    Eureka Diamond
Answer: (a)

57. A phase-two study of the World Bank’s crisis response, presented in a report, titled The World Bank’s Response to the Global Economic Crisis: Phase II was released on 23 February 2012. Which of the following facts stated below is incorrect with respect to the report?
1.    Low resource allocation at the start of the crisis and the assumption that all financing demands could be accommodated from existing patterns of lending had played a role in the Bank’s ultimate lending decisions.
2.    While equity-to-loan ratios of the Bank at the outset of the crisis were around 37.5 per cent, the recent financial figures released by the Bank for quarter closing September 2011 suggested it had come down to 29 per cent
3.    while much of the budget-support lending that the Bank undertook in India had helped signal the strength of public sector banks in the country, yet many of these public sector banks had capital adequacy ratios conforming to Indian government norms at the outset of crisis
4.    The lending phenomenon was driven by country demand for Bank lending, and hence countries that were most engaged with the Bank before the crisis tended to approach the Bank more and in some cases get loans more quickly
a.    1 & 3
b.    Only 2
c.    3 & 4
d.    Only 4
Answer: (b)

58.    Delhi High Court on 23 February 2012 dismissed a plea from the Centre challenging Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal’s (TDSAT) authority to stop which of the following bodies from enforcing a ban on 3G roaming pacts between telcos?
a.    Supreme Court
b.    HRD Ministry
c.    DoT
d.    Finance Ministry
Answer: (c)



59.    Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs approved the National Dairy Development Board’s ambitious National Dairy Plan for the 12th Five-Year Plan to be initiated in 2012. Which of the following facts with regard to the statement is not true?
2.    The project is aimed at boosting milk production using scientific breeding and feeding programmes covering about 2.7 million milch animals in 40000 villages
3.    According to  the National Dairy Development Board, the demand for milk is likely to be about 150 million tonne by 2016-17 and 200-210 million tonne by 2021-22. India was the third largest milk producing nation in 2010-11 with a production of 100.2 million tonne.
4.    Cooperatives currently procure about 16% of the national marketable milk surplus covering around 21% of the country’s villages and 18% of rural milk producing households
5.    The cooperative sector is needed to achieve a procurement share of at least 20% of the marketable milk surplus by 2016-17 so as to retain an overall 50% share of the marketable surplus handled by the organised sector
a.    1 & 3
b.    Only 3
c.    Only 2
d.    3 & 4
Answer: (c)

60. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on13 February 2012 changed the bank rate, a medium-term signal rate after nine years with the objective to realign it with the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate as a one-time technical adjustment to link it with the main policy repo rate. What does the changed bank rate stand stand at?
a.    9.5%
b.    8.3%
c.    10.1%
d.    8%
Answer: (a)

61. As per the first nationwide retail inflation data released by the Centre of Statistical Office on 21 February 2012, inflation based on the all India Consumer Price Index stood at what per cent in January 2012?
a.    6.6%
b.    7.65
c.    8.32%
d.    5.50%
Answer: (b)

62. The Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Panel (PMEAC) on 22 February 2012 projected 7.5 - 8 per cent growth rate for the fiscal 2012-13. Which of the following facts are true with respect to the above statement?
1.    The economy recorded a growth rate of 8.4 per cent in 2010-11, which according to the CSO estimates is expected to moderate to 6.7 per cent in the current fiscal 2011-12
2.    Inflation was projected to moderate to 6.5% by March 2012 and 5-6 per cent in 2012-13.
3.    The manufacturing sector was projected to grow by 4.8 percent while construction segment is expected to expand by 5.3 percent.
4.    Projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2012 is substantially down from the budgetary target of around nine percent, and 8.4 percent expansion registered in 201
a.    Only 4
b.    Only 1
c.    Only 2
d.    1, 2 & 4
Answer: (d)

63.    Reserve Bank of India (RBI) panel on priority sector lending on 21 February 2012 proposed increment in the target (priority sector) for foreign banks to what per cent of net bank credit from the current level of 32 per cent with sub-targets of 15 per cent for exports and 15 per cent for the MSE sector?
a.    53%
b.    40%
c.    46%
d.    39%
Answer: (b)



64.    Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
2.    He is the Chairman of HDFC
3.    He has been given the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award 2011
4.    He is one of the pioneer in the Housing Finance in the country
5.    He is on the board of Castrol India Limited
(a)    Deepak Parekh
(b)    Rahul Bhatia
(c)    Ratan Tata
(d)    Analjeet Singh
Answer: (a)

65.
Rahul Bhatia, who was chosen for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award is the Managing Director of 
(a)    Qualcomm Communications
(b)    Jet Airways
(c)    Vodafone
(d)    InterGlobe Enterprises
Answer: (d)

66. Etisalat Which has initiated the legal proceeding against the promoters of Swan Telecom, its joint venture partner in India, is a
(a)    Baharain Based Company
(b)    UAE Based Company
(c)    Australia Based Company
(d)    Russia Based Company
Answer: (b)

67. The Competition Commission of India, under the Competition Act, 2002of Parliament, has been empowered to look into
(a)    high voltage merger and acquisition deals
(b)    market activities
(c)    security market tradings
(d)    client base of different companies
Answer: (a)

68. World’s largest two wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp on 22 February 2012 inked a pact with Erik Buell Racing [EBR]. EBR is an
(a)    USA based company
(b)    UAE based company
(c)    Argentina based company
(d)    UK based company
Answer: (a)



69.Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1.    He is an Australian national
2.    He led the Australian cricket team twice to the world cup victory
3.    He has 30 centuries and 82 fifties in ODI in his name
4.    He on 21 February 2012 announced his retirement from the One day cricket
(a)    Andrew Simonds
(b)    Shane Watson
(c)    Ricky Ponting
(d)    Kevin Pieterson
Answer: (c)

70. Which of the following team defeated Indian women hockey team in the final match of London Olympic Qualifiers
(a)    South Africa
(b)    France
(c)    Australia
(d)    New Zealand
Answer: (a)

71. Dow Chemicals whose sponsorship to the London Olympics was highly protested in India is the parent company of 
(a)    Union Carbide
(b)    Etisalat
(c)    Vodafone
(d)    Coca Cola
Answer: (b)

72. Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina suffered a crushing  defeat against top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond and finished runners-up at the
(a)    Australian Open
(b)    WTA Dubai Open
(c)    Chennai Open
(d)    Korean Open
Answer: (b)

73.    Juan Martin Del Potro  of Argentina  won his 10th career ATP title by beating
(a)    Roger Federar
(b)    Rafael Nadal
(c)    Novac Djokovick
(d)    Michael Llodra
Answer: (d)

74.    According to data released by the ministry of commerce and industry on 28 February 2012, output of eight core segments that comprise the manufacturing sector dipped to 0.5% in January 2012, marking the slowest growth in three months. What is the total weight of the eight core segments in the index for industrial production (IIP)?
a.    42%
b.    37.9%
c.    53%
d.    51.4%
Answer: (b)

75.    The union government decided to boost public spending in the health sector to what per cent of GDP from the current 1.4 per cent over five years (12th Five Year Plan period begining 2012)?
a.    2.5%
b.    3%
c.    3.33%
d.    4.5%
Answer: (a)

76.    As per the data released by the Central Statistical organisation (CSO) on 29 February 2012, India’s economic growth rate dipped to what percent in the third quarter (october-december ) of 2011-12 due to poor performance of the manufacturing, mining and farm sectors?
a.    5.5%
b.    3.2%
c.    6.1%
d.    6.6%
Answer: (c)

77.    As per the data released by the Controller General of Accounts on 29 February 2012, fiscal deficit was 105 per cent of the total annual target in the April-January period of 2011-12. What did the deficit stand at?
a.    Rs 4 lakh crore
b.    Rs 3.33 lakh crore
c.    Rs 5.21 lakh crore
d.    Rs 4.34 lakh crore
Answer: (d)



78.  Scientists recently found the treatment for Glaucoma in rats. Glaucoma is an __ disease.
a) Eye
b) Ear
c) Lung
d) Skin
Answer: (a)

79.
Scientists identified two genes, which are linked to Parkinson’s. The genes are called__.
a) NACP and MAPT
b) NCAP and MPAT
c) NPAC and MTPA
d) NNCP and MMPA
Answer: (a)

80.  Erosion and diversion of Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha's Ganjam district seem to be posing a serious threat to the annual mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles. Consider the following statements:
i) The olive ridley sea turtle is also known as the Pacific ridley.
ii) It is a species of sea turtle.
Choose the right option:
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Only i is correct.
c)    Only ii is correct.
d)    Neither i nor ii is correct.
Answer: (a)

81. Which one of the following state governments imposed restrictions on the visit of foreign tourists to the areas inhabited by Tribals?
a) Odisha
b) Bihar
c) Madhya Pradesh
d) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: (a)

82. Indian black eagle was spotted in the Aravali Biodiversity park after a gap of __ years.
a) 90
b) 80
c) 70
d) 60
Answer: (a)



83.    According to data released by the ministry of commerce and industry on 28 February 2012, output of eight core segments that comprise the manufacturing sector dipped to 0.5% in January 2012, marking the slowest growth in three months. What is the total weight of the eight core segments in the index for industrial production (IIP)?
a.    42%
b.    37.9%
c.    53%
d.    51.4%
Answer: (b)

84.    The union government decided to boost public spending in the health sector to what per cent of GDP from the current 1.4 per cent over five years (12th Five Year Plan period begining 2012)?
a.    2.5%
b.    3%
c.    3.33%
d.    4.5%
Answer: (a)

85.    As per the data released by the Central Statistical organisation (CSO) on 29 February 2012, India’s economic growth rate dipped to what percent in the third quarter (october-december ) of 2011-12 due to poor performance of the manufacturing, mining and farm sectors?
a.    5.5%
b.    3.2%
c.    6.1%
d.    6.6%
Answer: (c)

86.    As per the data released by the Controller General of Accounts on 29 February 2012, fiscal deficit was 105 per cent of the total annual target in the April-January period of 2011-12. What did the deficit stand at?
a.    Rs 4 lakh crore
b.    Rs 3.33 lakh crore
c.    Rs 5.21 lakh crore
d.    Rs 4.34 lakh crore
Answer: (d)



87.  Scientists recently found the treatment for Glaucoma in rats. Glaucoma is an __ disease.
a) Eye
b) Ear
c) Lung
d) Skin
Answer: (a)

88.
Scientists identified two genes, which are linked to Parkinson’s. The genes are called__.
a) NACP and MAPT
b) NCAP and MPAT
c) NPAC and MTPA
d) NNCP and MMPA
Answer: (a)

89.  Erosion and diversion of Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha's Ganjam district seem to be posing a serious threat to the annual mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles. Consider the following statements:
i) The olive ridley sea turtle is also known as the Pacific ridley.
ii) It is a species of sea turtle.
Choose the right option:
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Only i is correct.
c)    Only ii is correct.
d)    Neither i nor ii is correct.
Answer: (a)

90. Which one of the following state governments imposed restrictions on the visit of foreign tourists to the areas inhabited by Tribals?
a) Odisha
b) Bihar
c) Madhya Pradesh
d) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: (a)

91. Indian black eagle was spotted in the Aravali Biodiversity park after a gap of __ years.
a) 90
b) 80
c) 70
d) 60
Answer: (a)



92.    According to data released by the government on 19 March 2012, retail inflation stood at what per cent in February 2012 as a result of higher prices of protein based items, edible oil products and manufactured goods?
a.    8.83%
b.    7.74%
c.    7%
d.    6.9%
Answer: (a)

93.    The Union Finance Minister (FM) Pranab Mukherjee tabled the Union Budget in the Parliament of India on 16 March 2012 for the fiscal year 2012-13. The total expenditure for 2012-13 is estimated what amount?
a.    Rs 1400025 crore
b.    Rs 1490925 crore
c.    Rs 1451033 crore
d.    Rs 1444264 crore
Answer: (b)

94.    In the Economic Survey tabled by the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 15 March 2012, Indian economy was estimated to grow by what per cent in 2011-12 mainly due to weakening industrial growth?
a.    6.5%
b.    6%
c.    5.2%
d.    6.9%
Answer: (d)

95.    The Union Railway Budget 2012-13 was presented in the Lok Sabha on 14 March 2012 by Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi. Which of the following facts related to the budget are not true?
1.    The total union budget outlay for 2012-13 stood at Rs 60100 crore.
2.    The fares were raised in the budget. The fares were raised 5 paise per km for suburban and ordinary second class. Fares for mail express second class was raised by only 2 paise per km
3.    Union Railway budget 2012-13 proposed to allocate about Rs 4410 crore to capacity augmentation works
4.    The Union railway proposed to electrify 6500 route kilometers during the 12th Plan period. This would include electrification of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line and hence provide pollution free traction to the pristine Kashmir Valley
5.    Union railway Minister proposed to raise the allocation under passenger amenities from Rs 762 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 1102 crore in 2012-13
a.    3 & 5
b.    Only 4
c.    Only 2
d.    3 & 4
Answer: (c)

96.    Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee presented the annual budget for the fiscal year 2012-13 in the parliament on 16 March 2012. The Union Minister of Finance came up with an increased budgetary allocation for various sectors including agriculture, rural development, defence etc. Which of the statements are not true with respect to the budgetary allocations?
1.    Budgetary allocation for agriculture and allied activities 2012-13 increased by 16%. 9217 crore rupees allocated for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
2.    20,000 crore rupees allocated for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
3.    Sarva Siksha Abhiyan-Right to Education- 25555 crore rupees
4.    193407 crore rupees aallocated for Defence services including 79579crore rupees for capital expenditure
5.    20822 crore rupees National Rural Health Mission
a.    1 & 5
b.    Only 1
c.    2 & 5
d.    Only 4
Answer: (b)



97. Consider the following statements using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1.    He has recently announced his retirement from International Test Cricket
2.    He is the second highest run getter in international test cricket
3.    He made his international debut on 20 June 1996 while playing at the Lord’s against England
4.    He has the highest test catches to his credit
(a)    Sourav Ganguly
(b)    Adam Gilchrist
(c)    VVS Laxman
(d)    Rahul Dravid
Answer: (d)

98. Which one of the following statements is wrong
(a)    Anjum Chopra will lead the Indian team in the limited-over series against Australia
(b)    Anjum Chopra is a leading hockey player
(c)    Indian women Kabaddi team won first women World Cup Kabaddi championship title
(d)    Akhil Kumar is a boxer
Answer: (b)

99.
Who among the following tennis players won Dubai Open Singles Title?
(a)    Rafael Nadal
(b)    Roger Federer
(c)    Novak Djokovic
(d)    Andy Murray
Answer: (a)

100. Dav Whatmore was appointed as the principal coach by which of the following teams?
(a)    Pakistan
(b)    Australia
(c)    Zimbabwe
(d)    South Africa
Answer: (a)

101. Indian Tennis pair of Mahesh Bhupati and Rohan Bopanna won the doubles title of Dubai Open on 3 March 2012. It was Bhupati’s ..............career title.
  (a) 30th
  (b) 15th
  (c) 50th
  (d) 1st
Answer: (c)



102. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1.    He has recently joined the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as its Chairman
2.    He is one of the few outsiders to head HAL
3.    He started his career with ONGC in 1976
4.    He has also served as the head of Pawan Hans Limited
(a)    RK Sharma
(b)    RK Tyagi
(c)    AM Naik
(d)    Pratip Chaudhury
Answer: (b)

103. Which of the following Indian company has formed a joint venture with South African firm Exxaro
(a)    Reliance Industries
(b)    Essar
(c)    Tata Power
(d)    Vodafone India
Answer: (c)

104. Who has been appointed the new Managing Director of Hyundai India?
(a)    Bo Shin Seo
(b)    Andrew Mark
(c)    Anil Aggarwal
(d)    Anand Mahindra
Answer: (a)

105. Admax, South Asia’s largest digital media network was acquired by which Indian company
(a)    Komli Media
(b)    Mindtree
(c)    Tata Teleservices
(d)    Google India
Answer: (a)

106.
James Murdoch, who on 29 February 2012 stepped down as Executive Chairman of News International is son of     
(a) Rupert Grint
(b) Steve Murdoch
(c) Mark Rupert
(d) Rupert Murdoch
Answer: (d)



107.    Consider the following statements using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
2.    He has recently been appointed as the Chairman of Mindtree Limited
3.    He is also the co-founder of Mindtree limited
4.    He has replaced Ashok Soota as the Chairman of Mindtree Limited
5.    He has also served as the Vice Chaiman of Mindtree
(a)    Subroto Bagchi
(b)    Vivek Hooda
(c)    Ashok Malik
(d)    Pradeep Rungta
Answer: (a)

108. Which one of the following statements is wrong
(a)    Varun Berry resigned from the Pepsi Co India on 29 February 2012
(b)    He was the Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo India Food
(c)    He joined the company in 2006
(d)    As the CEO of PepsiCo India Foods, he promoted brands like  Lay’s, Quaker, Kurkure and Lehar
Answer: (c)

109. Who has been appointed the new Managing Director of Hyundai India?
(a)    Bo Shin Seo
(b)    Andrew Mark
(c)    Anil Aggarwal
(d)    Anand Mahindra
Answer: (a)

110. Company Law Board on 1 March 2012, returned the petitions of
(a)    Telenor and Unitech
(b)    Reliance Telecom
(c)    Etisalat DB
(d)    STel
Answer: (a)

111. Which of the following public sector bank has appointed Madhukant Girdharlal Sanghvi as its new Chairman     
(a)    Bank of Baroda
(b)    Allahabad Bank
(c)    State Bank of Maharashtra
(d)    Syndicate Bank
Answer: (d)



112.Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1.    He is an Australian national
2.    He led the Australian cricket team twice to the world cup victory
3.    He has 30 centuries and 82 fifties in ODI in his name
4.    He on 21 February 2012 announced his retirement from the One day cricket
(a)    Andrew Simonds
(b)    Shane Watson
(c)    Ricky Ponting
(d)    Kevin Pieterson
Answer: (c)

113. Which of the following team defeated Indian women hockey team in the final match of London Olympic Qualifiers
(a)    South Africa
(b)    France
(c)    Australia
(d)    New Zealand
Answer: (a)

114.  Dow Chemicals whose sponsorship to the London Olympics was highly protested in India is the parent company of 
(a)    Union Carbide
(b)    Etisalat
(c)    Vodafone
(d)    Coca Cola
Answer: (b)

115.  Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina suffered a crushing  defeat against top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond and finished runners-up at the
(a)    Australian Open
(b)    WTA Dubai Open
(c)    Chennai Open
(d)    Korean Open
Answer: (b)

116.    Juan Martin Del Potro  of Argentina  won his 10th career ATP title by beating
(a)    Roger Federar
(b)    Rafael Nadal
(c)    Novac Djokovick
(d)    Michael Llodra
Answer: (d)



117.   In context with agriculture, 2012 is being launched as the year of ___?
(a) Green Manure
(b) Organic Farming
(c) Horticulture
(d) Sericulture

Answer: (c)


118. Who among the following has won the Best actor Award in the 59th National Film Awards 2011?
(a) Amir Khan
(b) Nasiruddin Shah
(c) Girish Kulkarni
(d) Salman Khan

Answer: (c)

119. The four leading countries in the recently held first women's World Cup Kabaddi championship were as follows:
(a) India, Iran, Japan, Russia
(b) India, Iran, Japan, Thailand
(c) India, Australia, Japan, Iran
(d) India, Australia, Iran, Japan

Answer: (b)


120. Recently, the Empowered Group of Ministers, EGoM has decided to allocate 700 megahertz spectrum for offering which among the following telecom services?
(a) 2G
(b) 3G
(c) 4G
(d) 5G

Answer: (c)

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National Crop Forecast Centre inaugurated

Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries inaugurated National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC) at New Delhi on April 23. Minister of State for Agriculture,  Harish Rawat and senior officers from the Ministry were also present on the occasion.

The NCFC, named after great Indian statistician P.C. Mahalanobis, has been set up in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a short period of six months. It will be responsible to prepare multiple in-season crop forecast and assessment of drought situation using state of the art techniques and methodology for selected major crops.

The Centre has all the facilities required for remote sensing based agricultural forecasting, including a sophisticated laboratory with high-end workstations, image processing and GSI software, large format scanner, plotter and printers and GPS systems. With the technical support from Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad and National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad, NCFC will start providing crops forecasts and drought assessments from this kharif season (2012-13). It has already initiated activities for jute crop assessment using microwave remote sensing data.

Objectives and functions of the Centre are given below:
• Multiple forecasts of 11 major crops namely Rice (Kharif & Rabi), Jowar (Kharif & Rabi), Maize, Bajra, Jute, Ragi, Cotton, Sugarcane and Groundnut (Kharif & Rabi), Rapeseed & Mustard and Wheat at National/State/District Level.

• Operationalization of existing methodologies developed by ISRO regarding crop forecasts as part of Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, Agro-meteorological and Land based observations (FASAL) and drought assessment based on National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) Project on immediate basis.

• Inclusion of additional crops in crop forecast and sub-district level moderate to high resolution drought assessment in the entire country in collaboration with ISRO within a period of 2 years.

• Development & refinement of crop forecasts and drought assessment based on current and future trends in satellite and related technologies within a period of 3 years.

• Maintenance and statistical analysis of database comprising all data generated/used as part of the FASAL and NADAMS projects, forecast of results from India Meteorological Department (IMD), State Agricultural Statistics Authorities (SASAs), Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), ICAR etc. for making operational forecasts of selected crops and making the same available regularly to decision makers and identified users.

• Assimilation of results of crop forecasts information from the projects/programmes such as flood, drought monitoring etc. and generation of the required information.

• Evolution of the Centre to coordinate use of geomatics in other fields of agriculture such as cropping system, horticulture, soil and its health, rainfed area assessment & its management planning and estimation of damage due to natural calamities by the end of XIIth Plan.

• In the long run, work towards assessing the crop prospects using remote sensing and geographic information system on a global level.

3rd National Panchayati Raj Day

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will be holding a day long National conference on the occasion of the 3rdNational Panchayati Raj Day at VigyanBhawan, New Delhi, on April 24. On the occasion, best performing Gram Panchayats would be conferred with” Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Purskar, 2012, while another 170 Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) comprising of three –tier Panchayats would be facilitated with Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar for their exemplary work under the Panchayat Empowerment Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS ).

During the conference, the five different groups of delegates would be discussing the topics such as (i) Gram Sabha and People’s Participation, (ii) Devolution of 3Fs i.e Funds, Functions and Functionaries (iii) Issues related to Women (iv) Agriculture, Rural Development and Livelihood and (v) Management of Forest Produce/Natural Resources.

Approximately 1500 delegates such as State Ministers for Panchayati Raj, Senior officials from State Government Panchayati Raj Departments, States elected representatives (ERs) from the three tiers of PRIs, the national award winning Panchayats as well as representatives from SCs/STs and Women would attend the National Conference.

The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24th April, 1993 has institutionalized Panchayati Raj through the Village, Intermediate and District levels Panchayats. This date thus marks a defining moment in the history of decentralization of political power to the grassroots level. The impact of the 73rd Amendment in rural India is very visible as it has changed power equations irreversibly. Accordingly, the Government of India decided in consultation with the States to celebrate 24th April as National Panchayati Raj Day. Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference on 24th April every year to commemorate the National Panchayati Raj Diwas.

The Fourth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit was held in New Delhi

The Fourth BRICS summit was held in New Delhi on 29 March 2012. The theme of the summit was BRICS partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity. The summit was participated by India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. At the end of the summit, Delhi Declaration was issued.  Development banks of BRICS signed two agreements- i) Master agreement on extending credit facility in local currency. ii) BRICS Multilateral letter of credit confirmation facility agreement. The five participating banks are Banco  Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social- BNDES, Brazil; State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs-Vnesheconombank of Russia; Export-Import bank of India; China Development Bank Corporation, and Development Bank of Southern Africa. These two agreements are expected to enhance cooperation among the BRICS development banks and to significantly promote intra-BRICS trade.

Highlights of Delhi Declaration
  • BRICS nations agreed on the reform of IMF and world bank.
  • Brazil, India, China and South Africa congratulated the Russian Federation on its accession to the WTO.
  • BRICS nation said they were committed to playing their part in the global fight against climate change and will contribute to the global effort in dealing with climate change issues.
Background of BRICS
The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) idea was first conceived in 2001 by Goldman Sachs as part of an economic modeling exercise to forecast global economic trends over the next half century; the acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper No. 66, "The World Needs Better Economic BRICs".

Expansion of BRIC into BRICS
BRIC Foreign Ministers at their meeting in New York on 21st September 2010 agreed that South Africa may be invited to join BRIC. Accordingly, China, as the host of 3rd BRICS Summit, invited South African President to attend the Summit in Sanya on 14 April 2011 with the concurrence of other BRIC Leaders.

Union Cabinet approved Bill seeking Amendment in the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969

The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 gave its approval to the introduction of a Bill seeking an amendment in the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to include registration of marriages as well, so that the existing administrative mechanisms will be able to carry out such registration of marriages in accordance with the specified procedures and be able to maintain necessary records and statistics for registration of marriages also.

The Cabinet also approved introducing a Bill in Parliament to further amend the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 to provide for registration of marriages under the Act.

The proposed Bill is set to benefit the women from unnecessary harassment in matrimonial and maintenance cases. It also seeks to provide evidentiary value in the matters of custody of children, right of children born from the wedlock of the two persons whose marriage is registered and the age of the parties to the marriage.

Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional Validity of the RTE Act, 2009

The Supreme Court of India on 12 April 2012 upheld the constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act, 2009, which mandates 25 per cent free seats to the poor in government and private unaided schools uniformly across the country. The apex court clarified that its judgment will come into force from 12 April 2012. However, the act will apply uniformly to government and unaided private schools except unaided private minority schools.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia and justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swantanter Kumar gave the ruling.

The   bench had reserved its verdict on 3August 2012 on a batch of petitions by private unaided institutions which had contended that the  section 12 (1)(c) of RTE Act violates the rights of private educational institutions under Article 19(1) (g) which provided autonomy to private managements to run their institutions without governmental interference.
 Right to Education Act (RTE) was passed by the Indian parliament on 4 August 2009.The act came into force on 1 April 2010. It  has the provision of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child.
Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE act says that every recognized school imparting elementary education is obliged to admit underprivileged children even if it is not aiaded by the government to meet its expenses.

Govt Launches Centre for Crop Forecast

The government on April 23 launched an integrated centre which will provide estimates of agricultural output and assess the drought situation in the country through latest technologies.
About  The  Center:
  • Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar launched the National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC), which will prepare in-season forecasts for selected 11 major crops such as rice, wheat, sugarcane and maize.
  • The centre, in collaboration with ISRO, will also work towards preparing sub-district level drought assessment in the entire country.
  • The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation prepares advance estimates of crop output through various technologies like remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS).
  •  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through its programme the National Agriculture Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) provides data on drought assessment in various states during the monsoon season.
  • The centre will help in integrating data from these sources and would also provide production forecasts of more crops.
  • It will coordinate the use of Geomatics in cropping system, horticulture, soil and its health and estimation of damage due to natural calamities.

About Earth Day

Earth Day began on April 22, 1970 and has been an important day ever since.  It’s a day to reflect on our planet, our environment and what we can do to help keep them healthy.
From the beginning, children and schools were approached to support the formation and continuation of this special day.  And this makes sense!  Children have the most important stake in keeping our planet healthy.  They’ll still be the caretakers long after their parents and grandparents have passed away.

What Did Earth Day Accomplish?

Well, after the first earth day in 1970 here’s what happened:
  • The Environmental Protection Agency was established later in 1970.
  • The tough Clean Air Act of 1970 was passed with only a handful of dissenting votes in both Houses of Congress.
  • The Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act aimed at “in-plant pollution” was passed by a coalition of labor and environmental groups.
  • Within the next three years, such landmarks as the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act were passed.
Other countries have accomplished similar achievements.
But this is one of those jobs that’s never complete.  Global warming and other issues never conceived of in 1970 are now common themes on the news.

The First Earth Day

Senator Gaylord Nelson of the United States founded Earth Day. Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 in the United States. Across the United States, 20 million people and thousands of local schools and communities participated in the first Earth Day. The huge turnout for the first Earth Day made it the largest organized celebration in the history of the United States. Earth Day’s success helped influence the government of the United States to create stronger laws to protect the environment.
 

Earth Day Goes International

On March 21, 1971, United Nations(UN) Secretary-General U Thant made Earth Day an international celebration. He spoke about it at a Peace Bell Ceremony at the United Nations in New York City. The United Nations Earth Day ceremony continues each year on the day of the vernal equinox (March 20th or 21st), with the ringing of the UN Peace Bell at the very moment of theequinox.

What Did Earth Day 1990 Achieve?

  • The UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Earth Summit was the largest collection of national political leaders ever to meet in one place. It made some important initial steps toward addressing climate change and preserving biodiversity.
  • More than a dozen countries established eco-labeling programs to guide consumers toward environmentally preferable goods and services.
  • Several Eastern European nations, responding to public demand, established new environmental protection agencies.
  • CARE, the international relief agency, set out new environmental goals for itself in the 1990s that include planting 500,000,000 trees worldwide.

Monday, April 23, 2012

India Disaster Statistics by Disaster Type Of the affected people and Economic damage 1990 - 2011

Number of Events 1990 - 2011 320
Number of people Killed 110768
Average no of people killed per year 5538.4
Number of people affected 915310733
Average no of people affected per year 45765536.65
Economic damage (USD X 1000) 44295667
Economic damage per year (USD X 1000) 2214783.35

India - Disaster Statistics

Natural Disasters from 1980 - 2008


Overview
No of events: 395
No of people killed: 139,393
Average killed per year: 4,807
No of people affected: 1,506,794,740
Average affected per year: 51,958,439
Ecomomic Damage (US$ X 1,000): 45,184,830
Ecomomic Damage per year (US$ X 1,000): 1,558,098

Natural Disaster Occurence Reported

Average Disaster Per Year
Drought: 0.21
Earthquake*: 0.55
Epidemic: 1.90
Extreme temp: 1.17
Flood: 5.79
Insect infestation: 0.03
Mass mov. dry: 0.03
Mass mov. wet: 1.07
Volcano: ...
Storm: 2.79
Wildfire: 0.07



Top 10 Natural Disasters Reported


Affected People
Disaster Date Affected (no. of people)
Drought 1987 300,000,000
Drought 2002 300,000,000
Flood 1993 128,000,000
Drought 1982 100,000,000
Drought 2000 50,000,000
Flood 2002 42,000,000
Flood 1982 33,500,000
Flood 2004 33,000,000
Flood 1995 32,704,000
Flood 1980 30,000,023

Killed People
Disaster Date Killed (no. of people)
Earthquake* 2001 20,005
Earthquake* 2004 16,389
Storm 1999 9,843
Earthquake* 1993 9,748
Epidemic 1984 3,290
Epidemic 1988 3,000
Storm 1998 2,871
Extreme temp. 1998 2,541
Flood 1994 2,001
Flood 1998 1,811

Economic Damages
Disaster Date Cost (US$ X 1,000)
Flood 1993 7,000,000
Flood 2006 3,390,000
Flood 2005 3,330,000
Earthquake* 2001 2,623,000
Storm 1999 2,500,000
Flood 2004 2,500,000
Flood 2005 2,300,000
Storm 1990 2,200,000
Storm 1996 1,500,300
Earthquake* 2004 1,022,800


Statistics Per Event


Killed People
Drought: 53.33
Earthquake*: 3,108.19
Epidemic: 274.78
Extreme temp: 320.56
Flood: 225.01
Insect infestation: ...
Mass mov. dry: 45.00
Mass mov. wet: 90.26
Volcano: ...
Storm: 279.99
Wildfire: 3.00

Affected People
Drought: 125,195,833.33
Earthquake*: 1,741,700.25
Epidemic: 7,205.18
Extreme temp: 6.62
Flood: 4,005,617.70
Insect infestation: ...
Mass mov. dry: ...
Mass mov. wet: 123,677.55
Volcano: ...
Storm: 624,422.81
Wildfire: ...

Economic Damages
Drought: 340,187.00
Earthquake*: 318,893.75
Epidemic: ...
Extreme temp: 16,000.00
Flood: 164,938.27
Insect infestation: ...
Mass mov. dry: ...
Mass mov. wet: 1,758.06
Volcano: ...
Storm: 120,139.25
Wildfire: 1,000.00

Statistics By Disasters Type





*: Including tsunami