CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs

1- Name the animal rights crusader who was presented the Shining World Compassion Award from Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association.
(A). Vandana Shiva
(B). Sunita Narain
(C). Maneka Gandhi
(D). Sunder Lal Bahuguna
Ans. (C)
2- Lok Pal Bill is associated with
(A). Anti-Corruption
(B). Security
(C). Bio-diversity
(D). Global warming
Ans. (A)
3- Miss World 2010 is -
(A). Adriana Vasini
(B). Alexandria Mills
(C). Emma Wareus
(D). Mansavi Mamgai
Ans. (B)
4- The annual India-European Union (EU) Summit was held in Dec 2010 in-
(A). London
(B). Paris
(C). Berlin
(D). Brussels
Ans. (D)
5- Who has been re-appointed as the prime minister of France?
(A). Dominique de Villepin
(B). Jean-Peirre Raffarin
(C). Francois Fillon
(D). Lionel Jospin
Ans. (C)
6- With which of the following countries has India recently agreed to establish hotline between the two countries’ commerce and Industries ministries?
(A). Poland
(B). Germany
(C). England
(D). Japan
Ans. (B)
7- Sanam Singh is related to _______.
(A). Tennis
(B). Badminton
(C). Discus Throw
(D). Archery
Ans. (A)
8- Which among the following are TOP 3 debtors of World Bank?
(A). India, South Africa, Mexico
(B). India, Mexico, South Africa
(C). India, Mexico, Pakistan
(D). Mexico, India, South Africa
Ans. (B)
9- Serbia has won the Davis Cup title by defeating
(A). France
(B). US
(C). Switzerland
(D). Sweden
Ans. (A)
10- The opposition parties had been demanding JPC of the probe in 2G spectrum scam. JPC stands for
(A). Joint Parliamentary Commission
(B). Joint Parliamentary Committee
(C). Joint Parliamentary Controversy
(D). Joint Parties Commission
Ans. (B)
11- Lal Bahadur Shastri Award 2010 for Excellence in Public Administration Academia and Management has been given to -
(A). Zia Modi
(B). Aruna Roy
(C). Kapil Sibal
(D). Arvind Kezeriwal
Ans. (B)
12- Who among the following has won the Durand Cup held in New Delhi recently?
(A). JCT
(B). Chirag United
(C). East Bengal
(D). Mohun Bagan
Ans. (B)
13- What is India’s Rank in World Uranium Production as per the latest data of World Nuclear Association?
(A). 10th
(B). 12th
(C). 13th
(D). 18th
Ans. (C)
14- Which of the following is the first-ever pollution-control warship?
(A). Sagar Manthan
(B). Sagar Rattan
(C). Sagar Prahari
(D). Samudra Prahan
Ans. (D)
15- According to the Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, the National Voters’ Day will be observed on
(A). Jan 5
(B). Jan 15
(C). Jan 20
(D). Jan 25
Ans. (D)
16- Which country stands at the top in 2010 Human Development Index (HDI) rankings of 169 nations in Human Development Report 2010?
(A). Norway
(B). Australia
(C). New Zealand
(D). United States
Ans. (A)
17- Where was recently a referendum held to support constitutional reforms?
(A). Iran
(B). Iraq
(C). Saudi Arabia
(D). Turkey
Ans. (D)
18- The 43rd Jananpith Award 2007 has been conferred on -
(A). Akhlaq Shaharyar Khan
(B). ONV Kurup
(C). Arundhati Roy
(D). None of the above
Ans. (B)
19- Recently in news Lavasa Corporation’s township project is situated in ___.
(A). Maharashtra
(B). Goa
(C). Kerala
(D). Karnataka
Ans. (A)
20- ‘Conversations with Myself’ is the book written by -
(A). Nelson Mandela
(B). MarioVargas Llosa
(C). Prince Charles
(D). None of the above
Ans. (A)
21- Which of the following has won the Best Film Award at 57th National Film Awards?
(A). Kutty Srank
(B). Lahore
(C). Paa
(D). Abohoman
Ans. (A)
22- Justice Nissar Ahmed Kakru has been appointed an the New Chief Justice of -
(A). Andhra Pradesh
(B). Jammu & Kashmir
(C). Tamil Nadu
(D). Kerala .
Ans. (B)
23- Who is the author of the book World of All Human Rights!
(A). Harish Salve
(B). Santosh Hegde
(C). Arundhati Roy
(D). Soli J Sorabjee
Ans. (D)
24- A new scheme for the health improvement of expectant mothers and ensuring proper nutrition for the newborns has been named as
(A). Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana
(B). Rajiv Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana
(C). Mahatma Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana
(D). Kasturba Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana
Ans. (A)
25- Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy has been appointed as the Chief Minister of
(A). Karnataka
(B). Andhra Pradesh
(C). Kerala
(D). Tamil Nadu
Ans. (B)
26- Name the founder of the whistleblower website Wikileaks.
(A). Julian Assange
(B). Navi Pillay
(C). Phillip Adams
(D). Ben Laurie
Ans. (A)
27- Who is the chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC)?
(A). Jaswant Singh
(B). Sandeep Dikshit
(C). Murli Manohar Joshi
(D). Mulayam Singh
Ans. (C)
28- The theme of 17th ASEAN Summit was -
(A). Towards the ASEAN Community from Vision to Action
(B). Action Oriented Approach of ASEAN Community
(C). ASEAN with New Actionable Approach
(D). None of the above
Ans. (A)
29- Who is the author of the book Yes, We Can?
(A). M Karunanidhi
(B). Dr. Ramadoss
(C). Vaiko
(D). MK Azhagiri
Ans. (C)
30- Who has been awarded LG ICC Test Player of the year Award for 2010?
(A). Gautam Gambhir
(B). Virender Sehwag
(C). A. B. de Villlers
(D). None of the above
Ans. (B)
31- Who among the following became the first enlisted Sikh soldier in the US Army in more than two decades to complete basic training after getting a rare religious exemption for his turban and beard because the military requires his language skills?
(A). Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi
(B). Tejdeep Singh Rattan
(C). Bob Singh Dhillon
(D). Simran Preet Singh Lamba
Ans. (D)
32- The Nobel Prize winner for 2010 in Medicine is -
(A). Liu Xlaobo
(B). Mario Vargas Llosa
(C). Robert Edwards
(D). Akira Suzuki
Ans. (C)
33- Lal Bahadur Shastri Award 2010 for Excellence in Public Administration Academia and Management has been given to -
(A). Zia Modi
(B). Aruna Roy
(C). Kapil Sibal
(D). Arvind Kezeriwal
Ans. (B)
34- The best actress award under the 57th National Film Awards for 2009 has been bagged by -
(A). Rani Mukherjee
(B). Vidya Balan
(C). Ananya ChatterJee
(D). Kareena Kapoor
Ans. (C)
35- Which of the following organisation recently celebrated the Silver Jubilee Year of its establishment?
(A). SAARC
(B). ASEAN
(C). APEC
(D). G-8
Ans. (A)
36- Jiaolong which made a trip into deep sea recently belongs to -
(A). U.S.A.
(B). China
(C). Australia
(D). Russia
Ans. (B)
37- With which of the following countries did India recently agree to set up a joint venture to co-develop and produce a new Multi role Transport Aircraft (MTA)?
(A). Japan
(B). Russia
(C). U.S.A.
(D). Poland
Ans. (B)
38- Which Indian state continues to top the list with an adult HIV infection prevalence rate of (A).40 percent?
(A). Mizoram
(B). Andhra Pradesh
(C). Nagaland
(D). Manipur
Ans. (D)
39- Name the country’s only government award for an environmental film.
(A). Vasudha Award
(B). Vasundhara Award
(C). Vaishali Award
(D). Vriksha Mitra Award
Ans. (A)
40- In World University Ranking which of the following has topped?
(A). The University of Cambridge
(B). Harvard University
(C). Yale University
(D). University of Oxford
Ans. (A)

41- World leaders from 193 countries signed a new global climate regime on Dec 11 called

(A). Cancun Agreement

(B). Kyoto Agreement

(C). Copenhagen Agreement

(D). London Agreement

Ans:- (A)

42- Who recently clinched Italian Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix?

(A). Fernando Alonso

(B). Sebastian Vettel

(C). Casey Stoner

(D). None of these

Ans:- (A)

43- Who is the author of the book A Rainbow in the Night?

(A). Jim Corbett

(B). George Orwell

(C). Rudyard Kipling

(D). Dominique Lapierre

Ans:- (D)

44- Name the person who has been honoured with the prestigious 2010 Intel Environment Award for his efforts to solve global safe drinking water and sanitation crises.

(A). Subir Bhomick

(B). Rajesh Shah

(C). Sundarlal Bahuguna

(D). Chandi Prasad

Ans:- (B)

45- The Union Cabinet has decided that street vendors will now enjoy the benefits of cashless-based health insurance scheme. They will be covered by

(A). Janshree Bima Yojana

(B). Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

(C). Aam Aadtni Bima Yojana

(D). Sampoom Bima Yojana

Ans:- (B)

46- Gangan Narang is related to _______.

(A). Golf

(B). Polo

(C). Boxing

(D). Shooting

Ans:- (D)

47- Name the tiny and energy-rich gulf Arab country that has been picked to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

(A). UAH

(B). Oman

(C). Saudi Arabia

(D). Qatar

Ans:- (D)

48- The winner of US Open 2010 (Tennis Championship) women’s singles title is -

(A). Kim Clijster

(B). Vera Zvonaeva

(C). Liezel Huber

(D). Kveta Peschke

Ans:- (A)

49- Which of the following has been raised by the Indian Navy after 26/11 Mumbai terror attack?

(A). Sagar Suraksha Bal

(B). Sagar Prahari Bal

(C). Coast Security Guard

(D). Coastal Protection Force

Ans:- (B)

50- The controversial UDRS system used in cricket is

(A). Universal Decision Review System

(B). Unified Decision Review System

(C). Umpire Decision Review System

(D). Unmanned Decision Review System

Ans:- (C)

51- Name the player who was named as the Most Valuable Player at Guangzhou Asian Games.

(A). Lin Dan

(B). Liu Xiang

(C). Sun Yang

(D). Tang Yi

Ans:- (A)

52- K. Vijay Kumar has been appointed as Director General of -

(A). CRPF

(B). ITBP

(C). BSF

(D). RAF

Ans:- (A)

53- Who has been conferred Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2010?

(A). Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

(B). Aung San Suu Kyi

(C). Nelson Mandela

(D). Bingu Wa Mutharika

Ans:- (A)

54- The total number of medals won by India in Guagzhou Asian Games was

(A). 54

(B). 64

(C). 75

(D). 85

Ans:- (B)

55- In Global Gender Gap Report India has been ranked -

(A). 50th

(B). 112th

(C). 20th

(D). 90th

Ans:- (B)

56- The 10th Russi-India-China (RIC) meeting was held in

(A). Guilin (China)

(B). Beijing (China)

(C). Bangalore (India)

(D). Wuhan (China)

Ans:- (D)

57- Pankaj Advani has recently bagged National Snooker Title for -

(A). Fourth time

(B). Fifth time

(C). Third time

(D). Second time

Ans:- (B)

58- Which of the following is the last book of VS Naipaul?

(A). A House for Mr Biswas

(B). The Masque of Africa

(C). India: A Wounded Civilization

(D). India: A Million Mutinies Now

Ans:- (B)

59- Who refused to accept the China – India Friendship Award conferred by Premier Wen Jiabao?

(A). Kapil Sibal

(B). Karan Singh

(C). L.K. Advani

(D). Sonia Gandhi

Ans:- (B)

60- In which of the Following states India’s First Tidal Power Plant was proposed. It is currently under construction?

(A). Gujarat

(B). Andhra Pradesh

(C). West Bengal

(D). Karnataka

Ans:- (C)

61- World Disabled Day is observed on

(A). Dec l

(B). Dec 2

(C). Dec 3

(D). Dec 4

Ans:- (C)

62- Which country recently completed its 20 years of unity?

(A). France

(B). Germany

(C). Belgium

(D). Japan

Ans:- (B)

63- As per the draft of Lok Pal Bill recently finalised by the Union Government, the Lok Pal would be a -

(A). Four Member Boby

(B). Three Member Boby

(C). Five Member Boby

(D). Six Member Boby

Ans:- (B)

64- Which of the following has been removed from the United Nations list of unresolved disputes, in a setback to Pakistan which has been asking the world body to intervene on the issue?

(A). Siachin

(B). Sir Creek

(C). Baglihar dam

(D). Jammu and Kashmir

Ans:- (D)

65- Name the Ethiopian legend who announced his retirement after dropping out of the New York City Marathon with a knee injury.

(A). Haile Gebreslassie

(B). Duncan Kibet

(C). James Kwambai

(D). Patrick Makau

Ans:- (A)

66- The 44th Jnanpith Award for 2008 has been bagged by -

(A). ONV Kurup

(B). Akhlaq Sharayar Khan

(C). Sir Mota Singh

(D). None of the above

Ans:- (B)

67- NATO and Afghanistan agreed to the goal of a phased transfer of security responsibility to the Afghan govt by the end of

(A). 2012

(B). 2014

(C). 2020

(D). 2025

Ans:- (B)

68- According to the Asian Development Bank Report for Urbanisation India ranks at -

(A). 10th Place

(B). 26th Place

(C). 34th place

(D). 39th Place

Ans:- (C)

69- The man who has been recently been re-elected as Interpol Secretary General is

(A). Ronald Noble

(B). Nancy Octland

(C). Dilma Rousseff

(D). Michel Rud

Ans:- (A)

70- Which of the following state became the first state to introduce Public Service Guarantee Act 2010?

(A). Madhya Pradesh

(B). Gujarat

(C). Bihar

(D). Haryana

Ans:- (A)

71- With the aim of giving a fillip to development schemes in tribal and backward regions, mostly affected by Naxal violence, the Cabinet has approved the commencement of an Intergrated Action Plan (IAP) in

(A). 20 districts

(B). 40 districts

(C). 60 districts

(D). 100 districts

Ans:- (C)

72- Where is located the “Centre for Earth Science Studies”?

(A). Goa

(B). Bangalore

(C). Thiruvananthapuram

(D). Patiala

Ans:- (C)

73- Who among the following has been appointed as the new director of the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI)?

(A). Ashwani Kumar

(B). Amar Pratap Singh

(C). DP Kohli

(D). VS Tiwari

Ans:- (B)

74- Which of the following countries recently signed Arctic Border Pact?

(A). Russia-Norway

(B). Norway-Sweden

(C). Russia-Finland

(D). Sweden-Finland

Ans:- (A)

75- India recently signed cultural accord with -

(A). Germany

(B). Australia

(C). Malaysia

(D). Indonesia

Ans:- (A)

76- Kenyan runner David Rudisha and Croatian high jump star Blanka Vlasic were named male and female athletes of the year respectively by the

(A). IAAF

(B). World Athletic Organisation

(C). European Athletic Organisation

(D). World Athletic Federation

Ans:- (A)

77- The five-member panel, headed by retired judge of the Supreme Court, Justice BN Srikrishna and appointed by the centre on _________ issue, submitted its report to union home ministry on 30 December, 2010.

(A). Telengana

(B). Naxal

(C). Kashmir

(D). AFSPA

Ans:- (A)

78- Global Family Day is celebrated on__.

(A). 1 January

(B). 5 January

(C). 31 December

(D). 25 December

Ans:- (A)

79- Yeonpyeong Island is a source of dispute between which two countries -

(A). Japan and China

(B). Japan and South Korea

(C). North Korea and South Korea

(D). North Korea and Russia

Ans:- (C)

80- Who won the 21st Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament?

(A). ONGC

(B). Indian Oil

(C). Air India

(D). Indian Railways

Ans:- (C)

41- World leaders from 193 countries signed a new global climate regime on Dec 11 called
(A). Cancun Agreement
(B). Kyoto Agreement
(C). Copenhagen Agreement
(D). London Agreement
Ans:- (A)
42- Who recently clinched Italian Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix?
(A). Fernando Alonso
(B). Sebastian Vettel
(C). Casey Stoner
(D). None of these
Ans:- (A)
43- Who is the author of the book A Rainbow in the Night?
(A). Jim Corbett
(B). George Orwell
(C). Rudyard Kipling
(D). Dominique Lapierre
Ans:- (D)
44- Name the person who has been honoured with the prestigious 2010 Intel Environment Award for his efforts to solve global safe drinking water and sanitation crises.
(A). Subir Bhomick
(B). Rajesh Shah
(C). Sundarlal Bahuguna
(D). Chandi Prasad
Ans:- (B)
45- The Union Cabinet has decided that street vendors will now enjoy the benefits of cashless-based health insurance scheme. They will be covered by
(A). Janshree Bima Yojana
(B). Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
(C). Aam Aadtni Bima Yojana
(D). Sampoom Bima Yojana
Ans:- (B)
46- Gangan Narang is related to _______.
(A). Golf
(B). Polo
(C). Boxing
(D). Shooting
Ans:- (D)
47- Name the tiny and energy-rich gulf Arab country that has been picked to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
(A). UAH
(B). Oman
(C). Saudi Arabia
(D). Qatar
Ans:- (D)
48- The winner of US Open 2010 (Tennis Championship) women’s singles title is -
(A). Kim Clijster
(B). Vera Zvonaeva
(C). Liezel Huber
(D). Kveta Peschke
Ans:- (A)
49- Which of the following has been raised by the Indian Navy after 26/11 Mumbai terror attack?
(A). Sagar Suraksha Bal
(B). Sagar Prahari Bal
(C). Coast Security Guard
(D). Coastal Protection Force
Ans:- (B)
50- The controversial UDRS system used in cricket is
(A). Universal Decision Review System
(B). Unified Decision Review System
(C). Umpire Decision Review System
(D). Unmanned Decision Review System
Ans:- (C)
51- Name the player who was named as the Most Valuable Player at Guangzhou Asian Games.
(A). Lin Dan
(B). Liu Xiang
(C). Sun Yang
(D). Tang Yi
Ans:- (A)
52- K. Vijay Kumar has been appointed as Director General of -
(A). CRPF
(B). ITBP
(C). BSF
(D). RAF
Ans:- (A)
53- Who has been conferred Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2010?
(A). Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
(B). Aung San Suu Kyi
(C). Nelson Mandela
(D). Bingu Wa Mutharika
Ans:- (A)
54- The total number of medals won by India in Guagzhou Asian Games was
(A). 54
(B). 64
(C). 75
(D). 85
Ans:- (B)
55- In Global Gender Gap Report India has been ranked -
(A). 50th
(B). 112th
(C). 20th
(D). 90th
Ans:- (B)
56- The 10th Russi-India-China (RIC) meeting was held in
(A). Guilin (China)
(B). Beijing (China)
(C). Bangalore (India)
(D). Wuhan (China)
Ans:- (D)
57- Pankaj Advani has recently bagged National Snooker Title for -
(A). Fourth time
(B). Fifth time
(C). Third time
(D). Second time
Ans:- (B)
58- Which of the following is the last book of VS Naipaul?
(A). A House for Mr Biswas
(B). The Masque of Africa
(C). India: A Wounded Civilization
(D). India: A Million Mutinies Now
Ans:- (B)
59- Who refused to accept the China – India Friendship Award conferred by Premier Wen Jiabao?
(A). Kapil Sibal
(B). Karan Singh
(C). L.K. Advani
(D). Sonia Gandhi
Ans:- (B)
60- In which of the Following states India’s First Tidal Power Plant was proposed. It is currently under construction?
(A). Gujarat
(B). Andhra Pradesh
(C). West Bengal
(D). Karnataka
Ans:- (C)
61- World Disabled Day is observed on
(A). Dec l
(B). Dec 2
(C). Dec 3
(D). Dec 4
Ans:- (C)
62- Which country recently completed its 20 years of unity?
(A). France
(B). Germany
(C). Belgium
(D). Japan
Ans:- (B)
63- As per the draft of Lok Pal Bill recently finalised by the Union Government, the Lok Pal would be a -
(A). Four Member Boby
(B). Three Member Boby
(C). Five Member Boby
(D). Six Member Boby
Ans:- (B)
64- Which of the following has been removed from the United Nations list of unresolved disputes, in a setback to Pakistan which has been asking the world body to intervene on the issue?
(A). Siachin
(B). Sir Creek
(C). Baglihar dam
(D). Jammu and Kashmir
Ans:- (D)
65- Name the Ethiopian legend who announced his retirement after dropping out of the New York City Marathon with a knee injury.
(A). Haile Gebreslassie
(B). Duncan Kibet
(C). James Kwambai
(D). Patrick Makau
Ans:- (A)
66- The 44th Jnanpith Award for 2008 has been bagged by -
(A). ONV Kurup
(B). Akhlaq Sharayar Khan
(C). Sir Mota Singh
(D). None of the above
Ans:- (B)
67- NATO and Afghanistan agreed to the goal of a phased transfer of security responsibility to the Afghan govt by the end of
(A). 2012
(B). 2014
(C). 2020
(D). 2025
Ans:- (B)
68- According to the Asian Development Bank Report for Urbanisation India ranks at -
(A). 10th Place
(B). 26th Place
(C). 34th place
(D). 39th Place
Ans:- (C)
69- The man who has been recently been re-elected as Interpol Secretary General is
(A). Ronald Noble
(B). Nancy Octland
(C). Dilma Rousseff
(D). Michel Rud
Ans:- (A)
70- Which of the following state became the first state to introduce Public Service Guarantee Act 2010?
(A). Madhya Pradesh
(B). Gujarat
(C). Bihar
(D). Haryana
Ans:- (A)
71- With the aim of giving a fillip to development schemes in tribal and backward regions, mostly affected by Naxal violence, the Cabinet has approved the commencement of an Intergrated Action Plan (IAP) in
(A). 20 districts
(B). 40 districts
(C). 60 districts
(D). 100 districts
Ans:- (C)
72- Where is located the “Centre for Earth Science Studies”?
(A). Goa
(B). Bangalore
(C). Thiruvananthapuram
(D). Patiala
Ans:- (C)
73- Who among the following has been appointed as the new director of the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI)?
(A). Ashwani Kumar
(B). Amar Pratap Singh
(C). DP Kohli
(D). VS Tiwari
Ans:- (B)
74- Which of the following countries recently signed Arctic Border Pact?
(A). Russia-Norway
(B). Norway-Sweden
(C). Russia-Finland
(D). Sweden-Finland
Ans:- (A)
75- India recently signed cultural accord with -
(A). Germany
(B). Australia
(C). Malaysia
(D). Indonesia
Ans:- (A)
76- Kenyan runner David Rudisha and Croatian high jump star Blanka Vlasic were named male and female athletes of the year respectively by the
(A). IAAF
(B). World Athletic Organisation
(C). European Athletic Organisation
(D). World Athletic Federation
Ans:- (A)
77- The five-member panel, headed by retired judge of the Supreme Court, Justice BN Srikrishna and appointed by the centre on _________ issue, submitted its report to union home ministry on 30 December, 2010.
(A). Telengana
(B). Naxal
(C). Kashmir
(D). AFSPA
Ans:- (A)
78- Global Family Day is celebrated on__.
(A). 1 January
(B). 5 January
(C). 31 December
(D). 25 December
Ans:- (A)
79- Yeonpyeong Island is a source of dispute between which two countries -
(A). Japan and China
(B). Japan and South Korea
(C). North Korea and South Korea
(D). North Korea and Russia
Ans:- (C)
80- Who won the 21st Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament?
(A). ONGC
(B). Indian Oil
(C). Air India
(D). Indian Railways
Ans:- (C)
81- The Nanhi Chhan programme is lending voice against
(A) infant mortality
(B) female literacy
(C) female foeticide
(D) declining sex ratio
ANS:- (C)
82 – Name the Parliament which has approved president’s pension overhaul plan causing a wave of protests in the country
(A) Denmark
(B) Sweden
(C) Norway
(D) France

ANS:- (D)
83 – Which state govt has decided to restore free power to the farm sector?
(A) Haryana
(B) MP
(C) UP
(D) Punjab

ANS:- (D)
84- Name the Miss USA who was crowned Miss World 2010 in China’s Sanya city.
(A) Alexandria Mills
(B) Emma Wareus
(C) Adriana Vasini
(D) Nikki Maria

ANS:- (A)
85- The proposed Renuka Dam project is being denied approval on the ground that it involves cutting down of a large number of trees. This project is associated with
(A) Uttarakhand
(B) Himachal Pradesh
(C) Arunachal Pradesh
(D) Andhra Pradesh

ANS:- (B)
86 – Who among the following has equalled Pete Sampras’s haul of 64 ATP titles by winning the Stockholm Open?
(A) Andy Murray
(B) Rafael Nadal
(C) Roger Federer
(D) Tim Moya

ANS:- (C)
87 – Which of the following books has not been written by Mario Vargas Llosa who received Nobel Prize in Literature 2010?
(A) The Time of the Hero
(B) The Green House
(C) Conversation in the Cathedral
(D) Wolf Hall
ANS:- (D)
88 – Name the former Argentine President and the country’s most powerful politician who died recently.
(A) Nestor Kirchner
(B) Criistina Fernandez
(C) Kanayo Nwanze
(D) Robert Zeigler

ANS:- (A)
89 – The IPS officer YS Dadwal has been appointed as the director-general of
(A) CRPF
(B) BSF
(C) CISF
(D) SSB

ANS:- (D)
90 – Who among the following has been elected as the first woman President of Brazil?
(A) Dilma Rousseff
(B) Maria das Gracas Foster
(C) Marta Suplicy
(D) Eve Morales
ANS:- (A)
91 – Name the Canada-based author who has lashed out at the Shiv Sena for its “sorry spectacle of book-burning and book-banning”, leading to the withdrawal of his novel Such A Long Journey from Mumbai University’s syllabus.
(A) Rohinton Mistry
(B) Salman Rushdie
(C) Amitav Ghosh
(D) Robin Sharma

ANS:- (A)
92 – A joint exercise named “Indradhanush” by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the _______ was held at the Kalaikunda Air Force station in West Bengal.
(A) US
(B) UK
(C) France
(D) Germany

ANS:- (B)
93 – Recently 2G controversy was in news. G stands for
(A) General
(B) Generation
(C) Government
(D) Gilt-Edged
ANS:- (B)
14 – Name the country in which more than 200 people died due to volcano eruption from the Mount Meraki, which means “Mountain of Fire”.
(A) Indonesia
(B) Malaysia
(C) Vietnam
(D) Laos
ANS:- (A)
95 – Adarsh scam is associated with
(A) Housing
(B) Defence purchase
(C) Duty drawback
(D) Allotment of Land

ANS:- (A)
96 – Name Saddam Hussein’s longtime foreign minister who was sentenced to death by hanging for persecuting members of Shilite religious parties under the former regime.
(A) Qusay Hussein
(B) Uday Hussein
(C) Ali Hassan al-Majid
(D) Tariq Aziz

ANS:- (D)
97 – Who has become the first Indian American woman to hold gubernatorial post in the US?
(A) Nikki Haley
(B) Bobby Jindal
(C) Kamala Harris
(D) Reshma Saujani

ANS:- (A)
98 – Name the Pakistan wicket-keeper who abandoned the team and flew to London and who announced his retirement from international cricket after revealing that he had received death threat.
(A) Tasleem Arif
(B) Zulqarnain Haider
(C)Shoeb Akmal
(D) Danish Kaneria

ANS:- (B)
99 – Guangzhou is the second Chinese city to host the Asian Games after Beijing in
(A) 1986
(B) 1990
(C) 1994
(D) 1998

ANS:- (B)
100 – Which of the following welfare scheme has been launched by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to empower the poorest of the poor whose basic objective is to enable the beneficiaries to meet their daily needs.
(A) Mukhya Mantri Mahamaya Garib Arthik Madad Yojana
(B) Kanshi Ram Mahamaya Garib Arthik Madad Yojana
(C) Gautam Buddha Mahamaya Garib Arthik Madad Yojana
(D) Bahujan Garib Arthik Madad Yojana

ANS:- (A)
101 – According to the 2010 Human Development Report released by the United Nations Development Programme, as per its Gender Inequality Index India ranks at
(A) 122
(B) 110
(C) 92
(D) 67

ANS:- (A)
102 – Aung San Suu Kyi is associated with
(A) China
(B) North Korea
(C) Taiwan
(D) Myanmar

ANS:- (D)
103 – Suggesting “gross injustice” in his four-month suspension from the British House of Lords, Lord Swraj Paul has resigned as
(A) Speaker of the House
(B) Deputy Speaker of the House
(C) Leader of the Opposition
(D)Member of the House
ANS:- (B)
104 – Karen rebels are fighting in the country which has been ruled by the military near-continuously since 196(B) Identify the country.
(A) N Korea
(B) Myanmar
(C) Vietnam
(D) Brunei

ANS:- (B)
105 – Name the person who has been secretary-general of Interpol for the past 10 years, and who has been reelected to the post for a third five-year term at the global police agency’s general assembly in Doha.
(A) Ronald Noble
(B) Boon Hui Khoo
(C) James R Clapper
(D) Kofi Annan

ANS:- (A)
106 – Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court is the second judge in the country’s history to face removal proceeding in the Parliament. Who was the first?
(A) Justice V Ramaswami
(B) Justice Subhash Bhattacharya
(C) Justice Subhash Kashyap
(D) Justice E Ahmadi

ANS:- (A)
107 – The government has approved amendments to the Enemy Property Act, 1968, to ensure that legal heirs can inherit properties of relatives who migrated to
(A) Pakistan in 1947
(B) Bangladesh in 1971
(C) Myanmar in 1947
(D) Sri Lanka in 1947

ANS:- (A)
108 – Name Lie former Comptroller and Auditor-General who is probing into the alleged irregularities in the Commonwealth Games.
(A) VK Shunglu
(B) VN Kaul
(C) Vinod Rai
(D) TN Chaturvedi

ANS:- (A)
109 – Name the Indonesian President who will be the chief guest at next year’s Republic Day parade in Delhi.
(A) Megawati Sukarnoputri
(B) Abdurrahman Wahid
(C) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
(D) Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie

ANS:- (C)
110 – Name the veteran human rights activist of Pakistan who has won a keenly-contested election for president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, becoming the first woman to hold this office.
(A) Hina Jilani
(B) Asma Jehangir
(C) Sherry Rahman
(D) Maliha Lodi

ANS:- (B)
111 – Name Pakistan’s eighth President who died in a Rawalpindi hospital recently after a prolonged illness.
(A) Rafique Tarar
(B) Bulkh Sher Mazari
(C) Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari
(D) Asif Ali Zardari

ANS:- (C)
112 – Who among the following has not been appointed on the panel of interlocutors on Kashmir?
A. Dileep Padgaonkar
B.  Irfan Habib
C. Radha Kumar
D. Vinod Dua
E. MM Ansari
(A) Only B
(B) Only A & B
(C) Only B & D
(D) Only D & E

ANS:- (C)
113 – The President of US Barack Obama arrived in India by
(A) US Air Force Plane
(B) Air Force One
(C) Delta Force
(D) Caravan of Hope

ANS:- (B)
114 – Name the New Zealand public television host who mocked Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s name and invited racism charge and resigned as a consequence
(A) Paul Henry
(B) Robert Edwards
(C) Carlos Barrios
(D) Li Rui

ANS:- (A)
115 – Name the person who has been named as the most powerful person in the world by Forbes.
(A) Hu Jintao
(B) Barack Obama
(C) King Abdullah
(D) Sonia Gandhi

ANS:- (A)
116 – The strike infantry units from India and Russia concluded joint military exercises whose thrust was terror attacks. The 10-day exercise was held in the Kumaon Hills near Ranikhet in Uttarakhand The exercise was named
(A) Vajra
(B) Rainbow
(C) Indra
(D) Malabar

ANS:- (C)
117 – Name the former Inspector General of Police in Kerala who has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a CBI Special Court in the case relating to the killing of Naxalite leader a Varghese in a fake encounter.
(A) K Lakshmana
(B) Girish Kumar
(C) L Ganeshan
(D) DG Vanjara

ANS:- (A)
118 – Who is the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)?
(A) Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad
(B) Sheikh Jabir Ahmad
(C) Sheikh Al-Sabab
(D) Sheikh Ahmad Ali

ANS:- (A)
119 – Who has taken over as Director-General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO)?
(A) Lt Gen Ravi Shankar
(B) Lt Gen Ata Hasnain
(C) Lt Gen Chandra Shekhar
(D) Lt Gen AU Shah

ANS:- (A)
120 – Who has ended the year as World No. 1 female lawn tennis player despite losing to Kim Clijsters in the final of the WTA Championships in Doha on Oct 30?
(A) Vera Zvonarevo
(B) Serena Williams
(C) Venus Williams
(D) Caroline Wozniacki

ANS:- (D)

121- Name the United Liberation Front of Asom’s self-styled deputy commander-in-chief who was granted bail by a court in Guwahati.
(A) Raju Barua
(B) Paresh Barua
(C) Arbinda Rajkhowa
(D) Bhimakanta Buragohain

ANS:- (A)
122- The Planning Commission rejected demands for an increase in the corpus allocated to MPs for development of their constituencies under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme to Rs. 5 crore recently. How much does the government provide all Members of Parliament annually to develop their constituencies currently?
(A) Rs. 1 crore
(B) Rs. 2 crore
(C) Rs. (B)5 crore
(D) Rs. (C)0 crore

ANS:- (B)
123- Name the country which has announced that it would provide a whopping $(B)29 b as military aid to Pakistan to bolster its army’s anti-terror capabilities, notwithstanding India’s concerns that Islamabad has been diverting portion of such assistance against it.
(A) France
(B) UK
(C) Germany
(D) United States

ANS:- (D)
124- Name the classical flute exponent who will be conferred the Chevalier dans ‘Ordre Des Arts et des Lettres, the highest civilian award in France.
(A) Ronu Mazumdar
(B) Pt Amarnath
(C) Had Prasad Chauraria
(D) Praveen Godkhindi

ANS:- (C)
125- Which Indian state attracted the highest number of domestic tourists in 2009, according to data on ‘Indians travelling within India’ unveiled by the market research division of the Union Ministry of Tourism recently?
(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Karnataka

ANS:- (A)
126- Which Indian Professor has been named for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) award?
(A) ANS:- (A)K. Sidhwani
(B) K.L. Supriya
(C) Anand Siyasubramaniam
(D) None of the above

ANS:- (C)
127- Which of the following became the first Asian country to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) recently?
(A) India
(B) Japan
(C) China
(D) South Korea

ANS:- (D)
128- Manavjit Singh Sandhu is related to_______.
(A) Hockey
(B) Shooting
(C) Wrestling
(D) None of these

ANS:- (B)
129- India signed the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) recently. Which of the following statements about the CSC is/are correct?
I. The CSC seeks to establish a uniform global legal regime for the compensation of victims of nuclear accidents
II. US is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council to sign and ratify the convention
III. The Convention will come Into effect only after ratification by all permanent members of the UNSC
(A) I only
(B) I and II only
(C) II only
(D) II and III only

ANS:- (B)
130- Name the French-American mathematician who explored a new class of mathematical shapes known as “fractals” and who died at age 85 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
(A) Benoit Mandlebrot
(B) Frank Adams
(C) Alan Baker
(D) William Kingdom Clifford

ANS:- (A)
131- 16th National Youth Festival will be held in
(A) Ajmer
(B) Udaipur
(C) Bikaner
(D) Jaipur
ANS:- (B)
132- The New and Renewable Energy Minister, Farooq Abdullah said that as many as 10,000 remote villages across the country will be electrified with renewable energy sources by March 2012 Much of the power is slated to come from the first 1,000 megawatts (MW) added to the national grid as part of the
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(B) Rajiv Gandhi National Solar Mission
(C) Indira Gandhi National Solar Mission
(D) Rashtriya Urja Mission

ANS:- (A)
133- Name the British author who has won the prestigious Booker Prize for his comic novel The Finkler Question.
(A) Peter Carey
(B) Tom McCarthy
(C) Howard Jacobson
(D) Ruskin Bond

ANS:- (C)
134- Which of the following statements about the MoU signed between Union HRD Ministry and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) recently is/are correct?
(A) Mark sheets and degrees of students will be stored in paperless form
(B) Staff from educational institutions will be deputed for enumeration work undertaken by UIDAI
(C) Mark sheets and degrees of students will be imprinted with the “Aadhar” number of UIDAI
(D) UIDAI will assist in the conduct of a national common entrance test for college admissions

ANS:- (C)
135- How many gold medals were won by India in the Ashiad (2010)?
(A) 9
(B) 11
(C) 14
(D) 16

ANS:- (C)
136- Mike Russell cruised to his 10th World professional title in Leeds after defeating India’s Dhruv SitwalAns:- (A) They are associated with
(A) Golf
(B) Billiards
(C) Chess
(D) Tennis

ANS:- (B)
137- Who is the author of the book The Bridge-The life and rise of Barack Obama?
(A) Maureen Harrison
(B) Shelby Steele
(C) David Remnick
(D) Joseph Vogel

ANS:- (C)
138- “Ecology is Permanent Economy” This slogan is related to which of the following?
(A) Chipko Movement
(B) Narmada Bachao Andolan
(C) Appiko Movement
(D) Silent Valley

ANS:- (A)
139- Which well known US University was in news for announcing a partnership with IIM, Kozhikode and IIT, Kanpur to develop academic leadership development programs for higher education leaders in India recently?
(A) Stanford University
(B) Princeton University
(C) Harvard University
(D) Yale University

ANS:- (D)
140- What is the title of South African opener Herschelle Gibbs’ controversial autobiography?
(A) My Cricket Story
(B) To The Point
(C) New Era of South Africa Cricket
(D) None of these

ANS:- (B)
141- The National Advisory Council, chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, submitted its report on the National Food Security Act to the Union government recently. Which of the following statements about its recommendations is/are correct?
I. Subsidized food grains should be provided to at least 90% of the country’s population
II. The entitled population is to be divided into two groups: ‘Priority’ and ‘General’ households
III. The price of food grains supplied to all households covered by the Act should be the same
(A) 1 only
(B) I and II only
(C) II only
(D) II and III only

ANS:- (C)
142- Name the medium-altitude and long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) that was successfully test-flown.
(A) Sohrab-l
(B) Rustom-l
(C) Gada-l
(D) Dhanush-l

ANS:- (B)
143- Which of the following statements about the IMF reforms announced at the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bankers meeting organized recently, is/are correct?
I. BRIC countries–Brazil, Russia India and China–will see a decline in their voting shares
II. Europe will see a rise in its share as well as its representation on the IMF board
III. After changes in voting shares take effect, India will occupy 8th position
(A) I only
(B) I and II only
(C) III only
(D) II and III only

ANS:- (C)
144- Name the chief minister of Maharashtra who resigned over the Adarsh Housing Society scam.
(A) Vilasrao Deshmukh
(B) Prithviraj Chavan
(C) Ashok Chavan
(D) Shivraj Patil

ANS:- (C)
145- Who amongst the following is not related to the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics?
(A) Christopher Pissarides
(B) Peter Diamond
(C) Dale Mortensen
(D) Liu Xiaobo

ANS:- (D)
146- VK Shunglu, who heads the two-member high-level committee set up to probe the alleged financial irregularities in the Common Wealth Games (CWG), has been given the status of
(A) a High Court Judge
(B) a Supreme Court Judge
(C) State Minister
(D) Cabinet Minister

ANS:- (B)
147- Which department of the government of India is celebrating 150 years of its existence in 2010?
(A) Customs and Excise
(B) Income tax
(C) Planning Commission
(D) Panchayati Raj

ANS:- (B)
148- In which of the following countries, Anand Satyanand is the de facto head of state (Constitutional Head)?
(A) Trinidad & Tobago
(B) Laos
(C) New Zealand
(D) Kingdom of Tonga

ANS:- (C)
149- Who is the writer of ‘Conversations with Myself’?
(A) Sonia Gandhi
(B) Nelson Mandela
(C) Barack Obama
(D) Khushwant Singh

ANS:- (B)
150- Who among the following has won the Shanghai Masters tennis title recently?
(A) Rafael Nadal
(B) Roger Federer
(C) Andy Murray
(D) Marat Safin

ANS:- (C)
151- What is the new GDP growth rate of the Indian economy in 2010 projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its World Economic Outlook report unveiled recently?
(A) 6.3%
(B) 7.2%
(C) 6.5%
(D) 9.7%

ANS:- (D)
152- Name the president of Hockey India who resigned from the post to honour her commitment to the Union Sports Minister, Dr. MS Gill, that she would quit after the Commonwealth Games.
(A) Girija Vyas
(B) Kiran Bedi
(C) Vidya Stokes
(D) Satvinder Kaur

ANS:- (C)
153- Which former Indian cricketer has been elected the President of Karnataka Cricket Association?
(A) Javagal Srinath
(B) Anil Kumble
(C) Venkatesh Prasad
(D) None of the above

ANS:- (B)
154- Which of the following became the first tax haven to sign a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with India that will allow exchange of information on criminal tax matters with the Indian government recently?
(A) British Virgin Island
(B) Bermuda
(C) Bahamas
(D) Cayman Islands

ANS:- (B)
155- Asian Games 2010 were held in_________.
(A) Japan
(B) Singapore
(C) China
(D) India

ANS:- (C)
156- The WAN-IFRA India 2010 annual conference organized in Jaipur recently was on which of the following subjects?
(A) Telecom services
(B) Education
(C) Journalism
(D) Architecture

ANS:- (C)
157- Which committee has probed “misappropriation” charges against Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen in the removal proceedings initiated by Parliament?
(A) Justice Balakrishanan
(B) Justice B Sudershan Reddy
(C) Justice Jeewan Reddy
(D) Justice Aftab Alam

ANS:- (B)
158- The winner of recent edition of Ryder Cup (Golf) is______.
(A) Europe
(B) North America
(C) Africa
(D) Asia

ANS:- (A)
159- Who is the Governor of Karnataka?
(A) M.K. Narayanan
(B) Shivraj Patil
(C) Hansraj Bhardwaj
(D) None of the above

ANS:- (C)
160- Which football club won the Durand Cup?
(A) Chirag United
(B) Mohan Bagan
(C) East Bengal
(D) Churchill Brothers

ANS:- (A)
161- Who won the final match of men’s single Australian Open (Tennis)-2011?
(A) Novak Djokovic
(B) Andy Murray
(C) Rafael Nadal
(D) Roger Federer
ANS:- (A)
162- Name the former chief minister of Kerala who died recently.
(A) ESL Narasimhan
(B) VS Achutanandan
(C) BS Yeddyurappa
(D) K Karunakaran

ANS:- (D)
163- Army’s Strategic Forces Command recently tested -
(A) Agni-II
(B) Agni-I
(C) Prithvi-III
(D) Trishul
ANS:- (B)
164- ‘Decision Points’ is a book written by —-
(A) Barack Obama
(B) George Bush
(C) Bill Clinton
(D) Dr. Manmohan Singh
ANS:- (B)
165- Which of the following is not correctly matched about the Golden Globe Awards given on Jan 16?
(A) Best Motion Picture – The Social Network
(B) Best Actor – Colin Firth for The King’s Speech
(C) Best Actress – Natalie Portman for The Black Swan
(D) Best Original Score – AR Rahman for “If I Rise” from 127 Hours
ANS:- (D)
166- Consider the following statements about PAC:
(a) An opposition member heads the PAC.
(b) It has 22 members from both the Houses and cuts across parties.
Which of the above statements are true?
(A) Only (a)
(B) Only (b)
(C) Both (a) and (b)
(D) Neither (a) nor (b)
ANS:- (C)
167- Who amongst the following 2011 Padma Shri awardee from sports field is wrongly matched?
(A) Sushil Kumar – Wrestling
(B) Gagan Narang – Shooting
(C) Krishna Poonia – Javelin Throw
(D) N. Kunjarani Devi – Weightlifting
ANS:- (C)
168- India is purchasing the gigantic C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic airlift aircraft from -
(A) Japan
(B) USA
(C) Australia
(D) England
ANS:- (B)
169- Who amongst the following is 2011 Padma Vibhushan Awardee?
(A) Analjit Singh
(B) G.V.K. Reddy
(C) Azim Premji
(D) Rajendra S. Pawar
ANS:- (C)
170- The Hindu Best Fiction Award 2010 has been conferred on —
(A) Manu Joseph
(B) Vikram Seth
(C) Anita Desai
(D) Arvind Adiga
ANS:- (A)
171- Who is the central vigilance commissioner (CVC)?
(A) P.J. Thapar
(B) P.J. Hudda
(C) P.J. Thomas
(D) P.K. Garg
ANS:- (C)
172- India’s first ‘Water and Wastewater Gallery’ was inaugurated in
(A) Kolkata
(B) Delhi
(C) Chennai
(D) Mumbai

ANS:- (B)
173- Name the chief executive officer of Prasar Bharati who has been suspended on charges of irregulatities.
(A) Vinod Rai
(B) MV Nair
(C) BS Lalli
(D) Ranjan Mittal
ANS:- (C)
174- The United Kingdom signed treaties agreeing to military cooperation including testing of nuclear warheads with -
(A) Belgium
(B) France
(C) The Netherlands
(D) Germany
ANS:- (B)
175- Who is the director of the film ‘Dil To Baccha Hai Ji”?
(A) Ajay Devgan
(B) Emraan Hashmi
(C) Madhur Bhandarkar
(D) Omi Vaidya
ANS:- (C)
176- What is Shivalik?
(A) India’s first home-built stealth warship
(B) India’s first home-built stealth aircraft
(C) India’s first home-built stealth unmanned aircraft
(D) India’s first home-built nuclear submarine
ANS:- (A)
177- Dilma Rouseff has been elected a the new President of -
(A) Brazil
(B) Argentina
(C) Peru
(D) Chile
ANS:- (A)
178- Who is the author of the book My Life With Taliban?
(A) Abdul Salam Zaeef
(B) Nayantara Sahgal
(C) RK Narayan
(D) Namita Gokhale
ANS:- (A)
179- Which year has been set as a deadline for withdrawal of troops by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation from Afghanistan?
(A) Year 2013
(B) Year 2015
(C) Year 2014
(D) Year 2016
ANS:- (C)
180- Name the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province who was shot dead by his own bodyguard recently.
(A) Rana Muhammad Iqbal
(B) Salman Taseer
(C) Zulfikar Ali Magsi
(D) Raja Zulqarnain Khan
ANS:- (B)
181- Britain’s economy shrank by, a shocking ______ per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010, dashing expectations for growth; the data showed on 25, January, 2011?
(A) 0.5
(B) 0.6
(C) 0.7
(D) 0.9
ANS:- (A)
182- Ali Akbar Salehi is the foreign minister of
(A) Iraq
(B) Pakistan
(C) Iran
(D) Tunisia
ANS:- (C)
183- Who is the writer of ‘Curfewed Nigh’?
(A) Basharat Peer
(B) Martin Amis
(C) Johan Self
(D) Saul Bellow
ANS:- (A)
184- Judge Soumitra Sen has been found guilty of corruption by a Rajya Sabha- appointed committee and thus is liable for impeachment? He is from -
(A) Calcutta High Court
(B) Allahabad High Court
(C) Delhi High Court
(D) Supreme Court

ANS:- (A)
185- According to the Election Commission, how man national parties are there in the country?
(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12
ANS:- (A)
186- 2011 Padma Shri Awardee Sheetal Mahajan is related to ____.
(A) ParAns:- (A)Jumping
(B) Mountain Climbing
(C) Weightlifting
(D) Discus Throw
ANS:- (A)
187- Which of the following has won the Ranji Trophy title after defeating hosts Baroda on basis of their first innings lead in the final in Vadodara?
(A) Delhi
(B) Rajasthan
(C) UP
(D) Punjab
ANS:- (B)
188- Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2010 has been conferred on—
(A) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(B) Asma Jahangir
(C) Lula Da Silva
(D) Tony Blair
ANS:- (C)
189- Legendary vocalist, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi who died on 24 January, 2011 was a recipient of
(A) Padma Shri
(B) Padma Vibhushan
(C) Bharat Ratna
(D) Padma Bhushan
ANS:- (C)
190- Russian Parliament has recently approved the Russian-American new START. It stands for
(A) Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
(B) Short Arms Reduction Treaty
(C) Serious Arms Reduction treaty
(D) Strategic Ammunition Reduction Treaty
ANS:- (A)
191- Recently the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the commencement of an Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in —
(A) 60 Naxal hit districts
(B) 80 Naxal hit districts
(C) 50 Naxal hit districts
(D) 40 Naxal hit districts
ANS:- (A)
192- Who has been named Time magazine’s 2010 Person of the year?
(A) Julian Assange
(B) Mark Zuckerburg
(C) Wen Jiabao
(D) Barack Obama
ANS:- (B)
193- A Parliamentary committee in January 2011 has given the go ahead to the revised tax treaty between India and _____.
(A) Brazil
(B) Switzerland
(C) America
(D) All of these
ANS:- (B)
194- Who is the author of the book Jawaharlal Nehru: civilizing a Savage World?
(A) Arun Shourie
(B) Nayantara Sahgal
(C) RK Narayan
(D) Namita Gokhale
ANS:- (B)
195- Name the chief minister who has been chosen as the CNN-IBN person of the Year 2010?
(A) Narendra Modi
(B) Bhupinder Singh Hooda
(C) Shivraj Singh Chauhan
(D) Nitish Kumar
ANS:- (D)
196- Tejas is
(A) anti-tank missile
(B) Surface-to-air missile
(C) Light combat aircraft
(D) civilian aircraft
ANS:- (C)
197- The New Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh is —
(A) Jaganmohan Reddy
(B) Chitranjeevi
(C) Kiran Kumar Reddy
(D) K. Rosaiah
ANS:- (C)
198- Who among the following has been ranked World No. 1 badminton player?
(A) Wang Shixian
(B) Saina Nehwal
(C) Wang Xin
(D) Han Jin
ANS:- (C)
199- Amar Pratap Singh has been appointed as the new Director of ____
(A) Research and Analysis Wing
(B) Central Bureau of Investigation
(C) Prasar Bharti
(D) None of above
ANS:- (B)
200- As per a recent global report the country which tops the terrorism risk list is —
(A) Pakistan
(B) Somalia
(C) Iraq
(D) Iran
ANS:- (B)
201- Name the country in which govt. was dismissed and parliament dissolved in Jan 2011, under sweeping protests against spiraling food prices.
(A) Tunisia
(B) Algeria
(C) Morocco
(D) Namibia
ANS:- (A)
202- Hambantota is a newly built port of -
(A) Thailand
(B) Sri Lanka
(C) Vietnam
(D) Pakistan
ANS:- (B)
203- Who is the author of the book India: A Portrait – An Intimate Biography of 1.2 Billion People?
(A) Patrick French
(B) Vikram Chandra
(C) Kiran Desai
(D) Amitav Ghosh
ANS:- (A)
204- 2011 Padma Shri Awardee Harbhajan Singh is related to ___.
(A) Cricket
(B) Mountain Climbing
(C) Wrestling
(D) Shooting
ANS:- (B)
205- Consider the following statements about JPC :
(a) JPC stands for Joint Parliamentary Commission
(b) A ruling party member heads the JPC.
(c) The JPC has a specific man date and defined terms of reference worked out by the House.
Which of the above statements is/are false?
(A) Only (a)
(B) Only (a) and (b)
(C) All of the above
(D) None of the above
ANS:- (A)
206- Who has been appointed as the new chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)?
(A) AP Singh
(B) Kamlesh Sharma
(C) Sanjeev Tripathi
(D) Dr. Sheekant Sharma

ANS:- (C)
207- India recently signed MoU for High-tech Disease Detection Centre with -
(A) South Korea
(B) USA
(C) Russia
(D) Japan
ANS:- (B)
208- Who is the writer of the novel ‘The Place of Illusions’?
(A) Kiran Desai
(B) Vikram Seth
(C) Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
(D) Khushwant Singh
ANS:- (C)
209- Indian Meteorological Department has declared that 2010 was the warmest year since
(A) 1901
(B) 1925
(C) 1950
(D) 1990
ANS:- (A)
210- Li Na, a sportswoman from China is related to ___.
(A) Tennis
(B) Badminton
(C) Cricket
(D) Football
ANS:- (A)
211- Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences is located in :
(A) Bangaluru
(B) Kochin
(C) Mumbai
(D) New Delhi
ANS:- (D)
212- Nikki Randhawa Haley – an Indian-American recently became the first woman to win the governor’s race in –
(A) Texas
(B) South Carolina
(C) Ohio
(D) Louisiana

ANS:- (B)
213- According to a report submitted by IMF in its World Economic Outlook, which one of the following countries will have highest percent GDP growth rate in 2011?
(A) China
(B) India
(C) Brazil
(D) Russia
ANS:- (A)
214- Name the pilgrimage centre where more than 100 people died in a stampede on Jan 15.
(A) Shirdi
(B) Sabrimala
(C) Rameshwaram
(D) Badrinath
ANS:- (B)
215- Consider the following statements :
a. The Delhi government has decided to launch the scheme to give Delhites unique identification (UID) number, renamed Aadhaar on 26 January, 2011
b. UID is a 11-digit unique number, which will be issued to all citizens of India.
c. It is clear proof of identity.
Which of the above statements are not true?
(A) Only (b)
(B) Only (a) and (b)
(C) Only (b) and (c)
(D) Only (a) and (c)
ANS:- (A)
216- International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Male Athlete of the year 2010 is __
(A) Usain Bolt
(B) David Rudisha
(C) Lin Dan
(D) Michael Phelps

ANS:- (B)
217- Aditi Mutatkar and Arvind Bhat are the national champions of
(A) Squash
(B) Badminton
(C) Chess
(D) Table Tennis
ANS:- (B)
218- External affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on 30 January, 2011 condemned the radio-tagging of Indian students of the Tri Valley University of ________ , demanding severe action against those responsible for the inhumane act.
(A) USA
(B) Canada
(C) Australia
(D) UK
ANS:- (A)
219- Who is the writer of the book “Stranger to History : A Son’s Journey through Islamic lands”?
(A) Aatish Taseer
(B) Khushwant Singh
(C) Tavleen Singh
(D) Salman Taseer
ANS:- (A)
220- International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Female Athlete of the year 2010 is ___.
(A) Blanka Vlasic
(B) Saina Nehwal
(C) Aselefech Mergia
(D) None of the above
ANS:- (A)
221- Name the six-year-old boy who has become the youngest rated Indian chess player, according to the Jan 2011 list released by FIDE, the international chess body.
(A) SP Sethuraman
(B) Parimarjan Negi
(C) GN Gopal
(D) M Aditya
ANS:- (D)
222- Which of the following dance form was/were recently inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list -
(A) Kerala’s Mudiyetu
(B) Chhau of East India
(C) Kalbelia of Rajasthan
(D) All of the above
ANS:- (D)
223- Who won the final match of women’s single Australian Open (Tennis)-2011?
(A) Kim Clijsters
(B) Dinara Safina
(C) Maria Sharapova
(D) Vera Zvonareva
ANS:- (A)
224- The third _________ International Film Festival 2011 was celebrated on 27 January, 2011 to 30 January, 2011.
(A) Jaipur
(B) Mysore
(C) Goa
(D) Kolkata

ANS:- (A)
225- National Youth Day is observed on
(A) Jan 5
(B) Jan 7
(C) Jan 12
(D) Jan 17
ANS:- (C)
226- Which country has world’s biggest solar power station?
(A) United States
(B) United Kingdom
(C) Germany
(D) Spain

ANS:- (D)
227- Which of the following has been ranked as one of the most powerful women of past century in ‘Time Magazine’ list?
(A) Indira Gandhi
(B) Mother Teresa
(C) Both of the above
(D) None of the above
ANS:- (C)
228- Consider the following statements about INS Vindhyagiri:
(a) INS Vindhyagiri, commissioned in 1981, was an indigenously built, fully operational frontline frigate of the Indian Navy.
(b) INS Vindhyagiri had sunk down on 31 January, 2011
(c) It was badly damaged in a fire, following a collision with a merchant vessel off the Mumbai coast.
Which of the above statements are true?
(A) Only (a)
(B) Only (b)
(C) Only (c)
(D) All of the above

ANS:- (D)
229- Who has succeeded Richard Holbrooke as the special envoy of US President Barack Obama for Afghanistan and Pakistan?
(A) Ali Triki
(B) Koichiro Matsuura
(C) Frank Ruggiero
(D) Helen Clerk
ANS:- (C)
230- Susilo Bombang Yudhoyono was the Chief guest at the Republic Day (26 January, 2011) parade. He is the President of ____.
(A) Thailand
(B) Indonesia
(C) Singapore
(D) Malaysia
ANS:- (B)
231- Which was the first Arab country to see democratic uprising against the dictatorial government recently?
(A) Libya
(B) Tunisia
(C) Egypt
(D) Yemen
ANS:- (B)
232- The National Bravery Award scheme was initiated by the _____________ in 1957.
(A) Indian Council for Child Welfare
(B) Ministry of Social Welfare
(C) Ministry of Human Resources
(D) National Commission for Children
ANS:- (A)
233- As a New Year gift to Buddhist pilgrims, the government has decided to extend visAns:- (A)on-arrival (VoA) facility to five ASEAN countries from Jan 1, 2011. Which of the following is not among them?
(A) Cambodia
(B) Indonesia
(C) Philippines
(D) Vietnam
ANS:- (B)
234- The first edition of the South Asian Winter Games was held in
(A) Dehradun
(B) Gulmarg
(C) Ooty
(D) Shillong
ANS:- (A)
235- Which award did A.R. Rahman bag for his musical composition in Danny Boyle’s movie 127 hours?
(A) Golden Globe
(B) BAFTA
(C) Critics Choice
(D) Grammy
ANS:- (C)
236- Ehud Barak, defence minister of Israel, has resigned as the leader of the
(A) Likud Party
(B) Labour Party
(C) Kadima Party
(D) Afzmaut Party
ANS:- (B)
237 – How many children have been selected for the National Bravery Awards 2010?
(A) 13
(B) 23
(C) 32
(D) 36
ANS:- (B)
238 – International Customs Day is celebrated on ___
(A) 6 January
(B) 16 January
(C) 26 January
(D) 30 January
ANS:- (C)
239 – Name the country in which the UN ended its peace mission on Jan 15, 2011.
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Sudan
(C) Iraq
(D) Nepal
ANS:- (D)
240 – Which of the following is rightly matched
(A) Egypt – Hosni Mubarak
(B) Tunisia – Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
(C) Libya – Muammar Gaddafi
(D) All of the above
ANS:- (D)

India 's urbanisation ranks 34th in Asia

South Korea is the sixth most heavily urbanized country in Asia mainly due to concentration of jobs and social infrastructure in cities, a recent report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said.

The report which was released here yesterday checked 48 Asian-Pacific countries in 2009 showed six countries with more than 80 per cent of their population living in urban areas, with the figure for South Korea hitting 81.5 per cent.

The country's high percentage is mainly attributed to concentration of employment opportunities, educational and social infrastructures in cities such as Seoul and a lack of incentives to attract people to rural areas. Seoul is home to more than one-fifth of the country's 49 million people. 


Countries such as Palau, Brunei Darussalam and the Marshall Islands had urbanization rates of over 70 per cent, while the percentage of the total population living in cities in Japan and Taiwan stood at 66.5 percent and 59.1 per cent each. This placed the two countries in 11th and 16th place among the countries checked.

China's urbanization rate stood at 46.6 per cent last year, coming in 22nd, with India coming in 34th with just 29.4 per cent of its population living in urban areas, the report said.

Preserve Pulicat

AARDE Foundation, in association with Indian Maritime Foundation & Ocean Conservancy, USA, has arranged for an International Coastal Clean-Up at Pulicat (also called Pazhverkadu) on September 3. It is a joint effort by volunteers from Chennai and the people of Pulicat.

Pulicat is the second largest brackish-water eco-system in India after Chilka Lake in Orissa. Shared by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the million-year-old ecosystem is fed by rivers such as Arani, Kalangi and Swarnamukhi. Commercial fishery is the major source of income for people in the surrounding areas. The lake is the third most important wetland on the eastern coast of India for migratory shorebirds during the spring and autumn seasons.

The rich history and the rich bio-diversity of Pulicat Lake calls for careful conservation and this requires concerted action. The International Coastal Clean-up is aimed at encouraging active participation in conservation.

The clean-up calls for volunteer participation to make the initiative a success. They will be picked up at 5.30 a.m. on September 3 from Loyola College, Nungambakkam.

First renewable energy-based mini-grid system

On Jluy 1, 2011, a renewable energy-based smart mini-grid system, the first of its kind in the country, was formally commissioned on the campus of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Gurgaon.

The system, which uses advanced digital and control techniques, has been designed and developed by TERI, with support from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and others.

A smart mini-grid is an intelligent electricity distribution network, operating at or below 11KV, to provide electricity to a community. The smart mini-grids use advanced sensing, communication and control technologies to generate, manage, distribute and utilise electricity at the local distribution levels more intelligently and effectively. The system intelligently manages and balances multiple loads through inter-connected energy resources, providing rapid responses to network disturbances, minimising outages and preventing black-outs. The electricity is supplied by a diverse range of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and typically include small conventional generators such as diesel gensets, and/or a range of renewable generators such as solar PV, micro-hydro power plants, wind turbines, biomass etc.

These smart mini-grids can be wisely used to strengthen the country’s electricity sector and also enhance the performance of rural electricity supply systems.

Intel develops world’s smallest data centre

Chip maker Intel is showing off what they are calling the world’s smallest data centre. Dubbed as “Cloud-in-a-Box” system, the Intel unit is designed to be used as a demonstration tool to illustrate the power and efficiencies of cloud computing. Intel is powering the unit with Xeon processors, but they are also promoting several other security and optimisation technologies like Intel AES New Instructions for more efficient encryption, Intelligent Power Node Manager to better control power needs for increased server density and Intel's Virtualisation Technology.

Intel anticipates that by 2015, 2.5 billion people with more than 15 billion devices will access the Internet. By then, online traffic will reach a zettabyte or ‘one million million billion bytes’.

Intel foresees that soon companies will have to develop data centres with smaller footprint, which are at the same time secure and energy-efficient. According to the company, their new technology will cater to this necessity and will help companies to deploy cloud faster than ever before.

The “Cloud Vision 2015”, Intel’s futuristic vision, anticipates an environment where cloud data centres are seamlessly and securely connected, fully automated “with little or no human interaction and client-aware” providing secure access and optimal experience across a range of devices, from smartphones to notebooks.

Magsaysay Awards, 2011

Harish Hande, from India. He is being recognized for “his passionate and pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through a social enterprise that brings customized, affordable, and sustainable electricity to India’s vast rural populace, encouraging the poor to become asset creators.”

Nileema Mishra, from India. She is being recognized for “her purpose-driven zeal to work tirelessly with villagers in Maharashtra, India, organizing them to successfully address both their aspirations and their adversities through collective action and heightened confidence in their potential to improve their own lives.”

Koul Panha, from Cambodia. He is being recognized for “his determined and courageous leadership of the sustained campaign to build an enlightened, organized and vigilant citizenry who will ensure fair and free elections — as well as demand accountable governance by their elected officials – in Cambodia’s nascent democracy.”

Hasanain Juaini, from Indonesia. He is being recognized for “his holistic, community-based approach to pesantren education in Indonesia, creatively promoting values of gender equality, religious harmony, environmental preservation, individual achievement, and civic engagement among young students and their communities.”

Tri Mumpuni, from Indonesia. She is being recognized for “her determined and collaborative efforts to promote micro hydropower technology, catalyze needed policy changes, and ensure full community participation, in bringing electricity and the fruits of development to the rural areas of Indonesia.”

Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), from the Philippines. The organization is being recognized for “their collective vision, technological innovations, and partnership practices to make appropriate technologies improve the lives and livelihoods of the rural poor in upland Philippine communities and elsewhere in Asia.”

The Ramon Magsaysay Award was created in 1957, the year the Philippines lost in a plane crash a President who was well-loved for his simplicity and humility, his passion for justice, particularly for the poor, and his advancement of human dignity. Among the many friends and admirers of the late President around the world were the Rockefeller brothers. With the concurrence of the Philippine government, the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) established the Award to honor his memory and perpetuate his example of integrity in public service and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society.

National Green Tribunal

National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a judicial body constituted to try all matters related to environmental issues. The Tribunal is headed by Justice L.S. Panta. The first sitting of NGT was held on July 4, 2011.

UN Millennium Development Goals Report

According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report, as many as 320 million people in India and China are expected to come out of extreme poverty by 2015, while India’s poverty rate is projected to drop to 22%, from 55% in 1990. Those living on less than $1.25 a day are considered extremely poor.

South Sudan formally declares independence

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered as their new country formally declared its independence on July 9, 2011, a hard-won separation from the north that also plunged the fractured region into a new period of uncertainty.

The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, stood next to his old civil war foe, the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who now leads just the north, at a ceremony to mark the birth of the new nation.

Under-developed, oil-producing South Sudan won its independence in a January 2011 referendum, the climax of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of fighting with the north.

Security forces at first tried to control the streets in the south’s dusty capital Juba, but retreated as jubilant crowds moved in overnight and through the day, waving flags, dancing and chanting “South Sudan o-yei, freedom o-yei”.

The North Sudan’s government was the first to recognise South Sudan, hours before the split took place, a move that smoothed the way to the division. The United States, China, India and Britain signalled their recognition of the State on July 9.

However, northern and southern leaders have still not agreed on a list of issues, most importantly the line of the border, the ownership of the disputed Abyei region and how they will handle oil revenues, the lifeblood of both economies.

With the split, the Republic of Sudan lost almost a third of its territory and about three quarters of its oil reserves, which are sited in the south. Sudan now shrinks to being the third largest State in Africa, with about 1.86 million sq km of territory.

MINERAL RESOURCES IN INDIA

Highest number of new born deaths in India: WHO

More new born babies die in India every year than in any other country, despite the number of neonatal deaths around the world witnessing a steady decline, a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. New born deaths decreased from 4.6 million in 1990 to 3.3 million in 2009, and fell slightly faster in the years since 2000, according to the study led by researchers from WHO, Save the Children and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The study, which covers a two-decade-period and all the 193 WHO member states, found that new born deaths - characterised as deaths in the first four weeks of life (neonatal period) – account for 41 % of all child deaths before the age of five.
Almost 99 % of the newborn deaths occur in the developing world, with more than half taking place in the five large countries of India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Congo.
"India alone has more than 900,000 newborn deaths per year, nearly 28 % of the global total," WHO said, adding that India had the largest number of neonatal deaths throughout the study.
Nigeria, the world's seventh most populous country, ranked second in new born deaths – up from fifth in 1990. Three quarters of neonatal deaths around the world are caused by pre-term delivery, asphyxia and severe infections, such as sepsis and pneumonia.
WHO pointed out that two thirds or more of these deaths can be prevented with existing interventions.

White tiger breeding centre to be set up in MP

The Union Government has given 'in-principle' nod to set up a breeding centre for the endangered white tigers in Madhya Pradesh as part of conservation efforts.
The breeding centre will come up at Govindgarh, which has the unique distinction of being the home of white tigers.
"The Central Zoo Authority has initiated action for setting up a conservation breeding centre for white tiger at Govindgarh in Rewa district of the state," an Forest and Environment Ministry official said.
According to reports there are 91 white tigers housed in 21 different Indian zoos.
The government preferred Madhya Pradesh to set up the conservation breeding centre as the last white tiger named Mohan was caught in the forests of Sidhi district (now the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve) in 1950 and reared by the erstwhile Maharaja of Rewa at Govindgarh.
According to the ministry's Project Tiger documents, there are many white tigers in captivity, though almost all of them have descended from the wild white Bengal tiger Mohan.

E-Panchayats

Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has formulated “e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP)” for implementation of e-governance in Panchayats as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the umbrella of National e-Governance Programme (NeGP). The scheme aims at supporting all the State Governments for making effective use of IT in Panchayats in the process of planning at grassroots level, bring out transparency in the working of the PRIs and also help in increased accountability of these institutions. Internet connectivity is to be provided to the Panchayats by the respective States/UTs by utilizing funds from various schemes, such as Central Finance Commission Grants, State Finance Commission Grants, Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes, etc. As on 31 March, 2011, 1,19,245 Village Panchayats have been provided internet connectivity. It is targeted to provide internet connectivity to all Panchayats by 2012. The total approved cost for the project is Rs.130.39 crore, spread over a period of 5 years (2008-09 to 2012-13), against which the expenditure so far has been Rs.48.66 crore.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj has proposed to provide basic computer literacy to 25,000 Panchayat functionaries under the e-PanchayatMMP during year 2011-12, in collaboration with the Department of Electronics and Accreditation of Computer Courses (DOECC), an autonomous body under the
Department of Information Technology (DIT).

Andhra Pradesh unveils state data centre

In an effort to automate government and citizen services, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has launched the State Data Centre powered by Wipro Infotech.

Spread across 9,000 square feet, the Data Centre (DC) with a storage capacity of 50 TB, expandable to 200 TB will host applications and data of various state departments.

Wipro was responsible for the complete design, supply and implementation of the physical and IT infrastructure of the data centre, which is a Mission Mode Project under the national e-Governance plan.

Wipro Infotech, the IT business unit of Wipro Limited is managing the operations of the Data Centre on a 24x7 basis.
Speaking at the launch, Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT&C Ponnala Lakshmaiah said the state-of-the-art Data Centre is equipped with complete redundancy and all set to power the state government's technology initiatives for better governance and citizen services.

Wipro Infotech General Manager and Business Head of Government and Defence vertical Vivek Sharma said the State Data Centre is envisaged to establish a robust infrastructure to enable the state government deliver services quickly and effectively to all its stakeholders.

In September 2010, the Andhra Pradesh government awarded the contract for the Data Centre to Wipro Infotech with a sustenance period of 5 years.

Joint Statement of the Eighth BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change

The eighth BASIC Ministerial Meeting  on climate change took  place in Inhotim, Minas Gerais, on the 26th and 27th of August 2011. Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Minister of External Relations of Brazil,  Izabella Teixeira, Minister for the Environment of Brazil, Maite Nkoana- Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa as  incoming COP President, Edna Molewa, Minister of Water and  Environmental Affairs of South Africa, Xie Zhenhua, Vice-Chairman of  the National Development and Reform Commission of China, and J.M.  Mauskar, Special Secretary  for  Environment and Forests of India attended the meeting. In line with the “BASIC-plus” approach, Argentina  as chair of the G77 and China was invited.

Durban outcome
Ministers reiterated the importance of achieving a comprehensive,  balanced and ambitious result in Durban in the context of sustainable  development and in accordance with the provisions and principles of the  Convention, in particular the principles of equity and common but  differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and the Bali  Road Map. This result must fully cover negotiations under the two tracks  of the UNFCCC:  the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments  for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto  Protocol (AWG-KP) and  the Ad  Hoc Working Group on Long Term  Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA).  They emphasized that Durban must advance all aspects of the  negotiations, including the establishment of Annex I commitments for the  second commitment period of the  Kyoto Protocol and comparable commitments by non-Kyoto Protocol Annex I parties, the  operationalization of Cancun decisions and  resolving pending issues not  concluded in Cancun. Ministers emphasized the centrality of adaptation  and means of implementation as part of a balanced and comprehensive  outcome. These are elements needed to ensure balance in the completion  of the Bali Road Map and Bali Action Plan. Ministers underlined that
agreeing on the second commitment period is the central priority for  Durban, as failure in this regard  would generate a challenge to  multilateralism and would undermine  the rules based multilateral  response to climate change under the UNFCCC. Ministers reiterated their  support for a transparent and inclusive preparatory process to ensure that  Durban takes a major step forward in working towards the perspective of  a comprehensive, ambitious, fair and effective outcome, ensuring the full,  effective and sustained implementation of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto  Protocol.

Kyoto Protocol 
Ministers reaffirmed that the Kyoto Protocol is a cornerstone of the  climate change regime. They underscored the role of the Kyoto Protocol  in ensuring deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from developed  countries  commensurate with the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate  Change (IPCC) \ assessments and the 2°C goal recognized in Cancun.  They stressed that the continuation of the flexibility mechanisms of the  Kyoto Protocol, in particular the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM),  is contingent upon the establishment of quantified emission reduction  commitments  by Annex I Parties under the second commitment period.  They urged Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to work constructively to ensure  that there is no gap between the first and second commitment periods.  Ministers emphasized that the perspective of Annex I Parties leaving the  Kyoto Protocol to present their mitigation contribution under the AWG- LCA can only be the reflection of reduced political will to cut their  greenhouse gas emissions. It is hardly conceivable that a country would  leave the Kyoto Protocol to do more.  

Pending issues to be concluded
Taking note of India´s submission  of items to be added to the  provisional agenda of the COP, Ministers underlined the importance of  addressing pending issues which  must be advanced in Durban. This is  essential to generate the necessary balance in the climate change  negotiations.

Cancun operationalization
Ministers also called for the early operationalization of all the  institutions agreed to in Cancun, including the registry for  nationally  appropriate mitigation actions and international  support; the Adaptation
Committee; the Technology Executive Committee, Centre and Network; and the Green Climate Fund, which must provide significant means of  implementation for immediate action  to tackle climate change. They
highlighted that the extent to which developing countries can implement  their actions is dependent on the extent to which developed countries  fulfill their commitment to provide  sufficient financing, technological  support and capacity building for both mitigation and adaptation.

Green Climate Fund
Ministers stressed the importance of ensuring appropriate overview  of the Green Climate Fund by the Conference of the Parties, in order to  ensure its adequate management and timely disbursements to developing  countries. They emphasized that  the Transitional Committee should  interact with, and be guided by the AWG-LCA.

Financing
Ministers considered work by BASIC experts on a common  reporting format for rigorous, robust and transparent accounting of finance by Annex I Parties. A common reporting format for finance is a  priority for Durban to enable accounting of performance against the  delivery of the quantified finance target of US$ 100 billion per year by  2020. Ministers also underlined the importance of ensuring the scaling up  of financing up to and beyond 2020. They  reiterated the need to ensure  that accounting of finance by all developed countries be consistent,  complete, comparable, transparent and accurate. Ministers also stressed
the importance of detailed and comprehensive information on fast start  financial flows provided by developed countries, which should be made  available officially. They reaffirmed their view that the UNFCCC
Secretariat should publish information on funding already disbursed  under fast start financing, as this relates to a multilateral commitment.
 
MRV
Ministers also reflected on BASIC expert discussions on  measuring, reporting and verifying Annex I mitigation. They underscored  the need for stringent common accounting rules, with a view to ensuring transparency and comparability of mitigation commitments by all  developed countries. They stressed that the rules of the Kyoto Protocol  are the reference for the efforts undertaken by all developed countries in this area. They expressed the  importance of operationalizing the  transparency arrangements by developing countries, based on existing  provisions under the Convention. They pointed out the robust  contribution already offered by developing countries in emission  reductions, which demonstrates a higher  level of effort in comparison to  mitigation by developed country Parties.

 Equitable access to sustainable development
Ministers welcomed the work undertaken by BASIC experts on “a  framework for equitable access to sustainable development”, as requested  at the 6th BASIC Ministerial Meeting. This work will serve as a valuable  contribution to the body of scientific knowledge informing policy  development.

 Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+)
 Ministers recognized the importance of enhancing action to reduce  emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, enhance removals  by forests and sustainable forestry management practices, on the basis of
scaled up international financing and technology transfer. They also  underlined important additional benefits that REDD+ can offer to  sustainable development in areas such as biodiversity protection.

 Dangers of unilateralism
 Ministers expressed their concern with unilateral climate change  measures, planned or implemented, which generate negative impacts on  other countries. They expressed their strong concern with the decision of  the European Union to include the aviation sector in the EU Emission  Trading System, including flights to and from its territory by non- european companies
  
 G77 and China
Ministers emphasized the importance of G77 and China unity and  its key role in climate change  negotiations. They noted the clear  demonstrations by the G77 and China of leadership  and willingness to contribute to a strong global effort. They decided to maintain the  “BASIC-plus” approach, in order to enhance the transparency of its  meetings. They also praised the  role played by the South African  incoming COP Presidency and its efforts to organize inclusive, high-level  consultations on climate change, which will contribute to a successful and  ambitious outcome in Durban.

Rio +20
The Ministers also had an opportunity to discuss the perspective  for the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. In this regard, they stressed the  important role of BASIC countries in ensuring success of Rio+20, as well  as the Durban Conference on Climate Change and the New Delhi  Conference on Biodiversity. This is a clear sign of their firm commitment  to advance multilateral solutions to global problems.
 
Ninth Meeting of Ministers
Ministers welcomed the offer  of China to host the Ninth BASIC  Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change on the 31st  of October and the 1st of November. A meeting of experts will be held alongside this Ministerial meeting.

PRATIYOGITA DARPAN SEPTEMBER 2011

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