Tuesday, January 15, 2013

CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS

1. Name the country, where the only Hindu Temple, ISKON is scheduled to be demolished by its Authorities for 15 January 2013.
a) Russia
b) Britain
c) Japan
d) China
Answer: (a) Russia

2. With which country India recently in December 2012 signed the Economic Ties for 2 Billion Dollar Investment Fund?
a) France
b) Russia
c) Germany
d) Israel
Answer: (b) Russia

3. The U.N. General Assembly in December 2012 voted overpoweringly to restart negotiations on a draft international treaty to regulate the 70 billion dollar global trade in conventional arms. Name the country, whose Rifle Association had been lobbying hard against this pact?
a) US
b) Britain
c) Germany
d) France
Answer: (a) US

4. Government of Pakistan in December 2012 officially recognised a state of Southeastern Europe as an independent state, almost five years after it declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Name the state?
a) Plovdiv
b) Macedonia
c) Kosovo
d) Montenegro
Answer: (c) Kosovo

5. The United States of America evacuated its embassy in the Central African Republic, reflecting growing fears that the capital, Bangui, may fall to rebel forces called?
a) Saleka
b) Kpademona Marcel
c) Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb
d) Front for the Liberation of the Enclave
Answer: (a) Saleka


6. Union Government of India in the month of December granted service tax exemption on the services of life insurance business. Name the two schemes for which the service tax has been exempted?
a) Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and Janashree Bima Yojana
b) Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and Jeevan Nidhi
c) Janashree Bima Yojana and Jeevan Nidhi
d) Jeevan Nidhi and Kalptaru Yojna
Answer: (a) Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and Janashree Bima Yojana

7. The Union Government of India in December decided to set up five-year project for restoring the overall cyber security structure of critical sectors of India. This was decided in light of increasing number of cyber attacks as well as security threats that the Internet offers. In 2011, India suffered 13000 cyber incidents. Name the agency that is responsible for the Project?
a) Cyber surveillance agency
b) CERT-IN
c) National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre
d) None of these
Answer: (c) National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre

8. The union government of India approved selling a certain percent stake in Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) in December 2012. What is the percentage stake decided by the government for being sold?
a) 11 percent
b) 12.5 percent
c) 14 percent
d) 22 percent
Answer: (b) 12.5 percent

9. Which of the following statements of the following are/is true?
i. Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) would be the 11th public sector undertaking that has got the approval of the Union Government to sell 12.5 percent of its stake
ii. National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is the nodal agency which is responsible for coordinating the cyber security operations related to critical infrastructures in India.
iii. AABY provides for insurance of the head of the family or earning member of the family of rural landless households between the age of 18 and 59 years against natural death or accidental death and partial/permanent disability.
iv. The union government of India withdrew Z-plus security provided to ex-army chief General V K Singh.
a) Statement (i) and (ii) are true
b) Statement (i), (ii) and (iv) are true
c) All the statements are true
d) Statement (ii) and (iv) are true
Answer: (c) All the statements are true

10. Name the state that has been the fastest growing states, between 2006 to 2010 as per the data released by the Planning Commission of India?
a) Gujarat
b) Bihar
c) Maharashtra
d) Kerala
Answer: (b) Bihar


11. Mitsui Corp, the private equity company of Japanese multinational bought marginal stake in which Gurgaon-based pharmacy store?
a) Global Healthline
b) Alive Mediways
c) Apollo Pharmacy
d) Guardian Lifecare
Answer: (d) Guardian Lifecare


12. Why did the Chinese subsidiary of Jaguar Land Rover decided on 25 December 2012 to recall 337 cars?
a) below-standard fixture of brakes and steering boxes
b) below-standard fixture of headlights
c) below-standard fixture of front mirror
d) below-standard fixture of seats
Answer: (a) below-standard fixture of brakes and steering boxes


13. Instagram photo-sharing service was slapped with first civil lawsuit which resulted because of its changed terms of service leading to protests from the user in the third week of December 2012. Where was the civil lawsuit filed against Instagram?
a) Superior Court of California
b) Federal Court of California
c) Superior Court of San Francisco
d) Federal Court of San Francisco
Answer: (d) Federal Court of San Francisco


14. Mitsui Corp, the private equity company of Japanese multinational bought marginal stake in Guardian Lifecare, the Gurgaon-based pharmacy store. This indicates how foreign investors are keen towards 20 billion dollar pharmacy as well as wellness market of India. Which of the following statements is false in this context?
a) A Mitsui fund put in dedicated growth capital of over 80 crore Rupees in Guardian Lifecare.
b) The revenue of chain in 2012 was 110 crore Rupees.
c) Guardian Lifecare is a company that is engaged in retailing drugs with 230 stores in 20 cities.
d) Guardian Lifecare started selling the third-party branded products under its own brand name with over 220 stock units in various categories such as mineral water, vitamins, personal care, nutrition, sports nutrition and many more.
Answer:  (b) The revenue of chain in 2012 was 110 crore Rupees.


15. Jaguar Land Rover, the British luxury brand which is owned by _________. Fill in the blank with appropriate option:
a) Volkswagon
b) Ford
c) Tata Motors
d) Holden
Answer: (c) Tata Motors


16. The Mayan Doomsday predictions about the world ending on 21 December 2012 had failed and additionally NASA ruled out the asteroid collision with Earth in 2040. What is the name of this as teroid which was feared to be collided?
a) 2011 AG5
b) 5224 Abbe
c) 2646 Abetti
d) 6805 Abstracta
Answer: (a) 2011 AG5


17. The spaceplane constructed by Richard Branson's spaceflight company called Virgin Galactic successfully completed the important flight test which would be able to carry the people to space. What is the name of this spaceplane?
a) Boeing X-37
b) Soviet Buran
c) SpaceShipTwo
d) BOR-4
Answer: (c) SpaceShipTwo


18. Astronomers claimed that a rare supercomet called ___________ was moving towards the Sun from outer solar system. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option:
a) C/1980 E1 (Bowell)
b) Comet Hale–Bopp (C/1995 O1)
c) Comet Lulin (C/2007 N3)
d) C/2012 S1 (ISON)
Answer: (d) C/2012 S1 (ISON)


19. Australian researchers of Sydney’s Garvan Institute claimed that they discovered primary factor which made breast cancer aggressive as well as resistant to the treatments. Which of the following statements is false in this context?
a) Protein called ELF5 is responsible for making the tumours of breast cancer more aggressive as well as resistant to treatments, revealed the key researcher Chris Ormandy.
b) The study would be helpful in targeting ELF5 in such a way that it would help in treating the breast cancers which are not numb to anti-oestrogens.
c) Around half of the women will eventually not be able to tackle to anti-oestrogen treatment which they would have been undergoing, which would in turn further progress their tumour.
d) In the tissue-culture models of this type of cancer which were made numb to anti-oestrogen treatment, levels of ELF5 increase dramatically.
Answer: (b) The study would be helpful in targeting ELF5 in such a way that it would help in treating the breast cancers which are not numb to anti-oestrogens.


20. Researchers from the Penn State University in the last week of December declared that the cause of encouragement of human evolution might have been the swift environmental changes in areas like East Africa around _____________. Fill in the blank with appropriate option:
a) 3 million years ago
b) 200 million years ago
c) 2 million years ago
d) 300 million years ago
Answer: (c) 2 million years ago


21. The Union Government of India on 17 December 2012 lowered down the growth projection for the current financial year 2012-13 from 7.6 percent that was estimated earlier to 5.7-5.9 percent. The projection was showcased in the Mid-Year Economic Analysis. Where was this Mid-Year Economic Analysis tabled?
a) Lok Sabha
b) Rajya Sabha
c) Indian Parliament
d) None of these
Answer: (c) Indian Parliament


22. Foreign investments in the Indian markets through __________ increased to 8-month high of around 1.75 lakh crore Rupees or 32 billion dollar in October 2012. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option:
a) Equity
b) Derivatives
c) Debt
d) Participatory Notes
Answer: (d) Participatory Notes


23. The UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013 report warned that the Debt crises in which two countries could throw the world economy into recession?
a) Europe and the United States
b) Indian and China
c) China and Japan
d) Europe and China
Answer: (a) Europe and the United States


24. The Finance Ministry announced that indirect tax collection increased at the rate of _________ to 2.92 lakh crore Rupees in the period of April-November 2012 in comparison to the yearly growth target of 27 percent. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option:
a) 16.25%
b) 16.8%
c) 16.50%
d) 16.15%
Answer: (b) 16.8%


25. United Nations on 18 December 2012 slashed its global growth predictions to 2.4 percent for 2013 and 3.2 percent for the following year and warned of a lasting employment crisis for western countries. Which of the following statements is false in this context?
a) The UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013 report warned that a slowdown in China could all throw the world economy into recession.
b) Earlier in the t month of June 2012 UN had predicted a growth forecast 2.7 percent for 2013 and 3.9 percent for the year after.
c) The report also predicted growth in South Asia averaging 10 percent in 2013, up from 8 percent in 2012, led by a moderate recovery in India.
d) As per the Report, With existing policies and growth trends, it is going to take  at least another five years for Europe and the United States to make up for the job losses caused by the Great Recession of  year 2008-2009.
Answer: (c) The report also predicted growth in South Asia averaging 10 percent in 2013, up from 8 percent in 2012, led by a moderate recovery in India.


26. The Union Government of India on 10 December 2012 introduced a bill in Parliament to amend the Competition Act which, among other things, will require the Competition Commission to decide on corporate mergers within 180 days. What is the name of the Bill?
a) Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2012
b) Competition Bill, 2012
c) Competition Commission Bill 2012
d) Competition review Bill 2012
Answer. (a) Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2012


27. The Union Government spent more than 1768 crore rupees in previous three years for its own promotion, revealed the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry. Name the body that revealed the data of investments made on advertisements in magazines and newspapers as well as television?
a) Press clipping service
b) FICCI
c) DAVP
d) IBF
Answer. (c) FICCI


28. Which of the following statements are true?
a) Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 was cleared by the Union Cabinet on 13 December 2012, making it compulsory to get consent of 80 percent land owners. However in case of the Public-Private Projects (PPP), it was made mandatory that the consent of 70 percent people should be taken.
b) In the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, there was no provision of returning the land which was not used. But as per the clause in new Bill, in case the acquired land was not utilised for 5 years, it would lapse.
c) I&B Ministry revealed that the Directorate of Audio-Visual Publicity (DAVP) spent a total of 1768.55 crore Rupees in publicity as well as advertisements in magazines and newspapers as well as on television.
d) The Union Government of India on 10 December 2012 introduced a bill in Parliament to amend the Competition Act which, among other things, will require the Competition Commission to decide on corporate mergers within 300 days.
i. Statement a, b and c are true
ii. Statement a and d are true
iii. None of the above mentioned statement is true
iv. Statement d is true
Answer. (i) Statement a, b and c are true


29. The Supreme Court partially stayed the order of Delhi high court in which it had cancelled three paras of Centre's 2010 circular which made it compulsory for the judges to take foreign visits only with approval of chief justice of the high court concerned or Chief Justice of India (CJI)and also made it mandatory for the judges to inform a government body to inform about such trips to Government of India.  Which of the following statement related to the judgment is true?
a) The judges of Supreme Court as well as high court need to inform the Government of India about the foreign visits which include the purpose of their visit, duration as well as the funding source.
b) The judges of Supreme Court, High Court and the Lower Court need to inform the Government of India about their foreign visits which include the purpose of their visit, duration as well as the funding source.
c) The judges can take on the foreign visit only after traveling details were submitted to the Government of India
d) None of these
i. Only statement a is true
ii. Statement a and c is true
iii. Statement b is true
iv. Statement a and c are true
Answer. (iv)Statement a and c are true


30. What is the proposed distance to be covered by the Bhatinda-Jammu-Srinagar gas pipeline project that is scheduled to be completed by July 2014 to draw gas from Gujarat to the State?
a) 330 kilometers
b) 312 kilometers
c) 328 kilometers
d) 348 kilometers
Answer. (c)328 kilometers


31. In the Hockey India League Auction held at New Delhi on 16 December 2012 which Indian skipper became the highest marquee player after commanding for the best price of 78000 dollar?
a) Prabhjot Singh
b) Rajpal Singh
c) Sardar Singh
d) Shivendra Singh
Answer: (c) Sardar Singh


32. Whom did the All India Football Federation in the third week of December 2012 appoint as the one-man committee for probing into and make a decision about the fate of the abandoned 10th round I-League match between the Mohun Bagan and East Bengal?
a) AK Ganguly
b) Marcus Pacheco
c) Srinivas
d) Syed Rahim Nabi
Answer: (a) AK Ganguly


33. As per the latest ICC Test Championship rankings issued in Dubai on 17 December 2012, what is the position of India?
a) 2nd
b) 5th
c) 3rd
d) 6th
Answer: (b) 5th


34. Who was named Swiss Male Athlete of the Year on 16 December 2012?
a) Nicola Spirig
b) Roger Federer
c) Lionel Messi
d) Rafael Benítez
Answer: (b) Roger Federer


35. Sachin Tendulkar who announced retirement from ODI on 23 December 2012 became the first cricketer to score a double century in the history of One Day international Cricket against which country?
a) England
b) Australia
c) Pakistan
d) South Africa
Answer: (d) South Africa


36. The Constitution Amendment Bill was approved in Rajya Sabha in India on 17 December 2012 by an overwhelming majority. What is the purpose of this Constitution Amendment Bill?
a) It provides quotas for OBCs in corporate job promotions.
b) It provides quotas for SCs and STs in government job promotions.
c) It provides quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs in all kinds of job promotions.
d) It provides quotas only for STs in government job promotions.
Answer: (b) It provides quotas for SCs and STs in government job promotions.


37. Which country recently planned to replace its paper money with plastic banknotes?
a) Northern Ireland
b) Australia
c) New Zealand
d) UK
Answer: (d) UK


38. On 18 December 2012, Queen Elizabeth became first peacetime British ruler ever since 1781, who attended the cabinet meeting. Which of the following statements is true in this context?
a) Though Queen Elizabeth did not take part in any deliberations, but she participated in the cabinet meeting as an observer and a listener.
b) Queen Elizabeth remained seated on the chair which is usually occupied by the president.
c) Historians believed that Queen Elizabeth became the first monarch in the history to attend any cabinet meeting, after George I did that.
d) The first agenda of the meeting was about criminal laws.
Answer: (a) Though Queen Elizabeth did not take part in any deliberations, but she participated in the cabinet meeting as an observer and a listener.


39. Who was elected as the first woman president of South Korea on 19 December 2012?
a) Jeon Yeo-ok
b) Kang Kum-Sil
c) Park Geun-hye
d) Chang Sang
Answer: (c) Park Geun-hye


40. US (United States) House of Representatives on 20 December 2012 passed the Bill which covers the cost of ships, aircraft, weapons and military personnel as well as the war effort in Afghanistan. What is the name of this Bill?
a) Defence Authorization Act, 2013
b) Defence Authorization Act, 2011
c) Defence Authorization Act, 2012
d) None of these
Answer: (a) Defence Authorization Act, 2013


41. The Union home ministry in Month of December extended the ban on United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) under which Act?
a) The Arms (Amendment) Act
b) The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act
c) The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
d) The Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Act
Answer: (c) The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act


42. Which of the following statements is false:
i. Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is the mosquito-borne virus which mainly affects the CNS or Central Nervous System.
ii. JE usually affects children who are below 15 years of age.
iii. In 2011, it was reported that JE had occurred in 135 districts in 17 states of India.
iv. Around 25 percent affected children usually survive.
a) Statements (i) and (iv) are false.
b) Only statement (iv) is false.
c) All the above statements are false.
d) None of these statements is false.
Answer: (b) Only statement (iv) is false.


43. The Government of India on 17 December decided to set up 113 Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations along which river?
a) River Yamuna
b) River Godavari
c) River Ganga
d) River Brahmaputra
Answer: (c) River Ganga


44. National Commission for Minorities celebrates Minorities Rights Day on which date?
a) 18 December
b) 19 December
c) 20 December
d) 21 December
Answer: (a) 18 December


45. Which bill was passed by Lok Sabha on 18 December 2012 for improving corporate governance?
a) Corporate Bill 2012
b) Companies Bill 2011
c) Companies Act 2011
d) Corporate Act 2012
Answer: (b) Companies Bill 2011


46. India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012 signed five agreements in New Delhi to enhance cooperation including in areas of defence, Nuclear, Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade and commerce. During whose visit were these agreements signed?
a) Ukraine President
b) Ukraine Prime Minister
c) Ukraine Foreign Minister
d) None of these
Answer: (a) Ukraine President


47. Who was re-elected as the Chairman of UN Panel of External Auditors?
a) Amyas Morse
b) Vinod Rai
c) AK Chanda
d) VN Kaul
Answer: (b) Vinod Rai


48. A controversial new global treaty on telecom regulations was signed on 14 December 2012 by how many International Telecommunication Union member states out of a possible 144 Countries regardless of US objections to prospective regulation of the Internet?
a) 100
b) 90
c) 89
d) 112
Answer: (c) 89


49. Which country launched a long-range rocket Unha-3 on 12 December 2012 despite international opposition and growing tensions in the region?
a) North Korea
b) South America
c) Ukraine
d) South Korea
Answer: (a) North Korea


50. India and Pakistan jointly operationalised the new Agreement on 14 December 2012 in New Delhi during the visit of Pakistan interior minister A. Rehman Malik to India. Which agreement was signed between the two countries?
a) Tourism Agreement
b) Business Agreement
c) Visitor Agreement
d) Visa Agreement
Answer: (d) Visa Agreement


51. Who was signed as the brand ambassador of Blackberry Smartphone maker Research-In-Motion (RIM) in third week of December 2012?
a) Shahrukh Khan
b) Ranbir Kapoor
c) Salman Khan
d) Shahid kapoor
Answer: (b) Ranbir Kapoor

52. The New York Stock Exchange which is said to be the foundation of American capitalism for 220 years now, agreed to sell itself as part of the 8.2 billion dollar takeover by IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE). Which of the following statements is true in this context?
a) ICE is an Atlanta-based company and laid its foundation just 12 years ago.
b) ICE operates derivatives as well as commodities markets across the world.
c) ICE is highly renowned among general public.
d) ICE never aligned with NASDAQ OMX Group for making combined 11 billion dollar bid for NYSE Euronext.
i. Statements (a) and (b) are true.
ii. Only statement (a) is true.
iii. Statements (a), (b) and (d) are true.
iv. None of the statements if true.
Answer: (i) Statements (a) and (b) are true.

53. Which is the only company headquartered in India to be named in the list of 100 key liaison service outsourcing companies, by China’s Ministry of Commerce in the third week of December?
a) Wipro
b) NIIT
c) Amazon
d) Infosys
Answer: (d) Infosys

54. Who was appointed as the chairman of Tata Sons, the firm that holds more than 100 billion dollar Tata Group, on 18 December 2012?
a) Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry
b) Ratan Tata
c) Cyrus Pallonji Mistry
d) None of these
Answer: (c) Cyrus Pallonji Mistry

55. As per the research firm IHS iSuppli, which mobile brand displaced Nokia to become the world’s leading top mobile brand for the year 2012?
a) Samsung
b) Motorola
c) Apple
d) HTC
Answer: (a) Samsung




56. The Central Zoo Authority of India approved exchanging white tigress from the Delhi Zoo against an animal from the Krasnoyarks Park of flora and fauna, Roev Ruchey in Russia. Which animal was traded in exchange of white tigress?
a) South American Jaguars
b) Kangaroos
c) Puma
d) Leopard
Answer: (c) Puma

57. NASA developed new next-gen spacesuit called Z-1 Prototype Spacesuit and Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.0 for the sophisticated and complex space ventures, which also include Mars mission. Which of the following statement is not true in this context:
a) The spacesuit is crafted out of various hard elements on the fabric. It also becomes flexible after being inflated.
b) There is no need of an airlock for seeking entry or getting exit in and out of this suit.
c) It makes use of the recent technique that includes sublimator which works only in hard vacuum.
d) The spacesuit packs in itself water membrane evaporation cooler which cools the suit through same method like sweating.
Answer: (c) It makes use of the recent technique that includes sublimator which works only in hard vacuum.

58. The gravity mapping satellites of NASA ended the successful mission to Moon by crashing on the rim of crater. What is the name of these gravity mapping satellites of NASA?
a) Voyager 1 and Voyager 2
b) Ebb and Flow
c) Orion and Kepler
d) Dawn and Orion
Answer: (b) Ebb and Flow

59. Scientist in the month of December revealed a planet that could support life, orbits a Sun-like star near the Earth. What is the name of the star around which this planet was found orbiting?
a) Tau Ceti
b) Sirius
c) 36 Ophiuchi
d) Gliese 33
Answer: (a) Tau Ceti

60. A microbe led to extinction of more than 90 species on Earth’s surface around 251 million years ago, the researchers found out in the second week of December 2012. Which of the following statements is true in this context:
a) According to the current theory, mass extinction by end of Permian period was started because of volcanic eruptions on a large area, now called Siberia.
b) When the group of researchers analysed genome of Methanosarcina - a methanogen which is accountable for most of the biogenic methane on Earth today, it was discovered that microbe acquired this ability some 231 million years ago.
c) Methanosarcina needs huge amount of nickel for producing methane fast.
d) All the statements are true
Answer: (d) All the statements are true.

61. Market regulator Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed entities to set up Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) which is a newly created class of pooled-in investment vehicles for real estate, private equity and hedge funds. Specify the number of entities allowed to set up.
(a) 10
(b) 12
(c) 15
(d) 16
Answer: (b) 12

62. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released on 12 December 2012 showed that the retail inflation increased for the second successive month to how many percent in November 2012?
(a) 9.90
(b) 8.90
(c) 9.25
(d) 7.90
Answer: (a) 9.90

63. The Union government of India on 13 December 2012 approved the setting up of Committee to fast track investment clearances for mega projects. Name the Committee approved.
(a) Coalition Committee
(b) Social Justice Committee
(c) Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI)
(d)Cabinet Committee on Expenditure
Answer: (c) Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI)

64. Name the Stock exchange which on 14 December 2012 launched an SME index which primarily aims at tracking the current primary market conditions in the Indian capital market and measuring the growth in investors’ wealth over a period.
(a) Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
(b) Ahmedabad Stock Exchange
(c) Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE)
(d) Madhya Pradesh Stock Exchange (MPSE)
Answer: (a) Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

65. As per the report of Aviation Ministry IndiGo lost huge amount in fiscal year, 2011-2012, the airline was operating in profits constantly in last three financial years. What was the loss amount in said fiscal year 2011-12?
(a) 87.6 crore Rupees
(b) 84.3  crore Rupees
(c) 95.2 crore Rupees
(d) 51.9 crore rupees
Answer: (a) 87.6 crore Rupees


66. Name the renowned soccer player who on 9 December 2012 set the record for most goals in a calendar year by scoring his 86th goal of 2012
(a) David Beckham
(b) Lionel Messi
(c) Cristiano Ronaldo
(d) Roberto Carlos
Answer: (b) Lionel Messi

67. Name the giant of Indian domestic cricket who died on 11 December and was famous for coming close to breaking Sir Don Bradman's first-class score in the Ranji Trophy.
(a) Syed Kirmani
(b) Deepak Shodhan
(c) BB Nimbalkar
(d) Prakash Bhandari
Answer: (b) BB Nimbalkar

68. Name the team that was defeated by to win the inaugural SBI T20 World Cup for the Blind on 13 December 2012 at Central College grounds in Bangalore.
(a) Australia
(b) Pakistan
(c) England
(d) New Zealand
Answer: (b) Pakistan

69. Which team on 15 December 2012 won the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament for the third consecutive time in the Men’s category and second consecutive time in the Women’s category?
(a) India
(b) Pakistan
(c) Australia
(d) England
Answer:  (a) India

70.
Which Country won the Junior Table Tennis Championship claiming all the titles?
(a) Germany
(b) China
(c) Hungary
(d) Sweden
Answer:  (b) China

71. Name the bank with which the Reserve Bank of India on 4 December 2012 signed a three year Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) for swapping of the local currencies to address short-term liquidity problems.
(a) Bank of Australia
(b) Bank of Scotland
(c) Bank of Japan
(d) None Of these
Answer: (c) Bank of Japan

72. State Bank of India (SBI), the largest lender of India on 5 December 2012 announced about its expectation of infusion of what amount from the government in 2012-2013 fiscal year?
(a) 4000 Crore rupees
(b) 3000 crore rupees
(c) 2500 crore rupees
(d) 3500 crore rupees
Answer: (a) 4000 Crore rupees

73. Infosys decided to transfer listing of American shares of the company from Nasdaq to an stock exchange. Name the particular stock exchange.
(a) Bombay Stock Exchange
(b) Hong Kong Stock Exchange
(c) Taiwan stock Exchange
(d) New York Stock Exchange
Answer: (d) New York Stock Exchange

74.
Which Government body on 29 November 2012 dismissed appeals of two Sahara companies- Sahara India Real Estate Corp (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp (SHICL) against SEBI?
(a) Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)
(b) Primary Market Advisory Committee
(c) Mutual Fund Advisory Committee
(d) Derivatives Market Review Committee
Answer: (a) Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)

75.
Eight core sectors of the Indian Economy grew by how much percent in the eight-month high in October 2012-2013 as compare with the 0.4 percent in same time period last year?
(a) 6.5 Percent
(b) 5 Percent
(c) 3.5 percent
(d) 4.5 Percent
Answer: (a) 6.5 Percent

76. The Competent Authority on 3 December 2012 approved the appointment an IPS officer (MP-77) as officer on Special Duty in the Intelligence Bureau and also as the Director for Intelligence Bureau. Name the Person.
(a) Syed Asif Ibrahim
(b) Ali Haider
(c) Venkat Rangaswamy
(d) K.C.Roy
Answer: (a) Syed Asif Ibrahim

77.
Name the Senior party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Indian National Congress who on 6 December 2012 switched sides and joined the BJP with his supporters.
(a) Narhari Amin
(b) Kantilal Ghiya
(c) Arjun Modhwadia
(d) Nitin Gadkari
Answer: (a) Narhari Amin

78. The Uttar Pradesh government on 4 December 2012 decided to issue Cards to industrialists and industrial associations for easy access to its offices. What is the name of that card?
(a) Golden cards
(b) Silver cards
(c) Platinum cards
(d) Industrial cards
Answer: (a) Golden cards

79.
Union Government of India on 5 December 2012 cleared the decks for transferring the prime India 12.5 acre United Mill land in Mumbai to the Maharashtra government for building a state-of-the-art memorial for an Indian revolutionary and political leader. Name the political leader.
(a) Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
(b) BR Ambedkar
(c) Ramabai Ambedkar
(d) Balasaheb Thackrey
Answer: (b) BR Ambedkar

80.
The Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) on 7 December 2012 asked Karnataka to provide Tamil Nadu with how many TMC(thousand million cubic) feet  of Cauvery water during December 2012
(a) 12 TMC feet
(b) 10 TMC feet
(c) 8 TMC feet
(d) 6 TMC feet
Answer: (a) 12 TMC feet


81. PetroChina in the third week of December 2012 agreed to buy a 49.9 percent stake in which Canadian firm?
a) Encana's Natural Gas Project
b) Mackenzie Gas Project
c) Pengrowth Gas Project
d) Anderson Gas Project
Answer: (a) Encana's Natural Gas Project

82. Who was appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer of Levi Strauss & Co?
a) Harmit Singh
b) Harpreet Singh
c) Harkeerat Singh
d) Hardeep Singh
Answer: (a) Harmit Singh

83. What kinds of clauses were added by Marks & Spencer (M&S), the British retail company to the agreements in India?
a) Anti-theft clauses
b) Anti-bribery clauses
c) Anti-fraud clauses
d) None of these
Answer: (b) Anti-bribery clauses

84. ICICI Bank, the largest private sector bank of India on 13 December 2012 opened 101 distinct gramin branches or rural branches as the part of its financial enclosure plan. In how many states were these branches opened?
a) Ten states
b) Three states
c) Four states
d) Six states
Answer: (d) Six states

85. Where did the American Depositary Shares (ADS) of Infosys, India’s second-largest IT services provider started trading on 12 December 2012?
a) Bombay Stock Exchange
b) National Stock Exchange
c) New York Stock Exchange
d) Singapore Stock Exchange
Answer: (c) New York Stock Exchange


86. French scientists claimed that they developed a new system which enables humans to get 360 degree vision. The headset in the system is said to capture the images from different directions and thereafter transform these into the matter which is possible for the human vision system to comprehend. What is the name of this new system?
a) Eidograph
b) FlyVIZ
c) Scoliometer
d) Xylometer
Answer: (b) FlyVIZ

87.
Scientists from NASA spotted the longest extra-terrestrial river system ever on Saturn’s moon Titan which appears to be a miniature version of one of the Earth’s rivers. Titan which appears to be a miniature version of which river of Earth?
a) Amazon River
b) Thames River
c) Nile River
d) Rhine River
Answer: (c) Nile River

88.
Researchers of the University of Michigan Health System and Harvard Medical School in the second week of December 2012 showed that anti-ageing genes might be helpful in curtailing the multiplication of cancer. Which of the following statements is not true in context of this?
a) The researchers had shown that the decrease in SIRT6 protein in rats increased the size, aggressiveness as well as number of tumours.
b) In the new research the role of SIRT6 in diminishing the growth of cancer by repressing aerobic glycolysis was highlighted.
c) SIRT6 is also responsible for inhibiting the activity of major cancer gene called Myc.
d) SIRT6 does not play any role in stopping cancer or controlling cellular metabolism.
Answer: (d) SIRT6 does not play any role in stopping cancer or controlling cellular metabolism.

89. Scientists in northern Mexico discovered a new dinosaur with a large prominent nose which lived about 73 million years ago. What is the name of this new dinosaur?
a) Latirhinus Uitstlani
b) Gigantoraptor
c) Khaan
d) Raptorex
Answer: (a) Latirhinus Uitstlani

90. British scientists claimed that they developed in the first week of December 2012, the first toothbrush of the world called Emmident toothbrush which makes use of the _________ for cleaning teeth. Fill in the blank with appropriate word:
a) X-Ray
b) Ultrasound waves
c) 3D Imaging
d) None of these
Answer: (b) Ultrasound waves


91. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the India Olympic Association (IOA) on 4 December 2012 and eventually this might also lead to IOA ban from Olympic movement. Which of these statements is true in context to this news?
a) IOC suspended IOA because India was following the Sports Code of government in the IOA elections, which is against the Olympic Charter.
b) Suspension of IOA from Olympics came just before the Election Day.
c) Decision of IOC was welcomed by several former as well as current sportspersons.
d) All the above statements are true
Answer: (d) All the above statements are true

92. Name the corporate Hockey team which emerged champion against Bharat Petroleum in the 23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on 4 December 2012.
a) Air India
b) Bharti Airtel
c) Reliance Industries
d) Hindustan Petroleum
Answer: (a) Air India

93.
Name the England Cricket Captain  who became the youngest Batsman to score 7000 Runs
a) Alastair Cook
b) Kevin Peitersen
c) Daniel Vettori
d) Andrew Strauss
Answer: (a) Alastair Cook

94. Name the Basket player who Became Youngest Player in the History of NBA to Reach 30000 Career Points
a) Andrew Bogut
b) Kobe Bryant
c) Leandro Barbosa
d) Robert Sacre
Answer: (b) Kobe Bryant

95. Name the Cricketer and Former Captain of the Australian Cricket team who on 3 December 2012 announced his retirement from International Test Cricket.
a) Ricky Ponting
b) Adam Gilchrist
c) Shane Warne
d) Michael Clarke
Answer: (a) Ricky Ponting


96. On 4 December 2012, Iran claimed that it had captured the small US drone which had entered its airspace on the Gulf waters. Which of the following statements is not true in context of this news:
a) The Guards' naval force guarding the Iranian assets in the Gulf described the drone as Boeing-made ScanEagle, short-range, propeller-driven inspection vehicle that had a 3-metre wingspan.
b) The naval arm of Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed that the unmanned US drone which was patrolling over the Persian Gulf waters.
c) On 4 December 2011, Iran had claimed that it captured a bigger and more sophisticated CIA secrecy drone which was bat-winged.
d) US, in the meanwhile confirmed that a drone from the fleet was missing.
Answer: (d) US, in the meanwhile confirmed that a drone from the fleet was missing.

97.
The 11th meeting of the India-Canada Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism was held on 29 November 2012. Where was this meeting held?
a) Bangalore
b) Kolkata
c) New Delhi
d) Mumbai
Answer: (c) New Delhi

98.
A meeting of the India and Pakistan former diplomats, peace activists, army and navy officers concluded on 3 December 2012 with an agenda that Sir Creek dispute will be resolved. What are the other territorial troubles that sit amidst the India-Pakistan relationship?
a) Siachen
b) Kashmir
c) Both of these
d) None of these
Answer: (c) Both of these

99. China held one of its largest- ever air force drill involving multi-types fighter planes, amid heightened tensions with Japan over territorial dispute in the East China Sea. How many fighter planes were involved in the drill?
a) 200
b) 1000
c) 100
d) 500
Answer: (c) 100

100. Who was the first top ranking Indian official to visit China after changes in Communist Party of China?
a) Anand Sharma
b) Ajit Singh
c) Shiv Shankar Menon
d) Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna
Answer: (c) Shiv Shankar Menon


101. Apple, on 7 December 2012 launched two new devices. Which are these two devices?
a) iPad 2 and fourth generation iPad
b) iPad mini and iPhone 5
c) iPad mini and fourth generation iPad
d) iPhone 5 and fourth generation iPad
Answer: (c) iPad mini and fourth generation iPad


102.
Wipro Consumer Care and Lightning (WCCL) on 8 December 2012 acquired the Singapore-based FMCG Company for 790 Crore Rupees. What is the name of this company?
a) LD Waxson
b) Unza
c) Woods of Windsor
d) Aramusk
Answer: (a) LD Waxson


103. Suresh Vaswani, the former co-CEO of Wipro was appointed as the President of Dell Services, the computer-maker, on 6 December 2012. Which of the following statements is true in this context?
a) Before being promoted to the position of Dell’s president, Vaswani was also the head of application services as well as BPO segment of Dell.
b) In 2011, Vaswani exited from Wipro where he had spent 25 years.
c) Vaswani reported to Schuckenbrock, the former President of Dell.
d) All the three statements are true.
Answer: (d) All the three statements are true.


104.
Adani Mining, a global integrated infrastructure player on 3 December 2012 announced completion of the largest mining exploration programme in Australia in a record time. How much time did the Adani Mining take for the programme?
a) 6 months
b) 9 months
c) 1 year
d) 1.5 years
Answer: (b) 9 months


105.
Nokia, one of the giant mobile makers agreed to sell the head quarter building or 222 million US dollar or 170 million Euros on 4 December 2012. The headquarter building is to be bought by Exilion, the Finnish real estate company. Where was the headquarter building of Nokia located?
a) Finland
b) Scotland
c) Denmark
d) California
Answer: (a) Finland



106. Which among the following State governments in India has decided to observe the year 2013 as Information Technology Empowerment Year?
a)Tamil Nadu
b)Uttar Pradesh
c)Madhya Pradesh
d)Gujarat
Answer: (c) Madhya Pradesh 

107. Who among the following is the winner of the prestigious Aryabhatta award for 2011?
a)P. Kunhikrishnan
b)G. Satheesh Reddy
c)A.E. Muthunayagam
d)V.K. Saraswat
Answer: (d) V.K. Saraswat
108. INS Tarkash, a stealth frigate that recently joined the Western fleet is built with the help of _________?
a)United States
b)France
c)Israel
d)Russia
Answer: (d) Russia
109. Which among the following State governments confer annual "Bhim Awards" on outstanding sports persons of the state?
a)Punjab
b)Haryana
c)Gujarat
d)Rajasthan
Answer: (b) Haryana
110. Recently, who among the following has taken over as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)?
a)S. Ramakrishnan
b)M.C. Dathan
c)M.Y.S. Prasad
d)V.N. Shankar
Answer: (a) S. Ramakrishnan
111. Recently, an expert panel set up in 2011 to study the regulatory regime in the backdrop of low forest and tree cover in the country has submitted its report. The panel was headed by __________?
a)Sashi Kumar
b)K.N. Murthi
c)A.K. Bansal
d)T. Rama Rao
Answer: (c) A.K. Bansal
112. The National Water Resources Council is headed by _____________.
a)Prime Minister
b)President
c)Minister for Water Resources
d)Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources
Answer: (a) Prime Minister

113. The Web Ratna awards are constituted by _____________?
a)Infosys Technologies Limited
b)Yahoo! India
c)Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, India
d)Microsoft India
Answer: (c) Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, India
114. Recently, the United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission in East Timor after 13 years and the country's struggle for stability after independence in 2002. In 2002, East Timor got its independence from _________.
a)United States
b)Portugal
c)Australia
d)Indonesia
Answer: (d) Indonesia
115. In which among the following year the Arpanet network was fully switched to use of the Internet protocol suite (IPS) communications system?
a)1973
b)1978
c)1983
d)1988
Answer: (c) 1983
116. Which of the following statements mentioned below is false?
a) Sebastian Vettel of Germany, the Red Bull driver became youngest triple champion in the history of Formula One in November 2012 by finishing 6th behind Jenson Button in the Brazilian Grand Prix
b) Usain Bolt won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year Award 2012 for the fourth time and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis won women's World Athlete of the Year Award 2012
c) Czech Republic’s Radek Stepanek created a history by his name after winning the Davis Cup final 2012 as he became the first man ever aged 30 or above to win the decisive rubber in 100 years
d) Daimler, the German Luxury Carmaker purchased 40 percent stakes of the Mercedes Formula One Motor Racing Team owned by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Aabar Investments in the third week of November 2012
i. Statement a, b and c are false
ii. Statement a is false
iii. Statement b is false
iv. Statement c is false
Answer. (iii) Statement b is false
117. Which of the following statements mentioned below is true?
a) M. Mahalakshmi and R. Vaishali from Chennai in November 2012 won Gold at the World Youth Chess Championship in Slovenia
b) The Czech Republic in November 2012 won the 101st Davis Cup 2012 finals, after defeating Spain by 3-2 in the finals
c) The Czech Republic lifted the Davis Cup for the third time after winning independence in 1993
d) Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, the female Weightlifter from India won three bronze medals for Indian Team on the opening day of the 19th Junior Women Asian Weightlifting Championships in Yangon in Mynamar
i. Statement a and b are true
ii. Statement  b and c are true
iii. Statement a and d are true
iv. All the statements are true
Answer. (iii) Statement a and d are true
118. Name the German Luxury Carmaker which had purchased 40 percent stakes of the Mercedes Formula One Motor Racing Team?
a) Mercedes
b) Daimler
c) Volkswagen 
d) Porsche
Answer. (b) Daimler
119. Which of the following statements are true?
a) The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in November 2012 appointed Luiz Felipe Scolari as the Coach of Brazilian Football team
b) West Indies won the Bangladesh Test Series by 2-0
c) WADA Proposed Four-Year Ban for Felony Athletes under New WADA Code
d) Marcel Granollers & Marc Lopez won the ATP World Tour Final 2012
i. All the statements are true
ii. Statement a, b and c are true
iii. Statement a, b and d are true
iv. Statement a is true
Answer. (i) All the statements are true
120. Which anti doping agency Proposed Four-Year Ban for Felony Athletes under New Code?
a) WADA(World Anti-Doping Agency)
b) United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)
c) Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority
d) Indian Anti Doping Agency
Answer. (a) WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)

CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS

1. The Reserve Bank of India in its quarterly monetary policy review on October 30, 2012 cut the cash reserve ratio (CRR) for banks. What is the CRR with effect from November 3, 2012? 
1) 4.75%
2) 5%
3) 4.25%
4) 4%
5) 5.25%

2. Hugo Chavez defeated Henrique Capriles to win a third consec-utive six-year term on October 7, 2012 as the President of which of the following countries?
1) Bolivia
2) Venezuela
3) Cuba
4) Ecuador
5) Mexico

3. Who replaced S.M. Krishna as the new External Affairs Minister on October 28, 2012?
1) Anand Sharma
2) Ashwani Kumar
3) Salman Khurshid
4) Kamal Nath
5) Kapil Sibal

4. Who defeated Saina Nehwal in the women's singles final of the French Open Super Series badminton tournament in Paris on October 28, 2012?
1) Juliane Schenk (Germany)
2) Ratchanok Inthanon (Thailand)
3) Eriko Hirose (Japan)
4) Minatsu Mitani (Japan)
5) Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand)


5. Which of the following statements is not correct with regard to the missiles testfired by India recently?
1) Agni II, a surface to surface missile, has a range of 2,000 km.
2) The range of Agni III is 3,000 km.
3) India flight-tested Agni IV missile for its full range of 4,000 km.
4) The surface to surface nuclear capable Prithvi II is capable of attacking targets at ranges up to 350 km.
5) BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile with a range of 2000 km.

6. Who retained the Formula One Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida on October 28, 2012?
1) Fernando Alonso (Spain)
2) Mark Webber (Australia)
3) Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain)
4) Sebastian Vettel (Germany)
5) Jenson Button (Great Britain)

7. Padma Bhushan winner A.K. Hangal passed away on August 25, 2012. He was a famous?
1) Lyricist
2) Singer
3) Film actor
4) Cinematographer
5) Film Director

8. Who became the 29th Chess Grand Master of India in August 2012?
1) N.Srinath
2) Sahaj Grover
3) Aditya Udeshi
4) Debashish Das
5) Vidit Gujarathi

9. In which of the following cities over 3.5 lakh poor families will get free LPG cylinders and gas stoves to end the use of kerosene? (This city will soon become the first kerosene-free city in India)
1) Kolkata
2) Mumbai
3) Delhi
4) Chennai
5) Hyderabad

10. Which of the following states aims to go fully organic by 2015?
1) Punjab
2) Haryana
3) Assam
4) Sikkim
5) Himachal Pradesh

11. Keshubhai Patel, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party in August 2012 and launched a new political party named?
1) Gujarat Janata Party
2) Mahagujarat Janata Party
3) Gujarat Parivartan Party
4) Gujarat Congress Party
5) None of these

12. In which of the following states a new Greenfield airport will be constructed at Holongi at a cost of Rs.650 crore?
1) Karnataka
2) Assam
3) Arunachal Pradesh
4) Himachal Pradesh
5) West Bengal

13. Gujarat Governor has given sanction for the prosecution of Purshottam Solanki, the Minister of State for Fisheries, for his alleged involvement in a scam. Name the Governor?
1) Urmila Singh
2) Kamla Beniwal
3) Margaret Alva
4) Aziz Qureshi
5) M.K. Narayanan

14. Which state government has cancelled four major Special Economic Zones (SEZs) propo-sed by large business houses-Mahindra, Videocon and India Bulls- after having failed to acquire land for the multi-purpose projects?
1) Gujarat
2) Rajasthan
3) Maharashtra
4) Karnataka
5) Andhra Pradesh

15. A group of researchers in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh has claimed to have found traces of an extinct 'paleo-river', nearly 65 million years old. Paleo-river is an inactive river buried under sediment. This ancient river flowed parallel to which of the following rivers?
1) Godavari
2) Narmada
3) Tapti
4) Luni
5) Chambal

16. Which state has recently launched a scheme aimed at making the young Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) familiar with the culture and traditions of the state?
1) Rajasthan
2) Gujarat
3) Bihar
4) Punjab
5) Odisha

17. The Rajya Sabha has accepted a notice from veteran journalist and nominated member H.K. Dua for introduction of a Constitution Amendment Bill for making changes in Articles 124 and 217, which deal with the removal of the?
1) UPSC Chairman
2) Chief Election Commissioner
3) Comptroller and Auditor General
4) Supreme Court and High Court judges
5) None of these

18. John Keegan, a British military historian, passed away on August 2, 2012. He is the author of which of the following books?
1) The Lost Battles
2) My Early Life
3) The Face of Battle
4) A Rumor of War
5) The Forgotten Soldier

19. Didier Reynders visited India in August 2012. He is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of which of the following European countries?
1) Denmark
2) France
3) Belgium
4) Sweden
5) Croatia

20. Laisenia Qarase has been sentenced to 12 months in jail after being found guilty of corruption. He was a former Prime Minister of?
1) Jamaica
2) Philippines
3) Cuba
4) Fiji
5) Papua New Guinea

21. Katchatheevu Island is in the news recently. The island was gifted to Sri Lanka by the Indian Government in which of the following years?
1) 1991
2) 1984
3) 1974
4) 1979
5) None of these

22. Azad Maidan was in the news recently because of riots. It is in?
1) Kolkata
2) Mumbai
3) Lucknow
4) New Delhi
5) Ahmedabad

23. The 13-year-old swimmer Adzo Kpossi was the youngest competitor at the London 2012 Olympics. She belongs to which of the following African countries?
1) Lesotho
2) Niger
3) Nigeria
4) Togo
5) Benin

24. Who among the following coaches won the 2012 Dronac-harya Award for Wrestling?
1) Yashvir Singh
2) Harendra Singh
3) Satyapal Singh
4) Bhawani Mukherjee
5) Sunil Debas

25. Identify the mismatched pair with regard to Arjuna Award winners for 2012?
1) Bombayla Devi -Archery
2) Kavita Raut -Athletics
3) Parupalli Kashyap -Badminton
4) Aditya Mehta -Billiards
5) Vikas Krishnan -Shooting

26. Which city hosted the 34th Inter-national Geological Congress (IGC) in August 2012? 
1) Brisbane (Australia)
2) Cape Town (South Africa)
3) Vancouver (Canada)
4) Wellington (New Zealand)
5) Johannesburg (South Africa)

27. International Jazz Day is organized by UNESCO every year on?
1) May 13
2) November 11
3) May 31
4) October 20
5) April 30

28. Which of the following is not a nationalized bank?
1) Indian Bank
2) Syndicate Bank
3) Yes Bank
4) Dena Bank
5) Union Bank of India

29. Shubhalaxmi Panse took charge as the Chairperson and Managing Director (CMD) of which of the following banks on October 1, 2012?
1) Vijaya Bank
2) Allahabad Bank
3) Canara Bank
4) UCO Bank
5) United Bank of India

30. Which of the following is not a scheduled commercial bank?
1) IDBI Bank
2) Axis Bank
3) HDFC Bank
4) NABARD
5) Kotak Mahindra Bank

31. Which of the following is an effort in the direction of Financial Inclusion?
1) Anywhere Banking
2) Internet Banking
3) Foreign Currency Accounts
4) No-Frills Accounts
5) None of these

32. How many banks were nationalized on July 19, 1969?
1) 19
2) 20
3) 6
4) 16
5) 14

33. Which of the following is called as the Bankers' Bank in India?
1) State Bank of India
2) Federal Reserve
3) Reserve Bank of India
4) Central Bank of India
5) NABARD

34. Where is the Head Office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) located?
1) Mumbai
2) Bangalore
3) New Delhi
4) Chennai
5) Kolkata

35. RBI stopped circulation of the coin of which of the following denominations from June 2011?
1) 50 Paise
2) Rs.1
3) Rs.2
4) Rs.5
5) None of these

36. ANZ is a foreign bank based in?
1) Argentina
2) Austria
3) Australia
4) Angola
5) Andorra

37. Julia Gillard visited India in October 2012. She is the first woman Prime Minister of which of the following countries?
1) Canada
2) Denmark
3) Ireland
4) Iceland
5) Australia

38. Which of the following stock exchanges has become the world's largest bourse in terms of the number of trades in equity segment for the first six months of 2012?
1) NSE
2) NYSE Euronext
3) NASDAQ OMX
4) BSE
5) Hong Kong

39. Which of the following banks' head office is located in Pune?
1) Union Bank of India
2) Oriental Bank of Commerce
3) Bank of Baroda
4) State Bank of India
5) None of these

40. An expert panel set up by the Prime Minister recommended complete decontrol of the sugar industry. Who headed this committee? 
1) Kaushik Basu
2) Bimal Jalan
3) C.Rangarajan
4) R.S.Gujral
 5) Y.V.Reddy

Answer Key
1) 3
2) 2
3) 3
4) 4
5) 5
6) 4
7) 3
8) 2
9) 3
10) 4
11) 3
12) 3
13) 2
14) 3
15) 2
16) 1
17) 4
18) 3
19) 3
20) 4
21) 3
22) 2
23) 4
24) 1
25) 5
26) 1
27) 5
28) 3
29) 2
30) 4
31) 4
32) 5
33) 3
34) 3
35) 5
36) 3
37) 5
38) 1
39) 5
40) 3

Monday, January 14, 2013

India to host first global ministerial meet on elephants

India will host the first ever global ministerial meet – 'E 50:50' – on elephants in the Capital from November 14 to 19.
The conference, expected to be attended by 50 countries that harbour wild populations of elephants, will discuss conservation and welfare of elephants, according the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
The ‘E 50:50 – the First International Elephant Congress and Ministerial Meet, will bring together scholars, conservation practitioners and policy makers to discuss issues on elephant conservation policy. It will also include conclaves on science, culture and management culminating in a ministerial summit to adopt a vision charter with common minimum global vision on conservation, management and welfare of elephants across all range countries.
At present, three species of elephants are spread across 50 countries, but regardless of geo-political boundaries, they face common threats of poaching, habitat loss and conflicts with people.
In 2010, India had set up an Elephant Task Force (ETF) to work out a strategy for the long-term conservation of the species elephants. In an effort to take the global lead on the matter, the ETF had initiated a global meet of affected countries in May 2011, such as Botswana, Congo Brazzaville, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand.

Ministry of Housing And Urban Poverty Alleviation came up with new benchmark to identify Urban poor

As the socio-economic census is going on across the country, the ministry is working on a mechanism according to which urban poor will be defined according to people’s vulnerabilities.  According to new guidelines the urban poor will now be identified on the basis of social, economic and occupational vulnerabilities. The move comes as the ministry is finding it difficult to identify beneficiaries in metropolises and other cities, where few families earn below the BPL cutoff while many of them live in vulnerable conditions. It has also been noticed that income certificates are forged or are being procured after bribing officials.

As of now, families earning below Rs 4,824 a month are put in the bracket of urban poor.

Under the mechanism, families will be divided into two groups — those automatically included the other automatically excluded -- in the poverty bracket.

Those automatically included in the poverty bracket will be the homeless and jobless. Automatically excluded will be families with a pakka house, motor vehicle or electronic appliances such as air-conditioner or refrigerator.

Based on data from the caste census, families will be graded and assigned points according to their needs. If a family scores very high on the housing vulnerability index, it would be given priority under slum upgradation schemes and Rajiv Awas Yojana.

The new formula will help in identifying poor in terms of vulnerabilities and government schemes will target the vulnerable group. It will result in better targeting. 

Sunday, January 13, 2013

19th Colors Screen Awards

The 19th Colors Screen Awards were announced on 12 January 2013 in a function at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. From the list of 119 films released in 2012, 27 films were green signaled in the Screen Academy Selection singled for consideration by the Jury. The screen jury comprised the eminent members of the Indian Film Industry. These panelists after several rounds of discussions and debates were able to finalise the nominations.
Details :
Award Category
Winners
Best Film
Paan Singh Tomar
Best Actor Male
Irfan Khan for Paan Singh Tomar and Ranbir Kapoor for Barfi
Best Actress Female
Vidya Balan for Kahaani
Best Director
Anurag Basu for Barfi
Best Ensemble Cast
Gangs Of Wasseypur
Best Actor (Female-Popular Catagory)
Katrina Kaif
Best Actor (Male Popular Category)
Salman Khan
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female)
Dolly Ahluwalia for Vicky Donor
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Talaash
Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male/Female)
Tigmanshu Dhulia for Gangs Of Wasseypur
Most Promising Newcomer (Female)
Ileana D'Cruz for Barfi
Most Promising Newcomer (Male)
Ayushmann Khurrana for Vicky Donor
Best Child Artiste
Mohammad Samad for Gattu
Promising Debut Director
Gauri Shinde for English Vinglish
Best Actor in a Comic Role (Male/Female)
Annu Kapoor for Vicky Donor) and Abhishek Bachchan for Bol Bachchan
Best Playback Singer (Female)
Shalmali Kholgade for Ishaqzaade
Best Music
Pritam for Barfi
Best Playback Singer (Male)
Javed Ali for Ishaqzaade
Best Story
Sujoy Ghosh & Advaita Kala for Kahaani
Best Background Score
Pritam for Barfi
Best Production Design
Kaushik Dasa & Subrata Barik for Kahaani
Best Lyrics
Javed Akhtar for Talaash and Muskanein Jhoothi Hain
Best Sound Design
Sanjay Maurya & Allwyn Rego  for Kahaani
Best Dialogue
Bhavesh Mandlia & Umesh Shukla for OMG: Oh My God
Best Screenplay
Sanjay Chouhan & Tigmanshu Dhulia  for Paan Singh Tomar
Best Editing
Namrata Rao  for Kahaani
Best Choreography
Prabhu Deva & Vishnu Deva for Go Govinda and OMG: Oh My God
Best Cinematography
Ravi Varman for Barfi
Best Action
Sham Kaushal For Gangs Of Wasseypur
Best Costume
Anaita Shroff Adajania for Cocktail
Best Animation
Delhi Safari
Best Marketing
Barfi
Legend of Indian Cinema Award
Amitabh Bachchan
Lifetime Achievement: Award
Yash Chopra

Saturday, January 12, 2013

11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas meet kicked off in Kerala

The three-day 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) kicked off in Kochi on 7 January 2013. 

The event saw delightful response from the people with more than 2000 registrations. 

The distinctive feature of this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is that this is the first time that there is going to be an exclusive session on Middle East. The organizing partner of this year summit is Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC).

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi is leading the day-long Middle-East session along with Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy and Joseph. The whole day event of 7th January 2013 would see discussions on problems that people from Kerala face in the region.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the annual flagship event on 8 January2013   and President Pranab Mukherjee will deliver the valedictory address on 9 January 2013and also confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards.

About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:


Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.

PBD conventions are being held every year since 2003. These conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.

During the event, individuals of exceptional merit are honoured with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to appreciate their role in India’s growth. The event also provides a forum for discussing key issues concerning the Indian Diaspora.

Justice D.K. Jain appointed as the Chairman of Law Commission

Union Government of India on 7 January 2012 appointed Justice D.K. Jain as Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India. Justice Jain would take on the chair of the Chairman of the Law Commission on 24 January 2012 after he retires of a Judge of Supreme Court on the same day. The Law Commission is responsible for offering advices on complex issues to the Government. He would be heading the commission as its chief for a period of three-years from the date of being in the office. 

20th Law Commission of India:

The 20th Law Commission of India was constituted with the Order of the Government of India with effect from 1 September 2012. The functioning of the commission would end on 31 August 2012. The commission would be responsible for identification of obsolete laws and suggest measures suitable for quick grievance handling and redressal of the citizens. It would also be examining the laws that effects poor and suggest measures which would help in harnessing the law and the legal process for the economically weaker and poor section of the society.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

PM Manmohan Singh Became the 19th Most Followed Leader on Twitter

As per Digital Policy Council (DPC), PM Manmohan Singh became the 19th most followed leader of the world on Twitter. PM Manmohan Singh is ahead of David Cameron and Julia Gillard, both of who were left behind in less than 12 months time. The latest study conducted by Digital Policy Council (DPC) concluded that leaders of politically-unstable states or fragile states considered social media threatening but Manmohan Singh and India were an exception to this fact. Singh ranked 19th with 342612 followers. US President Barrack Obama topped the list with 24611982 followers. Second on the list was President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez with 3802177 followers. Nevertheless, Manmohan Singh has more followers on Twitter than Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and UK.  DPC provides its analysis about government institutions and world leaders who make use of the social media sites for connecting with the citizens. The latest study conducted by DPC proves that 75 percent of the heads of countries were making use of Twitter. The study about the ranks of leaders of states on Twitter also considers the factor of state fragility and this is what forms a negative point for Manmohan Singh because India ranks very poorly on this factor. Manmohan Singh is depicted as the leader of a state which is among politically unstable nations. The state fragility includes factors such as changes in the important policies, factionalism, auto-coups as well as state failure.

Irelands prestigious Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2012 awarded to Malala

Irelands prestigious Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2012 was awarded on 3 January 2013 to Malala Yousafzai the teenage schoolgirl from Pakistan, who was shot by Taliban’s Gunman in October 2012. Malala would be conferred with the award for her bravery, courage and determination to speak and support the cause of access to equal education for every child. With this award, Malala became the second Pakistani National to win the award. Before this, Lt. Benazir Bhutto was awarded with the same award in 2007. Malala was one among the five nominees, which included Sonia Gandhi, the Indian National Congress Party President and Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State.

Virat Kohli named CEAT International Cricketer of the Year

Vice-captain of Indian Cricket team Virat Kohli on 4 January 2013 was named the International Cricketer of the Year while Pakistan cricket team bagged the top honours for the best team at the CEAT Cricket Awards 2011-12 in New Delhi.

Virat Kohli had deafeated Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Clarke to bag the prestigious award. 

Kohli was the top run-getter for India in both Tests and ODIs in 2012 with his career-best 183 which came against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in March 2012 only.

The Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas was honoured with the lifetime award while Saeed Anwar got the best audience choice awards.

In the special category-India-Pakistan awards, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq was awarded with the best ODI bastman honour, India's Sunil Gavaskar-Best Test batsman, Kapil Dev- Best Test bowler and Wasim Akram was adjudged as the best ODI bowler.

Unmukt Chand, the man who led the Indian side to win the U-19 World Cup 2012 was declared the Indian Youngster of the Year award.
 
CEAT awards is based upon Ceat Cricket Rating (CCR)

The Ceat Cricket Rating (CCR) system ranks the best players and teams in the world based on their performance in Tests and One Day Internationals over a period of 12 months from 1st May to 30th April. The points are allocated on overall performances and the system takes into account the batting, bowling, fielding and wicket-keeping performances making truly international, comprehensive and most credible cricket rating in the world.

In its first year of Inception of Award in 1995-96 the 'CEAT International Cricketer' award was bagged by Brian Lara. A year later the 'CEAT International Team' award was instituted with Pakistan as the best team in the world. During the World Cup in 1999, CEAT also instituted the 'CEAT International Cricketer of the World Cup' and Rahul Dravid was the recipient of the award in acknowledgment of his outstanding cricketing performance in the championship.

18th National Level Meeting between Myanmar and India held in New Delhi

The 18th National Level Meeting between Myanmar and India was held on 28 -29 December, 2012 in New Delhi. 

The Indian delegation was led by A.K Mangotra, Secretary, Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 

While the Myanmar delegation was led by Brig. Gen. Kyaw Zan Myint, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

The major area of Discussion was that of drug trade, arms smuggling and extremism/terrorism.

A.K  Mangotra highlighting the shared culture and traditionally close relationship between India and Myanmar, expressed India’s dedication to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries to eliminate the nexus between the drug trade, arms smuggling and extremism/terrorism.

Mangotra wanted Myanmar’s cooperation for co-ordinated patrolling along the Indo –Myanmar border and dismantling IIGs camps in Myanmar for peace and economic prosperity in the region. 

While Brig. Gen. Kyaw Zan Myint deputy minister of Myanmar assured that Myanmar is never going to allow insurgents and negative elements to use its own territory for activities inimical to its neighbour India.

Highlights of the discussion Held Between India and Myanmar:
• Both sides discussed and agreed to cooperate closely on issues like insurgent Groups along the border, arms Smuggling & drug trafficking, border management issues, Myanmar Fishermen in A&N jails, illegal smuggling of wild life parts, inspection and verification of pillars etc. 

• Both sides expressed satisfaction over opening of a third Border Liaison Office (BLO) between Changlang, India and Pangsau, Myanmar. 

• Both the leaders emphasized on nurturing BLOs to promote cooperation between law enforcement agencies of both the countries for peace and tranquility along the border. It was decided to open a fourth BLO in Nagaland sector between Ukhrul, Manipur, India and Somra, Myanmar.

Haryana Government announced Kanyadan Scheme for Bride participants of Mass Marriages

The Government of Haryana on 3 January 2012 announced its plan of launching a Kanyadan Scheme in the state for brides participating in the mass marriage ceremony, which would be organised by any of the registered NGO or the Red Cross Society. The scheme would carry an incentive amount of 11000 rupees and would come into effect from 1 April 2012. The incentive amount of 11000 rupees would be given to brides from all castes, creeds, race, religion and the income category to which the girl belongs.

Junior Accountants in Treasuries and Accounts Subordinate Service and Junior Assistants in APMS UnderGROUP IV SERVICE General Recruitment - Errata

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