Anglo Maratha wars

War with Marathas

1. First Anglo Maratha War (1775-82)
2. Second Anglo- Maratha War (1803-1806)
3. Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818)

Anglo-Maratha Treaties

1. Treaty of Surat (1775)
2. Treaty of Purandhar (1776)
3. Treaty of Wadgaon (1779)
4. Treaty of Salbai (1782)
5. Treaty of Bassein (1802)
6. Treaty of Deogaon (1803)
7. Treaty of Surji Arjangaon (1803)
8. Treaty of Rajpurghat(1805)
9. Treaty of Poona (1817)
10. Treaty of Gwalior (1817)
11. Treaty of Mandasor (1818)

Poets in Ancient India in Ancient India

Books and Authors in Ancient India

Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture in India

Inland fisheries resources of India are noted as much for their heterogeneity in composition as for their rich production potential. India is bestowed with vast and varied inland fisheries resources comprising rivers and canals, reservoirs, ponds and tanks, floodplain lakes and wetlands and brackish-waters. Besides, substantial area amenable for coldwater fisheries exists in the medium and higher-altitudes of the Himalayan belt. Inland fisheries including aquaculture have been a vital source of food, nutrition, employment and economic gain for humanity, since ancient times. However, the sector has assumed more significance in recent years, especially in developing countries like India, due to the large contributions to the overall fish production, nutritional security and gainful employment generation.

India is the second largest producer of fish in the world contributing to 5.5 per cent of global fish production. India is also a major producer of fish through aquaculture and ranks second in the world after China. The total fish production achieved during 2010-11 (provisional) is at 8.03 million metric tonnes and the contribution of fish from inland sector alone is at 5.07 million metric tonnes which is about 63% of overall fish production. As per the estimates of Central Statistical Organization (CSO), the values of output from fisheries sector at current price during 2009-10 was 67,913 crore which is 4.9 per cent of the total output of Agriculture and allied sectors. It is one of the major contributors to India’s exports. During 2010-11 (Provisional) the volume of fish and fish products exported was 7,52,791 tonnes worth 12,100 crore.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector with an annual growth of around 7 per cent. It has been estimated that by the end of XI Five Year Plan (2011-12) the demand for fish and fish products would be around 9.74 million tons, and this increase has to be mostly met from aquaculture and culture based captured fisheries in reservoirs. Taking into consideration the vast aquatic resources in the country, the target seems achievable.

Although, it has long been recognized that fish production from inland waters can play a definite role in mitigating the protein deficiency in India, this resource is not contributing to the nutrition requirement of Indian masses to the extent that it should have been .This has been mainly on account of more emphasis on marine fishery in the past and due to lack of awareness and proper training skills for fishing community.

Recognising the economic, social, nutritional, environmental and aesthetic importance of inland fisheries and aquaculture, the Government through several measures have aspired to introduce buoyancy in the inland fishery sector .Therefore, to draw the economic, social and nutritional benefits from inland fisheries and aquaculture in a sustainable manner, it has been perceived to adopt a judicious combination of implementation and effective regulatory framework, eco-friendly fishing and aquaculture practices with the larger involvement of the fisher communities and fish farmers.

With this objective in mind, the Government recently drafted model guidelines on Inland fisheries and aquaculture, which has been circulated to all State Governments for effective implementation. Through these guidelines, the Government intends to ensure sustainable fish productive to meet the needs of food and nutritional security, generation of gainful employment in rural sector and to improve the socio-economic condition of the target groups.

The Government recognizes the need for availability of quality seed and feed if the growth in inland fish production has to be sustained in the long run. Therefore, the Government circulated guidelines to all the State Governments for establishment of a seed certification and accreditation system in their respective States. These guidelines, inter-alia, provide procedures for accreditation of hatcheries and seed farms, quality benchmarks, seed certification process and the structure of the implementing agency.

It has been observed that inland fishery today is dominated mainly by the freshwater fishery. In order for enhanced production, there is a need for diversification of fish production in other areas like integrated fish farming, cold water fisheries, riverine fisheries, capture fisheries, brackish water fishery etc. The recent measures therefore have targeted Intensive Aquaculture in ponds and tanks through integrated fish farming, carp polyculture, freshwater prawn culture, running water fish culture and development of riverine fisheries. The reservoir fisheries is being promoted through cage culture and pen culture and by setting up fish rearing units on large scale.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme –“Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture” provide assistance to fish farmers through State Governments, with the objective of developing various components of inland fisheries and aquaculture that include development of freshwater, brackish water, cold water, reservoir fisheries and also to encourage integrated fish farming.

A new mission mode scheme called “National Mission for protein Supplements (NMPS)” was launched very recently with an outlay of Rs 100 crore for undertaking cage and pen culture in reservoirs and for intensive aquaculture in ponds and tanks in 12 identified States with an objective of enhancing the fish production and productivity of reservoirs and ponds and tanks.

All these measures are expected to improve the fisheries and aquaculture sector further and will consolidate the position of India in the Global fish production and aquaculture

Juno leaves for Jupiter

NASA on August 05 launched the billion-dollar solar-powered spacecraft Juno on a five-year journey to Jupiter. The unmanned satellite observatory shot into space aboard a 197-foot-tall (60 metres) Atlas V rocket, blasting off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 12:25 p.m.

“Ignition and lift-off on the Atlas V with Juno on a trek to Jupiter, a planetary piece of the puzzle on the beginning of our solar system,” said a NASA television commentator.

Once it arrives in July 2016, the spacecraft will orbit the poles of the gas giant, which has more than twice the mass of all planets in the solar system combined and is believed to be the first planet that took shape around the Sun.

Named after the wife of the Roman god Jupiter, the $1.1 billion spacecraft is NASA's first mission to the planet since Galileo was launched in 1989. It aims for 30 orbits over a period of one year.

Juno will get closer to Jupiter than any other NASA spacecraft has and will be the first to undertake a polar orbit of the planet, said Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator and scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. 

“Juno is set up to learn about that early part of the solar system and learn how Jupiter formed and by measuring the ingredients. We are really looking for the recipe of planet formation.”

The orbiter Galileo entered the planet's orbit in 1995 and plunged into Jupiter in 2003, ending its life.

Other NASA spacecraft — including Voyager 1 and 2, Ulysses and New Horizons — have done flybys of the planet.

Juno will spend the first two years of its mission going around the Sun, then return for a flyby of the Earth, which will give a gravitational boost to accelerate the spacecraft on a three-year path toward Jupiter.

When it gets there, Juno — orbiting around 5,000 km (3,100 miles) above the gas giant — will make use of a series of instruments, some of which were provided by European space agency partners in Italy, Belgium, France and Denmark, to learn about the workings of the planet and what is inside.

Two key experiments will gauge how much water is in Jupiter and whether the planet “has a core of heavy elements at the centre, or whether it is just gas all the way down,” Mr. Bolton said at a press briefing last week.

Scientists also hope to learn more about Jupiter's magnetic fields and its Great Red Spot, a storm that has been raging for more than 300 years.

“One of the fundamental questions is how deep are the roots to that red spot? How does it maintain itself for so long?" said Mr. Bolton.

Juno is carrying a few toys as part of a campaign to raise awareness among young people about math and science.

Three 1.5 inch figurines made by LEGO toys are on board — a likeness of the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who discovered four of Jupiter's moons, the Roman god Jupiter, and his wife Juno.

Back in 2003, when plans for Juno were being crafted, NASA briefly considered using some sort of nuclear fuel to power the spacecraft, but engineers decided it would be quicker and less risky to go with solar.

Juno is part of a series of new planetary science missions, to be followed by GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory), which is headed to the moon in September, and the Mars Science Laboratory set to take off in November

CIVIL SERVICES TIMES JULY 2011 MAGAZINE

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CIVIL SERVICES TIMES JUNE 2011 MAGAZINE

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CIVIL SERVICES TIMES APRIL 2011 MAGAZINE

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National Rural Livelihoods Mission

Odisha has become the first state in the country to launch National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in its bid to bring down rural poverty by promoting diversified and gainful self-employment to the rural poor. NRLM will replace the Swarnajayanti Gram Swrojgar Yojana (SGSY) aimed at poverty reduction. The main weaknesses of the SGSY were uneven spread in the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), high attrition rate in the SHGs, lack of adequate access to banking facilities, lack of capacity building and training and inadequate risk mitigation. NRLM would provide greater focus and momentum for poverty reduction to achieve the various Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

In the first phase, NRLM has been launched in 38 backward poverty stricken blocks of 10 districts where the World Bank-funded Targeted Rural Initiatives for Poverty Termination and Infrastructure (TRIPTI) is being implemented. Though objectives of NRLM and TRIPTI are almost same, the former is now restructured to target the poorest of the poor who have been uncovered yet. In the second phase of the project, Schedule Areas, including four blocks from 11 districts covered under Western Orissa Rural Livelihoods Project (WORLP), JEEVIKA and The Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Programme (OTELP) and five Left Wing Extremists- affected districts such as Gajapati, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Deogarh will be covered. By the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan, all 30 districts would have come under NRLM. The programme is expected to adopt a multipronged strategy to reduce poverty by enabling the poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities. This programme is designed in a way to be implemented by a dedicated support structure starting from bottom to top. Cluster-level forum and gram panchayat level forum will be constituted and through them, various activities for livelihood generation will be created, so that wastage of funds can be stopped and maximum dividend of the project is made available to the needy section of the society

India Water Forum 2011

The “India Water Forum” (IWF) 2011 was organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in consonance with the Ministry of Water Resources and the Department of Drinking Water Supply in New Delhi. The forum gave a clarion call to bring water into the global and national agenda in order to meet the challenges of water security posed by the threat of climate change. Water management systems have traditionally reflected existing socio-economic structures and governance mechanisms. The key challenges to water management today stem from changing demographics, shifting geo-politics, wide-spread poverty and under-development, climate change phenomenon and shifting weather patterns, and the elements of globalization. All these issues make it mandatory that effective governance and responsive policies are crafted to define the course of sustainable water management. The India Water forum 2011 addressed the dynamics of water and climate change, and deliberated on significant issues specific to water security, means to resolve the same by investment in natural infrastructure, monitoring efficient usage, water treatment and leveraging eco-friendly technology for water usage that will help in ensuring sustainable development. But, more importantly it emphasized on the fact that water security is not a subject for the future – it is here with us today.

About TERI: 

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was established in 1974. It is a dynamic and flexible organization, activities in TERI ranges from microbiology to global climate change, from smoke-filled rural kitchens to plush corporate boardrooms. The organization works on formulating local and national level strategies to suggesting global solutions to critical energy and environment-related issues. Headed by world-renowned economist Dr R K Pachauri also the head of the Nobel Prize winning UN Climate panel, TERI is best described as an independent, not-for-profit research institute focused on energy, environment, and sustainable development and devoted to efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. TERI is headquartered in New Delhi.

Committee on Zonal Cultural Centres

Committee on Zonal Cultural Centres headed by Mani Shankar Aiyar recently presented its Report to the Union Culture Ministry. The recommendations will be processed by Ministry of Culture and appropriate steps will be taken to revamp the functioning of the ZCCs to further enhance their outreach. With a view to preserve, promote and disseminate the plurality of India’s culture and traditional arts of all the States, Government of India had in 1985/1986 set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with their headquarters at Patiala, Udaipur, Nagpur, Thanjavur, Allahabad, Kolkata and Dimapur. The Central Advisory Board on Culture, in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister in his capacity as the then Culture Minister had suggested a review of the functioning of the ZCCs over the last 25 years. To review the functioning and performance of the seven ZCCs, the Ministry of Culture, vide its Resolution dated 12 August 2010 had constituted a Committee on ZCCs. The committee included Mani Shankar Aiyar (Chairman), Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra and Amol Palekar. The Committee was initially formed for tenure of 4 months. However to enable the Committee to complete its task, its term was extended for a further period of 4 months, ending on 11 April 2011.

The committee was formed to serve the following objectives:

• The committee had to examine the action taken on the recommendations made by Prof. U. R. Ananthamurthy Committee that was constituted in 1994.
• It had to ascertain whether the ZCCs have fulfilled the objectives for which they were set up and reasons for the shortcomings.
• The committee had also to examine whether all/some of the ZCCs need to be wound up and/or merged with some other existing body/bodies.
• The committee was also expected to suggest whether any expansion of the ZCCs network is called for.

Functioning of the Committee: 

The Committee held consultations and several meetings during its tenure. It held discussions with several eminent cultural personalities apart from the present and past Directors of the ZCCs. The Committee members also undertook visits of the ZCCs to understand for themselves the actual position on the ground.

Nagpur to be Country’s Tiger capital

Nagpur in Vidarbha, (the second capital of Maharashtra) colloquially referred to as the ‘Orange City’, is actually the ‘Tiger Capital of the World’. The reason being that, out of the total 39 tiger reserves in the country, 13 are in Vidarbha alone. After the recent increase in the number of tigers across the country (From 1,411 to 1,706), the central government has decided to promote Nagpur as the tiger capital or “tiger getaway” of India. The recent tiger census shows that Maharashtra has done exceptionally well in the growth of tigers. Maharashtra has a tiger population of 169 as per the 2010 census, Nagpur being the highest scorer with 148 tigers. The Maharashtra Government is taking steps towards increasing the number of tigers in the state. Navegaon, Bhor and Nagzira are soon to be declared as new tiger reserves in the country. This will take the number of reserves in the state to 16.

Multidimensional Impacts of declaring Nagpur as Tiger Capital: 

 As Nagpur stands to be declared as the tiger capital of India, it gives ample opportunity to rediscover the brighter side of India. Round the year, tourists are visiting the vicinities of this city in large numbers. In fact, the number of tourists is doubling with every passing year. What’s more, the only attraction remains the wildest of species, the tiger. Hence, the move by the government to declare it as the “Tiger Capital” will definitely assist in attracting more tourists to the place, however it needs to be supported with better infrastructure. Secondly,in the wake of large number of tourists visiting the Nagpur city, one may feel that that the government must do something for conservation of tigers in order to retain the charm of tourists and converse the environment.

Therefore, the decision will help in augmenting the tiger conservation efforts of the government. Finally, there is another dimension to this decision, i.e. it will certainly generate the feeling of competition among other states like Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka etc. to augment their conservation efforts and other infrastructure in order to retain the number of tigers lovers visiting the state which might be lost to Nagpur as a result of being the tiger capital, hence overall the decision is definitely going to push forward the conservation efforts at national as well as state level. The decision seems to be good one for the tigers.

Besides that rehabilitation of the villages which are at present a part of the reserves was equally important. The Government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the shifting of the villages from Melghat and Tadoba tiger reserve. The Government also wants the adivasi community to participate in forest conservation. To facilitate their livelihood, the Government is planning to declare bamboo as minority forest product. At present the Minority Forest Act of 1926 does not include Bamboo.
However, the amendment is likely to come soon and the National Reserve Tiger Authority (NRTA) is now going to be decentalised. The first field office of the authority will also be in Nagpur.

Changing Gears for Rainbow Revolution

In view of the emerging challenges and threats to agriculture sector, vis-à-vis national food security, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed a strategic framework to improve food security, enhance opportunities for inclusive growth, augment competitiveness of Indian agriculture and create adequate and quality human resources to address the concerns. Some of the major concerns include, natural resources degradation, increasing biotic and abiotic pressures, declining input use efficiency, post-harvest losses, decreasing profitability in farming, quality human resource and farm extension. To deal with the challenges effectively, ICAR is coordinating, guiding and managing research, education and extension in agriculture, including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences, in the country. It has a vast network with 97 ICAR institutes, 54 state agricultural universities; five deemed universities and one Central Agricultural University and 592 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) spread across the country. The research programmes under umbrella of the ICAR are designed and undertaken for harnessing power of science that ensures food, nutrition and livelihood security for all.

The comprehensive initiatives taken by the Council have led to notable accomplishments in natural resource management, input use efficiency, climate resilience, secondary agriculture and economic transformation of farmers through technological interventions. The year 2010-11 has been agriculturally rewarding as we have observed record food grain production touching 242 million tonnes in farm season (July-June) according to the 4^th advance estimates released recently. The food grains comprise rice, coarse-cereals and pulses. The record output was largely because of a sharp rise in production of wheat to 86 million tonnes against 81 million tonnes in the year before. The record high oilseed production of 31 million tonnes is another notable accomplishment to cheer. Further, a high production in horticulture, 234.4 million tonnes could also be achieved through policy and technological support.

The bygone year has thrown many challenges also. These include perceptible climate change, as seen by the dry spells in the Eastern India, despite normal rainfalls across the country; degrading land and water environment; need for quality inputs; emerging problem of agricultural labour; and post-harvest losses across the commodities. It was here that the ICAR provided, both directions and solutions, in terms of crop varieties suitable for both drought and submergence; defined elements of fertilizer application, based on the nutrient deficiencies; farm mechanization for both field and horticultural crops; and developed clear estimates of post-harvest losses of various crops and commodities, as the basis for formulating future approaches. The paradigm shift from ‘primary to secondary agriculture’ was focused in our discussions and research process, as was demonstrated through the projects in the value chain component of the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP); that is planned to be further enlarged in the coming years. A parallel development has been the establishment of agri-incubators, a new concept in the Indian agriculture; expected to develop entrepreneurship in a big way. In our efforts at institutionalizing the research extension continuum, the ‘Farm Innovators’ meet held during the year, the second in the series, added a new dimension to our approach of innovative agriculture.

Among new projects, a National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture is a noteworthy one launched with the objective to assess impact of climate change on the agriculture and allied sectors, and for evolving cost-effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. The Project has a budget outlay of Rs 350 crore for XI Plan; out of which Rs 200 crore is allocated for 2010-11, and Rs 150 crore for 2011-12 on the research infrastructure, capacity-building and on-farm demonstrations of available climate-resilient technologies.

During the year 2010-11, 60 varieties/hybrids of crops including major food crops of rice, wheat, maize, pearl millet and pulses were released/ recommended for cultivation in different agro-climatic regions of country. During the year, 629 tonnes of nucleus seed, 9,554 tonnes of breeder seed, 7,745 tonnes of foundation seed, 3,471 tonnes of certified seeds and 10,443 tonnes of truthfully labeled seed were produced for large scale multiplication to ensure timely supply of quality seeds to farmers.      

            To address the problem of decreasing soil and water productivity, the GIS based soil fertility maps, using soil-test data was prepared for 500 districts spread over 21 states of India. The data have revealed that soils of most of the districts have low to medium amount of nitrogen and phosphorus and medium to high amount of potassium. Existing ridge-and-furrow system of irrigation was modified for in-situ rain water harvesting (10% than the earlier 1% of rain), which increased castor yield by 30%. A decision support system was developed for facilitating location specific nutrient management.

With a view to enhance profitability and livelihood security, integrated farming is being promoted in all the ecological regions with the desired technological backstopping. An Integrated Farming System Component Selection Model is found useful for selection of the components of the integrated farming system based on the expected profit under the prevailing constraints, and also for suggesting beneficial components from profit as well as land and water productivity point of view.

To improve the quality and productivity of livestock population, artificial insemination is being standardized and adopted in field situations. Successful pregnancy from artificial insemination with extended semen is reported for the first time in Indian dromedary camels. The first mithun calf was born at farm-gate level through artificial insemination using cryo-preserved semen from genetically superior mithun bulls. Semen collection by ‘Gloved Hand Method’ and AI technique were standardized for pigs, and by using AI technology, highest litter size (15 piglets) at birth was recorded from a Ghungroo sow in the farm.

With repositioning of its approach towards entrepreneurship and livelihood security, the ICAR has made a strong commitment for socio-economic transformation of the Indian rural population. The research programmes, educational initiatives and extension activities have been reoriented to meet the objective. Efforts are being made to ensure free flow of knowledge, crossing all barriers on the way. The ICAR has adopted open-access policy for its highly-rated research journals and other literature of importance. The website (www.icar.org.in) has transformed into a treasure house of agricultural information and knowledge for various categories of stakeholders. On an average, more than 2, 00,000 visits are recorded per month from around 166 countries reflecting the global presence of Indian agriculture. Consortium for e-Resources in Agriculture (CeRA) is providing free online access to more than 2,900 international journals and 124 libraries of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS). During the year 2010-11, 64 patent applications were filed and 10 were granted making the total as 481 and 58 respectively.

As a special thrust to North-East region, Knowledge Information Repository in Agriculture for North-East has been launched by the ICAR with a mission to empower the agricultural production system of North-East region with right technology and methodology emphasizing innovative approach and solutions. It will act as a platform to foster linkages among partners and collaborate with public, private, state and regional organizations functioning in the region.

Partnerships grew at the national level and also across the globe with the projected Borlaug Institute for South Asia and enhanced Indo-African and India-Afghanistan Fellowships in Agricultural Universities. An ICAR–Industry meet was also convened in New Delhi in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) which received an overwhelming response from the private sector. Twenty-five new Units were added to the existing 220 Units in 49 universities to develop entrepreneurship skills among students. Niche Area of Excellence was also supported at 30 locations to achieve global competence in agricultural research and education.

            Under the ICAR award scheme, two new prestigious awards have been instituted, namely ICAR Norman Borlaug Award and ICAR Challenge Award. The total numbers of awards to be given annually in specific categories have been increased from 13 to 22. Similarly the award money has also been enhanced in most of the categories.

The ICAR has repositioned its approach in the formulation of 12^th five year plan to bring a demand driven and technology led revolution in the country. The Council will focus more on the commodities and the areas where private sector would be reluctant to venture. Secondary and specialty agriculture and the strength inter-departmental platforms will be harnessed to sustain the benefits of agricultural research and development. At national level, initiatives such as National Agricultural Education Project, National Agricultural Entrepreneurship Project, National Agricultural Science Foundation and National Agricultural Innovation Foundation have been envisaged to further strengthen and accelerate the process of transformation. However, in all these initiatives the Council is making a forward march with Farmers First approach.

            The research and development programmes during the year have armed ICAR with preparedness to meet future challenges, especially of prospective global climate change vis-à-vis depleting and degrading natural resources. We envision that innovations in agriculture would transform existing slowdown in agriculture sector into a vibrant and competitive sector by harnessing untapped opportunities in domestic and global markets. The Council firmly believes that agricultural research and development would augment farmers’ income, generate employment opportunities, conserve natural resources, restrict imports, promote exports and increase value addition for higher and inclusive agricultural growth.

Appropriately backed by frontier sciences and techniques, a surge in production and productivity of major commodities is on the way to realize the dream of rainbow revolution.

APPSC DAO GENERAL STUDIES SOLVED PAPER

  

APPSC DAO ARITHMETIC SOLVED PAPER

APPSC DAO MENSURATION SOLVED PAPER

Essential Interrogative Terms and Their Meanings in the APPSC Group - I Mains Exam

Analyze: To find out what something is made up of by identifying its components.

Critically Analyze: To find out critically what something is made up of by identifying its components.

Assess: To examine something, to determine something in order to judge or evaluate it.

Critically Assess: Assessment containing or involving comments and opinions that analyze or judge something, especially in a detailed way.

Bring out the Significance: Bring out the implied or intended meaning.

Capture the Movement: To seize or gain control over a fast changing.

Comment: An implied or indirect judgment.

Consider: To think carefully about something.

Debate: To talk about something at length and in detail, especially as part of a formal exchange of opinion.

Describe: To give an account of something by giving details of its characteristics.

Do you agree? Give examples: To have the same opinion about something as somebody else. Decorate with examples.

Discuss: To write or speak about the topic formally/officially.

Elaborate: To organize with thoroughness and careful attention to detail.

Elucidate: To explain and clarify something.

Evaluate: To consider or examine something in order to judge its value.

Examine: To study or investigate something.

Critically Examine: Critically study or investigate something.

Examine closely: To study or investigate something carefully or thoroughly.

Explain: To give reason for something that has happened, often as justification for it. To justify.

Formulate: To draw something up carefully and in detail.

Give Argument in favor of something: To give reason to support your argument.

Give your judgment in favor: To form sound opinions and make sensible decisions or reliable guesses.

Investigate: To take a look and see what has happened.

Justify: See Explain.

List out the Salient Features: Arrange the noticeable and striking distinctive features.

Highlight the Salient Features: Take out the best part.

Yojana August 2011 Magazine

Since the dawn of civilization, human societies have developed indigenous modes of entertainment which have evolved in various forms, and developed and transformed over the ages. Among the traditional forms of entertainment we have circus, art, theatre, puppetry, folk forms of music and dance, sports etc. In modern day parlance however, entertainment industry encompasses films, TV, radio, music and print industry. Other key players emerging in this sector are gaming, animation and advertising. Entertainment in India is one of the biggest revenue grossing industries. It is one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy and its segments have witnessed double digit growth in the last two years. The Indian entertainment and media industry is estimated to grow from Rs 58,080 crores in 2009 at a CAGR of 13 percent for the next five years.

Read More..

GENERAL SCIENCE MCQs

1. Jet engines are
(a) rotary engines
(b) turbine engines
(c) external combustion engines
(d) reaction engines

2. In an engine run on diesel, ignition is caused through
(a)friction
(b) automatic starter
(c)spark plug
(d) compression

3. In an electronic watch, the component corresponding to the pendulum of a pendulum clock is
(a)Transistor
(b) Balance Wheel
(c) Crystal Oscillator
(d) Diode

4. The hydraulic brakes used in automobiles is a direct application of ?
(a) Archimedes’ Principle
(b) Toricellian law
(c) Bernoulli’s theorem
(d) Pascal’s law

5. Which of the following statements is correct?
(a) Dynamo converts electrical energy into heat energy and electric motor converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
(b) Dynamo converts mechanical energy into electrical energy and electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
(c) Both dynamo and electric motor convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.
(d) Both dynamo and electric motor convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

6.. An electron microscope gives higher magnification than an optical microscope because
(a) it uses more powerful lenses.
(b) the velocity of electrons is smaller than that of visible light.
(c) the electrons have more energy than the light particles.
(d) the wavelength of electrons is smaller as compared to the wavelength of visible light.

7. The conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy is observed in ?
(a) fan
(b) storage battery
(c) heater
(d) incandescent bulb

8. The most efficient engine is ?
(a) Petrol
(b) Diesel
(c) Electric
(d) Steam

9. The tape of a tape recorder is coated with
(a) Zinc oxide
(b) Copper sulphate
(c) Mica
(d) Ferromagnetic powder

10. When a coil is rotated in magnetic field, induced current is generated in the coil. This principle is used in making ?
(a) electromagnet
(b) electric motor
(c) electric generator
(d) electric watt meter

11. An ordinary tube light used for lighting purposes
contains
(a) fluorescent material and an inert gas
( b) one filament, reflective material and mercury vapour
(c) fluorescent material and mercury vapour
(d) two filaments, fluorescent material and mercury vapour

12. The term ‘Black Box’ is more commonly used in relation to which of the following?
(a) It is a box in which high grade uranium is kept to prevent radiation.
(b) It is a time capsule in which records of important events are kept to be opened at a later date,
(c) It is a flight recorder in an aero plane.
(d)None of these

13. The lightning conductor used in building, protects the building by
(a) dissipating the electric charge away from the building
(b) conducting the lightning safely to the ground
(c) absorbing the electric charge
(d) None of these

14. Sodium vapour lamps are preferred over incandescent lamp because of
(a) higher tolerance to voltage fluctuation
(b) higher intensity of illumination
(c) easy installation
(d) None of these

15. The principle of working of periscope is based on
(a) reflection only
(b) refraction only
(c) reflection and refraction
(d) reflection and interference

16. The working of the quartz crystal in the watch is based on
(a) Johnson effect
(b) Photoelectric effect
(c)Edison effect
(d) Piezo electric effect

17. A handwritten message can be instantly transmitted as such to any part of the world through
(a) Speed post
(b) Telex
(c)Electronic mail
(d) FAX

18. Which of the following combinations of aperture and shutter speed of a camera will allow the maximum exposure?
(a) F-5.6,1/l000
(b) F-8,l/250
(c) F-16,l/l25
(d) F-22,1/60

19. Hardware is related to?
(a) calculator
(b) computers
(c) acids
(d) heavy metals

20. Which of the following best explains the phenomenon ‘Simple Harmonic Motion’?
(a) Cylinder
(b) Disc
(c) Pendulum
(d) None of these

21. Distant objects can be seen with the help of
(a) chronometer
(b) microscope
(c)telescope
(d) spectroscope

22. The safety fuse should have
(a) high resistance and high melting point
(b) high resistance and low melting point
(c) low resistance and high melting point
(d) low resistance and low melting point

23. Greenhouse is?
(a) a building chiefly of glass in which the temperature is very low.
(b) a building in which green plants are cultivated.
(c) a building chiefly of glass in which the temperature is maintained within the desired range.
(d) None of these

23. Given below are some of the home appliances:
1. 1/8 H.P. Water pump
2. Fluorescenttubelight
3. Room heater
4. Night lamp
Which of the following is the correct sequence in decreasing order of the wattage of the above?
(a) 2,1,3,4
(b) 3,1,2,4
(c)3,2,1,4
(d) 4,2,1,3

25. Which of the following is/are true regarding the third (thicker) pin in a 3-pin plug?
1. It ensures better electrical contact.
2. It is connected to the body of the electrical device.
3. It is connected to the earth terminal.
4. It is connected to the neutral terminal.
(a) 1 and2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and3
(d) 4only

26. Consider the following statements about a thermos flask:
1. It is a practical device in which the beat flowing into or out of the system by conduction, convection or radiation is reduced as much as possible.
2. It consists of a double – walled glass vessel.
3. The heat transfer by convection is minimized by silvering the surfaces and the radiation is minimized by evacuating the space between the walls.
Of these, the correct ones are
(a) l and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) l and 3
(d) l,2 and 3

27. Which of the following are true regarding the compact fluorescent tubes now available in market for home use?
1. They use less power (about 20%) compared to filament type bulbs for same amount of light.
2. They operate at higher voltages.
3. They are narrower and shorter than common fluorescent tubes.
(a) l and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 1,2 and 3

28. In an ordinary dry cell, the electrolyte is
(a) sulphuric acid
(b) manganese dioxide
(c) ammonium chloride
(d) zinc

29. Which of the following pairs of materials serves as electrodes in chargeable batteries commonly used in devices such as torch lights, electric shavers etc. ?
(a) Iron and cadmium
(b) Nickel and cadmium
(c) Lead peroxide and lead
(d) Zinc and carbon

30. The mixed oxide fuel is used for which of the following?
(a) Nuclear Reactors
(b) Aero planes
(c) Cryogenic Engines
(d) PSLV rockets

31. Conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy occurs in ?
(a)dynamos
(b) electric heaters
(c)battery
(d) atomic bombs

32. In the ordinary fire extinguisher, carbon dioxide is generated by the reaction of ?
(a) marble powder and dilute HCL
(b) magnesite and dilute HCL
(c) limestone and dilute Sulphuric Acid
(d) sodium bicarbonate and dilute Sulphuric Acid

33. Which of the following take place when the subject speaks untruth while being tested by the polygraph instrument?
1.. His blood pressure goes up.
2. His pulse quickens.
3. His skin darkens.
4. He sneezes.
(a) l and 2
(b) 3 and 4
(c) l,2 and 3
(4) 2,3 and 4

34. What is the function of a microprocessor in a computer?
(a) It allows the key board to write on the computer.
(b) It allows the outputs to be taken from a computer.
(c) It performs all the functions of a CPU (Central Processing Unit).
(d) None of these

35.Teletext means?
(a) the process of convening black & white TV sets into coloured ones.
(b) flashing of telephone conversation on TV screen.
(c) flashing the text of the message on the telex machine.
(d) flashing of the text of news and information on the TV screen.

36. Which of the following statements about a refrigerator is/are correct?
1. It converts electrical energy into heat energy.
2. It converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
3. It transfers heat from a high temperature to a low temperature.
4. It transfers heat from a low temperature to a high temperature.
(a) 1 and3
(b)2 and 3
(c) 1 and 4
(d) 4 only

37. Which of the following statements are true regarding transmission of television programmes?
1. Picture is transmitted with velocity of light.
2. Sound is transmitted with velocity of sound.
3. Sound is transmitted with velocity of light.
4. Different colours of the picture.are transmitted with different velocities.
(a) l and 3
(b) 1,2 and 3
(c) 2,3 and 4
(d) l,3 and 4

38. The anode in a dry cell consists of
(a) graphite
(b) zinc
(c) copper
(d)cadmium

39. The technique used to transmit audio signals in television broadcasts is
(a) Amplitude Modulation
(b) Frequency Modulation
(c) Pulse Code Modulation
(d) Time Division Multiplexing

40 Floppy disc in a computer system is
(a) compiler
(b) core memory
(c) software
(d) device for storing and retrieving data

41. The best colour (s) for a sun umbrella will be
(a)black
(b) black on top and white on the inside
(c)white on top and black on the inside
(d) printed with all the seven colours of rainbow

42. Which one of the following can be used to confirm whether drinking water contains a gamma emitting isotope or not?
(a) Spectrophotometer
(b) Microscope
(c) Scintillation counter
(d) Lead plate

43. The following processes take place during the
launching of a rocket:
1. Rocket fuel is burnt.
2. Gases are produced.
3. Rocket moves in the forward direction.
4. Gases come out with momentum in back ward direction.
The correct sequential order in which the above processes occur, is
(a) 1,2,3,4
(b) 1,3,2,4
(c) 1,2,4,3
(d) 1,3,4,2

44. A computer can be freely programmable
(a) if it is of a digital type
( if it is controlled synchronously
(c) if it contains a read only memory (ROM)
(d) if it contains a random access memory(RAM)

45. Which of the following polymers is widely used for making bullet proof material?
(a) Polyethylene
(b) Polyamides
(c) Polyvinyl chloride
(d) Polycarbonates

46. What is a flow chart in computer terminology?
(a) A graphical representation of a sequence of operations in a computer program
(b) A circular chart used for computer languages
(c) A debugging programme.
(d) None of these

47. A transistor is most likely to be found in a
(a)wrist watch
(b) fuse
(c)hearing aid
(d) fluorescent lamp

48. Ball bearings are used to reduce friction by
(a) applying lubricants to the balls used
(b) reducing the area of contact with the use of metallic balls
(c) increasing the area of contact with the use of metallic balls
(d)None of these

49. Aviation fuel for jet aeroplanes consists of purified
(a)petrol
(b) kerosene
(c)gasoline
(d) diesel

50. Recoil of a gun is an example of
(a) conservation of mass
(b) conservation of energy
(c) conversion of Potential Energy into Kinetic Energy
(d) conservation of linear momentum

ANSWERS

1.D 2. D 3. C 4. D 5. B 6.D 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. C
11.D 12. C 13. B 14. B 15. C 16. D 17. D 18. B 19. B 20. C
21. C 22. B 23. C 24. B 25. B 26. A 27. D 28. C 29. B 30. C
31. C 32. D 33. A 34. C 35. D 36. C 37. A 38. A 39. C 40. D
41. C 42. C 43. C 44. C 45. A 46. A 47. C 48. B 49. A 50. D

Atomic Numbers

Name	Symbol	Atomic Number
Hydrogen	H	1
Helium	He	2
Lithium	Li	3
Beryllium	Be	4
Boron	B	5
Carbon	C	6
Nitrogen	N	7
Oxygen	O	8
Flourine	F	9
Neon	Ne	10
Sodium (Natrium)	Na	11
Magnesium	Mg	12
Aluminium	Al	13
Silicon	Si	14
Phosphorous	P	15
Sulphur	S	16
Chlorine	Cl	17
Argon	Ar	18
Potassium (Kalium)	K	19
Calcium	Ca	20
Titanium	Ti	22
Vanadium	V	23
Chromium	Cr	24
Manganese	Mn	25
Iron (Ferum)	Fe	26
Cobalt	Co	27
Nickel	Ni	28
Copper (Cuprum)	Cu	29
Zinc	Zn	30
Germenium	Ge	32
Bromine	Br	35
Krypton	Kr	36
Zirconium	Zr	40
Silver	Ag	47
Tin (Stannum)	Sn	50
vAntimony (Stabnium)	Sb	51
Iodine	I	53
Barium	Ba	56
Gold (Aurum)	Au	79
Mercury (Hydragerm)	Hg	80
Lead (Plumbum)	Pb	82
Bismuth	Bi	83
Radium	Ra	88
Thorium	U	90
Uranium	U	92
Plutonium	Pu	94
Curium	Cm	96

India plans to launch National Monsoon Mission

The Government of India is planning to launch a National Monsoon Mission to provide accurate rain forecast and other weather inputs to farmers.
Speaking at the annual function of his Ministry, Earth Sciences Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said that agro-Met services will have greater importance in the coming years.
The Ministry has plans to establish the National Monsoon Mission to address these challenging issues relating to the monsoon rainfall in India, he added.
They not only provide fairly accurate monsoon forecasts but also issue weather related agro advisories to farmers so that the kisan (farmer) can plan his farming and increase the productivity of his soil, Deshmukh said.
"India's total demand for food grain is projected to touch 280 million tonnes by the year 2020-21. For this, improved monsoon rainfall predictions and associated enhancements to the agro-advisory services have been identified as priority activities," he added, reports IANS.

HOW TO PREPARE CURRENT AFFAIRS

During the process of preparation for Current Affairs an individual is often faced with number of challenges. The challenges can be overcome and a grasp over the subject can be established only if a systematic process or strategy is adopted.  The major challenge involved is segregation of events, for example incidents should be grouped under wide categories like National events of socio-political importance, International events of political importance, Economic events of national and international importance, Environmental events of national and international importance, Sports related events of national and importance, etc. The above categorisation is suggested on the basis of questions asked in different competition and entrance exams like-IAS/Bank PO/CLERK/SSC/LLB/MBA, etc.
Classifying current affairs
It is observed that classifying events which have been happening over a longer period of time and could continue in the future is difficult. To develop an understanding of these events, it is required to explore the different aspects, background, and history of the events in question. At times one major of national, international or economic event may lead to a series of incidents that may threaten to shake the balance in power. For example, the Jasmine revolution in Tunisia  which gave a cue to the uprising in Egypt and is threatening authoritarian regime in a number of North African and Middle East countries. Also the European crisis in 201o had a striking impact at stock exchanges in India. The flood which rocked Australia raised the concerns of the world already plagued by Global Warming.
International level-Nuclear politics, Environmental politics, Reforms and Restructuring of united nations, Future of Nato, Voting reforms in IMF, Deadlock in WTO, Economic crisis of European union, Iran and North Korea's nuclear problem, Sudan-crisis, Israel-Palestine problem, Myanmar’s military junta, Nepal problem, Tibet issue, Ethnic crisis of Sri-Lanka, etc all fall in the category of events which have left and continue to create numerous related areas of concern.
Short-lived and long-lived current affairs
The third challenge is associated with categorisation events into short lived and long lived events. For short lived incidents it is important to know how effective, important or deep the impact of the newly emerged event is. If the importance of the effect of the event seems to be big, it must be extensively covered.
It is observed that there exists no clear, definite and fixed syllabus for current affairs as it happens in the case of subjects in Social Sciences, Management study, etc. The responsibility for updating and demarcation therefore remain with the students and aspirants.
It remains for the students to perform both the task of determination of syllabus as well as develop strategies to master Current affairs.

CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs

1.    According to an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report, which of the following Indian dams is on the hit-list of Pakistan-based militant outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)?
a.    Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
b.    Gandhi Sagar Dam
c.    B.R.P Dam
d.    Bhakra Dam
Answer: (d)

2.    Which Indian Institute of Management (IIM) won a decade-long battle for autonomy, with HRD minister approving dramatic amendments to the institution’s memorandum of association with the government?
a.    IIM-Ahmedabad
b.    IIM-Calcutta
c.    IIM-Bangalore
d.    IIM-Indore
Answer: (a)

3.    Name the BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister who was elected Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on GST.
a.    Sushil Kumar Modi
b.    Prafulla Chandra Ghadai
c.    Vijay Kumar Chaudhary
d.    Parveen Amanullah
Answer: (a)

4.    Who did Gujarat High Court appoint on 19 July 2011 to head the three-member body probing into 2004 Ishrat encounter?
a.    Karnail Singh
b.    Satish Verma
c.    Mohan Jha
d.    Rajiv Ranjan Verma
Answer: (d)

5.    According to statistics for 2010 released by the Union tourism ministry, which Indian state gained the position of the most visited destination in the country recording 155.8 million domestic tourists?
a.    Maharashtra
b.    Andhra Pradesh
c.    Kerala
d.    Tamil Nadu
Answer: (b)

6.    Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was honoured with Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government by the Ambassador of France in New Delhi, Jerome Bonnafont on 13 July 2011. Which of the following Indian celebrities in the past did not win this prestigious award?
a.    Sharmila Tagore
b.    Upamanyu Chatterjee
c.    Habib Tanveer
d.    Sachin Tendulkar
Answer: (d)

7.     India accepted international norms for the prevention of air pollution emanating from ships. The norms were proposed under a 1997 protocol of the International Maritime Organisation(IMO). When was IMO established?
a)    1948
b)    1997
c)    1982
d)    1937
Answer: (a)

8.  India and Sri Lanka signed a MoU on 20 July 2011 to develop the __port.
a) Kankesanthurai
b) Hambantota
c) Oluvil
d) Port of Point Pedro
Answer: (a)

9.  which one of the following countries announced a visa category named new Tier 1(exceptional talent) for India and Non-EU countries.
a) Britain
b) USA
c) France
d) Japan
Answer: (a) 

10.    Name the U.S official who arrived in India on 18 July 2011 to attend the second round of India-U.S. strategic dialogue on 19 July.
a.    Vice President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden
b.    Department of State Secretary, Hillary Clinton
c.    Defence Secretary, Leon E. Panetta
d.    Commerce Secretary, Gary F. Locke
Answer: (b)

11.    Paul Stephenson and another senior officer John Yates of Scotland Yard resigned on 18 July 2011 over the News Of The World (NoW) phone-hacking scandal. Name the owner of the British media group involved in the scandal.
a.    Rupert Murdoch
b.    Frederick Barclay
c.    Tony Gallagher
d.    Evgeny Lebedev
Answer: (a)

12.    Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hameed Ansari reconstituted the panel to probe the charges against Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, P.D. Dinakaran on 18 July 2011. Name the chairman of the reconstituted panel.
a.    Advocate P.P. Rao
b.    Judge Aftab Alam
c.    Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, J.S. Khehar
d.    Prof. G. Mohan Gopal, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies
Answer: (b)

13.    Hina Rabbani Khar on 19 July 2011 became Pakistan’s first woman foreign minister. Whom did she succeed?
a.    Farooq H. Naek
b.    Shah Mahmood Qureshi
c.    Ghulam Mustafa
d.    Noor Rabbani
Answer: (b)

14.    Who was awarded on the Ordre National du Merite by President Nicholas Sarkozy of France on 19 July 2011 for the extra ordinary services performed for strengthening and promoting cooperation between the Law Enforcement Agencies?
a.    Hameed Ansari
b.    Farooq H. Naek
c.    Amna Imran Khan
d.    Abul Kalam Azad
Answer: (c)

15.  The national register and national transport portal was launched___ to detect fake driving licenses and tracking stolen vehicles easier.
a) 20 July 2011
b) 21 July 2011
c) 22 July 2011
d) 19 July 2011
Answer: (a)

16.  Which one of the following states of India cleared a bill to ensure doctors’ safety at their work places.
a) Bihar
b) UP
c) Rajasthan
c) Tamil Nadu
Answer: (a)

17.  Scientists found a genetic change in a gene called__ which makes men less fertile.
a) DEFB 126
b) DFEB 126
c) DEFB 125
d) DEEB 126
Answer: (a)

18.  The scientists discovered that hepatitis B viruses attached themselves to receptors of the male sex hormone androgen before damaging liver tissues and causing cancer. What is female sex hormone called?
a) Testosterone
b) Estrogens
c) Anabolic steroids
d) Androstenedione
Answer: (b)

19.  Short-range surface-to-surface missile Prahar was successfully test-fired on 21 July 2011 from the Integrated Test Range in Balasore. Consider the following statements on Prahar.
i) Prahar was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO).
ii) Prahar is a single stage missile with a range of 150 km.
Choose the right option.
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Only i is correct.
c)    Only ii is correct.
d)    Neither i nor ii is correct.
Answer: (a) 

20.  India's communication satellite GSAT-12, reached its home in a circular geo-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km on 18 July 2011. When it was put in orbit?
a) 15 July 2011
b) 15 July 2010
c) 17 June 2011
d) 25 June 2011
Answer: (a)

21.  According to the result of University of Exeter research, one in 10 species could face extinction by the year __ if current climate change impacts continue.
a) 2050
b) 2060
c) 2070
d) 2100
Answer:  (d) 

22.    Which virtualisation software provider on 13 July 2011 globally launched a series of comprehensive suite of cloud infrastructure solutions to help customers drive a more productive relationship between IT and the businesses they serve?
a.    VMware
b.    BizSol Technologies
c.    GNWebSoft
d.    Milestone
Answer: (a)

23.    Which of the following PSUs announced on 18 July 2011, the merger of Maharashtra Elektrosmelt (MEL) with itself?
a.    BHEL
b.    SAIL
c.    HPCL
d.    IOC
Answer: (b)

24.    Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA), one of the largest integrated producers of ferro alloys in India on 18 July 2011 acquired 70% stake in a coal mine in which country for $8.75 million?
a.    Egypt
b.    Indonesia
c.    South Africa
d.    Phillipines
Answer: (b)

25.    Which leading player in IT, BPO and consulting services, on 18 July 2011 announced that it secured a large contract worth potentially $177 million over a five-year term?
a.    Hexaware Technologies
b.    Genpact
c.    Accenture
d.    Infosys
Answer: (a)

26.    Online media network platform Komli Media has acquired which mobile advertising and publishing network to enter the mobile advertising network market?
a.    Zestadz
b.    InMobi
c.    Admob
d.    AdTwirl
Answer: (a)

27.    Government of India on 19 July 2011 appointed Usha Ananthasubramanian, former general manager of Bank of Baroda (BoB) as executive director of which public sector lender?
a.    Central Bank of India
b.    Punjab National Bank
c.    United Bank of India
d.    Gramin Bank
Answer: (b)

28.    Who became the first Indian tennis player ever to win the Canadian U-18 ITF Junior World Ranking Championship on 17 July 2011?
a.    Ambika Pande
b.    D Harika
c.    Koneru Humpy
d.    Chekrovolu Swuro
Answer: (a)

29.    Name the golfer who became the oldest winner of the British Open championship in 44 years as he ended his long wait for a Major on 17 July 2011.
a.    Phil Mickelson
b.    Dustin Johnson
c.    Darren Clarke
d.    Roberto de Vicenzo
Answer: (c)

30.    Kaushal Kumar and Aman Kumar of Artillery Water Sports Association (AWSA) won the title in the third Inland Hobie 16 National sailing championship. The competition was held in which of following lakes in India?
a.    Hussainsagar lake
b.    Hebbal Lake
c.    Jag Mandir lake
d.    Naukuchiatal Lake
Answer: (a)

31.    Name the Chinese who clinched his third successive world title in the men’s 10m synchronised diving on 17 July 2011.
a.    Lin Yue
b.    Qiu Bo
c.    Huo Liang
d.    Yui le
Answer: (c)

32.    Japan lifted its first women's football World Cup by defeating which team in a dramatic final on 17 July 2011 in Frankfurt, Germany?
a.    Germany
b.    Spain
c.    USA
d.    Brazil
Answer: (c)

33.    The Union government in July 2011 allowed imports of 40,000 tonnes of natural rubber at a concessional duty. At what percentage concessional duty was the import permitted?
a.    7.5%
b.    7.8%
c.    8%
d.    8.5%
Answer: (a)

34.    The labour ministry-controlled Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 14 July 2011 appointed four fund managers for its 3.5 trillion pension fund corpus. Which of the following was not appointed?
a.    ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co. Ltd
b.    State Bank of India (SBI)
c.    Reliance Capital
d.    HSBC Asset Management
Answer: (a)

35.    The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. on 18 July 2011 sanctioned loans worth $1.4 billion (about Rs.6300 crore) for companies in which of the following Indian sectors, thereby increasing their investment in that sector?
a.    Handloom & Cottage industries
b.    Renewable energy sector
c.    IT
d.    Media & Entertainment
Answer: (b)

36.    Group of Ministers (GoM) on 18 July 2011 approved in-principle additional equity infusion of 1200 crore and payment of 532 crore for operating VVIP and rescue flights for which carrier?
a.    Air India
b.    Jet Airways
c.    Sahara
d.    Kingfisher
Answer: (a)

37.    Revenue Department announced in July 2011 it’s decision to impose anti-dumping duty of up to USD 1.41 per kg on imports of R-134a gas. With regard to the following, which of the following is true?
1.    R-134a is an inert gas used primarily as a high temperature refrigerant for domestic refrigeration and automobile air conditioners.
2.    The anti-dumping duty was imposed to protect domestic players from cheap Chinese and Japanese shipments.
3.    The restrictive duty on the import of 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane or R-134a is to be imposed for a period of ten years.
4.    Anti-dumping duty is imposed to check if domestic industry has been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.
a.    Only 1
b.    1,2 & 4
c.    3 & 4
d.    1 & 3
Answer:  (b)

National Emblem of Different Countries

The National Emblems of Different Countries are Given here:

COUNTRY	EMBLEM	COUNTRY	EMBLEM
Australia	Kangaroo	Bangladesh	Water Lily
Barbados	Head of a Trident	Belgium	Lion
Canada	White Lily	Chile	Candor & Huemul
Denmark	Beach	Dominica	Sisserou Parrot
France	Lily	Germany	Corn Flower
Guyana	Canje Pheasant	Hong Kong	Bauhinia (Orchid Tree)
India	Lioned Capital	Iran	Rose
Ireland	Shamrock	Israel	Candelabrum
Italy	White Lily	Ivory Coast	Elephant
Japan	Chrysanthemum	Lebanon	Cedar Tree
Luxenbourg	Lion with Crown	Mongolia	The Soyombo
Netherlands	Lion	New Zealand	Southern Cross, Kiwi, Fern
Norway	Lion	Pakistan	Crescent
Papua New Guinea	Bird of paradise	Spain	Eagle
Senegal	Bhobab Tree	Sierra Leone	Lion
Sri Lanka	Lion	Sudan	Secretary Bird
Syria	Eagle	Turkey	Crescent & Star
U.K.	Rose	U.S.A.	Golden Rod

India ranks 10th in services export

India achieved tenth rank in export of services worldwide, while emerged as the 20th biggest merchandise exporter in 2010, according to a latest WTO report.

In 2009, the country stood at the 12th and 22nd position globally in services and goods exports, respectively.

In value terms last year, India exported services and merchandise worth $110 billion and $216 billion, respectively, the ‘World Trade Report 2011' said.

India's goods exports went up by 31 per cent in 2010, helping the country to expand its market share to 1.4 per cent from 1.2 per cent in 2009.

According to industry experts, increasing demand for Indian goods in new markets like Latin America and Africa are helping in boosting the country's exports.

India's services exports share in the world exports increased to 3 per cent in 2010 from 2.6 per cent in 2009.

Further the report said, globally China ranked first in terms of merchandise exports followed by the U.S. and Germany.

In services export, the U.S. is on the top slot followed by Germany and the U.K.