E. coli Outbreak in the Europe

Europe is currently besieged by a serious outbreak of a rare strain of E. coli foodborne bacteria. One of the largest outbreaks of E. coli ever recorded strikes Germany and several other European countries. An ongoing Escherichia coli O104:H4 bacterial outbreak began in Germany in May 2011. Certain strains of E. coli are a major cause of foodborne illness. The outbreak started after several people were infected with bacteria leading to hemolytic-uremic syndrome in Germany. Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is a medical emergency and requires urgent treatment. 19 people have died by 3 June and around 500 had been hospitalised with HUS due to the intensifying outbreak.
Scientists probing the deadly E. coli strain in Europe are finding the bacteria combines a highly poisonous, but common, toxin with a rarely seen "glue" that binds it to a patient's intestines.
It may take months for the global team of researchers to fully understand the characteristics of the bacteria that has killed at least 17 people in Europe and sickened 1,500. But they fear this E. coli strain is the most toxic yet to hit a human population.
Most Escherichia coli or E. coli bacteria are harmless. The strain that is sickening people in Germany and other parts of Europe, known as 0104:H4, is part of a class of bacteria known as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, or STEC.
This class has the ability to stick to intestinal walls where it pumps out toxins, causing diarrhea and vomiting. In severe cases, it causes hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, attacking the kidneys and causing coma, seizure and stroke.
Germany is now reporting 470 cases of HUS. That is absolutely extraordinary, Dr. Robert Tauxe, a foodborne diseases expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters. The CDC has been working with German health authorities on the case since late last week.

The main source of E. coli is animal, especially cattle, manure. Ground beef is the main culprit. But because we use manure to fertilize crops, E. coli can also make an appearance in leafy greens, watery vegetables like tomatoes or cucumbers, and sprouts. Finally, E. coli can show up in unpasteurized milk, apple juice, orange juice, or even water. Essentially, everything. The best course of action is to buy quality products from quality vendors who know the source of their meat and produce. Avoid bargain meats, especially those that come from multiple unknown sources. As for vegetables, it's also a good idea to try and buy single source varieties, such as buying heads of lettuce as opposed to the pre-packaged stuff.

The World Health Organization has confirmed that the strain "has never been isolated from patients before," and said the bacteria had likely acquired some extra genes that may make it especially deadly.
Affected countries

• Germany
• Spain
• Sweden
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• The Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• Switzerland
• Poland
• United States
• Austria
• France

E. coli is Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic and non-sporulating. Cells are typically rod-shaped, and are about 2.0 micrometres (μm) long and 0.5 μm in diameter, with a cell volume of 0.6 – 0.7 (μm)3. It can live on a wide variety of substrates. E. coli uses mixed-acid fermentation in anaerobic conditions, producing lactate, succinate, ethanol, acetate and carbon dioxide. Since many pathways in mixed-acid fermentation produce hydrogen gas, these pathways require the levels of hydrogen to be low, as is the case when E. coli lives together with hydrogen-consuming organisms, such as methanogens or sulphate-reducing bacteria.

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some, such as serotype O157:H7, can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls. The harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2, and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.

E. coli bacteria are not always confined to the intestine, and their ability to survive for brief periods outside the body makes them ideal indicator organisms to test environmental samples for fecal contamination. The bacterium can also be grown easily, and its genetics are comparatively simple and easily manipulated or duplicated through a process of metagenics, making it one of the best-studied prokaryotic model organisms, and an important species in biotechnology and microbiology.
E. coli was discovered by German pediatrician and bacteriologist Theodor Escherich in 1885, and is now classified as part of the Enterobacteriaceae family of gamma-proteobacteria.

E. coli normally colonizes an infant's gastrointestinal tract within 40 hours of birth, arriving with food or water or with the individuals handling the child. In the bowel, it adheres to the mucus of the large intestine. It is the primary facultative anaerobe of the human gastrointestinal tract. (Facultative anaerobes are organisms that can grow in either the presence or absence of oxygen.) As long as these bacteria do not acquire genetic elements encoding for virulence factors, they remain benign commensals.

Virulent strains of E. coli can cause gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and neonatal meningitis. In rarer cases, virulent strains are also responsible for haemolytic-uremic syndrome, peritonitis, mastitis, septicaemia and Gram-negative pneumonia.

The antibiotic sensitivities of different strains of E. coli vary widely. As Gram-negative organisms, E. coli are resistant to many antibiotics that are effective against Gram-positive organisms. Antibiotics which may be used to treat E. coli infection include amoxicillin, as well as other semisynthetic penicillins, many cephalosporins, carbapenems, aztreonam, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantoin and the aminoglycosides.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. Some of this is due to overuse of antibiotics in humans, but some of it is probably due to the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feeds. A study published in the journal Science in August 2007 found the rate of adaptative mutations in E. coli is "on the order of 10−5 per genome per generation, which is 1,000 times as high as previous estimates," a finding which may have significance for the study and management of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli may also pass on the genes responsible for antibiotic resistance to other species of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, through a process called horizontal gene transfer. E. coli bacteria often carry multiple drug-resistance plasmids, and under stress, readily transfer those plasmids to other species. Indeed, E. coli is a frequent member of biofilms, where many species of bacteria exist in close proximity to each other. This mixing of species allows E. coli strains that are piliated to accept and transfer plasmids from and to other bacteria. Thus, E. coli and the other enterobacteria are important reservoirs of transferable antibiotic resistance.

Resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics has become a particular problem in recent decades, as strains of bacteria that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases have become more common.

Phage therapy—viruses that specifically target pathogenic bacteria—has been developed over the last 80 years, primarily in the former Soviet Union, where it was used to prevent diarrhoea caused by E. coli. Presently, phage therapy for humans is available only at the Phage Therapy Center in the Republic of Georgia and in Poland. However, on January 2, 2007, the United States FDA gave Omnilytics approval to apply its E. coli O157:H7 killing phage in a mist, spray or wash on live animals that will be slaughtered for human consumption. The enterobacteria phage T4, a highly studied phage, targets E. coli for infection.

Researchers have actively been working to develop safe, effective vaccines to lower the worldwide incidence of E. coli infection. In March 2006, a vaccine eliciting an immune response against the E. coli O157:H7 O-specific polysaccharide conjugated to recombinant exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (O157-rEPA) was reported to be safe in children two to five years old. Previous work had already indicated it was safe for adults. A phase III clinical trial to verify the large-scale efficacy of the treatment is planned.

In 2006, Fort Dodge Animal Health (Wyeth) introduced an effective, live, attenuated vaccine to control airsacculitis and peritonitis in chickens. The vaccine is a genetically modified avirulent vaccine that has demonstrated protection against O78 and untypeable strains.

In January 2007, the Canadian biopharmaceutical company Bioniche announced it has developed a cattle vaccine which reduces the number of O157:H7 shed in manure by a factor of 1000, to about 1000 pathogenic bacteria per gram of manure.
In April 2009, a Michigan State University researcher announced he had developed a working vaccine for a strain of E. coli. Mahdi Saeed, professor of epidemiology and infectious disease in MSU's colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Human Medicine, has applied for a patent for his discovery and has made contact with pharmaceutical companies for commercial production.

E. coli Statistics

General Statistics
1	Cell length	2 um or 2x10-6 m
2	Cell diameter	0.8 um or 0.8x10-6 m
3	Cell total volume	1x10-15 L or 1x10-18 m3 (other est. at 0.88x10-15 L)
4	Cell aqueous volume	7 x 10-16 L
5	Cell surface area	6x10-12 m2
6	Cell wet weight	1x10-15 kg or 1x10-12 g
7	Cell dry weight	3.0x10-16 kg or 3.0x10-13 g
8	Periplasm volume	6.5x10-17 L
9	Cytoplasm volume	6.7x10-16 L
10	Envelope volume	1.6x10-16 L
11	Nuclear (DNA+protein) volume	1.6x10-16 L
12	Inner Membrane thickness	8x10-9 m
13	Outer Membrane thickness	8x10-9 - 15x10-9 m
14	Periplasm thickness	1x10-8 m
15	Average size of protein	360 residues
16	Average diameter of ave. protein	5 nm
17	Average MW of protein	40 kD
18	Average prot. oligomerization state	4 proteins/complex
19	Average MW of protein entity	160 kD
20	Average size of mRNA	1100 bases
21	Average length of mRNA	370 nm
22	Average MW of all RNAs	400 kD
23	Average MW of single DNA	3.0x109 D or 3.0x106 kD
24	Average MW of all DNA	7 x 106 kD
25	Average length of DNA (chrom.)	1.55 mm
26	Diameter of chromosome	490 um
27	Diameter of condensed chromosome	17 um
28	Spacing between small organics	3.6 nm/molecule
29	Spacing between ions	2.1 nm/molecule
30	Ave. spacing between proteins	7 nm/molecule
31	Spacing between protein entities	9 nm/molecule
32	Mean Velocity of 70 kD protein (cytoplasm)	3 nm/ms = 3x10-6 m/s
33	Mean Velocity of 40 kD protein (cytoplasm)	5 nm/ms = 5x10-6 m/s
34	Mean Velocity of 30 kD protein (cytoplasm)	7 nm/ms = 7x10-6 m/s
35	Mean Velocity of 14 kD protein (cytoplasm)	10 nm/ms = 10x10-6 m/s
36	Mean Velocity of small molecules (cytoplasm)	50 nm/ms = 5x10-5 m/s
37	Mean Velocity of protein in H2O	27 nm/ms = 2.7x10-5 m/s
38	Mean Velocity of small molecules in H2O	87 nm/ms = 8.7x10-5 m/s
39	Concentration of protein in cell	200-320 mg/mL (5-8 mM)
40	Concentration of RNA in cell	75-120 mg/mL (0.5-0.8 mM)
41	Concentration of DNA in cell	11-18 mg/mL (5 nM)
42	Volume occupied by water	70%
43	Volume occupied by protein	17%
44	Volume occupied by all RNA	6%
45	Volume occupied by rRNA	5%
46	Volume occupied by tRNA	0.8%
47	Volume occupied by mRNA	0.2%
48	Volume occupied by DNA	1%
49	Volume occupied by ribosomes	8%
50	Volume occupied by lipid	3%
51	Volume occupied by LPS	1%
52	Volume occupied by murein	1%
53	Volume occupied by glycogen	1%
54	Volume occupied by ions	0.3%
55	Volume occupied by small organics	1%
56	Translation rate	40 aa/sec
57	RNA polymerase transcription rate	70 nt/sec
Large Molecule Copy Numbers
1	Number of cell walls/cell	1
2	Number of membranes/cell	2
3	Number of chromosomes/cell	2.3 (at mid log phase)
4	Number of mRNA/cell	4000
5	Number of rRNA/cell	18,000
6	Number of tRNA/cell	200,000
7	Number of all RNA/cell	222,000
8	Number of polysaccharides/cell	39,000
9	Number of murein molecules/cell	240,000-700,000
10	Number of lipopolysaccharide/cell	600,000
11	Number of lipids/cell	25,000,000
12	Number of all lipids/cell	25,000,000
13	Number of phosphatidylethanolamine	18,500,000
14	Number of phosphatidylglycerol	5,000,000
15	Number of cardiolipin	1,200,000
16	Number of phosphatidylserine	500,000
17	Number of LPS (MW = 10kD)	600,000
18	Average SA of lipid molecule	25 Ang2
19	Fraction of lipid bilayer=lipid	40%
20	Fraction of lipid bilayer=protein	60%
21	Number of outer membrane proteins	300,000
22	Number of porins (subset of OM)	60,000
23	Number of lipoproteins (OM)	240,000
24	Number of inner membrane proteins	200,000
25	Number of nuclear proteins	100,000
26	Number of cytoplasmic proteins	1,000,000 (excluding ribo proteins)
27	Number of ribosomal proteins	900,000
28	Number of periplasmic proteins	80,000
29	Number of all proteins in cell	2,600,000
30	Number of external proteins (flag/pili)	1,000,000
31	Number of all proteins	3,600,000
Statistics on Larger Molecule Complexes
1	Number of protein types to make flagella	42
2	Length of flagella	10-20 um or ~15,000 nm
3	Diameter of flagella	25 nm
4	Number of protofilaments in flagellum	11
5	Diameter of each fliC monomer	5 nm
6	Number of fliC monomers in filament	3000x11=33,000
7	Number of flagella/cell	10
8	Number of fliC proteins	330,000
9	Speed at which E. coli move	50 um/sec = 18 x10-5 km/h
10	Number of protein types to make pilus	1
11	Length of pili/fimbrae	200-2000 nm
12	Diamter of pili	6.5 nm
13	Number of papA/nm pilus	1.5
14	Number of papA monomers/pilus	3000-30,000
15	Number of pili/cell	100-300
16	Number of papA/cell	300,000-900,000
17	Number of ribosomes/cell	18,000
18	Number of protein types to make ribosome	55
19	Number rRNA types to make ribosome	3
20	Number of proteins in 30S subunit	21
21	Number of proteins in 50S subunit	34
22	Number of rRNA in 30S subunit	1
23	Number of rRNA in 50S subunit	2
24	Length of all rRNA	5520 nt
25	MW of ribosome	2700 kD
26	MW of RNA component	1700 kD
27	MW of protein component	1000 kD
28	Diameter of ribosome	20 nm
29	Volume of ribosome	4.2 x 10-24 m3
Small Molecule Copy Numbers
1	Number of water molecules/cell	2.34x1010 (23.4 billion)
2	Number of ions/cell	120,000,000 (300 mM)
3	Number of small organics/cell	18,000,000 (40-50 mM)
4	Number of K ions	90,000,000 (200-250 mM)
5	Number of Na ions	2,000,000 (5 mM)
6	Na (in): Na (out)	1:20 (in concentration)
7	Number of Ca ions	2,300,000 (6 mM)
8	Number of free Ca ions	40 (100 nM)
9	Number of Cl ions	2,400,000 (6 mM)
10	Number of Mg ions	4,000,000 (10 mM)
11	Number of Fe ions	7,000,000 (18 mM)
12	Number of Mn ions	1,700,000 (4 mM)
13	Number of Zn ions	1,700,000 (4 mM)
14	Number of Mo ions	1,700,000 (4 mM)
15	Number of Cu ions	1,700,000 (4 mM)
16	Number of PO4 ions	2,000,000 (5 mM)
17	Number of glucose/cell	200,000-400,000 (0.5-1 mM)
18	Number of PEP/cell	1,100,000 (2.8 mM)
19	Number of pyruvate/cell	370,000 (0.9 mM)
20	Number of gluc-6-PO4/cell	20,000 (0.05 mM)
21	Number of ATP/cell	500,000 - 3,000,000 (1.3-7.0 mM)
22	Number of ADP/cell	70,000 (0.17 mM)
23	Number of NADP/cell	240,000 (0.63 mM)
24	Number of NADPH/cell	220,000 (0.56 mM)
25	Number of all amino acids/cell	6,000,000 (1.5 mM)
26	Number of free Alanine/cell	350,000 (0.8 mM)
27	Number of free Cysteine/cell	80,000 (0.2 mM)
28	Number of free Aspartate/cell	530,000 (1.34 mM)
29	Number of free Glutamate/cell	200,000 (0.5 mM)
30	Number of free Phenylalanine/cell	170,000 (0.4 mM)
31	Number of free Glycine/cell	350,000 (0.8 mM)
32	Number of free Histidine/cell	80,000 (0.2 mM)
33	Number of free Isoleucine/cell	200,000 (0.5 mM)
34	Number of free Lysine/cell	190,000 (0.46 mM)
35	Number of free Leucine/cell	300,000 (0.7 mM)
36	Number of free Methionine/cell	40,000 (0.1 mM)
37	Number of free Asparagine/cell	200,000 (0.5 mM)
38	Number of free Proline/cell	200,000 (0.5 mM)
39	Number of free Glutamine/cell	200,000 (0.5 mM)
40	Number of free Arginine/cell	170,000 (0.4 mM)
41	Number of free Serine/cell	300,000 (0.7 mM)
42	Number of free Threonine/cell	1,400,000 (3.49 mM)
43	Number of free Valine/cell	240,000 (0.6 mM)
44	Number of free Tryptophan/cell	80,000 (0.2 mM)
45	Number of free Tyrosine/cell	300,000 (0.7 mM)
46	Osmotic pressure (pushing out)	75 lb/in2
E. coli Metabolism
1	1 glucose generates (total)	36-38 ATP
2	glycolysis yields	6-8 ATP
3	oxidation of pyruvate yields	6 ATP
4	Krebs cycle/e- transport yields	24 ATP
5	Number ATP to make 1 DNA	72,289,000
6	Number ATP to make 1 protein (360 aa)	1500
7	Number ATP to make 1 lipid	7
8	Number ATP to make 1 polysaccharide	2000
9	Number ATP to make 1 RNA (1000 nt)	2000
10	Number ATP to make 1 cell	55 billion ATP
11	Number Glucose molecules consumed	1.4 billion molecules
12	Cell division rate	1 division/30 minutes

LATEST CURRENT AFFAIRS 100 MCQs

1.    Which one of the following companies became the first major online retailer to offer cloud-based media storage and streaming to unlimited web or Android devices with a free basic plan?
a.    Amazon
b.    Roamans
c.    LL BeAN
d.    vita Coast
Answer: (a)

2.    State-owned carrier Air India announced on 29 March 2011 that it completed the first milestone of its modernisation process with the migration of Air India and Indian Airlines to SITA's Horizon Passenger Service System (PSS). When did Air India sign contract with SITA for the same?
a.    January 2011
b.    March 2010
c.    October 2009
d.    April 2010
Answer: (d)

3.    NYSE listed US-based International Paper decided to buy up to 75% stake in which of the following for up to $423 million, in the first significant domestic acquisition by a foreign paper company?
a.    Abhinav Publications
b.    Vinod Paper House
c.    Ananda Paper House
d.    AP Paper Mills
Answer: (d)

4.    Sistema Shyam Teleservices issued over 54.73-crore equity shares to which of the following governments at 17.14 per cent stake against $600 million received in December 2010 on 30 March 2011?
a.    Italian government
b.    US government
c.    Russian government
d.    Philippines government
Answer: (c)

5. According to the tiger Census 2010, the number of tigers in India increased from 1411 to__.
a) 1706
b) 1672
c) 1511
d) 1611
Answer: (a) 1706

6. Which one of the following statements on tiger Census 2010 in India is NOT correct?
a) The number of tigers in India increased from 1411 in 2006 to 1706 in 2010.
b) The tiger census 2010 was unveiled by the Union Home Ministry.
c) The tiger occupancy areas decreased from 93600 sq. km to areas of 72800sq.km.
d) In the Sunderbans, the tiger Census took place for the first time.
Answer: (b) The tiger Census was unveiled by the Union ministry of Environment and Forests.

7.  In tiger census 2010,
i) Pugmarks were used as the only indicator of tiger numbers.
ii)An advanced Scientific process was adopted which included video trapping and use of satellite data.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
Choose the right option:
a)    Only i is incorrect
b)    Only ii is incorrect
c)    Both i and ii are incorrect
d)    Both i and ii are not incorrect
Answer: ( a)  Only i is incorrect

8. In the Sunderbans, the tiger Census took place for the first time. In which one of the following states of India Sunderbans is located?
a) West Bengal
b) Orissa
C) Andhra Pradesh
d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: (a)  West Bengal, next to the Bay of Bengal

9. Scientists, at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute UK, for the first time identified genetic mutations that lead to the development of acute myeloid leukaemia. Acute myeloid leukaemia is a cancer of the__.
a) White Blood Cells (WBC)
b) Red blood Cells (RBC)
c) Liver Cells
d) Stem Cells
Answer: (a) White Blood Cells (WBC)

10. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper resigned after a no-confidence vote was passed by 156-145 vote against him in the Canadian Parliament on 25 March 2011.  He belongs to which one of the following political parties?
a) Conservative Party
b) Liberal Party
c) Congress Party
d) Democratic Party
Answer: (a) Conservative Party

11. Which of the following statements regarding the outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada are/is correct?
i) He is the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada.
ii) He was sworn as Prime Minister of Canada on 6 February 2006.
Choose the right option:
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Both i and ii are incorrect.
c)    Only i is correct.
d)    Only ii is correct.
Answer: (a) Both i and ii are correct.

12.  Latikia, witnessed the mass unrest against the ruling President Bashar al-Assad on 25-26 March 2011. Where the place Latikia is located?
a) Syria
b) Egypt
c) Yemen
d) Pakistan
Answer: (a) Syria

13.  Latikia, witnessed the mass unrest against the ruling President Bashar al-Assad on 25-26 March 2011. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
i) Bashar al-Assad is the President of Egypt
ii) Latikia is in Syria
a)    Both the statements are incorrect
b)    Only i is incorrect
c)    Only ii is incorrect
d)    Both the statements are not incorrect
Answer: (b) only i is incorrect; Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria

14. The Rajya Sabha, the upper House in Indian Parliament, on 24 March 2011 passed the bill___ changing the name of Orissa to Odisha.
a) Orissa (the Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010
b) Odisha(the Alteration of Name) Bill,2011
c) Orissa (the Alteration of Name) Bill, 2011
d) Odisha(the Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010
Answer:  (a) Orissa (the Alteration of Name) Bill, 2010

15.    Earth quake of 6.8 magnitude struck Myanmar’s borders with Thailand and Laos, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai on 24 March 2011. What was the magnitude of the quake?
a.    6
b.    6.3
c.    6.8
d.    7.6
Answer: (c)

16.    The Shunglu Committee set up to probe corruption in organising the Commonwealth Games (CWG) on 23 March 2011 submitted its second report to the Cabinet Secretary. Which private developer was indicted in the second report?
a.    Emaar MGF
b.    Royale Builders and Developers
c.    Green Field Real Estate
d.    DLF
Answer: (a)

17.    The World Meteorological Organization with its 189 Members and the worldwide meteorological community celebrate World Meteorological Day every year on 23 March. When was the WMO Convention convened for the first time with the purpose of setting up the World Meteorological Organization?
a.    1947
b.    149
c.    150
d.    1956
Answer: (d)

18.    To how many village panchayats was the Nirmal Gram Puraskar awarded by President Pratibha Patil on 23 March 2011?
a.    1543
b.    2808
c.    29
d.    166
Answer: (b)

19.    The Indian government on 24 March 2011 constituted 11member Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) to examine the means of oversight on regulators and their autonomy from the government. Who will head the committee?
a.    Retired Supreme Court Justice BN Srikrishna
b.    former PFRDA Chairman D Swarup
c.    RBI Governor Dr. D. Subbarao
d.    PMEAC member M Govinda Rao
Answer: (a)

20.    On which of the following freedom fighters was a commemorative postage stamp released by the Indian President Pratibha Patil on 24 March 2011?
a.    Padmaja Naidu
b.    Padmaja Naidu
c.    Sucheta Kriplani
d.    Subhadra Joshi
Answer: (d)

21.    Which of the following radio stations was awarded the Most Successful Radio Channel of the Year at the FICCI Frames Excellence Awards 2011 was given out on 25 March 2011?
a.    Radio Mirchi (98.3)
b.    Big FM (92.7)
c.    Red FM (93.5)
d.    Radio One (95)
Answer: (a)

22.    Read the following statement with reference to renowned dancer Leela Samson.
1.    Leela Samson was appointed chairperson of the Central Board for Film Certification on 28 March 2011 by Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
2.    Leela Samson is a renowned Kathakali dancer of India.
3.    Leela Samson won the prestigious Bharat Ratna award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the art of dance in 1990.
4.    Two documentary films were made on her work namely- Sanchari and The Flowering Tree.
Which of the above mentioned statements is/are false?
a.    2 & 4
b.    3 & 4
c.    2 & 3
d.    Only 4
Answer: (c)

23.    Nisha P. Rajagopal has been chosen as the first recipient of ‘The Hindu Saregama M.S. Subbulakshmi Award instituted on 16 September 2010. To which of the following type of music is she famous for?
a.    Carnatic
b.    Hindusthani classical
c.    Haryanavi Music
d.    Ganasangeet
Answer: (a)

24. A team of Scientists led by Takehiko at Yokohama City University grew sperms in a test-tube. Consider the following statements regarding the scientific breakthrough.
i)   Sperms were grown in a Test-tube for the first time.
ii)  The Scientific breakthrough could help millions of infertile men to attain parenthood.
Now choose the right option:
a)   Both i and ii statements are correct
b)   Only i is correct
c)   Only ii is correct
d)   Both I and ii statements are wrong
Answer: (a) Both i and ii statements are correct

25. The Union ministry of Environment and Forests, recently asked state governments to declare bamboo as a minor forest produce to address livelihood issues of forest dwellers and tribals.  Bamboo is a__.
a) Grass
b) Tree
c) Plant
d) Wood
Answer: (a) Grass

26. The Union Cabinet of India, on 22 March 2011, approved the amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The amendment to the Indian Forest Act raised the limit to which fines for relatively minor offences can be compounded from 50 rupees to _ rupees.
a) 9000 rupees
b) 10000 rupees
c) 11000 rupees
d) 12000 rupees
Answer: (b) 10000 rupees

27. Earthquake in Myanmar measured at magnitude 6.8 killed 73 people and injured 111 people on 25 March 2011. The strength of an earthquake can be measured by a device called ___.
a) Seismograph
b) Barometer
c) Algometer
d) Thermometer
Answer: (a) Seismograph

28.    Somdev Devvarman was defeated by which of the following ace tennis players at the quarter finals of the Indian Wells Masters in Californiain in two close sets 5-7 4-6 in March 2011?
a.    Cypriot Marcos
b.    Robin Soderling
c.    Rafael Nadal
d.    Andy Murray
Answer: (c)

29.    World No. 4 India’s Saina Nehwal won the Swiss Grand Prix 2011 by defeating Ji Hyun Sung of South Korea 21-13, 21-14. She had earlier defeated the South Korean badminton player in which of the following tournaments?
a.    Swiss Grand Prix 2011
b.    Indonesia Open Super Series in 2010
c.    All England Open Badminton Championships 2010
d.    Irish Open
Answer: (b)

30.    Who defeated Spanish ace tennis player and World No 1 Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 on 20 March 2011 to win the ATP Indian Wells title?
a.    Novak Djokovic
b.    Robin Sderling
c.    Andy Murray
d.    Andy Roddick
Answer: (a)

31.    Which of the following football clubs got back on track with a 2-0 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarterfinals at Old Trafford on 12 March 2011?
a.    Manchester United
b.    Chelsea
c.    Real Madrid
d.    Liverpool
Answer: (a)

32.    Which of the following teams did Pakistan defeat in the Quarter final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to reach the semi finals?
a.    India
b.    New Zealand
c.    West Indies
d.    Australia
Answer: (c)

33.    According to the latest WTA list, Sania Mirza broke back into the top-100 in the singles list with a jump of eight places.   What is Sania Mirza’s current position in the singles list?
a.    95
b.    90
c.    99
d.    75
Answer: (c)   

34.    Which Indian cricketer was declared the man of the match in the ICC World Cup Quarter final match between India and Australia in Ahmadabad on 24 March 2011?
a.    M S Dhoni
b.    Suresh Raina
c.    Yuvraj Singh
d.    Yusuf Pathan
Answer: (c)

35.    Based on the recommendations of FIPB the Indian Government on 23 March 2011 approved 14 Foreign Direct Investment proposals and 27 proposals. What is the total worth of the FDI proposals accepted by the government?
a.    Rs 1289 crore
b.    Rs 1500 crore
c.    Rs 1342 crore
d.    Rs 1100 crore
Answer: (a)

36.    The finance ministry has opposed the Reserve Bank of India’s suggestion to restrict foreign direct investment in new banks. RBI had restricted foreign direct investment in new banks to what percentage?
a.    43%
b.    43.22%
c.    45.7%
d.    49%
Answer: (d)

37.    Consider the following statements-
1.    CAG in March 2011 sent a questionnaire consisting 40 questions to the telecom ministry on 2G spectrum allocation scam and other developments in the sector.
2.    The department of telecom (DoT) was asked as to why the spectrum (radio waves) allocation was not delinked from the licence as it was known that spectrum was scarce vis-a-vis the demand.
3.    The Parliamentary panel wanted to know whether DoT consulted telecom regulator TRAI regarding the “No Cap” recommendation on number of operators in a circle.
4.    The loss incurred by the exchequer as a result of the 2G scam is estimated to be Rs 185379 crore
Which of the above mentioned statements related to the 2G scam is true?
a.    All of the above statements
b.    1 & 4
c.    2 & 3
d.    2 & 4
Answer: (c)

38.    Which of the following bodies ordered restriction on transmitting unauthenticated news by brokers and wealth managers on blogs and mobile phones in an effort to prevent stock manipulation through rumours?
a.    RBI
b.    IRDA
c.    FIPB
d.    SEBI
Answer: (d)

39.    Which of the following bodies put off indefinitely the new rules governing unwanted telemarketing calls which were supposed to be implemented from 21 March 2011?
a.    Department of Telecommunication (DoT)
b.    Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
c.    Indian Ministry of communication & Technology
d.    HRD Ministry
Answer: (b)

40.    The Indian government in March 2011 conferred the Miniratna status on which of the following PSUs?
a.    National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)
b.    Air India Charters Ltd
c.    Cement Corporation of India
d.    HMT Machine Tools Ltd
Answer: (a)

41.    Gilead Sciences, a California based bio-pharmaceutical research firm, and its patent partner, Roche Holding AG, have sued which of the following Indian generic drug makers in March 2011 for allegedly infringing a US patent for Tamiflu, a drug used in treatment of bird and swine-flu infections?
a.    Dr Reddy’s
b.    Natco Pharma
c.    Ranbaxy Laboratories
d.    GlaxoSmithKline
Answer: (b)

42.    AT&T on Sunday announced that it had agreed to buy T-Mobile USA from which of the following telecom companies for $39 billion?
a.    Deutsche Telekom
b.    Sprint Nextel
c.    Verizon Wireless
d.    Comcast
Answer: (a)

43.    A consortium comprising two companies acquired the IPL’s global Internet, mobile and audio rights, along with television rights in specific territories outside India, for the next four years. The consortium bagged the rights with a winning bid of Rs 261.6 crore in Chennai on 20 March 2011. Which are the two companies included in the consortium?
a.    TIL & Nimbus Communication
b.    Reliance Big Pictures & Zoom
c.    TIL & Colors
d.    Zoom and UTV Motion Pictures
Answer: (a)

44.    HCL Technologies on Thursday announced the expansion of its Smart Grid partner ecosystem by entering into strategic alliances with two data management software firms focused on the smart grid market. Which are the two firms with which HCL has entered into an alliance?
1.    Infosys
2.    eMeter
3.    Cape Gemini
4.    Tridium
a.    1 & 2
b.    2 & 3
c.    2 & 4
d.    1 & 4
Answer: (c)

45.    In India’s first sale of rupee perpetual bonds by a non-finance company Rs 1500 crore ($332 million) was raised. Name the non-finance company.
a.    Tata Steel
b.    Pantallons Retail
c.    RIL
d.    Maruti Suzuki
Answer: (a)

46.    Online marketplace eBay India, in association with leading apparel brand Reebok auctioned a bat autographed by Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The proceeds of the auction will go to which of the following NGOs?
a.    Oxfem
b.    CRY
c.    All Bengal Women’s Union
d.    UNEM
Answer: (b)

47.    Who did HDFC Bank, the country's second-largest private sector lender appoint  in March 2011 to head its investment banking division?
a.    Rakesh Singh
b.    Charul Madan
c.    Gaurav Khungar
d.    Atul Singh
Answer: (a)

48.    Read the following statements with regard to a veteran Bollywood actor.
1.    The actor was first introduced in Bollywood movies by actor-filmmaker Sanjay Khan in the film Abdullah.
2.    He essayed the role of villain in more than 200 films.
3.    He was seen in movies like Kaalia, Mard, Nastik, Qurbani, Mr India etc
4.    The actor's biography, Flashback: My Times in Bollywood and Beyond, was to be released by Akshay Kumar in June 2011.
5.    He died at the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology in Bangalore on 20 March 2011.
Identify the actor being referred to.
a.    Bob Christo
b.    Amjad Khan
c.    Sadashiv Amrapurkar
d.    Milind Gunaji
Answer: (a)

49.    Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav was on 22 March 2011 sentenced to seven years in jail after being convicted for rape. To which of the following parties does he belong to?
a.    Kadima
b.    Likud
c.    United Torah Judaism
d.    Labor Party
Answer: (b)

50.    The prime minister has constituted a committee to suggest rules and regulations for government procurement based on global best practices though India is a not a member of the GPA. What is the full form of GPA?
a.    Government’s People Act
b.    Government Procurement Act
c.    Governmental Public Association
d.    Government for Procurement Agency
Answer: (b)

51.    A weeklong exhibition of handloom and handicrafts, Bihar Utsav-2011 was organised by the Bihar Government in March 2011 to commemorate Bihar’s Foundation Day. When was the modern State of Bihar carved out of Bengal Presidency?
a.    22 March 1912
b.    2 March 1913
c.    31 March 1913
d.    7 March 1912
Answer: (a)

52.    A short film, Eclipse In Taregna which is about 2009 solar eclipse in Targena, a small hamlet in Bihar won the Founder’s Choice Award at which of the following international film festivals in March 2011?
a.    India International Film Festival
b.    Tampa Bay
c.    Queens World Film Festival
d.    New York Indian Film Festival
Answer: (c)

53.    Which one of the following social activist declared in March 2011 that he would sit on a fast on 5 April 2011 in Delhi in support of the introduction of Lokpal Bill to check corruption?
a.    Anna Hazare
b.    Medha Patkar
c.    Aruna Roy
d.    Bhaurao Patil
Answer: (a)
54. British Scientists discovered a cholesterol regulating protein which plays an important role in the formation of thrombosis a kind of blood clot that can result into heart attacks and strokes. What is the name of that protein?
a) LXR
b) LRX
c) XRL
d) LLL
Answer: (a) LXR

55. A report by the Climate Group, named India’s Clean Revolution, published on 18 March 2011 revealed that the market for low carbon goods and services in India could reach 135 billion US dollars by the year___.
a) 2020
b) 2015
c) 2017
d) 2018
Answer: (a) 2020

56. A New Technology Called High Tibial Osteotomy was developed in India to cure which one of the followings?
a) Cancer
b) TB
c) Knee Problems
d) Skin Cancer
Answer: (c) Knee Problems

57. Scientists from which one of the following countries created a herd of more than 200 cows that is capable of producing milk similar to that of humans?
a) China
b) India
c) USA
d) UK
Answer: (a) China

58. A study of the conservation needs of the Kimberley region showed that dozens of mammals, lizards, birds and other vertebrates are endangered because of hunting by feral cats and destruction of their habitat by wild donkeys and fires. In which one of the following countries Kimberley region is located?
a) USA
b) Australia
c) France
d)Canada
Answer: (b) Australia

59.    Chennai-based two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company launched its premium Apache RTR 180 bike on 11 March 2011. Which unique technology does the bike boast of?
a.    Special cooling technology
b.    anti-lock braking system technology
c.    petrol control technology
d.    shock absorb technology
Answer: (b)

60.    TPG and the Shriram Group will take over which one of the following retail chains through a joint venture subsidiary of the two companies- TPG Wholesale Private Limited?
a.    Vishal Retail
b.    Arvind Brands
c.    Classic Fashions
d.    Heritage Foods (India) Ltd
Answer: (a)

61.    Nippon Life in March 2011 agreed to pick up what percentage of shares in Reliance Life Insurance for Rs 3602 crore marking the single largest foreign direct investment in the insurance sector and the first M&A transaction after IRDA capped life insurance charges in October 2010?
a.    22.3%
b.    24%
c.    25.6%
d.    26%
Answer: (d)

62.    India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd rolled out its 10 millionth car on 15 March 2011. Which car was Maruti Suzuki’s 10 millionth car?
a.    blue Wagon-R
b.    red Maruti Omni
c.    red Swift Dezire
d.    black Ritz
Answer: (a)

63.    IT hardware firm HCL Infosystems announced on 17 March 2011 that it bagged an order worth Rs 300 crore from which of the following to deploy Wideband CDMA-based portable wireless network?
a.    Indian Navy
b.    Indian Air Force
c.    DRDO
d.    Indian Army
Answer: (b)

64.    Hindustan Unilever’s toothpaste brand Close Up tied up with which of the following gaming portals for the Close Up’s new variant Fire-Freeze?
a.    in5ane.com
b.    addictingames.com
c.    123kidzarea.com
d.    Zapak.com
Answer: (d)

65.    An Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) to monitor the process of their release of 53 Indians on five hijacked ships being kept hostage in Somalia was decided to set up. Name the Cabinet Committee which in its meeting on 11 March 2011 decided to set up the IMG.
a.    Cabinet Committee on Foreign Relations
b.    Defence Committee of the Cabinet
c.    Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
d.    Cabinet Committee on Security
Answer: (d)

66.    Which of the following missiles was not test-fired on 11 March 2011 by India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) establishing readiness of India’s nuclear deterrence systems?
1.    Dhanush
2.    Agni-IV
3.    Prithvi-II
4.    Ballistic Air Defence Missile System
a.    1 & 3
b.    2 & 4
c.    1 & 2
d.    3 & 4
Answer: (b)

67.    A devastating earthquake struck Japan on 11 March 2011 shaking buildings in a large swath of the country and giving rise to a 30 foot tsunami. What was the magnitude of the earthquake that hit Japan?
a.    8
b.    8.3
c.    8.9
d.    9.1
Answer: (c)

68.    Japan declared states of emergency for five nuclear reactors at two power plants after the units lost cooling ability in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck on 11 March 2011. Which are the two nuclear plants where Japan declared a state of emergency following the earthquake?
1.    Fukushima Daini site
2.    Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant
3.    Kushima Nuclear Power Plant
4.    Ashihama Nuclear Power Plant
a.    1 & 3
b.    2 & 4
c.    1 & 2
d.    2 & 3
Answer: (c)

69.    Which Indian river-island was nominated by the Indian government to be included in the cultural landscape category of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage list?
a.    Majuli
b.    Dhakuwakhana
c.    Nimati Ghat
d.    North Lakhimpur
Answer: (a)

70.    Who among the following list of journalists was on 15 March 2011 conferred the Chameli Devi Jain award 2010 for an outstanding woman media person?

a.    Shahina K K
b.    Shireen Bhan
c.    Prabha Dutt
d.    Bachi Karkaria
Answer: (a)

71.    Bollywood's own Razzies, the annual Golden Kela Awards named which actor was selected as the worst actor for his role in a film released in 2010?
a.    Salman Khan for Veer
b.    Shah Rukh Khan for My Name is Khan
c.    Imran Khan for I Hate Love Stories
d.    Hrithik Roshan for Guzaarish
Answer: (b)

72.    Mauritius has conferred one of his highest honours, Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and the Key of the Indian Ocean, on which of the following presidents?
a.    Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed
b.    Indian President Pratibha Patil
c.    US President barack Obama
d.    French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Answer: (a)

73.    Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its latest report on trends in the international arms trade on 14 March 2011. According to the report which country has been the world's biggest weapons importer over the past five years?
a.    China
b.    India
c.    South Korea
d.    Pakistan
Answer: (b)

74.    Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its latest report on trends in the international arms trade on 14 March 2011. When did SIPRI come into being?
a.    1960
b.    1966
c.    1970
d.    1983
Answer: (b)

75.    Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 11 March 2011 announced in Lok Sabha an increase in the allocation under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) Scheme from Rs.2 crore to Rs.5 crore per Member. When was the MPLAD scheme introduced?
a.    1990
b.    1991
c.    1992
d.    1993
Answer: (d)

76.    Union Minister of Finance Pranab Mukherjee declared in the Lok Sabha on 11 March 2011 the extension of the existing Interest Subvention Scheme of providing short term loans to farmers at 7% interest with additional interest subvention for timely repayment to which of the following group?
a.    Small scale entrepreneurs
b.    Cottage industries & handicraft professionals
c.    Fishermen
d.    Horticulturists
Answer: (c)

77.    Indian agriculture needs Rs 108000 crore to fight climate change in the next five years to ensure food for all at a reasonable price by 2020. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture is implemented under which of the following?
a.    NABARD
b.    Bharat Nirman
c.    Prime Minister's National Action Plan on Climate Change
d.    Accelerated Fodder Development Programme
Answer: (c)

78. Read the following sentences with regard to NSIC.
1.    National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) is a public sector undertaking under the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
2.    NSIC was awarded the Mini Ratna status by the Indian Governmnet on 3 March 2011.
3.    NSIC has a marked presence both in the service as well as the manufacturing sectors.
4.    NSIC acts as a facilitator to promote small industries through various user-friendly and demand-driven schemes
Which of the following sentence/sentences is/are not true with regards to NSIC?
a.    Only 3
b.    1 & 3
c.    Only 2
d.    2 & 4
Answer: (a)

79.  In February 2011 imports rose to $31.70 billion, up 21.2 per cent over the same period in 2010 while exports rose 49.8 per cent to $23.60 billion. What was the trade deficit in February 2011?

a.     (-)8.1 billion
b.    (-)8 billion
c.    (-)8.3 billion
d.    (-)8.8 billion
Answer: (a)

80. The Reserve of India on 17 March 2011 increased the interest rate at which it injects liquidity into the banking system by 25 basis points to 6.75 per cent (repo rate). It also revised its inflation projection for March-end 2011 from 7 % to _?

a.    7.3
b.    7.5
c.    7.5
d.    8
Answer: (d)

81. An international team of scientists, led by the Australian National University recently discovered evidence that the body’s immune cells often share information about foreign substances with each other to ward of invaders. The study can help increase the immunity level in human body against pathogens and cancer. Which of the followings are the symptoms of Cancer? 
i) Weight Loss
ii) Excessive Sweating
iii) Lumps and Swelling (tumour)
iv) Enlargement of Spleen
Please choose the correct option:
a)    i, ii, iii and iv
b)    i and ii only
c)    i, ii and iii
only i
Answer: (a) I, ii, iii and iv

82. According to an extensive genetic study on modern humans, two conclusions were drawn out.
i) There is an enormous amount of diversity in the African hunter-gatherer populations.
ii) The genetic diversity among 27 present-day African populations originated in southern Africa and progressed to northern Africa.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a)    Both i and ii
b)    Neither I and ii
c)    Only i
d)    Only ii
Answer: (a) both i and ii

83. A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of Japan. Consider the following statements regarding Tsunami.
i) A Tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, reaching heights of over 100 feet onto land.
ii) Most tsunamis, about 80 percent, happen within the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make earthquakes and volcanoes common.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a)    Both i and ii
b)    Only i
c)    Only ii
d)    Neither i  nor ii
Answer: (a) Both i and ii

84.  A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of Japan. Where is the Pacific Tsunami Warning System headquartered?
a) Hawai
b) Tokyo
c) Manila
d) Jakarta
Answer: (a) Hawai

85. A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of japan. What are the possible factors which can cause Tsunami?
i)An Earthquake
ii) A landslide
iii) A volcanic eruption or explosion
iv) Impact by a meteorite
Please choose the right option
a)    i, ii, iii and iv
b)    i and ii only
c)    ii and iii only
d)    i and iv only
Answer: (a) i, ii, iii and iv

86. As per the official data released by TRAI on 9 March 2011, which state in MNP Zone-2 recorded the maximum number of request for mobile number portability by end of February 2011?
a.    Tamil Nadu
b.    Karnataka
c.    West Bengal
d.    Assam
Answer: (b) Karnataka

87. The Enforcement Directorate has booked Pune-based real estate agent and stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan under section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. When did PMLA come into existence?
a.    2000
b.    2002
c.    2005
d.    1999
Answer: (c) 2005

88. The e-commerce portal of India Post, was launched by Union Minister Kapil Sibal on 9 March 2011 provide postal services online. Which among the following is the correct name of the portal?
a.    e-post office
b.    e-post service
c.    e-postal services
d.    India Post e-commerce
Answer: (a) e-post office

89. Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal overtook Mukesh Ambani to become the wealthiest Indian as per the annual Forbes list of World Billionaires for 2011. What is Lakshmi Mittal’s ranking in the list?
a.    Fourth
b.    Sixth
c.    Ninth
d.    Eleventh
Answer: (b) Sixth

90. According to the Economic Survey of India 2010-11, Forex Reserves estimated at __ US dollars.
a) 297.3 billion US dollars
b) 245.6 billion US dollars
c) 285.4 billion US dollars
d) 113.2 billion US dollars
Answer: (a) 297.3 billion US dollars

91. Consider the following statements regarding the Economic Survey of India 2010-11.
i) Agriculture likely to grow at 5.4% in 2010-11
ii) Trade Gap narrowed to 82.01 billion US dollars in April-December 2010
iii) 59% rise in Bank Credit
Please choose the right option:
a)    All the three statements  i, ii and iii are correct ; b) only I and ii are correct
b)    All three statements are wrong ; d) only i) is correct
Answer: (a) All three Statements i, ii and iii are correct

92.  India’s External debt stood at 295.8 billion US dollars at the end of September 2010, recording an increase of 33.5 billion US dollars ove the level of end-March 2010. The rise in debt was largely due to
i) Higher Commercial borrowings; ii) Short-term trade credits
iii) Multilateral government borrowings
Please choose the right option:
a)    Only i  b) only i and ii
b)    Only i and iii ; d) All I,ii and iii
Answer: (d) All i, ii and iii

93. Consider the following statements:
1. India’s exports crossed the USD 200 billion mark in the first eleven months of the 2010-11 fiscal.
2. The trade gap for the first 11 months of the financial year 2010-11 stood at USD 97.1 billion.
3. African countries and Japan were the traditional markets for Indian exporters during the 2010-11.
4. The current forecast for the 2011-12 is USD 230-235 billion.
Which of the statement given above is not correct?
a.1
b. 2
c. 3
d.4
Answer: (c) 3

94. Foreign Minister of Brazil Antonio Patriota, reached India for a five day visit on 5 March 2011 for the Bilateral and the IBSA Ministerial meetings. What was the major agreement signed between Indian & Brazil during this period?
a.    Air Services Agreement
b.    Agreement on disarmament & non-proliferation
c.    Bilateral trade and investment agreement
d.    Climate change agreement
Answer: (a) Air Services Agreement

95. Which of the following days in March is observed as the International Children Broadcasting Day?
a.    6 March
b.    7 March
c.    9 March
d.    13 March
Answer: (a) 6 March

96. Singapore on 5 March 2011 appointed Brigadier General Ravinder Singh as its next army chief. Who was the first ever Sikh and non-Chinese to take up the post of army chief of Singapore in 1982?
a.    Colonel Mancharan Singh Gill
b.    Hari Singh Nalwa
c.    Harchand Singh
d.    Nirmal Chandra Suri
Answer: (a) Colonel Mancharan Singh Gill

97.  Which one of the following states recently announced 2-year child care leave for its women employees?
a) Bihar
b) Uttar Pradesh
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Uttarakhand
Answer: (d) Uttarakhand

98. The Foreign Ministers of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) and India attended the India-LCD Ministerial Conference on 18-19 February 2011. Where it was held?
a) New Delhi
b) Tripoli
c) Thimpu
d) Kathmandu
Answer: (a) New Delhi

99. What was the theme of International Women’s day in 2011?
a) Equal Access to Education, Training and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women.
b) Celebrating Women’s Power
c) Equality, Freedom and Unity
d) Equal Opportunities for All
Answer: (a) Equal Access to Education, Training and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women.

100. Illinois became __th State of the United States to abolish the death penalty when its Governor Pat Quinn announced the decision on 9 March 2011?
a) 15th
b) 14th
c) 16th
d) 17th
Answer: (b) 16th

ABOLITION OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA - Strategies for the Eleventh Five Year Plan

In passing the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India, education is a fundamental right. This has implications for fulfillment of the obligation of the State to ensure that every child is in school. Since most children who do not attend schools are engaged in some form of work or another, it is essential that there is a comprehensive plan to withdraw children from work and mainstream them into schools. In other words the labour department has a crucial role to abolish child labour in all its forms and ensure that children enjoy their right to education. This is indeed a challenging task, but can be attained with concerted effort and a clear perspective.

Child Labour in India
India continues to host the largest number of child labourers in the world today. According to the Census 2001, there were 12.7 million economically active children in the age-group of 5-14 years. 3 million during 1991 (Population Census) thus showing an increase in the number of child labourers. Workers in general are classified into main and marginal workers1 by the population census. Census data shows that there is a decline in the absolute number as well the percentage of children (5-14) to total population in that age group, classified as main workers from 4.3 percent in 1991 to 2.3 percent in 2001. But there was a substantial increase in marginal workers in every category of worker irrespective of sex and residence. As a result, despite the number of main workers declining from 9.08 million in 1991 to 5.78 million in 2001, the total number of children in the work force increased. A large part of the increase was accounted for by the increase in marginal workers, which increased from 2.2 million in 1991 to 6.89 million in 2001. The trends between 1991 and 2001 of declining main child workers along with increasing marginal workers may indicate the changing nature of work done by children. This is also to be seen in the context of decelerating employment growth in general in the economy during the last decade.

According to NSSO estimates WPR for children in the 5-9 age group is negligible and for children in the age group of 10-14, it still continues to be significant though declining. Work has been defined in the Census 2001 as ‘participation in any economically productive activity with or without compensation, wages or profit.’ Such participation could be physical and/or mental in nature.
This work includes supervisory work as well as direct participation in the work. For the first time, the
Census includes part-time help or unpaid work on the farm, family enterprise or in any other economic
activity such as cultivation and milk production for domestic consumption as work. All persons engaged in
‘work’ as defined in the Census are considered workers. Main workers are defined as those who have
worked for the major part of the reference period, that is 6 months or more. And marginal workers are those
who have not worked for the major part of the reference period. All those workers who are not cultivators
or agricultural labourers or engaged in household industry are categorized as ‘Other Workers’.

Magnitude of Child Labour across States
There is across the board decline in the incidence of child labour in the Southern and Western Indian States and UTs between 1991 and 2001. However, there has been an increasing trend in the Eastern and North Indian States and UTs. While the Kerala and Tamil Nadu stories are well known, it is heartening to see that the state of Andhra Pradesh, that had a dubious distinction of having the largest child labour force in the country, shows very remarkable reduction in work-force participation, along with a dramatic increase in the enrollment of children in school. Surprising is the case of Himachal Pradesh, which has shown significant increases in school attendance and in literacy levels. However, there is a dramatic increase in the
percentage of children in the age-group 5-14 years who are classified as workers, both main and marginal.

Nature and extent of child labour and child work: Findings of the Time-use survey

The Department of Statistics, Government of India, organized a pilot time use survey in six states of India between July, 1998, and June, 1999. This study was conducted in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya. The time-use survey shows that boys and girls spend 21.46 hours a week on SNA activities, which is about 47 percent of the time spent by an adult on SNA activities. Girls (6-14) participate in extended SNA activities much more than participant men of all ages. Thus, while girls spend 13.01 hours on household management, 10.64 hours on community services and 11.17 hours on care activities, the corresponding data on time spent by men are 6.76 hours, 7.99 hours and 6.12 hours respectively. More significantly, analyzing the data Indira Hirway states that “more than 32 percent ‘nowhere’ children, who do not go to school, are largely engaged in economic or in extended economic activities. In the case of girls, their low attendance in school is not only due to their participation in economic activities but also due to the responsibilities borne by them in extended SNA activities.”

 EXISTING PROGRAMMES FOR REHABILITATION OF CHILD LABOUR

 Legal Framework
As per Article 24 of the Constitution, no child below the age of 14 years is to be employed in any factory, mine or any hazardous employment. Further, Article 39 requires the States to direct its policy towards ensuring that the tender age of children is not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength. Recently, with the insertion of Article 21A, the State
has been entrusted with the task of providing free and compulsory education to all the children in the age group of 6-14 years. Consistent with the Constitutional provisions, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986, which seeks to prohibit employment of children below 14 years in hazardous occupations and processes and regulates the working conditions in other employments. In the last 5 years, the
number of hazardous processes listed in the schedule of the Act has increased from 18 to 57 and occupations from 7 to 13.

National Child Labour Programme
A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in 1987 which emphasised the need for strict enforcement measures in areas of high child labour concentration. In order to translate the above policy into action, the Government of India initiated the National Child Labour Project Scheme in 1988 to rehabilitate the working children starting with 12 child labour endemic districts of the country. Under the Scheme, working children are
identified through child labour survey, withdrawn from work and put into the special schools, so as to provide them with enabling environment to join mainstream education system. In these Special Schools, besides formal education, they are provided stipend @ Rs.100/- per month, nutrition, vocational training and regular health check ups. In addition, efforts are also made to target the families of these children so as to cover them
under various developmental and income/employment generation programmes of the Government. The Scheme also envisages awareness generation campaigns against the evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws. It is seen that the level of enforcement in the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra & West Bengal is encouraging, whereas that in UP, Rajasthan, Madhya  Pradesh & Orissa it is very low.

 ILO-International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
ILO launched IPEC Programme in 1991 to contribute to the effective abolition of child labour in the world. India was the first country to sign MOU in 1992. The INDUS Project envisages direct interventions in the identified 21 districts spread across five states for identification and rehabilitation of child labour. The strategy under the project is to complement and build up on the existing government initiatives.

REVIEW OF PRESENT APPROACH – SOME ISSUES
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 prohibits child labour in certain occupations and processes alone and their conditions of work are regulated in the rest. The law does not prohibit child labour if rendered for one’s own family in those areas of occupation that has been considered as hazardous. Likewise, it has no purview over regulating the conditions of work if children are engaged to work by the family. The law has also completely left out children working in agriculture. The first step is to clearly enunciate a policy that ‘no child must work-and every child attends a full time formal school’ is not negotiable and that it is a goal that is possible to achieve
.
The NCLP programme which is a consequence of the Child Labour (Prohibition &Regulation) Act, 1986 focuses on the release and rehabilitation of only such children who are employed in those industries as notified in the Act. It has so far been able to mainstream only about 3.75 lakh children. Children continue to be recruited to work in the ‘’hazardous” sector. Many girl children are being left out of getting the benefit of the NCLP program. It is found that a new set of children have taken the place of those who have been withdrawn from work. Further it has been seen that for many practitioners on the ground it is impractical to refuse children from the same neighbourhood or the family, who are in work and out of school because they do not fall under the definition of child labour. If there has to be an end to child labour then the focus must be on total abolition of child labour and in addressing the rights of the universe of children who are out of school.

 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ABOLITION OF CHILD LABOUR
In most societies where child labour has been eradicated, multi-pronged strategies were used. Stringent laws were passed which made child labour illegal. In addition the educational system was strengthened so that children removed from work could go to school.

 INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF CHILD LABOUR
An analysis of the situation of child labour in India provided in Part I of this document shows that children are working in different sectors across the country. They are to be found working in. Given the varied situations in which children are working, strategies for the elimination of child labour need to be inclusive and non-negotiable. In order to effectively abolish child labour it is necessary to remove the artificial distinction between ‘child labour’ and ‘child work’.

AMENDMENT TO THE CHILD LABOUR (PROHIBITION AND REGULATION) ACT 1986
Enforcement of the law is a key strategy. But in the case of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, there are a number of loopholes, which makes the law ineffective. The Child Labour Act must be non-negotiable and the word “Regulation” should be removed from its title so that child labour abolition becomes non-negotiable. In the same spirit the penal provisions must be enhanced, employment of child labour must be deemed as a cognisable offence and the enforcement machinery strengthened several
times over so that the message is clear that child labour will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

A NEW NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR ERADICATION POLICY
Several changes have occurred since the drafting of the National Child Eradication Labour Policy in 1987. A re-examination of all the laws and policies pertaining to working children is critical. There must be consistency in the constitutional and legal provisions pertaining to children’s rights especially their right to education and wellbeing.

REVISED NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROGRAMME (NCLP)
Transitional Education Centres
The current National Child Labour Programme (NCLP) needs to be revamped. NCLP schools must be converted into Transitional Education Centres (TECs) which are both non-residential and residential. It is very important that the guidelines for TECs are very flexible, adapting to the local situation.Every child rescued from work would have to be brought to a local TEC and the TEC would have to accept all children who are rescued from work. These TECs must act as bridges and the children are to be handed over to the
SSA programme. This will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis. Each TEC should have facilities to accommodate at least 50 children at any given point of time. It is proposed to have 30 TECs (non-residential) in each of the 600 districts in the country. These TECs’s would be equipped for at least 50 children at any given point of time. However, it is expected that there would be even more number of children due to the intensive campaign, awareness building as well as enforcement of law. The NCLP scheme must be flexible enough to take all such children and if necessary merge a couple of TECs in one place. It is envisaged that 45 lakh children would be benefited by this arrangement.
Some children who are rescued from work have no security in terms of their family or community and are, therefore, in a highly vulnerable position of exploitation. The residential TEC’s would be the first post where such rescued children would be sent. It is proposed to have 2 residential TECs in each district with 50 children in each. Even here, depending upon the demand there must be flexibility to increase the residential TECs and if necessary, modify the non-residential TECs to residential ones, within the budgets that
are provided for. It is envisaged that 3 lakh children would benefit from this over five years.

 Migrant children
The NCLP needs to recognize the special situation of migrant child labourers. These could be children who have runaway from home or children who migrate seasonally with their families. Given the extent of intra-state migration, additional TECs must be set up in states/districts from where families migrate and linkages must be established with local schools so that children have a residential facility when their parents move out for work.
Temporary TECs could also be set up in areas where people migrate for work such as to the brick kilns, salt pans, sugar cane areas, to name a few. Local NGOs could be supported to run these temporary TECs so that children get health and education facilities and are not roped into work.

 NCLP Project Society at District level
Each district would continue to have a District Child Labour Project Society under the NCLP program with the District Collector as its Chairperson and a committee that assists and advises the staff. It would have to however expand its operations to going beyond running of special schools. It would add the component of an intense social mobilisation through the social mobilisers, along with taking up the TECs.

Social Mobilisation
Given that eradication of child labour is not an easy task, preventive strategies are more sustainable in the long run. One of the major preventive strategies, which must feature in any national child labour eradication policy, is the role of social mobilization and community participation. It is vital to ensure that children stay at home and go to formal government schools rather than leave home to work full time. There has to be a national campaign to invoke public interest and large-scale awareness on this issue, there is a need for an extensive awareness generation campaign launched over a period of time at the Centre and State on a sustained basis. Required budgetary provisions for such a mass campaign must be provided for in 11th Plan.

 Social Mobilisers
Child labourers are spread across the country; working in dispersed villages and slums. The eradication of child labour cannot be done by the labour department alone, as it is so under-staffed. Labour department needs to have a cadre of youth volunteers who can be trained as ‘Social Mobilisers’ who will be responsible for withdrawing children from work as well as monitoring school dropouts and children with irregularity of attendance. It is understood that if such children are not tracked they would join the labour force as
child labour. It is proposed to have 5 social mobilisers in each of the 6202 Blocks in the country. Each of the social mobilisers would be responsible for 200 children and it is envisaged that through their activity the status of more than 3 crore children would be monitored. 

 Survey of child labour
It is necessary that the government commission research and surveys on different aspects of child labour in the country. This is important since the last countrywide enumeration of the working children was held in 2001 Census and the incidence of child labour may have undergone change since then with population growth and the large-scale migration of workforce.

SYNERGY BETWEEN ALL CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS
Ministries and departments have different roles to play in order to ensure that children removed from work are properly rehabilitated and do not go back into the work force. 

 Department of Labour
The department of Labour’s function is to identify and rescue child labour and ensure that all the children who are out of school in an area are covered; Enforce law- and action against employers of children; Counsel rescued children and mainstream them into formal schools; Coordinate all the concerned departments of education, police, youth, welfare panchayat raj, and women and child development and establish protocols for collabourative action; Establish TECs for children rescued from labour.

 Department of Education
The department of education has the task of integrating all out of school children which includes child labour and school dropouts into the school system and ensure that children enjoy their right to education. Their function is to prevent children from joining the labour force the education department must ensure that all children in the 5-8 years age group are enrolled and retained in schools; through SSA pay attention to children in the 9-14 age groups like child labour, migrating children, street children, domestic child workers and school dropouts and never enrolled children and provide for residential and non-residential bridge courses, seasonal hostels, mobile schools and work-site schools for children who migrate with their families must from the very beginning be linked to a formal government school. 

 Department of Home/Police
The role of the police is, booking the right cases under the Child Labour Act and all other relevant Acts; take complaints all missing children and track them and follow up in the best interest of the child and their right to education. 

Department of Youth Affairs
The Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangatanas (NYKS) under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has a huge network of youth clubs across the country. They must spearhead a campaign against child labour and for children’s right to education in the entire country. 

 Department of Panchayat Raj
The Ministry for Panchayat Raj /Rural Development is to ensure that all gram panchayats fully monitor the status of children in their area. It must also provide training for the gram panchayats to track children and protect their rights

 Department of Women and Child Development
The Ministry must strengthen Child line and expanded to every district of the country. A Juvenile Justice Board and a Child Welfare Committee (CWC) must be set up in every district as required in the JJ Act of 2000. There is a need for the Labour department to coordinate its activities with the CWC. 

 Involvement of Judiciary
There has to be an orientation for the judiciary and establishment of procedures for making the courts child friendly. Children must not be allowed to make forays to the Court till they turn hostile. There is a need to also establish mobile courts for quick and timely action to rescue children and book cases.

 Role of Gram Panchayats
At the level of gram panchayats, children would not be statistics but will have specific names. If children are not found in the village or with their family, there must be an immediate enquiry into their whereabouts. As a first step they must lodge a police complaint and pursue the matter till children are found and rescued from whatever location they might be in. A list of all such children who are not in the families must be drawn up and consolidated at the mandal/block/ and district level. It must be monitored at the State level and reviewed systematically.

 Vocational Training for children in 15-18 years age group
The Labour Department should assist children who have completed Class X to get vocational training by linking them up to local ITIs, NGO run vocational training programmes and private sector initiatives. They should not run vocational training centers as the track record of vocational training centers set up by the labour departments is extremely poor. The labour department should instead help older children to get placements in the job market.

TRAININGS
Youth volunteers, gram panchayats, school teachers, officers of labour department and so on must all be given training about child labour and their respective roles in abolition of child labour. Training modules are to be prepared on the issue of child labour and education. All the participants must have a legal literacy and have a full knowledge of children’s rights and their entitlements, the role of various departments, and awareness of the schemes and programs meant for children.