CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs

1. Which among the following body promoted securities Trading Corporation of India Limited (STCI) jointly with the Public sector Banks?
(a) SEBI
(b) Reserve bank Of India
(c) IDBI Ltd.
(d) ICICI Ltd
2. The state bank of India (Amendment) Bill-2010, which was passed in the parliament in the latter half of 2010, apart from other things, reduces the statutory minimum shareholding of the Central Government in the bank from ­________ to ______ %, which among the following set of figures fills the blank correctly?
(a) 59, 52
(b) 55, 51
(c) 59, 55
(d) 62, 51
3. What do we call an agreement whereby an issuing Bank at the request of the Importer (Buyer) undertakes to take payment to the exporter (Beneficiary) against stipulated documents?
(a) Bill of exchange
(b) Letter of Exchange
(c) Letter of Credit
(d) Bill of entry
4. Mutual funds are regulated in India by which among the following?
(a) RBI
(b) SEBI
(c) Stock exchanges
(d) RBI and SEBI both
5. Which of the following country was the host of First Asian Yoga Championship held recently?
(a) Thailand
(b) Cambodia
(c) Vietnam
(d) Laos

6. Which among the following body authorizes the credit limit to the National Co-operative Marketing Federation?
(a) RBI
(b) Department of Agriculture
(c) NABARD
(d) Department of Finance
7. Which among the following duties is applied by a government to control the exports of a commodity, so that the commodity can be used by the local markets than in foreign countries?
(a) Custom duty
(b) Excise Duty
(c) Anti dumping duty
(d) Dumping Duty
8. We read in the newspapers that the foreign direct Investments are preferred over the Capital Inflow. In this context, please consider the following.
1. FDI brings in latest technology
2. FDI does not involve large outflow
3. FDI improves efficiency of the economy
Which among the above is/are most suitable reason/reasons for the given statement?
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 1 & 3
© Only 1 & 2
(d) All 1, 2 & 3
9. Which among the following body finalizes the market-borrowing programmers of State Governments in India?
(a) State Governments
(b) RBI
(Union Ministry of Finance
(d) Planning Commission
10. Which among the following is the only correct statement?
(a) Money market meets long term financing needs
(b) Recession in industrial sector in India is normally due to fall in exports
© Ways and means advances is given by RBI are nowhere related to state’s revenue
(d) Exchange rate is fixed by RBI
11. Which among the following is the top dividend paying company of India, as per a study done by economic Times?
(a) ONGC
(b)TCS
© ITC
(d) IOC
12. Many a times we read in the newspapers hat the Government of India signs DTAA to broaden the scope of article of exchange of information to include exchange of banking information. What does the DTSS refers to here?
(a) DTAA taxation article agreement
(b) Double taxation avoidance agreement
© Double taxation avoidance arrangements
(d) Dual tax agreement arrangement
13. What does the Canada India Research U.S. refer to?
(a) A business forum
(b) A nuclear reactor
© A scientific research group
(d) A proposed space research organization.
14. Which among the following decides the oil Prices in India?
(a) Government of India
(b) Government of Respective states
© Ministry of Petroleum
(d) Oil Companies
15. Consider the following statements in context with Treasury Bulls?
1. They are issued by Government of India on behalf of RBI
2. They are mostly for short term borrowings
3. Treasury Bills cannot be purchased by any person resident of India
Which among the above is/are correct?
(a) All are correct
(b) 2 & 3 are correct
(c) Only 2 is correct
(d) Only 3 is correct
16. Which among the following is India’s largest indigenous Research and Production Nuclear Reactor?
(a) Apsara
(b) Dhurva
© Kamini
(d) CIRUS
17. Bring out the only incorrect statement:
(a) Reserve Repo operation by RBI aims are injecting/increasing liquidity
(b) SDR refers to special drawing
© Rupee appreciation results in decrease in imports
(d) Increase in inflation rate leads to decline in real interest rate
18. Which among the following is headed by Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta?
(a) Arms forces Tribunal
(b) National Green Tribunal
© Debt Recovery tribunal
(d) Central Administrative tribunal
19. Christine Lagarde, who recently headed the G-20 meeting of Finance Ministers and Governors of Central Banks, Is the Finance minister of which among the following countries?
(a) Australia
(b) France
© Italy
(d) Germany
20. Consider the following statements:
1. Increase in deposit rate results in higher savings
2. Increase in deposit rate results in fall in credit off takes
3. Increase in deposit rate results in increase in investment which among the above statement/statements is /are correct?
(a) 1 &2
(b) 1 & 3
© 1, 2, 3
(d) Only 1
21. Which among the following is not a feature of the proposed Companies Bill 2009?
(a) Limit on the number of the subsidiary companies
(b) Rotation of the auditors
© Reduction in the types of the companies’ categories
(d) Proposal Of national company law tribunal;
22. The universal service obligation fund (USOF) has been established under which among the following departments of Government of India?
(a) Department of Consumer Affairs
(b) Department of Industrial policy and Promotion
© Department of Telecommunication
(d) Department of Economic Affairs
23. Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary, which is being proposed as a new home for some relocated Gir lions from Gujarat, is located in which among the following states.
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Madhya Pradesh
© Orissa
(d) Rajasthan
24. Which among the following sports is NOT a part of the London Olympics?
(a) Tackwondo
(b) Baseball
© Table Tennis
(d) Triathlon
25. We read the various newspapers that during the period from June, 2009 to September 2010, the Ministry of Road transport and Highways have achieved a target of constructing on an average 12.01 km of National Highways per day. However, this achievement if shorter compared to the target of constructing 20 km of Highways per day. To achieve this target, it is time approximately ________ of works are under way. Which among the following fills the blank correctly?
(a) 10000 km
(b) 15000 km
© 20000 km
(d) 25000 km
26. Who among the following has been defeated by Saina Nehwal, who has won the Swiss open grand Prix Gold title recently, becoming the First Indian to do so?
(a) Ji Hyun Sung
(b) Wang Lin
© Kamila Rytter Juhl
(d) Shinta Mulia Juhl
27. Which among the following correctly defines the Net Interest Income?
(a) Interest earned on advances
(b) Interest earned on investments
© Total interest earned on advances on advances and investment
(d) Difference between interest earned and interest paid
28. Where is going to be established the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of education fro Peace and Sustainable development (MGIEP), the latest & first category-I institute of UNECO in South Asia?
(a) New Delhi
(b) Ahmadabad
© Mumbai
(d) Pune
29. Anant Pai, better known as ‘Uncle Pai’, who recently died was the creator of which among the following comic series?
(a) Chacha Choudhary
(b) Amar Chitra katha
© Chandamama
(d) Indrajaal
30. Which among the following is not a Nonpermanent member of United Nations Security Council for the Period of 1 January 2011 -31 December 2012?
(a) Nigeria
(b) Germany
© Portugal
(d) Columbia
31. In which among the following types comes the Interest Rate Risk?
(a) Credit risk
(b) Market risk
© Operational risk
(d) All the above categories
32. Where was held the 98^th Indian Science Congress in early 2011?
(a) Hyderabad
(b) Chennai
© Kochi
(d) Kolkata
33. Which among the following international sports body had unveiled an anti-corruption committee to enhance credibility and increase transparency?
(a) International Cricket Council
(b) International Olympic Committee
© FIFA
(d) Commonwealth Games Federation.
34. E.S. L. Narasimhan is the Governor of which among the following states?
(a) Karnataka
(b) Andhra Pradesh
© Tamil Nadu
(d) Kerala
35. When there is an inflationary trend in the economy what would be trend in the pricing of the Bank products?
(a) Increasing trend
(b) Decreasing trend
© Constant trend
(d) There is no relevance of the inflation in pricing of the Banking Products
36. In which among the following courts, Chennai open is played?
(a) Clay court
(b) Grass court
(c) Hard court
(d) Carpet court
37. Which of the following countries is located the temple of Preah Vihear, one of the famous world Heritage sites?
(a) Thailand
(b) Myanmar
© Cambodia
(d) Vietnam
38. Which among the following body gives the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel of Architecture every year?
(a) Wolf foundation
(b) Hyatt Foundation
© Royal Institute of British architects
(d) Leading European Architects Forum
39. Which among the following is the correct character of the Foreign Exchange Markets?
(a) Foreign Exchange markets are localized markets
(b) Foreign exchange markets operate within a country’s time zone
© Foreign exchange markets are dynamic and round the clock markets
(d) Foreign exchange markets are used only for trade related transactions
40. Who among the following headed the forest Rights Act review Committee that submitted its report in the first half of 2010?
(a) Syeda hameed
(b) Narender Jadhav
© Arun Maira
(d) N C Saxena
41. Who among the following is the chairman of National Knowledge Commission?
(a) Sam Pitroda
(b) Deepak Nayyar
© Nandan Nilkeni
(d) Dr. Pushp Bhargav
42. Suchitra Mitra, who died recently, was an artist of which among the following types of Music?
(a) Hindustani classical
(b) Carnatric Music
© Rabindra sangeet
(d) Pakistani Classical
43. After Uttar Pradesh, which among the following states has the maximum share in the total Route Km of Indian Railways?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Maharashtra
© Andhra Pradesh
(d) Gujrat
44. In which of the following states of India is located a tiger reserve, which is also a World Heritage site?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Asom
© Madhya Pradesh
(d) Uttar Pradesh
45. Which among the following Industrial Policy resolution/ statement was based upon the Mahalanobis Model of growth?
(a) Industrial Policy resolution – 1956
(b) Industry Policy statement – 1973
© Industrial Policy statement -1977
(d) Banking Policy 1969
46. in which of the following states, maximum Coast Guard stations have been established in India?
(a) Foreign Trade promotion Board
(b) Department of Commerce
© RBI
(d) SEBI
48. In which of the following states of India, world’s first Global Center for Nuclear energy Partnership was started a few months back?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Kerala
© Haryana
(d) Uttar Pradesh
49. In which of the following states of India, there is no petroleum chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment region (PCPIR)?
(a) Asom
(b) Andhra Pradesh
© Gujrat
(d) West Bengal
50. Which among the following is correct about the Vostro Account?
(a) It is an account maintained by a foreign bank with a bank in India in Indian Rupees.
(b) It is an account maintained by an Indian bank with a bank in foreign country in foreign currency
© It is an account maintained by a Indian Bank Branch with a Foreign Bank in Foreign currency.
(d) It is an account maintained by a Foreign bank Branch with a Indian bank in foreign currency.
51. The term ‘round-tripping’ often appears in financial news these days. What does it mean?
(a) Importing products that are not easily available in the domestic markets
(b) Indian companies re-exporting imported products without any value addition
© Bringing back illicit money hidden abroad by Indian s under a different name
(d) Imposing high customs duty to discourage dumping of goods in Indian market
52. Infant Mortality rate (IMR) data for high focus states (states where IMR is above national average) is collected once every five years. The union Health Ministry has now decided to collect such data __________.
(a) half-yearly
(b) Annually
© Once every two years
(d) Once every three years
53. The government has tasked three institutions to conduct studies to estimate the quantum of illicit funds generated by Indian citizens recently. Which of the following is not among one of the three institutions selected?
(a) National Institute of Public Finance and Policy
(b) National Institute of Bank Management
(c) National institute of Finance Management
(d) National Council of Applied Economic Research
54. Which of the following statements is/are correct about ‘gender-critical’ districts on the basis of the census 2001 data?
1. There are 262 gender critical districts or cities in the country
2. Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of gender critical districts or cities
3. Kerala is the only state which does not have any gender critical district or city
(a) I only
(b) 1 &2 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 3 and 1 only
55. India announced that it was taking steps to reduce the” sensitive lists” of items for trade with SAARC countries recently. Which of the following is correct about items in “sensitive lists”?
(a) Items which are costlier to produce in India
(b) Items whose import leads to lower prices for Indian consumer
(c) Items whose import reduces the market share of domestic producers
(d) Items which are injurious to health such as tobacco and alcohol
56. Which country’s gold output of 30.88 tonnes was the highest in the world in 2010?
(a) Canada
(b) South Africa
© China
(d) USA
57. Government of India has launched a publicity campaign for census 2011 in association with which of the following UN organization?
(a) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
(b) World Health Organization (WHO)
© Untied Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
(d) United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)
8. Which of the following pairs of multinational retailing companies and the countries where they are headquartered is/are correctly matched?
I. Mero-germany
II. Walmart- USA
III. Tesco- United Kingdom
IV. Carrefour – France
(a) I and III only
(b) I, II and III
(c) IV, I and II
(d) I, II, III and IV
59. Which advertising agency was in news recently fro creating the “Enumerator’ mascot fro Census 2011?
(a) Bates 141
(b) DDB India
© JWT India
(d) Reinfusion – Y & R
60. Which of the following statements about Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is/are correct as per the data released by the Register-General of India (RGI) recently?
I. IMR has declined from 53 in 2008 to 50 in 2009
II. Decline in IMR in urban areas is more than in rural areas
III. IMR is the lowest in Kerala
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) I, II and III
61. Which of the following statements about Indent Mortality rate (IMR) is/are correct as per the data released by the Register-General of India (RGI) recently?
I. IMR is highest in Madhya Pradesh
II. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target is to reduce IMR to 30 by 2015
III. Nine states have IMR above the national average
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) I,II and III
62. S. Sundar Committee was in news recently for its report on which of the following?
(a) Land Acquisition Act, 1894
(b) Copyright Act, 1957
© Right to Information Act, 2005
(d) Motor vehicles Act, 1988
63. Which of the following statements is/are correct about the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) scheme introduced to promote foreign tourist arrivals in India recently?
1. The TVOA is allowed for a maximum validity of 30 days with single entry facility at metros
2. TVOA is allowed for a maximum of two times in a calendar year
3. There should be a minimum gap of six months between each visit
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
© 2 only
(d) 3 and 1 only
64. Global Employment Trends 2011 report of the International Labour Organization (ILO) was released recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. The number of unemployed increased in 2010.
II. The global unemployment rate declined in 2010
III. Labour productivity improved in 2010
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II and III only
(d) III and I only
65. ‘Committed to Improving the state of the world’ is the motto of which of the following?
(a) Transparency International
(b) World bank
© Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
(d) World Economic Forum
66. Which of the following statements about economic growth forecast made by the IMF in January 2011 is/are correct?
I. Global growth forecast for 2011 is below 4%
II. Growth forecast for India 2011 is 8.4%
III. Growth forecast for china is higher than for India in 2011
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II and III only
(d) III and I only
67. Global Employment Trends 2011 report of the international Labour Organization (ILO) was released recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. The number of people employed in industry declined while the number of those employed in agriculture increased in 2009
II. The number of unemployed youth (aged 15-24) declined in 2010
III. Global youth unemployment rate increased in 2010
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) III and I only
(d) I, II and III
68. Which of the following is/are correctly matched after RBI’s ‘Third Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2010-11’ on January 26, 2011?
I. Repo rate – 6.5%
II. Reserve Repo rate – 5.5%
III. Cash Reserve Ratio – 6%
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II and III only
(d) I, II and III
69. The union finance Ministry raised the tax collection target for 2010-11 to _________ recently.
(a) Rs 782000 crore
(b) Rs 834000 crore
© Rs 871000 crore
(d) Rs 902000 crore
70. Which of the following statements is/are correct according to UNCTAD Global Investment Trend Monitor report unveiled recently?
I. Global flows of FDI exceeded $1 trillion in 2010
II. FDI flows to developed economics was lower than to developing economics in 2010
III. FDI flow to India declined in 2010
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II and III only
(d) III and I only
71. Which of the following became the first oil & Gas Company to find shale gas deposits in India recently?
(a) Reliance Industries Ltd.
(b) Carin India
© Essar Oil
(d) ONGC
72. ‘Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd’ was incorporated as a joint venture between Nuclear power Corporation of India Ltd and which of the following recently?
(a) NMDC
(b) NHPC
© BHEL
(d) NTPC
73. Which of the following statements about India’s urban population is/are correct as per the Census of India, 2001?
I. The Census of India, 2001 estimates that 47.81 percent of total population lives in urban areas of the country
II. The projected urban population in India as on March 1, 2011 is at 357 million.
III. Among the four meters, Greater Mumbai has the highest percentage of its population living in slums
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) I and III only
(d) II and III only
74. Consider the following pairs of coffee retailing companies having presence in India and their countries of origin are correctly matched?
I. Costa Coffee – Spain
II. Gloria Jean’s –USA
III. Barista – India
IV. Starbucks – USA
(a) I and III only
(b) I, II and III
(c) II, III and IV
(d) IV, I and II
75. Which of the following pairs of Large banks and their countries of origin is/are correctly matched?
I. Mizuho Holdings – Japan
II. Grupo Santander – Belgium
III. BNP Paribhas – France
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II and III only
(d) III and I only
76. Which of the following companies belonging to the Tata Group has not been acquired from abroad?
(a) Corus
(b) Hispano Carrocera
© Jaguar Land Rover
(d) Trent
77. Software made by which company will be used in scanning and processing of Census 2011 data?
(a) NetApp, Inc
(b) Juniper Networks
© Top image Systems
(d) Atos Origin
78. Match list I with II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:
List I List II
(Tablet PC) (Company)
A. Playbook 1. Dell
B. Galaxy Tab 2. Research in Motion
C. Streak 3. Life book
D. Fujitsu 4. Samsung
Code: ABC
(a) 1 2 3 4
(b) 4 1 3 2
(c) 2 4 1 3
(d) 2 4 3 2
79. Which of the following is a sufficient condition of identification of a district as ‘gender critical’ district according to Census of India?
I. Women participation in work is less than 20 percent.
II. Female literacy is less than 30 percent
III. Sex ratio is less than 900
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) II only
(d) III and I only
80. Which of the following was founded in 1956 by the Government of India with funding from the Ford Foundation?
(a) National Institute of Public Finance and Policy
(b) National Institute of Bank Management
© National institute Of Financial Management
(d) National Council of Applied Economic research
81. What was the theme of the annual world economic Forum (WEF) meeting organized in Davos, Switzerland recently?
(a) Shaping the Post-Crisis World.
(b) Improve the state of the world: rethink, Redesign, rebuild
© Shared Norms for a New Reality
(d) The power of collaborative Innovation
82. Which of the following has a 51:49 joint venture with Japanese automobile company Nissan for manufacturing light commercial vehicles in India?
(a) Tata Motors
(b) Ashok Leyland
© Mahindra & Mahindra
(d) Bajaj Auto
83. Which of the following is not a pharmaceutical company?
(a) Novartis
(b) Eli Lilly
© Diageo
(d) Sanofi Aventis
84. Which of the following has decided to dins satya Elementary schools fro underprivileged children in rural India?
(a) Apple
(b) Google
© Microsoft
(d) Oracle
85. Which of the following are consulting firms in the real estate sector?
I. Jones Lang Lasalle
II. C B Richard Ellis
III. Forrester
IV. Cushman & Wakefield
(a) I and II only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) I, II and IV only
(d) II, III and IV only
86. Which of the following is the densest city in Asia as per the Asian Green City Index unveiled recently?
(a) Mumbai
(b) Chennai
(c) Delhi
(d) Kolkata
87. Which of the following started production at India’s largest naphtha cracker project recently?
(a) ONGC
(b) Essar Oil
© Indian Oil
(d) Reliance Industries Ltd
88. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Quick estimate of national income, consumption expenditure, saving and capital formation for the financial year 2009-10 recently. Which of the following figures [at the factor cost at constant (2004-05) Prices] is/are correct?
I. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009-10 exceeded Rs 50, 00,000 crore
II. Gross National Income (GNI) in 2009-10 was less than GDP
III. Per Capita National Income in 2009-10 was more than Rs 30,000
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) I and III only
(d) II and III only
89. China emerged as the world’s second largest economy in 2010 overtaking_________
(a) France
(b) Britain
© Germany
(d) Japan
90. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) completed has many years of operation recently?
(a) 3 years
(b) 4 years
© 5 years
(d) 6 years
91. Which of the following has made the largest inbound foreign direct investment in India till date?
(a) BP Plc
(b) Vodafone
© Dailchi Sankyo
(d) Vedanta Resources
92. Which core sector industry has the highest weight in the index of Industrial Production (IIP)?
(a) Crude Oil
(b) Petroleum refinery Products
© Coal
(d) Electricity
93. An International Advisory Panel (IAP) reviewed the functioning of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) recently. A number of districts have been identified on basis of poor health indicators for focused attention. Which of the following statements is/ are correct?
I. the number of beneficiaries under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) was more than 15 million during 2009-10
II. The number of districts identified is 264
III. The districts identified for focused attention account for nearly 70% of the infant and material deaths in the country
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) II and III only
94 . Which of the following statements about South Korean steel company POSCO’s $12 billion project in India is/are correct?
I. The project received conditional clearance from the Union Environment Ministry recently
II. It sit he single largest FDI in India approved till date.
III. The project involves construction of 14 million tone steel plant in Sinhbhum district of Jharkhand
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) III and I only
95. Which of the following statements about the 11^th Delhi Sustainable Development summit organized recently is/are correct?
I. “Tapping Local Initiatives and Tackling Global Inertia” was the them of the summit
II. The summit organized by the National Environmental Engineering research Institute
III. Jairam Ramesh was conferred with the sustainable development Leadership Award
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) II and III only
96. The District Information System for Education (DISE) report on Universal Elementary Education (UEE) was released recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. Average Number of Instructional Days in 2009-10 was less than 200
II. Average number of classrooms in ALL schools was more than 4 in 2009-10
III. Average Number of classrooms in Primary Schools was more than 3 in 2009-10
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) II and III only
97. The district Information System for education (DISE) report on Universal Elementary Education (UEE) was released recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. Average Number of Classrooms in All Government Schools was less than 4 in 2009-10
II. Average Number of Classrooms in All Private Schools was less tan 7 in 2009-10
III. Average Student-Classroom Ration (SCR) for all schools was less than 35 in 2009-10
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) I and III only
98. ASBA (application Supported by Blocked Amounts) is a term used in which of the following sectors?
(a) Aviation
(b) Real Estate
© Insurance
(d) Capital Markets
99. Logo and website of National Knowledge Network (NKN) was Launched recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. NKN was launched in 2009
II. NKN will facilitate technology transfer from research institutions to industry
III. NKN is jointly funded by Ministry of Science and Technology and the CII
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) II only
(d) II and III only
100. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the Quick estimates of national income, consumption expenditure, saving and capital formation for the financial year 2009-10 recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
I. Gross Domestic Savings in 2009-10 were 33% of GDP
II. Gross Domestic Savings in 2009-10 grew 22.7% over 2008-09
III. Private Corporate Sector Savings in 2009-10
(a) I only
(b) I and II only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III only

Answers:

1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (d) 10. (c) 11. (a) 12. (b) 13. (d) 14. (d) 15. (c) 16. (b) 17. (c) 18. (b) 19. (b) 20. (b) 21. (c) 22. (c) 23. (b) 24. (b) 25. (c) 26. (a) 27. (d) 28. (a) 29. (b) 30. (a) 31. (b) 32. (b) 33. (c) 34. (b) 35. (a) 36. (c) 37. (c) 38. (b) 39. (c) 40. (d) 41. (a) 42. (a) 43. (a) 44. (b) 45. (a) 46. (c) 47. (c) 48. (c) 49. (a) 50. (a) 51. (c) 52. (b) 53. (b) 54. (a) 55. (c) 56. (c) 57. (c) 58. (d) 59. (b) 60. (a) 61. (d) 62. (d) 63. (d) 64. (c) 65. (d) 66. (c) 67. (d) 68. (d) 69. (a) 70. (d) 71. (d) 72. (d) 73. (d) 74. (c) 75. (d) 76. (d) 77. (c) 78. (c) 79. (d) 80. (d) 81. (c) 82. (d) 83. (c) 84. (d) 85. (c) 86. (a) 87. (c) 88 (d). 89. (d) 90.(c) 91. (b) 92. (d) 93. (d) 94. (b) 95. (a) 96. (d) 97. (d) 98. (d) 99. (a) 100. (b)

Year 2011 Review

News effect to the World 

January

January 1 – Estonia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the seventeenth Eurozone country
January 9–15 – Southern Sudan holds a referendum on independence. The Sudanese electorate votes in favour of independence, paving the way for the creation of the new state in July.
January 11 – Flooding and mudslides in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro kills 903.
January 14 – Arab Spring: The Tunisian government falls after a month of increasingly violent protests; President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees to Saudi Arabiaafter 23 years in power.
January 24 – 37 people are killed and more than 180 others wounded in a bombingat Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia.

February

February 11 – Arab Spring: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigns afterwidespread protests calling for his departure, leaving control of Egypt in the hands of the military until a general election can be held.
February 22 - March 14 – Uncertainty over Libyan oil output causes crude oil prices to rise 20% over a two-week period following the Arab Spring, causing the 2011 energy crisis.

March

March 11 – A 9.1-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the east of Japan, killing 15,840 and leaving another 3,926 missing. Tsunami warnings are issued in 50 countries and territories. Emergencies are declared at four nuclear power plants affected by the quake.
March 15 – Arab Spring: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain declares a three-month state of emergency as troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council are sent to quell the civil unrest.
March 17 – Arab Spring and the Libyan civil war: The United Nations Security Council votes 10-0 to create a no-fly zone over Libya in response to allegations of government aggression against civilians.
March 19 – Arab Spring and the Libyan civil war: In light of continuing attacks on Libyan rebels by forces in support of leader Muammar Gaddafi, military intervention authorized under UNSCR 1973 begins as French fighter jets make reconnaissance flights over Libya.

April

April 11 – Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is arrested in his home in Abidjan by supporters of elected President Alassane Ouattara with support from French forces thereby ending the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis and civil war.
April 29 – An estimated two billion people watch the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London.

May

May 1 – U.S. President Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of the militant group Al-Qaeda, has been killed during an American military operation in Pakistan.
May 16 – The European Union agree to €78 billion rescue deal for Portugal. The bailout loan will be equally split between the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the European Financial Stability Facility, and the International Monetary Fund.
May 26 – Former Bosnian Serb Army commander Ratko Mladić, wanted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, is arrested in Serbia.

June

June 4 – Chile's Puyehue volcano erupts, causing air traffic cancellations across South America, New Zealand, Australia and forcing over 3,000 people to evacuate.
June 5 – Arab Spring: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh travels to Saudi Arabia for treatment of an injury sustained during an attack on the presidential palace. Protesterscelebrate his transfer of power to his Vice-President Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi.
June 12 – Arab Spring: Thousands of Syrians flee to Turkey as Syrian troops lay siege to Jisr ash-Shugur.

July

July 7 – The world's first artificial organ transplant is achieved, using an artificial windpipecoated with stem cells.
July 9 – South Sudan secedes from Sudan, per the result of the independence referendumheld in January.
July 20 Goran Hadžić is detained in Serbia, becoming the last of 161 people indicted by theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The United Nations declares a famine in southern Somalia, the first in over thirty years.
July 21 – Space Shuttle Atlantis lands successfully at Kennedy Space Center after completingSTS-135, concluding NASA's space shuttle program. July 22 – 76 people are killed in twin terrorist attacks in Norway after a bombing in the Regjeringskvartalet (the government center in Oslo) and a shooting at a political youth camp in the island of Utøya.
July 31 - September 24 – Arab Spring: Because of the uncertaintities associated with a clamp-down of the free press, there is believed to be at least 121 people killed in a Syrian Army tank raid on the town of Hama and over 150 people are reportedly killed across the country. The total dead throughout Syria may never be known, but an estimate as of September 24 is 3,000.

August

August 5 NASA announces that its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured photographic evidence of possible liquid water on Mars during warm seasons. Juno, the first solar-powered spacecraft on a mission to Jupiter, is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
August 20–28 – Arab Spring and the Libyan civil war: In the Battle of Tripoli, Libyan rebels took control the nation's capital effectively overthrowing the government of Muammar Gaddafi.

September

September 5 – India and Bangladesh sign a pact to end their 40-year border demarcation dispute.
September 10 – Zanzibar ferry sinking: The MV Spice Islander I, carrying at least 800 people, sinks off the coast of Zanzibar, killing 240 people.
September 12 – Approximately 100 Kenyans die after a petrol pipeline explodes in Nairobi.
September 19 – With 434 dead, the United Nations launches a $357 million appeal for victims of the 2011 Sindh floods in Pakistan.

October

October 4 2011 Mogadishu bombing: 100 people are killed in a car bombing in the Somali capital Mogadishu. In Thailand, 657 people are killed by floods during a severe monsoon season, with 58 of the country's 77 provinces affected. The death toll from the flooding of Cambodia's Mekong River and attendant flash floods reaches 207.
October 18 – Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas begin a major prisoner swap, in which the captured Israeli Armysoldier Gilad Shalit is released by Hamas in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian and Israeli-Arab prisoners held in Israel, including 280 prisoners serving life sentences for planning and perpetrating terror attacks.
October 20 Arab Spring and the Libyan civil war: Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is killed in Sirte, with National Transitional Council forcestaking control of the city, and ending the war. Basque separatist militant organisation ETA declares an end to its 43-year campaign of political violence, which has killed over 800 people since 1968.
October 23 – A magnitude 7.2 Mw earthquakes jolted eastern Turkey near the city of Van, killing 604 people, and damaging about 2,200 buildings. October 27 – After an emergency meeting in Brussels, the European Union announced an agreement to tackle the European sovereign debt crisis which includes a writedown of 50% of Greek bonds, a recapitalisation of European banks and an increase of the bailout fund of the European Financial Stability Facility totaling to €1 trillion.

October 31

Date selected by the UN as the symbolic date when global population reaches seven billion. UNESCO admitted Palestine as a member, following a vote in which 107 member states supported and 14 opposed.

November

November 26 – The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, the most elaborate Martian exploration vehicle to date, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center. It is slated to land on Mars on August 5, 2012.  

December

• December 15 – The United States formally declares an end to the Iraq War.
• December 16 – Russia becomes WTO 153rd member.

News effect to the India

January

• January 1
• Union Home Ministry winds up the Srikrishna committee on Telangana following submission of its report
• Arabinda Rajkhowa, chairman of ULFA, released on bail from the Guwahati central prison
• India and Pakistan exchange the annual lists of their nuclear installations and facilities under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations, which was signed on December 31, 1988.
• Nagesh Pydah assumes charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Oriental Bank of Commerce

April

• April 2 – India wins the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
• April 30 – Dorjee Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh since 2007, dies in a helicopter crash.

May

• May 20 – Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as the first woman and 11th Chief Minister of West Bengal.
• May 25 – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced of Rs. 22,500 Crores for African countries to develop infrastructure facilities on the eve of IInd Indo-Africa summit.

June

• June 11 – Senior journalist and investigations editor with English newspaper 'Mid-Day', J Dey, is shot dead in Mumbai.

July

• July 13 – 2011 Mumbai bombings

October

• October 30 – 2011 F1 Race comes to India

Deaths

• January 2 – Bali Ram Bhagat, 88, former Lok Sabha Speaker.
• January 10 – Vivek Shauq, 47, actor, comedian.
• January 17 – Gita Dey, 79, actress.
• January 21 – E. V. V. Satyanarayana, 54, film director.
• January 24 – Bhimsen Joshi, 88, musician.
• January 28 – Sushil Kumar Dhara, 99, revolutionary.
• February 3 – Machan Varghese, 50, Malayalam film actor.
• February 12 – Vipindas, 72, cinematographer and director.
• February 19 – Suresh Babu, 58, athlete.
• February 20 – Malaysia Vasudevan, 66, actor and playback singer.
• February 21 – Aranmula Ponnamma, 96, Malayalam film actress.
• February 23 – Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, 79, screenwriter and film producer.
• February 24 – Anant Pai (Uncle Pai), 81, educationalist and comics writer.
• March 1 – Fateh Singh Rathore, 72, wildlife conservationist.
• March 3 – Goga Kapoor, 70, film actor.
• March 4 – Arjun Singh, 80, politician.
• March 10 – Baliram Kashyap, 74, politician.
• March 12 – Kumar Indrajitsinhji, 73, cricketer.
• March 19 – Navin Nischol, 65, actor.
• March 20 – Bob Christo, Indian actor of Australian origin.
• April 1 – Varkey Vithayathil, 83, cardinal and religious leader.
• April 3 – Rafique Alam, 81, politician.
• April 5 – Sujatha, 58, actress.
• April 12 – Sachin Bhowmick, 80, screenwriter.
• April 17 – Bhawani Singh, 79, titular Maharaja of Jaipur.
• April 22 – Madhava Gudi, 72, Hindustani classical vocalist.
• April 24 – Sathya Sai Baba, 84, Guru, spiritual leader & educator.
• April 30 – Dorjee Khandu, 56, politician, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
• May 13 – Badal Sarkar, 85, dramatist
• May 15 – Mahendra Singh Tikait, 76, leader of farmers, President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union
• June 3 – Bhajan Lal, 80, two-time Chief Minister of Haryana
• June 7 – Nataraja Ramakrishna, 88, dance guru.
• June 9 – M. F. Husain, 95, painter
• June 11 – Jyotirmoy Dey, 55, journalist
• June 14 – Asad Ali Khan, 74, musician
• June 18 – John Perumattam, 89, Catholic hierarch
• June 21  – Kothapalli Jayashankar, 76, educator and politician
• Suresh Tendulkar, 72, economist
• June 29 – K. D. Sethna, 106, scholar and writer
• July 2 – Chaturanan Mishra, 86, politician and union leader.
• July 6 – Mani Kaul, 66, film director
• August 14 – Shammi Kapoor, 79, actor
• August 18 – Johnson Master, 58, musician
• September 22 – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, 70, cricketer
• October 10 – Jagjit Singh, 70, singer
• November 5 – Bhupen Hazarika, 85, singer
• November 9 – Har Gobind Khorana, Indian-born American Nobel biochemist
• November 27 – Ustad Sultan Khan, 71, musician
• December 4 – Dev Anand, 88, actor and director

News effect to the Archaeology

• January : Teams commence a survey of the World War II Auxiliary Units headquarters site at Coleshill on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire border in England.

Excavations

• Spring: Excavation of unused British escape tunnel "George" (c. September 1944) at the site of the Stalag Luft III camp in Żagań (present-day Poland) by a British team.

Publications

• Robert Van De Noort - North Sea Archaeologies: a maritime biography 10,000 BC–AD 1500 (Oxford University Press).
• February 16 - Scientists from the Natural History Museum publish an analysis of human skulls from 14,700 years BP found at Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, England, around 1987, which they believe were deliberately fashioned into ritual drinking cups. Human bones butchered and discarded nearby also suggest the practice of cannibalism.
• March - Archaeologists writing in Science argue that 15,500 BP finds from near Austin, Texas overturn the theory that the Clovis culture represents the earliest settlers in North America.

Finds

• January 11: An article in Journal of Archaeological Science reveals the discovery of the earliest known winemaking equipment in caves in Armenia, from 6,000 years BP.
• February 11 - Marine archaeologists from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announce the discovery of artefacts from the whaling ship Two Brothers which sank off the French Frigate Shoals atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on February 11, 1823 under Captain George Pollard, Jr.
• March 10 - English archaeologists report finding one of the earliest complete Neolithic pots in the country on a housing development in Didcot. It is thought to be about 5,500 years old.
• March 25 - The discovery of the Jordan Lead Codices, a series of codices from a cave in Jordan, is announced. The books, which reportedly contain early Christian symbols are purportedly around 2,000 years old. The authenticity of the codices is doubted.
• October 19 - The discovery of the United Kingdom mainland's first fully intact Viking ship burial site, at Ardnamurchan in the western Scottish Highlands, is announced.

Miscellaneous

• February 11 - The Pergamon Museum in Berlin stages a major exhibition of reconstructed Neo-Hittite sculpture and other material from Max von Oppenheim's collection (largely destroyed in 1943).
• July - The site of Venta Icenorum in Norfolk, England, is taken into public ownership.

Deaths

• February 19 - Anson Rainey, author and Professor Emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University (b. 1930).
• April 11 - Lewis Binford, known for his development of processual archaeology.
• June 2 - Philip Rahtz, English archaeologist (b. 1921).

News effect to the Literature

Tomas Tranströmer wins the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Jennifer Egan wins the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel “A Visit From the Goon Squad”.
Julian Barnes wins the 2011 Man Booker Prize for fiction for his novel “The Sense of an Ending”.

Book Published in 2011
Literature

• T.C. Boyle – When the Killing's Done
• Geraldine Brooks – Caleb's Crossing (novel)
• Bonnie Jo Campbell – Once Upon a River
• Patrick deWitt – The Sisters Brothers
• E. L. Doctorow – All the Time in the World
• Steve Earle – I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
• Jeffrey Eugenides – The Marriage Plot
• Jonathan Evison – West of Here
• Robb Forman Dew – Being Polite to Hitler
• Charles Frazier – Nightwoods
• James Frey – The Final Testament of the Holy Bible
• Benjamin Hale – The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore
• Ron Hansen – A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion
• Chad Harbach – The Art of Fielding
• Mat Johnson – Pym
• Haruki Murakami – 1Q84
• Téa Obreht – The Tiger's Wife
• Michael Ondaatje – The Cat's Table
• Ann Patchett – State of Wonder
• Chuck Palahniuk – Damned
• Tom Perrota – The Leftovers
• Arthur Phillips – The Tragedy of Arthur
• Karen Russell – Swamplandia!
• John Sayles – A Moment in the Sun
• Colm Tóibín – The Empty Family
• David Foster Wallace – The Pale King
• Daniel Woodrell – The Outlaw Album

Non-fiction

• Peter Bergen – The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda
• Mark Bowden – Worm: The First Digital World War
• Frank Brady – Endgame: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Bobby Fischer
• David Brooks – The Social Animal
• Brian Christian – The Most Human Human
• Richard Dawkins – The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
• Douglas Edwards – I'm Feeling Lucky
• T.J. English – The Savage City: Race, Murder and a Generation on the Edge
• Tina Fey – Bossypants
• Joshua Foer – Moonwalking with Einstein
• James Gleick – The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
• Geoffrey Gray – Skyjack
• Brian Greene – The Hidden Reality
• Louis Hyman – Debtor Nation
• Steve Inskeep – Instant City
• David King – Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris
• Erik Larson – In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
• Joseph Lelyveld – Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India
• Steven Levy – In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives
• Charles C. Mann – 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
• David McCullough – The Greater Journey
• Ben Mezrich – Sex on the Moon
• Scott Miller – The President and the Assassin
• Errol Morris – Believing is Seeing
• Grant Morrison – Supergods
• Joyce Carol Oates – A Widow's Story
• Patton Oswalt – Zombie, Spaceship, Wasteland
• Dana Priest – Top Secret America
• Annie Proulx – Bird Cloud: A Memoir
• Janet Reitman – Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
• Tom Scocca – Beijing Welcomes You
• Tom Shales & J.A. Miller – Those Guys Have All the Fun
• Sarah Vowell – Unfamiliar Fishes
• Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie – The Declaration of Independents
• Daniel Yergin – The Quest
• Mitchell Zuckoff – Lost in Shangri-La

Poetry

• Rae Armantrout, Money Shot (February)
• Susan Howe, That This (February)
• Alice Notley, Culture of One (March)
• Billy Collins, Horoscopes for the Dead (April)
• Michael Palmer, Thread (May)
• Sarah Palin (edited by Michael Solomon), I Hope Like Heck (June 21)

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Joe Abercrombie – The Heroes
• Daniel Abraham – The Dragon's Path
• Daniel Abraham (writing as James S.A. Corey) – Leviathan Wakes (with Ty Franck)
• Ann Aguirre – Aftermath
• Greg Bear – Halo: Cryptum
• Lauren Beukes – Zoo City
• Alex Bledsoe – Dark Jenny
• Alex Bledsoe – The Hum and the Shiver
• M. M. Buckner – The Gravity Pilot
• Robert Buettner – Undercurrents
• Jack Campbell – The Lost Frontier: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnought
• Orson Scott Card – The Lost Gate
• Michael Crichton & Douglas Preston – Micro
• Ian Douglas – Center of Gravity
• David Anthony Durham – The Sacred Band
• Greg Egan – The Clockwork Rocket
• Kate Elliott – Cold Fire
• C.S. Friedman – Legacy of Kings
• Steven Gould – The 7th Sigma
• Michael Grant — Plague
• Mira Grant – Deadline
• Lev Grossman – The Magician King
• Stephen Hunt – The Rise of the Iron Moon
• N. K. Jemisin – The Kingdom of Gods
• Richard Kadrey – Aloha from Hell
• Stephen King — 11/22/63
• Sharon Lee & Steve Miller – Ghost Ship (novel)
• Pittacus Lore — The Power of Six
• Richard Matheson – Other Kingdoms
• George R. R. Martin – A Dance with Dragons
• Jack McDevitt – Firebird
• China Mieville – Embassytown
• Karen Miller – A Blight of Mages
• Richard K. Morgan – The Cold Commands
• Joseph Nassise – Eyes to See
• Terry Pratchett – Snuff
• Cherie Priest – Ganymede
• Hannu Rajaniemi – The Quantum Thief
• Brian Ruckley – The Edinburgh Dead
• Brandon Sanderson – The Alloy of Law
• John Scalzi – Fuzzy Nation
• Dan Simmons – Flashback
• Neal Stephenson – Reamde
• Charles Stross – Rule 34
• Michael Swanwick – Dancing with Bears
• Catherynne M. Valente – Deathless
• Vernor Vinge – The Children of the Sky
• Jo Walton – Among Others
• David Weber – How Firm a Foundation
• Robert Charles Wilson – Vortex
• Daniel Wilson – Robopocalypse
• Gene Wolfe – Home Fires

Young Adult

• Cynthia Hand — Unearthly (January 4)
• Courtney Allison Moulton — Angelfire (February 15)
• Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Rick Riordan, and Jude Watson – Vespers Rising (April 5)
• Josephine Angelini — Starcrossed (April 5) (Spain release)
• Kelley Armstrong — The Gathering (April 12)
• K. A. Applegate – Re-release of Animorphs books
• Rick Riordan – The Throne of Fire (May 3)
• Rick Riordan – The Son of Neptune (October 4th)
• Anthony Horowitz — Scorpia Rising
• Christopher Paolini — Inheritance

Crime and Thriller

• Jeff Abbott – Adrenaline
• Ace Atkins – The Ranger
• Kate Atkinson – Started Early, Took My Dog
• Steve Berry – The Jefferson Key
• James Lee Burke – Feast Day of Fools
• Lee Child – The Affair
• Edward Conlon – Red on Red
• Michael Connelly – The Fifth Witness
• John Connolly – The Burning Soul
• Jeffrey Deaver – Carte Blanche
• Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee – Forbidden
• Ted Dekker – The Priest's Graveyard
• Sue Grafton – V is for Vengeance
• John Grisham – The Litigators
• Morag Joss – Among the Missing
• Stuart M. Kaminsky – A Whisper to the Living
• Henning Mankell – The Troubled Man
• Jo Nesbo – The Snowman
• T. Jefferson Parker – The Border Lords
• George Pelecanos – The Cut
• Ralph Peters – The Officers' Club
• James Rollins – The Devil's Colony
• John Sandford – Buried Prey
• Marcus Sakey – The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes
• Bernard J. Schaffer – Whitechapel
• Duane Swierczynski – Fun and Games
• Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan – The Night Eternal
• Nicolaas Vergunst – Knot of Stone
• S.J. Watson – Before I Go to Sleep

News effect to the Art

• April 3 – The Chinese artist and dissident Ai Wei Wei is arrested and detained and his studio sealed off, by the government of the Peoples Republic of China, during an apparent crackdown by the regime on activists and dissidents. The PRC government later states that Wei Wei is being held while investigated for economic crimes.
• April 16 – Turner Contemporary art gallery, designed by David Chipperfield, opens in Margate, Kent, England.
• May 1 - UK publication of @earth
• May 21 – The Hepworth Wakefield art gallery, designed by David Chipperfield, opens to the public in West Yorkshire, England.
• June 22 – The Chinese legal authorities release Ai Weiwei on bail after three months detention, after being charged for alleged tax evasion. His incarceration was widely viewed as an attempt to silence a prominent critic while authorities had time to decide on legal grounds for prosecuting him, and his detention prompted condemnation of the Chinese government from some corners of the globe.[2] According to the China's Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year. After his release Ai declined to give interviews saying that he is not allowed to talk.
• September – firstsite's new art gallery, designed by Rafael Viñoly, opens in Colchester, England.
• October 28 – ArcelorMittal Orbit, designed by Anish Kapoor, erected at Olympic Park, London.
• November 8- Rhein II by the German photographer Andreas Gursky sells for $4.3m (£2.7m) at Christies, New York becoming the most expensive photograph ever sold.
• November 15- Ai Weiwei pays 8.45 million Yuan in taxes after receiving a large number of donations from supporters who believe the debt was politcially motivated because of his criticism of the Chinese government.

Exhibitions

• Thomas Lawrence: "Regency Power and Brilliance", Yale Center for British Art, February 24 – June 5, 2011
• “Picasso and Marie-Thérèse Walter: L’amour Fou”, curated by John Richardson and Dianne Widmaier Picasso, Gagosian Gallery 522 West 21st Street New York City, April 14 – July 15, 2011
• Julian Schnabel: "Permanently Becoming and the Architecture of Seeing" curated by Norman Rosenthal , the Museo Correr Venice, Italy, June 4 – November 27, 2011
• "Twombly-Poussin Arcadian Painters" at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, June 29 – September 25, 2011

Awards

• The Venice Biennial :
• The Lion d'or (Golden Lion) for best national pavilion-Germany exhibiting the work of Christoph Schlingensief
• The Lion d'or for lifetime achievement – Franz West and Sturtevant
• The Lion d'or for best artwork in the main exhibition – Christian Marclay
• The Silver Lion for most promising new artist – Haroun Mizra
• The Archibald Prize 2011- Ben Quilty

Deaths

• January 4 – B. H. Friedman, 84, writer, author of the first biography on Jackson Pollock
• January 5 – Malangatana Ngwenya, 74, Mozambican painter and poet
• January 9 – Makinti Napanangka, 80s, Australian Papunya Tula artist
• January 11 – Won-il Rhee, 50, South Korean digital art curator
• January 13 – Ellen Stewart, 91, Founder of La MaMa E.T.C., New York, designer
• January 20 – Alan Uglow, 69, British-born American painter
• January 21 – Dennis Oppenheim, 72, American sculptor
• February 8 – Charles O. Perry, 81, American sculptor
• February 11 – Roy Gussow, 92, American sculptor
• February 25 – Suze Rotolo, 67, American book artist
• March 10 – Gabriel Laderman, 81, American painter
• March 13 – Leo Steinberg, 90, American art historian and critic
• March 27 – George Tooker, 90, American painter
• March 30 – Jorge Camacho, 77, Cuban Painter
• April 8 – John McCracken, 76, American sculptor and painter
• April 8 – Hedda Sterne, 100, Romanian born, American painter
• April 12 – Miroslav Tichý, 84, Czech photographer
• May 13 – Stephen De Staebler, 79, American sculptor and printmaker
• May 18 (body found on this date) - Wlodzimierz Ksiazek, 60, Polish born American painter
• May 25 – Leonora Carrington, 94, British born, surrealist painter, who lived in Mexico
• June 4 – Claudio Bravo, 74, Chilean painter
• June 9 – M. F. Husain, 95, Indian painter
• June 16 – Twins Seven Seven, 67, Nigerian painter and sculptor
• June 20 – Thomas N. Armstrong III, 78, American curator and museum director (Whitney Museum of American Art and the Andy Warhol Museum)
• June 22 – Robert Miller, 72, American gallerist
• July 5 – Cy Twombly, 83, American painter
• July 17 – Alex Steinweiss, 94, American graphic designer, inventor of the album cover
• July 20 – Lucian Freud, 88, British painter
• July 31 - John Hoyland, 76, British painter
• August 6 - Roman Opalka, 79, French-born Polish painter
• August 21 - Budd Hopkins, 80, American painter
• August 23 - Jeanette Ingberman, 59, American curator co-founder of Exit Art
• September 5 - Vann Nath, 66, Cambodian painter
• September 13 - Richard Hamilton. 89, British painter
• September 16 - Stephen Mueller, 63, American painter
• October 24 - Bruno Weber, 80, Swiss artist and architect
• November 13 - Pat Passlof, 83, American painter
• November 23 - Gerald Laing, 75, British painter and sculptor
• November 26 - Manon Cleary, 69, American painter
• December 8 - Jerry Robinson, 89, American comic book artist and reputed creator of The Joker

Setting up of Welfare Boards

The Government has enacted the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996 with a view to regulating the employment and conditions of service of building and other construction workers and provide for their safety, health and welfare measures etc. Under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, every State Government has to constitute a State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. The functions of the Board include providing welfare and social security measure such as immediate assistance to a beneficiary in case of accident, payment of pension to the beneficiaries who have completed the age of 60 years, loan and advances for construction of house, paying amount in connection with premia for Group Insurance Scheme etc.

As per the information received from the States/UTs, 33 States/UTs have constituted the Welfare Boards. The Central Government has issued directions to the concerned State Governments/UTs to set up the Welfare Board under Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.
Under the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, a cess @ 1% of the construction cost is collected by the State and given to the respective Welfare Boards for meeting the expenses on welfare of construction workers. As per information received from States/UTs total amount of cess collected up to 30.6.2011 is Rs. 5265.57 Crore (approximate).

District GRAMSAT Scheme

The respective state governments incur expenditure on GRAMSAT Scheme. The contribution of Indian Space Research Organization is to provide the necessary bandwidth for GRAMSAT project. The estimated value of this bandwidth is Rs 3 Crores per year. The GRAMSAT Scheme includes the tribal areas like Jhabua, Dhar and Barwani districts in Madhya Pradesh; Chamarajnagar District in Karnataka; Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) region in Orissa; Panchmahal, Dang, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts in Gujarat. The objectives of GRAMSAT schemes are currently pursued under EDUSAT programme.

Employment Information Centers in Villages

Employment Market Information (EMI) Programme provides information on quarterly basis in public and private sectors including urban areas to monitor changes in the levels of employment. The data collected under EMI programmes covers only the organized sector of the economy which inter-alia covers all establishments in the public sector irrespective of their size and non agricultural establishments in the private sector employing 10 or more persons while the information from non-agricultural establishments in the private sector employing 25 or more persons is collected under the provisions of Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959. Data from the establishments employing 10-24 persons are collected on a voluntary basis.

The Employment Exchanges prepare Area Employment Market Reviews to indicate employment situation in the organized sector within the District. State Directors of Employment also prepare State Level Employment Reviews showing employment situation prevailing at the state level. Ministry of Labour & Employment has not urged the State Governments to set up Employment Information Centers in every village. However, common service centers have been set up in the rural areas by Department of Information Technology which can be used as outreach centers for Employment Exchanges for online registration by job seekers. The Employment Exchanges are already performing this activity of collecting data on vacancies or establishments under the provisions of Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959.

India declares itself bird flu-free

India has declared itself free from bird flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza). The declaration was made here on December 29, 2011, and notified to the OIE (Office International des Epizooties, which later became the World Organisation for Animal Health). However, states have been advised to keep up the vigil, according to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. If there is no outbreak of the disease for three consecutive months, a country can declare itself free from bird flu.

Country's first online Braille library launched

The visually impaired students can now 'flip' through the pages of multilingual study books with the launch of the country's first online Braille library. Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Mukul Wasnik yesterday launched the library at an event organised by the National Institute for Visually Handicapped (NIVH) at the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped in suburban Bandra to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. The library provides access to 12,000 books in 10 different languages in a user-friendly format. This will make education easier for persons with visual impairment, NIVH director Anuradha Mohit said. The online library is dedicated to students with visual impairment, pursuing higher education in numerous colleges and universities. By offering the accessible format, the library will cater to students in subjects ranging from Information Technology to Literature, Wasnik said, adding persons with visual impairment must benefit from this technological accessibility for information. The Srimad Bhagwat Maha Puraan and Holy Quran in Braille produced at Dugganji Braille Press at the city-based National Association for the Blind were also released by the minister on the occasion. The link to the online Braille library is: http://www.oblindia.org An exhibition of the technology and utility devices for the visually challenged at the venue, showcased gadgets like "picture-in-flash" device to print tactile diagram, a "talking" ATM, talking labeler, weighing scale, color recognizer, talking blood pressure meter and talking physiotherapy.

Various Programs, Initiatives and acts related to Environment and Ecology in 2011

The following are the various programs, initiatives, draft acts and policies of Environment & Forest Ministry:

India Launches Major New Study For Valuation Of Its Natural Capital And Ecosystem Services

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has initiated a major new programme to value the immense wealth of natural resources and biodiversity in India. Collaborating with The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study, the Ministry has begun the process of valuating its natural capital and ecosystem services in terms of economic value.

India participates in the 10th CoP of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

India made impressive presence in the 10th Conference of Parties of Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Held at Bergen, Norway during November 20-25,2011: Nominated as Member of the Standing Committee of CMS.

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.

Minister inaugurates the first Indian Forest Congress, 2011

Mrs. Jayanthi Natarajan appealed for more scientific analysis of the issues relating to forest management in the country in the midst of ever increasing pressure on the forests and climate change threat. Inaugurating the first Indian Forest Congress,2011 in New Delhi today, she urged for developing reliable data at the state level on forest biomass, increment, Non-timber Forest Products, Eco-tourism, etc.

Draft Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011

The MoEF has notified the new Draft Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to replace the earlier Rules (1998) and the amendments thereof. The darft Rules are notified for information of the public and suggestions and comments are invited within 60 days.

Draft Animal Welfare Act 2011

The importance that India accords to the protection of animals and their rights is reflected in the fact that the Constitution of the nation recognizes the need for their protection. Article 51A (g) enshrines and casts upon every citizen of India, the duty to have compassion for all living creatures, as a Fundamental Duty. In keeping with this commitment, India was also one of the first countries to enact a law on the subject of animal cruelty being the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

India has one of the most comprehensive laws on the subject of Wildlife Protection but unfortunately domesticated animals do not enjoy specific protections under the same.

There is therefore a need for a comprehensive and holistic legislation to address this issue. Acknowledging this need, the Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests, gave a categorical assurance on the floor of the Lok Sabha on August 11th, 2010 that the Ministry would enact a law titled the Animal Welfare Act that would provide, among other things, for steeper penalties for animal cruelty.

This law intends to modify the approach of our authorities in dealing with animal protection by moving from a defensive position to a positive, welfare and wellbeing oriented approach through the Draft Animal Welfare Act, 2011. Some of the salient features of the draft enactment are:

• Augmenting animal welfare and wellbeing ;
• Strengthening animal welfare organizations, and conscientious citizens who wish to espouse the cause of animal welfare and wellbeing ;
• Enhancing penalties for animal abuse ;
• Altering and enlarging the definition of animal abuse, in keeping with the times, and in keeping with judicial pronouncements.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, shall stand repealed when this Act comes into force, but all actions already taken under the same, and Rules and Regulations already framed, shall be saved to the extent and in the manner indicated in the Draft Animal Welfare Act, 2011.

SICOM and MSSRF join hands for Vedaranyam, sign MoU

On the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the “Salt Satyagraha”, the Ministry of Environment and Forests initiated the conservation and development of Vedaranyam Coastal Zone project based on Gandhian Principles. The above project is being undertaken by Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) under the World Bank assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management project. This project would be implemented by M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai under the Chairmanship of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan.

The above project includes, restoration and conservation of the coastal resources, promote scientific management of land and water resources and promote community based joint management and implementation of the coastal zone management programme.

Under the project the Vedaranyam swamp which has a vast mangrove, salt marsh and migratory bird population will be restored, income generating activities for the local communities would be taken up. The project was officially announced on 26th December, 2010. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Society.

Report on the All India Tiger Estimation (2010) and MEE of Tiger Reserves

28th July, 2011, New Delhi, India: The detailed report on the All India Tiger Estimation (2010) along with the outcome of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves were released today.

(i) Detailed report on the All India Tiger Estimation (2010)

A detailed report on the 2010 assessment relating to status of tigers, co-predators and their prey is a sequel to the outcome released in March this year. This study reports a countrywide increase of 20% in tiger numbers in 2010 with an estimated number of 1706 (1520-1909).

The 2006 estimation was 1411 (1165 – 1657) tigers. This country level assessment is done once in every four years, and is a collaborative initiative between the NTCA, WII, tiger States and outside expertise. There is a decline of 12.6% in tiger occupancy from connecting habitats.

This has happened in peripheral and dispersal areas having low densities outside tiger reserves and tiger source populations. The increase in tiger numbers is due to the fact that tiger populations in Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka have shown an increase in tiger density. The inclusion of Sunderbans, some portions of North East and parts of Maharashtra have also contributed to the increase. The methodology consisted of a double sampling approach – Phase I by Forest departments generate indices of abundance, Phase II – Remotely sensed information on landscape characteristics in a GIS, Phase III – research biologists sample areas with remote cameras and modern technology to determine tiger abundance. There has been an unprecedented effort of about 477,000 man days by forest staff, and 37,000 man days by professional biologists. A total effort of 81,409 trap nights yielded photo-captures of 635 unique tiger from a total camera trapped area of 11,192 km2 over 29 sites.

Tiger occupied forests in India were classified into 6 landscape complexes: (a) Shivalik Hills and the Gangetic Plain, (b) Central India (c) Eastern Ghats, (d) Western Ghats, (e) North-Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Plains, and (f) Sunderbans.

The report is not about tiger numbers alone and gives invaluable information on connectivity, corridors and habitats.

(ii) Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserve

The MEE report contains the second round of independent assessment based on refined criteria done in 2010-11 for 39 tiger reserves. This assessment is based on the globally used framework, as adapted to Indian conditions. Five independent teams conducted the evaluation using 30 indicators. The framework consists of 6 elements: context, planning, inputs, process, outputs and outcomes.

The 39 tiger reserves were grouped in same landscape clusters as done in tiger estimation. An additional category comprising of tigers in ‘red corridor’ has been included, besides a separate category for reserves where tigers have gone locally extinct. Out of 39 tiger reserves, 15 were rated as ‘very good’, 12 as ‘good’, 8 as ‘satisfactory’ and 4 as ‘poor’.

28 tiger reserves were compared with the MEE ratings of 2005-06. It is inferred that the ‘very good’ category increased by 4%, ‘good’ category increased by 3% and ‘satisfactory’ decreased by 7%.

Extensive Study carried using satellite-based inventory and monitoring methods on ‘Snow and glaciers of the Himalayas’.   Clickhere to View Full Report>>

Minister reviews plan for strengthening the Indian Forest Service- 30^th June 2011

The Indian Forest Service (IFS) came into being in 1966, to manage, conserve and develop the forest and wildlife resources of the country. However, a lack of long-term planning on annual recruitment, skill building and training in the past has been a cause for concern.

A five-member committee constituted by the Ministry in 2010, headed by Shri J.C.Kala, Former DG Forests, undertook an exercise to draw up a comprehensive recruitment plan for the next 20 years. The report of the Committee is available on the Ministry’s website.

Highlights Of 4th National Report Submitted To Unccd Secretariat – 20^th June 2011

·         About 69 percent of India is dry land – arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
o   These areas are heavily populated
o   Degradation has severe implications for livelihood and food security for millions of people living in these areas
·     An estimated 32 percent of India’s total land area is affected by land degradation (of which desertification is a major component)
·     81.45 million hectares, or 24.8 percent of the country’s geographic area is undergoing desertification
·  Water and soil erosion are major causes of land degradation; water erosion is most prominent in agricultural regions
·   The key anthropogenic factors resulting in degradation are unsustainable agricultural practices; diversion of land to development programmes; industrial effluents; mining and deforestation
·     Unsustainable resource management practices drive desertification, and accentuate the poverty of people affected by desertification
·    Land rehabilitation has been a major priority since Independence, and several policies and government agencies address desertification and degradation.

Milestones of Defence in India in 2011 with Full details

The Following are the Complete List of all the successful tests of 2011 collected from various newspapers for students appearing for civil service examinations and other competitive examinations.

• Initial Operational Clearance Ceremony to LCA (Tejas) at Bangalore on January 10, 2011.  Defence Minister Shri AK Antony formally handed over the release to service certificate of Tejas Aircraft to the chief of Air Staff, Air chief Marshal PV Naik. Read More>>

• Successful launch of Dhanush and Prithvi Missiles by the Strategic Forces Command from Interim Test Range, Chandipur, Orissa and a warship off Orissa Coast on March 11, 2011. Read More>>

• Kaveri engine being developed by the DRDO for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft successfully completed the first phase Flying Test Bed trials mounted on a modified IL-76 aircraft in Russia during April.

• Indian Naval crew began training in Russia in April aboard the new Aircraft Carrier Admiral Gorshkov, being rechristened INS Vikramaditya, to be inducted into the Indian Naval fleet. Read More>>

• The Nuclear-capable, Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile was successfully test-fired for its full range of 350 km on 9th June, 2011 by the personnel of Strategic Force Command as part of a regular user training exercise.
  The nine-metre tall missile was picked up randomly from the production lot and test-fired by the SFC personnel, while the logistics were provided by DRDO scientists.

  The missile, fired from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the Orissa Coast at 9 a.m, achieved a high-degree accuracy, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources. After a flight duration of about 8 minutes, the indigenously-built missile impacted the target in the Bay of Bengal with a single-digit accuracy of less than 10-metres of CEP (Circular Error Probability).

  A battery of state-of-art radars, electro-optical telemetry stations and a ship located near the target point tracked the entire event.

  The single-stage, liquid fuelled Prithvi-II is capable of carrying payloads ranging from 500-1,000 kg and was already inducted by the Armed Forces. It is equipped with a high-accuracy inertial navigation system with sophisticated on-board control and guidance. Prithvi-II's mobile launcher has user-driven features and the road mobile system could be launched from anywhere in the country.

• Defence Minister Shri AK Antony inaugurated the DRDO’s state-of-the-art composite propellant processing facility – ACEM (Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials) at Nasik in Maharashtra on Wednesday, Jun 29, 2011. Read More>>

• Successful launch of new Surface to Surface Tactical Missile ‘PRAHAAR’ by DRDO on Thursday, July 21, 2011. Read More>>

• Successful flight test of the 700- km range SHOURYA Missile from Launch Complex III of Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off OrissaCoast on Saturday, Sep 24, 2011. Read More>>

• India's nuclear capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile was successfully test-fired, with a range of 350 kms, as part of user trial by the Armed Forces from Chandipur off Orissa coast, about 15 km from here.
  The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile was flight tested at around 8.50 a.m. from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range launch complex-III.
  The test firing of the short-range ballistic missile, which has already been inducted into the Armed Forces, was a ‘user trial’, defence sources said.
  The sleek missile is “handled by the specially raised strategic force command”, they said, adding the missile has a length of 9 metres and is one metre in diameter. It is propelled by two engines than run on liquid fuel.
  Prithvi, the first ballistic missile developed under the country’s prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), has the capability of carrying 500 kg of warhead. The missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory.

• LCA Tejas (Navy) made successful Ground Run at Bangalore on Tuesday, Sep 27, 2011. Read More>>

• Surface to Surface Strategic Missile AGNI (A-II)

   India successfully flight-tested Intermediate range, nuclear weapons-capable Agni-II surface-to-surface missile for its full range of over 2,000 km from Balasore, Orissa on 30th September which is a hat-trick of achievements in the past one week. The missile was fired from a rail mobile launcher by the Army’s Strategic Force Command personnel at 9.30 a.m. as part of a training exercise after it was picked up from the production lot. After a 10-minute flight, the 21-metre tall Agni-II reached the pre-defined target in the Bay of Bengal with precision and accuracy. Two naval ships located near the target point, electro-optical and telemetry systems tracked the missile’s flight path and its final moments.
  

  
  

  Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat described it a dream launch and one of the finest copy-book launches of Agni-II. All the performance parameters of the mission such as velocity, terminal phase, trajectory and destruction of the warhead went as per copybook profile.
  India successfully flight-tested Intermediate range, nuclear weapons-capable Agni-II surface-to-surface missile for its full range of over 2,000 km from Balasore, Orissa on 30th September which is a hat-trick of achievements in the past one week. The missile was fired from a rail mobile launcher by the Army’s Strategic Force Command personnel at 9.30 a.m. as part of a training exercise after it was picked up from the production lot. After a 10-minute flight, the 21-metre tall Agni-II reached the pre-defined target in the Bay of Bengal with precision and accuracy. 

• The DRDO conducted the 5th successful flight of UAV ‘Rustom I’ near Hosur, Karnataka on Friday, Nov 11, 2011. Read More>>

• The Missile reached the target with very high level of accuracy. Radars and electro-optical systems along the Coast of Odisha have tracked and monitored all the parameters of the Missile. Two Indian Naval ships located near the target witnessed the final event.

  AGNI 4 is a new era in the modern Long Range Navigation System in India. This test has paved the way ahead for the success of AGNI-5 Mission, which will be launched shortly.

  The Missile, having capability to carry Strategic Warheads for the Forces, has provided a fantastic deterrence to the country and it will be produced in numbers and delivered to the Armed Forces as early as possible.

  
  

  What's New in AGNI 4?

  
  

  • This missile is one of its kinds, proving many new technologies for the first time, and represents a quantum leap in terms of missile technology. 
  • The Missile is lighter in weight and has two stages of Solid Propulsion and a Payload with Re-entry heat shield. 
  • The Composite Rocket Motor which has been used for the first time has given excellent performance. 
  • The Missile System is equipped with modern and compact Avionics with Redundancy to provide high level of reliability. 
  • The indigenous Ring Laser Gyros based high accuracy INS (RINS) and Micro Navigation System (MINGS) complementing each other in redundant mode have been successfully flown in guidance mode for the first time. 
  • The high performance onboard computer with distributed Avionics architecture, high speed reliable communication bus and a full Digital Control System have controlled and guided the Missile to the target.
  India successfully test fired the most advanced long range missile system Agni-4 on 15th November, 2011. The missile was launched from a Road Mobile System at 9.00 AM from Wheelers’ Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile followed its trajectory, in a text book fashion, attained a height of about 900 kms and reached the pre-designated target in the international waters of Bay of Bengal. All mission objectives were fully met. All the systems functioned perfectly till the end encountering the re-entry temperatures of more than 3000⁰C.

• Sixth successful test launch of Agni-AI Ballistic Missile from WheelerIsland on Dec 1, 2011 by Armed Forces. Read More>>