LATEST CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR APPSC EXAMS

 

1. Which the following two countries had signed strategic partnership agreement on 27 June 2012?
(a)    India and Pakistan
(b)    Pakistan and Norway
(c)    Afghanistan and Norway
(d)    Afghanistan and United States of America
Answer: (c) 

2. Which Company had signed the world chess Champion Viswanathan Anand their Brand Ambassador on 26 June 2012?
(a)    Honda
(b)    True Value Homes
(c)    Muthoot Finance
(d)    Muthoot Fincorp
Answer: (b)

3. Which Country Chaired the seventh G20 Summit on 18 and 19 June 2012?
(a)    United States of America
(b)    Mexico
(c)    South Africa
(d)    Netherlands 
Answer: (b) 

4.________________ became the president of Egypt on 24 June 2012?
(a)    Pranab Mukherjee
(b)    Barak Obama
(c)    Mohommed Moorsi
(d)    Yusuf Raja Gilani
Answer: (c) Mohommed Moorsi

5.____________emerged as the largest trading partner of___________in the first quarter of 2012-13?
(a) India, Dubai
(b) India, USA
(c) India, UK
(d) India, Iran
Answer: (a) India, Dubai

6.    Which one of the following High Courts on 28 May 2012 scrapped the Union Government's 4.5 per-cent quota for minorities, carved out of the 27 per cent reservation for the other backward classes (OBCs)?
a.    Andhra Pradesh High Court
b.    Allahabad High Court
c.    Karnataka High Court
d.    Patna High Court
Answer: a

7.    The DRDO test-fired indigenously built ‘Akash' missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur on 28 May 2012. What kind of missile Akash is?
a.    Surface-to-air missile
b.    Air-to-surface missile
c.    Surface-to-surface missile
d.    Water-to-surface missile
Answer: a

8.    The Union Cabinet on 31 May 2012 approved the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012. Which of the following facts are not related to the National Telecom Policy?
1.    The policy also allows national number portability but with no visible timelines
2.    NTP 2012 expects to take India's presently 39% rural teledensity to 70% in the next 5 years
3.    The new policy will make roaming free of any charge
4.    Spectrum pricing falls under the purview of new telecom policy
a.    Only 1
b.    1 &4
c.    2&3
d.    Only 4
Answer: (d)

9.    Army Chief General V.K. Singh, who led over the one-million-strong Indian Army for the past 26 months, retired on 20 May 2012. Figure out which one of the following fact is not correct about General V.K. Singh?
1.    He became the Chief of Staff of the Army on 31 March 2010
2.    He was commissioned into the Rajput regiment on 14 June 1970
3.    He was the first Army Chief who moved to The Supreme Court of India against the Union Government
4.    He raised the issue of shortages and deficiencies in the Army 
a.    1
b.    2
c.    3
d.    All the facts are correct
Answer: d

10.    Brahmeshwar Singh alias ‘Mukhiyaji,' the head of a dreaded private militia of upper caste landowners in Bihar, was shot dead on 1 June 2012. Name the group he was head of?
a.    MCC
b.    Ranvir Sena
c.    People’s War Group
d.    CPI( Maoist)
Answer: b

11.  India decided how many athletes to send in London Olympics 2012?
a. 57
b. 81
c. 62
d. 75
Answer: (b)

12. Who is the Indian flag bearer in London Olympics 2012?
a. Susil Kumar
b. Vijender Singh
c. Abhinav Bindra
d. Leander Paes
Answer: (a)

13. Who is decided as the Indian Chef for London Olympics 2012 athletes?
a. Abinav Pal Singh
b Arun Pal Singh
c. Amit Pal Singh
d. Ajit Pal Singh
Answer: (d)

14. Who was the Scottish open golf Championship 2012?
a. Luke Donald 
b. Martin Kaymer 
c. Francesco Molinari
d. Jeev Milkha Singh
Answer: (d)

15. Who was announced as the as the youngest Chess Grandmaster in India on 1 July 2006?
a. David Howell
b. S Arun Prasad
c. Ruslan Sherbakov
d. Parimarjan Negi
Answer: (d)

16. Identify the person with whom the following facts are related.
1.   He was appointed the next Chief of the Indian Navy
2.    He will succeed Admiral Nirmal Verma, who retires on 31 August 2012
3.    He Commissioned in the Navy's executive branch in 1974
4.    Presently he is the Western Naval Command chief of Indian Navy
a.    Vice Admiral DK Joshi
b.    Vice Admiral Bikram Singh
c.    Vice Admiral Vishnu Kapoor
d.    Vice Admiral Amar Pratap Singh
Answer: (a)

17. Name the Indian Army Officer whose ban was ban was lifted by Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh? 
a.    Lt. General Dalbir Singh Suhag
b.    Lt. General PS Thorrat    
c.    Lt. General Ranjeet Singh
d.    Lt. General BK Singh
Answer: (a)

18. According to which international organisation’s report, India is listed among the top five countries across the world where a large number of children dies due to diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea ?
a.    UNICEF
b.    WHO
c.    World Bank
d.    NHRC
Answer: (a)

19. Name the Indian cricketer who was sworn in as the member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament on 4 June 2012 ?
a.    MS Dhoni
b.    Sachin Tendulkar
c.    Sunil Gavaskar
d.    Saurabh Ganguly
Answer: (b)

20. Identify the person, with whom the following statements are attached.
1.    He was appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by President Pratibha Patil on 6 June 2012
2.    He took charge as Election Commissioner on 21 April 2009
3.    He was born at Vellore in Tamil Nadu on 16 January 1950
4.    He is a 1973 batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre
a.    Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath
b.    H.S. Brahma
c.    SY Qureishi
d.    Shumsher Sheriff
Answer: (a)

21. Identify the person with whom the following facts are related.
1.   He is the national Vice-President of the People's Union for Civil Liberties
2.    He has recently been awarded with the International Peace Award given by the Gandhi Foundation 
3.    He was detained by the Chhattisgadh government under Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005 (CSPSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967
4.    He was granted bail on 25 May 2009 by a vacation bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Markandey Katju and Justice Deepak Verma
a.    Bulu Imam
b.    Binayak Sen
c.    Seema Azad
d.    Narayan Sanyal
Answer: (b)

22. Name the Indian human rights activists who were honoured with the International Peace Award given by the Gandhi Foundation at the House of Lords.?
a.    Binayak Sen & Bulu Imam
b.    Medha Patkar & Abahay Amte    
c.    Anna Hazare & Kiran Bedi
d.    Arvind Kejariwal & Aruna Roy
Answer: (a)

23. The Supreme Court of India on 11 June 2012 upheld which one of the following high court’s ruling to quash 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities in central educational institutions?
a.    Allahabad High Court
b.    Karnataka High Court
c.    Delhi High Court
d.    Andhra Pradesh High Court
Answer: (d)

24. Name the BEML chairman and MD, who was suspended by the Union defence Ministry on 11 June 2012 to ensure fair investigation into the Tatra truck deal and other cases ?
a.    G Madhavan Nair
b.    Surendra Khanna
c.    VRS Natarajan
d.    Amit Barua
Answer: (c)

25. Identify the person, with whom the following statements are attached.
1.    She was awarded the life imprisonment by Allahabad court on 8 June 2012
2.    She was arrested in Allahabad on 6 February 2010 on charges of being members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and involved in unlawful activities
3.    She was the Organizing Secretary of PUCL’s Uttar Pradesh unit 
4.    She was charged under Sections 121, 121A and 120B of IPC
a.    Reema Kaushik
b.    Geeta Basu
c.    Seema Azad
d.    Sunita Behra
Answer: (c)

26. Dipankar Mukherjee, National Secretary  of Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), passed away on 18 June 2012 in New Delhi at the age of 69. Figure out which of the following facts related to Dipankar Mukherjee is not true?
1.   He was born in June 1943 at Calcutta in West Bengal
2.    He joined CITU as its full time member in 1991
3.    He was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, in April 1994 from West Bengal as a CPI(M) member
4.    He was also the longest serving chairman of CITU
a.    Only 3
b.    2 & 3
c.    3 & 4
d.    Only 4
Answer: (d)

27. The Hyderabad bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) set aside the appointment of V. Dinesh Reddy as Director General of Police of Andhra Pradesh.  What was the ground of Reddy’s removal as the state DGP?
a.    Seniority
b.    Corruption
c.    misconduct
d.    none of the above
Answer: (a)

28. Which one of the following ministeries decided to defer its plan to digitalise cable TV services in metros by four months as they were found not to be ready for it?
a.    Union Finance Ministry
b.    Union Home Ministry
c.    Union Science Ministry
d.    Union Information & Technology Ministry
Answer: (d)

29. Name the person who was served the Enforcement Directorate notice to question him on charges of money laundering ?
a.    Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy
b.    A Raja
c.    Suresh Kalmadi
d.    Virbhadra Singh
Answer: (a)

30. Identify the person, with whom the following statements are attached.
1.    He was appointed as the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) on 19 June 2012 
2.    He earlier served as the Chief Executive of Nuclear Recycle Board of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
3.    Basu was the Project Director of the Plutonium Recycling Project at Kalpakkam, which built India's first indigenous Pressurised Water Reactor
4.    He joined BARC in 1974
a.    Ratan Kumar Sinha
b.    Shekher Basu
c.    KS Sreekrishnan
d.    Ramesh Kulkarni
Answer: (b)

31. Pranab Mukherjee on 26 June 2012 resigned as the Union Finance Minister. A veteran Congress party leader, Mukherjee was appointed the Union Finance Minister on 24 January 2009, during the UPA I government and was reallocated the same portfolio following the victory of UPA in the 2009 general elections. Figure out which of the following developments did not take place during his tenure as the Union Finance Minister?
1.    Union Finance Ministry announced a 0.3 per cent excise duty on unbranded jewellery
2.    UPA government approved up to 51% foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail
3.    Union Finance Ministry announced the general anti-avoidance rules (GAAR)
4.    Indian Rupee witnessed its historic low against the US dollar
a.    Only 3
b.    2 & 3
c.    3 & 4
d.    All the above given facts are right
Answer: (d)

32. The Pakistan government on 28 June 2012, released Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh after he served life imprisonment in Pakistani Prison.  Who is the other Indian citizen who has been languishing in Pakistani prison and was denied liberty by the Pakistani authorities on 26 June 2012?
a.    Sarabjeet Singh
b.    Swarnjeet Singh
c.    Sarvajeet Singh
d.    Amarjeet Singh
Answer: (a)

33. Union Minister Virbhadra Singh resigned on 26 July 2012 in the wake of a Himachal Pradesh court framing corruption charges against him. Which one of the following facts about Virbhadra Singh is not true?
1.    He was the Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
2.    He first became the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in April 1983
3.    He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandi constituency
4.    Before joining Congress he was the member of BJP
a.    Only 4
b.    Only 2
c.    Only 1
d.    Only 3
Answer: (a)

34. Name the person who was appointed the new Commissioner of Delhi Police by the Union Home Ministry on 28 June 2012 ?
a.    BK Gupta
b.    Neeraj Kumar
c.    Surendra Singh
d.    CP Vergese
Answer: (b)

35. Identify the person, with whom the following statements are attached.
1.    He was born on 1 September 1947, Meghalaya, India
2.    He is a former Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chief Minister of Meghalaya
3.    He is contesting the Presidential Elections 2012 as NDA candidate
4.   He  joined BARC Training School in 1974 
a.    Pawan Chamling
b.    V Kishore Chandradeo
c.    PA Sangma
d.    D Raja
Answer: (c)

36. Who Indian player won Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold title in Bangkok 2012?
a.Madhumita Bisht
b. Saniya nehwal 
c. Jwala Gupta
d. Aparna Popat
Answer. (b)


37. which one of the following is correct:
Rafael Nadal defeated _______ to win his seventh French Open Singles Title.
a. Mats Wilander
b. Roy Emerson
c. Serbian Novak Djokovic
d. Roland Garros
Answer. (c)

38. Which one of the following won French Open 2012?
a. Maria Sharapova 
b. Petra Kvitova 
c. Venus Williams
d. Sara Errani
Answer. (a)

39. Which one of the following is correct?
Maria Sharapova defeated _______ to win French Open 2012
a. Kim Clijsters
b. Agnieszka Radwanska
c. Venus Williams
d. Sara Errani
Answer. (d)

40. Consider the following:
Who won the in Asian junior wrestling championship 2012?
a. Indu Chaudhary
b. Sakshi Malik 
c. Both A and B
d. None of the Above
Answer. (c)

41. Which one of the following signed as Brand Ambassador of Kalyan Jewellers?
a. Kajol
b. Katrina Kaif
c. Amitabh Bachchan
d. Diya Mirza
Answer: (c)

42. Which one of the following launched first educational tablet PC?
a. Alphabetics Computer
b. HP  
c. IBM
d. Apple
Answer: (a)

43. Consider the Statement:
__________ is the first educational tablet PC. 
Which one of the following is correct?
a. TabStudy
b. TabSkisha
c. TabTeacher
d. TabGuru
Answer: (d)

44. Which Hindi news channel acquired English News channel NewsX?
a. Aaj Tak 
b. Good Morning India
c. India News
d. Information TV
Answer: (d) Information TV

45. Consider the statement:
______ Books published India’s first eBook. 
Which one of the following is correct?
a. Penguine 
b. Dollfine 
c. Seal
d.Starfish
Answer:  (a)

46. Which one of the following launched Purview 808?
a. Nokia     
b. BlackBerry
c. Motorola
d. Samsung
Answer. (a) Nokia

47. which of the following is correct?
Nokia Pureview 808 is a ___________
a.    Featured Phone
b.    Smart Phone
c.    Both A and B
d.    None of the above
Answer. (b) Smart Phone

48. which one of the following decided to buy London Metal Exchange?
a. Tokyo Stoke Exchange
b. Hong Kong Stock Exchange 
c. Toronto Stoke Exchange
d. Korea Exchange
Answer. (b) Hong Kong Stock Exchange

49. Which of the following is correct?
Maruti Suzuki decided to merge with ________
a.    Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd
b.    Honda Ltd
c.    Hyundai Ltd
d.    Ford Ltd
Answer. (a)

50. who was the first company in India who had mass-production and sell more than a million cars?
 a. Maruti Suzuki
b.  Honda Ltd
c. Hyundai Ltd
d. Ford Ltd
Answer. (a)

51. which one of the following is the second largest car seller in India?
a) BMW
b) Audi
c) Mercedes-Benz 
d) TATA
Answer. (c)

52. which one of the following appointed as Brand Ambassador of Nepal Cricket Association?
a) Rahul Dravid
b) Sachin Tendulkar
c) Mahendra Singh Dhoni 
d) Virat Kohli 
Answer. (c)

53. Which one of the following is the maker of BlackBerry?
a) HP
b) RIM
c) AIM
d) Apple
Answer. (b)

54. Consider the following two Statements:
I. BlackBerry is a Featured phone.
II. BlackBerry was developed and designed by Apple.
Which of the following answer is correct?
a) I is correct
b) II is correct
c) Both I) and II are correct
d) Both I) and II are incorrect
Answer. (d)

55. Consider the following Statment?
a) BlackBerry- Featured Phone
b) Motorola MOTO Q8 – Featured Phone
c) BlackBerry- Smartphone
d) Motorola MOTO Q8- Smartphone
Which two of the following is correct?
a)    A and B
b)    B and C
c)    C and D
d)    D and A 
Answer. (c)

56. which one of the following is the current Nasscom President?
a. Bijoy Ghosh
b. Som Mittal
c. Anil Ambani
d. Krishnakumar Natarajan
Answer. (b)

57. Consider the following two Statements:
I. Som Mittal is the Nasscom president
II. He is assigned as Nassom president till 2014. 
Which of the following answer is correct?
a) I is correct
b) II is correct
c) Both I) and II are correct
d) Both I) and II are incorrect
Answer. (c)

58.  What is the full form of Nasscom?
a. National Association of services and software companies
b. National Association of Software and Service Companies
c. national Association of Safety  and services 
d. National Association of Services and Safety
Answer. (b)

59. Who is the owner of Kingfisher Airlines?
a. Vijay Mallay’s
b. Goyal
c. Siddhanta Sharma
d. Harsha Viji
Answer. (a)

60. Which Airlines Launched Daily Flights to Dubai from Delhi and Mumbai in 2012?
a. Indigo
b. Spice jet
c. Kingfisher Airlines
d. Go
Answer. (b)

61.Which one of the following is Spice jet CEO?
a. Vijay Mallay’s
b. Neil Mills
c. Kalanithi Maran
d. Neil Raymond
Answer. (b)

62. Identify the false fact about The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 2012
(a) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 2012 concluded in Beijing on 7 June 2012
(b)  The member states of the SCO adopted 100 agreements on the concluding day of the summit.
(c)  Leaders and officials from the four SCO observer countries of Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India were also present at the summit.
(d)  Chinese President Hu Jintao offered a 10 billion U.S. dollars loan to the SCO which will be used be used to promote the development of SCO members
Answer: (b)

63. A US drone strike in northwest Pakistan killed al-Qaida's second-in-command -------------?
(a)    Ayman al-Zawahiri
(b)   Abu Yahya al-Libi
(c)    Hasan Qayid
(d)    Osama Bin Laden
Answer:  (b)

64. A Boeing MD83 aircraft crashed on 3 June 2012.  All 153 people on board were killed in the worst air disaster of the country in nearly past two decades. Identify the place.
(a)    Lagos, the largest Nigerian city Antonis Samara
(b)    Naha Airport, Japan
(c)    Verona, Italy,
(d)    Cricklewood Aerodrome, North London
Answer: (a)

65. A country’s pro-democracy leader -------------carried out her first trip outside the country since 1988.
a.    Yusuf Raja Gilani
b.    Aung Saan Suu Kyi
c.    Husain Haqqani
d.    P. Chidambaram
Answer: (c)

66. Which missile did Pakistan successfully test-fire on 5 June 2012?
(a)    Hatf-VII (Babur) cruise missile 
(b)   Agni –VI (air drone)
(c)    Alacrán missile
(d)    Velvet Glove
Answer:  (a)

67. Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav on 29 May 2012 removed …………………………from his post,
(a) Khil Raj Regmi
(b) Parmanand Jha
(c) Baburam Bhattarai
(d) Purna Kumari Subedi
Answer:  (c)

68. In what location did a powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit, killing at least 16 people and injuring 350 on 30 May 2012
(a) Northeastern Italy
(b) Pakistan
(c) Bali
(d) Sikkim
Answer:  (a)

69. A Boeing MD83 aircraft crashed on 3 June 2012.  All 153 people on board were killed in the worst air disaster of the country in nearly past two decades. Identify the place.
(a) Lagos, the largest Nigerian city Antonis Samara
(b) Naha Airport, Japan
(c) Verona, Italy,
(d) Cricklewood Aerodrome, North London
Answer: (a)

70. The United Nations Human Rights Council on 1 June 2012 approved an investigation into the mass killing of civilians at ……….. and condemned Syria for the massacre. (identify the place out of the names)
a. Gilani
b. Houla
c. Haqqani
d. Chidambaram
Answer: (c)

71. Which two countries on 31 May 2012 inked a Tax Information Exchange Agreement to promote economic cooperation and joint investment between the two countries.
(a) India and Bahrain
(b) India and Singapore
(c) India and China
(d) India and South Korea
Answer:  (a)

72. Which the following two countries have had talks in Siachen that were held at the Ministry of Defence, Rawalpindi on 11 – 12 June 2012. 
(a)    India and Pakistan
(b)   Afghanistan and India
(c)    India and United States of America
(d)    India and Israel
Answer:  (a)

73._______________ US defence secretary arrived India on a two-day visit in June, 2012 ?
(a)    Barak Obama
(b)    Antonis Samara
(c)    Mohommed Moorsi
(d)    Leon Panetta
Answer: (d) Leon Panetta

74. Who was held responsible by the Pakistan judicial commission for not being fair to his country while serving as an envoy to the United States of America and also Held him responsible for memo seeking help to stave off a feared coup in that country.
a. Yusuf Raja Gilani
b. Antonis Samara
c. Husain Haqqani
d. P. Chidambaram
Answer: (c)

75. Identify the false date of the World Anti-child Labour Day which is observed across the globe to highlight the need to protect the rights of the child.
(a) 6 January 
(b) 15 August
(c) 25 November
(d)  12 June
Answer. (d)

76. Which of the following two countries have decided to make serious efforts for amicable solution to Siachen issue. 
(a) India and Pakistan
(b) India and Russia 
(c) India and South Korea
(d) India and Afghanistan
Answer: (a)

77.    Renowned Assamese Poet Hiren Bhattacharyya, who was fondly called Hiru-da by his admirers, passed away on 4 July 2012. Which facts about the concerned person is/are not true?
1. He was well known as Prem aru Rodalir Kobi (Poet of Love and Sunshine) in the Assamese literature
2. He had received the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992 
3. Lora Dhemali (1991) and Akon Dhemali (1991) were two of his most famous collections of children writingincluding Shyam Benegal's Nishant, Ankur, Kalyug and Bhumika
4. He was born in West Bengal
a.    Only 1
b.    Only4
c.    2 & 3
d.    Only 2
Answer: (b)

78. Identify the person with the help of the following clues.
1.    He was appointed the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA) of India
2.    Earlier he served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts in the Central Board of Direct Taxes
3.    He is a 1979-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer
4.    He is known for his initiatives in the area of development of an effective financial management information system
a.    Jawahar Thakur
b.    J. H. Patel
c.    Rahul Khullar
d.    Sudheesh Bhattacharya
Answer: (a)

79. Name the person who was appointed the Director of the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) on 2 July 2012.
a.    Amar Pradhan
b.    M Balachandran
c.    Anup Sankar Bhattacharya
d.    Shankar Sharan
Answer: (c)

80.  National Crime Record Bureau released the statistics for crime in year 2011.  Consider the following statements and state which of the following facts are wrong referring to the NCRB statistics:
i)  Rape with 24206 cases in 2011, emerged as the biggest crime in India in India.
ii) Nearly 14027 farm suicide cases were reported in 2011
Choose the right option:
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Only i is correct.
c)    Only ii is correct.
d)    Neither i nor ii is correct.
Answer:  (a) Both i and ii are correct

81.  The Union Government of India on 4 July 2012 unveiled the 5.4 billion dollar free drug policy.
Consider the following statements:
i)Under the new policy, every citizen of the country will be provided free medicines in all public health centres spread across the country
ii) The policy will remain effective over the next five years
Choose the right option:
a)    Both i and ii are correct.
b)    Only i is correct.
c)    Only ii is correct.
d)    Neither i nor ii is correct.
Answer: (a) Both i and ii are correct

82. As per the latest data released by the commerce and industry ministry on 29 May 2012, the eight core sectors registered a higher growth rate in May 2012? What was the percentage growth recorded?
a.    3.8 per cent
b.    4.3 per cent
c.    5 per cent
d.    6.1 per cent
Answer: (a)

83. According to the latest foreign trade data released by the Union Commerce Ministry, on 2 June 2012, India’s exports slipped by what per cent to 25.68 billion dollar in May 2012?
a.    3.25%
b.    4.16%
c.    4.71%
d.    5.22%
Answer:  (b)

84. As per the latest data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), India's fiscal deficit during the April-May, the first two months of the fiscal year 2012-13 stood at 27 per cent of the budget estimates? What was the deficit figure?
a.    1.75 lakh crore rupees
b.    2.12 lakh crore rupees
c.    1.41 lakh crore rupees
d.    2.75 lakh crore rupees
Answer: (c)

85. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 10 July 2012 permitted which of the following bourses to operate as a full-fledged stock exchange thereby ending nearly four-year-long wait of the bourse?
(a). Ahmadabad Stock Exchange (ASE)
(b). Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE)
(c). National Stock Exchange (NSE)
(d). MCX-SX
Answer: (d)

86. India’s direct tax collections registered what per cent increase in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2012-13?
(a) 47.16%
(b) 41.22%
(c) 45%
(d) 43.33%
Answer: (a)

87. Which two of the following credit cards HDFC launched for Doctors?
a. Superia  & Platinum
b. Platinum & Titanium
c. Titanium & Gold
d. Gold & Superia
Answer. (a)

89.  Which one of the following is correct?
TATA AIG Life Insurance turned in to ___________
a. TATA AIP Life
b. TATA AIA Life
c. TATA AIT Life
d. TATA TIA Life
Answer. (b)

90.  What was the following is correct?
The full form of TATA AIG Life was _____________ .
a. Tata Australian International Group
b. Tata America International Group
c. Tata American International Grouping
d. Tata American International Group
Answer. (d)

91. Consider the statement
Apple paid 60 million dollar to Shenzhen Proview Technology to settle _______.
Which one of the following is correct?
a. Legal Dispute
b. Business Dispute
c. Personal Dispute
d. Financial Dispute
Answer. (a)


92. Consider the Statement:
Adani Kandla Bulk Terminal Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement with _____________.
Which one of the following is correct?
a. Kandla Bulk Terminal
b. Adani Bulk Terminal
c. Kandla Port Trust
d. Adani Port Trust
Answer. (c)

93. Consider the Statement:
_____________ launched famous Triangular Swiss Chocolate Brand Toblerone.
a.    Cadbury
b.    Nestle
c.    Ferrero
d.    Callebaut
Answer. (a)

94. Which two of the following shared Under-19 Asia Cup 2012?
a. India & Pakistan
b. India & Nepal
c. Malaysia & Pakistan
d. Pakistan & Nepal
Answer. (a)

95. Where Under-19 Asia Cup 2012 was played?
a. Malaysia
b. Kuala Lampur
c. Lahore
d. Kathmandu
Answer. (b)

96. Consider the Statement:
Three _____ athletes were suspended from London Olympics 2012.
a. Indian
b. American
c. Russian
d.  England
Answer. (c)

97.  Which one of the following discarded Arsenal Contract Offer in 2012?
a. Van Persie
b. Mickelson
c. Kerwin
d. Samir Nasri
Answer. (a)

98. Which one of the following won Euro Cup Football Championship 2012?
a. Denmark
b. Germany
c. Italy
d. Spain 
Answer. (d)

99. Which two companies listed in top 100 of Fortune’s World magazine 2012?
a. State Bank of India & Indian Oil
b. Hindustan Petroleum & State Bank of India
c. Reliance Industries & Hindustan Petroleum
d. Indian Oil & Reliance Industries
Answer. (d)

100. Consider the statement:
FaceBook introduced _________ to allow developers to translate the names and descriptions into other languages.
Which one of the following is correct?
a. App Center
b. App Dashboard
c. App xpress
d. App Translator
Answer. (b)

101. Which one of the following is appointed as the Joint Managing director of AirIndia?
a Arvind Jadav
b. Sunil Arora
c. Rohit Nandan
d. Nasir Ali
Answer. (d)

102. In which year Air India and Indian Airlines merged?
a. 2008
b 2007
c. 2006
d. 2005
Answer. (a)

103. Which one of the following launched Apparel and Fashion xPress for Oracle Retail?
a. Mahindra Satyam
b. Tech Mahindra
c. MphasiS Corporation
d. Larsen & Toubro
Answer.(a)

104. which one of the following division was introduced in London Olympics 2012?
a. SAC ad hoc
b. CAS ad hoc
c. PAC ad hoc
d. CBS ad hoc
Answer. (b)

105. Consider the statement:
__________ titled book was released on Indian hockey Olympians.
Which one of the following is correct?
a. Report of Indian Hockey Olympians
b. Synopsis of Indian Olympians
c. Profiles of Indian Hockey Olympians
d. Hockey Olympians Biography
Answer. (c)

106. Which one of the following beat Andy Murray to claim Wimbledon Open Championship Gentlemen’s Singles Final 2012?
a. Pete Sampras
b. Mikhail Youzhny
c. Djokovic
d. Roger Federer
Answer. (d)

107. Which one of the following beat Agnieszka Radwanskato claim Wimbledon Women’s Singles Final 2012?
a. Petra Kvitová
b. Serena Williams
c. Venus Williams
d. Victoria Azarenka
Answer. (b)

108. Which one of the following has a world record of 555 dismissals?
a. Jeff Dujon
b. Rodney William Marsh
c. Mark Boucher
d. Adam Gilchrist
Answer. (c)

109. American Actor ……………… passed away on 8 July 2012. He was 95 years old. He took his last breath at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He won the Oscar Award for his role in the film named Marty in the year 1955
(a)    George Clooney
(b)   Ernest Borgnine
(c)    Jim Carrey
(d)    Bee Gees
Answer: (b)   Ernest Borgnine

110. Which two countries signed three key bilateral agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 11 July 2012, New Delhi. 
(a)    India and Afghanistan
(b)    India and Peru
(c)    India and Singapore
(d)    India and Mozambique
Answer: (c) India and Singapore

111. World Population Day is celebrated on which day? It aims to make aware people about the increasing population in the country.
a.    27 March 
b.    11 July
c.    10 February
d.    25 December
Answer: (b)

112. Which of the following statement/statements is/are not true in relation to Derek Mitchell on 11 July 2012,who assumed the charge as the first US Ambassador to Myanmar 
(a) Derek Mitchell on 11 July 2012 assumed the charge as the first US Ambassador to Myanmar in the past 22 year
(b) Prior to his current assignment, Mitchell served as President Bush’s special envoy to Myanmar.
(c) The decision marked a strong indication of US’ support to the political reforms being unfolded in Myanmar.
(d) Prompted by the series of political reforms in the country, the US Government in January 2012 had announced to restore diplomatic relation with Myanmar.
Answer: (c)

113. Where was the international donors meeting that pledged $16 billion contribution for development aid to Afghanistan until 2015, held on 8 July 2012?
a) United States
b) India
c) Tokyo
d) Maldives
Answer: (c) Tokyo

114. Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav on 29 May 2012 removed …………………………from his post,
(a) Khil Raj Regmi
(b) Parmanand Jha
(c) Baburam Bhattarai
(d) Purna Kumari Subedi
Answer:  (c)

115. In what location did a powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit, killing at least 16 people and injuring 350 on 30 May 2012
(a) Northeastern Italy
(b) Pakistan
(c) Bali
(d) Sikkim
Answer:  (a)

116. A Boeing MD83 aircraft crashed on 3 June 2012.  All 153 people on board were killed in the worst air disaster of the country in nearly past two decades. Identify the place.
(a) Lagos, the largest Nigerian city Antonis Samara
(b) Naha Airport, Japan
(c) Verona, Italy,
(d) Cricklewood Aerodrome, North London
Answer: (a)

117. The United Nations Human Rights Council on 1 June 2012 approved an investigation into the mass killing of civilians at ……….. and condemned Syria for the massacre. (identify the place out of the names)
a. Gilani
b. Houla
c. Haqqani
d. Chidambaram
Answer: (c)


118. Which two countries on 31 May 2012 inked a Tax Information Exchange Agreement to promote economic cooperation and joint investment between the two countries.
(a) India and Bahrain
(b) India and Singapore
(c) India and China
(d) India and South Korea
Answer:  (a)

119. Which one of the following Indian IT company started its exclusive delivery centre for Aerospace and Defence in Toulouse in France?
(a)    Wipro
(b)    Mahidra Satyam
(c)    TCS
(d)    HCL
Answer: (b)

120. Which one of the following Indian industrialists was chosen for the leadership award of the India-U.S. bilateral trade promotion organisation U.S. India Business Council?
(a) Azim Premjee
(b) Shiv Nadar
(c) Anand Mahindra
(d) Ratan Tata
Answer: (c)

CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1.  The limit of overseas investment in government bonds/securities has been raised
     from $15 billion to _________.
     a) $20 billion
     b) $25 billion
     c) $30 billion
     d) $35 billion
     e) None of the above

2.  According to “World Investment Report 2012″, the total FDI inflow in India in
     2011 stood at ________.
     a) $67 billion
     b) $87 billion
     c) $52 billion
     d) $78 billion
     e) None of the above

3.  According to The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012, India ranks at ____.
     a) 42nd
     b) 36th
     c) 56th
     d) 53rd
     e) 62nd

4.  Which country tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report
     2011-2012?
     a) Sweden
     b) Singapore
     c) Netherland
     d) Switzerland
     e) None of the above

5. The World Bank Group have entered into an agreement with which among the
     following industrial bodies to establish the India Wildlife Business Council (IWBC)
     to promote tiger and biodiversity conservation for sustainable development?
     a) Industrial Development Bank of India
     b) Indian Industries Association
     c) Confederation of Indian Industry
     d) The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
     e) None of the above

6.  The country’s first indigenously designed microwave imaging satellite, Radar
      Imaging Satellite  (RISAT-1) was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation
      on April 26, 2012. Which of the following statments about RISAT-1 is/are correct?
      1. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV C-19 was used to launch RISAT-1.
      2. It has cloud penetrating capability and can imaging even without sunlight.
      3. The RISAT-1 is an advanced C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite
           working in 5.35 Giga Hertz frequency.
      4. It was launched from Sriharikota located in Rajasthan.
      
      a) 1 and 2 only
      b) 2 and 3 only
      c) 1, 2and 3 only
      d) 1, 3 and 4 only
      e) All 1, 2, 3 and 4

7.  Who among the following has been appointed as chairman of Expert Committee
     on GAAR for examining issues on General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR)?
     a) Sudhir Gupta
     b) C. Rangarajan
     c) N. Rangachary
     d) Parthasarathi Shome
     e) None of the above

8.  Which of the followings scheme(s) is/are launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj
     (MoPR)?
      1. Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF)
      2. Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY)
      3. Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan (PMEYSA)

     a) Only 1     a) Only 2     a) Only 3     a) 2 and 3 only     a) All 1, 2 and 3


9.  Name the person who took oath as the 25th Prime Minister of Pakistan recently?
     a) Yusuf Raza Gilani
     b) Makhdoom Shahbuddin
     c) Hina Rabbani Khar
     d) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
     e) None of the above

10. Which country became a major non-NATO ally of the United States recently?
      a) Japan
      b) Israel
      c) Pakistan
      d) Newzeland
      e) Afghanistan


11. Jim Yong Kim who assumed the World Bank presidency recently, is the _____
      president of the World Bank Group.
      a) 12th
      b) 13th
      c) 14th
      d) 15th
      e) None of the above

12. A highly controversial book ‘Beyond the Lines’ is an autobiography written by
      a) Aravind Adiga
      b) Salman Rushdie
      c) Kuldip Nayyar
      d) Khushwant Singh
      e) Taslima Nasreen

13. Which of the followings recommendations were made by National Commission for
      Women (NCW) in concern to the proposed amendments to the Dowry Prohibition
      Act, 1961?
      1. Amendment to definition of Dowry
      2. Provision for registration of lists of gifts received at the time of marriage.
      3. Penalties for non-maintenance of lists of gifts received at the time of the marriage.
      4. Protection officers appointed under the Protection of Women from Domestic
          Violence Act, 2005 to carry out the duties of the Dowry Prohibition Officers.
      a) 1, 2 and 3 only
      b) 2, 3 and 4 only
      c) 1, 2 and 4 only
      d) 1, 3 and 4 only
      e) All 1, 2, 3 and 4


14. An e-TDS return should be filed under ________ of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
      a) Section 206
      b) Section 205
      c) Section 208
      d) Section 192
      e) None of the above

15. The e-TDS prepared by the deductor has to be submitted at
      a) TIN Facilitation Centres
      b) TAN Facilitation Centres
      c) PIN Facilitation Centres
      d) PAN Facilitation Centres
      e) None of the above

16. Which is the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume/market value?
      a) Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)
      b) London Stock Exchange (LSE)
      c) New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
      d) Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE)
      e) None of the above

17. FBI’s two-year investigation project called “Operation Ghost Click” was aimed
      to uncovered a network of
      a) Rogue DNS Servers
      b) Rogue FTP Servers
      c) Rogue Proxy Servers
      d) Rogue HTTP Servers
      e) None of the above

18. Internet’s phone book is :
      a) ISP
      b) FTP
      c) TCP
      d) DNS
      e) Gopher

19. A collection of infected computers under the control of one or more attackers is:
      a) Bolnet
      b) Botnet
      c) Spybot
      d) Intranet
      e) Web spider

20. Which country ranks at the top in Bt.Cotton cultivation (Area wise)?
      a) USA
      b) Britain
      c) Russia
      d) China
      e) India

21. According to the ILO, a worker under the following age is a child labourer:
      a) 14 years
      b) 15 years
      c) 16 years
      d) 17 years
      e) None of the above

22. The largest share (nearly 60 percent) of child labourers is found in
      a) Mining Sector
      b) Service sector
      c) Industrial sector
      d) Agricultural sector
      e) Construction and contracting sector

23. In which year, ILO establishes the International Programme on the Elimination of
      Child Labour (IPEC)?
      a) 1990
      b) 1991
      c) 1992
      d) 1994
      e) None of the above

24. Alan Isaac has recently been elected as new President of
      a) ICC
      b) WWF
      c) AITA
      d) FIFA
      e) FIDE

25. Which of the following terms is NOT associated with the game of Cricket?
      a) LBW
      b) DRS
      c) Duck
      d) Cow Corner
      e) None of above

APPSC GROUP-II EXPECTED CUT OFF MARKS

APPSC GROUP-2 EXAM QUESTION PAPERS STANDARD

Pranab Mukherjee won the Presidential Election 2012

Pranab Mukherjee was elected as the 13th President (in person) of India on 22 July 2012. Pranab Mukherjee defeated his rival PA Sangma with a huge margin as he secured nearly 69 percent of total valid votes. In an electoral college of 10.5 lakh, Pranab Mukherjee secured a vote value of 713763, while, PA Sangma managed to get only a vote value 315987. The victory of Pranab Mukherjee was announced by Returning Officer for the Presidential election VK Agnihotri. Pranab Mukherjee will be sworn in as the thirteenth President of India on 25 July 2012.

Out of the total 748 MPs, Pranab got the support of 527 while his rival, PA Sangma got 206 votes in his favour. Fifteen votes including that of Samjwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were invalid. Of these, nine were to be in favour of Mukherjee while six for Sangma.

Each MP had a vote value of 708 in the Presidential Election 2012. There are a total of 776 voters in both the Houses of Parliament. The Electoral College also consisted of 4120 MLAs in the states.
The Election Commission of India had issued the notification for Presidential Election 2012 on 16 June 2012. 30 June 2012 was the last date for filing the nomination. Elections were held on 19 July 2012. Pranab Mukherjee and PA Sangma were two principle contestants of 14th Presidential Election.

Important facts related to Presidential elections:
Value of Vote of an MLA = State Population / (1000 X Total no. of elected MLA's)

On the basis of the above formula, the value of the vote of an MLA from UP has the highest value and that from Sikkim the lowest.

Value of Vote of an MP = Total value of votes of MLA's of all States / Total no. of elected MP's (LS + RS)

The 1971 census is currently under consideration.

The election is held through the system of proportional representation by means of the single - transferable vote by secret ballot.

The candidate who gets 50 percent of votes is considered elected.
Supreme Court looks into all disputes related to Presidential election.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, was the only President who served two tenures in the office.

VV Giri is the only person who was elected as the President of the country as an independent candidate in 1969.

Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was the only person to be elected to the office of President of India unopposed, as no other candidate filed nomination for the post of the President. He was elected to the office of President in July 1977.

History of Rashtrapati Bhavan

• The splendour of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is multi-dimensional. It is a vast mansion and its architecture is breathtaking. More than these, it has a hallowed existence in the annals of democracy for being the residence of the President of the largest democracy in the world. Few official residential premises of the Head of the State in the world will match the Rashtrapati Bhavan in terms of its size, vastness and its magnificence.

• Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official home of the President of India. As the plan for New Delhi was developed, the Governor-General's residence was given an enormous scale and prominent position. The palace developed very similarly to the original sketches which Lutyens sent Herbert Baker from Simla on June 14, 1912. The British architect Edwin Landseer Lutyens design is grandly classical overall, with colours and details inspired by Indian architecture.

• Meanwhile, between 1911 and 1916, 300 families were evicted under the "1894 Land Acquisition Act" from Raisina and Malcha villages, thus clearing about 4,000 acres to begin the construction the Viceroy’s House. Lutyens and Baker who had been assigned to work on the Viceroy's House and the Secretariats, began on friendly terms. Baker had been assigned to work on the two secretariat buildings which were in front of Viceroy's House. The original plan was to have Viceroy's House on the top of Raisina Hill, with the secretariats lower down. It was later decided to build 400 yards back, and put both buildings on top of the plateau. While Lutyens wanted the Viceroy's house to be higher, he was forced to move it back from the intended position, which resulted in a dispute with Baker. After completion, Lutyens argued with Baker, because the view of the front of the building was obscured by the high angle of the road.

• Lutyens campaigned for its fixing, but was not able to get it to be changed. Lutyens wanted to make a long inclined grade all the way to Viceroy's house with retaining walls on either side. While this would give a view of the house from further back, it would also cut through the square between the secretariat buildings. The committee with Lutyens and Baker established in January 1914 said the grade was to be no steeper than 1 in 25, though it eventually was changed to 1 in 22, a steeper gradient which made it more difficult to see the Viceroy's palace. While Lutyens knew about the gradient, and the possibility that the Viceroy's palace would be obscured by the road, it is thought that Lutyens did not fully realise how little the front of the house would be visible. In 1916 the Imperial Delhi committee dismissed Lutyens's proposal to alter the gradient. Lutyens thought Baker was more concerned with making money and pleasing the government, rather than making a good architectural design.

• Lutyens travelled between India and England almost every year for twenty years, to work on the building of the Viceroy's house in both countries. Lutyens had to reduce the building size from 13,000,000 cubic feet (370,000 m3) to 8,500,000 cubic feet (240,000 m3). because of the budget restrictions of Lord Hardinge. While he had demanded that costs be reduced, he nevertheless wanted the house to retain a certain amount of ceremonial grandeur.

Rashtrapati Bhavan : Raisina Hills

Raisina Hill is an area of Lutyens' Delhi, New Delhi, housing India's most important government buildings, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India and the Secretariat building housing the Prime Minister's Office and several other important ministries.

 It is surrounded by other important buildings and structures, including the Parliament of India,Rajpath, Vijay Chowk and India Gate.

  The term "Raisina Hill" was coined following acquisition of land from 300 families from X and Malcha villages. About 4,000 acres of land was acquired under the "1894 Land Acquisition Act" to begin the construction of the Viceroy's House.

 The hill is a slightly elevated portion 226 metres (741 ft) high, about 18 metres (59 ft) higher than the surrounding area.

 In 1911 to transfer the capital of British India from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Delhi, a planning committee was formed, and a site 3 miles (5 km) south of the existing city of Delhi, around Raisina Hill, was chosen for the new administrative centre. A well-drained, healthy area between the Delhi Ridge and the Yamuna River, it provided ample room for expansion.

Expected Cut off Marks for APPSC Group-II Executive Posts

APPSC GROUP-II EXAM 2012 (22-07-2012) PAPER-3 IS VERY TOUGH  FOR  ALL CANDIDATES.  SOME EXPERTS  ANALYSED EXPECTED CUT OFF MARK 300 TO 315. WHO SCORED ABOVE THESE MARKS ARE  CHANCE TO GOT EXECUTIVE POST.  
IT MAY BE TAKE SOME CHANGES AT APPSC FINAL KEY.

Executive Posts Expected Cut off Marks:

Paper	Min	Max
Paper - 1	95	105
Paper - 2	115	125
Paper - 3	90	100
	300	330

APPSC GROUP-II EXAM 2012 PAPER-3 KEY

APPSC GROUP-II EXAM 2012 PAPER-2 KEY

APPSC GROUP-II EXAM 2012 GENERAL STUDIES KEY

Schemes for Capacity Building and Employment in Rural Areas

Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY)

The Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj with the objective of assisting efforts of the State Governments for training and capacity building of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions.  Funding of the scheme is applicable only for the non-BRGF districts.  The scheme focuses primarily on providing financial assistance to the States/UTs for Training & Capacity Building of elected representatives (ERs) and functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Assistance is provided for Distance Learning infrastructure for the ERs and Functionaries of the PRIs including Satellite based training infrastructure. In respect of Hill States and States in the North Eastern Region, assistance is also given for capital expenditure on establishment of Panchayat Resource Centres/ Panchayat Bhawans at Block/Gram Panchayat levels. The scheme has a small component of Infrastructure Development under which the construction and renovation of Panchayat Ghars in all the States is funded. The scheme is demand driven in nature and provides for funding on 75:25 sharing basis between the Central and State Governments concerned. Assistance under the Training component is also given to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), where the central assistance may be 100% and such proposals are required to be forwarded with the recommendations of the State Government concerned.

Rural Business Hub (RBH)

Rural Business Hub is aimed to eradicate rural poverty and create employment opportunity in rural India. This initiative would give a fillip to village enterprises that add value to economic activities in rural areas.

There is a steady influx of rural people to urban areas in search of employment and economic opportunity.  Also, there is a wide gap between rural and urban areas in terms of public services like health and education, in the quality of life and levels of income.  This gap is perceived to be widening.  The 73^rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992, has mandated Panchayats as Institutions of Self Government, to plan and implement programmes of economic development and social justice.  Government of India has recognized that Panchayati Raj is the medium to transform rural India 700 million opportunities.  There is also a felt need to ensure that the benefits of rapid economic growth, unleashed through the reforms of the last two decades, need to flow to all sections of society, particularly to rural India.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has adopted the goal of "Haat to Hypermarket" as the overarching objective of the Rural Business Hubs (RBH), initiative aimed at moving from more livelihood support to promoting rural prosperity, increasing rural non-farm incomes and augmenting rural employment.  RBHs set up in association with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) could thus constitute the fulcrum of "inclusive growth" - the theme of the 11^th Plan.

Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan (PMEYSA)

In order to address the empowerment of EWRs and EYRs in a systematic, programmatic manner, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Govt. of India, has launched a new scheme with the approval of the competent authority in the 11th Five Year Plan.  The objective of PMEYSA is to knit the EWRs in a network and through group action, empower themselves, so that both their participation and representation on local governance issues, improves.  PMEYSA aims at a sustained campaign to build the confidence and capacity of EWRs, so that they get over the institutional, societal and political constraints that prevent them from active participation in rural local self governments.

It is a Central Sector Scheme.  The entire amount is funded by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for organizing the various activities under this scheme.  Fund is released to the State Panchayati Raj Department in two equal installments in the ratio of 50:50.  The balance amount (second installment of 50%) is released only on furnishing of (1) Utilization certificate in respect of funds released and (2) Audited Statement of account on the expenditure (item-wise) incurred by the State Government/SSC.

19TH Meeting of Central Supervisory Board

The 19th meeting of the Central Supervisory Board (CSB) was held in New Delhi on July 21. The meeting was held for the confirmation of the minutes of 18th meeting held on 14th January, 2012.

Addressing the meeting, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare said that the issue of low Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) in our country have been scaled up at national, state, district and sub-district levels. We have been successful in securing the commitment of all the state governments to effectively address the issue of low child sex ratio. Now we need to focus on turning these commitments into reality so that we have a secure nation for women and girls – across all class, regional and cultural divides. We have stepped up action in districts that have revealed a low child sex ratio based on 2011 Census data to discourage the process of sex determination. Inspections by the National Inspection and Monitoring Committee have been scaled up. In the past one year, inspections have been undertaken in 10 States leading to sealing of 22 clinics and 62 machines. 13 cases have already been filed in court.

Shri Azad said that various measures ranging from sudden inspections of diagnostic clinics to medical audit of Form-F have been undertaken to strengthen enforcement of the law. Since the last CSB meeting, a total of 110 cases have been filed, 20 convictions secured and licenses of 15 doctors have been suspended. We are working to put in place a comprehensive and innovative and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) strategy to promote positive attitudes for ensuring survival and protection of the girl child. Capacity building of the Appropriate Authorities has gained momentum in States, while efforts to galvanize the Judiciary into pro-active action have also been undertaken. Under the National Rural Health Mission, 270 crores were given to the States for PNDT related activities during the year 2011-12. Under the National Rural Health Mission, States have included a range of PNDT related activities to build dedicated capacity for effective implementation of the PNDT Act.

Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions increased by Three Percent in 2011

According to the findings of the report Trends in global CO2 emissions, global carbon dioxide (CO2), emission increased by three percent in 2011. The three percent increase in CO2 took the total amount of CO2 in air at an all-time high of 34 billion tonnes. The report was released on 19 July 2012 by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL).
The United States with 17.3 tones per capita remains one of the top CO2 emitters, while, China, the world’s most populous country, average CO2 emissions increased by nine percent to 7.2 tonnes per capita. The 27-nation European Union emitted 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person.

Emissions from 34-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries  account for only one third of global CO2 emissions in 2011.

China (29 percent), the United States (16 percent), the European Union (11 percent), India (six percent), the Russian Federation (five percent) and Japan (four percent) were the top CO2 emitters in 2011.

UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY THEME FOR 2012

Each year around the world, International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organisations, governments, charities and women's groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

"Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures" is the 2012 theme of the internationalwomensday.com website and this has been widely used by hundreds of organisations including schools, universities, governments, women’s groups and the private sector. Each year the United Nations declares an overall International Women's Day theme. Their 2012 theme is “Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty”. Many organisations develop their own themes that are more relevant to their local contexts. For example, the European Parliament's 2012 theme is "Equal pay for work of equal value".

United Nation International Women's Day themes:

  2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty
  2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology
  2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all
  2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
  2008: Investing in Women and Girls
  2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
  2006: Women in decision-making
  2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
  2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
  2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
  2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
  2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
  2000: Women Uniting for Peace
  1999: World Free of Violence against Women
  1998: Women and Human Rights
  1997: Women at the Peace Table
  1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
  1975: First IWD celebrated by the United Nations

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

Indian Navy inducted Russian-Origin Nuclear Submarine INS Chakra

The Indian Navy on 4 April 2012 inducted a Russian-origin nuclear submarine, INS Chakra, into its flotilla. The nuclear submarine has placed India into the elite group of nations which operate nuclear vessel.
The Akula-II class submarine K-152 Nerpa, renamed INS Chakra-II, is on a 10-year lease from Russia at a cost of nearly 1 billion dollar.
Defence minister AK Antony formally inducted the 8000-ton vessel as India is looking forward to strengthen its position in the Indian Ocean region. Apart from India the other nations which possess the capability to operate nuclear vessel includes US, Russia, France, the UK and China.
The induction of INS Chakra in the Indian Navy is strategically very important given the fact that China over the last few years has been aggressively indulged in taking the Indian Ocean Region within its clout. Besides, its growing belligerence in the entire Asia-Pacific region has also been a reason of grave concern for Indian security establishment. The INS Chakra will offer India a defining strategic edge over its conventional rivals China and Pakistan.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

Rahul Bhattacharya won the Prestigious Ondaatje Prize 2012

Rahul Bhattacharya, the Delhi-based author, on 29 May 2012 won the prestigious Ondaatje Prize 2012 for his book  The Sly Company of People Who Care. He is the first Indian author to have received the award. Bhattacharya was also conferred with the Hindu Literary Prize for Best Fiction, 2011 for the same book.

The 10000 pounds award is conferred by the Royal Society of Literature every year to recognize a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry which evokes the spirit of a place. The award is presented to the author who is a citizen of or who has been resident in the Commonwealth or Ireland.

The other authors whose work were shortlisted for the prize include Julia Blackburn's 'Thin Paths', Teju Cole's 'Open City', Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts' 'Edgelands', Olivia Laing's 'To the River' and Tim Robinson's 'Connemara'.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

China test-launches first 3D television broadcast

China has launched its first three- dimensional television (3D TV) channel on a trial basis coinciding with the New Year, a development considered significant in the booming nation's television industry.

The channel, China 3D TV Trial Channel, is jointly operated by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) and other five local TV stations in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Shenzhen.

People can watch 3D-effect programmes with 3D TV sets and wired high-definition digital TV set-top-boxes.

The channel broadcasts a total of 13.5 hours everyday from 10:30 to 24:00, with 4.5 hours of first broadcast and two rebroadcasts.

The channel will be formally launched during the upcoming Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year starting January 23.

Programmes of performing arts, sports, cartoons and movies with 3D effects will be broadcast on the channel, CCTV said.

"The launch of the 3D trial channel is a significant step in the development of China's television," said Cai Fuchao, head of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Cai added that the 3D TV channel can create a demand worth hundreds of billions yuan, if part of China's 500 million TV sets are replaced by 3D ones.

Countries like Japan and South Korea have already launched similar services.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

Global Investors Summit (GIM)

Global Investors Summit (GIM) is a biennial summit held by the Government of Karnataka in Bangalore, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers. Encouraged by the outstanding response to the Global Investor Meet (GIM) in 2010, Government of Karnataka (GoK) is organizing the 2nd Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2012 on 7th & 8th June 2012 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). Government of Karnataka is committed to play the role of a catalyst and facilitator to maintain the State as India’s preferred investment destination – and the Global Investor’s Meet is an initiative in this direction. The objective of the Investors Meet is to showcase the investment potential of the State in various sectors. The summit will witness the participation of Prospective Investors, Industry Leaders, Governments, Trade Bodies & Associations, Entrepreneurs, and Academia & Research Institutions.

Union Government set up a National Council for Senior Citizens

The Union Government of India on 1 February 2012 gave the approval for setting up a National Council for Senior Citizens. It will be headed by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. It will advice the Central and State Governments on issues related to welfare of senior citizens. The Council will suggest special policies and programmes for the physical and financial security of the senior citizens in the country.

 The Council will comprise of 20 members including the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment along with the oldest members from both the Houses of Parliament and distinguished personalities from different fields.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

Sher-E-Punjab win inaugural World Series Hockey title

Sher-E-Punjab justified their top billing by coming from a goal down to trounce Pune Strykers 5-2 to lift the inaugural World Series Hockey (WSH) crown in front of a packed gathering at the MHA-Mahindra Stadium at Mumbai

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

P.C. CHANDRA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bollywood actor Mithun Chakravarti received the PC Chandra lifetime achievement award in Kolkata on 29 April 2102. West Bengal Governor MK Narayan conferred the award upon the iconic Bengali actor. The award  was comprised a memento, citation and five lakh rupees cash.
Mithun has bagged the national award thrice - for Mrigaya (1976), Tahader Katha (1996) and Swami Vivekananda (1998). PC Chandra group has also felicitated stalwarts like the late Ustad Bismillah Khan, Sunil Gavaskar and P T Usha in the past.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

Rajya Sabha passes amended central institutions act

The Rajya Sabha April 27 passed amendments to the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006, exempting some central institutions from implementing the other backward castes (OBC) quota.

The amendment is applicable to institutions where implementation of the Act exceeds the 50 percent reservation limit fixed by the Supreme Court.

The move seeks to balance state and central reservation policies.

 

The amendment says that if seats reserved for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in a central educational institution exceed 50 percent of the annual strength permitted, the institution need not make any reservation for OBCs.

According to the amendment, if such an institution is located in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Assam's tribal areas, the percentage of seats reserved for SC/ST candidates will not be reduced from the level obtaining on the date immediately preceding the date of the Act's commencement.

In case the institution is in any other area, the percentage of seats reserved for SC/ST candidates will be reduced to 50.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)

Uttar Pradesh Government scrapped the Post of Cabinet Secretary

The Uttar Pradesh government on 27 April 2012 decided to scrap the post of cabinet secretary of the state. The cabinet also decided to withdraw a proposed amendment Bill meant to give immunity to panchayat heads from no-confidence motion for two years.
The decision to withdraw 'kshetra panchayat and district panchayat amendment Bill', 2011 proposed by previous Mayawati government, was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The Bill was sent to Governor for his ascent on 19 August 2011, but is still pending. The cabinet decided that the prevailing system of bringing a no-confidence motion after one year was better and hence the Bill should be withdrawn.
The previous Mayavati government had created the post of cabinet secretary in the state in 2007. From now on, Chief Secretary of the state will also be the secretary of cabinet. In another move the state cabinet also decided to rename Manyawar Sri Kanshiram Forest, Environment conversation award scheme in the name of Veer Abdul Hameed award.

(Note: APPSC Group-II Exam (21-07-2012) G.S. Question)