Sunday, August 30, 2015
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
UPSC Combined Defence Services Exam 2012 General Knowledge Solved Paper
1. Over 90% of the world’s biomass is in–
(A) tropical rain forests (B) freshwater wetlands
(C) topsoils (D) oceans (Ans : D)
2. Which one of the following is a source of methane emission into the atmosphere ?
(A) Automobile exhaust fume (B) Industrial chimney
(C) Mining (D) Wetland (Ans : D)
3. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(A) Trophic dynamics represents the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another in a food chain
(B) In deeper parts of oceans, primary production remains almost nil
(C) The primary consumers are called autotrophs
(D) The decomposers are called saprotrophs (Ans : C)
4. Carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas because–
(A) its concentration remains always higher than other gases. (B) it is used in photosynthesis.
(C) it absorbs infrared radiation. (D) it emits visible radiation. (Ans : C)
5. The fossil of Archaeopteryx represents the evidence of origin of–
(A) birds from reptiles (B) mammals from reptiles
(C) reptiles from amphibians (D) mammals from birds (Ans : A)
6. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. NIFTY is based upon 50 firms in India.
2. NIFTY is governed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
3. NIFTY does not trade in mutual funds.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2
(C) 3 only (D) 1 and 3 (Ans : A)
7. When the productive capacity of the economic system of a State is inadequate to create sufficient number of jobs, it is called–
(A) seasonal unemployment. (B) structural unemployment.
(C) disguised unemployment. (D) cyclical unemployment. (Ans : D)
8. Which one of the following is not a Millennium Development Goal of the United Nations?
(A) Eradicate extreme poverty (B) Reduce birth rate and death rate
(C) Improve maternal health (D) Promote gender equality (Ans : B)
9. Fiscal policy in India is formulated by–
(A) the Reserve Bank of India (B) the Planning Commission
(C) the Finance Ministry (D) the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Ans : B)
10. Which one of the following is not a clause of World Trade Organisation ?
(A) Most favoured nation treatment
(B) Lowering trade barriers with negotiations
(C) Providing financial support to the countries having deficit balance of payments
(D) Discouraging unfair trade practices such as anti-dumping and export subsidies (Ans : C)
11. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) relate to–
(A) the World Bank. (B) the Reserve Bank of India.
(C) the World Trade Organisation. (D) the International Monetary Fund. (Ans : D)
12. Which one of the following is not a landlocked country in Africa ?
(A) Botswana (B) Zambia
(C) Lesotho (D) Nigeria (Ans : D)
13. The imaginary line on the Earth’s surface that closely follows the 180° Meridian is–
(A) Prime Meridian (B) Equator
(C) International Date Line (D) Tropic of Cancer (Ans : C)
14. The country that shares longest border with India is–
(A) China (B) Bangladesh
(C) Nepal (D) Pakistan (Ans : B)
15. The distance between two consecutive longitudes (91°E and 92° E) at the Poles is–
(A) 0 km (B) 18 km
(C) 25 km (D) 111 km (Ans : A)
16. Lack of atmosphere around the Moon is due to–
(A) low escape velocity of air molecule and low gravitational attraction.
(B) high escape velocity of air molecule and low gravitational attraction.
(C) low gravitational attraction only.
(D) high escape velocity of air molecule only. (Ans : C)
17. Which one of the following correctly defines a unit magnetic pole in SI units?
It is the pole which when placed in air at a distance of–
(A) 1 foot from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 pound.
(B) 1 metre from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 newton.
(C) 1 cm from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 dyne.
(D) 1 metre from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force
of 1 newton/m2. (Ans : C)
18. After rising a short distance, the smooth column of smoke from a cigarette breaks up into an irregular and random pattern. In a similar fashion, a stream of fluid flowing past an ‘obstacle breaks up into eddies and vortices which give the flow irregular velocity components transverse to the flow direction. Other examples include the wakes left in water by moving ships, the sound produced by whistling and by wind instruments. These examples are the results of–
(A) laminar flow of air. (B) streamline flow of air.
(C) turbulent flow of air. (D) viscous flow at low speed. (Ans : D)
19. Two identical piano wires have same fundamental frequency when kept under the same tension. What will happen if tension of one of the wires is slightly increased and both the wires are made to vibrate simultaneously ?
(A) Noise (B) Beats
(C) Resonance (D) Non-linear effects (Ans : B)
20. What is the major role of a greenhouse gas that contributes to temperature rise of the Earth’s surface?
(A) Transparent to both incoming sunlight aria outgoing infrared radiation
(B) Stops both incoming sunlight and outgoing infrared radiation
(C) Lets outgoing infrared radiation pass through but stops incoming sunlight
(D) Lets incoming sunlight pass through but stops outgoing infrared radiation (Ans : D)
21. Which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. If a country is experiencing increase in its per capita GDP, its GDP must necessarily be growing.
2. If a country is experiencing negative inflation, its GDP must be decreasing.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
22. Which of the following measures should be taken when an economy is going through inflationary pressures?
1. The direct taxes should be increased.
2. The interest rate should be reduced.
3. The public spending should be increased.
Select the correct answer Using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 (D) 1 and 2 (Ans : A)
23. The basis of European Union began with the signing of–
(A) Maastricht Treaty (B) Treaty of Paris
(C) Treaty of Rome (D) Treaty of Lisbon (Ans : A)
24. National income ignores–
(A) sales of a firm. (B) salary of employees.
(C) exports of the IT sector. (D) sale of land. (Ans : D)
25. What are G. arboreum, G. herbaceum, G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, whose all the four species are cultivated in India ? (G = Gossypium)
(A) Species of wool (B) Species of cotton
(C) Species of silk (D) Species of jute (Ans : B)
26. The soil formed by wind dust in and around hot deserts is called–
(A) silty soil (B) loamy soil
(C) sandy soil (D) loess soil (Ans : D)
27. Logically, what does a continually rising air pressure indicate ?
(A) Advent of unsettled and cloudy weather (B) Advent of a cyclone
(C) Fine and settled weather (D) Fine and unsettled weather (Ans : C)
28. The TEAM-9 initiative is a techno-economic cooperation venture between India and eight countries of–
(A) West Africa (B) East Africa
(C) North Africa (D) Central Africa (Ans : A)
29. Which one of the following is the type of the Comoros Islands which lie in the Indian Ocean between Northern Madagascar and the African Coast ?
(A) Volcanic (B) Glacial eroded
(C) Eolian deposited (D) Folded (Ans : A)
30. Which of the following conditions are necessary for the issue of writ of quo warranto?
1. The office must be public and must be created by a Statute or by the Constitution itself.
2. The office must be a substantive one and not merely the function or employment of a servant at the will and during the pleasure of another.
3. There has been a contravention of the Constitution or a Statute or Statutory Instrument, in appointing such person to that office.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3 (Ans : D)
31. If news is broadcast from London at 10:30 AM, at what time it will be heard at Baghdad (45° E) ?
(A) 7:30 AM (B) 9:00 AM
(C) 1:30 PM (D) 12:00 Noon (Ans : C)
32. The site of Harappa is located on the bank of river–
(A) Saraswati (B) Indus
(C) Beas (D) Ravi (Ans : D)
33. Which one of the following statements regarding Bal Gangadhar Tilak is not correct ?
(A) He propounded the theory of the Arctic Home of the Aryans
(B) He founded the Anti-Cow-Killing Society
(C) He set up the Home Rule League at Poona
(D) He supported the Age of Consent Bill (Ans : D)
34. Which one of the following principles was not propagated by the Theosophical Society ?
(A) Belief in Karma and Rebirth (B) Belief in Universal Brotherhood and Humanity
(C) Belief in Vedantic Philosophy (D) Belief in the Eradication of Untouchability (Ans : D)
35. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) The Revolt of 1857 was not supported by the Nizam of Hyderabad
(B) Dinabandhu Mitra was the author of the book, Unhappy India
(C) The Sindhias of Gwalior gave shelter to the Rani of Jhansi
(D) Mangal Pandey led the Sepoys March to Delhi (Ans : A)
36. Who among the following Governors-General formed the Triple Alliance against Tipu Sultan ?
(A) Warren Hastings (B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Lord Wellesley (D) Lord William Bentinck (Ans : B)
37. Take the case of dignity and equal rights for women. How do democracies help?
(A) Women in democracies have equal degree of political representation in legislatures
(B) Women in democracies have guaranteed rights and are always treated with respect
(C) Women in democracies are not subjected to sex discrimination in most aspects of social life
(D) In democracies, the principle of equality is accepted as legal norm, which makes it easier to guarantee their freedom and dignity (Ans : D)
38. The Constitution of India is republican because it–
(A) provides for an elected Parliament. (B) provides for adult franchise.
(C) contains a bill of rights. (D) has no hereditary elements. (Ans : D)
39. Assume that India and Pakistan are engaged in an increasingly volatile situation over the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir with a Kargil type infiltration by Pakistan. A conventional war between both the countries is inevitable under the shadow of nuclear weapons. In this situation, what is the nuclear capacity that India should possess against Pakistan to deter a nuclear exchange ?
(A) A first ‘use nuclear policy’
(B) A much larger nuclear arsenal than Pakistan
(C) A credible nuclear deterrence with second strike capability
(D) An intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5000 km (Ans : C)
40. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to Yudh Abhyas ?
(A) It is an Indian military ‘war game’ with regard to Pakistan
(B) It is an Indian military exercise with Oman
(C) It is an Indian military exercise with Bhutan
(D) It is an Indian military exercise with the US (Ans : D)
41. Which one of the following statements is correct with regard to the C-5M Super Galaxy?
(A) It is a large military helicopter
(B) It is a large military transport aircraft
(C) It is a galaxy of stars very close to the Sun
(D) It is a US fighter aircraft to be completed in 2014 (Ans : B)
42. Consider the following statements–
1. The Kalinga Prize is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people.
2. Dorairajan Balasubramanian was the last person from India to receive the Kalinga Prize.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
43. Which one of the following companies received Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2011 ?
(A) BCCL (B) NTPC
(C) SAIL (D) TISCO (Ans : C)
44. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Short-listed Book for DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, 2012)
A. Bharathipura B. A Street in Srinagar
C. Chinaman D. The Story that must not be told
List-II (Author)
1. Kavery Nambisan 2. Shehan Karunatilaka
3. Chandrakanta 4. U.R. Ananthamurthy
Code:
A B C D
(A) 4 2 3 1
(B) 1 2 3 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 1 3 2 4 (Ans : C)
45. In which one of the following Latin American countries, a woman has for the first time won the presidential elections for the second term ?
(A) Brazil (B) Venezuela
(C) Uruguay (D) Argentina (Ans : D)
46. Which one of the following is a fundamental duty of citizens under the Constitution of India ?
(A) To provide friendly cooperation to the people of the neighbouring countiies
(B) To protect monuments of national importance
(C) To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
(D) To know more and more about the history of India (Ans : C)
47. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) Due to border problems, India’s trade with China did not register a quantum jump between the years 2001-2010
(B) The stand-off between India and China on Pakistan and Arunachal Pradesh did not let India’s trade to grow with China in the years 2001-2010 as much as it grew in the years 1991-2001
(C) While India-China trade has registered a quantum jump between the years 2001-2010, both the countries have ensured parity of trade
(D) In spite of border problems, India’s trade with China registered a quantum jump during the years 2001-2010 (Ans : D)
48. Which one of the following statements about globalisation is not correct?
(A) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic growth
(B) Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic disparity
(C) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation
(D) Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation (Ans : D)
49. The best colours for a Sun umbrella will be–
(A) black on top and red on inside. (B) black on top and white on inside.
(C) red on top and black on inside. (D) white on top and black on inside. (Ans : D)
50. Before X-ray examination (coloured X-ray) of the stomach, patients are given suitable salt of barium because–
(A) barium salts are white in colour and this helps stomach to appear clearly.
(B) barium is a good absorber of X-rays and helps stomach to appear dearly.
(C) barium salts are easily available.
(D) barium allows X-rays to pass through the stomach. (Ans : B)
51. The elements of a group in the periodic table–
(A) have similar chemical properties. (B) have consecutive atomic numbers.
(C) are isobars. (D) are isotopes. (Ans : A)
52. Which one of the following polymers is used for making bulletproof material ?
(A) Polyvinyl chloride (B) Polystyrene
(C) Polyethylene (D) Polyamide (Ans : C)
53. The pH of human blood is normally around–
(A) 4.5–5.5 (B) 5.5–6.5
(C) 7.5–8.0 (D) 8.5–9.0 (Ans : C)
54. The pH of fresh groundwater slightly decreases upon exposure to air because–
(A) carbon dioxide from air is dissolved in the water.
(B) oxygen from air is dissolved in the water.
(C) the dissolved carbon dioxide of the groundwater escapes into air.
(D) the dissolved oxygen of the groundwater escapes into air. (Ans : A)
55. Who won the Wimbledon 2011 men’s singles tide ?
(A) Novak Djokovic (B) Roger Federer
(C) Rafael Nadal (D) Andy Roddick (Ans : A)
56. Which among the following countries has recently decided to give a grant of US $1 billion for the reconstruction of the Nalanda University?
(A) USA (B) China
(C) UK (D) Japan (Ans : B)
57. Which one Of the following is the fastest Indian Supercomputer recently developed by ISRO ?
(A) Aakash-A1 (B) Saga-220
(C) Jaguar-Cray (D) Tianhe-lA (Ans : B)
58. The year 2011 has been celebrated by UNESCO and IUPAC as International Year of Chemistry to mark the 100 years of Nobel Prize winning by Marie Curie in Chemistry. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The unified theme of the celebration is Chemistry—our life, our future.
2. The celebrations are made to mark the contributions of women to the development of science.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
59. In February 2011, which of the following countries has elected Mr. Thein Sein, a military general- turned-civilian leader, as its first President ?
(A) Malaysia (B) Costa Rica
(C) Thailand (D) Myanmar (Ans : D)
60. Which one of the following vitamins is necessary for blood clotting?
(A) Vitamin A (B) Vitamin D
(C) Vitamin K (D) Vitamin C (Ans : C)
61. Indian Space Research Organisation and the Airport Authority of India have recently signed a memorandum of understanding to install a space-based augmentation system (SBAS) to render the Global Positioning System signal suitable for civil aviation over the Indian airspace. What is the name of the SBAS ?
(A) GAGAN (B) PAWAN
(C) AAKASH (D) NABH (Ans : A)
62. World’s first gold and jewellery-encrusted car—Gold Plus, was unveiled in the year 2011 as a tribute to 5000 years of Indian jewellery making. Who among the following was the maker of the car?
(A) Tata Motors (B) Maruti Suzuki
(C) Hundai (D) Volkswagen (Ans : A)
63. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
The word ‘socialist’ in the Preamble of the Constitution of India, read with–
(A) Article 39 (d), would enable the Court to uphold the constitutionality of nationalisation laws
(B) Article 14, would enable the Court to strike down a statute which failed to achieve the socialist goal to the fullest extent
(C) Article 25, would enable the Court to ensure freedom guaranteed under that Article
(D) Article 23, would enable the Court to reduce inequality in income and status (Ans : A)
64. Suppose a legislation was passed by the Parliament imposing certain restrictions on newspapers. These included page ceiling, price and advertisements. The legislation is included in the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution of India. In this context, which one of the following statements is correct?
(A) The legislation is invalid as it violates the freedom of Press.
(B) The legislation is valid by virtue of Article 31B.
(C) The legislation is invalid as it imposes unreasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.
(D) The legislation is valid as the Press is not a citizen under Article 19 of the Constitution.
(Ans : B)
65. With regard to the powers of the Rajya Sabha, which one of the following statements is not correct ?
(A) A Money Bill cannot be introduced in the Rajya Sabha
(B) The Rajya Sabha has no power either to reject or amend a Money Bill
(C) The Rajya Sabha cannot discuss the Annual Financial Statement.
(D) The Rajya Sabha has no power to vote on the Demands for Grants (Ans : C)
66. The Nehru-Mahalanobis strategy of development guided the planning practice in India from the–
(A) First Five-Year Plan to the Sixth Five-Year Plan.
(B) Fourth Five-Year Plan to the Eighth Five-Year Plan.
(C) Second Five-Year Plan to the Seventh Five-Year Plan.
(D) First Five-Year Plan to the Eighth Five-Year Plan. (Ans : C)
67. While a proclamation of emergency is in operation, the duration of the Lok Sabha can be extended for a period–
(A) not exceeding three months (B) not exceeding nine months
(C) of one year at a time (D) of two years at a time (Ans : C)
68. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Joint Naval Exercise)
A. Konkan B. Malabar C. Varuna D. Indra
List-II (Countries)
1. India-France 2. India-United Kingdom
3. India-Russia 4. India-United States
Code:
A B C D
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 3 4 1 2
(C) 3 1 4 2
(D) 2 4 1 3 (Ans : D)
69. If you travel along the Suez Canal from Port Said to Suez, you will come across several lakes. Which of the following lakes is not on this Canal?
(A) Great Bitter Lake (B) Little Bitter Lake
(C) Lake Gatun (D) Lake Timsah (Ans : C)
70. Xerophytes represent the class of vegetation found in–
(A) tropical rain forest. (B) humid micro-thermal climate.
(C) semi-arid steppes. (D) tundra region. (Ans : C)
71. What is a clud burst ?
(A) It refers to sudden and copious rainfall over a small area which often lasts for only a few minutes
(B) It refers to 50 mm rain over a period of time
(C) It is caused by rapid condensation of very high clouds
(D) It refers to a thunderstorm with little rain (Ans : A)
72. Which one of the following is not correct regarding Tsunami ?
(A) Tsunamis have a very long wavelength
b) Tsunamis have a slight swell of about twelve inches above the normal sea surface
(C) Tsunamis grow in height when they reach shallower water
(D) Tides also play an important role in the generation of Tsunamis (Ans : D)
73. Which one of the following statements regarding India’s coal is not correct?
(A) 98 percent of reserves of coal in India belongs to Gondwana period
(B) Unknown amount of coal lies buried under the Ganga alluvium and the Deccan Trap
(C) Bituminous coal is found in both lower Gondwana rocks and in Tertiary rocks
(D) Gondwana coal is mainly found in the river valleys of Damodar, Mahanadi and Godavari
(Ans : C)
74. Consider the following statements–
1. Coriolis effect is zero at the Equator.
2. Coriolis effect is more towards the Poles.
3. Coriolis effects are related to the decreasing rotational velocity with increasing latitudes.
4. Coriolis effects are related to the increasing rotational velocity with increasing latitudes.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(A) 1, 2 and 3 (B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 1, 2 and 4 (D) 2 and 4 only (Ans : A)
75. The Viceregal Lodge at Shimla is a well-known ancient monument. Which of the following statements about the monument are correct ?
1. The Lodge was built by 17th Viceroy, Earl Dufferin.
2. The present shape of the building was given by Earl of Marquis of Lansdowne.
3. It is famous for holding three meetings before Independence of India including the Cabinet Mission.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1, 2 and 3 (B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1 and 2 only (Ans : B)
76. The macro-nutrients provided by inorganic fertilisers are–
(A) carbon, iron and boron. (B) magnesium, manganese and sulphur.
(C) magnesium, zinc and iron. (D) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. (Ans : D)
77. The ultimate cause of water movement in a plant stem against gravity is–
(A) osmosis (B) transpiration
(C) photosynthesis (D) diffusion (Ans : B)
78. Vermicompost is a/an–
(A) inorganic fertiliser (B) toxic substance
(C) organic biofertiliser (D) synthetic fertiliser (Ans : C)
79. In wildlife conservation, which one of the following best defines an ‘endemic’ species?
(A) When the critical number of a species declines in a forest due to parasitic attack
(B) A species which is cosmopolitan and can be commonly found in a biosphere
(C) An endangered species which is found in a few restricted areas on the Earth
(D) A species confined to a particular region and not found anywhere else (Ans : D)
80. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Tiger Reserve)
A. Indravati B. Periyar C. Simlipal D. Bandipur
List-II (State)
1. Karnataka 2. Odisha 3. Kerala 4. Chhattisgarh
Code:
A B C D
(A) 1 2 3 4
(B) 1 3 2 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 4 2 3 1 (Ans : C)
81. Duncan Passage is located between–
(A) South and Little Andaman. (B) Little and Great Nicobar.
(C) North and Middle Andaman. (D) Middle and South Andaman. (Ans : A)
82. Consider the following statements–
1. Ozone is mostly found in the stratosphere.
2. Ozone layer lies 55-75 km above the surface of the Earth.
3. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
4. Ozone layer has no significance for life on the Earth.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(A) 1 and 2 (B) 1 and 3
(C) 2 and 3 (D) 3 and 4 (Ans : B)
83. The main area of production of icebergs is found in–
(A) the West Coast of Greenland. (B) the East Coast of Japan.
(C) the North Coast of Siberia. (D) the West Coast of Africa. (Ans : A)
84. Match List-I with List-II (and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists –
List-I (Battle)
A. The Third Carnatic War B. The Third Mysore War
C. The First Maratha War D. The First Anglo-Sikh War
List-II (Treaty)
1. Treaty of Salbai 2. Treaty of Lahore
3. Treaty of Paris 4. Treaty of Srirangapatam
Code:
A B C D
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 2 4 1 3
(C) 3 4 1 2
(D) 3 1 4 2 (Ans : C)
85. The Operation Polo was associated with the annexation of which one of the following Princely States into Indian Union?
(A) Kashmir (B) Junagadh
(C) Travancore (D) Hyderabad (Ans : D)
86. The name of Ram Prasad Bismil is associated with–
(A) Kanpur Conspiracy Case (B) Alipore Conspiracy Case
(C) Kakori Conspiracy Case (D) Meerut Conspiracy Case (Ans : C)
87. Which one of the following was not a demand of the Prarthana Samaj ?
(A) Women education (B) Widow remarriage
(C) Raising the age of marriage for boys and girls (D) Abolition of untouchability (Ans : D)
88. Which of the following statements about Permanent Settlement are correct?
1. It conferred proprietary rights to peasants.
2. The Zamindars were recognised as the proprietors of land.
3. The government permanently fixed the land revenue demand.
4. The Zamindars acted as the middlemen between the peasants and the government.
Select the correct answer using-the code given below–
Code:
(A) 2, 3 and 4 (B) 3 and 4 only
(C) 1 and 4 (D) 1 and 3 (Ans : A)
89. Which one of the following nontoxic gases helps in formation of enzymes which ripen fruit?
(A) Acetylene (B) Ethane
(C) Methane (D) Carbon dioxide (Ans : B)
90. Age of fossil may be found out by determining the ratio of two isotopes of carbon. The isotopes are–
(A) C-12 and C-13 (B) C-13 and C-14
(C) C-12 and C-14 (D) C-12 and carbon black (Ans : C)
91. Who among the following Chinese travellers visited the kingdoms of Harshavardhana and Kumar Bhaskar Varma?
(A) I-tsing (B) Fa-Hien
(C) Hiuen Tsang (D) Sun Shuyun (Ans : C)
92. Which one of the following Indus cities was known for water management?
(A) Lothal (B) Mohenjo-Daro
(C) Harappa (D) Dholavira (Ans : B)
93. Consider the following statements–
According to Hindu Law, marriage is defined as
1. a contract 2. a sacrament
3. mutual understanding 4. indissoluble
Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) 1 and 3 (D) 2 and 4 (Ans : D)
94. Which one of the following States was first annexed by Lord Dalhousie under the Doctrine of Lapse ?
(A) Nagpur (B) Jhansi
(C) Sambalpur (D) Satara (Ans : D)
95. Identify the correct sequence of the following events of Indian history (starting with the earliest)–
1. The Doctrine of Lapse 2. The Subsidiary Alliance
3. The Treaty of Lahore 4. The Pitt’s India Act
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 (B) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
(C) 2 - 1 - 4 - 3 (D) 3 - 2 - 1 - 4 (Ans : A)
96. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Social Reformer)
A. Iyothee Thass B. Jyotiba Phule
C. John Rathinam D. E.V. Ramaswami Naickar
List-II (Association)
1. Satyashodhak Samaj 2. Dravida Kazhagam
3. Self-Respect Movement 4. Dravida Mahajana Sabha
Code:
A B C D
(A) 4 2 1 3
(B) 3 1 2 4
(C) 4 1 2 3
(D) 3 2 1 4 (Ans : C)
97. Which one of the following statements regarding Jorwe Culture is not correct ?
(A) Pravara-Godavari Valley was the nuclear zone of Jorwe Culture
(B) The main sites of Jorwe Culture are Daimabad, Inamgaon, Jorwe and Nevasa
(C) At Daimabad, one gets archaeological evidence of symbolic burial
(D) Practically all Jorwe settlements in the Northern Deccan were suddenly deserted (Ans : D)
98. Ashokan inscriptions of Mansehra and Shahbazgadhi are written in–
(A) Prakrit language, Kharoshthi script. (B) Prakrit language, Brahmi script.
(C) Prakrit-Aramaic language, Brahmi script. (D) Aramaic language, Kharoshthi script. (Ans : A)
99. Who among the following scholars were contemporary of Kanishka ?
1. Ashvaghosa 2. Nagarjuna
3. Vasumitra 4. Chanakya
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 3 and 4
(C) 2 and 4 (D) 1, 2 and 3 (Ans : D)
100. Sabin Award is given for the conservation of–
(A) amphibians (B) reptiles
(C) birds (D) corals (Ans : A)
101. The Indian research station Himadri is located at–
(A) Siachen (B) Darjeeling
(C) Arctic Region (D) Antarctica (Ans : C)
102. The year 2011 was the centenary year for which one of the following policy-making bodies of the Government of India in scientific research and development ?
(A) ISRO (B) ICAR
(C) ICMR (D) CSIR (Ans : C)
103. In the year 2011, NASA launched a mission to study the Moon from ‘crust to core’ through its–
(A) Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
(B) Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer Spacecraft
(C) Ultraviolet Spec troscopic Explorer Spacecraft
(D) Transition Region and Coronal Explorer Spacecraft (Ans : A)
104. In the year 2011, a scientist from USA discovered ‘BISIN’, which–
(A) is a natural preservative and can extend food’s life for several years. (B) can insulate cells of brain.
(C) claims for fastest prevention of bacterial infection. (D) is a distant galaxy. (Ans : A)
105. In the year 2011, a missile named ‘PRAHAR’, developed by DRDO, was test-fired, This is a–
(A) short-range surface to air missile. (B) long-range surface to air missile.
(C) short-range surface to surface missile. (D) long-range surface to surface missile. (Ans : C)
106. Which one of the following statements is correct?
(A) All proteins are enzymes (B) All enzymes are proteins
(C) None of the enzymes is protein (D) None of the proteins is enzyme (Ans : B)
107. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) All bases are alkalis (B) None of the bases is alkali
(C) There are no more bases except the alkalis (D) All alkalis are bases but all bases are not alkalis
(Ans : D)
108. Suppose a terrorist group has laid siege to the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, Kashmir. They have also taken around 80 civilians hostage. Which one of the following will be the best response by the security forces in this situation ?
(A) Threaten the terrorists using loudspeakers with immediate military action, unless they surrender
(B) Surround the mosque with visible army deployment and then attack the mosque
(C) Carry out a joint army-air force raid on the mosque
(D) Negotiate with the terrorists by utilising a local mediator to buy time and then send in special National Security Guard (NSG) commandos (Ans : D)
109. Which one of the following statements about NATO is not correct?
(A) NATO is a collective defence organisation in Europe (B) The US is an ex-officio member of NATO
(C) Turkey is a member of NATO (D) NATO has 28 independent member States (Ans : B)
110. The Cabinet Mission Plan for India envisaged a–
(A) Federation (B) Confederation
(C) Unitary form of Government (D) Union of States (Ans : A)
111. The National Commission for Women was created–by
(A) an amendment in the Constitution of India. (B) a decision of the Union Cabinet.
(C) an Act passed by the Parliament. (D) an order of the President of India. (Ans : C)
112. Under which law it is prescribed that all proceedings in the Supreme Court of India shall be in English language?
(A) The Supreme Court Rules, 1966 (B) A Legislation made by the Parliament
(C) Article 145 of the Constitution of India (D) Article 348 of the Constitution of India (Ans : D)
113. Which one of the following reactions is the main cause of the energy radiation from the Sun?
(A) Fusion reaction (B) Fission reaction
(C) Chemical reaction (D) Diffusion reaction (Ans : A)
114. In SONAR, we use–
(A) ultrasonic waves. (B) infrasonic waves.
(C) radio waves. (D) audible sound waves. (Ans : A)
115. A liquid is kept in a regular cylindrical vessel up to a certain height. If this vessel is replaced by another cylindrical vessel, having half the area of cross-section of the bottom, the pressure on the bottom will–
(A) remain unaffected. (B) be reduced to half the earlier pressure.
(C) be increased to twice the earlier pressure. (D) be reduced to one-fourth the earlier pressure.
(Ans : C)
116. The time period of a simple pendulum having a spherical wooden bob is 2 s. If the bob is replaced by a metallic one twice as heavy, the time period will be–
(A) more than 2 s (B) 2 s
(C) 1 s (D) less than 1 s (Ans : B)
117. Which one of the following statements about an atom is not correct?
(A) Atoms always combine to form molecules
(B) Atoms are the basic units from which molecules and ions are formed
(C) A toms are always neutral in nature
(D) Atoms aggregate in large numbers to form the matter that we can see, feel and touch (Ans : C)
118. China recently objected to the participation of an Indian company in its joint venture with another country for offshore oil exploration. Which one of the following is that country?
(A) Myanmar (B) South Korea
(C) Taiwan (D) Vietnam (Ans : D)
119. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
The current Prime Minister of Nepal Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is heading a
(A) consensus government of all major political parties of Nepal.
(B) Nepali Congress-Maoist-U’ML coalition government.
(C) Nepali. Congress-Maoist coalition government.
(D) Maoist-Madhesi coalition government. (Ans : D)
120. An African country, Sudan has been broken into two recently with formation of a new country named South Sudan. Economy of South Sudan will depend on its–
(A) agricultural product (B) minerals
(C) forest product (D) fishery product (Ans : A)
(A) tropical rain forests (B) freshwater wetlands
(C) topsoils (D) oceans (Ans : D)
2. Which one of the following is a source of methane emission into the atmosphere ?
(A) Automobile exhaust fume (B) Industrial chimney
(C) Mining (D) Wetland (Ans : D)
3. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(A) Trophic dynamics represents the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another in a food chain
(B) In deeper parts of oceans, primary production remains almost nil
(C) The primary consumers are called autotrophs
(D) The decomposers are called saprotrophs (Ans : C)
4. Carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas because–
(A) its concentration remains always higher than other gases. (B) it is used in photosynthesis.
(C) it absorbs infrared radiation. (D) it emits visible radiation. (Ans : C)
5. The fossil of Archaeopteryx represents the evidence of origin of–
(A) birds from reptiles (B) mammals from reptiles
(C) reptiles from amphibians (D) mammals from birds (Ans : A)
6. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. NIFTY is based upon 50 firms in India.
2. NIFTY is governed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
3. NIFTY does not trade in mutual funds.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2
(C) 3 only (D) 1 and 3 (Ans : A)
7. When the productive capacity of the economic system of a State is inadequate to create sufficient number of jobs, it is called–
(A) seasonal unemployment. (B) structural unemployment.
(C) disguised unemployment. (D) cyclical unemployment. (Ans : D)
8. Which one of the following is not a Millennium Development Goal of the United Nations?
(A) Eradicate extreme poverty (B) Reduce birth rate and death rate
(C) Improve maternal health (D) Promote gender equality (Ans : B)
9. Fiscal policy in India is formulated by–
(A) the Reserve Bank of India (B) the Planning Commission
(C) the Finance Ministry (D) the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Ans : B)
10. Which one of the following is not a clause of World Trade Organisation ?
(A) Most favoured nation treatment
(B) Lowering trade barriers with negotiations
(C) Providing financial support to the countries having deficit balance of payments
(D) Discouraging unfair trade practices such as anti-dumping and export subsidies (Ans : C)
11. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) relate to–
(A) the World Bank. (B) the Reserve Bank of India.
(C) the World Trade Organisation. (D) the International Monetary Fund. (Ans : D)
12. Which one of the following is not a landlocked country in Africa ?
(A) Botswana (B) Zambia
(C) Lesotho (D) Nigeria (Ans : D)
13. The imaginary line on the Earth’s surface that closely follows the 180° Meridian is–
(A) Prime Meridian (B) Equator
(C) International Date Line (D) Tropic of Cancer (Ans : C)
14. The country that shares longest border with India is–
(A) China (B) Bangladesh
(C) Nepal (D) Pakistan (Ans : B)
15. The distance between two consecutive longitudes (91°E and 92° E) at the Poles is–
(A) 0 km (B) 18 km
(C) 25 km (D) 111 km (Ans : A)
16. Lack of atmosphere around the Moon is due to–
(A) low escape velocity of air molecule and low gravitational attraction.
(B) high escape velocity of air molecule and low gravitational attraction.
(C) low gravitational attraction only.
(D) high escape velocity of air molecule only. (Ans : C)
17. Which one of the following correctly defines a unit magnetic pole in SI units?
It is the pole which when placed in air at a distance of–
(A) 1 foot from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 pound.
(B) 1 metre from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 newton.
(C) 1 cm from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 dyne.
(D) 1 metre from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force
of 1 newton/m2. (Ans : C)
18. After rising a short distance, the smooth column of smoke from a cigarette breaks up into an irregular and random pattern. In a similar fashion, a stream of fluid flowing past an ‘obstacle breaks up into eddies and vortices which give the flow irregular velocity components transverse to the flow direction. Other examples include the wakes left in water by moving ships, the sound produced by whistling and by wind instruments. These examples are the results of–
(A) laminar flow of air. (B) streamline flow of air.
(C) turbulent flow of air. (D) viscous flow at low speed. (Ans : D)
19. Two identical piano wires have same fundamental frequency when kept under the same tension. What will happen if tension of one of the wires is slightly increased and both the wires are made to vibrate simultaneously ?
(A) Noise (B) Beats
(C) Resonance (D) Non-linear effects (Ans : B)
20. What is the major role of a greenhouse gas that contributes to temperature rise of the Earth’s surface?
(A) Transparent to both incoming sunlight aria outgoing infrared radiation
(B) Stops both incoming sunlight and outgoing infrared radiation
(C) Lets outgoing infrared radiation pass through but stops incoming sunlight
(D) Lets incoming sunlight pass through but stops outgoing infrared radiation (Ans : D)
21. Which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. If a country is experiencing increase in its per capita GDP, its GDP must necessarily be growing.
2. If a country is experiencing negative inflation, its GDP must be decreasing.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
22. Which of the following measures should be taken when an economy is going through inflationary pressures?
1. The direct taxes should be increased.
2. The interest rate should be reduced.
3. The public spending should be increased.
Select the correct answer Using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 (D) 1 and 2 (Ans : A)
23. The basis of European Union began with the signing of–
(A) Maastricht Treaty (B) Treaty of Paris
(C) Treaty of Rome (D) Treaty of Lisbon (Ans : A)
24. National income ignores–
(A) sales of a firm. (B) salary of employees.
(C) exports of the IT sector. (D) sale of land. (Ans : D)
25. What are G. arboreum, G. herbaceum, G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, whose all the four species are cultivated in India ? (G = Gossypium)
(A) Species of wool (B) Species of cotton
(C) Species of silk (D) Species of jute (Ans : B)
26. The soil formed by wind dust in and around hot deserts is called–
(A) silty soil (B) loamy soil
(C) sandy soil (D) loess soil (Ans : D)
27. Logically, what does a continually rising air pressure indicate ?
(A) Advent of unsettled and cloudy weather (B) Advent of a cyclone
(C) Fine and settled weather (D) Fine and unsettled weather (Ans : C)
28. The TEAM-9 initiative is a techno-economic cooperation venture between India and eight countries of–
(A) West Africa (B) East Africa
(C) North Africa (D) Central Africa (Ans : A)
29. Which one of the following is the type of the Comoros Islands which lie in the Indian Ocean between Northern Madagascar and the African Coast ?
(A) Volcanic (B) Glacial eroded
(C) Eolian deposited (D) Folded (Ans : A)
30. Which of the following conditions are necessary for the issue of writ of quo warranto?
1. The office must be public and must be created by a Statute or by the Constitution itself.
2. The office must be a substantive one and not merely the function or employment of a servant at the will and during the pleasure of another.
3. There has been a contravention of the Constitution or a Statute or Statutory Instrument, in appointing such person to that office.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3 (Ans : D)
31. If news is broadcast from London at 10:30 AM, at what time it will be heard at Baghdad (45° E) ?
(A) 7:30 AM (B) 9:00 AM
(C) 1:30 PM (D) 12:00 Noon (Ans : C)
32. The site of Harappa is located on the bank of river–
(A) Saraswati (B) Indus
(C) Beas (D) Ravi (Ans : D)
33. Which one of the following statements regarding Bal Gangadhar Tilak is not correct ?
(A) He propounded the theory of the Arctic Home of the Aryans
(B) He founded the Anti-Cow-Killing Society
(C) He set up the Home Rule League at Poona
(D) He supported the Age of Consent Bill (Ans : D)
34. Which one of the following principles was not propagated by the Theosophical Society ?
(A) Belief in Karma and Rebirth (B) Belief in Universal Brotherhood and Humanity
(C) Belief in Vedantic Philosophy (D) Belief in the Eradication of Untouchability (Ans : D)
35. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) The Revolt of 1857 was not supported by the Nizam of Hyderabad
(B) Dinabandhu Mitra was the author of the book, Unhappy India
(C) The Sindhias of Gwalior gave shelter to the Rani of Jhansi
(D) Mangal Pandey led the Sepoys March to Delhi (Ans : A)
36. Who among the following Governors-General formed the Triple Alliance against Tipu Sultan ?
(A) Warren Hastings (B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Lord Wellesley (D) Lord William Bentinck (Ans : B)
37. Take the case of dignity and equal rights for women. How do democracies help?
(A) Women in democracies have equal degree of political representation in legislatures
(B) Women in democracies have guaranteed rights and are always treated with respect
(C) Women in democracies are not subjected to sex discrimination in most aspects of social life
(D) In democracies, the principle of equality is accepted as legal norm, which makes it easier to guarantee their freedom and dignity (Ans : D)
38. The Constitution of India is republican because it–
(A) provides for an elected Parliament. (B) provides for adult franchise.
(C) contains a bill of rights. (D) has no hereditary elements. (Ans : D)
39. Assume that India and Pakistan are engaged in an increasingly volatile situation over the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir with a Kargil type infiltration by Pakistan. A conventional war between both the countries is inevitable under the shadow of nuclear weapons. In this situation, what is the nuclear capacity that India should possess against Pakistan to deter a nuclear exchange ?
(A) A first ‘use nuclear policy’
(B) A much larger nuclear arsenal than Pakistan
(C) A credible nuclear deterrence with second strike capability
(D) An intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5000 km (Ans : C)
40. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to Yudh Abhyas ?
(A) It is an Indian military ‘war game’ with regard to Pakistan
(B) It is an Indian military exercise with Oman
(C) It is an Indian military exercise with Bhutan
(D) It is an Indian military exercise with the US (Ans : D)
41. Which one of the following statements is correct with regard to the C-5M Super Galaxy?
(A) It is a large military helicopter
(B) It is a large military transport aircraft
(C) It is a galaxy of stars very close to the Sun
(D) It is a US fighter aircraft to be completed in 2014 (Ans : B)
42. Consider the following statements–
1. The Kalinga Prize is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people.
2. Dorairajan Balasubramanian was the last person from India to receive the Kalinga Prize.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
43. Which one of the following companies received Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2011 ?
(A) BCCL (B) NTPC
(C) SAIL (D) TISCO (Ans : C)
44. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Short-listed Book for DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, 2012)
A. Bharathipura B. A Street in Srinagar
C. Chinaman D. The Story that must not be told
List-II (Author)
1. Kavery Nambisan 2. Shehan Karunatilaka
3. Chandrakanta 4. U.R. Ananthamurthy
Code:
A B C D
(A) 4 2 3 1
(B) 1 2 3 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 1 3 2 4 (Ans : C)
45. In which one of the following Latin American countries, a woman has for the first time won the presidential elections for the second term ?
(A) Brazil (B) Venezuela
(C) Uruguay (D) Argentina (Ans : D)
46. Which one of the following is a fundamental duty of citizens under the Constitution of India ?
(A) To provide friendly cooperation to the people of the neighbouring countiies
(B) To protect monuments of national importance
(C) To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
(D) To know more and more about the history of India (Ans : C)
47. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) Due to border problems, India’s trade with China did not register a quantum jump between the years 2001-2010
(B) The stand-off between India and China on Pakistan and Arunachal Pradesh did not let India’s trade to grow with China in the years 2001-2010 as much as it grew in the years 1991-2001
(C) While India-China trade has registered a quantum jump between the years 2001-2010, both the countries have ensured parity of trade
(D) In spite of border problems, India’s trade with China registered a quantum jump during the years 2001-2010 (Ans : D)
48. Which one of the following statements about globalisation is not correct?
(A) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic growth
(B) Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic disparity
(C) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation
(D) Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation (Ans : D)
49. The best colours for a Sun umbrella will be–
(A) black on top and red on inside. (B) black on top and white on inside.
(C) red on top and black on inside. (D) white on top and black on inside. (Ans : D)
50. Before X-ray examination (coloured X-ray) of the stomach, patients are given suitable salt of barium because–
(A) barium salts are white in colour and this helps stomach to appear clearly.
(B) barium is a good absorber of X-rays and helps stomach to appear dearly.
(C) barium salts are easily available.
(D) barium allows X-rays to pass through the stomach. (Ans : B)
51. The elements of a group in the periodic table–
(A) have similar chemical properties. (B) have consecutive atomic numbers.
(C) are isobars. (D) are isotopes. (Ans : A)
52. Which one of the following polymers is used for making bulletproof material ?
(A) Polyvinyl chloride (B) Polystyrene
(C) Polyethylene (D) Polyamide (Ans : C)
53. The pH of human blood is normally around–
(A) 4.5–5.5 (B) 5.5–6.5
(C) 7.5–8.0 (D) 8.5–9.0 (Ans : C)
54. The pH of fresh groundwater slightly decreases upon exposure to air because–
(A) carbon dioxide from air is dissolved in the water.
(B) oxygen from air is dissolved in the water.
(C) the dissolved carbon dioxide of the groundwater escapes into air.
(D) the dissolved oxygen of the groundwater escapes into air. (Ans : A)
55. Who won the Wimbledon 2011 men’s singles tide ?
(A) Novak Djokovic (B) Roger Federer
(C) Rafael Nadal (D) Andy Roddick (Ans : A)
56. Which among the following countries has recently decided to give a grant of US $1 billion for the reconstruction of the Nalanda University?
(A) USA (B) China
(C) UK (D) Japan (Ans : B)
57. Which one Of the following is the fastest Indian Supercomputer recently developed by ISRO ?
(A) Aakash-A1 (B) Saga-220
(C) Jaguar-Cray (D) Tianhe-lA (Ans : B)
58. The year 2011 has been celebrated by UNESCO and IUPAC as International Year of Chemistry to mark the 100 years of Nobel Prize winning by Marie Curie in Chemistry. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The unified theme of the celebration is Chemistry—our life, our future.
2. The celebrations are made to mark the contributions of women to the development of science.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
59. In February 2011, which of the following countries has elected Mr. Thein Sein, a military general- turned-civilian leader, as its first President ?
(A) Malaysia (B) Costa Rica
(C) Thailand (D) Myanmar (Ans : D)
60. Which one of the following vitamins is necessary for blood clotting?
(A) Vitamin A (B) Vitamin D
(C) Vitamin K (D) Vitamin C (Ans : C)
61. Indian Space Research Organisation and the Airport Authority of India have recently signed a memorandum of understanding to install a space-based augmentation system (SBAS) to render the Global Positioning System signal suitable for civil aviation over the Indian airspace. What is the name of the SBAS ?
(A) GAGAN (B) PAWAN
(C) AAKASH (D) NABH (Ans : A)
62. World’s first gold and jewellery-encrusted car—Gold Plus, was unveiled in the year 2011 as a tribute to 5000 years of Indian jewellery making. Who among the following was the maker of the car?
(A) Tata Motors (B) Maruti Suzuki
(C) Hundai (D) Volkswagen (Ans : A)
63. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
The word ‘socialist’ in the Preamble of the Constitution of India, read with–
(A) Article 39 (d), would enable the Court to uphold the constitutionality of nationalisation laws
(B) Article 14, would enable the Court to strike down a statute which failed to achieve the socialist goal to the fullest extent
(C) Article 25, would enable the Court to ensure freedom guaranteed under that Article
(D) Article 23, would enable the Court to reduce inequality in income and status (Ans : A)
64. Suppose a legislation was passed by the Parliament imposing certain restrictions on newspapers. These included page ceiling, price and advertisements. The legislation is included in the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution of India. In this context, which one of the following statements is correct?
(A) The legislation is invalid as it violates the freedom of Press.
(B) The legislation is valid by virtue of Article 31B.
(C) The legislation is invalid as it imposes unreasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.
(D) The legislation is valid as the Press is not a citizen under Article 19 of the Constitution.
(Ans : B)
65. With regard to the powers of the Rajya Sabha, which one of the following statements is not correct ?
(A) A Money Bill cannot be introduced in the Rajya Sabha
(B) The Rajya Sabha has no power either to reject or amend a Money Bill
(C) The Rajya Sabha cannot discuss the Annual Financial Statement.
(D) The Rajya Sabha has no power to vote on the Demands for Grants (Ans : C)
66. The Nehru-Mahalanobis strategy of development guided the planning practice in India from the–
(A) First Five-Year Plan to the Sixth Five-Year Plan.
(B) Fourth Five-Year Plan to the Eighth Five-Year Plan.
(C) Second Five-Year Plan to the Seventh Five-Year Plan.
(D) First Five-Year Plan to the Eighth Five-Year Plan. (Ans : C)
67. While a proclamation of emergency is in operation, the duration of the Lok Sabha can be extended for a period–
(A) not exceeding three months (B) not exceeding nine months
(C) of one year at a time (D) of two years at a time (Ans : C)
68. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Joint Naval Exercise)
A. Konkan B. Malabar C. Varuna D. Indra
List-II (Countries)
1. India-France 2. India-United Kingdom
3. India-Russia 4. India-United States
Code:
A B C D
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 3 4 1 2
(C) 3 1 4 2
(D) 2 4 1 3 (Ans : D)
69. If you travel along the Suez Canal from Port Said to Suez, you will come across several lakes. Which of the following lakes is not on this Canal?
(A) Great Bitter Lake (B) Little Bitter Lake
(C) Lake Gatun (D) Lake Timsah (Ans : C)
70. Xerophytes represent the class of vegetation found in–
(A) tropical rain forest. (B) humid micro-thermal climate.
(C) semi-arid steppes. (D) tundra region. (Ans : C)
71. What is a clud burst ?
(A) It refers to sudden and copious rainfall over a small area which often lasts for only a few minutes
(B) It refers to 50 mm rain over a period of time
(C) It is caused by rapid condensation of very high clouds
(D) It refers to a thunderstorm with little rain (Ans : A)
72. Which one of the following is not correct regarding Tsunami ?
(A) Tsunamis have a very long wavelength
b) Tsunamis have a slight swell of about twelve inches above the normal sea surface
(C) Tsunamis grow in height when they reach shallower water
(D) Tides also play an important role in the generation of Tsunamis (Ans : D)
73. Which one of the following statements regarding India’s coal is not correct?
(A) 98 percent of reserves of coal in India belongs to Gondwana period
(B) Unknown amount of coal lies buried under the Ganga alluvium and the Deccan Trap
(C) Bituminous coal is found in both lower Gondwana rocks and in Tertiary rocks
(D) Gondwana coal is mainly found in the river valleys of Damodar, Mahanadi and Godavari
(Ans : C)
74. Consider the following statements–
1. Coriolis effect is zero at the Equator.
2. Coriolis effect is more towards the Poles.
3. Coriolis effects are related to the decreasing rotational velocity with increasing latitudes.
4. Coriolis effects are related to the increasing rotational velocity with increasing latitudes.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(A) 1, 2 and 3 (B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 1, 2 and 4 (D) 2 and 4 only (Ans : A)
75. The Viceregal Lodge at Shimla is a well-known ancient monument. Which of the following statements about the monument are correct ?
1. The Lodge was built by 17th Viceroy, Earl Dufferin.
2. The present shape of the building was given by Earl of Marquis of Lansdowne.
3. It is famous for holding three meetings before Independence of India including the Cabinet Mission.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1, 2 and 3 (B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1 and 2 only (Ans : B)
76. The macro-nutrients provided by inorganic fertilisers are–
(A) carbon, iron and boron. (B) magnesium, manganese and sulphur.
(C) magnesium, zinc and iron. (D) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. (Ans : D)
77. The ultimate cause of water movement in a plant stem against gravity is–
(A) osmosis (B) transpiration
(C) photosynthesis (D) diffusion (Ans : B)
78. Vermicompost is a/an–
(A) inorganic fertiliser (B) toxic substance
(C) organic biofertiliser (D) synthetic fertiliser (Ans : C)
79. In wildlife conservation, which one of the following best defines an ‘endemic’ species?
(A) When the critical number of a species declines in a forest due to parasitic attack
(B) A species which is cosmopolitan and can be commonly found in a biosphere
(C) An endangered species which is found in a few restricted areas on the Earth
(D) A species confined to a particular region and not found anywhere else (Ans : D)
80. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Tiger Reserve)
A. Indravati B. Periyar C. Simlipal D. Bandipur
List-II (State)
1. Karnataka 2. Odisha 3. Kerala 4. Chhattisgarh
Code:
A B C D
(A) 1 2 3 4
(B) 1 3 2 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 4 2 3 1 (Ans : C)
81. Duncan Passage is located between–
(A) South and Little Andaman. (B) Little and Great Nicobar.
(C) North and Middle Andaman. (D) Middle and South Andaman. (Ans : A)
82. Consider the following statements–
1. Ozone is mostly found in the stratosphere.
2. Ozone layer lies 55-75 km above the surface of the Earth.
3. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
4. Ozone layer has no significance for life on the Earth.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(A) 1 and 2 (B) 1 and 3
(C) 2 and 3 (D) 3 and 4 (Ans : B)
83. The main area of production of icebergs is found in–
(A) the West Coast of Greenland. (B) the East Coast of Japan.
(C) the North Coast of Siberia. (D) the West Coast of Africa. (Ans : A)
84. Match List-I with List-II (and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists –
List-I (Battle)
A. The Third Carnatic War B. The Third Mysore War
C. The First Maratha War D. The First Anglo-Sikh War
List-II (Treaty)
1. Treaty of Salbai 2. Treaty of Lahore
3. Treaty of Paris 4. Treaty of Srirangapatam
Code:
A B C D
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 2 4 1 3
(C) 3 4 1 2
(D) 3 1 4 2 (Ans : C)
85. The Operation Polo was associated with the annexation of which one of the following Princely States into Indian Union?
(A) Kashmir (B) Junagadh
(C) Travancore (D) Hyderabad (Ans : D)
86. The name of Ram Prasad Bismil is associated with–
(A) Kanpur Conspiracy Case (B) Alipore Conspiracy Case
(C) Kakori Conspiracy Case (D) Meerut Conspiracy Case (Ans : C)
87. Which one of the following was not a demand of the Prarthana Samaj ?
(A) Women education (B) Widow remarriage
(C) Raising the age of marriage for boys and girls (D) Abolition of untouchability (Ans : D)
88. Which of the following statements about Permanent Settlement are correct?
1. It conferred proprietary rights to peasants.
2. The Zamindars were recognised as the proprietors of land.
3. The government permanently fixed the land revenue demand.
4. The Zamindars acted as the middlemen between the peasants and the government.
Select the correct answer using-the code given below–
Code:
(A) 2, 3 and 4 (B) 3 and 4 only
(C) 1 and 4 (D) 1 and 3 (Ans : A)
89. Which one of the following nontoxic gases helps in formation of enzymes which ripen fruit?
(A) Acetylene (B) Ethane
(C) Methane (D) Carbon dioxide (Ans : B)
90. Age of fossil may be found out by determining the ratio of two isotopes of carbon. The isotopes are–
(A) C-12 and C-13 (B) C-13 and C-14
(C) C-12 and C-14 (D) C-12 and carbon black (Ans : C)
91. Who among the following Chinese travellers visited the kingdoms of Harshavardhana and Kumar Bhaskar Varma?
(A) I-tsing (B) Fa-Hien
(C) Hiuen Tsang (D) Sun Shuyun (Ans : C)
92. Which one of the following Indus cities was known for water management?
(A) Lothal (B) Mohenjo-Daro
(C) Harappa (D) Dholavira (Ans : B)
93. Consider the following statements–
According to Hindu Law, marriage is defined as
1. a contract 2. a sacrament
3. mutual understanding 4. indissoluble
Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) 1 and 3 (D) 2 and 4 (Ans : D)
94. Which one of the following States was first annexed by Lord Dalhousie under the Doctrine of Lapse ?
(A) Nagpur (B) Jhansi
(C) Sambalpur (D) Satara (Ans : D)
95. Identify the correct sequence of the following events of Indian history (starting with the earliest)–
1. The Doctrine of Lapse 2. The Subsidiary Alliance
3. The Treaty of Lahore 4. The Pitt’s India Act
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 (B) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
(C) 2 - 1 - 4 - 3 (D) 3 - 2 - 1 - 4 (Ans : A)
96. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Social Reformer)
A. Iyothee Thass B. Jyotiba Phule
C. John Rathinam D. E.V. Ramaswami Naickar
List-II (Association)
1. Satyashodhak Samaj 2. Dravida Kazhagam
3. Self-Respect Movement 4. Dravida Mahajana Sabha
Code:
A B C D
(A) 4 2 1 3
(B) 3 1 2 4
(C) 4 1 2 3
(D) 3 2 1 4 (Ans : C)
97. Which one of the following statements regarding Jorwe Culture is not correct ?
(A) Pravara-Godavari Valley was the nuclear zone of Jorwe Culture
(B) The main sites of Jorwe Culture are Daimabad, Inamgaon, Jorwe and Nevasa
(C) At Daimabad, one gets archaeological evidence of symbolic burial
(D) Practically all Jorwe settlements in the Northern Deccan were suddenly deserted (Ans : D)
98. Ashokan inscriptions of Mansehra and Shahbazgadhi are written in–
(A) Prakrit language, Kharoshthi script. (B) Prakrit language, Brahmi script.
(C) Prakrit-Aramaic language, Brahmi script. (D) Aramaic language, Kharoshthi script. (Ans : A)
99. Who among the following scholars were contemporary of Kanishka ?
1. Ashvaghosa 2. Nagarjuna
3. Vasumitra 4. Chanakya
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 3 and 4
(C) 2 and 4 (D) 1, 2 and 3 (Ans : D)
100. Sabin Award is given for the conservation of–
(A) amphibians (B) reptiles
(C) birds (D) corals (Ans : A)
101. The Indian research station Himadri is located at–
(A) Siachen (B) Darjeeling
(C) Arctic Region (D) Antarctica (Ans : C)
102. The year 2011 was the centenary year for which one of the following policy-making bodies of the Government of India in scientific research and development ?
(A) ISRO (B) ICAR
(C) ICMR (D) CSIR (Ans : C)
103. In the year 2011, NASA launched a mission to study the Moon from ‘crust to core’ through its–
(A) Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
(B) Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer Spacecraft
(C) Ultraviolet Spec troscopic Explorer Spacecraft
(D) Transition Region and Coronal Explorer Spacecraft (Ans : A)
104. In the year 2011, a scientist from USA discovered ‘BISIN’, which–
(A) is a natural preservative and can extend food’s life for several years. (B) can insulate cells of brain.
(C) claims for fastest prevention of bacterial infection. (D) is a distant galaxy. (Ans : A)
105. In the year 2011, a missile named ‘PRAHAR’, developed by DRDO, was test-fired, This is a–
(A) short-range surface to air missile. (B) long-range surface to air missile.
(C) short-range surface to surface missile. (D) long-range surface to surface missile. (Ans : C)
106. Which one of the following statements is correct?
(A) All proteins are enzymes (B) All enzymes are proteins
(C) None of the enzymes is protein (D) None of the proteins is enzyme (Ans : B)
107. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) All bases are alkalis (B) None of the bases is alkali
(C) There are no more bases except the alkalis (D) All alkalis are bases but all bases are not alkalis
(Ans : D)
108. Suppose a terrorist group has laid siege to the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, Kashmir. They have also taken around 80 civilians hostage. Which one of the following will be the best response by the security forces in this situation ?
(A) Threaten the terrorists using loudspeakers with immediate military action, unless they surrender
(B) Surround the mosque with visible army deployment and then attack the mosque
(C) Carry out a joint army-air force raid on the mosque
(D) Negotiate with the terrorists by utilising a local mediator to buy time and then send in special National Security Guard (NSG) commandos (Ans : D)
109. Which one of the following statements about NATO is not correct?
(A) NATO is a collective defence organisation in Europe (B) The US is an ex-officio member of NATO
(C) Turkey is a member of NATO (D) NATO has 28 independent member States (Ans : B)
110. The Cabinet Mission Plan for India envisaged a–
(A) Federation (B) Confederation
(C) Unitary form of Government (D) Union of States (Ans : A)
111. The National Commission for Women was created–by
(A) an amendment in the Constitution of India. (B) a decision of the Union Cabinet.
(C) an Act passed by the Parliament. (D) an order of the President of India. (Ans : C)
112. Under which law it is prescribed that all proceedings in the Supreme Court of India shall be in English language?
(A) The Supreme Court Rules, 1966 (B) A Legislation made by the Parliament
(C) Article 145 of the Constitution of India (D) Article 348 of the Constitution of India (Ans : D)
113. Which one of the following reactions is the main cause of the energy radiation from the Sun?
(A) Fusion reaction (B) Fission reaction
(C) Chemical reaction (D) Diffusion reaction (Ans : A)
114. In SONAR, we use–
(A) ultrasonic waves. (B) infrasonic waves.
(C) radio waves. (D) audible sound waves. (Ans : A)
115. A liquid is kept in a regular cylindrical vessel up to a certain height. If this vessel is replaced by another cylindrical vessel, having half the area of cross-section of the bottom, the pressure on the bottom will–
(A) remain unaffected. (B) be reduced to half the earlier pressure.
(C) be increased to twice the earlier pressure. (D) be reduced to one-fourth the earlier pressure.
(Ans : C)
116. The time period of a simple pendulum having a spherical wooden bob is 2 s. If the bob is replaced by a metallic one twice as heavy, the time period will be–
(A) more than 2 s (B) 2 s
(C) 1 s (D) less than 1 s (Ans : B)
117. Which one of the following statements about an atom is not correct?
(A) Atoms always combine to form molecules
(B) Atoms are the basic units from which molecules and ions are formed
(C) A toms are always neutral in nature
(D) Atoms aggregate in large numbers to form the matter that we can see, feel and touch (Ans : C)
118. China recently objected to the participation of an Indian company in its joint venture with another country for offshore oil exploration. Which one of the following is that country?
(A) Myanmar (B) South Korea
(C) Taiwan (D) Vietnam (Ans : D)
119. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
The current Prime Minister of Nepal Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is heading a
(A) consensus government of all major political parties of Nepal.
(B) Nepali Congress-Maoist-U’ML coalition government.
(C) Nepali. Congress-Maoist coalition government.
(D) Maoist-Madhesi coalition government. (Ans : D)
120. An African country, Sudan has been broken into two recently with formation of a new country named South Sudan. Economy of South Sudan will depend on its–
(A) agricultural product (B) minerals
(C) forest product (D) fishery product (Ans : A)
Sunday, August 16, 2015
CURRENT AFFAIRS AT A GLANCE 2015
❖ Lithuania adopted the Euro currency on January 1, 2015 and became the 19th member of the Eurozone.
❖ A.B. de Villiers of South Africa scored the fastest century in One Day International cricket history on January 18, 2015. He scored a hundred in just 31 deliveries against the West Indies. He broke
the previous record of 100 off 36 balls set by Corey Anderson of New Zealand in 2014.
❖ Alexis Tsipras was sworn in on January 26, 2015 as the Prime Minister of Greece.
❖ S. Jaishankar was appointed as India's new Foreign Secretary on January 28, 2015. He replaced Sujatha Singh.
❖ NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India Aayog) replaced Planning Commission
on January 1, 2015. Its Chairperson is the Prime Minister. Arvind Panagariya is the first Vice Chairman. Sindhushree Khullar is the Chief Executive officer. Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat are the two full time members.
❖ A.S. Kiran Kumar was appointed the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on January 12, 2015. He succeeded K. Radhakrishnan.
❖ Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was appointed the first Hindu Chief Justice of Bangladesh on January 12, 2015.
❖ Maithripala Sirisena was sworn in as the President of Sri Lanka on January 9, 2015. He succeeded Mahinda Rajapaksa. Ranil Wikramasinghe is the new Prime Minister.
❖ Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe took over the post of African Union Chairman on January 30, 2015.
❖ Dineshwar Sharma is the new Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief and Krishna Chaudhary is the new
Director General of the Indo- Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
❖ The first canister-based Agni V trial was successful. It was launched from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast on January 31, 2015. It has a strike range of 5,000 km.
❖ The first indigenously-built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was handed over by Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Indian Air Force on January 17, 2015.
❖ Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) entered the Guinness World Records for opening the highest number of bank accounts in the least time. 11.5 crore new bank accounts have been opened under PMJDY as on January 17, 2015. It was launched by the Prime Minister on August 28, 2014.
❖ ICICI Bank launched India's first contactless debit and credit cards on January 7, 2015 that use the near field communication (NFC) technology.
❖ The government announced the names of 104 recipients of Padma Awards on January 25, 2015. This year's list comprises 9 Padma Vibhushan, 20 Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shree awardees. L.K. Advani, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Prakash Singh Badal are among the Padma Vibhushan winners.
❖ The President conferred Ashok Chakra on the occasion of the 66th Republic Day to Major Mukund
Varadarajan (posthumous) and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh (posthumous). Ashok Chakra is the highest gallantry award given during peacetime.
❖ Eminent Hindi scholar Kamal Kishore Goenka has been selected for Vyas Samman for 2014 for his research work "Premchand Kee Kahaniyo aa Kaalkramanusar Adhyapan".
❖ Paulina Vega of Colombia was crowned 63rd Miss Universe on January 25, 2015 in Miami, USA.
❖ Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri won the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 for her book "The Lowland". This prize was announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival on January 23, 2015.
❖ Arundhathi Subramaniam won the inaugural Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for Poetry for her work "When God is a Traveller" on January 24, 2015.
❖ Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala won the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) biennial award on January 22, 2015.
❖ M.Y.S. Prasad, Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, was selected for the
Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2015.
❖ RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan won the Governor of the Year Award in the Central Banking Awards for 2015.
❖ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" programme in Panipat, Haryana on January 22, 2015 in a bid to encourage birth and education of girls. Actress Madhuri Dixit is the brand ambassador. On the same day Sukanya Samriddhi Account was launched for the girls aged below 10.
❖ Saina Nehwal clinched the women's singles crown of the Syed Modi International Masters Badminton Tournament on January 25, 2015. She defeated Carolina Marin of Spain in the final in Lucknow. In the men's singles final Parupalli Kashyap of India beat compatriot K.Srikanth.
❖ Portugal footballer Cristiano Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014 Award. It is his second year running and third overall award.
❖ Legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman died on January 26, 2015. He created "Common Man" cartoon.
❖ Wing Commander Pooja Thakur became the first lady
officer on January 25, 2015 to lead the Inter- Service Guard of Honor for the visiting US President Barack Obama at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Barack Obama is the first US President to be the Chief Guest for India's Republic Day.
❖ The French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo's Paris office was attacked by gunmen on January 7, 2015. In the attack 12 persons were killed.
❖ The 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was celebrated between January 7-9, 2015 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It marked the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa. The Chief Guest was Guyana President Donald Ramotar. The theme of the 13th PBD was Bharat ko jano, Bharat ko mano. The Vice President Hamid Ansari presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards to 15 persons on January 9. The awardees include plant scientist Sanjay Rajaram and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
❖ The 102nd Indian Science Congress (ISC) was held from January 3 - 7, 2015 in Mumbai. The theme was Science and Technology for Human Development.
❖ The 60th Filmfare Awards were presented on February 1, 2015. "Queen" bagged highest number of awards i.e. 6. "Shahid Kapoor" is the best actor for the film "Haider" and "Kangana Ranaut" best actress for "Queen".
❖ Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic was sworn in as the first female President of Croatia on February 15, 2015.
❖ Sergio Mattarella took over as the President of Italy on February 3, 2015.
❖ Ashton Carter replaced Chuck Hagel as the Defense Secretary of the United States.
❖ Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party became the Chief Minister of Delhi on February 14, 2015.
Manish Sisodia is the Deputy Chief Minister.
❖ Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United) took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar on February 22,
2015. He succeeded Jitan Ram Manjhi.
❖ L.C. Goyal replaced Anil Goswami as the Union Home Secretary.
❖ Dr.Y. Nayudamma Memorial Award 2014 was conferred on two women scientists- Tessy Thomas (DRDO) and Geeta Varadan (ISRO).
❖ Eminent Marathi writer Bhalachandra Nemade was chosen for the Jnanpith Award 2014. He is the 50th recipient of Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor.
❖ Nobel Economics laureate Amartya Sen has been awarded the inaugural Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes Prize 2015.
❖ Ricky Kej of India won the Grammy award for his album "Winds of Samsara" in the Best New Age Album category.
❖ ICICI Bank launched first digital bank in India "Pockets" on a mobile phone.
❖ Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Serena Williams of USA won the men's and women's singles titles respectively, in the 2015 Australian Open tennis championship. Indo-Swiss pair Leander Paes and Martina Hingis won the Mixed Doubles title.
❖ Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to score a century in a World Cup game against Pakistan on February 15, 2015.
❖ Kerala hosted the 35th National Games from January 31 to February 14, 2015. Sachin Tendulkar was the brand ambassador. Ammu, the Great Hornbill, was the mascot. Services Sports Control Board (SSCB)
won 159 medals with 91 gold, 33 silver and 35 bronze and topped the medals tally.
❖ Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu presented Railway budget on February 26, 2015 that did not announce any passenger fare hike.
❖ Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Economic Survey 2014- 15 on February 27, 2015. He presented the Union Budget for 2015- 16 on February 28, 2015.
❖ The 87th Academy Awards ceremony was held on February 22, 2015. The Best Picture Award was given to "Birdman". Its director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won the Best Director Award. Eddie Redmayne was given the Best Actor Award for "The Theory of Everything" and the Best Actress Award was given to Julianne Moore for "Still Alice".
❖ Nobel laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was named as the President of Britain's prestigious Royal Society. He will take up the post on December 1, 2015. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009.
❖ IFS officer Vikas Swarup was appointed as the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on March 25, 2015. He is the author of the novel "Q & A" on which the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire was based.
❖ Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani was appointed as the Chairman of the Empowered Committee
of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST) on March 24, 2015.
❖ Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir on March 1, 2015. Nirmal Singh of BJP is the Deputy Chief Minister.
❖ Aditi Arya of Chandigarh was crowned Miss India 2015. She will represent
India at the Miss World pageant.
❖ The 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) took place in Sendai, Japan from March 14 to 18, 2015.
❖ According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on March 16, 2015, India is the world’s largest importer of weapons and military equipment.
❖ Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar undertook SAARC Yatra and visited four SAARC nations Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan from March 1 to 4, 2015.
❖ India banned dreaded terror group The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
❖ The Supreme Court struck down the centre's controversial decision to grant reservation to the Jat community in jobs and educational institutions.
❖ The government has launched a new National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities on March 21, 2015. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will be the implementing agency for this Plan.
❖ Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a scheme for girl child "Aap ki Beti Humari Beti" with an aim to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in the state on March 8, 2015. March 8 is International Women’s Day.
❖ Maharashtra government launched "Bhagyashree" scheme for girls on March 8, 2015. Bollywood actress
Bhagyashree is the brand ambassador.
❖ The indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was launched from
Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft on March 18, 2015.
❖ The 8th edition of India-Nepal combined exercise Surya Kiran VIII was held at Salijhandi in Nepal.
❖ India launched its fourth navigation satellite on March 28, 2015. The PSLV-C27 ejected the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1D.
❖ Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a five-day tour of three Indian Ocean countries Seychelles,
Mauritius and Sri Lanka from March 10 to 14, 2015.
❖ As per the IntelCenter's "Top 10 Most Dangerous Countries" list released in March 2015, Pakistan is the eight most dangerous country. The list is topped by Iraq.
❖ The President Pranab Mukherjee conferred country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on March 27, 2015. Educationist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya was honored with Bharat Ratna posthumously on March 30, 2015.
❖ Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has been selected for the Gandhi Peace Prize for the
year 2014.
❖ Veteran actor and film producer Shashi Kapoor has been named
for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2014. He is the 46th film
personality to receive India's highest award in cinema.
❖ Former Union Minister Veerappa Moily was selected for the Saraswati Samman for 2014 for his
Kannada book "Ramayana Mahanveshanam".
❖ John Nash and Louis Nirenberg of USA shared the 2015 Abel Prize for Mathematics. The prize was announced by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters.
❖ Rajendra Singh of India won the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize. He is popularly known as
"Waterman of India". He is an eminent water conservationist from Rajasthan.
❖ Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil has won the Tyler Prize 2015 for environmental achievement. He shared the prize with American marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco.
❖ National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has linked 15 crore Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
accounts with the Aadhaar numbers.
❖ Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth won women's and men's singles titles in the Indian Open Badminton
Championship in New Delhi on March 29, 2015.
❖ K. Srikanth of India won the Swiss Grand Prix Gold Badminton Championship title in Basel on
March 15, 2015. He beat Viktor Axelson of Denmark in the final.
❖ Carolina Marin of Spain won the All England Badminton Championship women's singles title by defeating Saina Nehwal in the final on March 8, 2015. Saina is the first Indian woman to reach the final.
Men's singles title was won by Chen Long of China.
❖ Services beat Punjab to win the Santosh Trophy football championship in Ludhiana on March 15, 2015.
❖ Karnataka clinched their eighth Ranji Trophy cricket title by defeating Tamil Nadu in the final in
Mumbai on March 12, 2015. Karnataka retained the Irani Cup also by beating Rest of India on March 20, 2015.
❖ Former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka was conferred the highest military rank of Field
Marshal by the Government of Sri Lanka.
❖ Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister, passed away on March 23, 2015.
❖ India launched a massive air and sea operation-"Operation Raahat"- to evacuate over 4,000 Indian
nationals from Yemen in April 2015.
❖ Tennis star Novak Djokovic and athlete Genzebe Dibaba were named Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year on April 15, 2015. The German football team was named "World Team of the Year".
❖ Sachin Tendulkar was inducted as a Laureus World Sports Academy member.
❖ Former Chief Minister of Odisha J.B. Patnaik died on April 21, 2015. He was also the former Governor
of Assam.
❖ Former Nepal Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa passed away on April 15, 2015.
❖ German Nobel laureate Gunter Grass died on April 13, 2015. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999. His most famous book is "The Tin Drum".
❖ Former Australia Cricket captain and renowned commentator Richie Benaud died on April 10, 2015.
❖ Ace Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu who went missing in the Andes Mountains on March 24 was
found dead on April 4, 2015.
❖ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA Bank) on April 8, 2015. It is set up with a corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore.
❖ RBI approved the merger deal between Kotak Mahindra Bank and ING Vysya Bank.
❖ Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy was won by Gujarat on April 7, 2015. It beat Punjab in the final.
❖ New Zealand lifted the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament after defeating Australia in the final in Malaysia.
❖ Chris Gayle of West Indies became the first batsman to make double century in ICC World Cup history on February 24, 2015. He scored 215 runs against Zimbabwe. New Zealand's Martin Guptill hit the highest score of 237 in ICC World Cup. He achieved this feat against the West Indies on March 21, 2015.
❖ Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka became the first batsman to score four consecutive One Day International centuries. He created this record in the 11th ICC World Cup.
❖ Viswanathan Anand was granted the honor of having a minor planet named after him on April 1, 2015.
It is called 4538 Vishyanand.
❖ Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the Man Booker International Prize for 2015. This prize is given every two years. Indian author Amitav Ghosh is one of the ten short listed authors.
❖ David Cameron became the Prime Minister of United Kingdom for the second term on May 8, 2015. David Cameron-led Conservative Party won 331 seats out of total 650 seats in House of Commons.
❖ J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time on May 23, 2015.
❖ Actor Mukesh Khanna was appointed as the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI).
He is known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan on Television.
❖ Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev won his fifth successive term in the Presidential election. Karim Masimov is the Prime Minister.
❖ Indian-American Vivek Murthy was sworn in as the US Surgeon General. He is the youngest ever in-charge of America's public health.
❖ Neel Mukherjee's "The Lives of Others" won the UK's Encore Award for the best second novel on May 12, 2015.
❖ UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2015 was awarded to Mazen Darwish, a Syrian journalist.
❖ Two Indians Ananda Kumar and Pramod Patil were awarded the Whitley Awards, dubbed "Green Oscar", for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
❖ Siddhartha Gigoo won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asian region for "Umbrella Man".
❖ Aruna Shanbaug, a former hospital nurse, brutally raped in 1973, died on May 18, 2015. She was at the centre of euthanasia or mercy killing issue.
❖ The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia Ebolafree on May 9, 2015.
❖ Francois Hollande visited Havana on May 10, 2015, the first French President to visit Cuba in more than a century.
❖ Seychelles became the 161st member of World Trade Organization (WTO) on April 26, 2015.
❖ India ranked at a low 100th position on global Human Capital Index 2015. Finland topped the 124 nation list.
❖ Switzerland topped the World Happiness Index 2015 and India ranked 117 out of 158 countries.
❖ India signed an agreement with Iran for the development of Chabahar Port on May 6, 2015. It will give India sea-land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
❖ Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani visited India from April 27 to April 29, 2015.
❖ India assumed Presidency of the 68th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the top decision making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).
❖ The Union Cabinet cleared the "Namami Gange" integrated conservation mission to clean river Ganga on May 13, 2015. Budget allocated is Rs. 20,000 crore for the next 5 years.
❖ The Lok Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax Constitutional (122nd Amendment) Bill on May 6, 2015. GST is proposed to be implemented from April 1, 2016. It will subsume excise, service tax, state
VAT, entry tax, octroi, etc.
❖ Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched "Kayakalp" –an initiative for awards to public health facilities.
❖ Nadia in West Bengal became the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in India. Nadia has more than 3.47 lakh toilets.
❖ Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) won the Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015 for Technology Implementation in the category of Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank). The award was received by Usha Ananthasubramanian, CMD of BMB in Hong Kong.
❖ Bilateral naval exercise SIMBEX- 15 between India and Singapore was held from May 23 to 26, 2015 in Singapore.
❖ The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was presented with the 2015 Freedom of Expression Courage Award of the PEN American Centre at the American Museum of Natural History.
❖ Four Indians have been named in Forbes magazine's 12th annual list of World's 100 Most Powerful
Women. They are- Arundhati Bhattacharya (SBI Chairperson), Chanda Kochchar (MD and CEO of ICICI
Bank), Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (MD of Biocon) and Shobhana Bhartia (Chairperson of Hindustan Times
Group). The list is topped by Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.
❖ China defeated Japan in the final of the Sudirman Cup badminton tournament in Dongguan, China on May 17, 2015.
❖ Mohun Bagan won the I-League football title on May 31, 2015. Bengaluru FC ended as runners-up.
❖ The trial of Pinaka Mark-II missile cum multi barrel rocket launcher system was successfully conducted at Pokhran on May 30, 2015.
❖ The Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited three Asian nations i.e. China, Mongolia and South Korea
from May 14 to 19, 2015.
❖ Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the New Bank Note Paper Line unit of 6,000 metric tonne capacity at Security Paper Mill in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh.
❖ India topped in World Hunger List with around 194 million people according to a UN report.
❖ Maharashtra Government has launched Swachhata Saptapadi Scheme on the lines of Union Government's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
❖ Former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo succeeded Amartya Sen as the Chancellor of Nalanda University in Bihar.
❖ S. Christopher is the new Director General of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). G. Sateesh Reddy is the new Scientific Advisor to the Defense Minister.
❖ Veteran actor Michael Douglas received the Genesis Prize on June 18, 2015. This prize is nicknamed "Jewish Nobel Prize".
❖ Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar of Aam Aadmi Party was arrested for possessing fake academic documents on June 9, 2015. Later he resigned.
❖ Sepp Blatter resigned as the President of FIFA on June 2, 2015, four days after being elected to a fifth term.
❖ Sister Nirmal Joshi, who succeeded Mother Teresa as the head of the Missionaries of Charity, died on June 23, 2015.
❖ K.V. Chowdary, former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), was appointed the
new Central Vigilance Commissioner on June 8, 2015. He is the first
non IAS to head the Central Vigilance Commission. Indian Bank CMD T.M. Bhasin was appointed the Vigilance Commissioner.
❖ Repo Rate: 7.25% Reverse Repo Rate: 6.25% Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): 4% Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): 21.5%
❖ Britain celebrated the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta accord on June15, 2015.
❖ China unveiled the world's first facial recognition ATM on June 1, 2015.
❖ The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015. 192 countries celebrated.
❖ The 41st G7 Summit was held in June 2015 in Krun city in Germany.
❖ Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beat Novak Djokovic of Serbia to win his first French Open singles title. Serena Williams of USA defeated Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic to win the women's singles title of French open.
❖ Australia won the ICC World Cup for the fifth time beating New Zealand by seven wickets in the final in Melbourne on March 29, 2015. James Faulkner of Australia was declared the Man of the Final and Mitchell Starc of Australia the Player of the Tournament.
❖ IPL 8 Mumbai Indians clinched their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title defeating ChennaiSuper Kings by 41 runs in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 24, 2015.
❖ A.B. de Villiers of South Africa scored the fastest century in One Day International cricket history on January 18, 2015. He scored a hundred in just 31 deliveries against the West Indies. He broke
the previous record of 100 off 36 balls set by Corey Anderson of New Zealand in 2014.
❖ Alexis Tsipras was sworn in on January 26, 2015 as the Prime Minister of Greece.
❖ S. Jaishankar was appointed as India's new Foreign Secretary on January 28, 2015. He replaced Sujatha Singh.
❖ NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India Aayog) replaced Planning Commission
on January 1, 2015. Its Chairperson is the Prime Minister. Arvind Panagariya is the first Vice Chairman. Sindhushree Khullar is the Chief Executive officer. Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat are the two full time members.
❖ A.S. Kiran Kumar was appointed the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on January 12, 2015. He succeeded K. Radhakrishnan.
❖ Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was appointed the first Hindu Chief Justice of Bangladesh on January 12, 2015.
❖ Maithripala Sirisena was sworn in as the President of Sri Lanka on January 9, 2015. He succeeded Mahinda Rajapaksa. Ranil Wikramasinghe is the new Prime Minister.
❖ Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe took over the post of African Union Chairman on January 30, 2015.
❖ Dineshwar Sharma is the new Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief and Krishna Chaudhary is the new
Director General of the Indo- Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
❖ The first canister-based Agni V trial was successful. It was launched from Wheeler Island off Odisha coast on January 31, 2015. It has a strike range of 5,000 km.
❖ The first indigenously-built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was handed over by Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Indian Air Force on January 17, 2015.
❖ Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) entered the Guinness World Records for opening the highest number of bank accounts in the least time. 11.5 crore new bank accounts have been opened under PMJDY as on January 17, 2015. It was launched by the Prime Minister on August 28, 2014.
❖ ICICI Bank launched India's first contactless debit and credit cards on January 7, 2015 that use the near field communication (NFC) technology.
❖ The government announced the names of 104 recipients of Padma Awards on January 25, 2015. This year's list comprises 9 Padma Vibhushan, 20 Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shree awardees. L.K. Advani, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Prakash Singh Badal are among the Padma Vibhushan winners.
❖ The President conferred Ashok Chakra on the occasion of the 66th Republic Day to Major Mukund
Varadarajan (posthumous) and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh (posthumous). Ashok Chakra is the highest gallantry award given during peacetime.
❖ Eminent Hindi scholar Kamal Kishore Goenka has been selected for Vyas Samman for 2014 for his research work "Premchand Kee Kahaniyo aa Kaalkramanusar Adhyapan".
❖ Paulina Vega of Colombia was crowned 63rd Miss Universe on January 25, 2015 in Miami, USA.
❖ Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri won the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 for her book "The Lowland". This prize was announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival on January 23, 2015.
❖ Arundhathi Subramaniam won the inaugural Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for Poetry for her work "When God is a Traveller" on January 24, 2015.
❖ Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala won the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) biennial award on January 22, 2015.
❖ M.Y.S. Prasad, Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, was selected for the
Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2015.
❖ RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan won the Governor of the Year Award in the Central Banking Awards for 2015.
❖ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" programme in Panipat, Haryana on January 22, 2015 in a bid to encourage birth and education of girls. Actress Madhuri Dixit is the brand ambassador. On the same day Sukanya Samriddhi Account was launched for the girls aged below 10.
❖ Saina Nehwal clinched the women's singles crown of the Syed Modi International Masters Badminton Tournament on January 25, 2015. She defeated Carolina Marin of Spain in the final in Lucknow. In the men's singles final Parupalli Kashyap of India beat compatriot K.Srikanth.
❖ Portugal footballer Cristiano Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014 Award. It is his second year running and third overall award.
❖ Legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman died on January 26, 2015. He created "Common Man" cartoon.
❖ Wing Commander Pooja Thakur became the first lady
officer on January 25, 2015 to lead the Inter- Service Guard of Honor for the visiting US President Barack Obama at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Barack Obama is the first US President to be the Chief Guest for India's Republic Day.
❖ The French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo's Paris office was attacked by gunmen on January 7, 2015. In the attack 12 persons were killed.
❖ The 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was celebrated between January 7-9, 2015 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It marked the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa. The Chief Guest was Guyana President Donald Ramotar. The theme of the 13th PBD was Bharat ko jano, Bharat ko mano. The Vice President Hamid Ansari presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards to 15 persons on January 9. The awardees include plant scientist Sanjay Rajaram and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
❖ The 102nd Indian Science Congress (ISC) was held from January 3 - 7, 2015 in Mumbai. The theme was Science and Technology for Human Development.
❖ The 60th Filmfare Awards were presented on February 1, 2015. "Queen" bagged highest number of awards i.e. 6. "Shahid Kapoor" is the best actor for the film "Haider" and "Kangana Ranaut" best actress for "Queen".
❖ Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic was sworn in as the first female President of Croatia on February 15, 2015.
❖ Sergio Mattarella took over as the President of Italy on February 3, 2015.
❖ Ashton Carter replaced Chuck Hagel as the Defense Secretary of the United States.
❖ Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party became the Chief Minister of Delhi on February 14, 2015.
Manish Sisodia is the Deputy Chief Minister.
❖ Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United) took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar on February 22,
2015. He succeeded Jitan Ram Manjhi.
❖ L.C. Goyal replaced Anil Goswami as the Union Home Secretary.
❖ Dr.Y. Nayudamma Memorial Award 2014 was conferred on two women scientists- Tessy Thomas (DRDO) and Geeta Varadan (ISRO).
❖ Eminent Marathi writer Bhalachandra Nemade was chosen for the Jnanpith Award 2014. He is the 50th recipient of Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor.
❖ Nobel Economics laureate Amartya Sen has been awarded the inaugural Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes Prize 2015.
❖ Ricky Kej of India won the Grammy award for his album "Winds of Samsara" in the Best New Age Album category.
❖ ICICI Bank launched first digital bank in India "Pockets" on a mobile phone.
❖ Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Serena Williams of USA won the men's and women's singles titles respectively, in the 2015 Australian Open tennis championship. Indo-Swiss pair Leander Paes and Martina Hingis won the Mixed Doubles title.
❖ Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to score a century in a World Cup game against Pakistan on February 15, 2015.
❖ Kerala hosted the 35th National Games from January 31 to February 14, 2015. Sachin Tendulkar was the brand ambassador. Ammu, the Great Hornbill, was the mascot. Services Sports Control Board (SSCB)
won 159 medals with 91 gold, 33 silver and 35 bronze and topped the medals tally.
❖ Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu presented Railway budget on February 26, 2015 that did not announce any passenger fare hike.
❖ Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Economic Survey 2014- 15 on February 27, 2015. He presented the Union Budget for 2015- 16 on February 28, 2015.
❖ The 87th Academy Awards ceremony was held on February 22, 2015. The Best Picture Award was given to "Birdman". Its director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won the Best Director Award. Eddie Redmayne was given the Best Actor Award for "The Theory of Everything" and the Best Actress Award was given to Julianne Moore for "Still Alice".
❖ Nobel laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was named as the President of Britain's prestigious Royal Society. He will take up the post on December 1, 2015. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009.
❖ IFS officer Vikas Swarup was appointed as the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on March 25, 2015. He is the author of the novel "Q & A" on which the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire was based.
❖ Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani was appointed as the Chairman of the Empowered Committee
of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST) on March 24, 2015.
❖ Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir on March 1, 2015. Nirmal Singh of BJP is the Deputy Chief Minister.
❖ Aditi Arya of Chandigarh was crowned Miss India 2015. She will represent
India at the Miss World pageant.
❖ The 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) took place in Sendai, Japan from March 14 to 18, 2015.
❖ According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on March 16, 2015, India is the world’s largest importer of weapons and military equipment.
❖ Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar undertook SAARC Yatra and visited four SAARC nations Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan from March 1 to 4, 2015.
❖ India banned dreaded terror group The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
❖ The Supreme Court struck down the centre's controversial decision to grant reservation to the Jat community in jobs and educational institutions.
❖ The government has launched a new National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities on March 21, 2015. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will be the implementing agency for this Plan.
❖ Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a scheme for girl child "Aap ki Beti Humari Beti" with an aim to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in the state on March 8, 2015. March 8 is International Women’s Day.
❖ Maharashtra government launched "Bhagyashree" scheme for girls on March 8, 2015. Bollywood actress
Bhagyashree is the brand ambassador.
❖ The indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was launched from
Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft on March 18, 2015.
❖ The 8th edition of India-Nepal combined exercise Surya Kiran VIII was held at Salijhandi in Nepal.
❖ India launched its fourth navigation satellite on March 28, 2015. The PSLV-C27 ejected the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1D.
❖ Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a five-day tour of three Indian Ocean countries Seychelles,
Mauritius and Sri Lanka from March 10 to 14, 2015.
❖ As per the IntelCenter's "Top 10 Most Dangerous Countries" list released in March 2015, Pakistan is the eight most dangerous country. The list is topped by Iraq.
❖ The President Pranab Mukherjee conferred country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on March 27, 2015. Educationist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya was honored with Bharat Ratna posthumously on March 30, 2015.
❖ Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has been selected for the Gandhi Peace Prize for the
year 2014.
❖ Veteran actor and film producer Shashi Kapoor has been named
for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2014. He is the 46th film
personality to receive India's highest award in cinema.
❖ Former Union Minister Veerappa Moily was selected for the Saraswati Samman for 2014 for his
Kannada book "Ramayana Mahanveshanam".
❖ John Nash and Louis Nirenberg of USA shared the 2015 Abel Prize for Mathematics. The prize was announced by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters.
❖ Rajendra Singh of India won the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize. He is popularly known as
"Waterman of India". He is an eminent water conservationist from Rajasthan.
❖ Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil has won the Tyler Prize 2015 for environmental achievement. He shared the prize with American marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco.
❖ National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has linked 15 crore Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
accounts with the Aadhaar numbers.
❖ Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth won women's and men's singles titles in the Indian Open Badminton
Championship in New Delhi on March 29, 2015.
❖ K. Srikanth of India won the Swiss Grand Prix Gold Badminton Championship title in Basel on
March 15, 2015. He beat Viktor Axelson of Denmark in the final.
❖ Carolina Marin of Spain won the All England Badminton Championship women's singles title by defeating Saina Nehwal in the final on March 8, 2015. Saina is the first Indian woman to reach the final.
Men's singles title was won by Chen Long of China.
❖ Services beat Punjab to win the Santosh Trophy football championship in Ludhiana on March 15, 2015.
❖ Karnataka clinched their eighth Ranji Trophy cricket title by defeating Tamil Nadu in the final in
Mumbai on March 12, 2015. Karnataka retained the Irani Cup also by beating Rest of India on March 20, 2015.
❖ Former Sri Lankan Army Chief Sarath Fonseka was conferred the highest military rank of Field
Marshal by the Government of Sri Lanka.
❖ Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister, passed away on March 23, 2015.
❖ India launched a massive air and sea operation-"Operation Raahat"- to evacuate over 4,000 Indian
nationals from Yemen in April 2015.
❖ Tennis star Novak Djokovic and athlete Genzebe Dibaba were named Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year on April 15, 2015. The German football team was named "World Team of the Year".
❖ Sachin Tendulkar was inducted as a Laureus World Sports Academy member.
❖ Former Chief Minister of Odisha J.B. Patnaik died on April 21, 2015. He was also the former Governor
of Assam.
❖ Former Nepal Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa passed away on April 15, 2015.
❖ German Nobel laureate Gunter Grass died on April 13, 2015. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999. His most famous book is "The Tin Drum".
❖ Former Australia Cricket captain and renowned commentator Richie Benaud died on April 10, 2015.
❖ Ace Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu who went missing in the Andes Mountains on March 24 was
found dead on April 4, 2015.
❖ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA Bank) on April 8, 2015. It is set up with a corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore.
❖ RBI approved the merger deal between Kotak Mahindra Bank and ING Vysya Bank.
❖ Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy was won by Gujarat on April 7, 2015. It beat Punjab in the final.
❖ New Zealand lifted the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey tournament after defeating Australia in the final in Malaysia.
❖ Chris Gayle of West Indies became the first batsman to make double century in ICC World Cup history on February 24, 2015. He scored 215 runs against Zimbabwe. New Zealand's Martin Guptill hit the highest score of 237 in ICC World Cup. He achieved this feat against the West Indies on March 21, 2015.
❖ Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka became the first batsman to score four consecutive One Day International centuries. He created this record in the 11th ICC World Cup.
❖ Viswanathan Anand was granted the honor of having a minor planet named after him on April 1, 2015.
It is called 4538 Vishyanand.
❖ Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the Man Booker International Prize for 2015. This prize is given every two years. Indian author Amitav Ghosh is one of the ten short listed authors.
❖ David Cameron became the Prime Minister of United Kingdom for the second term on May 8, 2015. David Cameron-led Conservative Party won 331 seats out of total 650 seats in House of Commons.
❖ J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time on May 23, 2015.
❖ Actor Mukesh Khanna was appointed as the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI).
He is known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan on Television.
❖ Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev won his fifth successive term in the Presidential election. Karim Masimov is the Prime Minister.
❖ Indian-American Vivek Murthy was sworn in as the US Surgeon General. He is the youngest ever in-charge of America's public health.
❖ Neel Mukherjee's "The Lives of Others" won the UK's Encore Award for the best second novel on May 12, 2015.
❖ UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2015 was awarded to Mazen Darwish, a Syrian journalist.
❖ Two Indians Ananda Kumar and Pramod Patil were awarded the Whitley Awards, dubbed "Green Oscar", for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
❖ Siddhartha Gigoo won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asian region for "Umbrella Man".
❖ Aruna Shanbaug, a former hospital nurse, brutally raped in 1973, died on May 18, 2015. She was at the centre of euthanasia or mercy killing issue.
❖ The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia Ebolafree on May 9, 2015.
❖ Francois Hollande visited Havana on May 10, 2015, the first French President to visit Cuba in more than a century.
❖ Seychelles became the 161st member of World Trade Organization (WTO) on April 26, 2015.
❖ India ranked at a low 100th position on global Human Capital Index 2015. Finland topped the 124 nation list.
❖ Switzerland topped the World Happiness Index 2015 and India ranked 117 out of 158 countries.
❖ India signed an agreement with Iran for the development of Chabahar Port on May 6, 2015. It will give India sea-land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
❖ Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani visited India from April 27 to April 29, 2015.
❖ India assumed Presidency of the 68th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the top decision making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).
❖ The Union Cabinet cleared the "Namami Gange" integrated conservation mission to clean river Ganga on May 13, 2015. Budget allocated is Rs. 20,000 crore for the next 5 years.
❖ The Lok Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax Constitutional (122nd Amendment) Bill on May 6, 2015. GST is proposed to be implemented from April 1, 2016. It will subsume excise, service tax, state
VAT, entry tax, octroi, etc.
❖ Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched "Kayakalp" –an initiative for awards to public health facilities.
❖ Nadia in West Bengal became the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in India. Nadia has more than 3.47 lakh toilets.
❖ Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) won the Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015 for Technology Implementation in the category of Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank). The award was received by Usha Ananthasubramanian, CMD of BMB in Hong Kong.
❖ Bilateral naval exercise SIMBEX- 15 between India and Singapore was held from May 23 to 26, 2015 in Singapore.
❖ The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was presented with the 2015 Freedom of Expression Courage Award of the PEN American Centre at the American Museum of Natural History.
❖ Four Indians have been named in Forbes magazine's 12th annual list of World's 100 Most Powerful
Women. They are- Arundhati Bhattacharya (SBI Chairperson), Chanda Kochchar (MD and CEO of ICICI
Bank), Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (MD of Biocon) and Shobhana Bhartia (Chairperson of Hindustan Times
Group). The list is topped by Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.
❖ China defeated Japan in the final of the Sudirman Cup badminton tournament in Dongguan, China on May 17, 2015.
❖ Mohun Bagan won the I-League football title on May 31, 2015. Bengaluru FC ended as runners-up.
❖ The trial of Pinaka Mark-II missile cum multi barrel rocket launcher system was successfully conducted at Pokhran on May 30, 2015.
❖ The Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited three Asian nations i.e. China, Mongolia and South Korea
from May 14 to 19, 2015.
❖ Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the New Bank Note Paper Line unit of 6,000 metric tonne capacity at Security Paper Mill in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh.
❖ India topped in World Hunger List with around 194 million people according to a UN report.
❖ Maharashtra Government has launched Swachhata Saptapadi Scheme on the lines of Union Government's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
❖ Former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo succeeded Amartya Sen as the Chancellor of Nalanda University in Bihar.
❖ S. Christopher is the new Director General of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). G. Sateesh Reddy is the new Scientific Advisor to the Defense Minister.
❖ Veteran actor Michael Douglas received the Genesis Prize on June 18, 2015. This prize is nicknamed "Jewish Nobel Prize".
❖ Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar of Aam Aadmi Party was arrested for possessing fake academic documents on June 9, 2015. Later he resigned.
❖ Sepp Blatter resigned as the President of FIFA on June 2, 2015, four days after being elected to a fifth term.
❖ Sister Nirmal Joshi, who succeeded Mother Teresa as the head of the Missionaries of Charity, died on June 23, 2015.
❖ K.V. Chowdary, former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), was appointed the
new Central Vigilance Commissioner on June 8, 2015. He is the first
non IAS to head the Central Vigilance Commission. Indian Bank CMD T.M. Bhasin was appointed the Vigilance Commissioner.
❖ Repo Rate: 7.25% Reverse Repo Rate: 6.25% Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): 4% Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): 21.5%
❖ Britain celebrated the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta accord on June15, 2015.
❖ China unveiled the world's first facial recognition ATM on June 1, 2015.
❖ The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2015. 192 countries celebrated.
❖ The 41st G7 Summit was held in June 2015 in Krun city in Germany.
❖ Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beat Novak Djokovic of Serbia to win his first French Open singles title. Serena Williams of USA defeated Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic to win the women's singles title of French open.
❖ Australia won the ICC World Cup for the fifth time beating New Zealand by seven wickets in the final in Melbourne on March 29, 2015. James Faulkner of Australia was declared the Man of the Final and Mitchell Starc of Australia the Player of the Tournament.
❖ IPL 8 Mumbai Indians clinched their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title defeating ChennaiSuper Kings by 41 runs in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 24, 2015.
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