PG GK COLLECTION

Compilation of all the posts of PaGalGuy GK thread 2011-2012 Contents contributed by: Members of PaGalGuy Compiled by: Nitin Kumar( PG ID=rahicecream)

#G-8 Summit: The 37th G-8 summit was held on May 26-27, 2011 in the commune of Deauville in France. The G-8 is comprised of the eight main industrialised countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Middle East and North Africa, nuclear safety and economic recovery topped the agenda of G-8 leaders.G-8 countries and multilateral development banks pledged $20bn in backing for democratic reform, with the EU offering new. The G8 also endorsed the EUs call for worldwide stress tests on nuclear Page 1

PG GK COLLECTION power plants as part of a review of international safety standards. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ #INDIA GOLD TREASURE TO HIT $25 BILLION AS COUNTING CONTINUES Sree Padmanabha swami temple, which already revealed a mammoth treasure amounting to nearly $22 billion, is expected to produce more surprises as two more secret chambers are to be opened later this week. Analysts said two more chambers B and E remain to be opened and are expected to disgorge many more royal treasures and the final value could hit $25 billion. The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee authorized to calculate the value and each chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ #Pyeongchang wins bid to host 2018 Winter Games Pyeongchang of South Korea won the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympics on Wednesday, comprehensively winning a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over rivals Munich of Germany and France's Annecy. IOC President Jacques Rogge announced Pyeongchang's victory at the IOC's session in Durban. It will be the first time a Korean city has staged the Winter Games and only the third time it will have been held in Asia. Pyeongchang narrowly missed victory in each of the last two Winter Olympic votes, losing out to Vancouver of Canada for the 2010 Games and to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi for 2014. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ #M&A News For the Month Of June..... Schneider Electric to acquire Luminous Lupin inks licencing deal with Sydney-based NeuClone ICVL eyes 59% stake in Mozambique coal firm Toshiba, Sony plan to merge small LCD panel units: sources Infosys buys NZ Gen-is software solutions biz Keventer, Future Group to develop food park in Bihar jointly Irda notifies M&A norms for general insurers Glodyne to buy Comat Tech to expand e-governance biz RIL to buy Bharti stake in insurers Next leg of M&A activity to be from family-run businesses Tata Steel sells Riversdale stake to Rio Tinto Bhushan Power to launch open offer for Nova Iron on 13 Aug RIL may have to acquire RCom for telecom success: report Fosters rejects $10 bn SABMiller bid Auto sector saw M&A deals worth $29.4 bn in 2010: PwC Page 2

PG GK COLLECTION Dentsply in talks to buy AstraZeneca unit: source Dentsply buys Astra Tech for $1.8 billion Emami says in talks with Reckitt to buy Paras personal care biz LIC acquires 10% stake in Andhra Bank Deutsche Boerse, NYSE seek EU approval for merger Dell sees acquisitions as critical focus CA Technologies to acquire ITKO for $330 mn in cash _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ #The Newest country- South Sudan South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan,is a country in East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Juba, located in the southern state of Central Equatoria. The landlocked country is bordered by Ethiopia to the east; Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south; the Central African Republic to the west; and Sudan to the north. South Sudan includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd formed by the White Nile, locally called the Bahr al Jabal _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ # 1) The Nobel Prize 2010 in Literature was awarded to ___. a. Liu Xiaobo b. Mario Vargas Liosa c. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov d. Akira Suzuki

2)Ezhuthachan Award 2010 (Ezhuthachan Puraskaram) was awarded to ___. a. Sugathakumari b. M Leelavathi c. O N V Kurup d. Sukumar Azhikode 3)Name the present Chief Election Commissioner of India? a. Navin Chawla b. S Y Quraishi c. N Gopalaswami d. B B Tandon

4) The largest irrigation project in Kerala is ___. a. Kallada b. Malampuzha c. Pallivasal d. Neyyar Page 3

PG GK COLLECTION 5) The Directorate of Bhutan Lotteries is situated at ___. a. Thimphu b. Jakar c. Punakha d. Phuentsholing Answers: 1. Mario Vargas Liosa 2. M Leelavathi 3. S Y Quraishi 4. Kallada 5. Phuentsholing _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ #The International Seabed Authority (ISA) elected Peter Thomson, its President on 14 July 2011. Peter Thomson is Fijis permanent representative to the United Nations. Thomson was elected as ISA president by its assembly during its annual session in Kingston, Jamaica. The assembly is the supreme body of the organisation, consisting of delegations from 161 member countries. Fiji has played a prominent role at the ISA since its inception. ISA was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea held in the year 1982. Fiji became the first nation to sign the convention on 10 December 1982. ISA is an autonomous international organisation. Any nation which becomes a party to the convention is given the responsibility of organizing, controlling and administering the resources of the international seabed beyond the limits of national exclusive economic zone. 2) NR Narayana Murthy was elected the chairperson of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) on 11 July 2011. He will replace former McKinsey chief Rajat Gupta. Gupta resigned from the PFHI in March 2011 after which YV Reddy took over as the interim chair. Gupta was accused of insider trading in the USA. Murthy will head a governing council including Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Shiv Nadar, Amartya Sen, YV Reddy, Miraj Chatterjee, AK Shiva Kumar and TK Nair. The objective of PHFI is to strengthen training, research and policy development in the area of public health. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ #28/07/2011 General 2 Indians win Magsaysay Award Page 4

PG GK COLLECTION MANILA: Nileema Mishra, a lender to the poor in Maharashtra, and US-trained Indian engineer Harish Hande, who revolutionized the use of solar lights, are among six people who have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011. Rohinton Nariman to be next Solicitor General The government on Saturday decided to appoint senior advocate Rohinton F Nariman as Solicitor General for India, exactly two weeks after Gopal Subramaniam quit the post protesting the former's appearance in 2G scam case before the Supreme Court for telecom minister Kapil Sibal. FIFA Announced World cup 2014 will start from 12th June in Brazil 166 Teams will be there, divided in 6 groups. Government declared Ammonium Nitrate as explosive Virdhawal Khade makes Olympics cut BANGALORE: Top Indian swimmer Virdhawal Khade qualified for the 100m freestyle event in the 2012 London Olympics at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai on Wednesday. The Asian Games bronze medalist clocked 50.34 seconds to make the invitation cut for the quadrennial Games. However, the Kolhapur-born, Bangalore-based youngster could not make the semifinal as he finished tied 41st overall out of 105 competitors. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ #(A) The Government has appointed Rohinton Fali Nariman, Senior Advocate as Solicitor General of India. The appointment is for three years w.e.f. 27th July, 2011. Born on 13th August, 1956, Rohinton Fali Nariman, studied at Shri Ram College of Commerce and at Faculty of Law in Delhi University as well as at the Harvard Law School. An expert in Comparative Constitutional Law and Civil Law, has practiced law for last 30 years with 500 Reported Supreme Court Judgements to his credit. (B) Jayanta Talukdar sealed his 2012 Olympics berth for the Archery Event (C) Manoj Tiwari is all set to construct a temple for Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (D) Vasuki Sunkavalli, popularly known as Vasuki in the Indian modelling industry, has been chosen to represent India at the Miss Universe contest this year (E) Arun Seth appointed as Chairman of Alcatel-Lucent for its India operations _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5

PG GK COLLECTION ___________________________________________________________________________ #Ashadhi Akadashi being celebrated Ashadhi Akadashi is being celebrated on July 11, 2011 in Maharashtra Pandhapur the most popular place for the devotees from all over India, is a centre for Warkaries (the regular devotees) coming to this place for worshiping Vitthal Rukhamini Over 8 lakh pilgrims came to have a glimpse of their god and goddess World Population Day: July 11, 2011 July 11, 2011: World population day The theme this year: Calling Attention to Urgent Global Issues Observed on July 11, every year the day attempts to lift alertness on global population issues Recognized by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in 1989 Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987: Approximately the date on which the worlds population reached five billion people. World Population Day inspired by this DATE only. SPORTS Fernando Alonso wins British Grand Prix Fernando Alonso delivered Ferraris long-awaited first win of the 2011 season when he made the most of unpredictable and challenging wet-dry conditions to triumph at the British Grand Prix Some Facts:1. British Grand Prix: A race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship 2. Currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire, UK 3. The British and Italian Grands Prix are the oldest continuously staged Formula One World Championship Grands Prix Computerization of all Post Offices by 2012 The Central Government has decided to computerize all 1.5 Lakh Post offices by 2012 Around R`1800 Crore to be spent for the purpose 1000 ATM Machines would also be installed at the post offices in the country The Minister of State for communication: Sachin Pilot US suspends $800 million aid to Pakistan Reasons quoted for the same: Infuriation over Pakistans reluctance to go full throttle in the war against terror The suspended aid is about one-third of the $2 billion yearly US security assistance to Pakistan India welcomed United States move to cut military aid to Pakistan As External Affairs Minister Shri SM Krishna further supply of military aid would Page 6

PG GK COLLECTION have led to destabilising the region further _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ #29/07/2011 Cabinet approves draft of Lokpal Bill The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the draft of the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill that is to be tabled in Parliament during the upcoming monsoon session. The Prime Minister and the judiciary have been excluded from the ambit of the Lokpal Bill. According to this draft, the body will have a chairperson and eight members, including four judicial members. Information minister Ambika Soni said the chairperson would be a serving or retired Supreme Court judge. Sebi changes takeover code, trigger at 25% In a big-bang market reform, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday accepted the all-important Takeover Code (of listed companies) for implementation wherein the mandatory open offer size in a company has been raised to 26 per cent from the existing 20 per cent.

Peru's Humala sworn in as new president, pledges to be responsible LIMA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Former military commander Ollanta Humala was on Thursday sworn in as Peru's new president in a ceremony before the Peruvian Congress for the five year term from 2011 to 2016. Tunisias Ben Ali Convicted for Corrupt Property Deals A Tunisian court has sentenced former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, his daughter and son-in-law in absentia to serve prison terms and ordered them to pay $100 million in damages for illicit property deals. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ #Speak Asia COO Tarak Bajpai in police net New Delhi: Speak Asia COO Tarak Bajpai was detained by the Economic Offenses Wing of the Mumbai police for questioning on Friday. The online survey company hit controversy in a multi-crore scam. The move comes just two days after CID froze the online survey company's bank accounts. Bajpai, who is the most prominent face of the online survey company's India operations will be flown from Indore to Mumbai. Speak Asia is being investigated for a multi-level fraud. FIRs and PILs have been filed against it. The company has maintained that it collects money only for its online magazine and that the survey is just a benefit. Page 7

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ #l29/07/2011 * TKA has been appointed as the new advisor of Prime Minister. * Ruskin bond and upamanyu chattergee shortlisted for 2011 vodafone-crossword award * Prem Bhatia award for excellence in political reporting is jointly won by Mid-day crime editor Jyotirmoy Dey and Times of India Josy Joseph. * PNB agreed to pick up 30% share in MetLife India(will make it single largest shareholder in the private insurance company) * MetLife India MD - Rajesh Relan * Ford to set up pant in Sanand, Gujrat for Rs. 4000 crore. *Nasscom signed MoU with ICT academy. *President of Nasscom- Som mittal *South-East CEO conclave award 2011 in the category of Liquid storage company of the year- Indian oil _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ #R&R included in draft land acquisition Bill The draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation & Resettlement Bill seeks to set different values for urban and rural land. How industry can buy land * A company can acquire up to 100 acres for its projects * Irrigated multi-crop land cannot be acquired * Industry can acquire land only if 80% owners agree * Companies can seek government intervention at any stage * Land can be acquired for industry, urbanisation and infrastructure * Land to be returned if not used for five years after it is acquired * Same relief and rehabilitation (R&R) measures for land acquired for public-private partnership and private projects * R&R compensation amount set at twice the market rate in urban areas and six times the market rate in rural areas * Companies will pay an allowance of Rs 3,000 per family per month for 20 years * They will have to give 20% developed land to those from whom it is acquired * Share 20% profit on each transfer of land till 10 years * The government will not have to seek consent from people to buy land for its use _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ #30/07/2011 *SC orders suspension of mining in Bellary *ITC against mandatory CSR spend Cigarette-to-hotels major ITC, which believes in co-creation of societal value, is against the proposal to prescribe mandatory spends of net profits on corporate Page 8

PG GK COLLECTION social responsibility (CSR). * E-payment of customs duty mandatory To reduce the transaction costs of importers and expedite time taken for customs clearance, the Central Board of Excise & Customs has decided to make e-payment of duty mandatory for importers paying Rs 1 lakh or more per transaction. The date will be notified separately. For those under the Customs Accredited Client Programme, irrespective of any amount of duty, the customs duty will have to be through e-payment only. E-payment at Customs locations was introduced in 2007 and is available through more than one authorised bank at all major locations having Indian Customs EDI System facility. Though voluntary, the facility has been made use of by numerous importers. Besides expediting the process of payment of duty and clearance of imported goods, it has resulted in less transaction costs, CBEC said in a circular _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________ #30/7/2011 Admiral Verma is new COSC Chairman Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma on Friday took over as the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). He received the baton from outgoing Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik in a brief function at South Block. Om Prakash qualifies for World Championships, Olympics Shot putter Om Prakash Singh Karhana has qualified for the World championships and the London Olympic Games with a personal best performance of 20.04 metres at an international meeting at Szombathely, Hungary. Om Prakash achieved this feat on Thursday, bettering the mark of 20.00 metres, set as the qualification standard for both World championships to be held in Daegu, Korea, from August 27, and the London Olympics. Usain Bolt wins 100m at Monaco meet Usain Bolt overcame a tentative start to win his final 100 meters before the athletics world championships next month, clocking 9.88 seconds at the Monaco Diamond League meeting. Bolt improved his personal best time this season by 0.03 seconds but was still well short of his world mark of 9.58 seconds. Gaurav Gill rules Rally of Coimbatore Page 9

PG GK COLLECTION Team MRF's most-celebrated driver, Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif), kept his cool right through to take the top honours in the third round of the FMSCI Speed-INRC Rally of Coimbatore at the PSG Ganga Naidu Charities Trust grounds here on Sunday.

Hamilton wins action-packed German GP Lewis Hamilton captured a first McLaren victory of the Formula One season by winning the German Grand Prix ahead of Ferraris Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber on Sunday. Hero Honda renamed Hero MotoCorp Hero Honda Motors Ltd. (HHML) Friday formally renamed as Hero MotoCorp Ltd. In the run-up to the unveiling of its new global brand identity, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer has received the necessary statutory approval from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) for the changeover to the new name. Fall in food inflation to 7.33 % brings no cheer Food inflation eased to 7.33 per cent for the week ended July 16 from 7.58 per cent in the previous week mainly driven by a fall in the prices of pulses even as other edibles such as fruits, vegetables, milk and protein-rich items continued to rule dearer. Drug dispute: India, EU reach settlement Putting an end to uncertainty and suspense, India and the European Union (EU) have reached an interim settlement' not to seize consignments of generic medicines originating from India and passing through Europe on suspicion of intellectual property right (IPR) violations. After Tata it is Ford The U.S. car maker Ford has zeroed in on Gujarat to set up a second plant in India. Post-liberalisation, India has always held huge opportunity for many a multinational. The expanding economy has only increased the attraction to the Indian market. Post-Figo (small car) launch, Ford has become a visibly aggressive player in the Indian market. There was intense speculation that Ford would go in for a second plant sooner than later. Coming as it did, the announcement of second greenfield project of Ford in India should surprise none. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ #Ex-judge to head hill committee Retired high court judge Shyamal Sen was today appointed the chairperson of a 10-member joint verification committee that will examine the demand to bring the Gorkha pockets of the Dooars and the Terai under the Gorkhaland Territorial Page 10

PG GK COLLECTION Administration. The decision was announced by chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Writers Buildings this evening. Justice Shyamal Sen has been appointed the chairman of the Dooars-Terai committee, Mamata said while leaving office today. Big stake in GTL ICICI Bank has acquired a 29.30 per cent stake in telecom network services firm GTL after taking over 2.85 crore shares pledged by the promoters. New Takeover Code: ITC hints at stake hike in EIH A day after the market regulator increased the open offer trigger in the Takeover Code from 15 per cent to 25 per cent, ITC said it was open to investing more in EIH, which owns the Oberoi chain of hotels. The tobacco to fast moving consumer goods major holds 14.98 per cent in EIH. It will be decided by our treasury department, but if there is an opportunity and the price is good, we will invest, said ITC Chairman Y C Deveshwar. Apple dislodges Nokia as biggest smartphone maker Both Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co surpassed Nokia Oyj in smartphone shipments for the first time in the second quarter, as the Finnish company sold fewer units from its aging Symbian product lines. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ #31/07/201 India will participate in nuclear security summit in Korea: Pratibha President Pratibha Patil has expressed confidence that the India-South Korea Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, signed during her just-concluded state visit to Korea, would enable the two countries to cooperate in this area. Browne to take over as IAF Chief today Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, who has logged 3,100 hours of flying a slew of fighter aircraft, will take over as Chief of the Indian Air Force from Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik on Sunday. U.K. watches low-key royal wedding Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Phillips was marrying England rugby star Mike Tindall on Saturday but Britain's second royal wedding of the year was largely a low-key affair, with only a hint of the glamour and excitement of Prince William's show-stopping nuptials. Super 30 founder to address leadership symposium Super 30 founder and mathematician Anand Kumar has been selected from around the world to speak at the University Scholars Leadership Symposium, to be held in Thailand from August 1. Page 11

PG GK COLLECTION Jaipur hosts global conference on marketing dynamics The eighth Global Marketing Dynamics Conference got underway in Jaipur on Friday. This was the first time the event was held in India. Around 150 delegates from various corporate houses, along with professors and students from universities across the globe were present at the event. The conference also saw various corporate honchos presenting analyses on Marketing Transformation via Co-creation, Collaboration & New Media. Panelist' of Speak Asia's multi-level scheme held Police on Saturday arrested a 'panelist' of a controversial multi-level scheme of Singapore-based Speak Asia, which allegedly duped over 1.2 million investors across India of around Rs 1,300 crore. With this, the number of people arrested in the case rose to five. Speak Asia had promised lucrative returns through a multi-marketing pyramid model Spain in 'Danger Zone' on Europe Crisis: IMF Spain is still in the danger zone and must keep up momentum in restructuring its economy to stave off contagion from Europes sovereign-debt crisis, the International Monetary Fund said. PE majors in race for Future Capital Four top private equity players Blackstone, Carlyle, Apax Partners and Texas Pacific Group are in the race to acquire Pantaloon Retail and Future Group Founder-Chairman Kishore Biyanis stake in the groups financial services arm, Future Capital Holdings (FCH). Computer probe added to UK phone-hack inquiry London police probing phone hacking at Rupert Murdochs defunct News of the World tabloid are broadening their investigation to allegations of computer hacking, they said on Saturday. E-payment to be mandatory if Customs duty exceeds Rs 1 lakh E-payment of Customs duty for importers paying Rs 1 lakh or more has been made mandatory by the Central Board of Excise and Custom (CBEC). The date from which e-payment will be mandatory will be notified soon by the CBEC. In 2007, e-payment facility was introduced on a voluntary basis _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ #Q&A: US debt crisis Why is the debt ceiling so important? The US government has a legal limit on how much debt it can run up $14.3tn at present. It reached the cap in May, which means it cannot borrow any more money. Page 12

PG GK COLLECTION So how has America been keeping afloat since then? Treasury secretary Tim Geithner managed to stave off default by suspending payments into two federal pension funds, pledging to repay the money once Congress has approved a higher debt ceiling. Why can't Barack Obama just raise the debt limit? Under the US constitution, all government borrowing has to be approved by Congress, and this has led to a protracted stalemate between Republicans and Democrats. The borrowing limit was introduced in 1917 to make it easier for the government to fund its efforts in the first world war. Since then the ceiling has been lifted numerous times usually it is just a formality. It can also go the other way. During the 1950s economic boom, Congress voted to lower the limit twice. So what's different this time? Why can't the two sides agree? Since the financial crisis and recession government spending has soared while tax revenues have suffered, driving up the government's deficit. The Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, insist that the government must cut the deficit first before any agreement on raising the debt limit can be reached. Has there been any progress in the debt talks? Both sides accept that the deficit needs to be brought under control, but have different ideas about how to go about it. The main sticking points have been the Republicans' resistance to tax rises and calls for bigger spending cuts than have been backed by the Democrats. The Democrats also want to shield healthcare programmes for the elderly and poor from the cuts. After chaotic scenes in the House on Thursday night, Republicans called an emergency meeting for Friday morning to try to get their plan through the House. What happens if a deal can't be agreed by Tuesday? The US treasury estimates that funds will dry up by then, which would leave the government unable to pay its bills such as social security payments, Medicare, military salaries and debt interest payments. The Republicans claim that the government would get by for a few more days after 2 August, but there is no doubt that the two sides need to agree a deal soon. How have financial markets reacted? Investors have become more nervous, and the dollar was under pressure on Friday. Moody's has put America's credit rating on negative watch. What impact would a default have? Geithner has said it would be "catastrophic". It would trigger a major global panic. Standard & Poor's has said it would slash the US credit rating from AAA (the top) to D (the bottom). That means banks would technically be barred from Page 13

PG GK COLLECTION using US debt as collateral with central banks, although these rules could be changed. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ #An Insight into the 2G scam. How it started and who all benefited. Thought it might be useful ------What Is basically 2G scam ? 2G licenses issued to private telecom players at throwaway prices in 2008 CAG: Spectrum scam has cost the government Rs. 1.76 lakh crore CAG: Rules and procedures flouted while issuing licenses. Person accused is the Telecom minister : A.Raja The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said it has submitted to the government the report on the 2G spectrum allotment that is presumed to have caused a revenue loss of up to Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. CAG has accused the telecom ministry for undervaluing 2G spectrum, sold to new players in 2008, and held that the allotment price was not realistic, which has caused a revenue loss of up to Rs. 176,700 crore to the government. The report is also believed to have castigated telecom minister A Raja for ignoring the advice of finance and law ministries on allocation of 2G spectrum to benefit a few operators. It is also believed to have criticised telecom regulator TRAI standing as a helpless spectator when its recommendations were being ignored or misused. The CAG report said the price at which the spectrum was alloted in 2008 was based on 2001 prices, which was quite low and has resulted in a loss to the government exchequer. Also, no proper auction method was followed and no bids were taken to sell out the spectrum. Yielding to relentless opposition pressure, Union telecom minister A Raja resigned 0n the wake of the 2G Spectrum allocation scam on 14th november. Who All Benefited from This Scam ? 2G spectrum was allocated beyond contracted quantity to 9 firms including Bharti, Vodafone, Idea, BSNL, Reliance, Aircel," the report said.Niira Radia is said to be involved.Read her details. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) circumvented the rules to help Swan Telecom, which effectively acted as a front for Reliance Telecommunications. The charges in the CAG report are that Swan should not have been considered for a license because Reliance Communications held 10.7% stake in Swan - and according to the rules, a telecom operator cannot own more than 10% stake in another telecom company operating in the same service area. "Email ID of Swan Telecom was shown as that of a Reliance ADA group official Page 14

PG GK COLLECTION Another big beneficiary of the 2G spectrum allocation was Unitech Wireless, which had no experience in the telecommunication sector. After Unitech got the license for a throwaway price of Rs. 1,661 crore, it sold 60 per cent stake to Telenor Asia for a whopping Rs. 6,200 crore. The political crisis after the scam The stand-off between the government and the Opposition over 2G scam continues. The Opposition wants a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G scam. Parliament has not functioned at all this winter session - the Opposition says it won't let the House get to work till a JPC is announced. Niira Radia also seem to be involved in big way to 2G spectrum scam.She is a corporate lobbynist for big corporate leaders like TATA group, Reliance Industries etc. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ #01/08/2011 Cosmos to open 25 new branches by March 2012 As part of its expansion plans, The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd (CCBL) is planning to open 25 new branches at select locations by March 2012. Cholamandalam dilutes 15% stake to raise Rs 250 cr Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd has diluted 15 per cent stake to five private equity (PE) investors including International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Reliance Capital. The non-banking finance company (NBFC), part of the Chennai-based $3.8 billion Murugappa group, has raised Rs 250 crore through this dilution. The company is also planning to bring more equity investment during the first quarter of next fiscal. M B N Rao, chairman, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, said IFC and other private equity investors have infused Rs 250 crore capital in the company. Ackermann being chairman would skirt Deutsche Bank governance rules osef Ackermann, a beacon of corporate Germany as chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank AG for the last nine years, may become the first top manager to skirt rules the lender espoused to toughen management supervision. Ackermann, 63, is set to replace Clemens Boersig as chairman of Deutsche Banks supervisory board next year, when Anshu Jain, the head of investment banking, and Juergen Fitschen, who steers the Frankfurt-based lenders domestic business, move up to share the CEO role. India to get Nerpa by year-end Russia will transfer the Akula-II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine to India on a 10-year lease by the end of 2011, Russian Naval Chief Admiral Vladimir Page 15

PG GK COLLECTION Vysotsky has said. There are no obstacles for the transfer of the submarine to the Indian Navy by the end of this year, Admiral Vysotsky was quoted as saying by Interfax. He said an Indian crew had undergone the full course of training and the submarine was being prepared for delivery trials. 1.5 lakh post offices to be converted into banks The humble post office is all set to undergo a radical change with a proposal to convert over 1.5 lakh post offices across the nation into full fledged banks. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal wants to reach out to the masses in the rural areas with modern banking facilities through the post offices SEBI makes mandatory for promoters to disclose share dealings With an aim to rein in insider trading by promoters without investors' knowledge, SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has decided to make it mandatory for all promoter entities to disclose any considerable purchase or sale of shares by them. The proposed step was approved by the market regulator's board and would soon come into effect, says a PTI report. World junior championship from today The SDAT-Ramco World junior chess championship will get off to a start here from Monday. The top two Indian boys, Adhiban and Sethuraman, are Chennai based and thus will have a home advantage in the Open section. Adhiban is a former National men's champion and Sethuraman is a former World under-16 champion. Visiting players will have to get used to the domestic conditions, weather and food. Sun rewrites Hackett's 10-year-old record Chinese teenager Sun Yang rewrote swimming's oldest World record on Sunday when he shattered Grant Hackett's 10-year mark in the men's 1500m, ensuring a rousing finish to the Shanghai World swimming championships. New director of DARE Mr P.M. Soundar Rajan will take over as the new Director of Defence Avionics Research Establishment on August 1. DARE, the Bangalore-based premier defence laboratory, works on design, development and integration of mission computer and avionics systems for fighter aircraft, according to a DRDO release _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ #01/08/2011 AMERICA ON THE BRINK What is the crisis about? Since 1917, the US Congress has stipulated that there has to be a statutory limit on US public debt (debt of US federal govt). This limit has been periodically Page 16

PG GK COLLECTION raised and now stands at $14.3tn (95% of the US GDP). The US will hit this limit on Tuesday, Aug 2, unless Congress approves a fresh hike. But the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Democrat-controlled Senate havent been able to work out a consensus Why are they fighting? The Republicans want any debt limit hike linked to deep cuts in govt spending. They want the increase to be effective for a year, with fresh discussions after that. The objective is obviously to make it an issue ahead of the 2012 presidential elections. Democrats favour tax increases and a one-shot raising of the ceiling. They are also opposed to any cuts that could jeopardize the economic stimulus and welfare payments What happens if debt ceiling is not raised? US govt cant pay employees, social security benefits, defence contractors, medical insurance bills and interest payments to lenders. Credit rating will plunge from top AAA to bottom D What will be the global impact? Govts, investors and businesses across the world will stop investing in US bonds. There will be panic in financial markets globally, with investors exiting equities for safe havens like liquid cash and gold Does it affect India? Indirectly, though much less than countries/blocs with big trade and debt dealings with US, like EU and China. Still, a worldwide downturn could hit Indian exports and FDI flows When did this debt accumulate? Barack Obama $2.4tn (fighting recession, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq) George W Bush $6.1tn (wars and tax cuts) Bill Clinton $1.4tn George Bush $1.5tn Ronald Reagan $1.9tn Earlier $1tn Whose money has the US taken? Foreign countries (including China $1.2 tn) $4tn US public and cos $3.6tn US federal system $6.2tn US Prez Barack Obama hasnt slept for a week, say aides. The rest of the world, too, is having nightmares about a possible US debt default _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ #03/08/2011

U.S. House passes debt deal The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the debt deal reached between Democrats and Republicans by a vote of 269 to 161. The Senate is to vote on Tuesday. NDA government blamed for appointing Kalmadi Faced with embarrassment in the form of another Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the Commonwealth Games 2010, the government on Page 17

PG GK COLLECTION Tuesday hit back and blamed the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for the appointment of Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi as Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee.In a damage control exercise, Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Ajay Maken made a suo motustatement in the Lok Sabha on the issue. He said that the CAG report had not been officially tabled in Parliament and he was not in a position to comment on its contents. No Padma Awards for serving bureaucrats The Centre has decided not to confer Padma Awards on serving bureaucrats, Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. 9% GDP growth unlikely this fiscal: Basu The Finance Ministry has admitted that the 9 per cent GDP growth forecast for 2011-12 made by it in February is unlikely to be achieved. This comes even as it plans to undertake an interim review of its economic growth forecast for 2011-12 by the middle of next month. A rush of forecast downgrades by various domestic and foreign economic think-tanks in recent weeks is said to have influenced the Ministry to go in for a stock-taking in mid-September in addition to its usual mid-term review to be tabled in Parliament in November. In February, the Government had forecast GDP growth of 9 +/- 0.25 per cent during 2011-12. But sluggish industrial growth and spate of policy rate hikes by the RBI to tame inflation has raised doubts on the country registering 9 per cent growth in the current fiscal. NMDC to acquire 2 overseas mining assets soon Countrys top iron ore miner NMDC today said it will clinch deals for two overseas mining assets within 100 days as talks are progressing fast. The state-run giant, which has earmarked $500 million (about Rs 2,400 crore) for overseas acquisitions this fiscal is targeting four assets, including two coal and two iron ore, in Australia, the US, Russia and some countries in Africa Wockhardt sells nutrition biz to Danone for Rs 1,600 cr Drug-maker Wockhardt Ltd and its subsidiary have agreed to divest their nutritional business to French company Danone, one of the fastest growing food-companies in the world. Under the agreement, Danone will acquire Wockhardt's nutrition business and brands as well as its related industrial operations from Carol Info Service (located in Punjab) for approximately 250 million (about Rs 1,600 crore), Danone said. The acquisition will provide Danone access to a distribution network with nationwide reach. Wockhardt's nutritional business comprises Farex, Dexolac, Nusobee and Protinex. These transactions are subject to customary closing conditions and various approvals. Auto testing, research hubs in Chennai, Indore by next year The National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP), which envisages setting up testing and research centres at automotive hubs in the Page 18

PG GK COLLECTION country, hopes to complete its initiatives in Chennai and Indore by the end of next year. The main objective of NATRiP is to create automotive testing and validation infrastructure to usher in global vehicular safety, emission and performance standards Cognizant overtakes Wipro in June quarter revenues IT services firm Cognizant on Tuesday met its own guidance and analysts' estimates in its second quarter numbers on the back of strong demand for its services across geographies. More importantly, the Nasdaq-listed company, for the first time, overtook its closest rival Wipro in terms of revenues to become the third largest IT services player in India. Posco-Orissa MoU expires Company not ruling out relocation from the state. Six years after its inception, South Korean steel giant Posco's $12-billion mega steel manufacturing unit exists only on paper. The company awaits land to be handed over by the Orissa government even as the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between them has not been renewed after it lapsed last year. The company is not ruling out the possibility of relocating the project. The MoU, which was valid for five years, was signed on June 21, 2005. The company had expressed its intent to set up a 12 million tonne per annum steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district near the Paradip port. It was the only document the company had as proof of its existence in India. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ #M&A news for the month of July...... StanChart PE buys 12% in Redington India for $98 mn PVR buys out JP Morgan, Advantage Fund from group firm Blackstone picks up stake in Fino for Rs150 crore Motherson to buy majority stake in Germanys Peguform Pfizer to acquire Icagen for $6 a share Cox & Kings acquires stake in US-based travel company Radius Ecolab to buy Nalco Holding for $5.4 bn Daimler, Rolls-Royce to win EU okay for Tognum: source Acer to buy US cloud computing firm iGware for $320 mn Religare acquires South Africas Noah Financial Page 19

PG GK COLLECTION Cadila Health buys German animal healthcare co Cox and Kings to buy UKs Holidaybreak Haier to buy Panasonics Sanyo white goods units _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ #04/08/2011

Sadananda Gowda chosen leader, to be sworn in Chief Minister today Senior BJP leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda, 58, will be the next Chief Minister of Karnataka after having been elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party in a secret ballot on Wednesday. The party had witnessed sharp differences over the choice of a successor to B.S. Yeddyurappa, who resigned on Sunday. RBI panel wants banks to serve customers better There is some good news for bank customers. It may soon be time to bid goodbye to bad memories of being penalised for non-maintenance of the minimum balance, being charged for shifting home loans, or having struggled to recover money after failed ATM transactions. A high-profile committee on customer services by banks has suggested sweeping changes in banking practices. The report of the committee headed by former Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) chairman M Damodaran has been submitted to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It has also been posted on the central banks website to seek public feedback by August 27. PROPOSED CHANGES PLAIN vanilla savings accounts without a minimum balance requirement FLOATING rate housing loans with no distinction between old and new customers SWITCH option for home loans at least once during loan tenure COMMON toll-free call number COMPENSATION for delayed return/loss of title deeds in banks custody ZERO liability on loss in ATM and online transactions ENHANCEMENT of deposit insurance cover to '5 lakh CHIEF customer service officer for grievance redressal in every bank Independent directors may get 10-year terms As firms grapple with the shortage of independent directors, the new Companies Bill is likely to give them relief on this front. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) may consider a 10-year term for independent directors under the new Companies Bill, instead of a six-year limit proposed by it to a Parliamentary Page 20

PG GK COLLECTION panel that reviewed an earlier version of the Bill. The move is expected to allay the fears of the industry, which was expecting a greater shortage of independent directors once the six-year term became mandatory. The changes, to be incorporated in the new version of the legislation (Companies Bill 2011), may also see independent directors allowed to return to the same positions again, albeit after a specified cooling period and the fulfilment of a prescribed set of conditions. Essar to invest $750 mn in Zimbabwe steel unit Essar Africa Holdings Ltd will invest $750 million to retart production at steel firm Zisco in Zimbabwe. The company said the deal has been concluded and the company will now be called NewZim Steel Private Ltd. The mining company will be called NewZim Minerals Private Ltd. Mamata wants to rename Bengal The West Bengal government will change the name of the state and bifurcate districts of West Medinipore, North 24 Paraganas, Bardhaman and Jalpaiguri to provide good governance, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday after an all-party meeting on the issue. DMRC to submit MP metro plan report The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has assured the Madhya Pradesh government that it would submit a detailed project report for metro rail operations in Bhopal and Indore within six months. However, the chief of the corporation, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, also known as metroman of India, did not speak to the media. A government source told Business Standard that, Sridharan has communicated with the government during a meeting with state urban administration minister Babulal Gaur, who initiated a dialogue with DMRC for the metro rail project. He (Sreedharan) visited a number of locations to see the probability of metro rail in the state capital. Uttarakhand invites six PSUs to strengthen infra The Uttarakhand government has invited technical bids from six public sector units (PSUs) to participate in construction and infrastructure projects in the hill state. These companies are telecommunication majors BSNL, TCIL, National Buildings Construction Corporation, National Projects Construction Corporation, Bridge and Roof, and EPI Engineering. Audi to enter used-car business by year-end Audi, the German luxury car maker, plans to get into the used-car business in India by the year-end. The company expects this business to account for 10 to 20 per cent of its new car sales. By the end of this year, we will start our used-car business under the Audi Page 21

PG GK COLLECTION Approved Plus brand, Audi India Head, Mr Michael Perschke, told reporters here. Audi A6 launch The company on Wednesday launched the new version of its executive class sedan, A6, priced between Rs 37.7 lakh and Rs 47 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The four variants will be available in all 13 Audi dealerships across India _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ #Which motorcycle has Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Ltd. recently launched? CBR 250R Who won the ladies National snooker championship? Vidya Pillai Who won the 2000th Test cricket held at Lords Cricket Ground? England Which frenchman after 25 years won the German Open Tennis tournament? Gilles Simon Who won the Indonesian International Challenge badminton championship 2011? Pusarla Venkata Sindhu

Who has been appointed as Lokayukta of Karnataka to succeed Santosh Hegde? Justice Shivraj V.Patil

Who has been named vice president for Boeing Defence, Space and Security in India? Dennis D.Swanson

Which Indian tennis player holds career best rank of 62 in the singles list? Somdev Devvarman

What is Repo and Reverse Repo rate as on 26th July 2011? Repo: 8% and Reverse Repo: 7%

Which country has agreed for a meeting between its Nobel Laureate, pro-democracy activist Aung Suu Kyi and Minister of Social Welfare U Aung Kyi? Myanmar Page 22

PG GK COLLECTION Who has been named as the global co-CEO of Standard Chatered Bank's private equity? Nainesh Jaisingh

Who has been appointed as co-CEO to succeed Management Board chairman, Josef Ackermann? Anshu Jain Name the project of Mozilla's operating system that is set to work on mobile devices and tablets. Boot to Gecko (B2G) Which business and technology outsourcing services provider has been named in the GlobalServices 100 list for the 5th consecutive year? Syntel

Which Noida-based hospital running under the brand Ojjus Medicare has got nod for the IPO aggregating to Rs,62 crore? Goodwill Hospital and Research Center Ltd.

Which poets death anniversary would be remembered on 8th August in India? Rabindranath Tagore

Draft of which anti-corruption bill was approved by Union Cabinet on 28th July 2011? Lokpal Bill Which of the two Indians were awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2011? Nileema Mishra for helping the poor and Harish Hande for revolutionizing the use of solar lights

Which Operating System celebrated its 30th birthday on July 27th? DOS (Disk Operating System), 27th July 1981 Who has been appointed as national team coach for Argentina's football team? Alejandro Sabella

Which cricketer equalled Sunil Gavaskar's tally of 34 test hundreds? Rahul Dravid ' The Wall' Page 23

PG GK COLLECTION Who resigned as Chief Minister of Karnataka? B.S.Yeddyurappa

Who took over as chief of Indian Air Force? N.A.K.Browne Who won the Hungarian Grand Prix 2011? Jenson Button Which Indian qualified for London Olympics 2012 for Short put event? Om Prakash Singh _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ #The anti-graft Lokpal Bill was introduced in Parliament on Thursday. Here are the key points of disagreement between the government and the civil society on the bill: Prime minister: The civil society wants the prime minister to be under the Lokpal's ambit. The government has kept the prime minister out of the Lokpal's purview, but he/she can be probed after demitting office. Opposition parties too are opposed to keeping the prime minister out of the Lokpal's ambit. Higher judiciary: The civil society wants the Lokpal to have powers to probe the higher judiciary, including judges of the Supreme Court. The government has kept the higher judiciary out. MPs: The government has excluded the acts of MPs inside parliament and in parliamentary committees outside the Lokpal's purview, which the civil society has opposed. Lower bureaucracy: According to the government draft, only officers of joint secretary level and above are covered under the Lokpal. The civil society wants the entire bureaucracy to come within the Lokpal's purview. CBI and CVC: The government has struck down civil society's proposal to merge the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) with the Lokpal. Punishment: The civil society has proposed minimum one year rigorous imprisonment and maximum of life imprisonment for the corrupt. The government has capped the maximum punishment at 10 years. Lok Ayukta: The civil society wants the appointment of Lok Ayuktas, the ombudsmen in states, to be overseen by the Lokpal, which the government has struck down. _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 24

PG GK COLLECTION _______________________________________________________ #NATGRID gets in-principal approval

After the establishment of National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe terror cases, the Union Home Ministry has got the in-principle approval for its another show-case project the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). The law enforcement and intelligence agencies would be able to share information real time once the NATGRID becomes fully operational.

NATGRID will have access to about 21 categories of databases like phone records, credit card transactions, travel details, bank accounts, income tax returns and visa and immigration records. The database will be available to 11 law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The ambitious Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) will lay the ground work for the NATGRID. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ #\August 8th 2011:

Who has been ranked world No.1 in double trap shooting as per the ISSF world rankings? Ronjan Sodhi Iscom along with Elmwood College, St.Andrew's UK has launched a Post-Graduate course for which sporting event? Post-graduate programme in golf management Which is Apple's latest Operating System? OS X Lion Who won the Citi Open WTA doubles title held in USA? Sania Mirza and Yaroslava Shvedova Which UK-listed miner gets formal approval from the Indian government for its acquisition of stake in Cairn India? Vedanta Resources or Vedanta Which Tata group firm is set to open online consumer durables and electronics store? Tata Croma Which company has launched its first Financial Technology Grid to offer services in banking domain? Polaris software Page 25

PG GK COLLECTION Which computer manufacturer has introduced rupee symbol on desktop computer keyboard, compatible with Microsoft softwares? LenovoIndia Which country has approved plans to setup first Tibetian bank? China Who has been appointed as consulting head for India at Capgemini? Anish Sarkar Name the sedan unveiled by Nissan India. Sunny Who has been sworn in a Karnataka's Chief Minister? D.V.Sadananda Gowda Which molecule has been found in Orion constellation of stars? 1 molecule of Oxygen was found for every million hydrogen molecules Name the version of Media Reader launched by Kingston. USB 3.0 Media Reader Which bank has launched a service of accepting income tax payment through ATMs? HDFC Bank _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ #August 8th 2011:

Who has been ranked world No.1 in double trap shooting as per the ISSF world rankings? Ronjan Sodhi Iscom along with Elmwood College, St.Andrew's UK has launched a Post-Graduate course for which sporting event? Post-graduate programme in golf management Which is Apple's latest Operating System? OS X Lion Who won the Citi Open WTA doubles title held in USA? Sania Mirza and Yaroslava Shvedova Which UK-listed miner gets formal approval from the Indian government for its acquisition of stake in Cairn India? Vedanta Resources or Vedanta Page 26

PG GK COLLECTION Which Tata group firm is set to open online consumer durables and electronics store? Tata Croma Which company has launched its first Financial Technology Grid to offer services in banking domain? Polaris software Which computer manufacturer has introduced rupee symbol on desktop computer keyboard, compatible with Microsoft softwares? LenovoIndia Which country has approved plans to setup first Tibetian bank? China Who has been appointed as consulting head for India at Capgemini? Anish Sarkar Name the sedan unveiled by Nissan India. Sunny Who has been sworn in a Karnataka's Chief Minister? D.V.Sadananda Gowda Which molecule has been found in Orion constellation of stars? 1 molecule of Oxygen was found for every million hydrogen molecules Name the version of Media Reader launched by Kingston. USB 3.0 Media Reader Which bank has launched a service of accepting income tax payment through ATMs? HDFC Bank _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ #Below is the complete list of the winners of 58th National Film Awards: Best feature film: Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam) Best director: Vetrimaran for Aadukalam (Tamil) Best actor: Dhanush for Aadukalam (Tamil) and Salim Kumar for Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam) Best actress: Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar for Baboo Band Baaja (Marathi) and Saranya Ponvannan for Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru (Tamil) Page 27

PG GK COLLECTION Best supporting actor: J. Thambi Ramaiah for Mynaa (Tamil) Best supporting actress: Sukumari for Namma Gramam (Tamil) Best Hindi film: Do Dooni Char Best Kannada film: Puttakkana Highway Best Malayalam film: Veettilekkulla Vazhi Best Tamil film: Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru Special mention: Aadukalam (Tamil) Special jury award: Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein (Hindi) Best cinematography: Madhu Ambat for Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam) Best screenplay (Original): Vetrimaran for Aadukalam (Tamil) Best audiography: Kaamod Kharade for Ishqiya (Hindi) Best editing: TE Kishore for Aadukalam (Tamil) Best production design: Sabu Cyril for Enthiran (Tamil) Best special effects: V. Srinivas & M. Mohan for Enthiran (Tamil) Best choreography: Dinesh Kumar for Aadukalam (Tamil) Best music direction (songs): Vishal Bhardwaj for Ishqiya (Hindi) Best music direction (background score): Issak Thomas Kottakapally for Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam) Best male playback singer: Suresh Wadkar for Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi) Best female playback singer: Rekha Bhardwaj for Ishqiya (Hindi) Best lyrics: Vairamuthu for Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru (Tamil) Special jury award: Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi) _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ #Winners of 53rd Annual Grammy Awards:Album of the Year: Arcade Fire The Suburbs Page 28

PG GK COLLECTION Record of the Year: Lady Antebellum Need You Now Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding Song of the Year: Lady Antebellum Need You Now Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Train Hey, Soul Sister (Live) Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck and Oumou Sangare Imagine Best Dance Recording: Rihanna Only Girl (In the World) Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: The Black Keys Tighten Up Best Hard Rock Performance : Them Crooked Vultures New Fang Best Rock Song: Neil Young Angry World Best Alternative Music Album: The Black Keys Brothers Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Sade Soldier of Love Best Contemporary R&B Album: Usher Raymond v. Raymond Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind Best Rap Song: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind Best Rap Album: Eminem Recovery Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson As Shes Walking Away Best Country Song: Lady Antebellum Need You Now Best Country Album: Lady Antebellum Need You Now Best Americana Album: Mavis Staples You Are Not Alone Best Traditional Blues Album: Pinetop Perkins and Willie Big Eyes Smith Joined at the Hip _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________ Page 29

PG GK COLLECTION #Name of Winners of 2011 BAFTA Awards: Best Film: The Kings Speech Best Actor: Colin Firth, The Kings Speech Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network Best Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter, The Kings Speech Outstanding British Film: The Kings Speech Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush, The Kings Speech Best Original Screenplay: The Kings Speech Outstanding British Contribution: The Harry Potter franchise Best Original Music: Alexandre Desplat, The Kings Speech Best Short Film: Until The River Runs Red, Paul Wright, Paul Kondeatis Best Short Animation: The Eagleman Stag, Michael Please Best Sound: Inception, Lee Smith Best Editing: The Social Network, Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter Best Make-up and Hair: Alice In Wonderland, Vali OReilly, Paul Gooch Best Film Not In The English Language: Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Best Costume Design: Alice In Wonderland, Coleen Attwood Best Production Design: Inception, Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat Best Special Visual Effects: Inception, Chris Courbold, Paul Franklin Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3 Orange Wednesdays Rising Star: Tom Hardy Best Screenplay: The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin Best Cinematography: True Grit _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 30

PG GK COLLECTION _______________________________________________ #On which planet has Nasa found the first evidence of flowing water recently? Mars Which two industries of Japan are set to merge? Hitachi and Mitsubishi Which Legendary singer's 81st birth anniversary was celebrated on 4th August 2011? Kishore Kumar Parts of which African country is hit by Famine according to United Nations? Somalia Which model has Harley-Davidson launched in India priced at Rs.19.7 lakh? Fat Boy Special Which service did Vodafone roll out in Bangalore recently? 3G services Where is the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy is to be held? Ordos, China Name the ex-PM of Ukraine who was arrested recently. Yulia Tymoshenko Who has become first female prime minister of Thailand? Yingluck Shinawatra Where is the Folksam Grand Prix meet being held? Karlstad, Sweden What is the downgraded credit rating given by S&P to USA? AA+ Which cricketer has been recalled to One-Day match against England after 2 years? Rahul Dravid Whose maiden century in Twenty20 cricket against Australia set Sri Lanka a 35 run victory? Tilakaratne Dilshan Which South African fast bowler cricketer celebrated his 100th birthday recently? Norman Gordon Which Taiwan company has recently launched tablet PCs priced at Rs.15,000? Page 31

PG GK COLLECTION Micro-Star International (MSI) _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ #1. Which among the following is offered in the INSPIRE Scheme? [A]Free Education [B]Scholarship [C]Free Books [D]Cash 2. Who headed the second Administrative Reforms Commission which released its report in December 2008? [A]Veerappa Moily [B]Salman Khursheed [C]Hansraj Bhardwaj [D]Arun Jaitley 3. Consider the following: 1. Advisory Body 2. Executive Body 3. Statutory Body 4. Constitutional Body Which among the above terms are applicable to Law Commission of India? [A]Only 1 [B]1 & 2 [C]1, 2 & 3 [D]1, 2, 3 & 4 4. Which among the following scheme was restructured into Lok Talim? [A]National Program for Education of Girls at Elementary Level [B]National Literacy Mission [C]District Primary Education Programme [D]Lok Jumbish Project 5. Which among the following was the first country to enter a formal agreement with India on Civil Nuclear Deal after NSG exempted India from its guidelines? [A]USA [B]France [C]Russia [D]Canada 6. In which year Dadara and Nagar Haveli became a Union Territory of India? [A]1961 [B]1962 [C]1963 [D]1964 Page 32

PG GK COLLECTION 7. The Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) has scaled down its projection for the growth rate of the economy in 2011-12 to which among the following ? (August 1, 2011) [A]8.5% [B]8.7% [C]8.2% [D]8.0% 8. As per the recent rankings released by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), who among the following has been ranked No.1 in the world? [A]Abhinav Bindra [B]Ronjan Sodhi [C]Samaresh Jung [D]Gagan Narang 9. In India, elections for the MPs and MLAs are conducted under which among the following systems? [A]First-past-the-post [B]Single transferable vote [C]Alternative vote [D]Simple proportional representation 10. Megha-Tropiques is a cooperative experimental mission of ISRO and CNES, the space agencies of India and _______? [A]France [B]Russia [C]Italy [D]Germany 11. The Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS), is proposed to be a constellation of how many satellites? [A]7 [B]12 [C]16 [D]22 12. Where is located the Central Agricultural University? [A]Imphal [B]Kohima [C]Aizawal [D]Pasighat Page 33

PG GK COLLECTION 13. Recently worlds highest efficiency solar thermal cooling system was inaugurated at the Solar Energy Centre at which among the following places? [A]Gurgaon [B]Jaipur [C]Hyderabad [D]Bangalore 14. Which among the following place in Rajasthan is making news for becoming the site for first National Manufacturing and Investment Zones of India? [A]Bhiwadi [B]Nimrana [C]Sitapura [D]Jhotwara 15. What is the name of Indias Third Permanent Research Station at Larsemann Hills in Antarctica which is under construction at present? [A]Maitri [B]Bharti [C]Bhagirathi [D]Nandini Answers:AABBBACBAAAAABB _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ #Asias largest solar energy park to be hosted by Gujarat Gujarat would house the largest solar energy park in Asia in two years, with a power production capacity of 500 Mw. This would be set up with an investment of around Rs 8,000 crore flowing from companies such as GMR and Lanco, which have been assigned generation capacities under the Gujarat Solar Mission. Gujarat had announced a solar power policy in January 2009, with a target of installing 1,000 Mw capacity by 2012 and 3,000 Mw by 2014. The State has already signed power purchase agreements for 934 Mw. The park, on the lines of an industrial estate, is being developed by Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GCPL), as the sectoral nodal agency, on around 2,000 hectares of wasteland bordering the Rann of Kutch, in Patan district. When commissioned, the project would provide 800 million units of power. In the first phase, 15 solar power generation companies would produce 176 Mw and Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation would set up a power pooling station. The overall project cost in phase-I would be Rs 1,287 crore. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Page 34

PG GK COLLECTION #Scams Of India

2011 Hasan Ali Khan scandal Indian Black Money in Swiss Banks Bellary mines scandal 2010 2G spectrum scam and Radia Tapes Controversy Adarsh Housing Society scam Commonwealth Games Scam 2010 housing loan scam in India Belekeri port scam Lavasa Scandal Uttar Pradesh Food Grain Scam Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Controversy Indian Premier League Cricket Scandals Uttar Pradesh food grain scam 2009 Madhu Koda mining scam Satyam scandal Vasundhara Raje land scam 2008 Cash For Votes Scandal Pune billionaire Hasan Ali Khan tax default The Satyam scam 2008 Mumbai Attacks 2006 Stamp Paper Scam Kerala Ice Cream Parlour Sex Scandal Scorpene Deal Scam Navy War Room spy scandal (related to Scorpene Deal Scam) 2005 Oil-for-food programme scam (Natwar Singh) 2004 Page 35

PG GK COLLECTION Gegong Apang PDS Scam 2003 Taj corridor scandal HUDCO scam 2002 Kargil Coffin Scam 2001 Ketan Parekh securities scam Barak Missile Scandal Calcutta Stock Exchange Scam 1997 Sukh Ram telecom scam Hawala Scandal 1996 Bihar fodder scam Sukh Ram Telecom Equipment Scandal C R Bhansali Scam 1995 Purulia arms drop case SNC Lavalin scandal Purulia arms drop case Telgi scam 1992 Harshad Mehta securities scam Palmolein Oil Import Scam, Kerala 1989 Bofors Scandal 1982 Page 36

PG GK COLLECTION Cement Scam involving A R Antulay 1971 Nagarwala Scandal 1957 Haridas Mundhra scandal _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ #Sri Lanka to end emergency

Emergency laws in Sri Lanka will lapse on September 8. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ #Japan PM Naoto Kan announces resignation Japan's beleaguered Prime Minister Naoto Kan has announced his resignation, clearing the way for the country's sixth leader in five years.

Mr Kan has been criticised for failing to show leadership after the devastating 11 March earthquake and tsunami, and ensuing nuclear crisis. In June, Mr Kan pledged to quit if parliament passed three key pieces of legislation, which it did on Friday. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ #1. Nandha in Bhawani district became the first village in haryana to have a solar power plant. 2. Rajasthan ayurveda university is now named after Dr Radhakrishnan. Established in 2002 , in jodhpur , it was second such university in the country then. 3. P.Chidambram laid the foundation stone of integrated check post at the India - Bangladesh international border to augment trade relations between the two nations. out of the 13 ICP's that the ICP project includes, 7 will be set up on India- Bangladesh border. 4. Jayant prasad is the new indian ambassador to Nepal _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ #What is 2G spectrum scam?

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PG GK COLLECTION

From the time allegations of misappropriation during the bidding for allocation of 2G spectrum surfaced, till Telecom Minister A Raja's ouster, high drama charged both politics in Delhi and Tamil Nadu. So what exactly is the Spectrum Scam that led to all this?

WHAT IS SPECTRUM SCAM? 2G licenses issued to private telecom players at throwaway prices in 2008 CAG: Spectrum scam has cost the government Rs. 1.76 lakh crore CAG: Rules and procedures flouted while issuing licenses

WHAT ARE THE CHARGES ON FORMER TELECOM MINISTER A RAJA? CHEAP TELECOM LICENSES Entry fee for spectrum licenses in 2008 pegged at 2001 prices Mobile subscriber base had shot up to 350 million in 2008 from 4 million in 2001

NO PROCEDURES FOLLOWED Rules changed after the game had begun Cut-off date for applications advanced by a week Licenses issued on a first-come-first-served basis No proper auction process followed, no bids invited Raja ignored advice of TRAI, Law Ministry, Finance Ministry TRAI had recommended auctioning of spectrum at market rates

FAVOURITISM, CORPORATES ENCASH PREMIUM Unitech, Swan Telecom got licenses without any prior telecom experience Swan Telecom given license even though it did not meet eligibility criteria Swan got license for Rs. 1537 crore, sold 45% stake to Etisalat for Rs. 4200 crore Unitech Wireless got license for Rs. 1661 crore, sold 60% stake for Rs. 6200 crore All nine companies paid DoT only Rs. 10,772 crore for 2G licences Page 38

PG GK COLLECTION OTHERS IN THE NET DMK chief M Karunanidhi's daughter and MP Kanimozhi who has been named by the CBI as a co- conspirator with A Raja Shahid Balwa, the promoter of Swan Telecom, who the CBI believes had a central role in the 2G spectrum scam. He has been accused of colluding with former Telecom Minister A Raja by allegedly channelising kickbacks Raja got from the spectrum sale into the real estate Unitech chief Sanjay Chandra and DB Realty founder Vinod Goenka who have been chargesheeted for cheating and conspiracy Three senior executives of Anil Ambani controlled ADAG, Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara. All these are currently lodged in Tihar Jail Former telecom secretary Sidharth Behura, who allegedly shut counters to physically block other telecom companies, faces the same charges as Raja. And so does Raja's Personal Secretary RK Chandolia

THE ROLE OF KALAIGNAR TV One of the companies named by the CBI in the 2G scam - Swan Telecom allegedly sent Mr Raja a Rs. 214-crore kickback that was routed through a maze of companies but rested finally with Kalaignar TV channel in Chennai that is owned mainly by Kanimozhi and Dayalu Ammal. Together, they have 80% stake in the company. Sharad Kumar, the Managing Director of Kalaignar TV, owns the balance and has also been accused of conspiring with Mr Raja. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ #M&A News of the month of August..... Mphasis to buy Wyde Corporation Impatient start-ups on acquisition spree for rapid growth Fortis to buy 65% stake in Vietnam hospital chain for $64 mn GMR Energy to acquire 30% stake in PT Golden Energy Mines Tbk for $550 million HGS acquires 3i Infotechs HRO business SABMiller hostile with $10 billion bid for Fosters Hotel Leela to sell Kerala hotel for Rs 500 crore Lufthansa to sell 51% stake in IT unit; Tata, IBM top bidders: report Page 39

PG GK COLLECTION HP to buy Autonomy, spin off PCs WPP in talks for acquisitions in India: CEO Sanofi unit to buy OTC biz of Universal Medicare for $109 mn Aventis Pharma to buy OTC biz of Universal Medicare Cipla, Lupin deny report on Takeda talks _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________ #Yahoo fires Bartz as CEO, names CFO to fill void Carol Bartz dumped as Yahoo's CEO with 16 months left on contract; CFO named interim leader Tim Morse _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ #58th National Awards

Veteran director K Balachander, known for his masterpieces Iru Kodugal, Apoorva Raagangal and Ek Duuje Ke Liye, was today conferred the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award by President Pratibha Patil, who also gave away National Awards in 36 other categories. The 81-year-old writer-director-producer, who introduced cinema talents like Kamal Hasan, Rajnikanth, Prakash Raj and Sri Devi, has produced more than 60 films in his career and directed nearly 100 films in his career in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. At the 58th National Award ceremony, the veteran filmmaker received a standing ovation from a star studded gathering. The award consists of a Swarna Kamal, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl.

Awards in 36 other categories were also presented. Director Salim Ahmed and co-producer Ashraf Bedi got the coveted Swarna Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh each for their acclaimed Malayalam movie Adaminte Makan Abu.

Bollywood celebrity producers Arbaaz Khan, his wife Malaika Arora and director Abhnav Singh Kashyap were awarded the Swarna Kamal and a cash award of Rs 2 lakh each for their flick Dabangg.

The Nargis Dutt award for best feature film was given away to Gautam Ghose-directed Bengali film Moner Manush, based on the life of Baul singers. Page 40

PG GK COLLECTION Hailing Balachanders creative genius, Patil said, He has made films not in one language, but in many Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi. He has also been a mentor to many actors and technicians, many of whom have made a mark in Indian cinema.

Four child artists were given National Awards this time Harsh Mayar for I am Kalam, Shantanu Ranganekar and Machindra Gadekar for Champions and Vivek Chabukswar for Baboo Band Baaja.

Bollywood actors Mahi Gill and Rajat Kapur anchored the proceedings.

Ninety-year-old author Vijaya Mulay was the first one to walk up the podium to receive the Swarna Kamal for best book on cinema.

The best actor was shared by Rajnikanths son-in-law K Dhanush (Aadukalam, Tamil) and Salim Kumar (Adaminte Makan Abu, Malayalam). The best actress award was also shared by Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar (Baboo Band Baaja, Marathi) and Saranya Ponvannan (Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru, Tamil).

The Indira Gandhi Award for Best debut film was given to Baboo Band Baaja (Marathi), directed by Rajesh Pinjani.

The Award for the Best Hindi Film was given to Do Dooni Chaar, produced by Arindam Chaudhuri and directd by Habib Faisal.

Aadukalam won six awards best director (Vetri Maaran), best actor, best screenplay (Original), best editing, best choreography, and a special mention to V I S Jayapalan, who is a Sri Lankan actor. Adaminte Makan Abu won four awards, so did Ishqiya Best Audiography (2), Best Music Direction and Best Female Playback Singer. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ #The Comptroller and Auditor General of India : Vinod Rai... P kishore,MD of Everonn Education arrested for Tax evasion... ______________________________________________________________________ #Major General Bhuvan Chander Khanduri (retd) sworn in as the sixth Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, replacing Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ #some firsts! Page 41

PG GK COLLECTION India's first man in space Rakesh Sharma The first Prime Minister of India who resigned without completing the full term Morarji Desai The first Indian Commander - in - Chief of India General Cariappa The first Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji The first Indian member of the Viceroy's executive council S. P. Sinha The first President of India who died while in office Dr. Zakir Hussain The first Prime Minister of India who did not face the Parliament Charan Singh The first Field Marshal of India S.H.F. Manekshaw The first Indian to get Nobel prize in Physics C.V. Raman The first Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award Dr. Radhakrishnan The first Indian to cross English channel Mihir Sen The first person to receive Jnanpith award Sri Shankar Kurup The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar The first Vice - President of India Dr. Radhakrishnan The first Education Minister Abul Kalam Azad The first Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel The first Indian Air Chief Marshal S. Mukherjee The first Indian Naval Chief Vice Admiral R. D. Katari The first judge of International Court of Justice Dr. Nagendra Singh The first person to receive Paramveer Chakra Major Somnath Sharma The first person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen Sherpa Anga Dorjee The first Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen The first person to receive Magsaysay Award Acharya Vinoba Bhave The first person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Medicine Hargovind Khurana The first Chinese traveller to visit India Fahein The first person to receive Stalin Prize Saifuddin Kitchlu The first person to resign from the central cabinet Shyama Prasad Mukherjee The first foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan The first person to receive Nobel Prize in Economics Amartya Sen The first Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice Hiralal J. Kania _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ #In the month of January 2011 1. India,France sign seven crucial agreements 2.President visits UAE and Syria 3.jaitapur n.power project gets environmental clearance 4.CBDT introduces new numbers for tax payers 5.India's 20th n-power reactor achieves criticality 6.integrated action plan for naxal hit districts 7.Nitish kumar sworn in for 2nd term as bihar cm 8.india launches the mobile number portability era 9.India Russia delegation level talks held in new Delhi 10.Agni-1 test fired successfully 11.UNESCO'S heritage list inscribes three Indian art forms Page 42

PG GK COLLECTION 12.setting up of 14 world class universities approved 13.India elected to UN women panel 14.bill to rename orissa,its language passed 15.India ,US sign pact for global disease detection 16.India gets entry into important UN panel 17.Indira Gandhi,mother Teresa among 20th century's most powerful women 18.union cabinet approves women's protection bill 19.life support system for fighter aircraft developed. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ #Hello All, here are some current affair questions: 1. Which among the following constitutional amendment bill contains the provision of increase in women reservation in panchayats? a. 110th b. 111th c. 112th d. 113th 2. Who among the following Lokayukta has asked President to censure Chief Minister of Delhi? a. Santosh Hegde b. Manmohan Sarin c. Alok Vadhwa d. Purshottam Jaiswal 3. Which state has announced the decision to demerge its National Institute of Sports (NIS), from the Sports Authority of India (SAI)? a. Punjab b. Himachal Pradesh c. Gujarat d. Maharashtra 4. What is the name of the New Intelligence Chief, who handed over command of US and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan? a. General David Petraeus b. General Rodrigue c. General Basil Peterson d. General Farimon Luasa 5. Who among the following has recently taken over as the director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)? a. J P Sinha b. Sharmila Tagore c. Shabana Azmi d. Dharmendra Jai Narain 6. The GSAT-12 communication satellite has been launched successfully on July 15, 2011 by which of the following launch vehicle? a. GSLV G-6 Page 43

PG GK COLLECTION b. GSLV-F7 c. PSLV C-16 d. PSLV C-17 7. Recently the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully flight-tested its latest missile Prahaar from the Launch Complex III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Chandipur coast in Balasore district. Prahaar is a a. Surface to surface missile b. Surface to air missile c. Air to surface missile d. Sea to air missile 8. Chinese and Southeast Asian officials have agreed on a draft of guidelines to avert tension in the South China Sea at a meeting held with senior officials of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN at: a. Manila (Philippines) b. Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) c. Ho Chi Minh city (Vietnam) d. Bali (Indonesia) 9. Who is the current Prime Minister of Egypt? a. Essam Sharaf b. Gouda Abdel Khalek c. Mahmoud Eissa d. Hazem El-Beblawi 10 Hurricane Dora was active recently over the region ofa. Australia b. Europe c. South America d. North America 11. The Cabinet approved the proposal for enhancing reservation for women in Panchayats from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent with the provision being applicable to all seats filled througha. Direct election b. Indirect election c. Nomination d. Both direct election and nomination 12. India signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with which of the following country paving the way for the possibility of exporting its atomic power plants recently? a. North Korea b. South Kora c. China d. Singapore Page 44

PG GK COLLECTION 13. Recently English has been dropped as final year subject in which of the following state university? a. Mumbai b. Saurashtra c. Odisha d. Himachal Pradesh 14. Which IIM has announced extension of the reach of its publisher training programme to countries in South East Asia from next year? a. IIM Lucknow b. IIM Ahmedabad c. IIM Kozhikode d. IIM Bangalore 15. What is the name of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who resigned following criticism for hiring former News of the World executive Neil Wallis who was questioned by police investigating hacking - as an adviser in UK? a. Sir Vinfery simpson b. Sir Maddley Thomson c. Sir Anerdson Majle d. Sir Paul Stephenson 16. Who among the following was officially named as the next envoy of India to the United States of America ? a. Nirupama Roy b. A N Ahuja c. R K Sharma d. J P S hukla 17. Which of the following personality has been appointed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerji as an advisor to Resurgent Bengal scheme? a. Amartya sen b. Sam Pitroda c. Arjun Sengupta d. Usha Thorat 18. The worlds largest Indian flag weighing 250 kg was unfurled at the Vibrant India Festival which began recently in a. France b. China c. Russia d. USA 19. Minister for Defense A K Antony recently presented the first Mercy Ravi Award for Woman of Substance toa. Kiran Bedi b. Vandana Shiva c. Sheila Dikshit d. Arundhati Roy Page 45

PG GK COLLECTION 20. Which among the following state has announced that 90 per cent seats in sports academies will be filled by players from the state? a. Uttar Pradesh b. Madhya Pradesh c. Haryana d. Punjab 21. Who among the following was elected president of the Mumbai Cricket Association at its 77th annual general body meeting recently? a. Manohar Joshi b. Vilasrao Deshmukh c. Gajanan karve d. Sharad Pawar 22. Which among the following is the oldest commissioned ship of the Indian Navy, a landing ship tanker, which was given a fond farewell after 35 years of service recently? a. INS Jaladh b. INS Sharabh c. INS Shankul d. INS Padmesh 23. Which state has the highest rural teledensity of 70.23? a. Karnataka b. Himachal Pradesh c. Rajasthan d. Gujarat 24. Who among the following has become the worlds No. 1 double trap shooter as per the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) rankings released? a. Gagan Narang b. Sanjeev Rathore c. Vijay Kumar d. Ronjan Sodhi 25. Which Indian wildlife research and bio-diversity conservation organization will assist Indonesian authorities to undertake non-invasive genetics research on two critically endangered species the Javan and the Sumatran rhinos in Indonesia? a. Aaranyak b. Parivesh c. Paryavaran d. Sanrakshak 26. Which country is stepping into the Indian Ocean for the first time for mineral exploration? a. Japan b. Canada c. China Page 46

PG GK COLLECTION d. India 27. Which among the following is the latest European country to act against the burqa after France and Belgium have banned the wearing of burqa in public? a. Germany b. Spain c. Italy d. Denmark 28. Which Indian-American who is an expert in international finance law, has been appointed as Senior Advisor in the US State Department's South and Central Asia Bureau to cement ties with the Diaspora groups? a. Mitul Desai b. Sanjeev Upadhyay c. Upendra Bansal d. Manendra Singh 29. Which airline has become the first airline to use biofuels on regular commercial flights in a six-month trial that it estimates will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 1,500 tones during the period? a. Lufthansa b. Air India c. Kingfisher d. Airbus 30. Which among the following Governor Generals of India was the first occupant of Rashtrapati Bhawan of India? a. Warren Hastings b. Lord Irwin c. Lord Willington d. Lord Rippon 31. Typhoon Muifa has devastated which among the following countries eastern coast? a. Indonesia b. Japan c. China d. Hongkong ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. a 10th b Manmohan Sarin a Punjab a General David Petraeus d Dharmendra Jai Narain Page 47

PG GK COLLECTION 6. d PSLV C-17 7. a Surface to surface missile 8. d Bali (Indonesia) 9. a Essam Sharaf 10. d North America 11. a Direct election 12. b South Korea 13. b Saurashtra 14. b IIM, Ahmedabad 15. d Sir Paul Stephenson 16. a Nirupama Roy 17. b Sam Pitroda 18. c USA 19. c Sheela Diskshit 20. b Madhya Pradesh 21. b Vialsrao Deshmukh 22. b INS Sharabh 23. b Himachal Pradesh 24. d Ronjan Sodhi 25. a Aranyak 26. c China 27. c Italy 28. a Mitul Desai 29. a Lufthansa 30. b Lord Irwin 31. c China _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ #Angola's Lopes crowned Miss Universe 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ #Business & Economy: 1. The government approved merger of State Bank of India Commercial and International Bank Ltd (SBICI) with its parent bank SBI. SBICI was set up in which of the following year? a. 1991 b. 1992 c. 1993 d. 1994 2. Airlines company of which country has recently placed largest aircraft order in history? a. Australia b. Germany c. United States d. Russia Page 48

PG GK COLLECTION 3. Government has lowered its GDP forecast for 2011-12 to how much per cent from the earlier estimate of about 9 per cent in view of a likely moderation in industrial output? a. 7.9% b. 8.2% c. 8.6% d. 8.9% 4. The Central Government has recently sanctioned the Scheme of Amalgamation of Maharashtra Elektrosmelt Ltd (MEL) with : a. Jindal Steel and Power b. Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) c. Tata Steel d. ArcelorMittal Dhamm Processing Pvt Ltd 5. The Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) formed to look into financial woes of flagship carrier and gave its in-principle approval for `1,200 crore equity infusion toa. Air India b. Railways of India c. Shipping Corporation of India d. Steel Authority of India Limited 6. Which Indian company along with Sai Infosystem (India) Ltd. (SIS) launched the first of its kind Voice & Video Telephony (VVOIP) over Internet protocol services in India? a. MTNL b. BSNL c. Vodafone d. Airtel 7. Maharashtra Elektrosmelt Ltd (MEL) has been merged with which of the following given company? a. NTPC b. SAIL c. NPCIL d. OIL 8. Which company has recently commissioned Indias first thermal set of 525 MW rating at Maithon Right Bank Thermal Power Project in Jharkhand? a. Bharat Electronics Limited b. National Hydro Power Corporation c. Bharat Heavy Electric Limited d. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited 9. Two Indian cities had been ranked 2nd and 4th respectively, according to a global study of fastest developing cities conducted by 'The City Mayors Foundation', an international think tank on urban affairs. Identify the cities. a. Surat and Ghaziabad b. Ghaziabad and Surat c. Mumbai and Delhi d. Delhi and Mumbai Page 49

PG GK COLLECTION 10. The LCV (light commercial vehicle), a joint venture between which of the two following companies has produced Dost? a. Ashok Leyland of Hinduja Group and Nissan Motor Company of Japan b. Ashok Leyland of Hinduja Group and Renault group of France c. Tata Motors Group of India and Nissan Motor Company of Japan d. Mahindra & Mahindra Group of India and Nissan Motor Company of Japan 11. Recently central government has sought a partnership in publicizing of Bharat Nirman Programme with which of the following organisations? a. ONGC b. Indian Railways c. India Post d. Doordarshan 12. Religare Enterprises's investment banking arm, Religare Capital Markets has acquired majority stake in which of the following South African broking firm? a. Noah Financial Innovation b. Rainbow Financial Services (RFS) c. Royal African Finances d. SA Assets Managemnet 13. The Deutsche Bank has confirmed to appoint which of the following Indian investment banker as its co-CEO? a. Navin Chandra b. Rahul Jain c. Anshu Jain d. Ravi Mallick 14. Which of the following world's fourth largest car-maker has decided to set up a three lakh-cars-per-annum manufacturing plant in Sanand? a. Ford b. General Motors c. Toyota Motors d. Hyundai 15. The Central Board of Trustees, the apex decision-making body of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, approved appointment of which of the following bank as the custodian of securities of the EPFO? a. RBS b. HSBC c. Standard Chartered Bank d. ABN Amro 16. Recently a 12-month ban of synthetic cannabis products has come into effect in New Zealand. The government says the 43 artificial cannabis products can harm health, including causing heart problems. Cannabis is used since ancient times, for which of the following given medical purpose? a. As an antibiotic drug b. As a catalyst drug c. As a mineral supplement d. As a recreational drug 17. Which one of the following Indian company has entered into collaboration with the Singapore Management University (SMU) for a new R&D facility for Page 50

PG GK COLLECTION cloud-based IT solutions for cities worldwide? a. Tata Consultancy Services b. Wipro Technologies c. Infosys d. Mahindra Satyam 18. Recently the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave a major fillip to Maharatna SAIL by approving its proposal for revival of the Sindri fertilizer-manufacturing unit by SAIL. The Sindri fertilizer- manufacturing unit belongs to which one of the following company? a. Krishak Bharti Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) b. Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) c. Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) d. Fertilizer Cooperation of India (FCIL) 19. Recently Nissan Motor India unveiled its premium mid-size sedan offering for India, by name: a. Vista b. Sunny c. Verna d. Figo 20. European airlines are pressing ahead with biofuel plans in order to cut use of regular jet fuel. Which one of the following airline of the Europe became the first airline to use biofuels on regular commercial flights in a six-month trial? a. Lufthansa b. International Airlines Group c. Air France d. Turkish Airline 21. Employees Provident Fund Organisation, approved appointment of which bank as the custodian of securities of the EPFO? a. Standard Chartered Bank b. ANZ Grindlays c. Kotak Mahindra d. Oriental Bank of Commerce 22. Which country is stepping into the Indian Ocean for the first time for mineral exploration? a. Japan b. Canada c. China d. India 23. India plans its own 90-seater aircraft series by which of the following year? a. 2015 b. 2016 c. 2017 d. 2020 24. Which state has the highest rural teledensity of 70.23 ? a. Karnataka b. Himachal Pradesh Page 51

PG GK COLLECTION c. Rajasthan d. Gujarat 25. Which one of the following is the world's most valuable company with market capitalization of $337 billion? a. Apple b. Exxon Mobile c. Microsoft d. Berkshire Hathaway Inc 26. For the first time, two leading private sector groups have joined hands with state-owned undertakings to jointly bid for iron ore blocks in Afghanistans Hajigak mines. They are: a. Tata and Jindal b. Tata and Reliance c. Reliance and Jindal d. Reliance and Sterlite 27. Which company has bagged the Safety and Quality award instituted by the Safety and Quality Forum of The Institution of Engineers (India), Tamil Nadu? a. ONGC b. Reliance Info c. Wipro d. Infosys 28. Which among the following has launched a mobile messaging application for Apple's iPhone and Android devices? a. Twitter b. Google c. Face book d. None of the above 29. The Centre plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act to acquire land in and around the worlds biggest nuclear plant in the works at : a. Jaitapur b. Narora c. Uduppi d. Karnal 30. Fortis Healthcare International, holding company of India's billionaire Singh brothers, is based at: a. Singapore b. Mauritius c. Germany d. United Kingdom 31. Which country is rocked by reports that its hospitals has sold dead infants and placenta to an underground factory to manufacture nutrition pills? a. India b. South Korea c. China d. Japan 32. Which among the following countries are banning short selling on select stocks amid efforts to calm market turmoil that has sent bank shares gyrating Page 52

PG GK COLLECTION wildly and aggravated worries about Europe's huge debts? a. France b. Italy c. Both d. None of the above --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Answers: 1. d 1994 2. c United States 3. c 8.6% 4. b Steel Authority of India (SAIL) 5. a Air India 6. b BSNL 7. b SAIL 8. c Bharat Heavy Electric Limited 9. b Ghaziabad and Surat 10. a Ashok Leyland of Hinduja Group and Nissan Motor Company of Japan 11. b Indian Railways 12. a Noah Financial Innovation 13. c Anshu Jain 14. a Ford 15. c Standard Chartered Bank 16. d As a recreational drug 17. a Tata Consultancy Services 18. d Fertilizer Cooperation of India (FCIL) 19. b Sunny 20. a Lufthansa 21. a Standard Chartered Bank 22. c China 23. c 2017 24. b Himachal Pradesh 25. a Apple 26. a Tata & Jindal 27. a ONGC 28. c Facebook 29. a Jaitapur 30. a Singapore 31. c China 32. c Both _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ #Dell acquires Force10 Networks _________________________________________________________________________________ ___ #In the month of January --world Page 53

PG GK COLLECTION 1)Iran completes fuelling its first N-power plant 2)$100 billion mineral treasure trove discovered in Tibet 3)Russia opens plant to destroy chemical weapons 4)SCO prime ministers meeting held in Tajikistan 5)Rajapaksa sworn in for second term 6)North Korea stages surprise attack on south Korean island 7)junta-backed party sweeps Myanmar general elections ship based power plant comes to Pakistan's aid 9)NATO summit 2010 held in Portugal 10)food security in US touched record lows in 2009;report 11)10th RIC trilateral ministerial meet 12)china makes dam on Brahmaputra 13)APEC summit held in japan 14)2010 G20 summit held in south korea 15)British prime minister makes crucial china visit 16)unemployment at all time high:ILO 17)China pulls off a rare feat in space science 1US,Australia sign space surveillance pact 19)multidimensional poverty index 2010 20)jintao makes high-profile France visit _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ # latest updates from July to august 1)The central govt. has appointed senior advocate rohinton nariman as the solicitor-general to succeed gopal subramaniam. 2)yingluck shinawatra is the new prime minister of Thailand 3)deutsche bank has appointed anshu jain as the co-CEO to succeed chairman josef ackermann,who leaves office in may next year. 4)INS Koswari ,the ninth indigenously built fast attack craft of the Indian navy was commissioned in July 2011 in vishakapatnam 5)lok sabha MP D.V.Sadananda gowda is the chief minister of karnataka.He succeeds B.S.Yeddyurappa. 6)The deputy chief minister of bihar and BJP leader sushil kumar modi has been elected chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on GST 7)British singer Amy winehouse has died at he age of 27,after a long struggle with drug and drink addiction 8 )veteran actor Shammi kapoor who ruled the late 1950s and 1960s with his style passed away in mumbai. 9)M.C.Joshi is the new chairman of the central board of direct taxes(CBDT) succeeding prakash chandra. 10)Ace fighter pilot Norman anil kumar browne is the new chief of the Indian air force.He succeeds air chief marshal P.V.Naik. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________ Page 54

PG GK COLLECTION #ABBREVIATIONS UNCLOS: UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. CYBER SPACE Tiger Text new headache for security agencies It is the new TigerText software that is on the prowl in the cyber space that is giving fresh concerns to security agencies, as the software enables the consumer to have a complete control over messaging, with a function to auto delete when he wishes to. This has prompted Union Home Ministry to issue a directive to Department of Telecom asking them to direct service providers to ensure proper legal interception before its launch in phones in the country. This service is compatible with handsets like iPhone, Android and Blackberry. Google launches Google Plus The battle for the eyeballs of social media network users is intensifying, with Google launching 'Google+' (called Google Plus), the search engine giant's renewed attempt to take on Facebook in the social networking arena. While designing the new service, Google has kept in mind social circles, called plus circles, and a Twitter-inspired feature that resembles real-life social interactions. It allows users to selectively share information with specific groups within defined circles, rather than sharing it with all their social connections at once. One can create as many circles as one wishes to, for whatever categories one wants, adding friends and contacts simply by clicking and dragging names onto various circles. Google is also featuring a web conferencing option, in which up to 10 people can join in simultaneously. A feature called Sparks would provide users with web content on various topics like sports or fashions, allowing the user to subscribe to categories of interest, create custom categories, and share content with friends. Google would also release Google Plus mobile apps for Android smartphones and iPhones. This would include special features like cloud-based photo storage and group messaging. With its instant upload feature, one's photos and videos automatically upload themselves to a private album on Google+. Its 'Huddle' feature turns different conversations into a group chat. Google, however, has its work cut out. Facebook leads the global social media networking pack, with nearly 750 million users (including 500 million active users), followed by LinkedIn (around 100 million), Twitter (around 75 million), the 100-odd million Orkut (Brazil and India accounting for most users) and MySpace, with 30 million-odd users. Google's earlier attempts saw feeble success in the social networking space. It could not create a 'Wave', generate a 'Buzz' or make 'Orkut' grab eyeballs in Page 55

PG GK COLLECTION markets outside Brazil and India. Even in India, Orkut has been steadily losing market-share to Facebook. DEFENCE INS KabraIndias latest warship INS Kabra, named after an island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, is a fast attack craft that can aid in anti-piracy operations in the Arabian Sea. Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) have built the fast attack craft for the navy. INS Kabra, like INS Kalpeni which joined Southern Naval Command in October 2010, is an indigenously-designed water jet-propelled fast attack craft and is the eighth of a series built at the GRSE. It is a cost-effective and fuel-efficient platform. With a top speed of over 35 knots and excellent manoeuvrability offered by her water jet propulsion, the warship is ideally suited for high-speed interdiction of fast-moving targets. The craft's speed, agility and quick response will also be useful in search and rescue operations. The low draught allows the ship to operate in shallow waters close to the coast as well. HEALTH New Delhi superbug remains a global concern, WHO The New Delhi superbug remains a global concern because of its resistance to all available antibiotics in the world, according to World Health Organisation (WHO). The New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) bacteria carrying these mechanisms is a gene that includes the possibility of making anti-microbials not effective. The NDM-1 carrying the gene has already been identified in several patients and countries. The NDM-1 became a huge controversy in India in 2010 after a study was published in Lancet, a British medical journal, about this new global public health threat. The Lancet study carried out by a multi-national team reported the spread of bacterial carrying NDM-1 gene that was resistant to multiple different classes of antibiotics. However, the Union Health Ministry severely contested the findings of the Lancet study which showed that the gene had originated in India. It described the Lancets conclusions as unfair maintaining that Indian hospitals are perfectly safe for treatment. Subsequently, Lancet apologised to the Indian government saying it was an error to name a superbug after New Delhi. PROJECTS Page 56

PG GK COLLECTION Asias largest solar energy park to be hosted by Gujarat Gujarat would house the largest solar energy park in Asia in two years, with a power production capacity of 500 Mw. This would be set up with an investment of around Rs 8,000 crore flowing from companies such as GMR and Lanco, which have been assigned generation capacities under the Gujarat Solar Mission. Gujarat had announced a solar power policy in January 2009, with a target of installing 1,000 Mw capacity by 2012 and 3,000 Mw by 2014. The State has already signed power purchase agreements for 934 Mw. The park, on the lines of an industrial estate, is being developed by Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GCPL), as the sectoral nodal agency, on around 2,000 hectares of wasteland bordering the Rann of Kutch, in Patan district. When commissioned, the project would provide 800 million units of power. In the first phase, 15 solar power generation companies would produce 176 Mw and Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation would set up a power pooling station. The overall project cost in phase-I would be Rs 1,287 crore. The Planning Commission has already approved a one-time additional central assistance of Rs 210 crore for the development of the solar park. The Asian Development Bank has approved a soft loan of $ 100 million for the project. This includes development of a smart grid for evacuation of power. An agreement has also been signed with the Clinton Climate Initiative, which would be the technical consultant. RESEARCH Test-tube burger If scientists are to be believed the world's first test-tube hamburger is just a year away. A team at Maastricht University in the Netherlands claims that the first such laboratory-made burger will have meat grown from stem cells, paving the way for eating meat without animals being slaughtered. The scientists are developing the burger grown from 10,000 stem cells extracted from cattle, which are then left in the laboratory to multiply more than a billion times to produce muscle tissue similar to beef. The product is called in vitro meat. The world's meat consumption is expected to double by 2050 as the population increases. And, the scientists predict over the next few decades the global population will increase so quickly that there won't be enough livestock to feed all. WHO links brain cancer to cellphone use You would be better off avoiding extensive cellphone use, given a significant new research of the WHO, which links mobile usage to a heightened risk of Page 57

PG GK COLLECTION glioma, a malignant tumour that starts in the brain. For the first time since mobile use began in the early 1990s, the WHO has suggested possible links between the use of wireless devices and brain cancer, as the Organisations cancer research wing, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), placed cellphones in the category of potentially dangerous pesticide DDT, petrol engine exhaust and coffee. The classification followed a review of epidemiological evidence, with the IARC saying that radio-frequency electromagnetic fields generated by cellphones could be possibly carcinogenic to humans. It called for additional research (to determine long-term effects of mobile phone use) but advised consumers to use hands-free devices to reduce radiation risks. Oncologists in India have backed the findings, saying epidemiological research examining long-term risks from radio-frequency exposure was certain to link brain cancer and mobile use. Every time you take a call, you cook your brain. It is potentially hazardous. MISCELLANEOUS Cloud Computing Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Cloud computing works on a client-server basis, using web browser protocols. The cloud provides server-based applications and all data services to the user, with output displayed on the client device. If the user wishes to create a document using a word processor, for example, the cloud provides a suitable application running on the server which displays work done by the user on the client web browser display. Memory allocated to the client system's web browser is used to make the application data appear on the client system display, but all computations and changes are recorded by the server, and final results including files created or altered are permanently stored on the cloud servers. Performance of the cloud application is dependent upon the network access, speed and reliability as well as the processing speed of the client device. Cloud service puts movies, music and software on a cloud server. Having these offerings on a cloud server gives the provider some real benefits. This means they could possibly charge less for their products, like Tablets or Smart-phones. This also means they wouldnt need to have the capability to store as much locally since customers will be able to access their items via the cloud server: _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Page 58

PG GK COLLECTION #Q1. Before selling its majority stake to a foreign bank with which bank were the GMR group associated ? Ans. Vysya bank now ING Vysya Q 2. Oberoi group has launched a bottled water brand. Name it. Clue Red fort got a french twist. Ans. Lquila Q3. Shahrukh Khan is onboard this airline as a director. Name the airline. Ans. Jet airways Q4. United Spirits claims to have become the no. 2 spirits co. in the world. Who have they dislodged? Ans. Pernod Ricard. Diageo is no 1 Q5. Over several IPL venues one can see a balloon like thing floating with MRF written in bold letters. What is it called? Ans. Blimp Q6. This summer most AC mfrs are highlighting their star ratings, 5 star being the most power saving. Who awards these ? Ans. Bureau of energy efficiency Q7. Pepsi has announced an alliance with Tata Tea for beverages. Which Tata co. was JV partner of Pepsi when they entered India ? Ans. Voltas Q8. Which agency is conducting the 3G auctions on behalf of the govt of India ? Ans. Rothschild along with Dotecon Q9. Popular FMCG brands like Bournvita put TV infomercials thru Buchanan group at a big discount. Under what name they advertise ? Ans. Brand power Q10. In the 90s Chidambaram had resigned & was accepted by the PM PV Narasimha Rao.Why did he resign then? Ans. PC had invested in the scam tainted FAIRGROWTH Q 11. SKS microfinance will be the first MFI to go for an IPO. What does SKS stand for ? Ans. Swayam Krushi Sangam. It started life as a non-profit Source:Business India _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ #India has 13 major ports in the public sector Mumbai-a natural harbor Jawaharlal Nehru port(formerly nhava sheva),Mumbai Kandla(Gujarat)-a tidal port Mormugao(Goa) New mangalore(karnataka) kochi-a natural harbor tuticorin(Tamilnadu) Chennai vishakapatnam-India's deepest port Paradeep(Orissa) Kolkata(riverine port) Page 59

PG GK COLLECTION Haldia(near Kolkata) Ennore(TN)-India's first corporatised port Port Blair,located in Andaman&Nicobar Islands,is the 13th and the newest major port of India _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ #n the month of February-India 1)Srikrishna committee submits its report on telangana 2)Krishna water disputes tribunal gives its ruling 3)Another feather in DRDO's cap-developed aerostat system capable of carrying electro-optic payloads for surveillance 4)Delhi India's no.1 investment destination 5)India's first seaplane service launched 6)India gets its first C-130J aircraft 7) Two Prithvi-II missiles test fired successfully 8 )India,Oman identify new areas of cooperation 9)India,Russia sign 30 pacts 10)India ,Germany hold talks on civil nuclear ties 11)India ninth among most corrupt countries:report 12)Chinese Premier Jiabao's India visit 13)India joins $10 billion gas pipeline project 14)India to attract $169 billion investment in clean energy 15)Centre gives financial sanction to two new power reactors _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ #Q1. Ved prakash Arya the CEO and founder of Milestone capital died recently in an unfortunate accident . How ? Ans. Coconut tree fell on him during his morning walk in Mumbai Q2. In what denomination has RBI introduced POLYMER notes on a trial basis ? Ans. 10 Rs Q3.. What is the financial instrument through which Warren Buffett is iinvesting 5 bn $ in Bank of America ? Ans Preference shares Q4. On resignation of Steve Jobs who has taken over as the CEO of Apple ? Ans Tim Cook Q5.That guy is never going to make it. He doesnt get technology. Hes just a salesman.About whom did Ed Land, Polaroid CEO say this ? Ans. Steve Jobs Page 60

PG GK COLLECTION Q6. In the midst of the Anna fever in India which co has launched an OS called SYMBIAN ANNA ? Ans. Nokia Q7. Do bachcho ke baad ho jao 3G pe busy.Which co is promoting 3G as more pleasurable than sex ? Ans. idea Q8. Which newspaper is brought out by the co The Printers (Mysore) Ltd.? Ans. Deccan Herald. It is coming out with a Delhi edition Q9. For which innerwear brand have David Beckham, Cristiano ronaldo and now Rafael Nadal bared ? Ans. Armani Q10. Which oil co in India has launched Indias first self service petrol pump in Delhi recently ? Ans. Indiannoil _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ #1) The 15th national census is in progress.When was the first census in India conducted? ans.1872 2)the Jaitapur nuclear power project is to be set up in ratnagiri district of Maharashtra in collaboration with Areva,belongs to which country ans.France 3)Mobile number portability allows mobile phone users to switch operators without changing numbers.In which state was this policy launched in november 2010? ans.Haryana 4)who has replaced Eric schmidt as the chief executive officer of Google,the world's no.1 internet search engine company? ans.Larry page 5)which country will host the nuclear security conference in 2012? ans.South Korea 6)The Asian banker leadership achievement award 2011 was conferred on ans.HDFC bank 7)who has been named as the advisor to the prime minister of India in the National skill development council(NSDC) with rank of cabinet minister ans.S.Ramadorai The kalbelia folk songs and dances have been inscribed recently by the UNESCO Page 61

PG GK COLLECTION in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.Kalbelia folk songs and dances belong to which state? ans.Rajasthan 9)'River of Smoke' is a novel written by ans.Amitav Ghosh 10)which author won the Inaugural Hans Christian Anderson literature prize for 2010,instituted by Denmark? ans.J.K.Rowling _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ #1) Amul sponsored which cricket team in 2011 ICC world cup? ans.The Netherlands 2)the International Rice Research Institute(IRRI) is located in ans.Manila 3)The bailadila mines are located in ans.chattisgarh 4)which company's luxury hotels have received the 'Leed Platinum' rating from the U.S Green building council ans.ITC hotels 5)yellow revolution is associated with the production of ans.oil seeds 6)Disguised unemployment is generally observed in which sector? ans.agricultural 7)According to the world bank report,which country is the highest micro-finance beneficiary in the world? ans.Bangladesh The largest producer and consumer of tea is ans.India 9)The largest producer and consumer of Endosulfon is ans.India Page 62

PG GK COLLECTION 10)Which state government formed a special cabinet for agriculture in 2011? ans.Bihar _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ #CEO of HP is Meg Whitman,, she replaced Leo Apotheker _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ #Q1. In Economist lingo what is Beijing consensus ? Ans. Chinese model of economic development Q2. Name the animal rights activist who now wants to replace leather shoes with canvas shoes in school uniforms. Ans.Maneka Gandhi, who else ! Q3. LCD TVs are in. VCRs are out. Mobile phones in. Typewriters out. Mineral water is in Barley is out. Even GOI has recognised. How? Ans. New WPI Q4. JTT a Japanese manufacturer has brought out the worlds smallest digital camera. Name it. Clue-photo or image in Bengali. Ans. CHOBI Q5. Name the tea company co-founded by Dwarkanath Tagore in 1839 and was Indias 1st joint stock co. It exists even today. Ans. The Assam company _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________ #New Marathon Record........

Kenyan Patrick Makau shattered the world mens marathon record by 21 seconds on Sunday when he clocked two hours three minutes 38 seconds over the fast, flat Berlin course on a warm, sunny morning.

Makau ran alone for the final 12 kms to break the previous mark of 2:03:59 set by Ethiopian

Haile Gebrselassie on the same course three years ago. It was the fifth time the mens world record has fallen on the 42.195-km race through the German capital. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________ Page 63

PG GK COLLECTION #Who won his first World Golf Championship title? Adam Scott Who became the first bowler to clinch 6 wickets in a Twenty20 International Cricket? Ajantha Mendis What is the maximum amount that can be withdrawn from a third-party ATM per transaction? Rs.10,000 Which Indian University recently signed pact with university of Sydney? Anna University For which programme an Indian student pursuing her Ph.D in chemical biology from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research chosen? SciFinder Academic Exchange Program Which company has launched 3G Tablet priced at Rs.12,999 with special data plans in India? RCom What is the extension period given to RBI Governor D.Subbarao? 2 years (untill Spetember 4th 2013) Which Insurance company is set to sue Bank of America to recover about $10 billion? AIG (American International Group Inc) Which company has collaborated with Singapore Management University for a R&D facility for cloud-based IT solutions? TCS Which Bank has launced Debit Card with credit limit? Name the card. IDBI Bank. IDBI Magic Card Who has been appointed as CEO for Bharti Airtel's broadband and DTH services? Rajiv Rajagopal for Broadband and data services and Shashi Arora for DTH and media services Who has entered the 2nd round of the World Badminton Championships defeating Germany's Domke Dieter? P.Kashyap Which Indian women cricketer has been suspended from bowling in international cricket for illegal action? Snehal Pradhan Page 64

PG GK COLLECTION Name the project under which all post offices in India are to be provided with Internet connectivity. India Post Technology Project 2012 Which two districts in Karnataka is set to get RAHI airports? Shimoga and Gulbarga _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ #Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, 2011 Ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang has been conferred Indias highest sporting honour. Arjuna Awards, 2011 Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll. The 2011 awardees are: Zaheer Khan (Cricket), Rahul Bannerjee (Archery), Preeja Sreedharan (Athletics), Vijas Gowda (Athletics), Ashish Kumar (Gymnastics), Rakesh Kumar (Kabaddi), Tejaswini Bai (Kabaddi), Rajpal Singh (Hockey), Sanjay Kumar (Volleyball), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Ravi Kumar (Weightlifting), Ravindra Singh (Wrestling), Suronjoy Singh (Boxing), Jwala Gutta (Badminton), Virdhaval Khade (Swimmimg), Sandhya Rani Devi (Wushu), Somdev Devvarman (Tennis) and Prashant Karmakar (Disabled). Dhyan Chand Award, 2011 Former India striker Shabbir Ali, who took up full-time coaching after hanging up his boots, has become the first footballer to get the prestigious Dhyan Chand award as recognition for his lifetime achievement in sports. The other awardees are: Sushil Kohli (Swimming) and Rajkumar (Wrestling) The Dhyan Chand Award is Indias highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and was instituted in 2002. Dronacharya Award, 2011 Inukurthi Venkateshwara Rao (Boxing), Devender Kumar Rathore (Gymnastics), Shri Ramphal (Wrestling), Kuntal Roy (Athletics) and Rajinder Singh (Hockey) have been given the award. Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component of Rs.500,000. The award was instituted in 1985. Prem Bhatia award for excellence in reporting, 2011 For the first time since its inception 15 years ago, the Prem Bhatia Awards for Page 65

PG GK COLLECTION excellence in political reporting and analysis, as well as that for excellence in environmental reporting have been shared by two journalists each. The award for political reporting goes to Josy Joseph of The Times of India for his consistently fine reporting of the scandals that have made headlines, like the 2-G Spectrum allocation, Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing Society scams. Jyotirmoy Dey of Mid-Day shares the award posthumously for his superlative work all through his career in exposing Mumbai's underworld and corruption in the police and bureaucracy, and he had to pay for that with his life. The two winners of the environmental award are Madhuraj, chief news photographer of Matrubhumi, for his vivid photographs that focused national and international attention on the catastrophic consequences of the use of endosulfan pesticide in Kerala, and G. Nirmala, who has written powerfully on the same subject in one of the publications of Samakalika Malyalam Vaarike. Magsaysay Awards, 2011 Harish Hande, from India. He is being recognized for his passionate and pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through a social enterprise that brings customized, affordable, and sustainable electricity to Indias vast rural populace, encouraging the poor to become asset creators. Nileema Mishra, from India. She is being recognized for her purpose-driven zeal to work tirelessly with villagers in Maharashtra, India, organizing them to successfully address both their aspirations and their adversities through collective action and heightened confidence in their potential to improve their own lives. Koul Panha, from Cambodia. He is being recognized for his determined and courageous leadership of the sustained campaign to build an enlightened, organized and vigilant citizenry who will ensure fair and free elections as well as demand accountable governance by their elected officials in Cambodias nascent democracy. Hasanain Juaini, from Indonesia. He is being recognized for his holistic, community-based approach to pesantren education in Indonesia, creatively promoting values of gender equality, religious harmony, environmental preservation, individual achievement, and civic engagement among young students and their communities. Tri Mumpuni, from Indonesia. She is being recognized for her determined and collaborative efforts to promote micro hydropower technology, catalyze needed policy changes, and ensure full community participation, in bringing electricity and the fruits of development to the rural areas of Indonesia. Page 66

PG GK COLLECTION Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), from the Philippines. The organization is being recognized for their collective vision, technological innovations, and partnership practices to make appropriate technologies improve the lives and livelihoods of the rural poor in upland Philippine communities and elsewhere in Asia. The Ramon Magsaysay Award was created in 1957, the year the Philippines lost in a plane crash a President who was well-loved for his simplicity and humility, his passion for justice, particularly for the poor, and his advancement of human dignity. Among the many friends and admirers of the late President around the world were the Rockefeller brothers. With the concurrence of the Philippine government, the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) established the Award to honor his memory and perpetuate his example of integrity in public service and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ # What is the percentage of Dearness Allowance hike announced by Government and it is effective from which date? 7% and 1st July 2011 Which Country now allows transgender option in passports? Australia Expand ICBC. Which bank from Mainland, China has set up shop in India? Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Which 3 technology major are planning advertisement sale? Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft Who has been appointed as British Deputy Commissioner representing United Kingdom in Karnataka? Ian Felton What is the CRR, Repo and Reverse Repo Rate as on 16th September 2011? CRR - 6.00%, Repo - 8.25% and Reverse Repo - 7.25% Which company bagged two awards for Jaguar and Land Rover from Autoweek at the Frankfurt Motor Show? Tata Motors In which part of India has new species of frog found? Western ghats What is the limitation on SMSes have TRAI imposed per day per sim from 27th of September 2011? Page 67

PG GK COLLECTION 100 per day from per SIM Who took over as CEO and MD of ONGC Videsh Ltd.? Dinesh K.Sarraf What rank did Rahul Dravid hold as he retired from One-Day International cricket? 118 Name the Board launched by Indian Medical Association to give doctor community a say in formulation of major policies in the health sector. Hospital Board of India Which Bollywood diva is set to relocate to India after living in America for almost a decade? Madhuri Dixit Who has raised USD 57,600 for the ongoing efforts in Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami? Heavy rockers Iron Maiden Where is the (NSG) National Security Guard hub setup in India and due for inauguration? Kolkata When and Where is the 64th Auto Show being held? 15th September to 25th September 2011 Frankfurt, Germany _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ #The detergent 'Tide' is manufactured by which company? i) Godrej ii) Procter and Gamble iii) ITC iv) Hindustan Unilever 'Dettol' is a product of which company? i) Ranbaxy ii) Johnson and Johnson iii) Reckitt-Beneckiser iv) Hindustan Unilever Raymond belongs to i) Birlas ii) Tatas iii) Singhania Group iv) Wadias 'Lets make things better' is associated with i) Sony ii) BPL iii) Philips iv) Videocon

The brand of soaps "Ariel" is manufactured by i) Godrej Soaps ii) ITC iii) Hindustan Unilever Ltd. iv) Procter and Gamble 'MRF' is a brand of i) Cars ii) Buses iii) Trucks iv) Tyres Page 68

PG GK COLLECTION 'Beetal' telephone equipments are products of i) Siemens ii) Tata Phones iii) Crompton Greaves iv) Bharati Telecom Ans:1. P & G 2. Reckitt-Beneckiser 3. Singhania Group 4. Phillips 5 .P & G 6. Tyres 7. Bharati telecom _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ #Which cricketer has been ruled out of ODI series against England due to fracture? Rohit Sharma Name the Calcutta High Court judge who resigned recently. Justice Soumitra Sen Which Golf League is scheduled to start on 4th September 2011? Touche Golf League (TCL) Name the cable TV service recently launched in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Which country is all set to hold Nobel Quiz in Bangalore on 10th September 2011? Sweden (Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz 2011) Which country has approved for a 3-month extension of a state of emergency? Trinidad and Tobago Who has set a world record of 37.04 seconds for the men's 4*100 meter relay title? Usain Bolt Which automobile major is eying to regain No.1 rank in India by 2015? Mercedes Benz Who won the Golf European Masters title 2011? Thomas Bjorn Which hollywood-based Indian filmmaker died of cardiac arrest recently? Jarmohan Mundhra Which major bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet on 5th September 2011 in India? Page 69

PG GK COLLECTION Land acquisition bill Which Global Mobile Virtual Network operator has planned to enter the Indian mobile communications space? Lycamobile Name the Indigo model launched by Tata Motors recently. Indigo e-CS VX Who has been appointed as Senior President and COO of Yes Bank? Asit Oberoi Who has been appointed as India region head by Nokia Siemens Networks? Sandeep Girotra _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ #Which cricketer was conferred the Spirit of Cricket Award? Mahinder Singh Dhoni What has Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched to promote entrepreneurship under the guidance of N.R.Narayan Murthy? International Centre for Enterpreneurship and Technology (iCreate) At what percent does Industrial Growth stand as on July 2011? 3.3 per cent Which IPO proposal was cleared by SEBI recently? Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) Which award was O.P.Munjal conferred by Ludhiana Management Association (LMA) recently? Life Time Achievement Award for 2010 Name the processor launched by AMD which has created the Guinness World Record for the Highest Frequency of a Computer Processor. AMD FX CPU, 8.429GHz Where is the Hockey Champions Trophy re-scheduled for 2011? New Zealand Who won the men's singles Tennis tournament US Open 2011? Novak Djokovic Which entrance examination system is all set to go online from next year in India as decided by the Central Board of Secondary Education? All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) Page 70

PG GK COLLECTION Which two Indian sports personality has been conferred with the rank of honourary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army by President Pratibha Patil? Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra At what percentage does inflation stand as on August 2011? 9.78% Which company show-cased a computer with a processor running on a postage stamp-size cell powered by solar energy? Intel Which state in India has bought IPL matches and DTH service under entertainment tax? Tamil Nadu Which microblogging site launched a Hindi language version on the occasion of Hindi Divas? Twitter Which Singapore-based business unit of Capital Land opened 2 serviced residences in India, Bangalore? The Ascott Limited, wholly-owned serviced residence _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ #63rd Primetime Emmy Awards 2011 Drama series Mad men Comedy series Modern family Actor in a comedy series Jim Parsons (the big bang theory) Actress in a comedy series Melissa Mccarthy (Mike & Molly) Supporting actor in a comedy series Ty burrell (Modern Family) Supporting actress in a comedy series Julie Bowen (Modern Family) Best miniseries or tv movie Downton Abbey Actress in a miniseries movie Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce) Reality competition program The Amazing Race Best variety, music or comedy series The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Directing for a Comedy series Michael Spiller (Modern Family) Writing for a Comedy series Steve Levitan & Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family) Directing for a Drama series Martin Scorsese (Boardwalk Empire) _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________ #Name the CEO of Tata Motors who quit recently. Carl-Peter Forster Which country has lifted ban on gays to donate blood? UK Page 71

PG GK COLLECTION Who is in race to become CEO of Yahoo? Rapper Snoop Dogg When and where India's First Film Museum is set to be ready for inauguration? 2013 in Mumbai Name the diesel versions of Etios launched by Toyota. Entry-level Etios sedan and Compact car Etios Liva Who is all set to be Chief Minister of Uttarakhand? B.C.Khanduri Name the economy, trade and industry minister who resigned in Japan's 8-day old Government. Yoshio Hachiro India's finance ministry has launched its page on which social networking site? Facebook Which mode of exam has Delhi University is set to scarp instead adopt Common Admission Test(CAT)? Faculty of Management Studies Name the weather satellite ISRO is set to launch with Indo-French collaboration on 12th October 2011. Megha Tropiques Who won the hockey Asian Champions Trophy against Pakistan? India Who won the Italian Grand Prix 2011? Sebastian Vettel Who won the women's singles Tennis tournament US Open 2011? Samantha Stosur Who won the women's mixed doubles Tennis tournament US Open 2011? Lisa Raymond and Liezel Huber Name the mobile phone from Vodafone with dedicated Facebook button on it. Vodafone Blue _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ #US open Category Winner Men's Singles Novak Djokovic Page 72

PG GK COLLECTION Women's Single Samantha Stosur Men's Doubles Jurgen Melzer & Philip Petzschner Women's Doubles Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond Mixed Doubles Melanie Oudin & Jack Sock _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________ #1) Most number of ducks(34) in ODI cricket? Sanath Jayasuriya 2)The first ever hat-trick in ODI cricket? Jalaluddin of Pakistan(vs Aus in 1982) 3) 1st ODI was played between?? Australia and England 4) 1st T20? Aus vs New Zealand (Auckland) 5)Official Event Ambassador of the 2011 cricket world cup? Sachin Tendulkar ... Bailadila Mines are located in- Chhatisgarh Number of districts in UP- 75(3 more inducted) Bhavishya Nirman Bonds are issued by- NABARD Disinvestment target for 2010-11- Rs40,000 crore Orange Revolution-Ukraine Revolution(An orange ribbon, a symbol of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution) Copenhagen Declaration- Anti-Doping in Sport(was drafted and agreed to by governments at the Second World Conference on Doping in Sport held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in March 2003.) _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ #1. justice soumatra sen is the first HC judge to be impeached by Rajya Sabha . 2. Ursula M. Burns (born September 20, 195 serves as chairwoman and CEO of Xerox. She is the first African-American woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. She is also the first woman to succeed another woman as head of a Fortune 500 company. In 2009, Forbes rated her the 14th most powerful woman in the world. Recently , she was listed in world's 30 most powerful businesswomen by Forbes 500 . 3, Anil Ambani to head India-China CEOs forums 4. Chief of CIA (US) - David Petraeus 5. Starting from the highest , correct order of FDI source countries to India Mauritius , singapore , US , UK 6. Currently Basmati Rice and Onions are banned for export. 7. Service sector gets max FDI currently 8. The agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was signed in SAARC summit which was held in Islamabad 9. The export promotion scheme that the Govt of India plans to withdraw - Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Page 73

PG GK COLLECTION #Brand Equity's Most Trusted Brand Survey 2011: Rank Brands 1 Colgate 2 Lux 3 Airtel 4 Lifebuoy 5 Nokia 6 Dettol 7 Britannia 8 Vodafone 9 Maggi 10 Closeup _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________ #1)Deepak parekh is the chairman of HDFC 2) NPA stands for non-performing assests 3)GATT is the previous name for WTO 4)Punto is the car brand owned by Fiat 5)Vir savarkar airport is located in Port Blair 6)'The pause that refreshes ' is the punch line of which soft drink Coca-cola 7)Who won the Abel prize for the year 2011? John Willard Milnor 8 )Name the player of the tournament in the 2011 ICC cricket world cup Yuvraj Singh 9)Alassane Ouattara is the new president of Ivory Coast 10)ABB,one of the world's largest engineering firms,is based in Page 74

PG GK COLLECTION Switzerland _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ #Kraft Foods boss Irene Rosenfeld is the most powerful woman in U.S. business, Fortune magazine said on Thursday, bumping PepsiCo Inc chief Indra Nooyi into second spot after five years on top.

Reliance Capital: Interests in a wide range of financial services such as mutual funds and life insurance, the company recently received the RBI's nod to sell 26% stake in Reliance Life to Japan's Nippon Life. Mahindra & Mahindra rolls out first Global SUV XUV 500 at Rs 10.8 lakh Amazon launched The Kindle Fire Vs Apple's iPad

The Dalai Lama will receive the Mahatma Gandhi peace prize, the legendary Indian leader's granddaughter Ela Gandhi announced here today on Gandhi Jayanti and asked the South African government to grant a visa to the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the country. The Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation will be conferred on the 76-year-old Dalai Lama at the annual Satyagraha Awards to be held at the Durban City Hall next Sunday. _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________ #Important events happened during 2010.

January, 12: A massive earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hits the capital of Haiti, Port-au- Prince. 230,000 died and it said to be the deadliest on record. February, 27: Another massive earthquake of 8.8 magnitude hits in Chile causing a Tsunami over the Pacific ocean 497. It is the biggest earthquake in history. April, 10: The president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, died along with his wife and the other 96 passengers on a plane crash. It crashed western of Russia. The plane tried to land in a thick fog, but sadly missed the runway and crashed into a nearby forest. April, 14: The volcano in Iceland after several eruptions, stopped air traffic around Europe. April, 20: Near the Gulf of Mexico, there was a massive oil spill killing eleven. It spreads for months and damaged the States ocean coastline. May, 20: Five famous Picasso paintings worth 100 million euros were stolen from the Muse d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. June, 11 July, 11: The 2010 FIFA World Cup is taken place in South Africa, leaving Spain in victory. October 13: Thirty-three miners near Copiap, Chile, are trapped 700 metres Page 75

PG GK COLLECTION underground in a mining accident in the San Jos Mine. They are later brought back to the surface after surviving for 69 days. December 21: The first total lunar eclipse occurs on the day of the northern winter solstice/southern summer solstice since 1638, takes place. These are most of the all the important events that have happened this year _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________ #FIFA World Cup hosts 2010 South Africa 2014 Brazil 2018 Russia 2022 Qatar _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ #Nobel Prize 2011 :Medicine - American Bruce Beutler and French researcher Jules Hoffmann for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity, sharing it with Canadian-born Ralph Steinman for his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ #1. Spring*tide*occurs*when:* (1)* The sun and moon*are in a*straight line (2)* The sun and moon*make a*right angle* (3)* A strong wind*blows* (4)* The night is very cold 2. The two planets having*no satellites*are:* (1)* Earth and*Jupiter* (2)* Mercury*and Venus* (3)* Mercury*and Saturn* (4)* Venus*and Mars* 3. Insurance*Regulatory and*Development Authority issued portability*facility*in health insurance*sector*on, (1)* January*1, 2011 (2)* July 1, 2011 (3)* April*1, 2011 (4)* March 21, 2011 4. Anna*Hazare*as*known*for:* (1)* watershed Development (2)* Rural*Education* (3)* Tribal Development (4)* Cooperative Development 5. In*which*of the*following states*National*Games were*held in 2011?* (1)* Jharkhand Page 76

PG GK COLLECTION (2)* Assam (3)* West Bengal* (4)* Tarnil Nadu 6. Since*the advent of planning*era*in*India, the share*of agriculture*sector*in*GD*has:* (1)* Continued to decline* (2)* Continued to rise* (3)* First increased and*then*declined (4)* First declined and then increase 7. Which*one*of*the*following is*the most ancient musical instrument?* (1)* Sitar* (2)* Tabla (3)* Sarod* (4)* Veena* 8. Which*strait separates*Europe from Africa?* (1)* Bosperus* (2)* Gibraltar* (3)* Dover* (4)* Bering* 9. What is*the function of*a*pacemaker?* (1)* It decreases*the heart beat* (2)* It regulates the*heart beat (3)* It increases the*heart beat* (4)* It accelerates blood*supply*to heart 10. Indira*Gandhi canal*has its*source*at:* (1)* Gandhi*Sagar Dam (2)* Bhakra Dam (3)* Harike Barrage* (4)* Govind*Ballabh sagar 11. Dronacharya*Award is given*to (1)* Sports coaches* (2)* The archers* (3)* Outstanding contributor*to *Indian*literature* (4)* The sportsmen/sportswomen for their individual*performances 12. . When the two houses*of*parliament*differ*regarding*a*Bill, then the*deadlock is resolved*by:* (1)* A joint sitting of the*two houses* (2)* The president of India* (3)* The speaker*of*the Lok Sabha* (4)* A special committee*formed for*the*purpose* 13. Who is the*author*of The Masque*of*Africa?* (1)* Nelson*Mandela* (2)* Vangari Mathai* (3)* Sharad*Joshi* Page 77

PG GK COLLECTION (4)* None*of*them (The Masque of Africa is by VS Naipaul) 14. The author of The Wealth*of*Nations*is:* (1)* Ricordo (2)* Keynes* (3)* Karl Marx* (4)* Adam Smith 15. Who among*the following*is not a*member*of*the*drafting committee to formulate*Lokpal*Bill?* (1)* Pranab*Mukherjee* (2)* Manmohan*Singh* (3)* Kapil Sibbal* (4)* P.*Chidambaram 16. Match the*following Country*head Country A. Mohamed Ghannouch* 1. Tunisia* B. Marouf*Al*Bakhit* 2. Jordan* C. Ahmed Shafik* 3. Egypt D. Omar*Al*Bashir* 4. Sudan* (1)* A*1, B*2, C*3, D*4 (2)* A*4, B*2, C*1, D*3 (3)* A*2, B*4, C*1, D*3 (4)* A*1, B*3, C*4, D*2 17. Match the*following* Coach* Team A. Trevor Bayliss* 1. South Africa* B. Corrie*Vam 2. Canada C. Eldinie Baptiste* 3. Sri*Lanka* D. P.*Dassanayake* 4. Kenya* (1)* A*2, B*1, C*4, D*3 (2)* A*2, B*4, C*1, D*3 (3)* A*3, B*4, C*1, D*2 (4)* A*3, B*1, C*4, D*2 18. The headquarters*of*the*UNESCO*is located at* (1)* Paris* (2)* New*York* (3)* Geneva* (4)* The Hague 19. Who among*the following*has*been*adjudged*the player of the*tournament in*ICC one*day*cricket world*cup 2011?* (1)* Yuvraj Singh* (2)* Sachin*Tendulkar* (3)* Kumar Sangakara* (4)* Shahid Afridi 20. Who among*the following*has*created world record in the*men's 100 meters sprint event at 2008 Olympic Games?* (1)* Usain Bolt (2)* Churandy Martina Page 78

PG GK COLLECTION (3)* Asafa Powell (4)* Walter Dix 21. 8. Who among the following*has been*awarded the Officer of the*Legion*of Honour, the*highest civilian*distinction of*the* Government of*France?* (1)* N.R. Narayana Murthy* (2)* Ratan Tata* (3)* K.M. Birla* (4)* Mukesh Amban Answers: 122413422111...... _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ Who clinched the*Dubai*International Open*Chess title in*Dubai*on*April*19?* (1)* Parimarjan Negi* (2)* Abhijeet Gupta* (3)* Vishwanathan*Anand* (4)* None*of*thes The winner of Deodhar Trophy this*year is* (1)* North Zone* (2)* West Zone* (3)* South Zone* (4)* East Zone* The highest paid footballer*of*the world is* (1)* Ranaldo (2)* David Backham (3)* Lionel*Messi* (4)* None*of*the above Which*of the*following is*the Mascot for*the*2011 National*Games?* (1)* Shera* (2)* Hiran* (3)* Chintu* (4)* Chhaua Who was the*winner*of ATP Miami*Masters Crown*held*on April 3, 2011?* (1)* Rafael Nadal (2)* Novak Djokovic (3)* Leander*Paes* (4)* None*of*these Who was*appointed as*the*new*coach*of*Indian*Cricket*team?* (1)* Sanath*Jayasuriya (2)* Steve Waugh* (3)* Dunkan Fletcher* (4)* Brian Lar Page 79

PG GK COLLECTION After*ONGC, OIC, NTPC and*SAIL, which*of*the following*'Navratna'*PSUs*was*awarded*'Maharatna'* status?* (1)* BHEL* (2)* Coal*India Ltd. (3)* HAL* (4)* GAIL As*per third*advance estimates of*food*grains*for*the*year*2010*11, the*total*food*grains*production*stood at* (1)* 231.86 MT* (2)* 234.47 MT* (3)* 235.88 MT* (4)* 238.55 MT Asian Development*Bank*has*modified its*earlier*India's GDP growth*projection*for*2011*12 from 8.7%*to* (1)* 8.2%* (2)* 8.5%* (3)* 9.0%* (4)* 9.2% Government constituted a* Financial* Sector* Legislative Reforms* Commission (FSLRC)* on March* 24, 2011, under* the* Chairmanship of* (1)* D. Swaroop* (2)* M. Govind Rao (3)* B.N. Shrikrishna* (4)* C. Rangrajan As* per the Forbes annual* list of* the world's top* billionaires* 2011, which of the* following Indian* billionaires* got the* highest rank*among*Indians?* (1)* Mukesh Ambani* (2)* Laxmi*N. Mittal* (3)* Azim Premji* (4)* Gautam Adan . Reliance* Industries* entered into a joint venture* with* the*..*based* DE* Shaw* company, to put its first step in the* financial*services*sector. (1)* New*York* (2)* Chicago (3)* Moscow* (4)* Rome* Which*country has recently*claimed to have developed*a Page 80

PG GK COLLECTION carrier*based*fighter*jet called J*15?* (1)* USA (2)* Germany* (3)* France* [B](4)* China The government of*which*country*has approved lifting*of nearly 50 year*old state of emergency on April 19, 2011?* (1)* Egypt* (2)* Bahrain* (3)* Syria* (4)* Turkey In*which*of the*following countries*is*Jundullah,*a militant organisation, active?* (1)* Iran* (2)* Syria* (3)* Yemen* (4)* Somali Answers: 213423231331431 _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ #South Korea is the ninth country to sign a nuclear deal with India China is the highest steel producing country in the world . India Ranks 5th.

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia today said its India head D Shivakumar has been promoted to head business in around 90 countries across the Middle-east, the African region and India. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ #Nobel Prize 2011 :Physics - 1 half to Saul Perlmutter , and the other half jointly to Brian P. Schmidt & Adam G. Riess _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________ #According to revelation made by the U. S. Federal Trade Commission, sportswear giant Reebok International Ltd. has to make a payment of $25 million as penalty for making fake claims that toning shoes keep the wearers in good shape. Amazon Silk: a new web browser from Amazon What Does Dim Sum Bond Mean? A bond denominated in Chinese yuan and issued in Hong Kong. Dim sum bonds Page 81

PG GK COLLECTION are attractive to foreign investors who desire exposure to yuan-denominated assets, but are restricted by China's capital controls from investing in domestic Chinese debt. The issuers of dim sum bonds are largely entities based in China or Hong Kong, and occasionally foreign companies. The term is derived from the Chinese cuisine that involves serving a variety of small delicacies and is especially popular in Hong Kong. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of ONGC ? Ans. Sudhir Vasudeva Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway wants a big scoop of India's consumption story. Berkshire-owned Dairy Queen (DQ), an international softserve ice cream and frozen food retailer, is holding talks with Reliance Retail for joint venture in India

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has won a court battle against India's fourth largest technology company, HCL Technologies. The company had taken the authority to court after the latter forfeited a bank guarantee for non-bidding by HCL Technologies. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ #CURRENT GK 1. Youth Festival 2011 will be organised in- Udaipur 2. India is exploring Shale gas reserves with USA. 3. The Goods and Service (GST) proposed to be introduced in 2011 is likely to cover- Excise, Service, VAT tax 4. The name of mascot for 34th National Games 2011 recently held in Jharkhand is- Chhaua 5. Recently CeBIT 2011, the biggest tradeshow for digital industry was held in Hanover 6. Which company is set to launch Microsoft Mango phone in October 2011? Ans. Samsung 7. Who won the Singapore GP 2011? Ans. Sebastian Vittal 8. Which company has produced the first glasses-free 3-D TV? Ans. Toshiba 9. Name the company which divided its business into operating and network division recently. Ans Maxis owned aircel _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ #First in the World 1. Chairman of Peoples Republic of China Mao-Tse-Tung 2. President of the Chinese Republic Dr. Sun Yat Sen 3. President of U.S.A George Washington 4. Page 82

PG GK COLLECTION Chinese Traveller to India Fahein 5. Foreign Invader to India Alexander the Great 6. Person to reach South Pole Amundsen 7. Person to reach North Pole Robert Pearey 8. Person in Space Yuri Gagarin 9. Person on Moon Neil Armstrong 10. Lady to climb Mount Everest Junko Taibei 11. European to visit China Marco Polo 12. Place where atom bomb was dropped Hiroshima 13. Man to walk in Space Alexei Leonov 14. Woman cosmonaut in Space Valentina Tereshkova 15. Woman Prime Minister of a country Mrs. Srimavo Bhandarnaike 16. Woman President of a country Maria Estela Peron 17. Woman to Command a Space Mission Colonel Eileen Collins (U.S.A.) 18. The first residents of International Space station Bill Shepherd (USA), Yuri Gidzanko and Sergei Krikalev (Russia) 19. The first blind man to scale Mt. Everest Erik Weihenmayer (USA, May 25, 2001) 20. The first Muslim woman to become the Secretary General of Amnesty International lrine Zubeida Khan 21. The first space astronaut to go into space seven times till date Jerry Ross (U.S.A.) 22. The first South African to become the second space tourist Mark Shuttleworth 23. The first woman Prime Minister of South Korea Ms. Chang Sang 24. The first youngest grandmaster of the world in chess Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine) 25. The first adventurer flying successfully across the English Channel without aircraft Felix Baumgartner (July 2003) 26. China's first man in space Yang Liwei _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ #top global brands and their value Apple jumps nine places to No.8, Nokia slips five slots to No.14: Interbrand - The Economic Times Tata Group and Aditya Birla Group reach pact over Idea Cellular dispute

The 2011 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded on Thursday to Tomas Transtromer, a Swedish poet whose surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him acclaim as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since World War II.

The largely homegrown Tejas fighter is still to fight its way out of the doldrums. The jet will not become fully-operational anytime before 2013, a full three decades after the LCA (light combat aircraft) project was first sanctioned in 1983. Lohia Auto launches new electric bike, Genius . Priced just at Rs. 25,495 (ex-showroom Delhi), this new electric bike is the third offering from Lohia Auto after Fame and Oma Star. India debuts world's cheapest tablet computer at $35 . Full article here Page 83

PG GK COLLECTION India debuts world's cheapest tablet computer at $35 tomorrow - The Economic Times (the tablets nickname is Aakash ) _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ #Chemistry-Dan Shechtman Literature-Tomas Transtrmer

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE-Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman THE PRIZE IN ECONOMIC SCIENCES-Thomas J. Sargent and Christopher A. Sims _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ #Indian space programme driven by vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai considered as the father of Indian Space Programme. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it plans to launch Megha-Tropiques an advanced weather and climate satellite, onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) later this month.(sept) The satellite will be launched from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said. The GSAT-12 communication satellite, launched onboard PSLV-C17, has been successfully placed in geosynchronous orbit with a perigee of 35,684 km, apogee of 35,715 km and an orbital inclination of 0.17 deg with respect to the equatorial plane. Lifted off from the space station at Sriharikota GSAT-8 was launched by Ariane 5 from Kourou in French Guiana on May 21. The GSAT-12 communication satellite, launched onboard PSLV-C17 _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ #Sir Osborne Smith was the first Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1 April 1935 to 30 June 1937. Since his outlook on policy issues like the exchange rates and interest rates differed with that of the Government, he resigned before the completion of his term of office. Sir Chintaman Dwarakanath Deshmukh better known as C. D. Deshmukh, was the first Indian to be appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 1943 by the Britishers. Sir Benegal Rama Rau was the fourth Governor of RBI from 1 July 1949 to 14 January 1957 . He holds the record for the first Governor of RBI after it was nationalized by the Govt of India in 1949. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ Page 84

PG GK COLLECTION #\The Nobel Prize is the most respected award the world over and here is a list of those Indians who have won this award and made the country proud. Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) Nobel Prize for Literature (1913) Tagore was born and lived in Calcutta for most of his life. He was one of modern India's greatest poets and the composer of independent India's national anthem. In 1901 he founded his school, the Santiniketan, at Bolpur as a protest against the existing bad system of education. The school was a great success and gave birth to Viswabharati. He was awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize inLiterature for his work "Gitanjali"; for the English version, published in 1912. The noble citationstated that it was "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West." In 1915, he was knighted by the British King George V. Tagore renounced his knighthood in 1919 following the Amritsar massacre or nearly 400 Indian demonstrators. Sir C.V. Raman (Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman)(1888 - 1970) Nobel Prize for Physics (1930) C V Raman was born on 7th Nov. 1888 in Thiruvanaikkaval, in the Trichy district of Tamil Nadu. He finished school by the age of eleven and by then he had already read the popular lectures of Tyndall, Faraday and Helmoltz. He acquired his BA degree from the Presidency College, Madras, where he carried out original research in the college laboratory, publishing the results in the philosophical magazine. Then went to Calcutta and while he was there, he made enormous contributions to vibration, sound,musical Instruments, ultrasonics, diffraction, photo electricity, colloidal particles, X-ray diffraction, magnetron, dielectrics, and the celebrated "RAMAN" effect which fetched him the Noble Prize in 1930. He was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize. The Raman effect occurs when a ray of incident light excites a molecule in the sample, which subsequently scatters the light. While most of this scattered light is of the same wavelength as the incident light, state(i.e. getting the molecule to vibrate). The Raman effect is useful in the study of molecular energy levels, structure development, and multi component qualitative analysis. Dr. Hargobind Khorana Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology (196 Dr. Hargobind Khorana was born on 9th January 1922 at Raipur, Punjab (now in Pakistan). Dr. Khorana was responsible for producing the first man-made gene in his laboratory in the early seventies. This historic invention won him the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1968 sharing it with Marshall Nuremberg and Robert Holley for interpreting the genetic code and analyzing its function in protein synthesis. They all independently made contributions to the understanding of the genetic code and how it works in the cell. They established that this mother of all codes, the biological language common to all living organisms, is spelled out in three-letter words: each set of three nucleotides codes for a specific amino acid.

Dr. Subramaniam Chandrasekar Nobel Prize for physics (1983) Subramaniam Page 85

PG GK COLLECTION Chandrashekhar was born on October 19, 1910 in Lahore, India (later part of Pakistan). He attended Presidency College from 1925 to 1930, following in the footsteps of his famous uncle, Sir C. V. Raman. His work spanned over the understanding of the rotation of planets, stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. He won the Nobel Prize in 1983 for his theoretical work on stars and their evolution.

Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997) Nobel Prize for peace (1979) Born in 1910, Skoplje, Yugoslavia (then Turkey) and originally named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping the poor, the sick, and the dying around the world, particularly those in India, working through the Missionaries Of Charity in Calcutta. The Society of Missionaries has spread all over the world, including the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. They provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and they undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. The order also has houses in North America, Europe and Australia, where they take care of the shut-ins, alcoholics, homeless, and AIDS sufferers. Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997. Dr. Amartya Sen Nobel Prize for Economics (199 Born in 1933, Bolpur, in West Bengal, Amartya Sen is the latest in our list of Nobel Laureates. He was honored with the Nobel Prize for his work in Welfare economics. When Thailand's Baht plummeted, markets from Bombay to New York were in turmoil and there was talk of worldwide depression, Sen's argument that growth should be accompanied by democratic decision-making seemed only too correct. Amidst the human suffering caused by mass unemployment and exacerbated -- as many felt -- by the stringent economic policies of the International Monetary Fund and ideas of free-market capitalism, Sen's call for social support in development appeared humane and wise. A new brand of softer, gentler economics seemed in order. Although Sen is probably best known for his research on famines, his work on women -- the attention he has drawn to their unequal status in the developing world, and his calls for gender-specific aid programs -- is just as important. Other Nobel Prize Laureates related to India. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) British writer, Rudyard Kipling wrote novels, poems and short stories -- mostly set in India and Burma (now known as Myanmar). He was the 1907 Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration, which characterize the creations of this world-famous author." V.S. Naipaul (1932- ) British writer of Indian origin, Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 2001 "for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see Page 86

PG GK COLLECTION the presence of suppressed histories." _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ #Airplane/Aviation Wilbur and Orville Wright invented the manned engined airplane Artificial Heart Willem Kolff invented both the first artificial heart and the first artificial kidney dialysis machine. Bicycle, 1861 The French vlocipde, invented in 1861 by Pierre Marchaux, is widely considered to be the first true bicycle. James Russell invented the compact disk in 1965. Discovered HIV - Dr. Luc Montagnier _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ #Indian Enviroment n 20.55% area under forest cover n Forest Survey of India HO at Dehra Dun n 15 Biosphere Reserves, 4 recognized by UNESCO viz., Nilgiri, Sunderbans, Gulf of Mannar and Nanda Devi n Forest Policy 1894, revised 1952 & 1988 n Project Tiger 1973; 281 Tiger Reserves in 17 states n Project Elephant 1992; 14 reserves n Eco-mark to label environment-friendly consumer products n Sunderlal Bahuguna of Chipko Movement awarded Padma Vibushan n Sunita Narain Centre for Science and Environment Delhi n Vandana Shiva, Maneka Gandhi and Amala Blue Cross, Navadhanya n Mining license of Vedanta revoked n Many projects in Uttarakhand on Ganga put on hold n Development vs Environment n Indias good record in carbon emissions n Low development responsible for low emissions? n Is environment clearance becoming politicized? Ex: Vedanta and Polavaram n Bishnois highly eco friendly community Haryana, Rajasthan _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________ #sobriquets

Aberdeen, Scotland The Granite City Africa The Dark Continent Amristsar, India The City of the Golden Temple Page 87

PG GK COLLECTION Atlantic Ocean The Herring Pond Australia The Land of the Golden Fleece, The Land of the Kangaroo Bab-el-mandab The Gate of Tears Bahrain Island of Pearls Bangalore, India The Garden City of India Belgium The Cockpit of Europe Belgtade, Yugoslavia White City Bombay, India The Gateway of India Broadway, New York The Great White Way Burma (Mayanmar) The Land of the Golden Pagoda Calcutta, India The City of Palaces Canada The Land of Lilies, The Land of Maple Chicago, USA Windy City Cochin, India The Venice of the East, The Queen of the Arabian Sea Cuba The Pearl of the Antilles Egypt The Gift of the Nile Finland The Land of Thousand Lakes Gibraltar The key of the Mediterranean Guinea Coast White Man's Grave River Hwang Ho, china The Sorrow of China Ireland The Emerald Island Jaipur The Rose Pink City _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ #Some IMP Points during begining of the year 2011.... Indias biggest indigenous reactors are ? Pressurised Heavy Reactors at Kakrapar The construction work of 700 MWe Pressured Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar began in November 2010. The 700 MWe units are the countrys biggest indigenous reactors in which natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as both moderate and coolant is used. ? The Champions of Delhi Half Marathon are ? Geoffrey Mutai and Aselefech Mergia Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya clinched the mens title while the 2008 winner Aselefech Mergia won in the womens elite category at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on November 21, 2010 in Delhi. ? Recently Home Minister P. Chidambaram recently launched ? Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Adolescent Girls Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has launched a special scheme Sabla or the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme forAdolescent Girls as a pilot project in 200 most backward districts. The scheme would address the nutritionaland special training aspects of girls between the age of 1118 years. ? The IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2010 has been conferred on ? Tehelka Magazine Weekly magazine Tehelka has been selected for the IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2010 foroutstanding journalistic work. Page 88

PG GK COLLECTION ? Nearly one-quarter of total deaths from pneumonia among children occur in ? India As per a Pneumonia Report Card released by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) on behalf of the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia 3,70,000 or nearly one quarter of deaths from pneumonia occur in India alone. ? Three Indian performing-art forms which were recently inscribed on UNESCOs intangible heritage list include Keralas Mudiyetu, Chhau of East India and Kalbelia of Rajasthan The UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) has recently inscribed three Indian performing-art forms, the Mudiyetu (a ritual theatre of Kerala), the Chhau dance (a tradition from eastern India) and the Kalbelia (folk songs and dances of Rajasthan) in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. ? Indian Armys Strategic Forces Command recently tested ? Agni-1 The Strategic Forces Command of the Army on November 25, 2010 tested the surface-to-surface missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) on Wheeler Island off Damra village on the Orissa Coast. ? The winner of Durand Cup this year is ? Chirag United Chirag United defeated JCT on November 7, 2010 to bag the Durand Cup (football) in New Delhi. It wasChirag Uniteds most precious title. ? During US President Obamas visit to India, India signed with USA deals worth ? $ 10 billion During US President Barack Obamas visit to India, deals worth $ 10 billion (nearly Rs. 44,000 crore) were reached in first week of November 2010 which will create 50,000 jobs in the US. ? The Hindu Best Fiction Award 2010 winner is ? Manu Joseph Manu Joseph has bagged the Hindu Best Fiction Award 2010 for his debut novel Serious Men. ? The new Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh is ? Kiran Kumar Reddy Andhra Pradesh Assembly speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy was sworn in as the new Chief Minister on November 25, 2010 after K. Rosaiah resigned citing health reasons. ? The Indian women who have been ranked as the most powerful women of the past century by Time Magazine areIndira Gandhi and Mother TeresaIndira GandhiThe worlds longest serving woman Prime Minister has been ranked by the Time Magazine as the 9th most powerful woman of the past century while another Indian woman Mother Teresa has been ranked 22nd most powerful woman of the past (20th) century of the world by the magazine. ? The Sikh of the Year Award 2010 has been conferred on ? A. S. Chandhiok Additional Solicitor General and Delhi High Court Bar Association President A. S. Chandhiok has been honoured with the Sikh of the year 2010 award for his outstanding achievement in the legal field and working for betterment of society. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ #Sadananda Gowda: He has been elected as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. D. Subbarao: He is the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and his tenure has been extended till September 2013. Page 89

PG GK COLLECTION Tony Tan: He has been elected as the President of Singapore. Yoshihiko Noda: He has been elected as the Prime Minister of Japan. He is the sixth Prime Minister of Japan in last five years. Baburam Bhattarai: Vice Chairman of the Maoists, he has been elected as the Prime Minister of Nepal, returning the former rebels to power.

RESIGNED Jhala Nath Khanal: Prime Minister of Nepal. Naoto Kan: Prime Minister of Japan. DIED Shammi Kapoor: Hindi film actor who ruled the film industry in the 1950s and 1960s. He was 79. Leiber, Jerry: The songwriter who penned the lyrics for Elvis Presleys classic hits, including Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock. He was 78. _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ #Oil suppliers to India (in descending order of their contribution) 1) Saudi arabia 2) Iran 3) Iraq 4) Nigeria 5) UAE _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ #Bharti Airtel has joined hands with the Formula 1 Group Companies to become the title sponsor of the Indian leg of the race, which will be called the Airtel Grand Prix of India Force Motors, the Indian utility vehicle manufacturer, has finally launched its first passenger car - the Force One SUV in Mumbai. Google Inc. has decided to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings for US$12.5 billion.(Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility,) India signed the Kyoto Protocol in the year 2002 A carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide Carbon credits and carbon markets are a component of national and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Some people advocate a major shift from taxation from income and sales taxes to tax on pollution - the so-called "green tax shift." Page 90

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ #Japan - Land of the Rising Sun

n Yoshihiko Noda new PM n Kuril Islands source of dispute with Russia n Was worlds second and Asias largest economy but well ahead of China in per capita income n Oldest still ruling Royal House in the world n Monarch sits on Chrysanthemum Throne n No standing army n No manufacture, supply or storing of nuclear weapons n Okinawa issue with USA n [China overtakes Japan as second largest economy] _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________ #Leading international Organizations 1) Commonwealth of Nations 54 sovereign states as members HQ - Marlborough House, London Since 1952 , Queen Elizabeth II has been it's head current president - Micheal Fennell (jamaica) 2) WTO (world trade organization) Since 1 jan,1995 153 members HQ- Geneva , Switzerland current director general - Pascal Lamy of France 3)OECD (organization for Economic cooperation and development) originated in 1948 agenda - to promote democracy and market economy Page 91

PG GK COLLECTION HQ - Paris,France 32 members current Sec general- Jose Angel Gurria of Mexico 4) SAARC (South Asian association for Regional cooperation) Established in 1985 HQ- Kathmandu, Nepal 8 members-Afghanistan , Bangladesh, Bhutan,India , Maldives, Nepal, pak,srilanka Current sec general - Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed of Maldives 5)EU (European Union) established by the treaty of Maasticht in 1993 27 member states HQ- Brussels,Belgium 6) APEC (asian pacific economic cooperation) established in 1989 21 members HQ- singapore 7)SCO (shanghai cooperation organization) it's an intergovernmental mutual security org 6 members,4 observers,including India it's Secretariat located at Beijing,China Current sec general - M.S Imanaliyev of Kyragyzstan NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organizaion) 28 member states Page 92

PG GK COLLECTION HQ- Brussels,Belgium _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ #Maharashtra has the highest road route length Goa has the highest surfaced road density NH7 is the longest national highway Golden Quadrilateral Project envisages a six lane expressway connecting New Delhi , Mumbai , Chennai , Kolkata two more projects North South corridor - connecting Srinagar with Kanyakumari And East West corridor - connecting Kohima (Nagaland) with Porbandar( Gujarat ) -*Q. In foreign trade what is "Dutch disease" ? Ans. When one item's export makes the foreign currency appreciate and thereby harm other exports Q. Which Secunderabad based company will be associated with the manufacture of the 35 $ tablet computer Aakash launched by Kapil Sibal ? Ans. Quad _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ #HERO HONDA is now called as HERO MOTOCORP as HONDA makes a complete exit from the joint venture between hero & honda, making HERO sole owner. its new brand ambassador - ranbir kapoor. some points about F1>name- F1 AIRTEL GRAND PRIX OF INDIA >F1 is sanctioned by- FIA Formula one World Championship >FIA president- JEAN TODT >indian team's name- SAHARA FORCE INDIA (sahara has bought its stake as equal partner in FORCE INDIA) >chairman of SAHARA group- SUBROTO ROY >f1 will be held on- 30th oct 2011 >circuit's name- BUDDH INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT >circuit length- 5.137 km >no. of laps- 60 Page 93

PG GK COLLECTION >no. of participating teams- 12 >drivers of SAHARA FORCE INDIA- a)A.SUTIL b)P.di Resta _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________ #23. The Sick Man of Europe is the nick name for a) Rome b) Turkey c) Italy d) Oxford

24. Which of the following countries has the largest area in the World? a) Canada b) China c) USA d) Russia

25. Which of the following rivers crosses the Equator twice? a) The Amazon b) The Nile c) The Congo d) The Orinoco

26. Mount Everest is located in which country? a) India b) China c) Nepal d) Bhutan

27. Which is the worlds largest mountain range? a) The Alps b) The Himalaya c) The Andes d) The Atlas

28. The largest Island in the world is a) Australia b) Greenland c) New Guinea d) None of these

29. Bauxite is an important ore of a) Aluminium b) Zinc c) Copper d) Mic Ans:23.(b) 24.(d) 25.(c) 26.(c) 27.(C) 28.(b) 29.(a) _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________ #1.Which of the following statements is / are not true? A. The worlds second tallest mountain peak is Kanchenjunga. B. The worlds largest Island is New Guinea. C. The origin of the worlds longest river Nile is Lake Victoria. D. The worlds largest natural lake is Caspian sea. E. India is the worlds 5th largest country in terms of area. F. Vatican City is the worlds second smallest country in terms of area. Page 94

PG GK COLLECTION G. Russia and China are the two countries which share international borders with 14 countries. (1) ABD (2) BDF (3) CDE (4) ABE 2. Among the following states which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large variety of Orchids with the minimum cost of production and can develop an export oriented industry in this field? (1) Madhya Pradesh (2) Andhra Pradesh (3) Uttar Pradesh (4) Arunachal Pradesh 3. Which Indian tractor manufacturing company has a 9.2% share of the tractor market in China? (1) TAFE (2) M & M (3) Reva (4) John Deere. 4. Which of the following sequence is correct regarding the length of land border with India in ascending order? (1) China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal. (2) Nepal, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh. (3) Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal. (4) Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Nepal. Ans:1.4 2.4 3.2 4.2 _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________ #1. Name the Bhutan's king who recently got married ? 2. Name the Hedge Fund Tycoon who has recently been sentenced to 11 years of jail term ? 3. Name the CMD of Air India ? 4. Akash (tablet) is manufactured by which company ? 5. Name the cricketers who are charged for accepting bribe when they were touring England ? 6. Android is owned by which American MNC ? 7. Name the Google Guys ? 8. Name the cricketers who are banned for life by ICC ? 9. Name the NEWS agency which did a sting operation during the England Pakistan tour to uncover the tainted ? 10. Name the first Blackberry device which was launched in 1999 ? Page 95

PG GK COLLECTION

Answers 1. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk 2. Raj Rajaratnam 3. Rohit Nandan 4. DataWind 5. Mohammad Asif,Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt 6. Google 7. Larry Page and Sergey Brin 8. Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Sharma and Hansie Cronje 9. News Of The World 10.Blackberry 850 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ #Q1. Steve Jobs loved BeatlesBut he had a long standing legal tussle with them. Why ? Ans. On Apples trademark. Beatles owned Apple records Q2. Connect Adam & Eve, Newton and Steve Jobs Ans. Apple Q3. Which is the largest financial institution in the world in terms of assets under management ? Ans. Blackrock Q4. A typical car tyre lasts 25,000 km , how many kms does a F1 car last ? Ans. 200km only Q5. In foreign trade what is Dutch disease ? Ans. When one items export makes the foreign currency appreciate and thereby harm other exports Q6. Which Secunderabad based company will be associated with the manufacture of the 35 $ tablet computer Aakash launched by Kapil Sibal ? Ans. Quad Q7. Chetan Bhagats commented that Infy was a Body-shop. Where did this term originate ? Ans. Hollywood studios. Body shops used to supply extras. My heart is felt with deep gratitude as the Weekly Business Quiz crosses the 100 mark. Thanks to all the subscribers and readers of this blog. All the questions are derived from various news publications. I am not able to personally acknowledge each one of them. The quiz would not be there, if they were not providing the basic news. _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________ #5. Which bank has been conferred with the Most Productive Public Sector Bank Award 2011 by FICCI and IBA in September 2011? (1) OBC (2) SBI (3) PNB (4) Corporation Bank. Page 96

PG GK COLLECTION 6. The Manesar Plant of which automobile company witnessed a prolonged strike in September 2011? (1) Maruti Suzuki. (2) Tata Motors. (3) Hero Motors. (4) Hindustan Motors. 7. Who is the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Infrastructure, Innovation and Information? (1) M. S. Swaminathan (2) Sam Pitroda (3) C. Rangarajan (4) Kaushik Basu 8. Which of the following is an exclusive exchange for trading of shares of unlisted companies? (1) BDB (2) USE (3) OTCEI (4) BSE ANS:5.4 6.1 7.2 8.3 _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ #9.In September 2011, India abolished duty on 46 textile products imported from (1) Bangladesh (2) Pakistan (3) China (4) Sri Lanka 10. Which country in September 2011 served an ultimatum to the Swiss banking industry? (1) India (2) China (3) USA (4) Russia 11. Which of the following statements are not true? A. The first ancient Olympic games were held in 776 AD. B. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. C. The Olympic flag and the Olympic oath were introduced in 1920. D. A black African won a gold for the first time in the Olympics at Rome in 1966. The games were covered by television worldwide. E. The games were held at the highest altitude ever 7, 349 feet in Sydney, Australia in 1968. F. Eleven Israeli athletes were killed when Palestinian militants stormed the team headquarters of Israel in Munich, in 1972. (1) A, B only (2) B, C, D only (3) E, F only (4) A, E only 12. The Obulapuram mining company [OMC] which is in the news, is facing allegations of illegal mining on the border between (1) AP and Karnataka. (2) Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. (3) AP and Chhattisgarh. (4) Orissa and Jharkhand. Correct Answers: 9.1 Page 97

PG GK COLLECTION 10.3 11.4 12.1 _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________ #13.Who is the Vice Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) (1) Kapil Sibal (2) Shivraj Patil (3) M.Shashidhar Reddy (4) N.C.Vij 14. Which of the following sectors has a foreign direct investment (FDI) limit of 100%? (1) Banking (2) Telecom (3) Tourism (4) Insurance 15. Who among the following has won the Templeton Prize for 2011? (1) Joseph Lelyveld (2) Martin Rees (3) Warren Buffett (4) Francisco Jose Ayala 16.Which social activist has won the 2011 **** Rabindranath Tagore International Peace Prize that carries a prize money of `1 Crore? (1) Arundhati Roy (2) Anna Hazare (3) Kiran Bedi (4) Aravind Kejriwal correct answers: 13.4 14.3 15.2 16.2 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ #\17.Which State hosted the 34th National Games recently? (1) Kerala (2) Maharashtra (3) Jharkhand (4) Andhra Pradesh 18. In September 2011, the parliament accepted the three suggestions on Lokpal proposed by (1) NAC. (2) IAC. (3) Bharath Swabhiman. (4) YAC. 19. Who heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance? (1) P. Chidambaram (2) Jaswant Singh (3) Yashwant Sinha (4) Sitaram Yechury 20. The `1000 Crore e-project for issue of passports was taken up by (1) TCS. (2) CMC. (3) C-DAC. (4) NIC. Correct answers: 17.3 18.2 19.3 Page 98

PG GK COLLECTION 20.1 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ #\\The name of this Japanese company literally means three diamonds.Which one? [Answer : Mitsibushi (The name Mitsubishi (consists of two parts: "mitsu" meaning "three" and "hishi" meaning "water caltrop" (also called "water chestnut"), and hence "rhombus", which is reflected in the company's famous logo. It is also translated as "three diamonds")] What does the company name Wipro stand for ? [Answer : Western India Product] The two founders of this brand insist that they selected its name because of its definition: rude, unsophisticated, uncouth. What a name to give a brand! Which brand are we talking about? [Answer : Yahoo] This is a Japanese surname (also a brand name now) that means below the pine tree. [Answer : Matusushita] This brand name is misspelt of the word which meant the number one followed by one hundred zeros, which was picked to signify that the search engine wants to provide large quantities of information for people.Which brand is this? [Answer : Google] Organizations and their founders Kingfisher Airlines : Vijay Mallaya The A.V.Birla group : Aditya Vikram Birla Air India : JRD Tata Biocon : Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Dabur : S.K.Burman taglines Earths biggest big store . is the tag line of : Amazon.com Is se sasta aur Achcha kahee nahee milenga .. is the tag line of : Big Bazaar The Edge is efficiency . is the tag line of .. BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) Building tomorrows enterprise . is the tag line of : Infosys Technologies Gods own country is the tag line of Kerala Tourism Trade organizations Which organisations are known as the Bretton Woods twins? [Answer : the IMF and the World Bank] What does ASEAN stand for? [Answer : the Association of South East Asian Nations] Page 99

PG GK COLLECTION The NAFTA includes : [Answer : the American countries] The OPEC is important because : [Answer : it is a body which helps in the stabilisation of oil prices] The G-8 group has been replaced by :[Answer : G-20] India Info A state in India with two capitals : Jammu and Kashmir (the summer capital is Srinagar and the winter capital is Jammu) : due to extreme tempature variance and temperature below 0 in Srinagar in winter. This state is known as the Land of gods : Uttarakhand : due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduisms most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship. Punjab is known as Indias granary.[Etymology : Punj (five) + ab (water)] No. of states and Union territories in India are : 28 and 7 Which states are known as the seven sister states? : the North Eastern states [Assam,Arunachal Pradesh,Manipur,Meghalaya,Nagaland,Tripura and Sikkim] also called as the Paradise unexplored Days 15th March is celebrated as World consumers rights day 22nd March is celebrated as World Water day 16th October is celebrates as World food day 11th July is celebrated as World Population day 28th Feb is celebrated as National Science day _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ #The Mid Atlantic Range is the largest and the longest range but it is underwater ...it is located along the floor of the Atlantic ocean separating the Eurasian and North American plate.. _____________________________________________________________________________ #The tagline for the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup is - THE CUP THAT COUNTS The mascot for the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup is - STUMPY The logo spots the year 2012 along with the London in the first "2" and the five familiar rings of Olympic in the "0". The mascot for the games are Wenlock and Mandeville. The characters are named after the small town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire - which hosted a precursor to the modern Olympic Games in the 19th Century - and the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire. The company which recently announced a new brand position called Rise ? Mahindra ..now - Mahindra Rise & new Core Purpose taglines Maruti Suzuki - Way of Life Page 100

PG GK COLLECTION Kizashi - A Sign of Great Things to Come Grand Vitara - Play it Your Way DZire - The Heart Car Maruti SX4 - Men are Back Maruti Swift - You're The Fuel Ritz - Live The Moment A-Star - Stop @ Nothing Maruti EECO - Happiness Family Size ! WagonR - For the Smarter Race Maruti Gypsy -There is a Gypsy in everyone Omni - Fits All Estillo - Take a Fresh View of Life Alto - Lets Go. Maruti 800 - Change your Life _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ # Who is the President of Syria? 1. Bashar al-Assad 2. Hafez al-Assad 3. cAhmad al-Khatib 4. None of these 2) Abhijit Sen is associated with 1. Planning Commission 2. Foreign Secretary 3. WHO 4. ISRO 3) Recently, Mylan Pharmaceuticals has filed a case against the Food and Drug Administration, seeking the withdrawal of approval to Ranbaxy Laboratories to sell which of the following companies? 1. Rexpar 2. Lipitor Page 101

PG GK COLLECTION 3. Cifran 4. None of these 4) Keita Muramatsu is associated with 1. Honda Motors 2. Hyundai 3. Toyota 4. None of these 5) AT&T has agreed to buy which of the following companies for $39 billion? 1. T-Mobile 2. Vodafone 3. Orange 4. None of these 6) Which of the following playback singers was recently felicitated in the House of Commons here for her outstanding achievements in music? 1. Lata Mangeshkar 2. Asha Bhonsle 3. Kailash Kher 4. AR Rahman 7) DM Healthcare, a leading healthcare provider in the Gulf region, plans to invest Rs.1,000 crore in which of the following countriesin the next three years by setting up chain of hospitals? 1. Japan 2. USA 3. India 4. Oman Voltas Ltd and which of the following companies have agreed to establish a joint venture in India for developing, manufacturing and marketing forklift trucks and warehousing equipments? 1. Kion Group 2. LG 3. Samsung 4. None of these ans: 11211231 _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ #Some 2010 December events Who*won*the*Dubai*ITF*event*tennis*championship? (1) Bojana*Jovanoviski* (2) Sania*Mirza (3) Yamina*Wickmayer (4) Greta*Am Page 102

PG GK COLLECTION Who*won*the*Hero*Honda*Open*golf*title*in New*Delhi**? (1) Senk*hyun (2) Shiv*Kumar (3) Arjun*Atwal* (4) Rikard*Karlbery (He is from Sweden) Air India Hockey team won the 21*st* Lal* Bahadur Shastri* Hockey tournament at the National* Stadium in New* Delhi* defeating (1) ONGC* (2) SAIL (3) BHEL (4) Punjab Police In*the*inaugural*South*Asia Football*Federation womens championship*which*country*won*it defeating Nepal*1**0*?* (1) Bangladesh (2) India (3) Sri*Lanka (4) Bhuta Which*of*the*following countries*will*host*the FIFA*World Cup*2018?* (1) Spain (2) Russia (3) Portugal* (4) Qatar* Who*became*the*National*chess*champion ? (1) Tejas*Baure (2) Parimarjan*Negi* (3) Dev*Kumar (4) Vishwantahn*Anan Which*of*the*following countries*recently declared*self*sufficient*in*the*entire*nuclear fuel*cycle? (1) Japan (2) Pakistan (3) North*Korea (4) Iran Ans:2412224 Teleos, in association with The KNOW Network, has announced the Finalists in the 2011 Asian Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) study. This 10th annual Asian MAKE study is an established benchmark to recognize Asia's leading organizations for their ability to leverage enterprise knowledge to deliver superior performance in the areas of innovation, operational Page 103

PG GK COLLECTION effectiveness and excellence in products and services. This year's 29 Asian MAKE Finalists are (in alphabetical order): - Arup (Hong Kong SAR, China) - Asian Development Bank (Asia) - China Merchants Bank Direct Banking Center (China) - eClerx (India) - Ernst & Young, Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR, China) - Eureka Forbes (India) - Fujitsu (Japan) - Infosys Limited (India) - Korea Customs Service (S. Korea) - Korea Water Resources Corporation (S. Korea) - Larsen & Toubro, Hydrocarbon IC (India) - MindTree (India) - MTR Corporation Limited (Hong Kong SAR, China) - NetDragon Websoft Inc. (China) - POSCO (S. Korea) - Samsung SDS (S. Korea) - Siemens Limited China (China) - Singapore Armed Forces (Singapore) - Tata Chemicals (India) - Tata Consultancy Services (India) - Tata Steel (India) - Toyota (Japan) - Toyota Astra Motor (Indonesia) - Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd. (China) - Unilever Indonesia (Indonesia) - United Tractors (Indonesia) - Wipro Technologies (India) - Woods Bagot (Australia) - WorleyParsons (Australia) _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________ #India and FDI - Top Investing Countries during June 2011 are: Mauritius (41 per cent), Singapore (10 per cent), U.S.A (7 per cent), U.K (6 per cent), Netherlands (4 per cent), Japan (4 per cent), Cyprus (4 per cent), Germany (3 per cent), France (2 per cent), U.A.E (1 per cent). FDI can be divided into two broad categories: investment under automatic route and investment through prior approval of Government. First recipient of DSC prize for South Asian Literature ? H.N. Naqvi Who is the chairperson of National Advisory Council ? Sonia Gandhi Tejas is ? Indias first indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft. Page 104

PG GK COLLECTION Chief Economic Advisor to finance ministry is ? Kaushik Basu City which will hold the Indian Science Congress in 2012 January ? Bhubaneswar _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ # Environmentalist, lawyer and former Union Minister, Mohan Dharia, has been selected as the winner of the 26th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. The 86-year-old Padma Vibhushan awardee, who currently runs the Vanrai NGO in Pune The Republic of Maldives, declared Building Bridges as the theme for the Seventeenth SAARC Summit to be held in Addu Atoll of the island nation on 10-11 November this year. The 16th SAARC summit was held in Thimpu, Bhutan, issuing two separate declarations on regional cooperation and climate change in late April this year. This year also marks the silver jubilee of the establishment of SAARC. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre - Mumbai Central Mining Research Institute - Dhanbad Uranium corporation - Jaduguda mines, bihar Atomic Energy comission - Mumbai The Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (Fund) and the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (Bank) normally meet once a year to discuss the work of their respective institutions. This year they met in September in Washington DC. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________

1. Father of C programming language has recently died.Name him ? 2. Name the lawyer activist who was recently beaten because of his remarks on Kashmir Issue ? 3. WHich CM has inaugrated a 650 crore Ambedkar Park ? 4. Which company has recently acquired Skype ? 5. Where is IBSA Summit being held 6. Force India is owned by which two Indian honcho's 7. Name the Indycar driver who died recently at Las Vegas 300 IndyCar Series Finale 8. Name the movie whose television rights have been sold for a whoping 41 Page 105

PG GK COLLECTION crores . 9. Name the Chairman of Maruti Suzuki 10. Name the latest protest in New York which is against corruption

Answers 1. Dennis Ritchie 2. prashant Bhushan 3. Smt Mayadevi 4. Microsoft 5. pretoria 6. Vijay Mallya and Subroto Roy 7. Dan Wheldon 8. Agneeath 9. RC Bhargava 10. Occupy Wall St. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ NDTV Indian of the year 2011 award list------------NDTV honored all the Indians who has helped to build the brand India through their contributions and visions in 2011 Indian of the Year ------------ Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal Indias Heroes ------------ Team India, World Cup Cricket Champions Entertainer of the Year Team ------------ Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Entertainer of the Year (Music)------------ Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy Lifetime Achievement Award ------------ Dev Anand & Rahul Dravid LIC Unsung Hero of the Year ------------ RTI activists Amit Jethwa, Dattatreya Patil, Vishram Dodiya, Satish Shetty and Vitthal Gite Transformational Idea of the Year Award ------------ Nandan Nilekani Icon of India ------------ N R Narayana Murthy _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Q.1. Which publication proposed the idea of Occupy Wall Street and ran a campaign ? Ans. Adbusters from Canada Q2. What is the name of the virtual personal assistant in iPhone4s that speaks in a womans voice in US and a mans voice in UK ? Page 106

PG GK COLLECTION Ans. Siri

Q3. What is the two pizza rule for teams at Amazon ? Ans. Teams should be small so that they can be fed by two pizzas Q4. Where did the current Occupy Wall Street movement originate on May 15 this year ? Ans. Madrid Spain Q5. October 16 is Steve Jobs day. Who has declared it ? Ans. California Governor Jerry Brown Q6. Name the creator of C programming language who passed away recently ? Ans. Dennis Ritchie Q7. What will be the new name of the F1 team FORCE INDIA ? Ans.Sahara force india

Subroto Roy and Vijay Mallya Q8. What is Microsofts fruity response to Apples iPhone ? Ans. Mango Q9. For which product advt, the unusual hero is the Cocoa bean ? Ans.Bournville Q10. Apple is a frugal advertiser. It does not need to. For which Apple product was the memorable Think Different campaign ? Ans. Macintosh in 1984 Q11. Besides Apple, Jobs was a long standing member of which company board? Ans. Disney Q12. Before starting Apple, for which video games co did Steve Jobs work for ? Ans. Atari Page 107

PG GK COLLECTION Q13. What is the connection of Apollo hospitals to the 2G scam ? Ans. Reddys of Apollo have a stake in Aircel. Siva-Maxis deal is part of 2G scam Q14. Which small country in europe is stopping the euro package to go through ? Ans. Slovakia Q15. What is the name of the new book from management author Jim Collins who gave Good to great ? Ans. Great by choice Q16. Which foreign co has acquired 26 % stake in Max Healthcare recently ? Ans. Life Healthcare of South Africa Q17. After 2008 all F1 cars have a 2.4 l V8 engine. Yeh engine kitna deti hai ? Ans. 4 miles per gallon Q18. In the TVC of FORD FIGO a direct comparison is made with which car of a competitor ? Ans. Maruti Swift Q19. Which B-school of Indian origin in London has been shut down for visa problems ? Ans. TASMAC Q20. Jagjit Singh besides being a singer was also a big collector of horses. Connect his two passions . Ans. His horses were named after his albums Q21. For which brand of cough syrup did Jagjit Singh appear with Om Puri in the TVC ? Ans. Torex Q22. For their work on what area of Economics have the Americans Sargent and Sims been awarded the Nobel prize in Economics ? Ans. Macroeconomics Page 108

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ )Which of the following personalities has been conferred the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2010 for the contribution to national integration, democratic values and the socio-economic development of India? 1. Lata Mangeshkar 2. Medha Patekar 3. Mahasweta Devi 4. None of these The Government of India has proposed to nominate the name of which of the following rivers for inclusion in the cultural landscape' category of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) World Heritage list? 1. Ganga 2. Yamuna 3. Brahmaputra 4. Majuli Swiss Re is a company which is into 1. Insurance 2. Automobile 3. Electronics 4. Infrastructure

In which year was Russia added to the G8 nations? 1. 1994 2. 1995 3. 1996 4. 1997 Which of the following countries confers Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and the Key of the Indian Ocean award? 1. Russia 2. Mexico 3. Germany 4. Mauritius Who was presented with the 2010 Chameli Devi Jain award for Outstanding Woman Media Person? 1. Barkha Dutt 2. Prathima Manohar 3. Shahina K.K 4. Nalini Singh Page 109

PG GK COLLECTION Which of the following politicians will contest from Srirangam in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled? 1. M.Karunanidhi 2. Jayalalithaa 3. K. V. Kandaswamy 4. None of these Goldman Sachs Asset Management has agreed to acquire which of the following asset management companies? 1. Franklin Templeton Asset Management 2. Birla Sun Life Asset Management 3. Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management 4. Benchmark Asset Management Sir Anthony (Tony) Hayward was associated with 1. British Petroleum 2. Sony 3. Ford 4. None of these Reliance Life Insurance Co. Ltd recently signed an agreement to sell its 26% equity partner for `3,062 crore to which of the following companies? 1. Nippon Life 2. Religare 3. Birla Sun Life Asset Management 4. Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management Jacques Ren Chirac was the President of which of the following countries? 1. Japan 2. Russia 3. Mexico 4. France Hero Honda Motors has roped in a brand consultancy to create its new identity. Which of the following brand consultancy firm has been hired by Hero Honda Motors? 1. Interbrand 2. Wolff Olins 3. Planman's 4. None of these ans: 341443241142 _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________

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PG GK COLLECTION BOOKS

The Museum of Innocence Orphan Pamuk Songs of Blood and Sword Fatima Bhutto A Call To Honour : In Service of Emergent India Jaswant Singh Falling Over Backward Arun Shourie The Inheritance of Loss Kiran Desai Sacred Games Vikram Chandra One Day Cricket, The Indian Challenge Ashish Rai The Exile Navtej Sarna I Witness : Partial Observations Kapil Sibal The White Tiger Aravind Adiga Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel The Argumentative Indian Dr. Amartya Sen Guiding Souls : Dialogues on The Purpose of Life Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Magic Seeds V.S. Naipaul The Hungary Tide Amitav Ghosh My Life Bill Clinton The Namesake Jhumpa Lahiri Ignited Minds Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Life of Pi Yann Martel Wake up India Annie Besant India Wins Freedom Abul Kalam Azad Life Divine Sri Aurobindo Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History Jawahar Lal Nehru Azhar (Life) Harsha Bhogle Ain-e-Akbari Abul Fazal Hindu view of Life Dr. S. Radhakrishnan _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Where is Gaddafi Stadium located? 1. Pakistan 2. Libya 3. Oman 4. None of these The sports utility vehicle Cayenne belongs to which of the following brands? 1. Hyundai 2. Chevrolet 3. BMW 4. Porsche _________________________________________________________________________________ __ Current Affairs Quiz January 2011 Page 111

PG GK COLLECTION 1. Bharat Ratna Classical Singer who died recently at the age of 88 ? Pandit Bhinsen Joshi 2. Italian Film director ,screenwriter and one of the masters of the Commedia allItaliana (Comedy Italian style) who died on November 29, 2010 at the age of 95, after comitting suicide by jumping from a window of the San Giovanni hospital in Rome, where he was admitted a few days earlier for prostate cancer? - Mario Monicelli. 3. who has been selected for the National Communal Harmony Award ? - Acharya Lokesh Muni 4. The 26th sub-junior and junior National athletics championships held in? Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore. 5. which Indian honoured with the Crystal Award of the World Economic Forum (WEF) A.R. Rahman 6.Who has taken charge as the fourth deputy governor at the Reserve Bank Anand Sinha 7. Who won the Player of the series award in the ODI cricket series between India and New Zealand held in India in 2010? - Gautam Gambhir. (India) 9. who has appointed as the SEBIs next Chairman ? - Mr U.K. Sinha 10. Who is appointed as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation for two years succeeding Ashwani Kumar? Amar Pratap Singh. He is a 1974 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand cadre. 11. Former President of which Asian country who wanted to visit India for attending a seminar on December 4, 2010, was denied a visa on December 2, 2010? Pakistan 12. The 290-km range supersonic cruise missile successfully test-fired by India on December 2, 2010 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Orissa coast? BrahMos 13. Which country will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup Football? Page 112

PG GK COLLECTION Russia Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Football. 14.Who has been appointed as an Advisor to Prime Minister on Skill Development ? S Ramadorai, former chief of IT giant firm TCS 15. Who has been voted womens tennis Player of the Year -2010? Kim Clijsters. She earned her the Player of the Year award of WTA for the second time in her career (the first time she won it in 2005) Clijsters was also given the Player Service award, which recognizes the player who has done the most to support her fellow players through the WTA Players Council or other initiatives. Other award winners: Newcomer of the Year Petra Kvitova Comeback Player of the Year Justine Henin Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award Elena Dementieva Humanitarian of the Year Maria Sharapova Most Improved Player Francesca Schiavone The doubles award went to Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Flavia Pennetta of Italy. 16. Information Technology Minister of Karnataka who resigned on December 3, 2010, following a police complaint against him in a multicrore land deal? Katta Subramanya Naidu. 17. Regulators in which country have okayed the agreement between Yahoo Japan and Google Inc.), which enables the former to use Google technology to power its search services in the country? Japan. 18. Which Indian Sportsperson has signed a 26-crore deal with worlds 3rd largest and Indias largest spirit maker UB group? Mahendra Singh Dhoni. 19. Who is appointed as Director General of Civil Aviation? E. K. Bharat Bhushan. He is an IAS officer of the 1979 batch from Kerala cadre. 20. On Every year January 25 will be celebrated as the which day? - National Voters Day Click here to read more 21.Who has been crowned Miss Earth 2010 in Vietnam? Nicole Faria. (India). The 10th edition of the Miss Earth beauty pageant was held in Vinpearl Land, Nha Trang, Vietnam on December 11, 2010. Page 113

PG GK COLLECTION 22. Which countries signed seven agreements including five in the area of nuclear energy, to pave the way for more intensive cooperation in this sector on 6th December, 2010? India and France. 23. Which country won the Davis Cup tennis for the first time in its history beating France in the final on December 5, 2010? Serbia. 24. Which American airline was convicted for the crash of Air France Concorde in 2000 occurred when the plane took off from Charles de Gaulle airport? Continental Airlines. 25. According to the nuclear pact signed between France and India on December 5, 2010, France will construct two 1650 MW nuclear power reactors in India. The nuclear reactors are to be constructed in which Indian state? Jaitapur in Maharashtra

26. The worlds most expensive illustrated book, which has been sold for a record price of 7.3 million pounds ($11.5 million) at an auction in London? Birds of America. 27. The Confucius Peace Prize which was created in 2010 by an organization in the Peoples Republic of China as a move to counter the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to? Lien Chan. Former Taiwanese Vice President. 28. An upgraded version of nuclear-capable intermediate- range ballistic missile of India failed in its maiden test from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island off Orissa coast on December 10, 2010. Name of that missile? Agni II Plus. 29. Which country is leading the list of corrupt countries according to survey report of Transparency International, a global body that works as a civil society organization? Somalia. 30. Facebook founder who has joined the league of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in pledging to give away a majority of their fortune for charitable causes? Mark Zuckerberg. 31. Who won gold in the over 81kg weight category of the Monnet 11th senior womens boxing championship at the Lulu International Convention Centre? K.C. Lekha. Page 114

PG GK COLLECTION 32. Indian who has been chosen for the Laureus Media International Selection Panel for 11th consecutive term? V Rajagopal. Deputy Editor of Mathrubhumi, a leading newspaper in Malayalam. He would be among panelists elected from across 150 countries to decide who should be the winners of the coveted Laureus sports awards in 2011. 33. Which country has been awarded the rights to host the 2012 Asia Cup Cricket? Bangladesh. 34. U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan who died on December 13, 2010 at the age of 69 after undergoing heart surgery? Richard Holbrooke. 35. Who has become the second youngest person ever to win Time Magazines Person of the Year 2010? Mark Zuckerberg. 36. Who is appointed as the head of planning for military operations of Al-Qaeda against the West? Ilyas Kashmiri. Al-Qaeda has made jihadi commander Ilyas Kashmiri as its chief military strategist for the region to plan and spearhead terrorist attacks against the West. 37. Corporate lobbyist who was questioned by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on 21-12-2010 for her firms alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation case? Nira Radia. 38. Which PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) has been conferred with the MOU Excellence Award to facilitate the PSUs performance during 2008-09? Cochin Shipyard Ltd. 39. Who was crowned the winner of The Biggest Loser Asia 2, a popular weight-loss reality TV series which was conducted in an IOI Resort City mansion in Malaysias Putrajaya? Viveganandam Deveraj. 40. Who has won the London Chess Classic for the second time after a smooth victory over Nigel Short in the seventh and last round? Magnus Carlsen. 41. Which countries signed six agreements on December 16, 2010 in the fields of green technology, hydrological data of common rivers, media exchanges, cultural exchanges, banking sectors? India and China. Page 115

PG GK COLLECTION 42. Which Bank is Indias most popular bank for 2010 ? HDFC Bank 43. Noted Malayalam writer who has won Kendra Sahithya Academy Award-2010 for his travelogue book Haimavathabhoovil? M.P. Veerendrakumar. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi. . He got the award for his book ` Haimavathabhoovil , which narrates his travels to the Himalayas. The award comprises of Rs 1 lakh and a certificate. 44. Man of the Match Winners of test Cricket series between South Africa and India held in South Africa in December 2010: First test played from December 16, 2010 at SuperSport Park, Centurion: Man of the Match: Jacques Kallis (South Africa). He scored unbeaten 201 runs in first innings and took 2 wickets. Result: South Africa beat India by an innings and 25 runs Second test played from December 26, 2010 at Kingsmead, Durban: Man of the Match: VVS Laxman (India). He scored 38 runs in first innings and 96 runs in second innings. Result: India beat South Africa by 87 runs. 45. Which countries signed 30 agreements on December 21, 2010, including on oil and gas sector and pacts on nuclear energy, defence and space cooperation? India and Russia. 46. Which country recently banned newspapers, publishers and website-owners from using foreign words particularly English ones? China. 47. Noted Iranian filmmaker who has been sentenced for six years in jail and barred from directing and producing movies for the next 20-years? Jafar Panahi. The filmmaker was convicted of colluding in gathering and making propaganda against the regime. He is the director of films such as Crimson Gold ,The White Balloon and The Mirror, Another Iranian film-maker, Mohammad Rasulov, also received a six-year sentence on similar charges. 48. Which country conducted successful experiment of fastest Train of World on 4 December, 2010? China. The train traveled from Beijing to Shingai in 5 hrs at the speed of 486 Km per hour. China already has the world fastest railway track which it intends to double by 2020. 49. Which day is observed as International Widows Day? Page 116

PG GK COLLECTION June 23. In order to address the plight of widows worldwide, the United Nations General Assembly has declared June 23 as International Widows Day. 50. Which country trained an elite police force in Bangladesh accused of extra-judicial killings and human rights violations, according to the latest diplomatic cables revealed by WikiLeaks? Britain 51. Who are the three Indians to figure in the all-time ODI dream team chosen by fans in a poll conducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC)? Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Kapil Dev. Other Members: Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Glen McGrath (Australia) Brian Lara, Viv Richards (West Indies) Wasim Akram (Pakistan) Allan Donald (South Africa) Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) Michael Bevan 12th Man 52. Thirteen year old boy who made a history in school cricket on December 22, 2010 when he scored mammoth 498 runs in Harris Shield tournament in Mumbai? Arman Jaffer. 53. Who is named African player of the year-2010? Samuel Eto. The 29-year-old Cameroon and Inter Milan striker won this award for a record fourth time 54. Which film has won the Golden Crow Pheasant Award at the 15th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)? Portraits in a Sea of Lies. It is a Colombian film directed by Carlos Gaviria and the award carries a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh. 55. Former Chief Minister of Kerala and Veteran Congress leader died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram recently? K.Karunakaran. 56. Human Rights activist who was sentenced to life imprisonment on December 24, 2010 after being held guilty of sedition and conspiracy by a Chhattisgarh court for his alleged links with Maoists? Binayak Sen. 57. Mobs of which Caribbean country killed more than 45 Voodoo priests, accusing them for using black magic to spread cholera? Haiti. Page 117

PG GK COLLECTION 58. Who was the lone Indian to win a title in the Tata Open India International badminton challenge held at the Cricket Club of India on December 25, 2010? PC Thulasi. This is her first ever senior international title. 59. who has been elected as new party leader of Vietnam? Nguyen Phu Trong

60. Who is named as the new coach of European and Italian champions Inter Milan? Leonardo. The 41-year-old Leonardo, who played in Brazils 1994 World Cup winning squad, was the coach of AC Milan from 2009-2010. 61. Former Venezuelan president, who nationalised the oil industry and then survived a coup attempt by future leader Hugo Chavez, died recently in Miami? Carlos Andres Perez. 62. The launch of which advanced communication satellite failed as the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) exploded mid-air moments after it took off from the Sriharikota rocket launch centre on December 25,2010? GSAT-5P. 63. Who became the first cricketer, other than wicket-keepers, to take 200 catches in Test cricket? Rahul Dravid. 64. Name of the new species of gummy shark which was found 500mts deep off the Mangalore coast recently? Mustelus manglorensis. 65. Which committee has submitted its report on Telangana separate state issue to the Home Minister P. Chidambaram on December 30, 2010? The SriKrishna Committee. 66. Who is appointed as the first woman secretary general of SAARC? Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed. She will be appointed South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) secretary general on March 1, 2011. 67. Former Israel President who was convicted on December 30, 2010 for raping an employee when he was a Cabinet minister, the most serious criminal charges ever brought against a high-ranking official and a case that shocked the nation? Moshe Katsav. Page 118

PG GK COLLECTION 68. Who has been awarded the prestigious Bharat Jyoti Award ? K.V. Raman 69.Which film has won the prestigious Golden Peacock award for the best film in the 41st International film festival (IFFI) in Goa? Moner Manush. The Bengali movie Moner Manush is directed by Gautam Ghose. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 56. India's largest power company with an installed capacity of 34854 MW and contributing 1/3 of the country's entire power generation is (1) the Jaypee Group. (2) Jindal Steel and Power. (3) NTPC. (4) Reliance Power. (5) NTPC. 57. The USA has expressed concern over the Haqqani terror network which it says operates from safe havens in (1) Iran. (2) Libya. (3) Saudi Arabia. (4) Pakistan. (5) Somalia. 58. The defunct Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite [UARS] which has completed its twenty year mission was launched by (1) ISRO. (2) NASA. (3) Roskosmos. (4) EADS. (5) JSA. 59. The 2008 global financial crisis did not have a crippling effect on the Indian economy because of (1) The conservative policies of the RBI. (2) a fairly strong domestic demand. (3) prudent lending by banks. (4) a fundamental propensity among Indians to save. (5) All of the above. 60. Proceeds from disinvestment of PSU's are credited into the (1) Contingency Fund. (2) Universal Service Obligation Fund. (3) NIF. (4) Consolidated Fund. (5) NPS oa 56. 3 57. 4 58. 2 59. 5 60.3 _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ 1. Who among the following is the Supreme Commander of Indian armed forces ? [A]President of India [B]Vice President of India [C]Prime Minister of India Page 119

PG GK COLLECTION [D]Defense Minister of India 2. Who among the following has authored the famous book India Wins Freedom ? [A]Jawahar Lal Nehru [B]Maulana Abul Kalam Azad [C]Sardar Patel [D]Dr. Rajendra Prasad 3. Jatiyo Sansad is the parliament of which among the following country ? [A]Afghanistan [B]Nepal [C]Bangladesh [D]None of them 4. In 1612, at which among the following places, the British established their first factory (trading post) in India ? [A]Kochin [B]Surat [C]Kassim Bazar [D]Hughli 5. Velodrome is an arena for which among the following sporting events ? [A]Lawn Tennis [B]Ice Hockey [C]Track Cycling [D]Formula 1 racing 6. Which among the following scientists was known as Wizard of Menlo Park ? [A]Thomas Alva Edison [B]F. A. Davis [C]Michael Faraday [D]Joseph Henry 7. Which among the rulers of Magadh founded the city of Patliputra (Patna) on the bank of river Ganges? [A]Chandragupta Maurya [B]Ajatshatru [C]Bimbisara [D]Bindusara 8. In which year Robert Edwin Peary became the first person to reach the North Pole ? [A]1906 [B]1909 [C]1911 [D]1912 9. In which city is the dargah (tomb) of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti located ? [A]Delhi [B]Ghaziabad [C]Ajmer [D]Gwalior Page 120

PG GK COLLECTION 10. In which year, Vijay Laxmi Pandit became the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ? [A]1949 [B]1951 [C]1953 [D]1954 11. What is the name of Indias first nuclear reactor ? [A]Cirius [B]Apsara [C]Dhruva [D]Kamini 12. Mahatama Gandhi had launched his first Satyagraha in India from which among the following places? [A]Kheda [B]Bardoli [C]Champaran [D]Sabarmati 13. Which among the following Indian classical dance form was developed by Siddhendra Yogi from Bhamakalapam dance drama ? [A]Kuchipudi [B]Odissi [C]Yakshagana [D]Kathkali 14. Which of the following European countries is known as the Land of a thousand lakes ? [A]Norway [B]Sweden [C]Finland [D]Estonia 15. Sadakat Ashram memorial in Patna is dedicated to which former President of India ? [A]Dr. Rajendra Prasad [B]V V Giri [C]Muhammad Hidayatullah [D]Basappa Danappa Jatti ans: ABCBCABBCCBCACA _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ 1) JJ Irani has quit as Chairman of a co saying I value my name more than anything else. Name the co. Everonn education 2) Which RNBC has decided to repay all its 73000 cr depsoits by Dec 2011 Page 121

PG GK COLLECTION ahead by 4 years ? Sahara 3)In TV programming jargon what is tent pole property ? A programme that brings in viewers for other programmes also. eg KBC for Sony TV 4)In which sport is super league being planned in India on the lines of IPL ? Car racing 5) What is the Indian word for the scandinavian word Ombudsman and who coined it in 1963 ? Lokpal, L.M.Singhvi, father of Abhishek Singhvi 6)Keep looking beautiful is the tagline for which popular treatment ? Botox 7) Name the British Indy Car driver who recently died in a tragic 15-car crash accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway? Dan Wheldon 8) IndyCar series CEO- Randy Bernard 9) Swiss Ambassador Award for Exceptional Leadership- Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata 10) Moto GP World Champion, 2011- Casey Stoner 11) Name this successor to Jack Welch who just completed 10 years as the head of GE. Jeff Immelt 12) Name the co floated by 5 PSUs to purchase coal assets abroad . [B]International Coal Ventures Ltd 13) Which bank is in the news for losing over 2 Bn $ due to a rogue trader ? UBS 14) A typical car tyre lasts 25,000 km , how many kms does a F1 car last ? 200km only _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________ #Sports ! Delhi 2010 CWG Motto - Come out and play Paticipating teams - 71 Anthem - Jeeyo , Utho,Bado , Jeeto CWG 2014 host - Glasgow, Scotland Soccer World Cup Hosts 2014- Brazil 2018 - Russia 2022 - Qatar Recipient of the Golden Ball in world cup 2011 - Diego Forlan Corazo Brand Ambassador Cricket World Cup 2011 - Sachin :gm: "birdie" and "eagle" are terms related to - golf Recently National Games were held at - Ranchi It's Mascot - chhaua Page 122

PG GK COLLECTION Swimmers Richa Mishra of Delhi and Maharashtra's Veerdhawal Khade were awarded the best athlete awards at the closing ceremony of the 34th National Games India Ranks 145th in FIFA rankings Dipika Pallikal associated with - Squash Allan Border Medal - Shane Watson Kim Clijster , who won Aus Open 2011 Women Singles is from which country? Belgium Duleep Trophy - South Zone won for 2010-11 Rovers Cup is associated with - Football Jaspal Rana is associated with - Shooting International Olympic Committee's HQs - Lausanne , Switzerland _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 1)The fruit in Tarte Tatin? Apples (2)Children's TV programme featuring Professor Yaffle (the wooden woodpecker)? Bagpuss (3)Charles Babbage's notable invention? Computer (4)Framework for oil well drilling machinery? Derrick (5)Traditional fur trim on ceremonial and heraldic robes? Ermine (From the white winter coat of the ermine - mustela erminea - AKA stoat and short-tailed weasel. Incidentally the black spotted patterns in heraldic ermines are the black tips of the tails in the joined pelts.) (6)A maker of arrows? Fletcher (7)A hot spring which shoots out boiling water and steam? Geyser (8)Metric unit equal to 10,000 square metres? Hectare (9)Chemical element with atomic number 53? Iodine (10)Contest fought between medieval knights with lances on horseback? Joust _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has notified a new take-over rule under which an entity buying 25% stake in a listed company will have to mandatorily make an open offer to buy an additional 26% shares from the public. SabMiller Plc (SAB), the worlds second biggest brewer by volume, has agreed to Page 123

PG GK COLLECTION acquire Fosters Group Ltd (FGL) in a $10.2-bn deal. Hospital chain Fortis Healthcare (India) Ltd has decided to buy Singapore-based sister firm Fortis Healthcare International, in a move to bring all of the groups health businesses under one company. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has selected Anil Ambani, Chairman of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) to head the ambitious India-China CEO Forum. The Forum aims to achieve $100 billion worth of two-way trade by 2015. The CEOs Forum was announced during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010. Mahindra & Mahindra has launched its new global sport utility vehicle, XUV500 in India and South Africa. This is M&Ms first global offering with significant inputs in styling and development taken from customers across the globe. Marking its re-entry into India, French auto major PSA Peugeot Citroen has inked an MoU with the Gujarat government to set up an integrated manufacturing facility at Sanand, near Ahmedabad, at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. Indias largest retailer, the Future Group, has entered into an agreement with Himachal Pradesh government for providing direct market linkages to the States agricultural produce. Yahoo!, AOL and Microsoft have created an unusual partnership in which they will sell ads for one another. The move represents an effort to challenge Google, which dominates the search advertising market. In the first public-private participation in defence sector, Pipavav Defence anfd Offshore Engineering Company (earlier Pipavav Shipyard) has entered into a joint venture with Mazagon Dock to build warships for the Indian Navy. French car maker Renault has launched its premium sports utility vehicle Koleos in India. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ #The Union government has given its nod to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) for stake sale to British Petroleum (BP) for US$7.2 billion. Bharti Airtel has joined hands with the Formula 1 Group Companies to become the title sponsor of the Indian leg of the race, which will be called the Airtel Grand Prix of India. Force Motors has launched its first sports utility vehicle (SUV), Force One. The company, known for its light commercial vehicle brands like Tempo, Matador and Traveller, has invested around Rs 150 crore in developing the SUV. Page 124

PG GK COLLECTION Google Inc. has decided to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings for US$12.5 billion, in an attempt to buy insurance against increasingly aggressive legal attacks from rivals such as Apple Inc. K.V. Kamath has taken charge as the first non-founder chairman of INFOSYS in its three-decade history. Kris Gopalakrishnan has been appointed as executive co-chairman, making way for another co-founder, S.D. Shibulal, as MD and CEO. Deven Sharma, President of Standard & Poors (S&P), has resigned, capping two weeks of controversy following the rating agencys downgrade of US government debt on August 5, 2011, that sparked a row with the Treasury. Future is Me is the tag line of advertisement campaign by AMD India, the worlds second-largest chip-maker. On August 25, 2011, Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple Inc and passed the reigns to his right-hand man Tim Cook Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khans latest offering Ra.One has roped in UTV Indiagames to design a social game based on the film. This is the first time in India that a social game would be based a film character, G.One, and would have its own identity _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ #The Union government has given its nod to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) for stake sale to British Petroleum (BP) for US$7.2 billion. Bharti Airtel has joined hands with the Formula 1 Group Companies to become the title sponsor of the Indian leg of the race, which will be called the Airtel Grand Prix of India. Force Motors has launched its first sports utility vehicle (SUV), Force One. The company, known for its light commercial vehicle brands like Tempo, Matador and Traveller, has invested around Rs 150 crore in developing the SUV. Google Inc. has decided to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings for US$12.5 billion, in an attempt to buy insurance against increasingly aggressive legal attacks from rivals such as Apple Inc. K.V. Kamath has taken charge as the first non-founder chairman of INFOSYS in its three-decade history. Kris Gopalakrishnan has been appointed as executive co-chairman, making way for another co-founder, S.D. Shibulal, as MD and CEO. Deven Sharma, President of Standard & Poors (S&P), has resigned, capping two weeks of controversy following the rating agencys downgrade of US government debt on August 5, 2011, that sparked a row with the Treasury. Page 125

PG GK COLLECTION Future is Me is the tag line of advertisement campaign by AMD India, the worlds second-largest chip-maker. On August 25, 2011, Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple Inc and passed the reigns to his right-hand man Tim Cook Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khans latest offering Ra.One has roped in UTV Indiagames to design a social game based on the film. This is the first time in India that a social game would be based a film character, G.One, and would have its own identity _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________\\\ #ICC Awards 2011: List of winners

ICC Umpire Of The Year for the David Shepherd Trophy : Aleem Dar ICC Women's Cricketer Of The Year : Stafanie Taylor ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer Of The Year : Ryan ten Doeschate Best bowling on Test debut : Devendra Bishoo ICC Twenty20 International Performance Of The Year : Tim Southee ICC Spirit Of Cricket Award : MS Dhoni LG ICC People's Choice Award : Kumar Sangakkara ICC ODI Cricketer Of The Year : Kumar Sangakkara ICC Test Cricketer Of The Year : Alastair Cook ICC Cricketer Of The Year for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy : Jonathan Trott _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ The split of the Rs 19,000-crore RPG empire is now complete, with R.P. Goenkas younger son, Sanjiv Goenka, carving out a separate corporate identitythe RP-Sanjiv Goenka Groupindependent of elder brothers RPG. HDFC Bank has launched a premier credit card, Infinia, for the high net-worth community in India. The card is expected to compete with American Express or Amex card. Page 126

PG GK COLLECTION The Union Cabinet has cleared the third phase of expansion of FM radio by approving e-auctioning of 839 new private radio stations in 227 towns and cities. In the previous phases, the government had offered 250 stations across the country in 86 cities. The government has also permitted private radio channels to broadcast news of All India Radio (AIR). BLB Limited, Indias largest arbitrage and proprietary book player has decided to shut shop. Union Cabinet has cleared the US$7.2 billion Reliance-BP deal which will enable BP (British Petroleum) to buy 30% stake in RILs oil and gas blocks, including the show-piece KG-D6 gas fields. The deal is seen as the biggest foreign direct investment into India. Walt Disney Company will spend Rs 2000 crore to take complete control of the Mumbai-based UTV Software Communications. Punjab National Bank has agreed to pick up a 30 per cent stake in MetLife India, which will make PNB the single-largest shareholder in the private insurance company. L Capital Asia, a private equity fund of global luxury giant LVMH Group has announced its first investment in India by picking up 25.5 per cent stake in Genesis Luxury Fashion Pvt Ltd.

The annual use of postcard (Meghdoot service) in India has declined from 336.45 crore to just 78.24 crore in the last ten years. The Central Board of Trustees of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) has appointed Reliance Capital Asset Management, along with HSBC Bank, ICICI Securities and State Bank of India to manage its corpus of Rs 3.5 trillion, for a period of three years. Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka are now among the most urbanized States in India, having more than 35 per cent of their population living in urban areas. Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of its people living in rural areas; 55.5 crore people in UP live in rural areas. Mumbai tops the list of places having maximum number of people in urban area at 5 crore. Punjab has become the first State in India to start an integrated solid waste management programme in the entire State. World Population Day is celebrated every year on July 11. Page 127

PG GK COLLECTION News of the World, 168-year-old newspaper of Britain, is closed down in a breathtaking response to a phone-hacking scandal engulfing the media empire of Rupert Murdoch. The Union Cabinet has cleared a massive hike of Rs 3 crore per MP in the annual allocation of MPLAD fund that enables every MP to recommend development works in his/her constituency. The allocation has been hiked from Rs 2 crore per MP to Rs 5 crore per MP and will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 2,370 crore annually. Hyderabad will host the Table Tennis World Championship, 2013 Juba is the capital of the new nation of South Sudan which declared independence on July 9, 2011. Mumbai and Delhi are among the five cheapest places in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living survey. The five cheapest cities are: Karachi (Pakistan), Tunis (Tunisia), Mumbai (India), Tehran (Iran) and New Delhi (India), in that order. The five costliest places are: Tokyo (Japan), Oslo (Norway), Osaka Kobe (Japan), Paris (France), Zurich (Switzerland). According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report, as many as 320 million people in India and China are expected to come out of extreme poverty by 2015, while Indias poverty rate is projected to drop to 22%, from 55% in 1990. Those living on less than $1.25 a day are considered extremely poor. The four-day fifth conference of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians was held in New Delhi from July 9, 2011. On July 8, 2011, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee launched a new set of coins and Rs 10 notes bearing the rupee symbol. With this India became the second country after England to have its currency symbol printed on its notes. National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a judicial body constituted to try all matters related to environmental issues. The Tribunal is headed by Justice L.S. Panta. The first sitting of NGT was held on July 4, 2011. Indias 25th nuclear power plant is being built at Rawatbhatta, Rajasthan. It is a 700 MW indigenously built pressurised heavy water reactor plant. The construction of the plant started on July 17, 2011. Prahaar is a surface-to-surface quick-reaction tactical missile of India. It has a range of 150 km and is capable of carrying different types of warheads. The uniqueness of the missile is that in one salvo six missiles can be fired at multiple targets in all directions. The missile can also be launched form a road mobile system. Page 128

PG GK COLLECTION India has slipped from being the 8th largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2009 to the 14th largest in 2010, according to the World Investment Report, 2011, brought out by UNCTAD. On July 26, 2011, the Reserve Bank of India hiked the benchmark rates again by stiff 50 basis points, taking the Repo rate to 8 per cent and Reverse Repo rate to 7 per cent. New investors will now have to cough up an additional Rs 150 for investment of Rs 10,000 and above in mutual funds, while the charge will be Rs 100 for existing investors, according to SEBI. Investors are already paying a commission in some cases, besides up to 2.5 per cent of their investment towards expanses of fund management. _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ Few known Abbreviations VAT : Value Added Tex. QIB : Qualified Institutional Buyer. QIP : Qualified Institutional Placement. RTA : Railway Territorial Army. RTC : Round Table Conference. RTG : Radio-isotope Thermo-electric Generator. SWIFT : Society for World-wide International Financial Transactions. SWOT : Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats. SYL : Sutlej- Yamuna Link (Canal). YWCA : Young Womens Christian Association. ZSI : Zoological Survey of India. ZUPO : Zimbabwe United Peoples Organisation. ESOP : Employee Stock Option PRP : Performance Related Payment ICA : Irrigated Crop Area FEMA : Foreign Exchange Management Act RFID : Radio Frequency Identification PERDA : Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority RED : Result Framework Document TERM : Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring OGL : Open General Licence IMB : International Maritime Bureau _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________

#Team Owner Captain Coach Pune Warriors India--Sahara Group-Yuvraj Singh-Geoff Marsh Mumbai Indians-Reliance Industries Limited-Sachin Tendulkar-Robin Singh Page 129

PG GK COLLECTION Kolkata Knight Riders-SRK,Juhi Chawla,Jai Mehta,Red Chillies EntertainmentGautam Gambhir -Dav Whatmore Kings XI Punjab -Preity Zinta,Ness Wadia (Bombay Dyeing),Karan Paul (Apeejay Surendra Group),Mohit Burman (Dabur) - Adam Gilchrist -Michael Bevan Chennai Super Kings -N. Srinivasan (India Cements) - Mahendra Singh Dhoni -Stephen Fleming Deccan Chargers -The Deccan Chronicle-Kumar Sangakkara -Darren Lehmann Royal Challengers Bangalore -Dr. Vijay Mallaya's UB Group-Daniel Vettori-Ray Jennings Delhi Daredevils-GMR Group-Virender Sehwag-Greg Shipperd Rajasthan Royals-Emerging Media,Shilpa Shetty & Raj Kundra -Shane Warne -Shane Warne

#Governors Recently in News : Madhya Pradesh - Ram Naresh Yadav Mizoram - Vakkom Purushothaman Kerela - M O H Farook Jharkhand - Syed Ahmed AP - ESL Narsimhan Gujrat - Kamla Beniwal TN - K Rosaiah _________________________________________________________________________________ _ #2. The league of nations is the predecessor of what organization? A. The arab league b. The united nations c. European union d. Group of eight 3. What is the name of science through which you can modify the characteristics of an organism by modifying its dna? A. Chemistry b. Genetic engineering c. Biology d. Organic science 4. What is the worlds largest island? A. Japan b. Singapore c. Hawaii d. Greenland 5. What was the basis of the national calendar of india? Page 130

PG GK COLLECTION A. Gregorian calenda b. Saka era c. Moghul era d. None of the above 6. In what year was shah jahan proclaimed as emperor? A. 1627 b. 1628 c. 1631 d. 1636 7. Which is the indian state with the second highest literacy rate? A. Lakshadweep b. Goa c. Kerala d. Mizoram 8. What is the unit of radiation dosage? A. Gy b. Rdy c. Rcy d. Ry 9. Who is currently the first lady of america? A. Saran palin b. Hillary clinton c. Michelle obama d. Condalisa rice 10. When was the first nobel prize awarded? A. 1890 b. 1896 c. 1901 d. 1969 1. A 2. B 3. B 4. D 5. B 6. B 7. D 8. A 9. C 10. C

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PG GK COLLECTION man booker prize winner julian barnes for "sense of an ending" formal inaugaration of bangalore metro took place on 20th oct 2011 an massive earth quqke hit the city "VAN" turkey on 23rd oct 2011 expand DMICDC-delhi mumbai industrial corridor development corporation Sekhar,S.Chandra became the youngest engineering student from IIT Madras.He is 15yrs old did his M tech.he has received a package of grants worth over 7 lakhs fron TCS for his education Helle Thorning Schmidt became the first woman prime minister of Denmark on 15th sep 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ BRAND EQUITY'S Most Trusted Brands List 2011 1.Colgate Colgate works closely with thousands of small shop owners and local wholesalers to ensure greater availability of its products everywhere.

2.Lux Lux was launched in 1924, while it started as a soap, the range now includes shower gels, bath creams, hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners and treatments.

3.Airtel Airtel is the No. 1 mobile services brand. Sanjay Kapoor, CEO of Airtel says the company has created 50,000 Airtel service centres in the rural areas. 4.Lifebuoy Lifebuoy has evolved from a simple 'germ kill' proposition to 'being free from fear' of disease and to help build a healthy nation.

5.Nokia After three consecutive years at the numero uno position, Nokia has slipped down the rankings. Will the handset brand be able to arrest the slide it's witnessing in the marketplace as well? 6.Dettol Page 132

PG GK COLLECTION In India, Dettol was first launched in 1933. The brand is endorsed by the Indian Medical Association and has consistently been voted as one of India's Most Trusted Brands.

7.Britannia Britannia was established in 1892 in Kolkata. The company's offerings are spread across healthy and economical Tiger biscuits to the more lifestyle-oriented Milkman Cheese.

8.Vodafone This year's survey captures the rise of mobile telephony. Vodafone has been one of the key players in this segment.

9.Maggi A Maggi 2-minute noodle is one of the most loved food brands in India. Over the years Nestle has launched many flavours of this brand.

10.Closeup Closeup was India's first gel toothpaste launched in 1980. HUL has marketed Closeup as being synonymous with 'Freshness'

#RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011 from 9th sep to 23 rd oct 2011 opening ceremony at auck land new zealand winner new zealand runner up france in the semi finals new zea land defeated australia in the final match score was 8-7 making newzealand the new world champion..at EDEN PARK next RWC will be held at Zimbabwe 2015 Millenium stadium will host the opening ceremony on 2015 Page 133

PG GK COLLECTION HENKEIN will be the world wide partner 2019 RWC will be held at japan

RWC started from 1987...So far 7 world cups have taken place. 1987ever. 19911995199920032007Newzealand beat France.I believe this was the greatest rugby team team Australia beat England.All Blacks lose the semifinals,finish 3rd :( South Africa beat NZ. Australia beat France.NZ finish 4th. England beat Australia.NZ finish 3rd. S. Africa beat England.

Finally in 2011 ALL Blacks are champs again _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ European Union Member Countries Sl No. Country Joined EU Currency Languages Countries using Euro Currency 1 Austria 1995 euro German 2 Belgium 1957 Founder euro Dutch, French, German 3 Cyprus 2004 euro Greek, Turkish 4 Estonia 2004 euro Estonian 5 Finland 1995 euro Finnish, Swedish 6 France 1957 Founder euro French 7 Germany 1957 Founder euro German 8 Greece 1981 euro Greek 9 Ireland 1973 euro Irish, English 10 Italy 1957 Founder euro Italian 11 Luxembourg 1957 Founder euro French, German, Luxembourgish 12 Malta 2004 euro Maltese, English 13 Netherlands 1957 Founder euro Dutch, Frisian 14 Portugal 1986 euro Portuguese 15 Slovakia 2004 euro Slovak 16 Slovenia 2004 euro Slovenian 17 Spain 1986 euro Spanish Countries not using Euro Currency 18 Hungary 2004 forint Hungarian 19 Czech Republic 2004 koruna Czech 20 Sweden 1995 krona Swedish 21 Denmark 1973 krone Danish 22 Latvia 2004 lats Latvian Page 134

23 24 25 26 27

PG GK COLLECTION Romania 2007 leu Romanian Bulgaria 2007 lev Bulgarian Lithuania 2004 litas Lithuanian United Kingdom 1973 pound English Poland 2004 zloty Polish

______________________________________________________________________________ The Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA) 2011 winners Category Winner Outstanding StartUp Rahul Bhatia, IndiGo Airlines NextGen Entrepreneur of the year VG Siddhartha, Caf Coffee Day Best CEO MNC Shanker Annaswamy, IBM Best CEO PSU BP Rao, BHEL Best CEO - Private sector Rajiv Bajaj, Bajaj Auto Woman Leader of the year Vinita Bali, Britannia Lifetime Achievement NRN Murthy, Infosys Technogies Conscious Capitalist Tata Steel Entrepreneur with Social Impact Manish Sabharwal, Team Lease Services Entrepreneur for the year Ratan Tata, Tata Sons _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ List of Countries as per 2010 GDP (PPP) Rank Country GDP (PPP) in Billion USD 1 United States 14526.55 2 China 10119.896 3 India 4323.504 4 Japan 4057.787 5 Germany 2944.352 6 Russia 2230.954 7 United Kingdom 2181.456 8 Brazil 2178.529 9 France 2134.941 10 Italy 1778.832 11 Mexico 1564.872 12 Korea, South 1466.125 13 Spain 1372.72 14 Canada 1334.143 15 Indonesia 1032.952 16 Turkey 968.604 17 Iran 888.355 18 Australia 883.807 Page 135

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

PG GK COLLECTION Taiwan (Republic ofChina) 824.671 Poland 723.032 Netherlands 680.772 Argentina 644.301 Saudi Arabia 623.109 Thailand 589.005 South Africa 525.806

_________________________________________________________________________________ _____ Rank of Countries based on FDI Inflow Rank Country 2009 (in Billion USD) 2010 (in Billion USD) Growth (%) 1 Euro area 418.43 329.88 -21.16 2 United States 158.58 236.23 48.96 3 China 114.21 185.08 62.05 4 Luxembourg 210.45 153.80 -26.92 5 Hong Kong SAR,China 52.40 68.91 31.53 6 Belgium 25.31 62.81 148.20 7 Brazil 25.95 48.44 86.67 8 United Kingdom 72.92 46.95 -35.62 9 Germany 38.92 46.13 18.53 10 Russian Federation 36.50 42.87 17.45 11 Singapore 15.28 38.64 152.89 12 France 35.12 33.67 -4.13 13 Australia 27.25 30.58 12.22 14 Ireland 26.55 27.08 2.01 15 Spain 8.55 24.66 188.28 16 India 35.60 24.16 -32.13 17 Canada 22.46 23.59 4.99 18 Saudi Arabia 36.46 21.56 -40.86 19 Mexico 15.33 18.68 21.82 20 Chile 12.87 15.09 17.25 21 Indonesia 4.88 13.30 172.76 22 Cayman Islands 17.88 12.89 -27.88 23 Norway 15.00 11.75 -21.69 24 Kazakhstan 13.77 9.96 -27.67 25 Angola 2.21 9.94 350.81 26 Italy 16.58 9.60 -42.10 27 Turkey 8.41 9.28 10.33 28 Malaysia 1.39 9.10 556.12 29 Poland 13.02 9.06 -30.46 30 Vietnam 7.60 8.00 5.26 _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ Ten a Day Page 136

PG GK COLLECTION

1. Iftikhar Ali Khan ( Father of Pataudi ) played for the English cricket team in the 1930s, before becoming captainof the Indian cricket team that toured England in 1946, making him the only Test cricketerto have played for both England and India. He played in six Tests in all.

2. MOX Mixed oxide (MOX) fuel provides about 2% of the new nuclear fuel used today. One attraction of MOX fuel is that it is a way of utilizing surplus weapons-grade plutonium, which would otherwise be stored as nuclear wasteand might be stolen to make nuclear weapons Fukushima used the MOX fuel and the halt in producation of this plant causes the stop of MOX plant of europe so today we have only 1 plant to generate MOX fuel that is in FRANCE Plutonium plans in limbo : Nature News 3 India's first cellular service launched in Calcutta In 1995 (July 31) By Modi Telstra ( Indian company By BK Modi+ Australian company Telstra) Mobile operator company is now renamed as Spice now some part is taken by IDEA but spice is till is a operator 4. NEW chairman of NABARD --- Prakash Bakshi 5. Brazil won FIFA U-20 World Cup.2011 6. The Indian Musician who sung in the UN M.S. Subbulakshmi 7 the only Indian President who was the speaker of Lok Sabha also Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy 8.The fastest train in India is the Bhopal Shatabdi, a Shatabdi Express train, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) and an average speed of 93 km/h Express trains in India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 9. The chairmanship/presidency of the UN Security Council rotates among the Council Members every month 10. Amnesty International is an organisation associated with HUMAN RIGHT PROTECTION 11. President Nicolas Sarkozy President of the G8 for 2011 also G8 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 137

PG GK COLLECTION 12. City of Seven Islands Seven islands of Bombay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ #Indian Exports Exports during July, 2011 were valued at US$ 29.34 billion,which was 81.79 per cent higher in Dollar terms than the level of US$ 16.14 billion during July, 2010. Cumulative value of exports for the period April-July 2011-12 was US$ 108.35 billion as against US$ 70.36 billion registering a growth of 53.98 per cent in Dollar terms over the same period last year. As per the latest commodity-wise exports data available up to March 2011, manufactured goods continued to maintain the largest share with 66.1 per cent, followed by petroleum products (16.5 per cent) and primary products (13.9 per cent). Country-wise, exports during 2010-11 indicate that the UAE continued to remain the largest importer of Indian goods with a share of 13.0 per cent, followed by the US (10.1 per cent), China (7.6 per cent), Hong Kong (4.5 per cent) and Singapore (4.2 per cent). These five countries together accounted for around 40 per cent of Indias total exports, and rise in exports to Africa and Latin America has been noteworthy

_________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________ #1)Deepak parekh is the chairman of HDFC 2) NPA stands for non-performing assests 3)GATT is the previous name for WTO 4)Punto is the car brand owned by Fiat 5)Vir savarkar airport is located in Port Blair 6)'The pause that refreshes ' is the punch line of which soft drink Coca-cola Page 138

PG GK COLLECTION 7)Who won the Abel prize for the year 2011? John Willard Milnor 8 )Name the player of the tournament in the 2011 ICC cricket world cup Yuvraj Singh 9)Alassane Ouattara is the new president of Ivory Coast 10)ABB,one of the world's largest engineering firms,is based in Switzerland

MAN BOOKER AWARD' S 1981 Salman Rushdie Midnight's Children United Kingdom India 1997 Arundhati Roy The God of Small Things India 2006 Kiran Desai The Inheritance of Loss India 2008 Aravind Adiga The White Tiger India _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ Q. In 2010 which was the new member introduced to the Johnnie Walker family ? Ans. Double black label Q. 2What is unique about DYSON fans sold at over 25000 Rs each ? Ans. These are bladeless fans. Q3. Why has Shiney Ahuja slapped a case on Micromax ? Ans. Their ad shows a maid stealing a mobile with SHINY written on it. Q4. Who has received the TN govt contract for supplying laptops to govt school children ? Ans. Lenovo Q5. No.one can escape the Ra.One blitz. Besides Red chillies who is the other producer of this movie ? Page 139

PG GK COLLECTION Ans. Eros Entertainment Q6. Marc Benioff of Salesforce calls the current IT revolution as SOCIAL. Expand the acronym . Ans. Speed-Open-Collaboration-Individual-Alignment-Leadership Q7. Logos of which cos are shown upside down in the Wikileaks press conference as they announce they will no longer publish ? Ans. VISA, Mastercard, Paypal who refused to collect money for Wikileaks Q8. What is HANS in the Formula one context ? Ans. Head and neck system. It supports the helmet. Q9. Maruti made Gurgaon. Manesar is unmaking Maruti. How ? Ans. Labour unrest Q10. There is no Intel inside Apple or Android smart phones or tablets. Who designs the core processors for these devices ? Ans. Designed by ARM and mfd by Samsung Q11. Name the co behind the worlds first private spaceport at new mexico USA. Ans. Virgin Galactic Q12. Which co has set up a 30MW solar farm in Gujarat claiming it to be Asias largest farm ? Ans. Moser Baer Q13. Which Bollywood actress is the new face of Titan ? Katrina Kaif ______________________________________________________________________ Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojna - launched in 2001 and centrally sponsored. FDI up to 26% in the Insurance sector is allowed on the automatic route subject to obtaining licence from Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA) more on FDI - Foreign Direct Investment in India: Sector wise Guide, Investing in India Guide for Foreign Companies FIPB - Foreign Investment Promotion Board . Page 140

PG GK COLLECTION FIPB - does not regulates the interest rates of private banks (approves FDI , encourages FDI) NSAP - NAtional Social Assistance Programme (launched 15/08/1995) NSAP at present, comprises of Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and Annapurna. Pradhan Mantri Gram sadak Yojna was launched on 25th dec 2000 AAM ADMI BIMA YOJANA, a prestigious scheme of the Central and State / Union Territory Governments and administered by LIC brings a ray of hope and smile to these households. (launched on 2nd october 2007) People who come under aam admi bima yojna - rural landless labourers below poverty line National Games 2010 host - kerela National Games 2011 host - Ranchi , Jharkhand National games 2012 - the 35th National Games will be hosted by Kerala.(thiruvanathpuram) _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________ # The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana or PMGSY is a nationwide plan in India to provide good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages. It is under the authority of the Ministry of Rural Development and was begun on 25 December 2000.[1] The goal was to provide roads to all villages (1) with a population of 1000 persons and above by 2003, (2) with a population of 500 persons and above by 2007, (3) in hill states, tribal and desert area villages with a population of 500 persons and above by 2003, and (4) in hill states, tribal and desert area villages with a population of 250 persons and above by 2007.[2] In order to implement this, an Online Management & Monitoring System or OMMS GIS system was developed to identify targets and monitor progress.[3] It is developed by e-governance department of CDAC pune and is one of the biggest databases in India.

Turning Point : RBI , allowed private banks to enter the country in year 1993 before that there is a full stop for private banks since 1969

The Securities and Exchange Board of India was established on April 12, 1992 in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992. Page 141

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The Preamble of the Securities and Exchange Board of India is to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and to regulate the securities market and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto" _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ 10 important facts: 1) Neutrino particles in the particle accelerator at the CERN crossed the speed of light while travelling defying Einstein's laws. Neutrinos and the Speed of Light A Primer on the CERN Study | GeekDad | Wired.com 2) Nokia launched an OS named 'Symbian Anna' during the Anna fever in India. 3) Indian Oil has launched Indias first self service petrol pump in Delhi. Business Line : Companies News : IOC opens India's first self-service petrol outlet 4) Jaitapur nuclear power project is to be set up in ratnagiri district of Maharashtra in collaboration with Areva, a French company. 5) Larry Page replaced Eric schmidt as the chief executive officer of Google, the world's no.1 internet search engine company. Eric Schmidt Out As Google CEO, Larry Page Takes Over 6) South Korea will host the nuclear security council in 2012. 7) HDFC bank was conferred the Asian banker leadership achievement award 2011. 8) S. Ramadorai (former CEO of TCS) has been named as the advisor to the prime minister of India in the National skill development council(NSDC) with rank of cabinet minister. Ramadorai made PM?s skill council advisor - Economic Times 9) Amul sponsored cricket team of The Netherlands in 2011 ICC world cup. Amul to be official sponsor of Netherlands team in World Cup - Economic Times Page 142

PG GK COLLECTION 10) The largest producer and consumer of Endosulfon (an insecticide) is India. It is now underway to be banned. The Perils of Endosulfan - Economic Times _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________ MORE on S. RAMADORAI Subramanian Ramadorai, CBE is the current chairman of Tata Elxsi and Vice-Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS). His tenure as CEO and Managing Director of TCS ended on October 5, 2009. S. Ramadorai was CEO of TCS from September 1996[2] to October 2009

Ramadorai is the Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE),

In 2006, on India's Republic Day, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan,[9] India's third highest civilian honour. In 2004, he won Business India's "Business Man of the Year" award. On 28 April 2009, Ramadorai was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire He has also been honoured with CNBC Asia Pacific's prestigious 'Asia Business Leader of the Year' Award in 2002,[10] as well as the 'Management Man of the Year' award by the Bombay Management Association. He was named in June 2002, by Consulting Magazine (USA) as being among the Top 25 Most Influential Consultants in the world, the only Indian CEO on the list.

On 16 September 2011, S.Ramadorai launched a book written by him,titled The TCS Story... and Beyond .The book covers the 43 years journey of Tata Consultancy Services. ________________________________________________________________________________ #England is going to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup ..not Zimbabwe. _____________________________________________________________________________ Group 8 (G8) Countries Sl No. Country-- Joined G8-- GDP Size (in Billion USD) as per 2010-- GDP Per Capita (in USD) as per 2010 1 United States-- 1975 Founder-- 14582.4-- 47184.47 2 Japan --1975 Founder-- 5497.81-- 43136.86 Page 143

PG GK COLLECTION 3 Germany-- 1975 Founder-- 3309.67-- 40508.87 4 France-- 1975 Founder-- 2560.00-- 39459.55 5 Italy-- 1975 Founder-- 2051.41-- 33916.88 6 United Kingdom-- 1975 Founder-- 2246.08-- 36099.71 7 Canada-- 1976 Founder-- 1574.05-- 46148.04 8 Russia-- 1997 Founder-- 1479.82-- 10439.64 _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ 1) Huawei Technologies has roped in which Indian celebrity as its Brand Ambassador? -> Chetan Bhagat 2) Which Formula 1 Team is being sponsored by Amul? -> Sauber 3) First Dalit President of India? -> KR Narayanan 4) After Mahindra broke up its JV with Renault, how has Mahindra Renault Logan been known as? -> Mahindra Verito 5) Who owns the India operatios of sports floodlights installation company, Musco Lighting (which installed floodlights in Mohali, Ahmedabad, among a few others) -> Kapil Dev (Dev Musco Lighting Pvt Ltd) _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ #Some questions which state's CM was died recently in chopper crash? Arunanchal Pradesh (Dorjee Khandu) who won the 2011 FIFA Women World Cup? JAPAN who is the second richest person on India according to Forbes richest Indian people list? Indian is Lakshmi mittal and who lives in india is Azim premji who was the former CEO of Yahoo who was fired because of her inability to increase market share? Carol Bartz who got the Economics Times Business Leader of the year award in 2011? Page 144

PG GK COLLECTION Chanda Kochhar what is the venue of the G-20 summit to be held in November 2011? Cannes france what is the full form of TAPI a gas pipeline project? named TAPI after the initials of the four participating countries (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India), what is the name of Indian F1 team? Sahara Force India how many years Olympic take to reach again Athens? 108 years Olympic Games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia _________________________________________________________________________ 1.The Arcelor Mittal University which trains the company's managers is based in (1) Belgium (2) UK (3) Luxembourg (4) India 2.'Globality' is a new book from which consulting firm? (1) Boston Consulting Group (2) Accenture (3) McKinsey (4) Ernst & Youn 3.Who was*the first recipient of*the Rajiv Gandhi*Khel Ratna Award instituted by the Government of India*in 1991*92? (1) Vishwanathan Anand (2) Geet Sethi* (3) Jyotirmoyee Sikdar (4) Karnam Malleshwari 4. Which marketing guru*is famous for books like "Purple Cow"* and "Permission Marketing"? (1) Malcolm Gladwell* (2) Seth Godin (3) Rosser Reeves (4) Harry Beckwith (He blogs too !! ) 5 . Naypyidaw is*the new capital of*which country? (1) Myanmar (2) Laos (3) Kosovo* (4) Cypru 6. Proctor and Gamble has partnered with which of*the following for project Poshan to combat malnutrition*in India? (1) ADB (2) WHO* (3) HDFC* (4) UNICEF 7 . What is the word for Little Nest in swiss german? (a) Cadbury (b) Nestle Page 145

PG GK COLLECTION (c) Lint (d) None of thes 8. Metical is the currency of which country? (a ) Mozambique (b) Mongolia (c) Micronesia (d) Malta 9. In stock*market jargon, what is*the term given to trading in shares on information before it is made public? (1) Kerb trading (2) Outsider trading (3) Insider trading (4) Online trading 10. Who is the creator of Wikipedia? (1) Geraldine Ferraro* (2) Jimmy Wales (3) Jeffrey Merkey (4) Jay*Wals Ans: 311214ba32 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ Hey could you give us the answers for this set? 1)Which Indian state is the largest producer in the world of the golden coloured 'Muga' silk? (A) Assam (B) Orissa (C) West Bengal (D) Karnataka 2)Which Indian freedom fighter was popularly called 'Mahamana' ? (A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (B) Jai Prakash Narain (C) Gopal Hari Deshmukh (D) Madan Mohan Malaviya 3)Which Indian state would you be in if you were watching birds at Ranganathittu Birds Sanctuary, situated on an island in the Kaveri river? (A) Karnataka (B) Maharashtra (C) Tamil Nadu (D) Andhra Pradesh 4) 'Anandmath', 'Durgeshnondini' and 'Kapalkundala' novels were authored by which Bengali writer ? (A) Rabindranath Tagore (B) Sharat Chandra Chatterjee Page 146

PG GK COLLECTION (C) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (D) Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay 5)Which of the following country is not a member of G8 group of countries? A. United Kingdom B. China C. Germany D. Canada 6)In 2010, Which prominent intergovernmental organization launched the movement, Education For All (EFA) so as to provide primary education to all by 2015: A. UNCTAD B. UNIDO C. UNDP D. UNESCO 7)Which of the following country is a member of OECD group? A. Venezuela B. Brazil C. Mexico D. South Africa 8) Which of the following country is not a member of Nuclear Suppliers Group? A. Belarus B. Malta C. Turkey D. Albania 9)When did Governor Generals rule end in India

A. 15th August 1947 B. 9th August 1948 C. 26th January 1950 D. 2nd October 1950 10) Some of the large deals entered into by IT majors in India are listed here as options. They are all billion dollar deals except one. Which one? A.Tech Mahindra-BT B.TCS-Nielson C.IBM-Bharti D.Infosys-ABN AMRO 11)A new coin called Rupiya was issued for the first time by: A.Ala ud din Khilji Page 147

PG GK COLLECTION B.Sher Shah Suri C.Akbar D.Mohammed Shah Tughlaq

1-a 2-d 3-a 4-c 5-b 6-d 7-c 8-d 9-d 10-d 11-b _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________ 1. New York City is nicknamed the Big Apple. What is Big Board? (1) Wall Street (2) London Stock Exchange (3) American Stock Exchange (4) New York*Stock Exchange 2. Bobby Jindal is the first*person of Indian origin*to become Governor*of*a US*state.*Which*state? (1) Wyoming (2) Texas (3) Louisiana (4) Arkansas 3 Which of*these is the best*known brand of*Devanlay SA? (1) Evian (2) Lacoste (3) Garnier (4) Hershe 4. What is the*name of*Jack Welch's*book*written along*with his wife Suzy Welch? (1) Winning (2) Success (3) Victory (4) Straight from the Gut 5. IT*wizard*Ray Noorda*was hailed as*"The*Father*of ..... (1) e*commerce (2) Database management (3) Network computing (4) Artificial intelligence 6. The Beige Book*Survey is periodically published*by the ..... (1) The Reserve Bank*of India Page 148

PG GK COLLECTION (2) The Bank*of England (3) The European*Central Bank (4) The Federal Reserve ans:432134 _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ Book Quiz

1. What was the first book in English to be printed in England? 2. Which 2 books do castaways automatically receive on ?Desert island discs?? 3. Who was responsible for the Complete Hip and Thigh Diet? 4. Who created Miss Marple? 5. Which book had to be owned by every member of his country?s adult population? 6. Which religious sect published ?The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life? 7. Who wrote the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? 8. In which decade did Guinness start to publish its book of Records annually? 9. Who wrote The Thorn Birds? 10. What was Jeffrey Archers first successful novel? Answers 1. The Canterbury tales 2. The Bible & Complete Works of Shakespeare 3. Rosemary Conley 4. Agatha Christie 5. Chairman Mao?s Little Red Book 6. Jehovah?s Witness 7. Douglas Adams 8. 1960s 9. Colleen mccullogh 10. Not a penny more, not a penny less _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ #On 10 December 2010 The Guinness World Records rested its new "dreadlock" category after investigation of its first and only female title holder Asha Mandela with this official statement: _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ BOOKS Page 149

PG GK COLLECTION Wings of Fire Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam War of Indian Independence Vir Savarkar Two leaves and a bud Mulk Raj Anand Two Lives Vikram Seth To a Hunger free World Dr. M.S. Swaminathan The Ground Beneath her Feet Salman Rushdie The Enchantress of Florence Salman Rushdie The Darkroom R. K. Narayanan The City of Joy Dominique Lapierre Speed Post Shobha De Oil Jack Anderson Last Days of Netaji G.D. Khosla Jyoti Punj Narendra Modi Indira Gandhi Returns Khushwant Singh Hungry Stones - Rabindra Nath Tagore Fury Salman Rashdie Envisioning an Empowered Nation - APJ kalam Das Capital - Karl Marx Eternal India - Indira Gandhi Broken Wing Sarojini Naidu _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ Companies and their HQs PepsiCo Purchase, New York, USA Nestle Vevey, Switzerland Berkshire Hathaway Omaha, Nebraska, USA BP London, United Kingdom Fiat Turin, Italy Toshiba Tokyo, Japan Apple Cupertino, California, USA Volvo Gothenburg, Sweden BMW Munich, Germany Boeing Chicago, Illinois, USA Motorola Schaumburg, Illinois, USA Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Siemens Munich, Germany Walt Disney Burbank, California, USA Nike Beaverton, Oregon, USA McDonalds Oak Brook, Illinois, USA Coca-Cola Atlanta, Georgia, USA

GOOGLE : Mountain View, California Deloitte : Paramount Plaza, Midtown Manhattan, New York City Page 150

PG GK COLLECTION Toyota : Aichi, Japan. Microsoft : Redmond, Washington, USA Apple : 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, California, U.S. AREVA : Paris, France. INTEL : Santa Clara, California, U.S Nokia : Espoo, Finland Samsung : Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea Hollywood : Los Angeles, CA, USA Dell : Texas, United States _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ First Ever Indian F1 Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit - Results 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 2 Jenson Button McLaren 3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 4 Mark Webber Red Bull 5 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 7 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 8 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 9 Adrian Sutil Force India 10 Sergio Perez Sauber 11 Vitaly Petrov Renault 12 Bruno Senna Renault 13 Paul di Resta Force India 14 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus 15 Rubens Barrichello Williams 16 Jerome dAmbrosio Virgin 17 Narain Karthikeyan HRT 18 Daniel Ricciardo HRT 19 Jarno Trulli Lotus _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ Official name Abbreviation Location Established Food and Agriculture Organization FAO Italy, Rome 1945 International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO Canada, Montreal 1947 International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD Italy, Rome 1977 International Labour Organization ILO Switzerland, Geneva 1919 International Maritime Organization IMO UK, London 1959 International Monetary Fund IMF USA, Washington D.C. 1945 International Telecommunication Union ITU Switzerland, Geneva 1865 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Page 151

PG GK COLLECTION UNESCO France, Paris 1945 United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO Austria, Vienna 1985 Universal Postal Union UPU Switzerland, Bern 1874 World Bank Group WBG USA, Washington D.C. 1945 World Health Organization WHO Switzerland, Geneva 1948 World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO Switzerland, Geneva 1967 World Meteorological Organization WMO Switzerland, Geneva 1950 World Tourism Organization UNWTO Spain, Madrid 1974 International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA Austria, Vienna 1957 United Nations Organization UN USA, New York 1945 World Trade Organization WTO Switzerland, Geneva 1995 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________ The world's Seven Billionth baby is expected to be born in Uttar Pradesh, on the 31st of October, 2011. Mahan Maharaj, an IIT dropout who went on to pursue his interest in mathematics, and became a monk with the Ramakrishna Mission, has been awarded this year's Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize for Mathematics. Pirelli - the tyre partner of all F1 teams. Niira Radia quits PR business - Vaishnavi Corporate Communications to shut shop. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ January Australia Day January 26 Indian Republic Day January 26 2026 National Non-Smoking Week 23 Weedless Wednesday 27 Family Literacy Day 11 Global Human Trafficking Awareness Day February Darwin Day February 12 Black Love Day - February 13* Valentine's Day February 14 International Mother Language Day -February 21 National Science Day February 28 Page 152

PG GK COLLECTION 23 World Rotary Day March International Women's Day March 8 Pi Day March 14 Bangladesh Independence Day March 26 37 National Social Work Week 1420 National Farm Safety Week 13 (including this day) World Rotaract Week 6 World Glaucoma Day 22 World Water Day 24 World Tuberculosis Day April National Beer Day April 7 Earth Day April 22 Green Day April 20 1319 National Dental Hygienists Week 27 May 3 National Volunteer Week 7 World Health Day 22 Earth Day 23 World Book and Copyright Day UNESCO May May Day May 1 National Star Wars Day - May 4 Mother's Day May 11 Telecommunication Day May 17 1218 National Road Safety Week 6 International No Diet Day 8 World Red Cross Day 10 WHO, Move for Health Day 31 World No-Tobacco Day June D-Day June 6, 1944 World Ocean Day June 8 5 World Environment Day 8 World Oceans Day July Page 153

PG GK COLLECTION 1 Canada Day 4 Independence Day in U.S. (Fourth of July) 11 World Population Day August Pakistan Independence Day August 14 Indian Independence Day August 15 World Fashion Day August 21 September World Rubber Day September 12 In September 1909, the chemical engineer Fritz Hofmann received a patent for inventing the first "method for manufacturing artificial rubber Engineer's Day September 15 October Mahatma Gandhi Birthday October 2 World Animal Day October 4 Steve Jobs Day - October 14 world habitat day- 1st Monday of October November Day of the Dead November 1(All Saints' Day) or November 2(All Souls' Day). Armistice Day (also Remembrance Day) November 11 Children's Day (India) November 14 December World AIDS Day December 1 Christmas Day December 25 Quaid E Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Birth Day December 25

More days December December December December December 1 World AIDS Day 3 World Day of the Handicapped 10 Human Rights Day 18 Minorities Rights Day (India) 23 Kisan Divas (Farmer's Day) (India) Page 154

PG GK COLLECTION

November 14 Children's Day; Diabetes Day November 17 National Epilepsy Day October 1 International Day for the Elderly October 15 World White Cane Day (guiding the blind) October 16 World Food Day September September September September September August August August August 8 World Literacy Day (UNESCO) 16 World Ozone Day 21 Alzheimer's Day; Day for Peace & Non-violence (UN) 22 Rose Day (Welfare of cancer patients) 26 Day of the Deaf(INdia)

6 Hiroshima Day 8 World Senior Citizen's Day 19 Photography Day :inlove: 29 National Sports Day

June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking May 11 National Technology Day May 24 Commonwealth Day

April 18 World Heritage Day January 12 National Youth Day(Reason : Swami Vivekanand's Birthday) January 30 Martyrs' Day; World Leprosy Eradication Day

_________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ BMW- "Sheer driving pleasure" or "ultimate driving machine" ? American Airlines- "We know why you fly" _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________ MineralsWhere Found (The first-mentioned is the State in which the mineral is chiefly found) Aluminium: Kerala. It is extracted from Bauxite. Antimony: Antimony deposits are found in the Punjab and Karnataka. Asbestos: Karnataka and Rajasthan. Page 155

PG GK COLLECTION Barytes: (Barium Sulphate) Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Manbhum and Singhbhum districts of Jharkhand. Bantonite: Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. Bauxite: Ranchi and Palamau districts of Jharkhand, Belgaum, Kharia and Thana districts of Maharashtra; Balaghat, Jabalpur, Mandia and Bilaspur districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is an ore of aluminium. Beryllium Sands: Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kashmir and Bihar. Cement: Katni in M.P., Lakheri in Rajasthan, Jabalpur (M.P.), Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Jhinkapani (Singhbhum district of Jharkhand), Surajpur (Haryana). China Clay: Rajmahal Hills, Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, Kerala. Chromite: Singhbhum and Bhagalpur (Jharkhand); Ratnagiri, Salem (Tamil Nadu); Karnataka; Keonjhar (Orissa); Ladakh (Kashmir). Coal: Raniganj (West Bengal); Jharia, Giridih, Karanpur (Bihar); Bokaro, (Jharkhand) Panch Valley and Chanda (M.P.); Singareni (Andhra Pradesh) and Mukum (Assam). Cobalt: Rajasthan and Kerala. Copper: Jharkhand (Singhbhum and Barajamda); Rajasthan (Khetri). Corborundum: Khasi Hills (Assam); Rewa (M.P.); Salem (Tamil Nadu); Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir. Diamond: Diamond mines are found in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. Feldspar: Burdwan (West Bengal); Rewa (M.P.); Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu); Alwar and Ajmer (Rajasthan). Fullers Earth: (soft clay used in soap-making) is found in Rajasthan, M.P. and Karnataka. Gold: Kolar gold-fields (Karnataka). Graphite: Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa and Kerala. Gypsum: Bikaner and Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Heavy Water: Talchar in Orissa; Kota in Rajasthan; Baroda in Gujarat; Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu; Nangal in Punjab. Ilmenite: Kerala. Occurs in the Bank Sands of the beaches near Quilon. Iron Ore: Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj (Orissa). Kaynite: largest deposits occur at Kharswan near Jamshedpur, Singhbhum (Bihar). Lac: W. Bengal. Lead: Zawar in Udaipur and at the Banjavi mines in Jaipur (Rajasthan). Lignite: Neyveli in South Arcot district (Tamil Nadu). Limestone: Singareni and Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Panchmahal (Gujarat), Balaghat, Bhandara, Chhindwara, Nagpur, Indore, Vishakhapatnam, Sandur (Tamil Nadu). Manganese: Madhya Pradesh. Marble: Jaipur (Rajasthan). Mica: Koderma in Hazaribagh district, Monghyr (Bihar), Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. Monazite Sands: are found in abundance in Travancore coast (Kerala State). Thorium is processed from Monazite sands. Page 156

PG GK COLLECTION Nitre: Bihar, U.P., Tamil Nadu and Punjab. Petroleum: Digboi, Badarpur, Musimpur and Patharia fields of Assam, Cambay basin near Baroda where oilfields have been discovered and production has started. Large-scale drilling for oil is in progress in India in Bombay and Gujarat. Pitchblende: Gaya (Bihar). Red Stone: Jodhpur (Rajasthan). Salt: Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan), and is also obtained from ocean water of Ranns of Kutch, on the north-western and south-eastern littoral (sea-shore) of India. Saltpetre: Punjab, U.P. and Bihar. Silmanite: Khasi Hills (Assam); Rewa (M.P.). Silmanite is used in the manufacture of furnace-lining in iron and steel industry. It is also used in glass and ceramic industry. Silver: Karnataka; Singhbhum and Manbhum (Jharkhand); Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Steatite: Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, U.P., Karnataka and Rajasthan. Tin: (Bihar) Hazaribagh district. Thorium: (Processed from monazite sand) Travancore (Kerala). Tungsten: Bihar, Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Marwar. Uranium: Bihar. Zinc: from Zawar mines in Udaipur (Rajasthan). Zircon: occurs in the beach sands of Kerala and Cape Comorin. _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ 1. The*H.Q.*of ILO*is*located*at (1) Geneva (2) The Hague (3) New York (4) Rom 2.The*H.Q. of*FAO*is located*in (1) New York (2) Washington (3) Rome (4) France 3.Match the*following Column I* Column II* A . ILO* 1 . Oil* B. WHO* 2 . Development C . OPEC* 3 . Health D. UNDP* 4 . Labour (1) A4, B3,*C1, D2* (2) A4, B2,*C1, D3* (3) A3, B4,*C1, D2* (4) A2, B1,*C3, D4 5. Where is the H.Q. of the European*Economic Community? (1) Bonn (2) Rome (3) Brussels (4) Hague 6. The International Criminal Police Organization (known as Page 157

PG GK COLLECTION Interpol) has its*headquarters at (1) Bonn (2) London (3) Lyon (4) Montreal Ans: 13133 _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________

#Connect: Alexander, Nargis, Danica May Camacho :) All are the World's seven billionth babies Alexander - Russia Nargis - India Danica - Phillipines Another piece of Info - United Nations Population fund estimates that the 8 billionth baby will be born in 2025 Another trivia: India's billionth baby -> Astha. And the 6 billionth baby was born in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ #Euro Zone inflation stayed at 3% in October; Unemployment rate rises Wipro posts 1% rise in net profit ICICI Bank posts 22% jump in its net profit Hindustan Unilever posts 22% rise in its net profit ____________________________________________________________________________ # Finally, understood the difference between Man Booker & Man Booker International Prize. Was always confused between the two. Man Booker is a prize in recognition for fictional works. 2011 Man Booker: Julian Barnes (For Sense of an Ending) Man Booker International: Though awarded by the same institution, the Man Booker International doesn't consider a single book as a criterion for awarding the prize, rather considers a holistic and overall quality of an author. 2011 Man Booker International: Philip Roth Page 158

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________ Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which Which is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is the Granite City?-Aberdeen, Scotland the Dark Continent?-Africa the City of the Golden Temple?Amritsar, India the Land of the Golden Fleece?Australia the Land of the Kangaroo?Australia the Island of Pearls?Bahrain the Garden City of India?Bangalore the Cockpit of Europe?Belgium the White City? Belgrade, Yugoslavia the Gateway of India?Bombay known as the the Great White Way?Broadway, NewYork known as the Land of the Golden Pagoda?Burma(Myanmar) known as the City of Palaces?Kolkata the Land of Lilies?Canada the Land of Maple?Canada the Windy City?Chicago, USA the Venice of East?Alappuzha the Queen of Arabian Sea?Cochin, India the Pearl of the Antilles?Cuba the Gift of Nile?Egypt the Land of Thousand Lakes?Finland known as The Emerald Island?Ireland the Island of Pearls?Bahrain the Sugar Bowl of the World?Cuba known as the Land of Rising Sun?Japan the Hermit Kingdom?Korea the port of five Seas? Moscow the Land of Canals?Netherlands the Empire City?NewYork the Land of White Elephant?Thailand the Sick Man of Europe?Turkey the Queen of the Adriatic?Venice the Island of Cloves?Zanzibar the Venice of the North?Stockholm the City of the Golden Gate?San Francisco the City of Seven Hills?Rome the City of Brotherly Love?Philadelphia the City of Dreaming Spires?Oxford the Land of Windmills?Netherlands the Land of the Canals?Netherlands the Land of Thunderbolt?Bhutan the Holy Land?Palestine Land of Humming Bird?Trinidad the Rose Pink City?Jaipur Page 159

PG GK COLLECTION Which is the playground of Europe?Switzerland Which is the Diamond City in India?Surat, Gujarat _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ Minimum Support Prices For Kharif Crops 0f 2011-12 1) Cotton- 3,300(2011-12) 3,000(2010-11) 2) Soyabean(yellow)- 1,690(2011-12) -1,440(2010-11) 3) Soyabean(black)- 1,650(11-12) -1,400(10-11) 4) Moong- 3,500(11-12) -3,170(10-11) 5) Paddy (Grade A)- 1110(11-12) 1030(10-11) 6) Paddy (common)- 1080(11-12) -1000(10-11) 7) Jowar(maldandi)- 1000(11-12) -900(10-11) 8) Maize- 980(11-12) -880(10-11) 9) Ragi- 1050(11-12) -965(10-11)ear 10) Bajra- 980(11-12) -880(10-11) 11) Urad- 3300(11-12) -2900(10-11) 12) Arhar(tur)- 3200(11-12) -3000(10-11) FICCI sportsperson of the year- Ronjhan Sodhi

Ronjan Sodhi became the only Indian marksman to grab the top spot in the latest ISSF World Rankings. He is also a recipient of Arjuna award. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________ Arjun Award winner

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PG GK COLLECTION Arjun Awardees in Athletics 2010 Jagseer Singh (Para Athlete) 2011 Preeja Sreedharan Arjun Awardees in Archery 2011 Rahul Banerjee

Arjun Awardees in Badminton 2009 Saina Nehwal 2011 Jwala Gutta

Arjun Awardees in Boxing 2006 Vijender Kumar 2010 Dinesh Kumar 2011 suranjoy singh

Arjun Awardees in Chess 1985 Vishwanathan Anand 2010 Parimarjan Negi Arjun Awardees in Cricket 2010 Jhulan Goswami << never heard that name 2011 Zaheer Khan

Arjun Awardees in Football 1998 Baichung Bhutia 2011 Sunil Chettri

Arjun Awardees in Golf 1999 Chiranjeev Milkha Singh (Jeev Milkha Singh)

Arjun Awardees in Gymnastics 2011 Ashish Kumar who won the first-ever medal in gymnastics for India, in October 2010 Page 161

PG GK COLLECTION Arjun Awardees in Hockey 1995 Dhanraj Pillai 2011 Rajpal Singh Arjun Awardees in Lawn Tennis 1990 1995 2004 2011 Leander Paes Mahesh Bhupathi Sania Mirza Somdev Devvarman

Arjun Awardees in Shooting 2011 Tejaswini Sawant _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ MC Mary Kom or Mary Kom, is a female boxer from Manipur, India who is supported by Olympic Gold Quest. Mary Kom, a mother of two, is five times World Boxing Champion, successively. Mary Kom is the only boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six World Championships. She had the honour of bearing the Queen's Baton in its Opening Ceremony run in the stadium for the 2010 Commonwealth Games of Delhi Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 29.8.2009 Sat, New Delhi Padma Shree (Sports) 2006 Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008 23.12.2008 Tue People of the Year- Limca Book of Records 2007 _________________________________________________________________________________

Muammar Ghaddafi, ousted & dead Libyan dictator, was a shareholder in ICICI Bank :D ICICI Bank is the only Indian company that has caught the imagination of Col Muammar Gaddafi's Libya Investment Authority (LIA). A report leaked in the NGO Global Witness showed that ICICI Bank ADRs were the only Indian investment made by LIA Business Line : Industry & Economy / Banking : Gaddafi-controlled fund invests Page 162

PG GK COLLECTION $29.6 m in ICICI Bank ADRs Gaddafi's fund has only 0.1% stake in ICICI Bank - The Economic Times \\\ ICICI ICICI Bank Ltd. is India's second largest financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, India. ICICI Bank was established in 1994 by the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, an Indian financial institution, as a wholly owned subsidiary. The parent company was formed in 1955 as a joint-venture of the World Bank, India's public-sector banks and public-sector insurance companies to provide project financing to Indian industry.

Acquisitions 2005: Investitsionno-Kreditny Bank (IKB), a Russian bank 2007: Sangli Bank 2010: Bank of Rajasthan behind the scenes : Mr. K. Vaman Kamath is the non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICICI Bank Limited, India's second largest bank. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ The Indian pesticides industry is the second largest in Asia, after China, and the third largest in the world. A United Nations study has ranked India at 134 out of 187 countries in terms of Human Development Index the G20 Summits have been held in Washington in 2008, in London and Pittsburgh in 2009, and in Toronto and Seoul in 2010. In 2011 - Cannes 1. Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court is the second judge in the countrys history to face removal proceedings in Parliament. Who was the first? (1) Gautam Ghosh (2) B. Sudhakar (3) V. Ramaswamy (4) Kunal Kishor 2. India ushered in Mobile Number Portability that will allow cell phone users to switch operators without changing numbers. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal launched the Service in Page 163

PG GK COLLECTION (1) (2) (3) (4) Haryana Punjab Delhi Rajasthan

3. What does CEPA stand for? (1) Common Economic Partnership Agreement. (2) Common Economic Patent Agreement. (3) Central Economic Portability Assessment. (4) Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement 4. Which of the following places has been removed from UN list of unresolved disputes? (1) Taiwan (2) Tibet (3) J&K (4) Arunachal Pradesh 5. Which of the following is not a member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization? (1) Russia (2) Kazakhstan (3) Uzbekistan (4) South Korea Ans: 31434 _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________ 1) Chennai based MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) in collaboration with Hasbro of USA, markets and distributes the Funskool range of toys in India. 2) Earliest use of this is often attributed to Harvey Ball, a commercial artist in Massachusetts. He devised it in 1963 for an insurance firm as an employee morale booster.He received $45 for his work. However it fell into the public domain in the United States before Ball could trademark. What is being talked about?

3) ______ joined the National Defense Academy in 1960. Between 1964 & 1972, he had an illustrious career as a pilot with the Indian Air Force - he was a recipient of 8 medals. He quit the Air Force and set up his own fast food shop in Pune before being spotted by Sanjay Gandhi. Who?? Suresh Kalmadi 4) The Boeing Dreamliner 787, the world's most fuel efficient, large capacity commercial aircraft, was initially named Boeing 7E7 ( E stood for Efficiency). Page 164

PG GK COLLECTION However, since China bagged the first orders for the Dreamliner delivery, Boeing decided to rename 7E7 as 787, since Chinese consider the number 8 to be very lucky. 5) Taal is the first Indian movie to be insured. Since there were frequent accidents during the shooting of the movie, director Subash Ghai decided to insure the movie with United India Insurance. ( Some say Subash Ghai insured the movie after Sanjay Dutt's arrest ) _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ 1) What is the name of Head Quarters of Tata Group? Answer: Bombay House 2) India's first steel mill was built by Tata. In which year was it completed? Answer: 1911 3) About 66% of the Tata capital is allocated by Tata Sons for which purpose? Answer: Philanthropic trusts 4) What was the first Indian luxury hotel established by the Tata Group? Answer: Taj Mahal Hotel 5) The Tata group consists of how many companies? Answer: 80 6) When was the ministry of divestment formed in India? Answer: 1999 7) Which was the first successful divestment of a PSU carried out by the ruling NDA combine? Answer: Lagan Jute Machinery Company Ltd 8) Who were the final three bidders for Balco when it was being privatised?(Bharat Aluminium Corporation ltd) Answer: Sterlite, Hindalco, Alcoa 9) Who was the first minister for divestment under NDA government? Answer: Arun Jaitley 10) Under which Indian prime minister were guidelines for the divestment process first laid down? Answer: Chandra Shekhar 11) Who are the Bretton Woods Sisters? Answer: World Bank and IMF 12) Who is the President of World Bank? Answer: Robert Bruce Zoellvick 13) Who is the President of IMF? Answer: Christine Lagarde, France 14) Who is WTO Chief? Answer: Pascal Lamy 15) When did the World Bank come into being? Answer: July 1944 16) What was Former Name of World Bank? Page 165

PG GK COLLECTION Answer: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 17) Who was the first president of the World Bank? Answer: Eugene Meyer (18 June, 1946) 18) Which Asian nation was the first to get a World Bank loan? Answer: India on August 18, 1949 for Railway Reconstruction and Development. 19) When did India sign the World Bank Articles of Agreement? Answer: 1945 20) Which organisation instituted the Nobel Prize for Economics? Answer: Sveriges Riksbank (Bank of Sweeden) 21) Who is the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Economics? Answer: Amartya Sen (for his studies in Wellfare Ecconomics) 22) How many women have won the Nobel Prize for Economics since 1969? Answer: None 23) Who is the oldest recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economics? Answer: William Vickrey 24) How many times have three people shared the Nobel Prize for Economics? Answer: Three Times 25) Who was the first governor of the Reserve Bank of India? Answer: Sir Osborne Smith (April 1st, 1935) 26) Who has been the longest-serving RBI governor? Answer: Sir Bengal Rama Raju 27) Who had the shortest term as RBI governor? Answer: A.Ghosh 28) Which RBI governor has written Indian Economy: Essays on Money and Finance? Answer: Dr C Rangarajan 29) Who was the first Indian to become the RBI governor? Answer: Sir Chintaman D Deshmukh 30) Which brand of scooter when translated into Italian means 'wasp'? Answer: Vespa 31) Which popular car audio system company's name when translated into German means 'blue point'? Answer: Blaupunkt 32) Which brand name is derived from the word 'polar' suggesting coolness? Answer: Polo 33) When translated in Korean what does Daewoo mean? Answer: Great Universe 34) With a presence in 27 countries, the name of which company means 'three oceans?' Answer: Sanyo 35) Which was the first private mutual fund company in India? Answer: Kothari Pioneer(1993) 36) Samir Arora, who recently was banned by the Securities and Exchange Board of India, was a part of which mutual fund? Page 166

PG GK COLLECTION Answer: Alliance Capital 37) Which was the first public sector mutual fund to be set up after the Unit Trust of India? Answer: SBI Mutual Fund 38) How many mutual funds are there in India today? Answer: 31 39) HDFC Standard Life Mutual Fund recently bought out which of its competitors? Answer: Zurich India Mutual Fund 40) Which is the official advertising agency of the Indian government? Answer: Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity 41) Which ad agency manages the career of cricket star Yuvraj Singh? Answer: Percept D'Mark 42) Which Indian biscuit brand is the single largest selling biscuit in the world in its segment? Answer: Parle G 43) The late television star and actress, Priya Tendulkar, used to endorse which brand of biscuits? Answer: Priya Gold 44) Which biscuit company was associated with the TV programme, Kaun Banega Crorepati? Answer: Britannia Industries 45) Which was the first Indian bank to open an international branch and where? Answer: Bank of India in London 46) Which bank was founded in 1906 at the temple town of Udupi and is today among one of India's largest banks? Answer: Corporation Bank 47) When were banks in India nationalised? Answer: 1969 48) Rana Talwar, who is now the head of Sabre Capital, was formerly the CEO of which bank? Answer: Standard Chartered Plc 49) Who is behind the current Wipro, Britannia, Marico and Lakme logos? Answer: Shombit Sengupta 50) Who was the first Indian actress to model for Lux soap? Answer: Leela Chitnis 51) What do you call a stock market trend that is neither bullish nor bearish? Answer: Chicken market 52) What is picking stocks that have already sunk to the bottom but still have some bounce in them left called? Answer: Cigar butt hunting 53) How many stock exchanges are there in India? Answer: 23 Page 167

PG GK COLLECTION 54) What are illiquid stocks that do not follow SEBI rules called? Answer: Z stocks 55) By what name is the building 'Phiroze Jeejebhoy Towers' better known as? Answer: Bombay Stock Exchange 56) Which company's ad line was 'Geography is History'? Answer: Iridium 57) What publication advertised itself with the lines "Software for the most advanced microprocessor on this planet"? Answer: The Economic Times 58) "The Brighter Side of Life" is the ad line of which of these companies/groups? Answer: AV Birla group 59) "Don't blend in" is the ad line of which of these companies/products? Answer: Lifestyle International 60) "Life is One Incredible Journey" is the baseline of which magazine? Answer: Outlook Traveller _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ Name of Award Year Instituted Awarded for Pulitzer Prize 1917 Named after the US Publisher, Joseph Pulitzer; It is annually conferred in the US for accomplishment in Journalism, literature and music Magsaysay Award 1957 Named after Ramon Magsaysay, President of the Philippines; it is annually conferred for outstanding contribution to Public Service, Community Leadership, Journalism, Literature, Creative Arts and International Understanding Templeton Award 1972 Conferred by the Templeton Foundation for progress in religion-inaugurated by John M. Templeton, a presbyterian of Nassau, Bahamas Booker Prize 1968 Highest literary award, set up by the Booker Company and the British Publishers Association Right Livelihood 1980 Instituted by Jakob Von Vexkull, a Swedish-German writer and Philatelic expert, after selling his stamp collection; also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize and conferred annually for practical and exemplary solutions to real problems of today Jawaharlal Nehru 1965 Instituted by Government of India, it is conferred annually to persons for outstanding contribution in promotion of international understanding, goodwill, and friendship among the people of the world Page 168

PG GK COLLECTION Oscar Award 1929 Conferred annually by the Academy of Motion pictures, Arts and Sciences in the US in recognition of contribution and performance in the field of cinema Jesse Owens 1992 Instituted by the International Amateur Athletic Federation; Global Award to honor individuals with sports background who have made significant and lasting contribution to society _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ List of Private Banks

1. Bharat Overseas Bank Ltd 2. City Union Bank Ltd 3. Development Credit Bank Ltd 4. Lord Krishna Bank Ltd 5. SBI Commercial & International Bank Ltd 6. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd 7. The Bank of Rajasthan Ltd 8. The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd 9. The Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd 10. The Federal Bank Ltd 11. The Ganesh Bank of Kurundwad Ltd 12. The Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd 13. The Karnataka Bank Ltd 14. The Karur Vysya Bank Ltd 15. The Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd 16. The National Bank Ltd 17. The Nedungadi Bank Ltd 18. The Ratnakar Bank Ltd 19. The Sangli Bank Ltd 20. The South Indian Bank Ltd 21. The United Western Bank Ltd 22. ING Vysya Bank Ltd 23. Bank of Punjab Ltd 24. Centurion Bank Ltd 25. Global Trust Bank 26. HDFC Bank 27. ICICI Bank 28. IndusInd Bank Ltd 29. Kotak Mahindra Bank 30. IDBI Bank 31. UTI Bank 32. YES Bank Ltd

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PG GK COLLECTION List of Foreign Banks in India

1. ABN-AMRO Bank N.V. 2. Abu Dhabi Comm. Bank Ltd 3. American Express Bank Ltd 4. Arab Bangladesh Bank Ltd 5. Bank International Indonesia 6. Bank of Muscat S.A.O.G. 7. Bank of America NA 8. Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait B.S.C. 9. Bank of Ceylon 10. Barclays Bank PLC 11. BNP Paribas 12. Chinatrust Comm. Bank 13. Chohung Bank 14. Citibank N.A. 15. Commerzbank AG 16. Credit Agricole Indosuez 17. Credit Lyonnais 18. Deutsche Bank AG 19. Development Bank of Singapore Ltd 20. Dresdner Bank AG 21. HSBC Ltd 22. ING Bank N.V. 23. JPMorgan Chase Bank (The Chase Manhattan Bank) 24. K.B.C. Bank NA 25. KrunThai Bank Public Co. Ltd. 26. Mashreqbank psc 27. Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd (The Fuji Bank Ltd) 28. Oman International Bank S.A.O.G. 29. Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd 30. Societe Generale 31. Sonali Bank 32. Standard Chartered Grindlays Bank Ltd 33. State Bank of Mauritius Ltd 34. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking 35. Corporation (The Sumitomo Bank Ltd) 36. The Bank of Nova Scotia 37. The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd 38. The Siam Commercial Bank 39. The Toronto-Domonion Bank Ltd 40. UFJ Bank Ltd (The Sanwa Bank Ltd) _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________ 1. Buddhism Page 170

PG GK COLLECTION Founder Gautam Siddhartha Buddha (563-483 BC) born in Nepal (Lumbini) Founded in 525 BC Followed in India, China, Tibet, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Japan, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Bhutan and Vietnam Sacred Text The Tripitaka (Collection of Buddha?s teaching) also called Sutras Sacred Places Lumbini (Nepal) where he received enlightenment and Kusinagar (UP) where he attained ?Nirvana?. Place of Worship Vihar (temple) and Monastery (where monks reside) Sects Mahayana and Hinayana

2. Confucianism Founder King Fu Tsu, Better known as Confucius (551-479 BC) born in the state of LU in china. Founded in 500 BC Followed in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Nauru and Vietnam Sacred Text The Analects Sacred Places No church or temple

3. Christianity Founder Jesus Christ (5 BC to AD 30) born in Judea, also called Jesus of Nazareth Founded in 2000 years ago Followed in Spread all over the world Sacred Text Holy Bible consisting of Old Testament (before Christ) and the New Testament (during and after Christ) Sacred Places Jerusalem where Christ lived and preached Place of Worship Church Important Sects Catholics and Protestants

4. Hinduism Founder Ancient Sages Founded in Around 1500 BC Followed in Concentrated in India and Nepal and also found in Bhutan, Fiji, Guyana, Indonesia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago Sacred Text The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita and the epics of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana Place of Worship Temple

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PG GK COLLECTION 5. Islam Founder Prophet Mohammed (AD 570-632) born in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) Founded in AD 622 Followed in From west coast of Africa to the Philippines which includes Tanzania, Southern part of Russia and China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia. Also parts of North Africa. Sacred Text Quran (words of God), Hadis (Collection of Prophet?s saying). Sacred Places Makkah (mecca) in Saudi Arabia Place of Worship Masjid (mosque) Sects Sunnis and Shias

6. Judaism (Religion of the Hebrews) Founder Moses, born in Egypt Founded in 1300 BC Followed in Worldwide with concentration in Israel and United States Sacred Text Talmads, found particularly in the five books of the Bible; commentary on Torah known as Talmud and Midrash Sacred Places Jerusalem Place of Worship Synagogue

7. Shintoism Founder Began with Japanese culture and developed out of tradition and ancestor worship Followed in Japan Sacred Text No specific text Sacred Places Central Shrine of Ise (central Japan) and the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo

8. Sikhism Founder Guru Nanak (1469-1539) Founded in AD 1500 Followed in India Sacred Text Shri Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Places The Golden Temple of Amritsar Place of Worship Gurudwara

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PG GK COLLECTION 9. Taoism Founder Lao-tse, a Chinese Philosopher Founded in 6th century BC Followed in China, Taiwan, Nauru, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam Sacred Text Tao-te-Ching

10. Zoroastrianism (Parsi Religion) Founder Zoroaster, born in Medea (modern Iran) in about 660 BC Founded in Around 500 BC Followed in Iran and north-west India. The Zoroastrians who fled to India during the eighth century are the ancestors of the present Parsi Community in India Sacred Text Zend Avasta Place of Worship Fire temple ____________________________________________________________ Old Name New Name

Abyssinia Ethiopia Angora Ankara Batavia Jakarta British Honduras Belize Bechuanaland Botswana Basutoland Lesotho Burma Myanmar Cape Canaveral Cape Kennedy Ceylon Sri Lanka Christina Oslo Congo Zaire Constantinople Istanbul Dacca Dhaka Dahomey Benin Dutch East Indies Indonesia Dutch Guiana Surinam East Pakistan Bangladesh East Timor Loro See Egypt United Arab Republic Ellice Island Tuvalu Formosa Taiwan French West Africa Mali Gold Coast Ghana Greenland Kalaallit Nunaat Page 173

PG GK COLLECTION Holland The Netherlands Kampuchea Cambodia Leopoldville Kinshasa Malaya Malaysia Manchukuo Manchuria Mesopotamia Iraq New Hebrides Vanuatu Nippon Japan Northern Rhodesia Zambia Nyasaland Malawi Peking Beijing Petrograd Leningrad Persia Iran Portuguese Guinea Guinea Bissau Rangoon Yangon Rhodesia Zimbabwe Saigon Ho Chi Minh City Salisbury Harare Sandwich Islands Hawaiian Islands Siam Thailand South West Africa Namibia Spanish Guinea Equatorial Guinea Stalingrad Volgograd Tanganyika and Zanzibar Tanzania Trucial Oman United Arab Emirates Upper Volta Bourikina Fasso or Burkina Faso West French Africa Mauritania _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ Country Name of Parliament

Afghanistan Shora Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Bhutan Tsongdu Bulgaria Narodna Subranie Myanmar(Burma)Pyithu Hluttaw Denmark Folketing Ethiopia Shergo Finland Eduskusta Germany Bundestag (Lower House), Bundestrat (Upper House) Greenland Landstraad Iceland Althing India Lok Sabha (Lower House), Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Indonesia Majlis Page 174

PG GK COLLECTION Iran Majlis Israel Knesset Japan Diet Malaysia Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara Maldives Majlis Mongolia Great People?s Khural Nepal National Panchayat The Netherlands The Staten General Norway Storting Poland Sejm Spain Cortes Surinam Staten Swaziland Liblandla Sweden Riksdaq Switzerland Federal Assembly _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ India's Atomic Research

Atomic Energy Commission Established in 1948, with Dr. H. J. Bhabha as its first Chairman, to look after India?s atomic energy programmes.

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Set up in August 1954 for implementation of Atomic energy programmes and headed by the Prime Minister of India. It has five research Centers: 1. Bhabha Atomic research Centre (BARC): Established in 1957, it is located in Trombay (Maharashtra) and is India?s largest atomic research centre. 2. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research: established in 1971, it is located at Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu). 3. Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT): Established in 1984, it is located at Indore. 4. Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (CECC), Kolkata. 5. Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration Research (AMD), Hyderabad. It has Three Industrial Organizations: 1. Heavy Water Board (HWB), Mumbai. 2. Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad. Page 175

PG GK COLLECTION 3. Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), Mumbai. Four Public Sector Undertakings: 1. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Mumbai. 2. Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), Jaduguda (Jharkhand). 3. Indian Rare Earth Limited (IRE), Mumbai. 4. Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad.

Four Service Organizations: 1. Directorate of Purchase and Stores (DPS), Mumbai. 2. Construction, Services and Estate Management Group, Mumbai. 3. General Services Organization (GSO). Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu). 4. Atomic Energy Education Society (AEES), Mumbai _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________\ The world's first commercial GSM call was made in 1991 in Helsinki over a Nokia-supplied network, by Prime Minister of Finland Harri Holkeri, using a Nokia phone.

The name of the town of Nokia originated from the river which flowed through the town. The river itself, Nokianvirta, was named after the old Finnish word originally meaning sable, later pine marten.

The ringtone "Nokia tune" is actually based on a 19th century guitar work named "Gran Vals" by Spanish musician Francisco Trrega. The Nokia Tune was originally named "Grande Valse" on Nokia phones but was changed to "Nokia Tune" around 1998 when it became so well known that people referred to it as the "Nokia Tune." _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________ INDIA AT A GLANCE General Profile Area : 3.3 Million sq. km Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Page 176

PG GK COLLECTION Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent. Geographic Coordinates: Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8 4' and 37 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 687' and 9725' longitudes east of it. Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30 Telephone Country Code: +91 Capital: New Delhi Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Coastline : 7517 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November) Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________#A BRIEF HISTORY OF BANKING IN INDIA

1. The origin of western type commercial Banking in India dates back to the 18th century. 2. The story of banking starts from Bank of Hindusthan established in 1779 and it was first bank at Calcutta under European management. In 1786 General Bank of India was set up. 3. Since Calcutta was the most active trading port in India, mainly due to the trade of the British Empire, it became a banking center. Three Presidency banks were set up under charters from the British East India Page 177

PG GK COLLECTION Company- Bank of Calcutta, Bank of Bombay and the Bank of Madras. These worked as quasi central banks in India for many years. The Bank of Calcutta established in 1806 immediately became Bank of Bengal. In 1921 these 3 banks merged with each other and Imperial Bank of India got birth. It is todays State Bank of India. The name was changed after Indias Independence in 1955. So State bank of India is the oldest Bank of India. 4. In 1839, there was a fruitless effort by Indian merchants to establish a Bank called Union Bank. It failed within a decade. 5. Next came Allahabad Bank which was established in 1865 and working even today. The oldest Public Sector Bank in India having branches all over India and serving the customers for the last 145 years is Allahabad Bank. Allahabad bank is also known as one of Indias Oldest Joint Stock Bank. 6. The Oldest Joint Stock bank of India was Bank of Upper India established in 1863 and failed in 1913. 7. The first Bank of India with Limited Liability to be managed by Indian Board was Oudh Commercial Bank. It was established in 1881 at Faizabad. This bank failed in 1958. 8. The first bank purely managed by Indian was Punjab National Bank, established in Lahore in 1895. The Punjab national Bank has not only survived till date but also is one of the largest banks in India. 9. However, the first Indian commercial bank which was wholly owned and managed by Indians was Central Bank of India which was established in 1911. Central Bank of India was dreams come true of Sir Sorabji Pochkhanawala, founder of the Bank. Sir Pherozesha Mehta was the first Chairman of this Bank. 10. Many more Indian banks were established between 1906-1911. This was the era of the Swadeshi Movement in India. Some of the banks are Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and Central Bank of India. Bank of India was the first Indian bank to open a branch outside India in London in 1946 and the first to open a branch in continental Europe at Paris in 1974. The Bank was founded in September 1906 as a private entity and was nationalized in July 1969. Since the logo of this Bank is a star, its head office in Mumbai is located in Star House, Bandra East, Mumbai. 11. There was a district in Todays Karnataka state called South Canara under Page 178

PG GK COLLECTION the British empire. It was bifurcated in 1859 from Canara district , thus making Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district. It was the undivided Dakshina Kannada district. It was renamed as Dakshina Kannada in 1947. Four banks started operation during the period of Swadeshi Movement and so this was known as Cradle of Indian Banking. This was the first phase of Indian banking which was a very slow in development. This era saw many ups and downs in the banking scenario of the country. 12. The Second Phase starts from 1935 when Reserve bank of India was established. Between the period of 1911-1948, there were more than 1000 banks in India, almost all small banks. The Reserve Bank of India was constituted in 1934 as an apex Bank, however without major government ownership. Government of India came up with the Banking Companies Act 1949. This act was later changed to Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act 1949. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act of 1965 gave extensive powers to the Reserve Bank of India. The Reserve Bank of India was made the Central Banking Authority. 13. The banking sector reforms started immediately after the independence. These reforms were basically aimed at improving the confidence level of the public as most banks were not trusted by the majority of the people. Instead, the deposits with the Postal department were considered safe. 14. The first major step was Nationalization of the Imperial Bank of India in 1955 via State Bank of India Act. State Bank of India was made to act as the principal agent of RBI and handle banking transactions of the Union and State Governments. 15. In a major process of nationalization, 7 subsidiaries of the State Bank of India were nationalized by the Indira Gandhi regime. In 1969, 14 major private commercial banks were nationalized. These 14 banks Nationalized in 1969 are as follows: o Central Bank of India o Bank of Maharastra o Dena Bank o Punjab National Bank o Syndicate Bank o Canara Bank o Indian Bank o Indian Overseas Bank o Bank of Baroda o Union Bank o Allahabad Bank o Union Bank of India o UCO Bank Page 179

PG GK COLLECTION o Bank of India. 16. The above was followed by a second phase of nationalization in 1980, when Government of India acquired the ownership of 6 more banks, thus bringing the total number of Nationalised Banks to 20. The private banks at that time were allowed to function side by side with nationalized banks and the foreign banks were allowed to work under strict regulation. 17. After the two major phases of nationalization in India, the 80% of the banking sector came under the public sector / government ownership. 18. Please note the following sequence of events: ? Creation of Reserve bank of India: 1935 ? Nationalization of Reserve Bank of India : 1949 (January ) ? Enactment of Banking Regulation Act : 1949 (March) ? Nationalization of State Bank of India : 1955 ? Nationalization of SBI Subsidiaries : 1959 ? Nationalization of 14 major Banks : 1969 ? Creation of Credit Guarantee Corporation: 1971 ? Creation of Regional Rural Banks : 1975 ? Nationalization of 7 more banks with deposits over Rs. 200 Crore: 1980 19. The result was outstanding. The public deposits in these banks increased by 800% , as the government ownership gave the public faith and trust. 20. The third phase of development of banking in India started in the early 1990s when India started its economic liberalization. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ #An overview of India's Five Year Plans:

1st five year plan: The 1st five year plan was presented by Jawaharlal Nehru, who was the Prime Minister during that period. It was formulated for the execution of various plans between 1951 to 1956. The Planning Commission was responsible for working out the plan. Objectives of the 1st five year plan(1951 to 1961): The primary aim of the 1st five year plan was to improve living standards of the people of India. This could be done by making judicious use of India's natural resources. The total outlay of the 1st five year plan was worth Rs.2,069 crore. This amount was assigned to different sectors which included: Industrial sector Energy, Irrigation Transport, Communications Land rehabilitation Social services Page 180

PG GK COLLECTION Development of agriculture and community Miscellaneous issues The target set for the growth in the gross domestic product was 2.1percent every year. In reality, the actual achieved with regard to gross domestic product was 3.6 percent per annum. This is a clear indication of the success of the 1st five year plan. Some important events that took place during the tenure of the 1st five year plan: The following Irrigation projects were started during that period: Mettur Dam Hirakud Dam Bhakra Dam. The government had taken steps to rehabilitate the landless workers, whose main occupation was agriculture. These workers were also granted fund for experimenting and undergoing training in agricultural know how in various cooperative institutions. Soil conservation, was also given considerable importance. The Indian government also made considerable effort in improving posts and telegraphs, railway services, road tracks, civil aviation. Sufficient fund was also allocated for the industrial sector. In addition measures were taken for the growth of the small scale industries. 2nd Five year plan: With India's five year plans the country has attained a more or less stable economic setup down the years. The 1st five year plan ended in the year 1956. The 2nd five year plan was effective from 1956 to 1961. Objectives of the 2nd five year plan (1956 to 1961): Industries got more importance in the 2nd five year plan. The focus was mainly on heavy industries. The Indian government boosted manufacturing of industrial goods in the country. This was done primarily to develop the public sector. Mahalanobis Model: The 2nd year five year plan, functioned on the basis of Mahalanobis model. The Mahalanobis model was propounded by the famous Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the year 1953. His model addresses different issues pertaining to economic development. Assumptions made by the Mahalanobis model: According to this model, it is assumed that the economy is closed and has two segments. 1. Segment of consumption goods 2. Segment of capital goods.

Capital goods cannot be moved or are non shiftable. Production is at its peak. Depending on the availability of capital goods, investments are decided upon. Page 181

PG GK COLLECTION Capital is the scarce factor. Capital goods production is not influenced by consumer goods production. By following the Mahalanobis model, the then government wanted that there should be optimum assignment of the fund among the various productive segments. This was aimed with a view to achieve maximum returns on a long term basis. As many as five steel plants including the ones in Durgapur, Jamshedpur as well as Bhilai were set up as per the 2nd five year plan. Hydroelectric power plants were formed during the tenure of the 2nd five year plan. There was considerable increase in production of coal. The North eastern part of the country, witnessed increase in the number of railway tracks. During the term of the 2nd five year plan, Atomic Energy Commission came into being. The Commission was established in the year 1957. During the same period, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was born. The institute conducted several programs to search for talented individuals. These individuals would eventually be absorbed into programs related to nuclear power.

3rd five year plan: India's 1st and 2nd five year plans paved the way for the 3rd five year plan, the term of this plan being from the year 1961 to 1966. Five year plans were introduced by the Indian government, so that people could make the optimum use of the resources better their living standards. Effective usage of the resources would eventually ensure an enhancement in output. Main events of the 3rd five year plan (1961 to 1966): 1. 3rd five year plan laid considerable stress on the agricultural sector. However, with the short lived Sino Indian War of 1962 India diverted its attention to the safety of the country. Again, during the period 1965 to 1966, owing to Green Revolution, once again agriculture attracted attention. 2. Due to the Sino Indian War, India witnessed increase in price of products. The resulting inflation was cost push in nature. Many dams were constructed during this period. It may be recalled, that when the 1st five year plan was tabled, construction of Hirakud dam, Mettur dam and Bhakra dam had taken place. Along with dams, India got many fertilizer plants and cement making plants. Abundant production of wheat took place in Punjab. 3. When the 1st five year plan was introduced people were slightly apprehensive about the success of the plan. So, when it was discovered that the 1st and the 2nd five year plans were successful, people pinned their hopes on the next five year plan. 4. Role of the states increased and they were given more prominence. Many Page 182

PG GK COLLECTION primary schools had started functioning in the village areas. Various bodies looking into matters related to secondary education were also formed. To promote democracy, there was commencement of the Panchayat elections. 5. There was formation of state electricity boards. The state governments were entrusted with the responsibility of constructing roads. Objectives of the 3rd five year plan: In addition to the above measures and proposals, the Planning Commission aimed at the following: Increasing the national income by 5 percent per annum. Making India self sufficient by increasing agricultural production. This step was taken to ensure that India does not have to bank on others for food products. Minimizing rate of unemployment. Ensuring that people enjoy equal rights in the country.

4th five year plan: The 4th five year plan of India also served as a stepping stone for the economic growth. The following section will highlight the main events that had taken place under the 4th five year plan. Main events of the 4th five year plan(1969 to 1974): 1. India had to reform and restructure its expenditure agenda, following the attack on India in the year 1962 and for the second time in the year 1965. India had hardly recuperated when it was struck by drought. India also had a stint of recession. Due to recession, famine and drought, India did not pay much heed to long term goals. Instead, it responded to the need of the hour. It started taking measures to overcome the crisis. 2. Food grains production increased to bring about self sufficiency in production. With this attempt, gradually a gap was created between the people of the rural areas and those of the urban areas. 3. The need for foreign reserves was felt. This facilitated growth in exports. Import substitution drew considerable attention. All these activities widened the industrial platform. Following the 4th Five Year Plan an alteration in the socio economic structure of the society was observed. India's development in every sector takes place through the five year plans which are laid out by the Planning Commission. They not only lay out the plans but also monitor the execution of those plans and make sure that all the machineries of the Center and the state work in coordination. The 5th Five Year Plan was also developed by the Planning Commission. The Commission has a Deputy Chairman and along with the Prime Minister, who acts as the Ex Officio Page 183

PG GK COLLECTION Chairman, the plan is laid out. The present Deputy Chairman is Montek Singh Ahluwalia. 5th five year plan: The 5th Five Year Plan commenced on 1974 and extended till 1979. Objective of the Fifth Year Plan The objective of the 5th Five Year Plan was to increase the level of employment, reduce poverty and to attain self sufficiency in agriculture. Backdrop of the 5th Five Year Plan The world economy was in a troublesome state when the fifth five year plan was chalked out. This had a negative impact on the Indian economy. Prices in the energy and food sector skyrocketed and as a consequence inflation became inevitable. Therefore, the priority in the fifth five year plan was given to the food and energy sectors . In the later stages the increase in the supply of food grains and the export of minerals and oil reserve earned quite a good amount of foreign exchange to the Indian Economy. Contents of the 5th Five Year Plan The 5th Five Year Plan was laid out during a crisis period to overcome the impediments posed by the wavering economic condition. The 5th Five Year Plan was designed in a way to meet the needs of the time. The issues that were emphasised were: Reducing the discrepancy between the economic development at the regional, national, international level. It emphasized on putting the economic growth at par with each other. Improving the agricultural condition by implementing land reform measures. Improving the scope of self-employment through a well integrated program. Reducing the rate of unemployment both in the urban and the rural sectors. Encouraging growth of the small scale industries. Enhancing the import substitution in the spheres including chemicals, paper, mineral and equipment industries. Applying policies pertaining to finance and credit in the industrial sector. Stressed on the importance of a labour intensive production technology in India.

6th five year plan: 6th Five Year Plan is also referred to as the Janata Government Plan and it was revolutionary since it marked a change from the Nehruvian model of Five Year Plans. The sixth five year plan has changed a lot of things in India. On one hand it had improved the tourism industry in India and on the other hand it aimed at development in the Information Technology sector. Issues within the 6th Five Year Plan The 6th Five Year Plan started from 1980 and covered a timespan of another five years that is till 1985. During this time the Prime Minister was Rajiv Gandhi and hence industrial development was the emphasis of this plan. His idea about the betterment of the industrial sector was welcomed by some and opposed by Page 184

PG GK COLLECTION lot others specially the communist groups. Even the workers who were more inclined towards the leftist ideology were not much convinced. This slowed down the pace of progress. Transport and Communication System The transport and communication system also improved under this Plan. The National Highways were all built during this time . Apart from the construction of new highways, the condition of the roads were meliorated. This helped in the betterment of the traffic system in India. During this time the Indian currency was devalued and this led to a dramatic increase in the number of foreign travelers in India thus helping India to become a tourist destination. New Introduction on the Economic Front Economic Liberalization was introduced for the first time in India during this period. Ration shops were closed because government no more produced articles at a subsidized rate. Price control measures were no more useful. As a consequence the prices of various goods increased leading to growth in the standard of living of the residents of India. Measures against Population Explosion Family Planning was implemented for the first time in India . Family Planning helped to create awareness among the Indians regarding population. However, this measure to control population was not accepted across India. It was readily accepted by the people residing in the developed areas of the country but the mass of the less developed areas refused to accept the plan and never implemented it.

7th five year plan: 7th Five Year Plan which covered a time span of another five years started on 1985 and went on till 1989. This Five Year Plan was the come back vehicle of the Indian National Congress Party into power. The primary aim of the five year plan was to upgrade the industrial sector and enable India to establish itself as one of the developed countries of the world. This Plan was released under the National Development Council of India.The objective of the 7th Five Year Plan was to generate more scope of employment for the people of India, to produce more in terms of food which would lead to an overall increase in productivity. Backdrop of the 7th Five Year Plan The 7th Five Year Plan started off on a string ground since the foundation for economic development was laid by the 6th Five Year Plan. The Sixth Five Year Plan had already paved the way for economic development by increasing the production in the agricultural and industrial sector, curbing the rate of inflation and maintaining a balance in the transaction of goods, services and money. Therefore, the 7th Five Year Plan had a strong base on which it could built the superstructure of industrial development for the betterment of India's economic position. This plan strove to achieve socialism and expand the production of energy. Page 185

PG GK COLLECTION Contents of the 7th Five Year Plan The basic issues on which this plan put stress were: Introduction and application of modern technology Justice meted out to people from various social stratas Improving the position of the weak in the Indian society Development of agriculture Reducing poverty in India Assuring the essentials of food, shelter and clothing to the people Striving to achieve independence as per the Indian economy is concerned Help the small as well as the large farmers to increase their productivity This time Indian government was adamant to achieve self-sufficiency in the economic and production sector. They endeavored to develop on the factors that ensure a persistent growth in the economy. The rate of employment was anticipated to rise by 4% every year and the labor force was anticipated to grow by 39 million at the end of fifth year. Overall improvement was the aim of the 7th Five Year Plan. Therefore care was taken to establish a harmony in all the sectors that are contained in an economy. Special care was taken to spread education among girls, enhance telecommunication within the country. The government of India also strove to maintain a balance in the economy and by striking a balance within export and import. 8th five year plan: 8th Five Year Plan commenced on 1992 and carried on till 1997. The basic objective of this period was the modernization of industrial sector. This plan focused on technical development. Through this plan the reduction of deficit and foreign debt was aimed at. The rectification of certain flawed plans and policies were also done under this five year plan. During this period only India received a coveted opportunity to become a member of the World Trade Organization on January 1st 1995. Agricultural Activities During this Period Agriculture happens to be the largest contributor to the GDP of India. In fact two third of the work force was dependent on agriculture. Industries also made use of agricultural produce as inputs in their production process. Self-Sufficiency in Agricultural Production Self-sufficiency in agricultural production was a top priority during India's eighth Five Year Plan since most of the population depended on that. Production of food increased to 176.22 million from 51 million which was a huge leap in comparison to the previous years. Comparative Analysis of the Eighth Five Year Plan Plan Investment as a % of GDP(Target rate) Current Account Deficit as % of GDP(Target rate) Domestic Savings as a % of GDP(Target rate) Foreign Capital Inflow as a % of GDP(Target rate) GDP Growth Per Annum(Target rate) Page 186

PG GK COLLECTION 7 th Plan 22.7 2.4 20.3 1.6 5.8 8 th Plan 23.2 1.6 21.6 1.4 5.6

From the above table it is clear that the 7th Five Year Plan targeted a GDP growth rate of 5.8% while the 8th Five Year Plan projected a 5.6% growth rate. The achievements show that the GDP shot up to a whopping 6.3% during the 8th Five Year Plan and to 4.3% during the 7th Five Year Plan. Hence the 8th five year plan had overshooted its target. The target set for the current account deficit during the 7th Five Year Plan was fixed at 2.4% while it was set at 1.6% during 8th Five Year Plan . Results show that the 8th Five Year Plan had been more successful in this regard as the deficit was reduced by 0.7% in the 8th Five Year Plan and by only 0.1% in the 7th Five Year Plan. With regard to domestic savings as a percentage of GDP the 8th Five Year Plan reached 24.4% while in the 7th Year Plan the figure was 20.2%. As far as the contribution of the export earnings is concerned the 8th Year Plan contributed 10.1% to the GDP while the 7th Year Plan contributed 9.9% to the GDP. The import volume as a percentage of GDP was also more during the 8th Five Year Plan (10.9% ) compared to the 7th Five Year Plan (10.3%). In a nutshell the 8th five year Plan was more successful in meeting its objectives as compared to the previous five

9th five year plan: Like all other Five Year Plans made so far, the 9th Five Year Plan (1997-2002) is formulated, executed and supervised by the Planning Commission. In the Ninth Five Year Plan period from 1997 to 2002, the recorded rate of growth was merely 5.35%. However, this economic growth rate is a percentage point lesser than the GDP growth of 6.5% targeted during this period. Evolution of the 9th Five Year Plans: Some facts Passed after 50 years of Indian independence, the 9th Five Year Plan was formulated to act as a tool for solving the economic and social problems existing in the country. The Plan in fact, was born out of the governments realization that the latent economic reserves of the country which were still not explored, Page 187

PG GK COLLECTION should be utilized for the overall development and benefit of the Indian economy in the coming five years. However, this could only be done when the Indian government offers strong support and priority to the social spheres of the country, focusing especially on the complete elimination of poverty. Taking into consideration the past weaknesses, the 9th Five Year Plan endeavored to formulate fresh actions to initiate improvement in the overall economic and social sectors of the nation. To this effort, there was mutual contribution from the general population of India as well as the governmental agencies. This joint private and public attempt ultimately assured development of the Indian economy. Primary objectives of the 9th Five Year Plan: Each and every Five Year Plan of the Indian government is formulated, keeping in mind the fulfillment of certain objectives. The 9th Five Year Plan is no exception. The main objective of this Plan is to achieve the following goals: Industrialization at a rapid pace Reduction in poverty level Gaining self-sufficiency on local resources Complete employment for all countrymen Price stabilization should be initiated to hasten up the rate of growth of the Indian economy Control the ever-increasing rate of population Creating an independent market, for enhancing private financial investments Promotion of social events like conservation of specific benefits for special social groups, female empowerment, etc. Achieving self sufficiency in food production Generation of equal opportunities for employment and taking steps to reduce poverty

10th five year plan: The 10th Five Year Plan (2002-2007) targets at a GDP growth rate of 8% per annum. Taking note of the inabilities of the earlier Five Years Plans, especially that of the 9th Five Year Plan, the Tenth Five Year Plan decides to take up a resolution for immediate implementation of all the policies formulated in the past. This amounts to making appeals to the higher government authorities, for successful completion of their campaigns associated with the rapid implementation of all past policies. The primary aim of the 10th Five Year Plan is to renovate the nation extensively, making it competent enough with some of the fastest growing economies across the globe. It also intends to initiate an economic growth of 10% on an annual basis. In fact, this decision was taken only after the nation recorded a consistent 7% GDP growth, throughout the past decade. Page 188

PG GK COLLECTION The 7% growth in the Indian GDP is considered to be considerably higher that the average growth rate of GDP in the world. This enabled the Planning Commission of India to extend the GDP limit further and set goals, which will drive India to become one of the best industrial countries in the world, to be clubbed and recognized with the worlds best industrialized nations. Like all other Five Year Plans, the 10th Five Year Plan is also devised, executed and supervised by the Planning Commission of India.

Chief Objectives of the 10th Five Year Plan: The Tenth Five Year Plan proposes schooling to be compulsory for children, by the year 2003. The mortality rate of children must be reduced to 45 per 1000 livings births and 28 per 1000 livings births by 2007 and 2012 respectively All main rivers should be cleaned up between 2007 and 2012 Reducing the poverty ratio by at least five percentage points, by 2007 Making provision for useful and lucrative employments to the population, which are of the best qualities According to the Plan, it is mandatory that all infants complete at least five years in schools by 2007. By 2007, there should be a decrease in gender discriminations in the spheres of wage rate and literacy, by a minimum of 50% Taking up of extensive afforestation measures, by planting more trees and enhance the forest and tree areas to 25% by 2007 and 33% by 2012 Ensuring persistent availability of pure drinking water in the rural areas of India, even in the remote parts The alarming rate at which the Indian population is growing must be checked and fixed to 16.2%, between a time frame of 2001 and 2011 The rate of literacy must be increased by at least 75%, within the tenure of the Tenth Five Year Plan There should be a decrease in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to 2 per 1000 live births by 2007. The Plan also intended to bring down the Maternal Mortality Ratio to 1 per 1000 live birth by the year 2012. The 10th Five year Plan of India in a nutshell: Increasing the mobility of all the available financial resources of India, and optimizing them as well Setting up of a state-of-the-art infrastructure for all the existing industries in India. Encourage the initiative of capacity building within the Indian industrial sector Creating a friendly, amiable and pleasant investment environment in India Encouraging sufficient transparency in the corporate sectors of India Introduction of reforms in the industrial sectors, which are more investor-friendly in nature

11th five year plan: Page 189

PG GK COLLECTION Year: 2007 to 2012. India has emerged as a super power. The transition was not easy. Guidelines for operating the economy was provided by the five year plans. Owing to India's five year plans, great advancement has been made with regard to India's national income. Since 1951, the year when the 1st five year plan was presented by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, India has come a long way. India has taken giant strides and today it is considered as one of the emerging powers. India is currently following the 11th five year plan. The tenure of the 11th five year plan is from 2007 to 2012. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT GOVT. PLANS & PROJECTS

A major financial inclusion initiated: Swabhimaan A major financial inclusion initiative was formally launched as Swabhimaan on 10 February, 2011 which aims at providing branchless banking through the use of technology. Banks will provide basic services like deposits, withdrawal and remittances using the services of Business Correspondents (Banks Saathi). The initiative enables Government subsidies and social security benefits to be directly credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries, enabling them to draw the money from the Business correspondents in their village itself. Poverty-alleviation and employment-generation Programs With a view to achieving inclusive development, several poverty-alleviation and employment-generation programs are being implemented by the Government of India. Some of the important schemes are as follows: MahatmaGandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): This flagship programme of the Government of India touches the lives of the rural poor and promotes inclusive growth. The MGNREGS aims at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It also mandates 33 per cent participation for women. The primary objective of the Scheme is to augment wage employment. This is to be done while also focusing on strengthening natural resource management through works that address causes of chronic poverty like drought, deforestation, and soil erosion and thus encourage sustainable development. The MGNREG Act was notified in 200 districts in the first phase with effect from 2 February 2006 and then Page 190

PG GK COLLECTION extended to an additional 130 districts in the financial year 2007-08. The Act has been notified throughout the country with effect from 1 April 2008. During 2009-10, 5.26 crore households were provided employment under this scheme as against more than 4.51crore during 2008-09. During 2010-11, the budget estimate for the MGNREGS is ` 40,100 crore out of which ` 29,822.59 crore have been released to the States/ UTs till February 10, 2010. SwarnjayantiGram Swarojgar Yojana The SGSY is a major ongoing scheme launched in April 1999 to help poor rural families (Swarozgaris) cross the poverty line by assisting them to take up income- generating economic activities through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy. The scheme involves selection of key activities, planning of activity clusters, organization of the poor into self-help groups (SHGs), and building of their capacities through training and skill development, creation of infrastructure, and technological and marketing support. The SGSY specially focuses on vulnerable sections among the rural poor with SCs/STs to account for at least 50 per cent and women 40 per cent of the swarozgaris. The share of minorities and disabled persons will be 15 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. Also, 15 per cent of the SGSY allocation is set apart for special projects that are implemented with different models of self-employment generation and to enhance the income-generating capacity of the rural poor. Since its inception, up to December 2010, 40.04 lakh SHGs have been formed under the SGSY, with women SHGs accounting for about 68 per cent of the total. A new initiative has also been taken up for setting up a Rural Self Employment Training Institute(RSETI) in each district of the country for basic and skill development training of rural BPL youth to enable them to undertake micro-enterprises and wage employment. SwarnaJayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) The SJSRY launched by the Government of India in December 1997 has been revamped with effect from April 2009. The scheme provides gainful employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed through encouraging the setting up of self-employment ventures or provision of wage employment, The revamped scheme has the following five components: (i) Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP) (II) Urban Women Self-help Programme (UWSP) (iii) Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEPUP) (iv) Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP), and (v) Urban Community Development Network (UCDN). BharatNirman This programme, launched in 2005-06 for building infrastructure and basic amenities in rural areas, has six components, namely rural housing, irrigation potential, drinking water, rural roads, electrification, and rural telephony. It is an important initiative for reducing the gap between rural and urban areas and improving the quality of life of people in rural areas. Page 191

PG GK COLLECTION Rural Roads have been identified as one of the six components of Bharat Nirman and a goal has been set to provide connectivity to all villages with a population of 1000 (500 in hilly or tribal areas) with all-weather roads. New connectivity is proposed to be provided to a total of 54,648 habitations under Bharat Nirman. This will involve construction of 1,46,184 km of rural roads. In addition to new connectivity, Bharat Nirman envisages upgradation /renewal of 1,94,130 km of existing rural roads. Under the rural roads component of Bharat Nirman, 38,575 habitations have been provided all-weather road connectivity up to December 2010 Rural Sanitation: Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) The TSC is one of the flagship programmes of the Government of India. The TSC follows a community-led and people-centered approach. It places emphasis on information, education, and communication (IEC) for demand generation for sanitation facilities. It also places emphasis on school sanitation and hygiene education (SSHE) for changing the behaviour of people from a young age. The components of the TSC include start-up activities, IEC, individual household latrines (IHHL), community sanitary complexes (CSC), SSHE, Anganwadi toilets, alternate delivery mechanism, in the form of rural sanitary marts (RSMs) and production centres (PCs), and administrative charges. JawaharLal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) The JNNURM, a seven year programme launched in December 2005, provides financial assistance to cities for infrastructure, housing development, and capacity development. Two of its four components-Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) for 65 select cities and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) for other cities and towns--are devoted to shelter and basic service needs of the poor. The JNNURM also emphasizes the implementation of the following three mandatory pro-poor key reforms to enhance the capacity of urban local bodies (ULBs) - (i) internal earmarking within local body budgets for basic services to the urban poor;(ii) earmarking at least 20-25 per cent of developed land in all housing projects (both public and private agencies) for the economically weaker section (EWS)/lower income group (LIG) category; (iii) implementation of seven-point charter for provision of seven basic entitlements/services. As the first national flagship programme for urbanization, the JNNURM has significantly triggered the creation of many innovative ideas in States that will increase their ability to maintain the momentum of the urban transformation they have initiated. RajivAwas Yojana (RAY)

The Government has announced the vision of a 'slum-free India' through a new scheme, the Rajiv Awas Yojana. Subsequent to this announcement, extensive consultations have been held with various Ministries, experts, state Page 192

PG GK COLLECTION Governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), financial and urban experts, and private industry to frame the guidelines. These draft guidelines have been critically appraised by an expert committee. The preparatory phase of RAY, called the Slum Free City Planning Scheme has been implemented. Under this scheme an amount of ` 60 crore has been released to States for undertaking slum surveys, mapping of slums, developing slum information systems, undertaking community mobilization, preparation of slum-free city/ State plans, etc. before seeking support under RAY. Skill Development As mentioned in the Economic Survey 2009-10, a three-tier structure for coordinated action on skill development has been set up. The three-tier structure consists of (i) the Prime Minister's National Council on Skill Development, (ii) the National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB), and (iii) the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The Prime Minister's National Council has outlined the core operating principles which, inter alia, advocate the need for co-created solutions for skill development based on partnerships between States, civil society, and community leaders. The emphasis is on making skills bankable for all sections of society including the poorest of the poor. The issue of optimum utilization of existing infrastructure available in the States and using the same for skill training is also emphasized. By the end December 2010, 28 States and five Union Territories had set up Skill Development Missions. As a next step, all these States/UTs need to assess the skill gaps in the major 308 Economic Survey 2010-11 Website: UNION BUDGET & ECONOMIC SURVEY sectors and formulate action plans for bridging them. The NSDC, set up on 31July 2008 as a non-profit public-private partnership (PPP) in skill development for co-coordinating/ stimulating private-sector initiatives, has been mandated to achieve the target of creation of skilled workforce of 150 million persons by 2022 under the National Skill Development Policy. As a first step towards achieving the target, a comprehensive skill gap study for 21 high-growth sectors has been completed in order to build a baseline for formulation of a comprehensive strategy. This has generated a lot of interest in private sector in investing in skill development. The corporation has developed a strong governance structure for the disbursal of funds. _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ Govt. Plans cotnd.

UniqueIdentification Authority of India (UIDAI) Significant progress has been made since the UIDAI was created through a notification issued by the Government in January 2009. Phase II of the UIDAI now referred to as the Aadhaar programme has commenced with an allocation Page 193

PG GK COLLECTION of ` 3023.01 crore in July 2010 for enrolling 10 crore residents through multiple registrars and for setting up of other infrastructural requirements for the project phase of five years ending March 2014. The scheme was formally launched on 29 September 2010 at Thembali village of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra when all the residents in the village were enrolled making it the first 'Aadhaar Gaon'. All the 35 States and UTs have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UIDAI. MoUs have also been signed with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Department of Posts, 23 publicsector banks, the Life Insurance Corporation of India, Indira Gandhi National Open University, and the National Coalition of Organizations for Security of Migrant workers. The UIDAI is partnering with financial institutions to both augment enrolments through them and to provide bank accounts to residents during Aadhaar enrolment. Enrolment statistics indicate that about 80 per cent of residents have given consent for opening bank accounts during enrolment. In order to simplify the process of opening Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts for the marginalized population, the Aadhaar-based Know Your Resident (KYR) leading to issue of Aadhaar numbers has been accepted as equivalent to banks' Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. Further, the Aadhaar letter has been declared an officially valid document for opening of bank accounts by the Government in December 2010. The UIDAI is also working towards linking MNREGS payments with the Aadhaar number of the resident and routing the payments through his/her Aadhaar enabled bank account. The stage is now set for realizing the service-delivery potential of Aadhaar. In addition to help in cleaning up databases by ensuring that there are no duplicates and fakes, Aadhaar can help in better targeting and delivery of services and reducing the cost of delivery. Transformation in the delivery of services is expected through the use of Aadhaar authentication services. . Rightof Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (RTE Act) Free education for all children between the age of 6 and 14 years has been made a fundamental right under the RTE Act 2009. While the RTE Act was notified on 27 August 2009 for general information, the notification for enforcing the provisions of the Act with effect from 1 April 2010 was issued on 16 February 2010. The Ministry of HRD had set up a committee to identify Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA) norms that require to be brought in conformity with RTE norms and standards, Human Development, Equity and Environment including, for example, pupil-teacher ratio and teacher-classroom ratio. On the basis of the recommendation of this committee, SSA norms have been modified to align them with the requirement of the RTE Act 2009. The main changes made in the norms relate to opening of new primary and upper primary schools as per neighborhood norms, upgradation of all alternate schooling facilities provided through centres under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), revised pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) norms, provision of special training for out-of-school and drop-out children to facilitate age-appropriate admission, provision of grant and teaching learning equipment to facilitate States to merge Classes V and VIII Page 194

PG GK COLLECTION in primary and upper primary cycle stage and approval of additional 1073 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) for educationally backward blocks (EBBs). SarvaShiksha Abhiyan (SSA) The programme is being implemented in partnership with the States to address the needs of children in the age group of 6-14. The goals of the SSA inter alia include enrolment of all children in school, education guarantee centres (EGCs), alternate schools, 'back-to-school' camp, retention of all children till the upper primary stage by 2010, bridging of gender and social category gaps in enrolment with retention and learning, and ensuring that there is significant enhancement in the learning achievement levels of children at the primary and upper primary stages. The achievements under the SSA till September 2010 include opening of 309,727 new schools, construction of 254,935 school buildings, construction of 1,166,868 additional classrooms, 190,961 drinking water facilities, construction of 347,857 toilets, supply of free textbooks to 8.70 crore children, and appointment of 11.13 lakh teachers. Moreover, around 14.02 lakh teachers have received in service training under this programme. There has been significant reduction in the number of out-of- school children on account of SSA interventions. An independent study states that the number of out-of-school children has come down from 134.6 lakh in 2005 to 81.5 lakh in 2009. KasturbaGandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) The KGBV is a scheme for setting up residential schools at upper primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC/ ST, OBC, and minority communities. The scheme is being implemented in the EBBs where rural female literacy is below 30 per cent and in select urban areas where female literacy is below the national average. The KGBV scheme was merged with the (SSA) with effect from 1 April 2007. The scheme provides for minimum reservation of 75 per cent of the seats for girls belonging to SCs, STs, OBCs or minority communities and priority for the remaining 25 per cent to girls from BPL families. The scheme is being implemented in 27 States. The Government of India has sanctioned 2573 KGBVs up to 31 March 2010 and 2565 KGBVs are reported to be functional in the states. NationalProgramme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) The NPEGEL, is a focused intervention of the Government of India to reach the 'Hardest to Reach' girls. It is an important component of the SSA, which provides additional support for enhancing girl's education over and above the normal SSA interventions. The programme provides for setting up of a 'model school' in every cluster with more intense community mobilization and supervision of girls' enrolment in schools. Gender sensitisation of teachers, development of gender-sensitive learning materials, and provision of need-based incentives like Page 195

PG GK COLLECTION escorts, stationery, workbooks, and uniforms are some of the endeavours under the programme. The scheme is being implemented in the EBBs where the level of rural female literacy is less than the national average and gender gap is above the national average; in blocks of districts which are not covered under EBBs but where at least 5 per cent of population is SC/ST and where SC/ST female literacy is below 10 per cent; and also in select urban slums. About 3286 educationally backward blocks are National Programme of Midday Meals in schools: Under the National Programme of Midday Meals in schools, cooked mid-day meal is provided to all the children attending Classes I-VIII in Government, local body, Government aided and National Child Labour Project schools. EGCs/alternate and innovative education centres including madarsas/maqtabs supported under the SSA across the country are also covered under this programme. At present the cooked midday meal provides an energy content of 450 calories and protein content of 12 grams at primary stage and an energy content of 700 calories and protein content of 20 grams at upper primary stage. Adequate quantity of micro-nutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamin A are also recommended for convergence with the NRHM. During 200910, the budget allocation under this program was Rs.7359.15 crore against which the total expenditure incurred was Rs.6937.79 crore. A total number of 11.04 crore children (7.85 crore in primary and 3.19 crore in upper primary stages) have been benefitted under the programme during 2009-10. RashtriyaMadhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) The RMSA was launched in March 2009 with the objective of enhancing access to secondary education and improving its quality. The implementation of the scheme started from 2009-10. It envisages raising the enrolment rate at secondary stage from 52.26 per cent in 2005- 06 to 75 per cent within five years by providing a secondary school within reasonable distance of any habitation. The other objectives include improving quality of education imparted at secondary level by ensuring that all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary-level education by 2017, i.e. by the end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan, and achieving universal retention by 2020. The Central Government and State Government bear 75 per cent and 25 per cent of the project expenditure respectively during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The funding pattern is in the ratio of 90:10 for the north-eastern States. InclusiveEducation for the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) The IEDSS scheme was launched in 2009-10 replacing the earlier scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC). It provides 100 per cent Central assistance for inclusive education of disabled children studying in Classes IX-XII in Government, local body, and Government-aided schools. The aim of the scheme is to facilitate continuation of education of children with special needs up to higher secondary level. The scheme provides for personal requirements of the children in the form of assistive devices, helpers, transport, Page 196

PG GK COLLECTION hostel, learning material, scholarship for the girl child, etc up to ` 3000 per disabled child per annum. A budget of ` 70.00 crore was allocated for this scheme during 2010-11. Over 1.30 lakh disabled children are proposed to be covered with the assistance of 3000 teachers in 20,000 Government secondary and higher secondary schools in 2010-11.The scheme is extremely important as a natural corollary to the success achieved in enrolment and retention of children at elementary stage (SSA). Saakshar Bharat In the context of the Government's overall policy aimed at empowerment of women and in recognition of the fact that literacy is a prerequisite for socioeconomic development, the National Literacy Mission has been recast as 'Saakshar Bharat' with prime focus on female literacy. This flagship programme of the Government will cover all adults in the age group of 15 and above though its primary focus will be on women. Several new features have been added to the scheme and basic literacy, post literacy, and continuing education programmes, will now form a continuum, rather than sequential segments under this programme. Besides the volunteer-based mass campaign approach, provision has been made for alternative approaches to adult education. The Jan Shiksha Kendras (adult education centres-AECs) will be set up to coordinate and manage all programmes within their territorial jurisdiction. The state governments, as against the districts in the earlier versions, and Panchyati Raj institutions, along with communities, will be the valued stakeholders. The budgetary support has also been substantially enhanced. To minimize regional, social, and gender disparities, the programme in its first phase, that is during the Eleventh Plan period will remain confined to 365 districts with female adult literacy rates of 50 per cent or below as per the 2001 census. Health Programmes National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) The NRHM was launched in 2005 to provide accessible, affordable, and accountable quality health services to rural areas with emphasis on poor persons and remote areas. It is being operationalized throughout the country, with special focus on 18 states, which include 8 empowered action group States (Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Orissa, and Rajasthan), 8 north-eastern States, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. The NRHM aims to provide an overarching umbrella to the existing programmes of Health and Family Welfare including the Reproductive Child Health Project (RCH-II) and Malaria, Blindness, Iodine Deficiency, Filaria, Kala Azar, T.B., Leprosy and Integrated Disease Surveillance programmes by strengthening the public health delivery system at all levels. The Sub-centres, PHCs, and CHCs are being revitalized through better human resource management, including provision of additional manpower, clear quality standards, revamping of existing medical infrastructure, better community Page 197

PG GK COLLECTION support, and through untied funds to facilitate local planning and action. Flexible, decentralized planning is the pivot on which the Mission rotates. Further, the Mission addresses the issue of health in the context of a sector-wide approach addressing sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, and safe drinking water as the basic determinants of good health. Keeping this in view, it seeks greater convergence among the related social-sector departments, namely AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy), Women & Child Development, Sanitation, Elementary Education, Panchayati Raj, and Rural Development. Women and Child Development IntegratedChild Development Services (ICDS) Scheme This was launched in 1975 for holistic development of children below 6 years of age and for proper nutrition and health education of pregnant and lactating mothers with 33 projects and 4891 anganwadi centres (AWCs). It has been continuously expanded to uncovered areas and has now been universalized with the Government of India cumulatively approving 7076 projects and 14 lakh AWCs including 20,000 anganwadis 'ondemand'. Apart from universalizing the ICDS Scheme, the Government has taken various steps, such as revision in financial norms of existing interventions including the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP), revision in nutritional and feeding norms of supplementary nutrition, and introduction of new WHO growth standards. In addition, the Government of India also introduced cost-sharing between the Centre and States from 2009-10 in the ratio of 90:10 for all components including the SNP for the north-east. This ratio will be 50:50 for the SNP and 90:10 for all other components for all States other than north-east. Alongside gradual expansion of the scheme, its budgetary allocation has also increased.

RajivGandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) This scheme was launched on 19 November 2010 with the objective of empowering adolescent girls in the age group 11-18 years by bringing improvement in their nutritional and health status and upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills, and vocational skills. To start with, it will be implemented in 200 selected districts across the country on a pilot basis. RGSEAG would be implemented through State Governments / UT Administrations with 100 per cent financial assistance from the Central Government for all inputs other than nutrition provision for which 50 per cent Central assistance to states/UTs would be provided. Anganwadi centres will be the focal points for delivery of services. Nearly 100 lakh adolescent girls in 200 districts are expected to be benefited per annum under the scheme. In these 200 districts, Kishori Shakti Yojna (KSY) and the Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) have been merged in the RGSEAG. In the remaining districts, the KSY will continue as before. Page 198

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TheRajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for Children of Working Mothers This scheme provides for day-care facilities to 0-6 year-old children of working mothers by opening crches and development services, i.e., supplementary nutrition, health-care inputs like immunization, polio drops, basic health monitoring, and recreation. The combined monthly income of both the parents should not exceed ` 12000 for availing of the facilities. The scheme is presently being implemented through the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) and Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). As of now 22,599 crches are functional and the number of beneficiary children is 5,64,975. Under the revised scheme, an amount of ` 1.70 lakh per annum per crche has been proposed against ` 42,384 per annum per crche in the existing scheme. This will provide for better nutritional support as well as better services for children. IntegratedChild Protection Scheme (ICPS) This scheme was launched in 2009-10 with the objective of providing a safe and secure environment for comprehensive development of children in the country who are in need of care and protection as well as children in conflict with the law. The ICPS provides preventive and statutory care and rehabilitation services to any vulnerable child including, but not limited to, children of potentially vulnerable families and families at risk, children of socially excluded groups like migrant families, families living in extreme poverty, families subjected to or affected by discrimination and minorities, children infected and / or affected by HIV / AIDS, orphans, child drug abusers, children of substance abusers, child beggars, trafficked or sexually exploited children, children of prisoners, and street and working children. The allocation of funds under this scheme for 2010-11 is Rs. 300 crore. The Scheme is Centrally Sponsored and is being mainly implemented through State Governments / UT Administrations from 2009-10 and 33 states/UTs have signed the MOUs for implementation of this scheme. During 2010-11, Rs.82.37 crore have been released under the scheme upto 11 February, 2011. Thirteen more States/ UTs have agreed to implement this it and are at various stage of preparation of plans including financial proposals. Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme This scheme seeks to provide updated skills and new knowledge to poor women in 10 traditional sectors for enhancing their productivity and income generation. It is being implemented through public-sector organizations, State corporations, cooperatives, federations, and registered voluntary organizations with minimum existence of three years. With a view to expanding the reach of the programme and further strengthening implementation and monitoring, the norms and Page 199

PG GK COLLECTION parameters of this scheme have been revised in November 2009. The major changes in the norms relate to the number of beneficiaries to be covered, project duration, and per capita cost and the scheme now provides for introduction of locally appropriate sectors in consultation with State governments. The number of beneficiaries in each project may now vary from 200 to 10,000 with the funding ceiling at Rs.16,000 per beneficiary up to a period of five years. During 2010-11, a total number of 91 STEP projects were ongoing and 196 more were under consideration at various stages as on 30 November 2010. A sum of Rs.25 crore has been allocated in the financial year 2010-11 to achieve a target of 35,000 beneficiaries. Some of the other schemes implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, include: (i) Dhanlakshmi, which is a conditional cash transfer scheme for the girl child which was launched as a pilot project in March 2008. The objective is to encourage families to educate girl children and to prevent child marriage. The scheme provides for cash transfers to the family of a girl child on fulfilling certain specific conditionalities relating to birth and registration, immunization, and enrolment and retention in school up to Class VIII. The Scheme is being implemented in 11 blocks of seven States on pilot basis. (ii) Scheme for the Welfare of Working Children in Need of Care and Protection providing for nonformal education, vocational training, etc. to working children to facilitate their entry/re-entry into mainstream education. There are 120 projects of 100 children each currently being funded under the Scheme. (iii) Bal Bandhu Scheme for protection of children in areas of civil unrest is being implemented through the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) with the grant sanctioned from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. (iv) Swadhar scheme for providing temporary accommodation, maintenance, and rehabilitative services to women and girls rendered homeless and women in difficult circumstances (v) Short Stay Home (SSH) scheme being implemented by the Central Social Welfare Board with similar objectives/target group as in case of the Swadhar scheme. (vi) Ujjawala, a comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking with five specific components prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, and repatriation of victimswas launched on 4 December 2007. Under this scheme, 134 projects including 73 rehabilitation homes, spread over 16 States, have been sanctioned. Scheme for Gender Budgeting : This Scheme for Gender Budgeting has been included in the Eleventh Plan. At present, 56 Ministries / Departments have set up gender budget cells and a number of Ministries / Departments have reflected allocation for women in the Gender Budget Statement of the Union Budget. Page 200

PG GK COLLECTION National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) This has been set up with a view to empowering women socially, economically, and educationally. The Mission aims to achieve empowerment of women on all these fronts by securing convergence of schemes / programmes of different Ministries / Departments of the Government of India as well as State Governments. Alongside, the Mission shall monitor and review gender budgeting by Ministries / Departments as well as effective implementation of various laws concerning women. RashtriyaMahila Kosh (RMK) This was created in 1993 with a corpus fund of ` 31crore. Since, its creation, the RMK has established itself as a premier micro-credit agency of the country, with its focus on poor women and their empowerment through the provision of credit for livelihood-related activities. The RMK provides micro-credit in a quasi-informal manner, lending to intermediate micro-credit organizations (IMOs) (for example NGOs/voluntary organizations, women development corporations, women's cooperative societies, and suitable Government / local bodies). The IMOs in turn lend to self-help groups (SHGs), which, in turn, lend to individual members at a rate not above the ceiling prescribed by the RMK, i.e. 18 per cent per annum on reducing balance method. Schedule castes A number of schemes are being implemented to encourage SC students to continue their studies from school to higher education level. During the year 2010-11, the physical target under the Scheme of Pre-Matric Scholarship for those students whose parents are engaged in unclean occupations was eight lakh beneficiaries/students. The scheme of Post-Matric Scholarships for students belonging to SCs for studying in India has been revised with effect from 1 July 2010 so as to (i) raise the parental annual income ceiling for eligibility from ` one lakh to ` two lakh, (ii) rationalize the grouping of courses, and (iii) upwardly revise maintenance and other allowances by 60 per cent. The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme was launched in 2006 to provide financial assistance to SC students pursuing M Phil and Ph D courses. The earlier Centrally sponsored scheme for hostels for SC boys and girls was revised and renamed Babu Jagjiwan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana with effect from 1 January 2008. As part of this revision, Central assistance for the construction of girls hostels was raised from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. During 2010-11, the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation(NSCFDC) has given concessional loans amounting to ` 121 crore to 33,659 beneficiaries as on 31December 2010. Two new IITs (Indore and Mandi) and three new IIMs (Ranchi, Raipur, and Rohtak) have been added in the notified list of premier institutions under the Scheme with 12 scholarship slots per annum per institute, with effect from the Page 201

PG GK COLLECTION current financial year. Scheduled Tribes (STs) During 2010-11, ` 960.50 crore has been provided as Special Central Assistance (SCA) to the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), which includes ` 60.50 crore for development of forest villages. The SCA to TSP is a 100 per cent grant extended to States as additional funding to their TSP for family-oriented income-generating schemes, creation of incidental infrastructure, extending financial assistance to SHGs, communitybased activities, and development of forest villages. Under the Scheme for Post-Matric Scholarships, 100 per cent financial assistance is provided to ST students whose family income is less than or equal to ` 1.45 lakh per annum to pursue post-matric-level education including professional and graduate and postgraduate courses in recognized institutions. The Scheme of Top Class Education for STs provides financial assistance for quality education to 625 ST students per annum to pursue studies at degree and post-degree level in any of 125 identified Institutes. The family income of the beneficiary ST student from all sources should not exceed ` 2 lakh per annum. Financial assistance is also provided to 15 eligible ST students for pursuing higher studies abroad in specified fields at Masters and Ph D level under the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme. The economic empowerment of STs by means of extension of financial support through the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) continued. Financial support is extended to ST beneficiaries/entrepreneurs in the form of loans and micro-credit at concessional rates of interest for income-generating activities. The Tribal Cooperative Marketing DevelopmentFederation of India Limited (TRIFED) is engaged in marketing development of tribal products and their retail marketing through its sales outlets. Minorities Five communities-Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis-were notified by the Government as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992 As per the 2001 Census, minority communities constitute 18.42 per cent of total population. Three scholarship schemes, namely Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, and Merit-cum-means-based, are being implemented exclusively for the minorities with the total provision enhanced from ` 450 crore in 2009-10 to ` 850 crore in 2010-11. A Multi-sectoral Development Programme to address the 'development deficits', especially in education, skill development, employment, health and sanitation, housing, and drinking water, in 90 minority concentration districts (MCDs) was launched in 2008- 09 Work on implementation of this programme to improve the selected development indices in the MCDs has picked up momentum. The corpus of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) has been enhanced from ` 100 crore in 2005-06 to ` 550 crore in 2010-11 to expand its activities for Page 202

PG GK COLLECTION implementation of educational schemes for educationally backward minorities. The authorized share capital of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has been raised from ` 650 crore in 2006-07 to ` 1500 crore in 2010-11 for expanding its loan and micro-finance operations to promote self-employment and other economic ventures among backward sections of the minority communities. The progress of the Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme for Welfare of Minorities is being reviewed once in six months by the Government. The programme has been enlarged by covering more schemes and its monitoring mechanism has been strengthened by including elected representatives of State Assemblies and Parliament. Two schemes, namely the (i) Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students with an allocation of ` 30 crore in 2010-11 and (ii)'Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards' with an allocation of ` 13 crore in 2010-11, has been under implementation since 2009-10. Another scheme, namely 'Leadership Development of Minority Women' launched in 2009-10 is also being implemented with an allocation of `15 crore for 2010-11. National Level Monitors have been deputed to monitor the progress of the schemes of the Ministry. Efforts are being made to improve the management of wakf properties and a scheme for the computerization of records of the Wakf Board is a step in this direction. The Wakf Amendment Bill 2010 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 7 May 2010. The Bill was referred to the Rajya Sabha on 18 May 2010. The Rajya Sabha has referred the matter to the Select Committee on 31 August 2010 to examine the Bill. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Economic Terms

Ad valorem: Value added. An example of an ad valorem tax would be VAT. Advances: Loans given by financial institutions. Appreciation: An increase in the value of an asset. Arbitrage: Movements of funds to take advantage of differences in exchange or interest rates, and this quickly eliminates any such differences. Average cost pricing: Setting price equal to average cost. Average propensity to consume: The proportion of disposable income spent: APC = C/Y Amortization: Writing down the value of an asset in a company's books to reflect its loss of value through age and use. Called depreciation in the UK. Amortization is also an accounting term to pay off a loan in gradual increments. Page 203

PG GK COLLECTION Barter: The direct exchange of goods and services without the use of money Birth rate: The number of live births per thousand of the population in a year Black economy: Unrecorded production. Backward integration: Occurs when a company joins with a firm that is involved at an earlier stage of the production chain. Balance of payments: Statement of a country's net financial transactions with other countries. Current account measures balance of imports and exports and payments and receipts for services such as shipping, banking and tourism. Capital account measures movements of capital (bank deposits, securities, shares, property). Balance of trade: The difference between the value of visible exports and visible imports Black markets: Created when buyers and sellers meet to negotiate the exchange of a prohibited or illegal good. More generally any unofficial market in which prices are inordinately high. Bull market: Period of rising share prices; an optimistic state of affairs; the opposite of a bear market. Buyer's market: The quantity of goods for sale exceeds the amount consumers are willing and able to buy at the current market price; characterised by low prices Bonds: Certificate of debt issued to raise funds. It normally has a fixed rate of interest and is repayable at a fixed date. See also convertible bonds, mortgage-backed securities. Break-even: When a firm's short-run total revenue equals its short-run total cost Bretton Woods system: An arrangement of fixed exchange rates which operated between 1945 and 1971. Capital gains: The difference between the sale and purchase price of an asset. Ceteris paribus: All other influencing factors are held constant. Call option: The right but not the obligation to buy a security at a specified price at a specified date in the future. Call rates: The interest rate on money loaned overnight. Also known as the Page 204

PG GK COLLECTION overnight rate. Widely used measure of money market rates. Consumer surplus: This occurs when people are able to buy a good for less than they would be willing to pay. They enjoy more utility than they had to pay for. Closed economy: An economy which does not engage in international trade. Collusion: Agreements between firms to restrict competition. Complementary goods: Two goods consumed at the same time, e.g. cars and petrol Corporation tax: A tax on a firms' profits. Consumer's price index: Measure of the change in the cost of consumer goods and services. It is used as an indicator of a nation's inflation rate. Cost benefit analysis: A method of assessing investment projects which takes into account social costs and benefits. Cost of living: The general level of prices in the economy, usually measured by the retail price index. Cost plus pricing: Setting prices by adding a profit margin to average cost. Cost push inflation: When a cost of production (e.g. wages) increases and firms put up prices to maintain profits. Credit creation: The ability of the banking sector to create money by giving advances. Crowding out: A decline in private sector spending resulting from a rise in public sector expenditure. Current account: Usually taken to mean the current account of the balance of payments. Current account balance: A record of a country's earnings from the sale of visible and invisible items minus its expenditure on visible and invisible items from abroad. Current account deficit: When a country spends more on visible and invisible items from abroad than it earns from the sale of visible and invisible items. Death rate: The number of deaths per thousand of the population in a year. Debentures: Long-term fixed interest loans to companies. Page 205

PG GK COLLECTION Demand pull inflation: Occurs when aggregate demand exceeds aggregate supply. Depreciation of sterling: When market forces lower the value of the sterling () from one fixed rate to another. De-merging: One company splits up to form two new firms. These new firms are frequently companies which used to be separate prior to the initial merger. Demand curve: A graph which shows the amount of a good consumers are willing and able to buy at various prices. Demand-pull inflation: This occurs when the excess of aggregate demand over aggregate supply causes an increase in the general level of prices. Deregulation: The removal of controls on a particular market, e.g. abandonment of a licensing system for taxis. Devaluation of sterling: Occurs when the UK Government lowers the value of the sterling () from one fixed rate to another. Developed countries: Countries with high levels of real national income per head and relatively large tertiary sectors. Developing countries: Countries with low levels of real national income per head and relatively large primary sectors. Direct taxation: Taxes on income and wealth. Discounting: Future costs and benefits are difficult to measure. The present value (P) of future benefits less costs is found by discounting. Disequilibrium: A state of imbalance in which there is tendency for change. Double counting: Including transfer payments, intermediate expenditures or outputs and stock appreciation in national accounts. Dumping: The sale of goods in a foreign country at a price below what cost in the home market. Engel curve: A curve showing the relationship between income and consumption. Economies of scale: A reduction in long-run unit costs which arise form an increase in production. Elasticity of demand: The responsiveness of demand to a given change in price Page 206

PG GK COLLECTION or income. Elasticity of supply: The responsiveness of supply to a given change in price. Earnings per share: Net income of a company; net of preferred dividends divided by a weighted average of total shares outstanding for the period. One of the most widely watched indicators of the profitability of a company. Exchange rate: The price of one currency in terms of another currency. More generally, the price at which any good is being traded for another good. Exchange rate mechanism (ERM): A system operated by some members of the European Union where the Central Banks of members intervene to stabilise the exchange rate of currencies within agreed limits. Factor cost: The value of output measured in terms of the cost of the factors of production used to produce it. Factor incomes: Rewards to the factors of production, e.g. labour receives wages. Fisher`s quantity theory of money: The view that changes in the money supply have a direct and proportionate effect on the price level. Forward market: A market in forward contracts of a commodity or currency, which are agreements to buy or sell the commodity or currency at a future date. The contracts are not negotiable. Free goods: A good in unlimited supply at zero price, e.g. air Free trade area: A group of countries which removes tariff barriers between member countries but allows each member to decide on its own tariff policy towards non-members GDP: The total value of all goods and services produced domestically each year by a country. It equals gross national product minus income from abroad. Most countries use this definition; US official statistics use gross national product. GNP: The total value of goods and services produced each year by a country. Real growth in GNP measures the increase in output after subtracting the effect of inflation. Giffen good: An increase in income results in a fall in demand for the good. Gross domestic fixed capital formation: Total spending on fixed investment, e.g. Page 207

PG GK COLLECTION machines, factories, offices. Horizontal integration: Two companies merge in the same industry and at the same stage of production. Human development index: An index devised by the UN to assess comparative levels of development in countries. Its three main matrices are literacy, life expectancy, and purchasing power parity (PPP)-adjusted income. Income tax: Tax levied by the government on wages, rent, interest and dividends Indifference curves: Curves which show the different combinations of two goods which give equal satisfaction. Index: A benchmark against which financial or economic performance is measured, such as the FTSE 100 or a consumer price index. Created by statistical sampling of broad set of data. To reflect the importance of the biggest companies, stock market indices tended to be weighted either by price, e.g. the Dow Jones Industrial Average or market capitalisation, e.g. the S&P500 and most European stock indices. Index funds: Mutual fund that aims to track the performance of a specific stock market index. Such funds are passively managed and thus tend to have lower charges than actively managed funds. Indirect taxation: A surcharge on price imposed on the sale of goods and services by the government. International Monetary Fund (IMF): An organisation established to encourage international cooperation in the monetary field, the stabilisation of exchange rates and the removal of foreign exchange restrictions. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development: More commonly known as the World Bank. It gives long-term loans to member countries for high priority infrastructure, agricultural, industrial and educational projects. IS-LM: A model of income determination that integrates the goods market (represented by investment and saving) and the money market (demand and supply of money) J effect: The tendency for a fall in the value of the currency to worsen the balance of trade before it improves the position. Keynes: UK economist who urged state intervention to achieve full employment. Liabilities: Money owed. Page 208

PG GK COLLECTION Limited companies: Companies which have limited liability. Liquidity ratio: The proportion of a commercial bank's assets which can be converted into cash quickly. Liquidity trap: When the rate of interest is so low (and the price of bonds is so high) that everyone anticipates a future fall in the price of bonds. Long-run: Period of time when all factor inputs, including capital, can be changed. Lorenz curve: A curve showing the proportion of income earned by a cumulative percentage of the population. Macroeconomic policies: Policies designed to influence the level of employment, the price level, economic growth and the balance of payments. Marginal cost curve: A curve showing the addition to total cost resulting from producing one more unit. Most favoured nation (MFN): US trade policy that gives to a trading partner the same customs and tariff treatment as the most favoured nation. Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA): Provision of GATT governing international trade in textiles that lets a country apply numerical restrictions on textile imports when it considers them necessary to prevent market disruption. MFA provides a framework for regulating international trade in textiles and apparel. It covers wool, man-made (synthetic) fibers, silk blends and other vegetable fiber textiles and apparel. Marginal propensity to consume: The proportion of each extra pound of disposable income spent by households. Marginal propensity to save: The proportion of each extra pound of disposable income not spent by households. Monopolistic competition: An industry made up of a large number of small firms who produce goods which are only slightly different from that of all other sellers. Monopsony: A market where there is only a single buyer. Marginal revenue: The income received from the sale of one extra unit. Microeconomics: The behaviour of an individual consumer, firm and industry. Monetarists: A group of economists who believe that changes in the money supply have a significant impact on the economy. Page 209

PG GK COLLECTION Money illusion: May occur where people confuse changes in nominal balances with changes in real balances. Mutual Fund: US name for an open-ended managed fund not quoted on a stock exchange, equivalent to a unit trust in the UK. Mutual funds are a popular way for individuals to spread the risk of investing in bonds and equities and are much used for retirement savings. NASDAQ: Started in the US, 1971, as an automated over-the-counter securities quotes system the acronym stands for National Association of Securities Dealers' Automated Quotation. Nasdaq evolved into the world's first electronic stock market. Neo-classical theory: The view that markets operate efficiently and that the way to increase output and employment is to raise aggregate supply. Net asset value (NAV): The market value of a fund share, usually calculated daily after the close of trading. North American FreeTrade Agreement (NAFTA): Free trade agreement involving Canada, the US and Mexico entered into in January 1994. It progressively eliminates almost all bilateral trade barriers between the three countries. Offer curve of labour: The number of hours of labour is prepared to work at different levels of income. Oligopolies: Markets dominated by a few sellers who account for a large proportion of output. Open market operations: Where the Bank of England sells short-term government securities and bills, thereby reducing retail banks' liquid assets and raising interest rates. OECD: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Opportunity cost: The decision to produce or consume a product involves giving up another product; the real cost of an action is the next best alternative forgone. OTC (over the counter): Trading in shares away from organised exchanges; it is usually carried out over the telephone or via a computer network.

Pareto criteria: A reallocation of resources is desirable only if someone gains and no one loses. Page 210

PG GK COLLECTION Perfect competition: An industry made up of a large number of small firms, each selling homogeneous (identical) products to a large number of buyers. Phillips curve: Shows the relationship between the rate of unemployment and the rate of inflation. Price discrimination: When the same product is sold in different markets for different prices. Price elasticity of demand: Measures the responsiveness of demand to a given change in price. Price elasticity of supply: Measures the responsiveness of supply to a given change in price. Primary sector: That part of the economy concerned with agriculture and the extraction of raw materials. Primary markets: The placing of new stocks, shares, bonds, etc. Existing securities are traded in the secondary market. Producer surpluses: The difference between the minimum price a producer would accept to supply a given quantity of a good and the price actually received. Progressive income tax: A tax which takes a higher percentage of the income of the rich than the poor. Purchasing power parity theory: Suggests that the prices of goods in countries will tend to equate under floating exchange rates so that people would be able to purchase the same quantity of goods in any country for a given sum of money. Quantity theory of money: The view that changes in the money supply have a direct and proportionate effect on the price level. Repo rate: The interest rate at which a central bank will lend against the security of its government's paper. SDRs (special drawing rights): A form of international money created by the IMF which is acceptable in settlement of debts among the countries. Secondary sector: That part of the economy concerned with the manufacture of goods. Shadow prices: Estimated prices in situations where market prices do not exist. Page 211

PG GK COLLECTION Shares: Securities issued by companies as a way of raising long-term capital. Holders are owners of the company. Spot market: That part of the foreign exchange market concerned with the buying and selling of currencies for immediate use. Subsidies: Payments to producers or consumers designed to encourage an increase in output. Subsistence: The minimum income needed to survive. Supply side economics: The branch of economies concerned with the productive potential of the economy and how to increase it. Tertiary sector: That part of the economy concerned with the provision of services. Trade-off: What has to be sacrificed in order to obtain a good, it is equivalent to opportunity cost. Transfer pricing: Setting internal prices to charge other branches of the same company. VAT: Value Added Tax. Zero based budgeting: Setting a budget in which all spending must be justified each year, not just amounts in excess of the previous year. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 1. Who authored the book The Science of Bharat Natyam? (a) Saroja Vaidyanathan (b) Yamini Krishnamurthi ( c) J. Sushila (d) None of these Answer a; 2.International Day for Disaster Reduction is observed on: (a) 9th August (b) 13th October (c) 24th November (d) 11th December Answer-b; 3. Tianhe 1A, the worlds fastest supercomputer is made by (a) United States (b) Japan (c) China (d) None of these Answer :c 4. Which is Indias first ever Pollution Control Warship? (a) Samudra Prahari (b) Nischaya (c) Varuna (d) None of these Answer:a Page 212

PG GK COLLECTION 5. Who became Indias youngest grandmaster? (a) Parimarjan Negi (b) Dronavali Harika (c) Praveen Thipse (d) S P Sethuraman Answer:d 6. K C Kulich International Award is associated with: (a) Medicine (b) Economics (c) Journalism (d) Sports Answer:c 7. Open is the autobiography of which sports personality? (a) Adam Gilchrest b) Glenn Merges (c) Andre Agassiz (d) None of these Ans-c 8. World Cup Football in 2022 is to be held at: (a) Qatar (b) UK (c) Spain (d) France Answer:a 9. Who is the first head of UN WOMEN? (a) Laura Chinchilla (b) Julia Gillard (c) Mitchell blachettt (d) None of these Answer:c 10.Which of the following committee is related to Corporatisation of Stock Exchanges? (a) Bimal Jalan Committee (b) V Achuthan Committee (c) P M Nair Committee (d) None of these Ans-a 11. Which is Indias newest stock exchange for currency derivatives (a) BSE (b) NSE (c) United Stock Exchange (USE) (d) None of these Answer :c 12. Jeevan Reddy Committee is related to (a)Illegal mining (b) Armed Forces Special Power Act (c) Environmental Impact Assessment (d) None of these Ans-b

13. Which of the following scheme is related with social security for unorganised sector? (a) Swabhiman (b) Sabla (c) Swavalamban (d) None of these Ans-c 14. Polavaram Project is located in which state? (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Maharashtra (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Karnataka Answer:a 15. David Perlman Award is given in which field? (a) Sports (b) Music (c) Photography (d) Journalism Page 213

PG GK COLLECTION Ans-d 16.Which of the following committee has redefined the definition of Slums? (a) Pranab Sen Committee(b) Arjun Sen gupta committee (c) C Ibrahim Committee (d) None of these Ans-a 17. Arrow-III is an anti missile system of (a) France (b) Pakistan (c) Israel (d) UK Ans-c 18. Indias first jail BPO is going to came up at: (a) Bangalore (b) Pune (c) Chennai (d) Hyderabad Answer:a 19.Worlds first aviation university coming up at: (a) Bangalore (b) Nice (c) Glasgow (d) Venice Answer: a 20. Khoj lab has been launched by which group? (a) Future Group (b) dell (c) IBM d) Times group Answer:a 21. Which of the following became the first smoke free state in India? (a) Sikkim (b) Himachal Pradesh (c) Uttarakhand (d) None of these Ans-a 22. Lightest element:- Hydrogen Only Metal liquid at room temperature:- Hg Mercury Tungsten symbol W Tin Sn Element with maximum number of compounds Carbon ( due to catenation) 22. Which of the following became the Ist Asian Country to sign Free Trade Agreement with European Union? (a) South Korea (b) China (c) India (d) None of these Ans-a 23. The Emissary is the book authored by: (a) Tarun Tejpal b) Vinod Mehta (c) Aniruddh Bahl (d) None of these Ans-c 24. Who is the new PM of Netherlands? (a) Mark Ruttea (b) Bill Carey (c) Thakshin Sinawatra (d) None of these Ans-a 25. Who is the new PM of Kosovo? (a) Hashim Taci (b) N K Name Krumoh (c) Jose Borosso d) None of these Page 214

PG GK COLLECTION Ans-a 26. Who is the chairman of National Democratic Front of Bodoland? (a) Paresh Barna (b) Aravind Rajakhowa (c) Ranjan Daimary (d) None of these Ans-c 27. With which of the following countries India has not signed civil nuclear agreement? (a) Namibia (b) Sweden c) Mongolia (d) Argentina Ans-b 28. Who is the PM of Sweden? (a) Fredrick Rainfeldt (b) Silvio Berlusconi (c) Garry Wanders (d) None of these Ans-a 29. APEC Summit in November 2010 was held at : (a) Yokohama (b) Sydney (c) Singapore (d) Busan Answer a; 30. Which public sector bank was the banking partner in Commonwealth Games 2010? (a) Central Bank of India (b) State Bank of India (c) Bank of Baroda (d) None of these Answer-a; 31. Who is the new vice chief of army staff? (a) V.K. Singh (b) A.S. Lamba (c) C. Shekhawat (d) None of these Answer :b 32. Who has became the vice president of ICC? (a) Ehsaan Mani (b) John Mulford (c) Alan Isaac (d) Molcom Speed Answer: c 33. Who is the Director General of National Investigation Agency ? (a) R.V. Raju (b) Ved Marwah (c) K.F. Rustomji (d) Sharad Chandra Sinha Answer:d 34. Who is the Director of National Security Guard? (a) R.K. Medhekar (b) J.K Dutt (c) B.K. Banerjee (d) None of these Answer:a 35. Who of the following Indian got the Australia Day achievement medal 2010? (a) V.P. Unnikrishnan (b) Sandeep Pandey (c) Vandana Shiva (d) None of these Answer: a 36. Which of the following country became the 187th member of IMF? (a) Marshall Islands (b) Tuvalu (c) Fiji (d) None of these Page 215

PG GK COLLECTION Answer: b 37. Indias second National Institute of Design will come up at which of the following (a) Amethi (b) Jorahat (c) Aizowl (d) Itanagar Ans- b 38. Benghazi is a port of : (a) Libya (b) Yemen (c) Egypt (d) None of these Answer:a 39. Jakhol Sankri Hydro Electric Project has been commissioned at (a) Uttarakhand (b) Himachal Pradesh (c) J&K (d) Arunachal Pradesh Answer: a Answer: a 40. Home Boy is a novel written by (a) H M Naqvi (b) H S Narula (c) Anand Sarkar d) Stephen Lipsett Ans- a 41. Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in 2011 was held at: (a) Jaipur (b) New Delhi (c) Ujjain (d) Varanasi Answer :b 42. 98th Indian Science Congress in January 2011 was held at: (a) Chennai (b) Kharagpur (c) Kanpur (d) Delhi Ans - a 43. Who of the following is the present Lokayukta of Karnataka: (a) N Vittal (b) Santosh Hegde (c) Yashwant Sonawane(d) None of these Answer:b 44. Georgias capital is to be shifted from Tbilisi to: (a) Akhan (b) Yeren (c) Kutaisi (d) Chisinau Ans-c 45. Which country topped the Terrorism Risk Index in 2010: (a) Somalia b) Samoa (c) Jamaica (d) Iraq Ans-a 46. Which district is going to be named after Indira Gandhi? (a) Medak (b) Rai Bareli (c) Chikmaglur (d) Bellary Ans-a 47. Who received the Elis Island Medal of Honour in 2010? (a) Dalai Lama (b) Zinedine Zidene Page 216

PG GK COLLECTION (c) Rao Anumlu (d) B K Varghese Answer:c 48. Enam Securities is to be purchased by: (a) Union Bank of India (b) BNP Paribas (c) ANZ Grindlays (d) Axis Bank Answer: d 49. Which famous personality bagged the Man of Peace Award in 2010? (a) Roberto Baggio (b) Diegs Maradona (c) Pope John Paul II (d) None of these Answer:a 50. Who is the new National Security Advisor of United States? (c) W Singham (b) Thomas Donilon (a) Colin Powell (b) Larry Page Ans-b 51. Who is the new president of UN General Assembly? (a) Joseph Deiss (b) Hans Rasmus Sen (c) Leon Panetta (d) None of these Ans-a 52. Luka and Fire of Life is the latest book by: (a) Arun Som (b) Salman Rushdie (c) Vikram Seth (d) None of these Ans-b 53. What is the name of Indias latest and Seventh Super Computer? (a) Annapurna (b) Param (c) Pinak (d) None of these Ans-a 54. Tembli became the first village in India to get UID. In which state it is located? (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Chattisgarh (c) Maharashtra (d) None of these Ans-c 55.Who has been declared the Business Leader of the year in Economic Times Corporate Excellence Awards 2010? (a) Aditya Puri (b) N Nrayanmurthy (c) Azim Premji (d) Mukesh Ambani Ans-a 56. What is the mascot of 2011 cricket world cup? (a) Hoho (b) Cobe Page 217

PG GK COLLECTION (c) Stumpy (d) None of these Ans-c

57. SAF (South Asian Federation) games in 2012 will be held at (a) Kathmandu (b) Delhi (c) Bangalore (d) None of these Ans-b 58. Agni III was launched from which of the following places: (a) Wheeler Island (b) Sriharikota (c) Bikaner (d) None of these Answer a; 59. Who of the following is the Chairperson of National Green Tribunal? (a) Lokeshwar Singh Parata (b) Anil Pandey (c) K Vijay Kumar (d) None of these Answer-a; 60. Which Indian Company is slated to buy the English football club Blackburn? (a) U B groups (b) RPG (c) Videocon (d) Vicky Answer : d 61. Who is the Union Minister of Corporate Affairs? (a) Murali Deora (b) Jaipal Reddy (c) C P Joshi (d) M S Gill Answer: a 62. Who is the new President Elect of BCCI? (a) Chirayu Amin (b) Jyotiraditya Schindia (c) Shashank manohar (d) Jagmohan Dalmia Answer:c 63. Karrar is the unmaned bomber aircraft of which country? (a) Iran (b) Syria (c) Israel (d) None of these Answer:a 64. Who is the CMD of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited? (a) S K Jain (b) Harsh Marital (c) Oskar Singh (d) None of these Answer: a 65. Who is the Director of Intelligence Bureau? (a) Rajeev Mathur (b) Nehchal Sandhu (c) Saikat Dutta (d) None of these Page 218

PG GK COLLECTION Answer: b 66. Ramagundanar thermal power project is in which state? a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Tamil Nadu (c) Kerala (d) Karnataka Ans- a 67. Project Big Green has been initiated by which company? (a) Microsoft (b) Apple (c) Infosys (d) IBM Answer:d 68. Vansadhara River dispute is between which states? (a) Orissa and Andhra Pradesh (b) Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (c) Kerala and Tamil Nadu (d) None of these Answer: a 69. Who is the Chairperson of National Housing Board? (a) B N Kapoor (b) Mata Prasad (c) R B Verma (d) None of these Ans- c 70. Who is Indias permanent representative to United Nations? (a) Hardeep Singh Puri (b) M.K. Agnihotri (c) Vijay Pasricha (d) None of these Answer :a 71. Who is the principal scientific advisor to Government of India? (a) R. Chidambaram (b) V.K. Saraswat (c) T.K. Thomas (d) None of these Ans - a 72. Who is the Chairman of Central Water Commission? (a) Balraj Madhok (b) A.K. Bajaj (c) Shivran Puri (d) None of these Ans - b 73. Who is the Deputy National Security Advisor? (a) Shiv Shankar Menon (b) M.K. Narayanan (c) Shekhar Dutt (d) None of these Answer:c 74. Aligarh Muslim University is going to set its new campus at: (a) Saharanpur (b) Meerut (c) Murshidabad (d) Azamgarh Ans-c Page 219

PG GK COLLECTION 75. Who is the new Chairperson of National Commission for Backward classes? (a) M.N. Rao (b) T.K. Maken (c) Ram Singh Senbar (d) None of these Ans-a 76. Who is the Chairperson of 19th Law Commission? (a) P.V. Reddy (b) A.K. Lakshmanan (c) K.R. Kurup (d) None of these Ans-a

77. Who is the Chairman of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights? (a) Buta Singh (b) M.K. Kurup (c) Shanta Sinha (d) Dheeraj Rohatgi Answer:c 78. Mini Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas in October 2010 was held at: (a) Cape Town (b) Durban (c) Johannesburg (d) None of these Answer: b 79. G-8 summit in June 2010 was held at: (a) Ontario (b) Vancouver (c) Huntsville (d) Quebec Answer:-c 80. Who is the CEO of Twitter? (a) **** Costello (b) Jorma Olila (c) Allan Bolt (d) None of these Ans-a 81. Which country topped the Global Peace Index Report in 2010? (a) New Zealand (b) Iceland (c) Denmark (d) Sweden Ans-a 82. Who of the following is the recipient of Turner Prize 2010? (a) Alex Rodriques (b) Sergie Bryan (c) Susan Philipsz (d) None of these Ans-c 83. Who is the Chairperson of Railway Board? (a) Vivek Sahay (b) J P Batra (c) D P Aggarwal (d) None of these Ans-a 84. Who of the following is the recipient of Cervantes Prize 2010? (a) John Stocker (b) Ana Maria Page 220

PG GK COLLECTION (c) C Andrew Stephen (d) None of these Ans-b 85. Who founded the Telangana Praja Front in October 2010? (a) G V Rao (b) K Chandrashekhar Rao (c) N Srinivas (d) None of these Ans-a 86. M. B. Shah Commission is related to: (a) Illegal mining (b) Agricultural Statistics (c) Microfinance Institutions (d) None of these Ans-a 87. Who is the secretary General of Rajya Sabha? (a) T.K. Vishwanathan (b) Vivek Agnihotri (c) V.K. Gupta (d) None of these Ans-b _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________ 1. The national calendar of India was adopted in a. 1953 b. 1955 c. 1957 d. 1959 Additional Info: (1)The national calendar of India was adopted on 22 March 1957. (2) In the same year India adopted the decimal monetary system. (3) 4th October 1957 Sputnik-I , the first man mad satellite was launched in space. (4) SBI came into its present existence in 1955.

2. Find the incorrect abbreviation. a.OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries b.UNDP United Nations Development Programme c.UNEP United Nations Education Programme d. GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Ans: C

3. Geographically speaking, which of the following is the largest island in the world? a. Borneo b. New Guinea c. Greenland d. Cuba Page 221

PG GK COLLECTION Additional Info: 1.The largest country in terms of area is Russia and then is Canada. 2.The smallest country in the world ion terms of area is Vatican. 3.Cuba is also know as the Sugar bowl of the world.

4. Under which of the following Lords tenure, Government of India act 1935 was passed? a. Lord Wavell b. Lord Linlithgow c. Lord Mountbatten d. Lord Wellingdon Ans:d Additional Info: Lord Mountbatten was the last governor general of India before independence.

5. Cuqenam, Tugela and Grey Kamarang are the names of a. shipping canals b. straights c. mountains d. waterfalls Ans: d Additional Info: 1) Jog is one of the very famous waterfalls in India located in Karnataka. 2) Angel waterfall is the highest waterfall in the world and is located in Venezuela.

6. Kanishka was a famous ruler of Gupta dynasty Maurya dynasty Kushan Dynasty d. Chola Dynasty Ans:c Additional Info: Kanishka was the most famous ruler of Kushan dynasty and was known for his political and military conquests. He was a able administrator who ruled over an important part of India and beyond also. Kanishka was known for the minting of coins during his reign. Gandhara school of art also flourished a lot during his period.

7. The Associated Press of India , probably the first press of India was started in the year a. 1905 b. 1908 Page 222

PG GK COLLECTION c. 1910 d. 1915 Ans: c Additional Info:(1) The present avatar of Associated Press of India is Press Trust of India, which is a non profit organization of Indian newspapers and came into existence in 1947. (2) 1920 was the year when All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) came into existence.

8. Which of the following personalities is also known as the Morning star of the Indian Renaissance? a. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar b. Raja Ram Mohan Roy c. Swami Vivekananda d. Bal Gangadhar Tilak Ans:b Additional Info:1) Raja Ram Mohan Roy was one of the earliest and great social reformers from West Bengal. He is mainly known for his campaign for the abolition of Sati Pratha. He is also known as the Father of Indian Nationalism. 2) B.G. Tilak was lovingly called as Lokmanya and is also known as the Father of Indian unrest. He made a famous statement that Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it

9. Who revived the Mansabdari system? a. Aurangazeb b. Sher Shah Suri c. Akbar d. Jehangir Ans: c Additional Info: (1) Akbar revived this system of Mansabdari which was present before him also. The Mansabdars basically governed and administered the empire in the name of the King. (2) Aurangzeb was known as a very cruel muslim ruler in the history of India (3) Akbar started the religion Din-e-Elahi (4) Jehangir was a fine king and was known for justice and his passion for arts and he was the Mughal emperor who gave permission to Englishman to set up factories in India.

10.Tughlaq Nama is a famous work of . a. Alberuni b. Amir Khusro Page 223

PG GK COLLECTION c. Hasan Nizami d. Barauni Ans:b Additional Info: (1) Amir Khusro was a very famous poet and musician of India , known as the father of quawwali and also known as Tuti-e-hind. 2)Alberuni was a great muslim scholar who contributed to various fields of knowledge and wrote a book titled Kitab fi Tahqiq ma li'l-Hind (Researches on India).

11. Which of the following was the first women president of the Indian National Congress(INC)? a. Sarojini Naidu b. Aruna Asaf Ali c. Annie Besant d. Vijaylakshmi Pandit Ans:c Additional Info: (1) INC is a major political party of India founded in the year 1885 by A.O. Hume. (2) The first President of INC was W.C. Bonnerjee and it took place at Mumbai.

12. Which of the following is NOT matched properly ? Project River a. Hirakud Mahanadi b. Nagarjunasagar Cauvery c. Bhakhara Nangal Satluj d. Tungabhadra Tungabhadra Ans:b Additional Info: Except Nagarjunasagar rest of the projects are mentioned correctly in terms of river on which it is based. Nagarjunasagar is based on river Krishna and NOT on river Cauvery as mentioned.

13. Ashtangika Marga, is the path for the elimination of the human misery, propounded by .\ a. Mahavira b. Gautama c. Adi Shankaracharya d. Kabir Ans:b Additional Info: 1.Mahavira was a great saint of Jainism and is the most popular of the jain teerthankaras. Page 224

PG GK COLLECTION 2.Ashtangika marga is basically an eight fold path that can lead to Nirvana propounded by Gautama Buddha and is the main facet of Buddhism. 3.Adi Shankaracharya was the greatest exponent of the Vedanta and is the man behind the Advaitism . 4.Kabir was a mystic poet and was a great link between Hindu and Muslim unity.

14. Vienna is situated on the banks of . a. Seine b. Thames c. Danube d. Tiber Ans: c Additional Info: 1) London is on the banks of Thames river 2) Rome is situated on the banks of Tiber river. 3) Lucknow is based on Gomti 4) Agara and Delhi are based on the banks of Yamuna river.

15. This is the fastest orbiting planet in the solar system. Identify it from the given options. a. Mars b. Venus c. Mercury d. Saturn Ans:c Additional Info: 1) Venus is the brightest planet in the sky. 2) Venus is also the hottest planet 3) Mars is also known as the Red Planet. 4) Saturn is named after the Roman God of agriculture.

16. Which of the following places is also known as the Venice of the North? a. Belgrade b. Stockholm c. Helsinki d. Oslo Ans:b Additional Info: Belgrade was known as the White city also. Helsinki is the capital of Finland also known as the Land of Thousand lakes. Oslo is the capital city of Norway also known as the Land of midnight sun and is the place where the Nobel Prize for Peace ONLY is awarded every year, rest of the prizes are awarded at Stockholm in Sweden every year. 17. Dutch Guyana was the former name of . Page 225

PG GK COLLECTION a. Sudan b. Surinam c. Zambia d. Taiwan Ans:b Additional Info:(1) Formosa is the earlier name of Taiwan (2) Nippon is the former name of Japan (3) Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka (4) Siam is the former name of Thailand.

18. Which of the following is the last month of the Hindu calendar ? a. Chaitra b. Magha c. Phalguna d. Pausa Ans:c Additional Info: (1) Chaitra is the first month and Phalguna is the last month of the Hindu calendar.

19. In which of the following year was the East India Company constituted? a. 1546 b. 1584 c. 1600 d. 1624 Ans:c Additional Info:The English East India Company was constituted in 1600. This company initially mainly traded in commodities like , cotton , tea , silk and all which later started administering major part of India.

20. Which types of rocks are the most abundant constituents of the Earths crust? a. Sedimentary b. Igneous c. Metamorphic d. None of these Ans:b Additional Info:-Igneous rocks form 95% of the upper part of the earths crust. (1)Igneous rock is formed by the solidification of lava that comes out generally from volcanoes. Some examples of igneous rocks are: granite and basalt (2) Sedimentary rocks as the name suggests is formed by the deposition of sediments. Some examples of sedimentary rocks are chalk, sandstone and Page 226

PG GK COLLECTION limestone. (3) Metamorphic rocks are formed by the change in the structure and composition of the existing sedimentary and igneous ricks under different conditions of temperature and pressure. Some examples of it are, marble and slate

21. Which of the following is NOT a VIRAL disease? a. Yellow fever b. AIDS c. Leprosy d. Measles Ans:c Additional Info: Influenza, mumps, AIDS and small pox are the examples of some more viral diseases Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium Leprae Cholera, Leprosy, Tetanus are the examples of bacterial diseases

22. Cirrhosis is the disease which affects the a. Eyes b. Brain c. Liver d. Immunity system Ans:c Additional Info:: Trachoma is a disease of eyes Meningitis and Encephalitis is a disease of Brain AIDS is a disease that affects the immunity system

23. Cinnabar is an ore of a. Lithium b. Mercury c. Zinc d. Iron Ans :b Additional Info:s 1) Magnetite and Hematite are the ores from which Iron is extracted 2) Mercury has the property of being liquid at room temperature, in fact it is the only metal to be liquid at room temperature.

24. Who discovered Ultrasound? a. Ian Donald b. Roger Bacon Page 227

PG GK COLLECTION c. JP Merrill d. Joseph Lister Ans:a Additional Info: (1) X rays by W. Roentgen (2) TV by J.L. Baird (3) Computer Mouse by Douglas Engel Bart (4) Neutron by James Chadwick.

25. Who is credited with the invention of e-mail? a. Ray Tomlinson b. Jeffrey Bezos c. Jerry Yang d. Steve Woznik Ans:a Additional Info:s: 1. Jeffery Bezos is the founder of amazon.com 2. Jerry Yang is the co founders of Yahoo.com along with David Filo 3. Steve Woznik was one of the co founders of Apple Inc. along with Steve Jobs

26. Huntingtons disease is caused by the malfunctioning of a. Kidney b. Brain c. Liver d. Pancreas Ans: b Additional Info: 1. The study of kidney and its functions is known as Nephrology 2. Electroencephalograph (EEG) is used for checking the functioning of the brain 3.Hepatology is the branch of medicine that is the study of liver

27. This is the heaviest metal, can you identify it from the given options? a. Rhodium b. Osmium c. Plutonium d. Astatine

Ans :b Additional Info:: 1. Lithium is the softest metal 2. Astatine is the rarest element on earth. Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. Page 228

PG GK COLLECTION 28. Which of the following instrument is used for measuring the velocity and the direction of the wind? a. Manometer b. Anemometer c. Viscometer d. None of these Ans:b Additional Info:: 1. Manometer is used for measuring the pressure of gases. 2. Viscometer is used for measuring the viscosity of fluids. 3. Barometer is used for measuring atmospheric pressure.

29. Which of the following is the chemical name of Quartz? a. Calcium Oxide b. Calcium Sulphate c. Sodium Silicate d. Magnesium Sulphate Ans:c Additional Info:: 1. Chemical name of Plaster of Paris is Calcium Sulphate half hydrate 2. Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate is the chemical name of blue vitriol 3. Sodium Chloride is the chemical name of table salt/common salt 4.Calcium Oxide is Quick lime.

30. Star,Bus and Ring configuration are most properly used types of a. WAN b. MAN c. LAN d. None of these Ans:c Additional Info:: 1. All the above mentioned options are the types of area networks of computers. 2. MAN is Metropolitan Area Network 3. LAN is Local Area Network 4. WAN is Wide Area Network _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ 1) Where would you find Farakka Project in India? Punjab Karnataka West Bengal Orissa Page 229

PG GK COLLECTION 2) Lines that are drawn parallel to the equator are called Tropics Longitudes Latitudes Meridians 3) Which of the following represents the difference between the IST and GMT? 3.5hrs 4.5hrs 5.5hrs 6.5hrs 4) This country is the largest rubber-producing country of the world. Can you identify it from the given options? Indonesia Malaysia Thailand India 5) The year in which United Nations came into existence is 1919 1926 1938 1945 6) Shora is the parliament of Iran Iraq Saudi Arabia Afghanistan 7) The Analects is the sacred text of Taoism Confucianism Zoroastrianism Judaism 8) Which of the following plays holds the world record for the longest running show? Mousetrap Chorusline Adarak Ke Panjey None of these 9) Which of the following is NOT matched properly? Personality Contribution in the field Harisen Poetry Kalidasa Drama & Poetry Varahmihira Astrology Sanku Medicine 10) Savitri is the name of the famous work of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Aurobindo Ghosh Bankimchandra Chatterjee Page 230

PG GK COLLECTION Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay 11) The year in which Nobel prizes were started was 1901 1902 1903 1904 12) Which of the following is the national tree of India? Neem Banyan Pipal Mango 13) The rule of few people for their own benefit belonging to aristocratic background is termed as.... autocracy diarchy oligarchy monarchy 14) The only Prime Minister of India who has never faced parliament is Gulzari Lal Nanda Morarji Desai Charan Singh VP Singh 15) Orology is basically the science of rocks mountains population earthquakes 16) Which of the following is NOT the recipient of the Magsaysay award? Kiran Bedi Mother Teresa Satyajit Ray Indira Gandhi 17) Which of the following personalities discovered Aspirin? Alexander Fleming Felix Hoffmann Robert Koch Ian Donald 18) Which of the following is NOT properly matched?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Date Observed as Dec 1 World AIDS Day Dec 10 World Human Rights Day Mar 15 World Tourism Day Oct 16 World Food Day 19) Kanishka was a famous ruler of Page 231

PG GK COLLECTION Gupta dynasty Maurya dynasty Kushan dynasty Chandela dynasty 20) Who among of the following personalities compiled Guru Granth Sahib? Guru Ram das Guru Arjan Dev Guru Gobind Singh Guru Nanak 21) Which of the following religious texts contains Gayatri Mantra? Atharva Veda Bhagawat Gita Rig Veda Matsya Purana 22) Ghadar party that was formed during the freedom struggle of India, was founded by Lala Lajpat Rai Lala Hardayal Veer Savarkar Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan 23) Which of the following is considered as the first metal to be used by man ? iron copper silver gold 24) Durgesh Nandini is the name of a famous novel by Rabindranath Tagore Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Sharat Chandra Chatterjee None of these 25) Buddhist literature was originally written in ... language. Sanskrit Pali Prakrit None of these 26) Which of the following represents the year of the famous battle of Buxar? 1682 1724 1756 1764 27) This personality is credited with the introduction of the famous Persian festival in India. Name him from the given options. Bakht Khan Balban Zafar Khan Babar 28) Aryabhatta, the very well known astronomer and mathematician of Page 232

PG GK COLLECTION medieval India, lived during the reign of Ashoka Harsha Chadragupta -II Kanishka 29) This famous traveller was the author of Tehqiq-i-Hind. Name the person in question from the given options. Abdur Razzaq Alberuni Balban None of these 30) Find the odd one out. La Paz Ulan Bator Sydney Kula Lumpur Answers: 1. C 2. B 3.C 4.B 5.D 6.D 7.B 8.C 9.D 10.B 11.A 12.B 13.C 14.C 15.B 16.D 17.B 18.C 19.C 20.B 21.C 22.B 23.B 24.B 25.B 26.D 27.B 28.C 29.B 30.C _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 1)This country has the worlds largest foreign exchange reserves. Can you name the country in question from the given options? The US China Japan Germany 2)This companys internet services brand is named as Ovi and this company also has its gaming service in India, N-Gage. Can you identify the name of the company in question from the given options? Siemens Sony LG Nokia 3)Micra is the name of the car model that this car manufacturer intends to roll out in India in 2010. Can you identify the name of the automobile major from the given options? Toyota Motors Honda Motors Hyundai Motors Nissan Motors 4)Mom & Me is the name of the specialty retail chain of . Tata Group AV Birla Group Mahindra Group Page 233

PG GK COLLECTION Essar Group 5)Grappo Fizz is the name of the new grape drink that has been launched by. Coca-Cola PepsiCo Inc Parle Agro none of these 6)Always with the news is the punchline that you would associate with this channel. Can you identify the name of the news channel in question from the given options? CNN-IBN Times Now NDTV 24X7 CNBC Profit 7)Makers Chambers is the office of this famous company of India. Can you identify the name of the company in question from the given options? Tata AV Birla Group Reliance Industries Ltd Essar Ltd 8)This company has selected Infosys, TCS, Wipro and IBM for its application development and application maintenance contracts. Which company are we talking about? Shell British Petroleum BMW Daimler Benz 9)A picture of health is the punchline that you would associate with . Wockhardt Ltd Dr Reddys Laboratories Biocon International none of these 10)Find the odd one out. Accent I20 Tucson Accord 11)Hindustan Motors is a flagship company of . AV Birla Group CK Birla Group BK Birla Group None of these 12)Where would you find the headquarters of Asian Development Bank (ADB)? Singapore Hong Kong Manila Bangkok 13)'The world's local bank' is the tag line of... Page 234

PG GK COLLECTION BNP Paribas HSBC Citibank Bank of America 14)KG D6, the natural gas reserve operated by Reliance Industries, is located in the ... Arabian Sea Gulf of Mannar Bay of Bengal Gulf of Cambay 15)The beer brands Foster's, Haywards 5000 and Castle are owned by.... Diaggio SABMiller United Breweries Radico Khaitan 16)The lubricant brand 'Mak' is owned by.... Indian Oil Corporation Hindustan Petroleum Bharat Petroleum Oil and Natural Gas Commission 17)'Xylo' is the name of the SUV model that belongs to.... Tata Motors Mahindra & Mahindra Honda Motors Toyota 18)Name the official travel partner of FIFA 2010 World Cup. Cathay Pacific South African Airways Air France Emirates Airline 19)The newly appointed president of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is . KV Kamath Venu Srinivasan Ashok Soota Kiran Karnik 20) Which of the following personalities is the inventor of email? Jeff Bezos Ray Tomlinson Ray Ozzie Paul Allen 21)Takanobu Ito has been appointed as the new president and CEO of Hyundai Motors Honda Motors Toyota Motors Suzuki Motors 22)The Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year prize Page 235

PG GK COLLECTION 2008 was awarded to the book titled When Markets Collide. Identify the author of this book. Mohamed El-Erian James Kynge Thomas Friedman William D Cohan 23)In April 2009, Oracle Corporation announced that it is going to acquire a US $14 bn software giant. Name it. Apple IBM Sun Microsystems Adobe 24)A Better India, A Better World is a book authored by... Nandan Nilekani APJ Abdul Kalam NR Narayana Murthy Gurucharan Das 25)President Barack Obama appointed him as the first chief technology officer of the US. Can you name him from the given options? Aneesh Chopra Vikram Pandit Sabir Bhatia Vinod Rekhi 26)Which of the following is NOT a kharif crop? Maize Cotton Sugarcane Barley 27)Which Indian company received the Asian Business Award 2008 for Corporate Responsibility? Bharti Tata Steel Hindalco Infosys 28)Reserve Bank of India urges all scheduled banks to follow 'KYC' norms to curb the misuse of funds. What does 'KYC' stands for? Key Yearly Corpus Keep Your Consumer Key Yearly Credit Know Your Customer 29)Nandan Nilekani has authored a pioneering book on Indian socio-economic issues, titled.... Imagining India India Unbound The Argumentative Indian Awakening of India 30)Which of the following companies has sold the second highest number of Page 236

PG GK COLLECTION mobile handsets worldwide, after Nokia? LG Samsung Motorola Sony Ericsson Solutions: 1.b 2.d 3.d 4.c 5.c 6.b 7.c 8.b 9.a 10.d 11.b 12.c 13.b 14.c 15.b 16.c 17.b 18. 19.b 20.b 21.b 22.a 23.c 24.c 25.a 26.d 27.c 28.d 29.a 30.b _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 1. As a prince where was Ashoka sent to suppress the revolt? 1 Taxila 2 Kalinga 3 Ujjain 4 Deccan Ans:1 2. Which one of the following travelers is not associated with the description of the glories of Vijayanagar kingdom? 1 Paes 2 Abdul Razzaq 3 Ibn Batutach 4 Nuniz Ans:3 3. What was Sher Shah's precious legacy to the Mughals? 1 Organization of Army 2 Land Revenue System 3 Mansabdari System 4 Provincial Administration Ans:2 3. The main emphasis of Upnishads is on which aspect of philosophy? 1 Bhakti 2 Gyan 3 Karma 4 Tapa Ans:2 4. Panini, the first Grammarian of Sanskrit language in India, lived during the: 1 2nd Century B. C. 2 6th -5th Century B. C. 3 2nd Century A. D. 4 5th-6th Century A. D. Ans:2 5. With reference to the Indian Freedom Struggle, which one of the following events occurred earliest? 1 Surat Split Page 237

PG GK COLLECTION 2 Lucknow Pact 3 Rowlatt Satyagraha 4 Communal Award Ans:1 6. What was the most important gainto Ahmad Shah Abdali as a result of the Third Battle of Panipat? 1 Control over Delhi 2 Enormous wealth 3 Control over Punjab 4 Opportunity to expand his empire in India Ans:2 7. The scholar who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in India was 1 Ibn Batuta 2 Al-Beruni 3 Al-Firdausi 4 Al-Razi Ans:2 8. The father of Asoka was: 1 Bimbisara 2 Bindusara 3 Mahendra 4 Namda Ans:2 9. Azad Hind Fauj was founded in 1943 in 1 Mandalay 2 Singapore 3 Midnapore 4 Kuala Lumpur Ans:2 10. The main emphasis of Upnishads is on which aspect of philosophy? 1 Bhakti 2 Gyan 3 Karma 4 Tapa Ans:2 11. Who was the founder of Vijaynagar kingdom? 1 Harihar and Bukka 2 Krishna Dev Roy 3 Narsingha 4 Devroy Ans:1 12. Among the four dynasties listed below, which one minted coins made of lead? 1 Mauryas 2 Satvahanas 3 Western Kshatrapas 4 Guptas Page 238

PG GK COLLECTION Ans:2 13. Which of the following is associated with Lord Wellesley, the Governor General of India from 1798 to 1805? 1 Doctrine of Lapse 2 Subsidiary Alliance 3 First Mysore War 4 Conquest of Rajputana Ans:2 14. With reference to the Indian Freedom Struggle, which one of the following events occurred earliest? 1 Surat Split 2 Lucknow Pact 3 Rowlatt Satyagraha 4 Communal Award Ans:1 15. Which factor influenced Ghandhi's ideas on Indian Culture most? 1 Brief in the fundamentals of ancient culture. 2 Influenced by western ideas 3 'Sermon on the Mount' 4 Tolstoy's idea Ans:1 16. The most important divinity in the Rig Veda is 1 Agni 2 Marut 3 Varuna 4 Indra Ans:3 17. Alexander's general who attacked India and was defeated by Chadragupta Maurya was 1 Ptolemy 2 Seleucus 3 Nearchus 4 Arrian Ans:2 18. The foreign traveler who visited India during the rule of the Guptas was 1 Hiuen Tsang 2 Beriner 3 Fa-Hein 4 Manucci Ans:3 19. Which of the following factors was most important for the rapid development of trade in pre-Gupta period? 1 Needs of the Roman Empire 2 Success of the banking system 3 Better system of coinage 4 Encouragement from the Kings Ans:1 Page 239

PG GK COLLECTION 20. In the year 1946, who among the following joined the Viceroy's Executive Council with the finance portfolio? 1 Mohammad Ali Jinnah 2 Liaqat Ali Khan 3 Nawab Salimullah 4 Shaukat Ali Ans:2 21. The battle that was fought between Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Marathas in 1761 was 1 2nd battle of Panipat 2 1st battle of Panipat 3 3rd battle of Panipat 4 the battle of Tarain Ans:3 22. Which one of the following is correctly matched? 1 Second Battle of Panipat - Akbar and Ibrahim Lodi 2 Battle of Khanwa - Akbar and Rana Sanga 3 Battle of Chausa - Humayun and Sher Shah 4 First battle of Tarian - Mahmud Ghaznavi and Prithviraj Chauhan Ans:3 23. Why was the Swaraj Party established? 1 To co-operate with Government 2 To place obstacles in the functioning of the legislative council 3 To form an organization parallel to the Congress 4 Because of schism in the Congress Ans:2 24. Identify the famous ruler of the Gupta period 1 Kumaradevi 2 Rajyashri 3 Kuber-Naga 4 Prabhavati-Gupta Ans:4 25. 'Tipu Sultan' had his capital at 1 Srirangapatnam 2 Mysore 3 Bangalore 4 Bhagyanagar Ans:1 26. Among the following foreign travellers who was the first to visit India? 1 Bernier 2 Ibn Batuta 3 Abdur Rajjak 4 Vasco-da-Gama Ans:2 27. In ancient peninsular India, who among the following assumed the title 'Vatapikonda'? 1 Mayurasharman Page 240

PG GK COLLECTION 2 Narasimhavarman 3 Pulakesi II 4 Vikramaditya II Ans:2 28. Chandragupta Maurya built the first great empire in India with the help of 1 Mahapadmananda 2 Bindusara 3 Seleucus 4 Kautilya Ans:4 29. Which ruler went to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism 1 Ashoka 2 Samudragupta 3 Sanghamitra 4 Chitragupta Ans:3 30. The Temples at Khajuraho were build by 1 Chandelas 2 Pallavas 3 Chalukyas 4 Qutubuddin Ans:1 31. Which among the following was defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali in the 3rd battle of Panipat 1 Sawai Jai Singh 2 Badam Singh 3 Suraj Mal 4 Guru Govind Singh Ans:3 32. During the Civil Disobedience Movement, who led the 'Red Shirts' of North-Western India? 1 Abdul Kalam Azad 2 Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan 3 Mohammad Ali Jinnah 4 Shaukat Ali Ans:2 33. Which among the following dynasties had the strongest navy? 1 Chalukya 2 Chola 3 Gupta 4 Pallava Ans:2 34. Which one of the following travelers is not associated with the description of the glories of Vijayanagar kingdom? 1 Paes 2 Abdul Razzaq 3 Ibn Batutach Page 241

PG GK COLLECTION 4 Nuniz Ans:3 35. Put in correct chronological sequence, the successors of Shivaji 1.Sahu 2.Shivaji 3.Rajaram 4.Sambhaji 5.Ram Raja 1 4, 3, 2, 1, 5 2 2, 1, 5, 3, 4 3 5, 4, 2, 1, 3 4 1, 2, 3, 5, 4 Ans:1 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 1)The nearest atmospheric layer to the earth is . Stratosphere Troposphere Mesosphere Ionosphere 2)Which of the following is the highest mountain peak of North America? Mt Elbrus McKinley Aconcagua Vinson Massif 3)What percentage of the water available on earth is fresh in nature? 3% 5% 7% 9% 4)Which of the following planets is named after the Roman God of ruler of all men and gods ? Saturn Jupiter Mercury Mars 5)Malaria is a disease caused by . virus protozoa bacteria fungi 6)Who heads the National Development Council ? President Deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Speaker of the Lok Sabha Prime Minister 7)This famous freedom fighter of India is known as the prophet of cultural Renaissance in Western India. Identify him from the given options. Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bal Gangadhar Tilak Mahadev Gobind Ranade Page 242

PG GK COLLECTION Jyotiba Phule 8)Bengal Gazette was the first newspaper published in India. The credit for its publication goes to. William Bolts James Augustus Hickey William Jones Charles Wilkins 9)She was the worlds first female prime minister. Can you name her from the given options? India Gandhi Margaret Thatcher Golda Meir Sirimavo Bandaranaike 10)Dalkhai is a folk dance that belongs to the state of . Chhattisgarh Jharkhand Orissa Madhya Pradesh 11)Who was the governor general of India during the 1857 revolt? Sir John Shore Lord Canning Lord Cornwallis Warren Hastings 12)Which of the following Indian states you would associate with the Kuka Movement? Gujarat Rajasthan Punjab Orissa 13)Who was not one of the members of the high powered Cabinet Mission plan that was sent to India in 1946? Stafford Cripps AV Alexander Pethick Lawrence George Barlow 14)This article envisages the provision of the constitution of the Finance Commission of India. Identify the article from the given options. Article 261 Article 274 Article 280 Article 322 15)Agranulocytosis and Thrombocytopenia are the names of the diseases that you would associate with Brain Heart Nervous System Blood Page 243

PG GK COLLECTION 16)Why is sodium kept in Kerosene? It remains free from dust It starts burning in air It starts melting in air None of these 17)Which of the following is NOT one of the basic SI units? Candela Mole Kelvin Gram 18)Identify the one, which is NOT one of the Three Gems of Jainism. Right Thought Right Faith Right Knowledge Right Conduct 19)This personality is considered the great law-giver of ancient India. Can you identify him from the given options? Panini Patanjali Manu Bhavabhuti 20)The duration of the tenure of the Rajya Sabha members is four years five years six years Not fixed 21) World Tourism Day is celebrated throughout the world on every year. August 21 September 16 September 27 October 3 22)Which of the following represents the number of members that can be nominated by the President to the Lok Sabha? 12 8 6 2 23)According to the latest census, which of the following Indian states has the highest birth rate? Bihar Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh 24)Which of the following represents the degrees of longitude rotated by the earth per hour? 10 Page 244

PG GK COLLECTION 15 20 25 25)In which layer is Ozone found? Troposphere Stratosphere Ionosphere Exosphere 26)Which of the following canals links the North Sea with the Baltic Sea ? Panama Canal Kiel Canal Suez Canal Welland 27)Bogota is the capital of Chile Equador Colombia Bolivia 28)This country is also known by the sobriquet Dairy of Northern Europe. Identify the name of the country from the given options. Belgium Denmark Canada Poland 29)Who wrote Paradise Lost? James Jeans John Milton Pearl S Buck Jane Austen 30)Fa-hien visited India during the reign of... Ashoka Harsha Chandragupta Vikramaditya Samudragupta Answers: 1.b 2.b 3.a 4.b 5.d 6.d 7.c 8.b 9.d 10.c 11.b 12.c 13.d 14.c 15.d 16.b 17.d 18.b 19.c 20.c 21.c 22.d 23.b 24.b 25.b 26.b 27.c 28.b 29.b 30.c _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ The first bank in India to be given an ISO Certification -Canara Bank The first bank in Northern India to get ISO 9002 certification for their selected branches Page 245

PG GK COLLECTION -Punjab and Sind Bank The first Indian bank to have been started solely with Indian capital -Punjab National Bank The first among the private sector banks in Kerala to become a scheduled bank in 1946 under the RBI Act -South Indian Bank India's oldest, largest and most successful commercial bank, offering the widest possible range of domestic, international and NRI products and services, through its vast network in India and overseas -State Bank of India India's second largest private sector bank and is now the largest scheduled commercial bank in India -The Federal Bank Limited Bank which started as private shareholders banks, mostly Europeans shareholders -Imperial Bank of India The first Indian bank to open a branch outside India in London in 1946 and the first to open a branch in continental Europe at Paris in 1974 -Bank of India, founded in 1906 in Mumbai The oldest Public Sector Bank in India having branches all over India and serving the customers for the last 132 years -Allahabad Bank The first Indian commercial bank which was wholly owned and managed by Indians -Central Bank of India Bank of India was founded in 1906 in Mumbai. It became the first Indian bank to open a branch outside India in London in 1946 and the first to open a branch in continental Europe at Paris in 1974. shanky24 03-11-2011 08:45 PM Re: Official GK Thread for MBA entrance Exams 2011-2012 1)Name the company which promotes itself by the promo line Its all about Imagineering. L&T GE Siemens None of these Page 246

PG GK COLLECTION 2)Name the current finance secretary of India who was appointed as the head of the Department of Economic Affairs in 2008. CP Singh PVK Mohan Ashok Chawala A Sachidanand 3)Name the bank that won the 2008 Asian Bankers Best Retail Bank in India for the second time in a row. ICICI Bank HDFC Bank HSBC Bank Citibank 4)Identify this personality who had been awarded the UK Trade & Investment special recognition award in late 2008 for promoting trade between India and UK? Swaraj Paul Anil Aggarwal KV Kamath Aditya Puri 5)Which of the following Constitutional articles deals with the establishment of Finance Commission? Article 233 Article 246 Article 268 Article 280 6)Who is the head of Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council? Uday Kotak Ajit Ranade Suresh D Tendulkar Ashok Chawla 7)Which of the following represents the rank of India in the World Economic Forums first Financial Development Index released in 2008? 11 21 31 41 8)Where would you find the headquarters of Indias largest private sector bank ICICI Bank? New Delhi Mumbai Kolkata Chenna 9)We fly for your smile is the tag line that you would associate with.... Austrian Airways Finnair Air Italia Lufthansa Page 247

PG GK COLLECTION 10)The miracles of science is the tag line that you would associate with.... Dupont Bayer Biocon International GSK 11)Identify this state that announced free education to the students till XIIth standard in late 2008. Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan Gujarat 12)Who is the recently-appointed commerce secretary to the government of India? Ashok Chawla Arvind Virmani GK Pillai Rahul Khullar 13)Identify the name of this mobile that happened to be the first ever by Google. G1 G3 G5 G7 14)Which of the following represents the punchline of Mitsubishi Electric? Change is constant Changes for the better Change is everything None of these 15)Built to last is a business bestseller. Can you identify the name of the authors of this work from the given options? Ram Charan & Larry Bossidy Jim Collins & Jerry I Poras Peter Drucker Tom Peters 16)This magazine proclaims itself to be the magazine of the corporate world. Identify it from the given options. Business World Business India Business Today None of these 17)Which two wheeler manufacturer completed 25 years of its existence in 2008? Kinetic Engineering Ltd Bajaj Auto Ltd Hero Honda Motors Ltd TVS Motors Page 248

PG GK COLLECTION 18)Hot, Flat, And Crowded is the recent work of this famous author. Identify him from the given options. Joseph Stiglitz\\\\ Thomas L Friedman Aravind Adiga Salman Rushdie 19)Make it Happen is the tag line that you would associate with. ABN Amro Bank RBS Citibank Standard Chartered Bank 20)Sachin Tendulkar is the brand ambassador of. Royal Bank of Scotland HDFC Bank SBI Standard Chartered Bank 21)Stop counting clicks. Start making money is the ad campaign that you would associate with. HP Nestle IBM Microsoft 22)Can you identify the year in which the troubled investment bank of USA, Lehman Brothers, was founded? 1840 1850 1860 1870 23)Which of the following personalities would you associate with the concept of Core Competence? Deepak C Mahajan Vijay Govindarajan MB Athreya CK Prahalad 24)Vista is the name of a car model from.... Indica Indigo Santro Palio 25)Grasim Industries is a flagship company of. Reliance Industries AV Birla Group Essar Group RPG Enterprises 26)Where would you find the headquarters of Diageo, worlds largest spirit maker? London Page 249

PG GK COLLECTION New York Geneva Cape Town 27)DHL is a logistics giant that hails from... Italy France The UK Germany 28)Air Asia belongs to. Singapore Hong Kong Indonesia Malaysia 29)Which of the following days is celebrated as the World Food Day? October 12 October 14 October 16 October 18 30)A Sage That Knows His Opinions is the authorized biography of Rupert Murdoch Ted Turner Warren Buffet Steve Jobs _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ This company is celebrating 125 years of its existence in 2009.Identify it from the given options. Godrej Johnson & Johnson Dabur Ltd Tata Steel 2)Konnect is the name of the low cost initiative of.... Kingfisher Airlines Jet Airways Paramount Airways Spicejet Airlines 3)Who has been awarded the Nikkie Asia Prize 2009 for regional growth and pioneering work in the field of biotechnology in India? Dr KA Reddy KM Shaw Habil Khorakiwala Malvinder Singh 4)Which commoditys future trading resumed after a gap of around two years in MCX and NCDEX? Page 250

PG GK COLLECTION Wheat Rice Sugar Cotton 5)To change the existing methods for assessing the poverty line based on calorie intake, a new committee was constituted that finalized the new methodology. Who headed this committee? Arvind Virmani Prof Yashpal SD Tendulkar MS Ahluwalia 6)In which year did the Indian economy go into negative inflation prior to 2009? 1973 1975 1977 1979 7)Which is the first life insurance company in India launched by Europeans in Calcutta in 1818? Bharat Insurance Company Bombay Mutual Life Assurance Society Oriental Life Insurance Company Life Insurance Company of India 8)Branding India: An Incredible Story is the name of the book authored by.... Gurcharan Das Santosh Desai Amitabh Kant Azim H Primji 9)Powering a greener tomorrow is the punchline of.... IOC ONGC BP Suzlon 10)Savari and Major are the names of the utility vehicles that belong to the stable of.... Tata Motors Hindustan Motors Mahindra & Mahindra Ashok Leyland 11)Find the odd one out. O&M JWT FCB Ulka CRISIL 12)Lead wherever you go is the tag line of.... Grand Vitara Ford Endeavour Tata Safari Page 251

PG GK COLLECTION Scorpio 13)Next is the name of the retail chain of stores in India. It specialises in.... FMCG products Electronics goods Vegetables and domestic goods Literature and music 14)Crossword and Mother care are the names of the brands that belong to.... Shoppers Stop Future Group Times group None of these 15)Which of the following countries is the biggest steel producing country of the world? India Russia The US China 16)Kaya Kalp is the luxury spa brand of.... Marico Industries ITC Ltd Dabur Ltd None of these 17)'One Life. Why so serious?' is the punchline of.... Grand Punto Jazz i20 Land cruiser 18)What is the present name of the company that was founded by Herman Hollerith in the year 1896 as the Tabulating Machine Company? GE Oracle IBM Acer 19) Which company has a series of laptops by the name of Artful? Dell HP Toshiba Acer 20)Which airline proclaims itself to be The Reliable Airline? KLM Cathy Pacific Air France Qantas Airlines 21)Forbes magazine has launched its Indian edition in collaboration with.... Times Group Network 18 NDTV Page 252

PG GK COLLECTION None of these 22)'Enable. Enlighten. Entertain' is the punchline of.... Viacom Network 18 ET Now 9X 23)Mango Frooti is the name of a mango drink that belongs to.... ITC HUL Parle Agro Nestle 24)Cellebrum and Omnia are the names of the companies that belong to.... Spice Telecom Aircel Bharti Enterprises Reliance Communications 25)Raymond Albert Kroc is the founder of ..., which promotes itself by using the tag line Im Lovin it. Wal-Mart Stores Home Depot McDonalds None of these 26)Where patients come first is the punchline of Pfizer Novartis Roche Merck 27)Which of the following banks would you associate with DISHA, a financial counseling linked social initiative? ICICI Bank HDFC Bank State Bank of India Bank of Baroda 28)As per a survey conducted by Interbrand, which of the following brands is the topmost brand of the world in terms of value? IBM Microsoft General Electric Coca Cola 29)Chrome is the name of the web-based browser of Microsoft AOL Google Yahoo 30)Can you identify the name of the company that has won the Golden Peacock Global Award for corporate governance for 2008? Tata Steel Page 253

PG GK COLLECTION Reliance Industries Wipro Technologies Bharti Enterprises Answers: 1.c 2.b 3.d 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.c 8.c 9.d 10.c 11.d 12.b 13.b 14.a 15.d 16.b 17.b 18.c 19.c 20.a 21.b 22.b 23.c 24.a 25.c 26.d 27.a 28.d 29.c 30.b _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ 1. The International date line deviates from 1800 meridian in the North Pacific Ocean due to 1 Aleutian Islands 2 Samoa Islands 3 Fuji Islands 4 Cook Islands Ans:1 2. The world's highest hydel power project 'Rongtong' is located in 1 Rangoon 2 Kathmandu 3 Himachal Pradesh 4 Beijing Ans:3 3. Artesian wells are found in 1 Sedimentary rocks 2 Igneous rocks 3 Metamorphic rocks 4 None of these 4. Which one of the following is the farthest from the centre of the earth? 1 Equator 2 Tropic of Capricorn 3 Antarctic Circle 4 South Pole Ans:1 5. The multipurpose Sardar Sarovar Project is being built across which river ? 1 Tapti 2 Narmada 3 Sabarmati 4 Godavari Ans:2 6. Which one of the following rivers orginates near Mahabaleshwar? 1 Godavari 2 Krishna 3 Kaveri 4 Tapi Page 254

PG GK COLLECTION Ans:2 7. Put in descending order of content of fixed carbon 1.Peat 2.Lignite 3.Bituminous Coal 4.Anthracite 1 4, 2, 3, 1 2 1, 2, 3, 4 3 3, 4, 2, 1 4 4, 3, 2, 1 Ans:4 8. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? (Lake --- Location) 1 Superior -- US-Canada 2 Baikal -- Russia 3 Great Bear -- Canada 4 Great Slave -- Russia Ans:4 9. Which of the following has the minimum humus? 1 Gray-desert soil 2 Red-desert soil 3 Chestnut soil 4 Cher nozem Ans:2 10. Choose incorrect statement 1 Capacity of air to hold moisture decreases with a rise in temperature of the air 2 The air pressure decreases with an increase in temperature 3 Absolute humidity is expressed in grams per cubic metre of air 4 With an ascent of every 165 metres, the temperature is reduced by 10C Ans:1 11. Which of the following crops requires water logging? 1 Tea 2 Oil seeds 3 Cotton 4 Rice Ans:1 12. Coal is found in 1 volcanic rocks 2 metamorphic rocks 3 igneous rocks 4 sedimentary rocks Ans:1 13. Trade winds blow in the norhtern hemisphere from 1 North to south 2 South to north 3 Northwest to southwest 4 Northeast to southwest 14. "Namibia" was earlier known as 1 South- West Africa 2 New Guinea 3 British Guyana Page 255

PG GK COLLECTION 4 British Columbia Ans:1 15. Which one of the following gases is predominant in the atmosphere? 1 Argon 2 Nitrogen 3 Carbon Dioxide 4 Oxygen Ans:2 16. Osaka (japan) is known as the 1 Queen of the Adriatic 2 Manchaster of the Orient 3 Land of Morning Calm 4 Land of Cakes Ans:2 17. Most of the weather phenomena take place in the 1 Stratosphere 2 Troposphere 3 Tropopause 4 Ionosphere Ans:2 18. `Sakshat' is 1 A website 2 A missile 3 An artificial satellite 4 A railway project Ans:1 19. Which one of the following nations has recently pushed back its time and synchronised with the Indian Standard Time? 1 Sri Lanka 2 Bangladesh 3 Bhutan 4 Nepal Ans:1 20. The mainstream of river Ganga which flows beyond Farakka is known as 1 Bhagirathi 2 Hooghly 3 Padma 4 Subarnarekha Ans:3 21. The collective farms in the steppes of Eurasia are termed as 1 Campos 2 Estancias 3 Kolkhoz 4 Corals Ans:3 22. Duncan Pass is between 1 India and Sri Lanka Page 256

PG GK COLLECTION 2 Andaman and Nicobar 3 North and South Andaman 4 North and East Andaman Ans:3 23. Which type of rain is caused by ascent of moisture laden air along a mountain? 1 Convectional rainfall 2 Orographic rainfall 3 Cyclonic rainfall 4 All of the above 24. In India which of the following are the southernmost hills? 1 Annamalai hills 2 Cardamom hills 3 Nilgiri hills 4 Javadi hills Ans:2 25. Which of the following is known as "Island of precipitation" ? 1 Fault Mountains 2 Fold Mountains 3 Dome Mountains 4 Block Mountains Ans:3 26. A sudden fall in the barometric reading indicates 1 rain 2 storm 3 fine weather 4 extreme cold Ans:2 27. Winds and air currents differ in the aspect that 1 air currents blow much faster than winds 2 air currents are always moisture laden while winds are usually dry 3 the winds blow on lands while air currents blow over seas and oceans 4 winds are horizontal movements of air while air currents are the vertical movements of air Ans:4 28. The Chilka Lake region lies in between the deltas of 1 Mahanadi and Godavari 2 Krishna and Kaveri 3 Godavari and Krishna 4 Ganga and Mahanadi Ans:1 29. Black Soil is best suited for 1 Tea 2 Rice 3 Cotton 4 Coffee Ans:3 Page 257

PG GK COLLECTION 30. The controversial Perambikulam-Aliyar project (PAP) which is built on the river Aliyar serves mainly for irrigation purpose involves which two states 1 Kerala & TN 2 Kerala & Karnataka 3 Kerala & Goa 4 Kerala & Maharashtra Ans:1 shanky24 03-11-2011 08:48 PM Re: Official GK Thread for MBA entrance Exams 2011-2012 1) Which of the following represents the present limit of FDI in the telecom sector of India? 26 per cent 49 per cent 74 per cent 100 per cent 2)Name the president of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI). Naresh Goyal Vijay Mallaya Harsh Pati Singhania Rajeev Chandrashekhar 3)Monetary Policy in a Globalised Economy: A Practitioners View is a work of Bimal Jalan YV Reddy Rakesh Mohan D Subbarao 4)Unputdownable is the catchphrase that you would associate with. The Asian Age The Telegraph The Pioneer None of these 5)Which of the following represents the new name of Sony Entertainment Television? Multi Screen Media Multi Channel Presenter Viewers Delight Wonderful Entertainment 6)Which of the following represents the expansion of second C in FCCB? Currency Convertible Cooperative Company 7)Nimbooz is the lemon juice brand which belongs to the stable of. Coca Cola Page 258

PG GK COLLECTION Dabur PepsiCo Georgia 8)Xenon XT is the pickup vehicle that belongs to the stable of. Tata Motors Mahindra & Mahindra Hindustan Motors None of these 9)Which of the following ex-ICICI power lady has taken the charge of CEO of Axis Bank? Kalpana Morparia Chanda Kochhar Janaki Ramnath Shikha Sharma 10)Which of the following represents the venue of the G-20 summit held in April 2009? Berlin New York London Geneva 11)With which French company has the Wadia group terminated their JV in Biscuit major Britannia Industries Ltd? Danone Bonduelle Daregal Valrhona 12)Beetle and Polo belong to the stable of . Ford Motors Volkswagen AG General Motors Toyota Motors 13)Aegis is the business process-outsourcing arm of . Essar AV Birla Group Bharti Enterprises Infosys 14)Fritz Henderson is the newly appointed CEO of . Fiat Motors General Motors Nissan Motors Volkswagen AG 15)From the chairmanship of which wealth management institution did Peter Kurer stepped down? HSBC Plc UBS Citigroup European Central Bank Page 259

PG GK COLLECTION 16)As per a recent study by Asian Development Bank (ADB), which of the following represents the loss that the global markets suffered in 2008? $40 trillion $50 trillion $60 trillion $70 trillion 17)Identify the worth of the deal in which Merck recently acquired Schering-Plough. $21 billion $31 billion $41 billion $51 billion 18)Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came into existence in .... 1995 1997 1999 2001 19)Who is the author of the book titled Rogue Economics:Capitalisms New Reality? Joseph Stiglitz Loretta Napoleoni Alice Schroeder Colin Lyes 20)This bank proclaims itself to be Indias international bank. We are talking about . Canara Bank Punjab National Bank Bank of Baroda Bank of India 21)Google has tied up with this company to make half a million copyright free books available for this companys reader device to take on the rival Amazons Kindle. Name the company. Sony Barnes & Nobel Harper Collins None of these 22)Fortune Hotels Private Limited is the name of the wholly-owned subsidiary of. Taj Group ITC Oberoi Group AV Birla Group 23)Freshtech Ultima is the range of refrigerators that has been launched recently by .... LG Samsung Videocon Page 260

PG GK COLLECTION Voltas 24)Chevron is the name of the industrial giant that belongs to the field of. Automobiles Oil Toys Information Technology 25)Where is Amas Bank located, which has been named Hinduja Bank by Hindujas? Germany United Kingdom United States of America Switzerland 26)Which of the following represents the name of BPL Mobile now? New Mobile Loop Mobile Power Mobile India Mobile 27)You would associate the name of Venky Harinarayan and Anand Rajaraman with the foundation of . Chrome Kosmix Knol none of these 28)Where would you find the headquarters of World Trade Organisation (WTO)? London New York Geneva Davos 29)Fortuner is the name of the sports utility vehicle by . Toyota Motors Fiat Motors Honda Motors Hyundai Motors 30)Which of the following represents the approximate amount of foreign exchange reserves of India at the end of March 2009? $225 billion $255 billion $275 billion $295 billion Answers: 1. C 2.c 3.c 4.b 5.a 6.b 7.b 8.a 9.d 10.c 11.b 12.b 13.a 14.b 15.b 16.b 17.c 18.b 19.b 20.c 21.a 22.b 23.b 24.b 25.d 26.b 27.b 28.c 29.a 30.b _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Page 261

PG GK COLLECTION 1) What was the type of marriage in the Vedic period in which, in place of the dowry, there was a token bride price of a cow and a bull 1. Asura 2. Arsa 3. Gantharva 4. Rakshsa Ans:1 2) In which field of art extraordinary progress was made in the Gupta period? 1 Architecture 2 Sculpture 3 Painting 4 Coinage Ans:3 3) Which one of the following is correctly matched? 1 Brahmo Samaj - Annie Basant 2 Arya Samaj - Lala Lajpat Rai 3 Ram Krishna Mission - Keshab Chandra Sen 4 Theosophical Society - vivekananda Ans:2 4) Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the victories of Babur? 1 Panipat, Chanderi, Ghaghara and Khanwah 2 Panipat, Ghaghara, Khanwah and Chanderi 3 Panipat, Khanwah, Chanderi and Ghaghara 4 Ghaghara, Panipat, Khanwah and Chanderi Ans:3 5) The battle at Waihind in 1008-09 A.D was fought between 1 Mahmud of Ghazni and Jayapala 2 Mahmud of Ghazni and Anandapala 3 Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj 4 Muhammad Ghori and Jaichandra Ans:2 6) As a prince where was Ashoka sent to suppress the revolt? 1 Taxila 2 Kalinga 3 Ujjain 4 Deccan Ans:1 7) Among the following foreign travellers who was the first to visit India? 1 Bernier 2 Ibn Batuta 3 Abdur Rajjak 4 Vasco-da-Gama Ans:2 8) Against whom Skandagupta had to wage long wars on the North West border? 1 Shakas Page 262

PG GK COLLECTION 2 Yavanas 3 Huns 4 Greeks Ans:3 9) The oldest Veda is 1 Atharva Veda 2 Rig Veda 3 Yajur Veda 4 Sama Veda Ans:2 10) Over Which territory there were frequent clashes between Bahamani Kingdom and Vijaynagar Kingdom? 1 The Raichur Doab 2 Warangal 3 Madurai 4 Malabar Ans:1 11) The Hathigumpha inscription (near Bhubaneshwar, Orissa) relates to the king 1 Susharma 2 Hala 3 Kharavela 4 Pulamayi Ans:3 12) The entry port for trade between the Indus trading centres and Mesopotamia was 1 Elam 2 Oman 3 Behrain 4 Afganistan Ans:3 13) Among the four dynasties listed below, which one minted coins made of lead? 1 Mauryas 2 Satvahanas 3 Western Kshatrapas 4 Guptas Ans:2 14) During whose period Al-Beruni came to India? 1 Mahmud Ghaznavi 2 Balban 3 Firoz Tughluq 4 Ibrahim Lodhi Ans:1 15) Against whom Skandagupta had to wage long wars on the North West border? 1 Shakas Page 263

PG GK COLLECTION 2 Yavanas 3 Huns 4 Greeks Ans:3 16) Where did Aurangzeb die? 1 Agra 2 Asirgarh 3 Daultabad 4 Ahmadnagar Ans:4 17) Ashoka called the Third Buddhist Council at 1 Pataliputra 2 Magadha 3 Kalinga 4 Sarnath Ans:2 18) The main historical source regarding the information about village government under the Cholas is the 1 Halmidi inscription 2 Jatwai inscription 3 Uttaramerur inscription 4 Chandravallo inscription Ans:3 19) What was Sher Shah's precious legacy to the Mughals? 1 Organization of Army 2 Land Revenue System 3 Mansabdari System 4 Provincial Administration Ans:2 20) Who among the following taught the doctrine of 'Shunyata'? 1 Nagarjuna 2 Shankaracharya 3 Harisena 4 Vallabhacharya Ans:1 21) Which factor influenced most to eliminate caste-system in India? 1 Rationalism 2 Job Opportunities 3 Legislations 4 Liberal Education Ans:1 22) The earliest tribal assembly was 1 Gana 2 Vidhata 3 Samiti 4 Sabha Ans:2 Page 264

PG GK COLLECTION 23) The foreign traveler who visited India during the rule of the Guptas was 1 Hiuen Tsang 2 Beriner 3 Fa-Hein 4 Manucci Ans:3 24) The entry port for trade between the Indus trading centres and Mesopotamia was 1 Elam 2 Oman 3 Behrain 4 Afganistan Ans:3 25) At the earlier stage backward classes movement means? 1 Santal movement 2 Non-Brahmin movement 3 Harijan movement 4 Antirulers movement Ans:2 26) Which of the following dynasties patronised the famous Kailash temple at Ellora? 1 Vakataka 2 Gupta 3 Early Chalukya 4 Rastrakuta Ans:4 27) Which organization had proposed first to constitute the Constitution Assembly to form the Indian Constitution? 1 Swaraj Party in 1928 2 Indian National Congress in 1936 3 Muslim League in 1942 4 By all parties convention in 1946 Ans:2 28) During the Indian freedom Struggle, who of the following founded the Parthana Samaj? 1 Atmaram Pandurang 2 Gopal Hari Deshmukh 3 Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar 4 Keshab Chandra Sen Ans:1 29) The main historical source regarding the information about village government under the Cholas is the 1 Halmidi inscription 2 Jatwai inscription 3 Uttaramerur inscription 4 Chandravallo inscription Ans:3 Page 265

PG GK COLLECTION 30) Among the following who was in chronological order, the last famous ruler of Vijayanagar? 1 Harihar-II 2 Devarai-I 3 Vir Narsingh 4 Krishna Deva Rai Ans:4 31) 'Ratti' used by jewellers is obtained from seed of a 1 Gymnospermous plant 2 Angiospermous plant 3 Algae 4 Fungi Ans:2 32) During the Civil Disobedience Movement, who led the 'Red Shirts' of North-Western India? 1 Abdul Kalam Azad 2 Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan 3 Mohammad Ali Jinnah 4 Shaukat Ali Ans:2 33) During whose tenure as the Viceroy of India were the great martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru hanged? 1 Lord Curzon 2 Lord Irwin 3 Lord Minto 4 Lord Chemsford Ans:2 34) How did Hiuen Tsang undertake journey from and to India? 1 He came by land route and also returned by land route 2 He came by land route but returned by sea route 3 He came by sea route and returned by land route 4 He came by sea route and also returned by sea route Ans:1 35) Where did Aurangzeb die? 1 Agra 2 Asirgarh 3 Daultabad 4 Ahmadnagar Ans:4 36) Sir Thomas Rose visited the court of 1 Akbar 2 Jehangir 3 Shajahan 4 Aurangazeeb Ans:2 37) Which of the following is wrongly matched 1 The Pitt's India Act (1784) : Board of Control to guide and control company's Page 266

PG GK COLLECTION affairs 2 Charter Act of 1813 : Company's monopoly of trade with India ended 3 Charter Act of 1833 : Company's debt taken over by the government of India 4 Charter Act of 1853 : To regulate company's affairs Ans:4 38) Which one of the following battles was fought between babar and the Rajputs in 1527? 1 The First Battle of Panipat 2 The Battle of Khanwa 3 The Battle of Ghagra 4 The Battle of Chanderi Ans:2 39) Which was the only Indus city without a citadel? 1 Kalibangan 2 Harappa 3 Mohenjodaro 4 Chanhudraro Ans:2 40) Even though India became independent in 1947 but Daman and Diu remained a European colony till 1961. Which country ruled over it ? 1 France 2 Britain 3 Netherlands 4 Portugal Ans:4 _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 3)Eco Drive, a brand of 'light-powered' wristwatch, is from the house of... Tag Heuer Longines Omega Citizen 4)To which business group does Madura Garments belong? ITC Bombay Dyeing AV Birla Group Jagajit Cotton & Textile Mills 5)TNT is a logistics giant that hails from.... Germany Netherlands Sweden China Page 267

PG GK COLLECTION 6)Blackberry, a popular smart phone, is manufactured by.... Nokia Apple Inc Research in Motion LG Electronics 7)Identify the largest Indian construction equipment manufacturing company. Bharat Forge Punj Llyod JCB India Maxmech Group 8)Which book, written by Rashmi Bansal, profiles the story of 25 IIM Ahmedabad graduates? The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell Phone Stay Hungry Stay Foolish The Five Dollar Smile The Elephant Paradigm 9)India and the Global Financial Crisis: Managing Money and Finance is authored by .... Bimal Jalan YV Reddy Arvind Virmani D Subbarao 10)Who is the brand ambassador of Reliance Mobile? Shah Rukh Khan Amitabh Bachchan Hrithik Roshan Saif Ali Khan 11)Which of the following is NOT a brand of General Motors? Marques Vauxhall Buick Cedia 12)Crisil, a rating agency, is the subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Ernst & Young Standard & Poors McKinsey 13)Partners in learning, Shiksha and EduNxt are the names of the technology-enabled initiatives of .... Oracle Page 268

PG GK COLLECTION Microsoft IBM TCS 14)Quality Revolution is the tag line of .... Honda Motors Tata Motors Toyota Motors Hyundai Motors 15)Aamir Khan is the brand ambassador of . LG Samsung Nokia None of these 16)As per a survey conducted by Business Today and Cirrus study, which of the following Indian businessmen was the topmost business personality in terms of image in 2008-2009? Mukesh Ambani Vijay Mallya Ratan Tata Deepak Parekh 17)Managing Across Borders is a book authored by . Sumantra Ghoshal and Christopher Bartlett Gita Piramal Nirmalya Kumar CK Prahalad 18)As per a survey conducted by BusinessWorld magazine, which of the following business schools has been ranked as the top b-school in India in 2009? IIM-Calcutta IIM-Ahmedabad IIM-Bangalore IIM-Lucknow 19)Which automobile giant launched Jazz? Hyundai Motors Toyota Motors Tata Motors Honda Motors 20)Aliva is the name of the brand of snacks offered by .... Frito Lays Dabur Ltd Parle Agro Ltd Page 269

PG GK COLLECTION ITC 21)The first Bharti-Wal-Mart retail store in India was been opened in .... Hyderabad Amritsar Chandigarh Bangalore 22)More about what affects you is the tag line of .... Frontline Economic and Political Weekly The Week The Illustrated Weekly 23)Which largest automaker of the world filed for bankruptcy protection? Fiat Motors General Motors Ford Motors Toyota Motors 24)Outlander is the name of an SUV that belongs to the stable of .... Volkswagen AG Mitsubishi Motors Toyota Motors Fiat Motors 25)Name the worlds most expensive office market as per a survey conducted by CB Richard Ellis. Hong Kong Tokyo Moscow Tokyo 26)Empowering people is the punchline of .... HP Acer Intel AMD 27)Home Depot is the worlds largest home improvement chain that hails from . The UK The US France Germany 28)This company is known to have launched worlds first solar powered handset Page 270

PG GK COLLECTION named Solar Guru.Can you name the company from the given options? Sony Ericsson Samsung LG Nokia 29)Who is the chairman of the Over The Counter Exchange of India (OTCEI)? SB Mathur SC Bhargava Madhu Kanan DK Gupta 30)Which of the following is NOT a brand of Marico Industries? Medikar Revive Nihar Dove Answers: 3.d 4.c 5.b 6.c 7.c 8.b 9.b 10.c 11.d 12.c 13.b 14.c 15.b 16.c 17.a 18.b 19.d 20.a 21.b 22.c 23.b 24.b 25.d 26.b 27.b 28.b 29.b 30.d

_________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ 1) Which of the following is NOT an example of metamorphic rock? Gneiss Marble Quartzite Limestone 2) Which of the following is NOT a planet of the inner circle or the terrestrial planets? Mercury Venus Mars Saturn 3) This planet is closest to earth. Identify it from the given options. Mars Mercury Venus Jupiter 4) This is the longest day in the southern hemisphere. Identify it from the given options. June 21 June 22 December 21 December 22 Page 271

PG GK COLLECTION 5) Cuqenam, Tugela and Grey Kamarang are the names of shipping canals straits mountains waterfalls 6) This is the smallest Republican country of the world. Tuvalu State of Vatican Nauru East Timor 7) Kaffris is the martial race of Australia Mongolia South Africa Hungary 8) The famous battle of Waterloo that resulted in the defeat and exile of Napoleon took place in 1805 1810 1815 1820 9) This day is celebrated as the International Womens Day. September 8 July 8 May 8 March 8 10) Where would you find the headquarters of South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)? New Delhi Jakarta Bangkok Kuala Lumpur 11) Where would you find Rajaji National Park in India? Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand Rajasthan Kerala 12) Can you identify the disease that is caused by bacteria? Yellow fever Small pox Measles Pneumonia 13) Who authored Natya Shastra? Kalhana Kalidasa Bharat Muni Kapila Muni Page 272

PG GK COLLECTION 14) When was the Khilafat movement launched? 1916 1918 1920 1922 15) The second battle of Panipat was fought between Ibrahim Lodhi and Babur Akbar and Hemu Ahmed Shah Abdali and Marathas Sher Shah and Humayun 16) This day is celebrated as the World Food Day. October 12 October 14 October 16 October 18 17) Which of the following personalities was the founder of the Dharma Sabha ? Rammohan Roy Radhakanta Dev Durga Das Atmaram Pandurang 18) National Anthem and National Song were adopted by the Constituent Assembly on January 21, 1950 January 22, 1950 January 23, 1950 January 24, 1950 19) How many members come from the states and union territories in the Rajya Sabha? 234 238 242 246 20) Kathakali is a dance form that belongs to the state of Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu Kerala Karnataka 21) Which of the following is the oldest mountain range in India? Satpura Nilgiri Vindhyas Aravallis 22) Which of the following was the capital of the Mauryan empire? Rajgriha Patliputra Vaishali None of these Page 273

PG GK COLLECTION 23) Emergency was proclaimed in India for the first time, after independence, in the year 1962 1965 1971 1975 24) Whom would you would associate with the Ahmadiya movement ? Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Abul Kalam Azad None of these 25) This day is celebrated as the Commonwealth Day. Identify it from the given options. January 24 March 24 May 24 August 24 26) The Count Of Monte Cristo is a famous novel by. Ernest Hemingway Alexander Dumas Charles Dickens William Thackeray 27) Which of the following is the second most populous state in India after Uttar Pradesh? Bihar West Bengal Maharashtra Tamil Nadu 28) Nikhil Bannerjee and Vilayat Khan are the famous names associated with Tabla Sarangi Sitar Veena 29) Which of the following states leads in deposits of Graphite in India? Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh Orissa Maharashtra 30) Which of the following states does not touch the boundaries of Chhattisgarh? Bihar Orissa Andhra Pradesh Jharkhand _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 274

PG GK COLLECTION __________________________________________________________________ 2011 Swiss Indoors: Being organized at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, from October 31 through November 6, 2011. The 2011 Durand Cup is the 124th edition of the Durand Cup, the third oldest association football competition in the world. Churchill Brothers won the 2011 Durand Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium with a 5-4 tie-break win over Prayag United. The 2010 Durand Cup Champions were Prayag United.

1. Sebastian Vettel became Formula Ones youngest world champion. From which country is he? (1) Germany (2) USA (3) France (4) Denmark 2. Which country launched worlds first synthetic jet fuel? (1) South Africa (2) USA (3) UK (4) France 3. Under the Annapurna Scheme, how much food grain is provided to an eligible person energy month? (1) 5kg (2) 10kg (3) 15kg (4) 20kg 4. Which of the following is the body/agency set up by Govt. of India to increase the flow of foreign investment in the country? (1) FEMA (2) FCCB (3) NSDL (4) FIPB 5. Which Civil Aviation company announced a new code share and frequent flyer agreement with American Airlines, which would come into effect from 2011? (1) Spice Jet (2) Jet Airways (3) Kingfisher (4) Air India Page 275

PG GK COLLECTION 6. According to the World Banks latest Migration and Remittances Fact-book 2011, remittance flow to developing countries is expected to reach (1) $ 280 billion (2) $ 340 billion (3) $ 370 billion (4) $ 420 billion 7. The Environment Ministry Committee has confirmed that the Forest Rights Act was violated during acquisition of land for Poscos project in Orissa. The steel maker company is from (1) Japan (2) China (3) North Korea (4) South Korea 8. The book Of Thee I Sing is written by (1) George W Bush (2) Prince William (3) Barack Obama (4) Nicolas Sarkozy 9. The international agency which provides soft loans to* developing countries of*Asia is (1) International Monetary Fund (2) Asian Development Bank (3) International Development Association (4) World Bank 10. Which of*the following pairs are correctly matched (A) Dow Jones :*New York (B) Hang*Seng :*Seoul* (C) FTSE*100 : London (1) A,*B and*C* (2) B*and*C* (3) A*and*B (4) A and C Ans: 1124334324 _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ Notes:1.Gopal Subrahmaniam is Solicitor General of India 2.Dr. Baruch Blumberg, a Nobel laureate for his work Page 276

PG GK COLLECTION discovering the hepatitis B virus and developing a vaccine against it, died in April. 3.Dr. Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Health Affairs at HHS since March 2010, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the representative of the U.S. on the executive board of the World Health Organization. 4.Sachin was bestowed with the Polly Umrigar Trophy for Indias Best Cricketer of 2009-10 and received a trophy and cheque for Rs five lakh, while Durani was felicitated with the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for which he received a trophy, a cheque for Rs 15 lakh and a citation. 5.Seasoned diplomat Ranjan Mathai, India's ambassador to France, will be the next Foreign Secretary, succeeding Nirupama Rao. A 1974-batch IFS officer, 59-year-old Mathai will assume charge on August one and will have a two-year term, official spokesperson Vishnu Prakash announced today. 6.Coins of the denomination of 25 paise and below will cease to be legal tender from June 30, 2011. These will not be accepted for exchange at bank branches from July 1, 2011 onwards, the Reserve Bank of India said recently _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________

1.SAMPOORNA GRAMEEN ROZGAR YOJANA (SGRY) The objectives of the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana is to provide additional employment in the rural areas as also food security, alongside the creation of durable community, social and economic infrastructure in the rural areas. The programme is self-targeting in nature with special emphasis to provide Wage Employment to women, SCs, STs and parents of children withdrawn from hazardous occupations. 2.SWARNJAYANIT GRAM SWAROZGAR YOJANA (SGSY) The objective of SGSY is to bring the assisted poor families above the poverty line by providing them income generating assets through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy. 3.PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY) This is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme. This Scheme seeks to provide Page 277

PG GK COLLECTION connectivity to all unconnected habitations in the rural areas with a population of more than 500 persons through good All-weather roads by the end of the Tenth Plan. In Hill States and Desert Areas, the objective would be to connect habitations with a population of 250 persons and above. 4.INDIRA AWAAS YOJANA (IAY) This scheme provides assistance primarily to the BPL rural households belonging primarily to SCs/STs and freed bonded labour categories. Benefits of the scheme have also been extended to families of servicemen of the armed and paramilitary forces killed in action. 3% of the houses are also reserved for BPL physically and mentally challenged persons living in rural areas. 5.PRADHAN MANTRI GRAMODAYA YOJANA (PMGY) This scheme envisages allocation of Additional Central Assistance to the States/UTs for providing /improving the outlay of Basic Minimum Services including "Rural Shelter" in the rural areas. The funds under this Scheme are released by the Ministry of Finance/Ministry of Home Affairs on the basis of recommendations made by the Ministry of Rural Development, being the nodal Ministry for implementation and monitoring of it. 6.SAMAGRA AWAAS YOJANA This is a comprehensive Housing Scheme with a view to ensuring integrated provision of shelter, sanitation and drinking water. This is being implemented in one block each off 25 districts of 24 States and one UT. 7.ANNAPURNA The Annapurna Scheme aims at providing food security to meet the requirement of those senior citizens who though eligible have remained uncovered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme. 8.SWAJALDHARA This programme aims at providing Community-based Rural Drinking Water Supply. The key elements of this programmes are namely, (i) demand-driven and community participation approach, (ii) panchayats / communities to plan, implement, operate, maintain and manage all drinking water schemes, (iii) partial capital cost sharing by the communities upfront in cash, (iv) full ownership of drinking water assets with Gram Panchayats and (v) full Operation and Maintenance by the users/ Panchayats .

1.SAMPOORNA GRAMEEN ROZGAR YOJANA (SGRY) Page 278

PG GK COLLECTION The objectives of the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana is to provide additional employment in the rural areas as also food security, alongside the creation of durable community, social and economic infrastructure in the rural areas. The programme is self-targeting in nature with special emphasis to provide Wage Employment to women, SCs, STs and parents of children withdrawn from hazardous occupations. 2.SWARNJAYANIT GRAM SWAROZGAR YOJANA (SGSY) The objective of SGSY is to bring the assisted poor families above the poverty line by providing them income generating assets through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy. 3.PRADHAN MANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA (PMGSY) This is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme. This Scheme seeks to provide connectivity to all unconnected habitations in the rural areas with a population of more than 500 persons through good All-weather roads by the end of the Tenth Plan. In Hill States and Desert Areas, the objective would be to connect habitations with a population of 250 persons and above. 4.INDIRA AWAAS YOJANA (IAY) This scheme provides assistance primarily to the BPL rural households belonging primarily to SCs/STs and freed bonded labour categories. Benefits of the scheme have also been extended to families of servicemen of the armed and paramilitary forces killed in action. 3% of the houses are also reserved for BPL physically and mentally challenged persons living in rural areas. 5.PRADHAN MANTRI GRAMODAYA YOJANA (PMGY) This scheme envisages allocation of Additional Central Assistance to the States/UTs for providing /improving the outlay of Basic Minimum Services including "Rural Shelter" in the rural areas. The funds under this Scheme are released by the Ministry of Finance/Ministry of Home Affairs on the basis of recommendations made by the Ministry of Rural Development, being the nodal Ministry for implementation and monitoring of it. 6.SAMAGRA AWAAS YOJANA This is a comprehensive Housing Scheme with a view to ensuring integrated provision of shelter, sanitation and drinking water. This is being implemented in one block each off 25 districts of 24 States and one UT. 7.ANNAPURNA Page 279

PG GK COLLECTION The Annapurna Scheme aims at providing food security to meet the requirement of those senior citizens who though eligible have remained uncovered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme. 8.SWAJALDHARA This programme aims at providing Community-based Rural Drinking Water Supply. The key elements of this programmes are namely, (i) demand-driven and community participation approach, (ii) panchayats / communities to plan, implement, operate, maintain and manage all drinking water schemes, (iii) partial capital cost sharing by the communities upfront in cash, (iv) full ownership of drinking water assets with Gram Panchayats and (v) full Operation and Maintenance by the users/ Panchayats . _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT DATES IN INDIAN HISTORY BC 3000-1500 Indus Valley Civilisation 576 Birth of Gautam Buddha 527 Birth of Mahavir 327-326 Alexanders invasion of India. It opened a land route between India and Europe 313 Accession of Chandragupta Maurya according to Jain traditions 305 Defeat of Seleucus at the hands of Chandragupta Maurya 273-232 Ashokas reign 261 Conquest of Kalinga 145-101 Region of Elara, the Chola King of Sri Lanka 58 Beginning of Vikrami era AD 78 Beginning of Saka era 120 Accession of Kanishka 320 Commencement of Gupta era. the golden age of Hindu India 380 Accession of Vikramaditya 405-411 Visit of Chinese traveller Fa-hien 415 Accession of Kumara Gupta I 455 Accession of Skando Gupta 606-647 Harshavardhans reign 712 First invasion in Sind by Arabs 836 Accession of King Bhoja of Kannauj 985 Accession of Rajaraja,the Chola ruler 998 Accession of Sultan Mahmud 1001 First invasion of India by Mahmud Chazni who defeated jaipal, ruler of Punjab Page 280

PG GK COLLECTION 1025 Destruction of Somnath Temple by Mahmud Ghzni 1191 First Battle of Tarain 1192 Second Battle of Tarain 1206 Accession of Qutab-ud-din Aibak to the throne of Delhi 1210 Death of Qutub-ud-din Aibak 1221 Changes Khan invaded India (Mongol invasion) 1236 Accession of Razia Sultan to the throne of Delhi 1240 Razia Sultan dies 1296 Accession of Alaud-din Khilji 1316 Ala-ud-din Khilji dies 1325 Accession of Muhammad-bin Tughlaq 1327 Shifting of Capital from Delhi to Daulatabad to Deccan by the Tughlaqs 1336 Foundation of Vijayanagar empire in the South 1351 Accession of Feroze Shah 1398 Invasion of India by Timur Lang 1469 Birth of Gurunanak 1494 Accession of Babar in Farghana 1497-98 First voyage of Vasco da Gama to India( discovery of sea route to India via the Cape of Good Hope 1526 First Battle of Panipat, Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodhi; Foundation of Mughal rule by Babar 1527 Battle of KhanyaBabar defeated Rana Sanga 1530 Death of Babar and accession of Humayun 1539 Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayan and became Indias emperor 1540 Battle of Kannauj 1555 Humayan recaptured the throne of Delhi 1556 Second Battle of Panipat 1565 Battle of Talikota 1576 Battle of Haldighati; Rana Pratap defeated by Akbar 1582 Din-e-Illahi founded by Akbar 1597 Death of Rana Pratap 1600 East India Company established 1605 Death of Akbar and accession of Jehangir 1606 Execution of Guru Arjun Dev 1611 Jehangir marries Nur jahan. 1616 Sir Thomas Roe visits Jehangir 1627 Birth of Shivaji and death of Jehangir 1628 Shahjahan becomes emperor of India 1631 Death of Mumtaj Mahal 1634 The British permitted to trade in india in Bengal 1659 Accession of Aurangzeb, Shahjahan imprisoned 1665 Shivaji imprisoned by Aurangzeb 1666 Death of Shahjahan 1675 Execution of Teg Bahadur,the ninth Guru of Sikhs 1680 Death of Shivaji 1707 Death of Aurangzeb 1708 Death of Guru Gobind Singh Page 281

PG GK COLLECTION 1739 Nadir Shah invades India 1757 Battle of Plassey, establishment of Britishn political rule in India at the hands of Lord Clive. 1761 Third Battle of Panipat;Shah Alam II becomes Indias emperor 1764 Battle of Buxar 1765 Clive appointed Companys Governor in India 1767-69 First Mysore war 1770 The great Bangal Famine 1780 Birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh 1780-84 Second Mysore War 1784 Pitts Omdoa Act 1790-92 Third Mysore War 1793 The Permanent Settlement of Bengal 1799 Fourth Mysore War- Death of Tipu Sultan 1802 Treaty of Bassein 1809 Treaty of Amritsar 1829 Practice of Sati Prohibited 1830 Raja-Ram Mohun Roy, founder of Brahmo Samaj,visits England. 1833 Death of Raja Ram Mohun Roy. 1839 Death of Maharaj Ranjit Singh 1839-42 First Afghan War 1845-46 First Anglo-Sikh War 1852 Second Anglo-Burmese War 1853 First Railway line opened between Bombay and Thane and a Telegraph line in Calcutta 1857 The sepoy Mutiny or First War of Independence 1861 Birth of Rabindranath Tagore 1869 Birth of Mahatma Gandhi 1885 Foundation of Indian National Congress 1889 Birth of Jawaharlal Nehru 1897 Birth of Subhash Chandra Bose 1904 Tibet Expedition 1905 First partition of Bengal under Lord Curzon 1906 Foundation of Muslim League 1911 Delhi Darbar;King and Queen visit India;Delhi becomes the capital of India 1916 World War 1 begins 1916 Lucknow Pact signed by Muslim League and Congress 1918 World War 1 ends 1919 Montague-Chelmsfor Reforms introduced,Jallianwala Bagh massacreat Amritsar 1920 Khilafar Movement launched 1927 Boycott of Simon Commission,broadcasting started in India 1928 Death of lal Lajpat Rai ( Sher-e-Punjab) 1929 Lord Orwaoms Pact, resolution of complete independence passed at Lahore Congress 1930 Civil Disobedience Movement launched;Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi(April 6, 1970 ) Page 282

PG GK COLLECTION 1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact 1935 Government of India Act enacted 1937 Provincial Autonomy,Congress forms ministers 1939 World War II begins (September i ) 1941 Death of Rabindranath Tagore, escape of Subhash Chandra Bose from India 1942 Arrival of Cripps Mission in India, Quit India movement launched (Aug. 1943-44 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose forms provincial Azad Hindu Hukumat and Indian National Army, Bengal famine 1945 Trial of Indian National Army at Red Fort;Shimla Conference World War II ends 1946 British Cabinet Mission visits India; Interim Government formed at the Centre, 1947 Division of India; India and Pakistan form separate independent dominions 1948 Mahatma Gandhi assassinated (Jan.30); integration of princely states. 1949 Cease-fire in Kashmir,indian Constitution signed and adopted(Nov.26) 1950 India becomes a Sovereign Democratic Republic (Jan.26)and Constitution of India comes into force 1951 First Five-year Plan.First Asian Games held in Delhi 1952 First General Elections of the Lok Sabha 1953 Conquest of Mt.Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary 1956 Second Five-Year Plan launched 1957 Second General Elkections;decimal coinage introduced, Liberation of Goa. 1962 Third General Elections in India; Chinese attack on India (Dec 20 ) 1963 Nagaland becomes the 16th indian State 1964 Death of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru 1965 Pakistan attacks India 1966 Tashkent Pact;Death of Lal Bahadur Shastri; Mrs. Indira Gandhi elected Prime Minister of India. 1967 Fourth General Elections;Dr Zakir Hussain elected the third president of India 1969 V.V.Giri elected President of India, Nationalisation of the leading banks by Presidential ordinance. 1970 Meghalaya designated as autonomous state. 1971 Himachal Pradesh becomes a State;Indo-Pak War, Bangladesh is born 1972 Shimla agreement;Death of C.Rajagopalachari 1973 Mysore State renamed Karnataka 1974 India explodes a nuclear device; Fakhuruddin Ali Ahmed elected as fifth President Sikkim becomes on associate State of India 1975 India launches Aryabhata; Sikkim becomes 22nd State of the Indian Union; State of Emergency is declared 1976 India and China establish diplomatic relations 1977 Sixth General Elections; Janata Party gets majority in Lok Sabha; Neelam Sanjiva Reddy elected sixth President of India 1979 Morarji Desai resigns as Prime Minister,Charan Singh becomes Prime Minister;Charan Singh resigns ( Aug 20 ) Sixth Lok Sabha dissolved Page 283

PG GK COLLECTION 1980 Seventh General Elections;Congress I comes to power;Mrs Indira Gandhi sworn in as Prime Minister; Sanjay Gandhi dies in an air crash, India Launches SLV-3 into space carrying Rohini Satellite 1982 Longest bridge in Asia opened ( March 2 ); Acharya J.B. Kripalani dies ( March 19) INSAT.1A launched; Giani Zail Singh elected President of India (July 15) Over 500 persons killed in Gujarat Cyclone ( Nov.5); Acharua Vinobha dies (Nov 15) IX Asian Games inaugurated (Nov 19) 1983 CHOGM held in New Delhi 1984 Operation Blue Star in Punjab; Rakesh Sharma goes into space; Mrs. Indira Gandhi assassinated; Rajiv Gandhi becomes PM 1985 Rajiv-Longowal accord signed; Sant H.S. Longowal killed elections in Punjab; Assam accord; VII Five-Year Plan launched 1986 Mizoram accord. 1987 R.Venkataraman elected President; Shankar Dayal Sharma elected Vice-President of India, Bofors gun and Fairfax controversies 1989 Ram Shilanyas Puja at Ayodhyat; Indias first IRBM Agni successfully launched from Orissa (May 22); Trishul Missile test fised (June 5); Second successful launch of Prithvi (Sept 27); Rajiv Government loses poll and resigns (Nov.29); Jawahar Rozgar Yojna launched (Nov.29);National front leader V.P. Singh sworn in as seventh PM, New cabinet sworn in (Dec.2), Ninth Lok Sabha constituted 1990 Last of IPKF return home (March 25); Indian Airlines A-320 Airbus Crash (Feb. 14); Janata Dal splits; BJP withdraws support to the Government;Advani takes out Rath Yatra and is arrested, Mandal Report implemented announced by V.P. Singh Violence in Ayodhya due to Ram Janam Bhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute 1991 Gulf War breaks out (Jan. 17); Rajiv Gandhi assassinated (May 21); X Lok Sabha constituted (June 20); P. V. Narasimha Rao becomes Prime Minister 1992 India establishes full diplomatic ties with Israel (Jan. 29); Bharat Ratna and Oscar winner Satyajit Ray dies (April 23); S.D.Sharma elected President (July 25); INS Shakti-first indigeneously built submarine was launched on Feb. 7 1993 Ordinance to acquire 67.33 acres in Ayodhya (Jan 7); Massive security falls in BJP rally; Wave of bombing leaves 300 dead in Bombay; Insat-2B becomes fully operational; Earthquake in Maharashtra 1994 Government monopoly over civil aviation ends; Storm over GATT treaty;Plague outbreak; Sushmita Sen-Miss Universe; Aishwarya Rai-Miss World 1995 Mayawati First Dalit Chief Minister of UP; BJP comes to power in Maharashtra and Gujarat, Janata Dal in Karnataka and Congress in Orissa; Indian National Congress (T) formed; Presidents Rule in UP after fall of Mayawati; INSAT 2C and IRSI-C launched 1996 Hawala takes toll of several Union Ministers ans opposition leaders; PSLV D3 launched on March 21 with IRSP-3 ushering new era in India space programme; Eleventh Lok Sabha Elections held on April 127-BJP emerges as the single largest party 1997 On August 15, India celebrated its 50th year of Independence 1998 Death of Mother Teressa; Atal Behari Vajpayee becomes Indian Prime Minister; India explodes its second nuclear device (Pokhran II) 1999 India Airlines plane IC-814 hijacked by terrorists and taken to Kandahar, Page 284

PG GK COLLECTION Afghanistan, on Dec 24, 1999. Three militants released by Indian govt.for the freedom of hostages kept as passengers. In June 1999, Flt. Lt. K. Nachiketa, the captured Indian pilot, released by Pakistan after eight days of captivity. Operation Vijay launched by Indian Army to flush out Pakistani infiltrators inside LoC in the Kargil sector of J&K, India wins battle. 2000 US President Bill Clinton visits India during March 2000. Three new states Chhatisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand created.Indias population crossed one billion mark. 2001 Agra Summit between India and Pakistan in July 2001; Worst natural calamity of India: Gujarat Earthquake in Jan 2001; Tehelka.Com screened video tapes which opened the murky world of arms deal and its kickbacks to Indian Army officials, ministers and politicians in March 2001; VI th census of India (since Independence) concluded in March 2001. Enron bids farewall to Indian energy sector in August 2001; GSLV launched successfully in April 2001 and PSLC-C3 launch conducted in October 2001. 2002 71-year old missile scientist, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, is elected President of India; One of the most harrific communal roits in recent history, the Godhra Incident, happens on Feb 27, 2002 in Gujarat;National Water Policy announced in April, which aims at integrating water resources develpment and management for optimal and sustainable utilisation. 2003 Formation of Strategic Forces Command (SFO) and the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) by India; Air Marshal Teja Mohan Asthana named first commander in chief of the SFC; Advanced multi purpose satellite, INSAT-3A is successfully launched into space from Kourou of French Guyana; CBI forms an Economic Intelligence Wing to tackle white-collar crime in June; Indias adnaced communication satellite INSAT-3E is launched by an European rocket from the spaceport of Kourou of French Guyana in December 2004 NDA government ousted by the Congress and its allies in the General Election; Congress President Ms Sonia Gandhi opts against becoming Prime Minister of India despite being in a strong position; Congress and its allies forms government at the centre under the Prime Ministership of Dr. Manmohan Singh. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ Banking in INDIA * reserve bank of india was established on 1st april 1935 and it was nationalised on 1st january 1949. * the emperial bank was estd in the year 1921 by merging three main presidency banks. * the largest bank-imperial bank was nationalised in 1955 and rechristened as state bank of india. * in 1959, 7 regional banks were nationalised and given the status of Associate banks on state bank of india. Page 285

PG GK COLLECTION * on 19th july 1969, 14 big commercial banks and on 15th april 1980, six other scheduled banks were nationalised , bringing total number of nationalised bank to 27. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ Important Dynasties of India

Maurya Dynasty (300 B.C.184 B.C.) Chandragupta Maurya (324300 B.C.)He founded the Maurya Empire in India with the help of Kautilya. He was a military genius and an eminent statesman. Ashoka the great (273236 B.C.)Coronation in 269 B.C. He was the son of Bindusara. He conquered; Kalinga in 261 B.C. This was killed the soldier in him and he embraced Buddhism. Kushan Dynasty (40176 A.D.) Kanishka (78101 or 102 A.D.)He is known as a great empire builder. Like Ashoka he patronized Buddhism. He patronized the Gandhara School of Art. The famous Indian physician Charak and Bhuddhist lawyer Nagarjuna lived during his reign. Ashwaghosh a Buddhist monk also lived in his time. Gupta Dynasty (320550 A.D.) The great rulers in this dynasty are : Chandra Gupta I. (2) Samudra Gupta, (330 375 A.D.). Also known as Napoleon of India, (3) Chandra Gupta II. (375413 A.D.) (Vikramaditya), and (4) Skanda Gupta (455477 A.D.). The Gupta period is described as the golden period in the history of ancient India. Among the great personalities of the period mention may be made of Kalidas. The famous dramatist, Arya Bhatta, the famous astronomer and mathematician. Varahamihir and Brahmagupta also belonged to this age. Vardhana or Pushyabhuti Dynasty (560647 A.D.) The greatest king of this dynasty was Harsha Varadhan (606647 A.D.). He was a great patron of art and literature. He himself was a man of letters having written two great books Naga Nandin and Ratnavali. He was the last great Hindu ruler of India. Huen Tsang a Chinnese pilgrim, visited India during his reign. Ghazni Dynasty (9621116 A.D.) Mahmud Ghazni (9971030)He was a great conqueror. He invaded India 17 times. His invasions weakened the Indian rulers and paved the way for Muslim rule in India. The famous Persian poet Firdausi, the writer of Shahnama lived in his court. Ghori (11861206 A.D.) Mohammed Ghori (11861206)He was defeated by Prithviraj, the ruler of Ajmer and Delhi at the first Battle of Tarain. He however, defeated Prithviraj at Page 286

PG GK COLLECTION the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192. This marked the beginning of permanent Muslim rule in India. Slave Dynasty (12061290 A.D.) Qutubuddin Aibak (12061210 A.D.)He was the founder of the Slave Dynasty. He commenced the building of the Qutub Minar which was later completed by Altamash (12111236) who was succeeded by Razia Begum, (12361239 A.D.) his daughter. Khilji Dynasty (12901320 A.D.) Ala-ud-din Khilji (12961316 A.D.)He was the most distinguished ruler of this dynasty. He was a great conqueror and his empire extended to the far south. He was famous for control of markets. Tughlaq Dynasty (13201414 A.D.) Mohammed Tughlaq (13251351 A.D.)He was the most distinguished ruler of this dynasty. He was known for his learning and also for mixture of sagacity and madness. His transfer of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad has been described by historians as an act of madness. Lodhi Dynasty (14511526 A.D.) Ibrahim Lodhi (15171526 A.D.)He made some mark in extending his dominions. He was a cruel ruler. He was defeated by Babur in 1526 at the First Battle of Panipat, and the foundations of Mughal rule in India were laid. Mughal Rulers (15261857) Babur (15261530 A.D.) founded the Mughal rule in India in 1526 by defeating Ibrahim LodhiHe however, did not live long was and succeeded by his son Humayun (15301540 and 1555 1556 A.D.) in 1530. Akbar (15561605 A.D.) was the most capable and distinguished ruler of the Mughal dynasty. His son Jahangir (16051627 A.D.) followed in his foot steps to some extent. Jahangir was succeeded by Shahjahan (16271659 A.D.) whose reign is described as the golden period in Mughal history. His son Aurangzeb (16591707 A.D.) was the last great Mughal emperor. But with him began the downfall of the Mughal empire on account of his policy of intolerance which alienated the Hindus especially the Rajputs. Causes of the Downfall of the Mughal Empire (1) The Empire had become too unwieldy to be managed. (2) Aurangzebs policy of religious intolerance antagonized the Hindus. (3) The successors of Aurangzeb were not competent rulers. (4) The rivalry, intrigues and corruption led to administrative chaos. (5) Attacks of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali reduced it to a small size. Page 287

PG GK COLLECTION (6) It had not struck deep roots in the Indian soil. Suri Dynasty (15401555 A.D.) Sher Shah Suri (15401545 A.D.)Rule provides an interragnum between two phases of Mughal rule in India. Sher Shah defeated Humayun and forced him into exile. He carried out notable reforms in administration. The Marahattas (16491818 A.D.)The Marahatta power rose in the latter half of the 17th century. The Marahattas organised their power under the leadership of Shivaji (1627-80). He was an able ruler and commander. During the Peshwa period, the Marahatta power spread through the major part of India. But at a time when the Marahatta power was at its zenith and promised to establish its sway over the whole of India, the forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali badly defeated the Peshwa forces in 1761 at the Battle of Panipat. Though the Marahattas were defeated at the hands of Ahmad Shah Abdali, neither of the two parties could maintain its sovereignty over India. On the contrary this battle made the field clear for the establishment of British East India Companys rule in India. The Peshwas (1708181After the death of Shivaji, Peshwas continued their struggle. They did succeed to a great extent in their struggle. A major portion of Indian peninsula came under their control at the outset of British hold. But due to internal conflict and subsequent weakening of power they succumbed to British power which had been gaining momentum. Important Dynasties in the South

Chalukyas Pulkeshin I was the founder of this dynasty. He made Kanchi or Modern Badami his capital. His grandson Pulkeshin II (609642) was the most distinguished ruler of this dynasty. He measured swords with king Harsha and defeated him on the bank of the Narmada. CholasParantoka I was the founder of this dynasty in 947. Chola rule reached its high water mark of glory under Raja Rajadeva, the Great and his son Rajendra Choladeva I. The Cholas established their supremacy even outside India. Bahmani Muslim Kingdom (13461526 A.D.)The Muslim Kingdom was established in the Deccan during the reign of Mohammed Tughlaq and founded in 1347 by a brave soldier, named Zafar Khan. The most illustrious person of this kingdom was Mahmud Gawan, a persian who was a minister for a long time. He was killed and after that the kingdom was split into five independent states : (1) Bedar, (2) Berar, (3) Ahmednagar, (4) Bijapur, (5) Golkunda. Vijayanagar Empire (13361565 A.D.)Harihar and Bukka were the founders of this dynasty in 1336. The greatest rulers of this dynasty were Deva Raya II and Page 288

PG GK COLLECTION Krishna Deva Raya. The glory of Vijayanagar empire was smashed at the Battle of Talikota in 1565 when the Deccan Sultanates fought and defeated Ramraja and killed him. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________SOME IMPORTANT DAYS: January 12 : National Youth Day. January 15 :Army Day. January 26 :India's Republic Day and International Customs day. January 30 :Martyrs' Day February 24 :Central Excise Day. February 28 :National Science Day. March 8 :International Women's Day. March 15 :World Disabled Day. March 21 :World Forestry Day. March 21 :International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. March 23 :World Meteorological Day. April 5 :National Maritime Day. April 7 :World Health Day. April 18 :World Heritage Day. April 22 :Earth Day. May 1 :Workers Day (International Labor Day). May 3 :Press Freedom Day. May (2nd Sunday) : Mother's Day. May 8 :World Red Cross Day. May 11 :National Technology Day. May 15 :International Day of the Family. May 17 :World Telecommunication Day. May 24 :Commonwealth Day. May 31 :Anti-Tobacco Day. June 4 :International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. June 5 : World Environment Day. June(2nd Sunday) : Fathers Day. June 26 :International day against Drug abuse & Illicit Trafficking. June 27 :World Diabetes Day. July 6 :World Zoonoses Day. July 11 :World Population Day. August 3 :International Friendship Day. August 6 :Hiroshima Day, August 9 :Quit India Day and Nagasaki Day. August 15 :Independence Day. August 29 :National Sports Day. September 5 :Teachers' Day. September 8 :World Literacy Day. Page 289

PG GK COLLECTION September 16 :World Ozone Day. September 21 :Alzheimer's Day. September 26 : Day of the Deaf. September 27 : World Tourism Day. October 1 : International day of the Elderly. October 3 :World Habitat Day. October 4 :World Animal Welfare Day. October 8 :Indian Air Force Day. October 9 :World Post Office day. October 10 :National Post Day. October 13 :UN International Day for National disaster reduction. October 14 :World Standards Day. October 15 :World White Cane Day( guiding the Blind). October 16 :World Food Day. October 24 :UN Day, World development information Day. October 30 :World Thrift Day. November 14 : Children's Day ( in India ) November 20 :Africa Industrialization Day. November 29 :International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People. December 1 :World Aids Day. December 4 :Navy Day. December 7 :Armed Forces Flag Day. December 10 :Human Right Day. December 23 :Kisan Divas (Farmer's Day). _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ International Awards and Prizes-better and comprehensive list

Nobel Prizes-The Nobel prizes lore awarded each year under the will of Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist, engineer and inventor of dynamite, who died in 1896. The award is given to those who have made most outstanding contribution in the field of physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine, who have produced most distinguished literary work of an idealist tendency and those who have contributed most towards world peace. The Nobel Prize for economics was first awarded in 1969 and was established by Riksband, the Central Bank of Sweden. Other awards started in 1901.The fund is managed by a board of directors, the head of which is appointed by the Swedish Government.

Magsaysay Awards-This award was instituted in memory of the Philippines President Ramon Magsaysay who died in an air crash in 1957. The award carries a gold medal, $ 50,000 and a certificate a and is awarded for the following five services : (i) Government service; (ii ) Public service; (iii) Community Leadership; (iv) Journalism, Literature and Communicative Arts; (v) International Page 290

PG GK COLLECTION Understanding. The awards have been given from 1958 onwards. Kalinga Prize- This award is presented each year by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to a person with a distinguished career of service in the interpretation of science and research to the public.The prize was instituted by Biju Patnaik, industrialist and politician who is the founder and Chairman of the Kalinga Foundation Trust in the State of Orissa. UNESCO awarded the prize for the first time in 1952. The prize comprises an award of 1,000 UK pounds. Templeton Foundation Prize- This is awarded by the Templeton foundation for progress in religion and was instituted in 1972. The main intention of the prize is to call attention and provide recognition to ideas, insights, actions and accomplishments which have been or may be instrumental in widening mans love in God. Pulitzer Prizes-This has been established by Joseph Pulitzer an American publisher, in 1917 to encourage literature and journalism in USA. The awards are given in the fields of General Reporting, National Reporting, Feature Writing, Poetry, Biography, Fiction, Drama, History, Special Local Reporting, International Reporting and for public service. E.M. Forster Award-This award is given to an Indian author for contribution to English literature and was instituted by a Publishing Company. Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding-This award was instituted by the Government of India. It is an annual award given for outstanding contribution to the promotion of international understanding, good will and friendship among the peoples of the world. The award carries an amount of Rs. 15 lakh and a citation. Indira Gandhi Peace Award -The government prize of Rs. 33 lakh or its equivalent in foreign exchange in memory of Mrs. Indira Gandhi for outstanding contributions in the field of peace, disarmament and development. The administration of the prize has been entrusted to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. Simon Bolivar Prize- The $25,000 Prize is awarded by UNESCO every two years to reward activity of outstanding merit which, in accordance with the ideals of Simon Bolivar has contributed to freedom, independence and dignity of people and to the strengthening of new international economic, social and cultural order. The Booker Prize- Established in 1968, the 50,000 pound Booker Prize, is awarded to the best novel published for the first time each year in UK by a British Publisher. The prize is open to novels written in English by citizen of the British Commonwealth,Republic of Ireland and South Africa. Page 291

PG GK COLLECTION Gandhi Peace Prize- Institute on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 1995, the annual award is the highest given by the Government of India in any field. The international peace prize, a Rs. 1 Crore worth award, was launched for recognizing socials economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian Methods. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 1.Sonali Bendre : Brand Ambassador for Vi-John almond drops hair oil.Vi-John also has Shahrukh Khan as the brand ambassador for its shaving cream while Bipasha Basu endorses their hair removal cream. 2.Mahindra 2 Wheelers, a part of the Mahindra Group, has entered into the motorcycle market and has roped in Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador for this segment. 3.Samsung-Amir Khan.Priyankka Chopra 4.Rotomec Pens-Salman Khan 5.Champions league 20-20(2011)-Sharukh Khan 6,Priyanka Chopra to be new brand ambassador of UNICEF 7.Karbonn: Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir 8.Sachin Tendulkar is the new face of Toshiba 9.Irrfan Khan to be the brand ambassador of Indica hair dye 10.Kangna Ranaut signed up as brand ambassador of Kustody Deo,Emami Skin Care 11.Nissan-Ranbir Kapoor 12.Castrol-John Abrahim

Brand ambassadors Samsung (for London 2012 olympics) - David Beckham Body shop - Diya Mirza FC Barcelona , the Spanish football club : Ranbir Kapoor Everready (batteries) - Akshay Kumar Reliance communication - Anushka Sharma Kaspersky Lab(IT provider) - Sachin Tendulkar VIP (skybags) - John Abraham Head and shoulders - Soha Ali Khan (joins Saif and Kareena) Micromax mobiles - Kalki Koechlin Tanishq - Bacchan Sr. couple Oakleys holbrook Sunglasses - Velentino Rossi World earth hour 2011 - Vidya Balan Nakshatra - Katrina J.K cement - Sehwag Okaya power ( power back up company) - Om puri TVS sports motorcycle - Virat kohli Mountain Dew - Salman Khan Page 292

PG GK COLLECTION Tata DoCoMo - Ranbir kapoor New face of provogue - Sonakshi sinha 7up - Sharman Joshi Lancome- Emma Watson Nikon - Priyanka Chopra Kent RO - Boman Irani Toyota Etios - they signed A.R. Rahman for the song Yardley London brand of premium : Katrina Kaif Sunderbans (west Bengal ) - Shantanu Moitra Sony cyber shot - Deepika Padukone Sony Bravia - Dhoni

Few random trivia: -> Actor Shiney Ahuja has slapped a case on Micromax Mobiles, because an ad of theirs shows a maid stealing a mobile with Shiney written on it. -> Tata DoCoMo is the first Indian brand to advertise on Twitter. -> Huawei Technologies has roped in Chetan Bhagat as Brand Ambassador.

J.K. Cement signs on Ace cricketer Virender Sehwag as its new Brand Ambassador Okaya Power appoints Om Puri as its Brand Ambassador Eveready ropes in Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador;earlier Amitabh Virat Kohli is brand ambassador for TVS Sport motorcycles Kapil Dev new brand ambassador of UEI Global PepsiCo banks on Salman to strengthen Mountain Dew Kent RO Systems signs Boman Irani as the brand ambassador _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ SRK will promote XXX Energy Drinks Investors Clinic signs Yuvraj Singh as Brand Ambassador Toyota ropes in AR Rahman as brand ambassador for Etios Page 293

PG GK COLLECTION Katrina Kaif is the Brand Ambassador for Yardley

Kansai to invest Rs 600 cr, SRK to endorse the brand Shahrukh Khan for Santro Zip, Sachin for Boost Sachin Tendulkar is the new face of Toshiba

Big B roped in as brand ambassador for 'Save Our Tigers' ITC's Classmate signs Yuvraj & Soha as brand ambassadors Neo Sports signs Harbhajan Singh as its brand ambassador RCom ropes in Anushka & Rannvijay as brand ambassador Bank of Rajasthan- Hema Malini Veet Hair removal Cream-Katrina

ICC 2011 Cricket wold cup- Sachin tendulkar

Whirlpool - Kajol and Ajay Devagan :P Pantene - too many to list <they might just bring a new one while we enlist them> :mg: Asmi - priyanka chopra _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________Popular logos & how they're known: Reebok - Vector Nike - Swoosh Adidas - Stripes McDonalds - Golden Arches Starbucks - Siren _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Taj Mahal Tea- Chitragandha Singh & Saif Ali Khan Page 294

PG GK COLLECTION Pepsi- Ranbir Kapoor,Rishi Kapoor Samsung Hero - Aamir Khan Idea- Abhishek Bachchan Shalimaar-Hema Malini Godrej Ezee-Divya Dutta Himani Sona Chandi- SRK Garnier Light Anti Dark-P. Chopra

PANTENE-Bipasha Basu(announced on 30th aug,2011..JW Marriott,Mumbai:mg:) Pantene features 3 actresses - Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty and Katrina <could be more in the coming times ;) > _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ some books and authors The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes On Canaans Side -Sebastian Barry Jamrachs Menagerie -Carol Birch The Sisters Brothers-Pattrick deWitt Half Blood Blues - Esi Edugyan A Cupboard of Full Coast -Yvvette Edwords The Strangers Child -Alan Hollinghurst Pigeon English -Stephen Kelman The Last Hundred Days -Patric McGuinness Snowdrops -A.D. Miller Far to Go -Alison Pick The Testament of Jessie Lamb -Jane Rogers Derby Day -D.J. Taylor Amitabh Laxicon -Bhawana Somaaya The wandering Falcon -Jamil Ahmad God is a River -Mona Verma Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders-Rajeev Peshawaria An Appeal From Death Row (Rajeiv Murder Case The Truth Speaks) -A.G. Perarivalan _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ The backfire that hit Gillette real bad... With the tag line the best a man can get Gillette staged a coup by signing on four superstars to endorse them. But unfortunately the strategy back fired as all four were involved in controversies in the same year, Tiger Woods (Cheating on wife), Roger Federer (crying on the court after losing to Nadal), Thiery Henri (Handball in the world cup qualifier) and finally our own Rahul Dravid (dropped from the one day team). Page 295

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Special brand promotion techniques... Using animation : Vodafone with ZooZoos The CEO being the brand ambassador e.g. Lee Iacocca for Ford, Steve Jobs (till recently ) for Apple. Using employees as brand ambassadors e.g. IBM for smarter planet campaign & Intel Multiple brand ambassadors e.g.: Louis Vuitton,Pantene,Garnier,Sony,Airtel,gitanjali,Levi s. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ Neutrino Observatory (INO) project is located near which of the following hills? a. Anamalai Hills b. Nilgiri Hills c. Khasi Hills d. Patkai Hills Ajay Jayaram is a well known player. a. Badminton b. Golf c. Tennis d. Hockey Who authored Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter? a. Ruskin Bond b. Mario Vargas c. Jonathan d. None of these Suresh Tendulkar is associated with ... a. Prime Ministers Relief Fund b. Telecom Regulatory Au- thority of India c. UN d. None of these With which company would you associate Partha S. Bhattacharyya? a. Coal India Limited b. NTPC c. IOC d. Bharat Electronics Limited Who is known as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India"? a. Norman Ernest Borlaug b. M. S. Swaminathan Page 296

PG GK COLLECTION c. J. S. Thomson d. None of these

2)a 3)b 4)d 6)b ___________________________________________________________________

After a lot of google i found that SACHIN is brand ambassador of boost along with MS DHONI & SEHWAG :mg: _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES AND THEIR HEADQUARTERS 1. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) It is headquartered at Manila, Phillipines. 2. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) It is headquartered at Jakarta, Indonesia. 3. The European Union (EU) It is headquartered at Brussels, Belgium. 4. The INTERPOL It is headquartered at Lyon, France 5. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) It is headquartered at Brussels, Belgium. 6. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) It is headquartered at Vienna, Austria. 7. The Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) It is headquartered at Kuwait. 8. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) It is headquartered at Kathmandu, Nepal. 9. The Red Cross It is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland. _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 297

PG GK COLLECTION ______

Neutrino Observatory (INO) project is located near which of the following hills? a. Anamalai Hills b. Nilgiri Hills c. Khasi Hills d. Patkai Hills Ajay Jayaram is a well known player. a. Badminton b. Golf c. Tennis d. Hockey Who authored Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter? a. Ruskin Bond b. Mario Vargas c. Jonathan d. None of these Suresh Tendulkar is associated with ... a. Prime Ministers Relief Fund b. Telecom Regulatory Au- thority of India c. UN d. None of these With which company would you associate Partha S. Bhattacharyya? a. Coal India Limited b. NTPC c. IOC d. Bharat Electronics Limited Who is known as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India"? a. Norman Ernest Borlaug b. M. S. Swaminathan c. J. S. Thomson d. None of these OA =babaaa _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________ a)BMW - The Ultimate Driving Machine b)CHEVROLET AVEO - When Good is not good enough c)FORD - Built for the Road Ahead d)HONDA - The Power of Dreams e)SKODA - Obsessed with Quality since 1897 f)TATA MOTORS - Even More Car per Car g)TOYOTA h)VOLKSWAGEN - Drivers wanted Page 298

PG GK COLLECTION i)Lamborghini Tagline - Drives fast, breaks faster j)Ferrari Tagline : Italian Lightning k)Porsche-there is no substitute l)Dodge-Grap life by the horns m)Lexus-The relentless pursuit of perfection _________________________________________________________________________________ __ the the the the the four Vedas are: Rig Veda Yajur Veda Sama Veda Atharva Veda

Rig Veda is the first Veda of the four Vedas. Rig Veda means a Veda of praise. This Veda has several verses (hymns). These hymns praise a number of gods. This Veda is also the oldest Hindu holy book. Yajur Veda is the second Veda of the four Vedas. Yajur Veda means the Veda of the Yajus.A priestly handbook for use in the performance of yajnas (sacrifices).It consists of mantas. Yajur Veda is divided into two parts. The name of the first part is Black Yajurveda, called Taittiriya. The name of the second part is White Yajurveda, called Vajasaneyi. Sama Veda is the third Veda of the four Vedas. Sama Veda means the Veda of sacred songs. This Veda also has many hymns. They were sung by the Hindu priests and other Hindus during religious activities. Atharva Veda is the 4th Veda out of the four Vedas. Atharva Veda means the Veda of knowledge. All these books are considered by Hindus to be of ultimate knowledge on both types of education: spiritual and mental. http://hinduism.iskcon.org/tradition/1106.htm _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Who wroteA Passageto India? (1) E.M. Forster (2) Jawaharlal Nehru (3) Minoo Masani (4) None of*them 2. Which among the following books was written by Jawaharlal Nehru? (a) A Passage to India (b) My Experiments with Truth (c) India Wins Freedom (d) The Discovery of India 3. Who wrote the Naked Triangle? Page 299

PG GK COLLECTION (a) Balwant Gargi (b) Khushwant Singh (c) Amrita Pritam (d) None of these

4. Consider the following pairs Organisation Location of Headquarters 1. Asian Development Bank Tokyo 2. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Singapore 3. Association of South East Asian Nations Bangkok Which of the above pairs is/ are correctly matched? (1) 1 and 2only (2) 2 only (3) 2 and 3 only (4) 3 only 5. Match List I (Place of Economic Importance) with List II (State) and select the correct answer using*the code given below the Lists List I List II (Place of Economic Importance) (State) A. Alwaye 1. Gujarat B. Kaiga 2. Jharkhand C. Giridih 3. Karnataka D. Kakrapar 4.*Kerala (1) A*1; B*2;*C*3; D*4* (2) A*1; B*3;*C*2; D*4* (3) A*4; B*2;*C*3; D*1* (4) A*4; B*3;*C*2; D*1 OA=1DA24 ASEAN ASEAN is One Vision, One Identity, One Community. 8 August is observed as ASEAN Day. Eighteenth ASEAN Summit, Jakarta, 7-8 May 2011 ____________________________________________________________________________ 1.Who among the following has written Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto, the official theme song of Commonwealth Games? (A)A R Rehman (B)Mehboob (C)Javed Akhtar (D)Sameer 2.Who among the following received the first Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna? (A)Viswanathan Anand (B)Geet Sethi (C)Karnam Malleswari Page 300

PG GK COLLECTION (D)Nameirakpam Kunjarani 3.Goa Shipyard Limited is an undertaking of which of the following ministries of India? (A)Ministry of Shipping (B)Ministry of Commerce & Industry (C)Ministry of Earth Sciences (D)Ministry of Defense 4.Which of the following country was winner of the 2010 Womens Hockey World Cup? (A)Sweden (B)Argentina (C)England (D)Australia 5.Name the country that played host to the 2010 Womens Hockey World Cup? (A)Chile (B)Argentina (C)Brazil (D)Uruguay 6.At which of the following places, the draft of SAARC Charter of Democracy was adopted? (A)Thimpu (B)Dhaka (C)kathmandu (D)New Delhi 6.Recently Oman has agreed to invest 3 billion dollars in India to revive the closed and defunct plants of which of the following? (A)Leather (B)Fertilizer (C)Cement (D)Steel 7. In which country is located Shakespeare beach? (A)France (B)England (C)Canada (D)Italy 8. Which among the following organizes World Investment Forum every two years? (A)World Trade Office (B)World Economic Forum (C)UNCTAD (D)World Bank 9.In which country, 2nd World Investment Forum meeting took place? (A)India (B)China (C)England (D)Japan Page 301

PG GK COLLECTION 10. Which of the following company acquired online photo editing site PICNIK?? A)Microsoft B)Yahoo C)Google Inc. D)AOL OA=BADBBBBBCBC _________________________________________________________________________________ _______ Q1. Which drink traces its origin to uisce beatha (Scottish Gaelic) meaning the water of life ? Ans. Whiskey or Whisky Q2. In 1984 there were just 3 IIMs, A B & C. In 2011 there are how many IIMs ? Ans. 13 Q3. A diamond is forever was created in 1947 and named the greatest ad line of 20th century by Ad age. Name the brand. Ans. De Beers Q4. Who is the largest registrar for internet domain names globally ? Ans. Verisign Q5 .As per the EDS bill 2011 in how many years all govt of india services will be delivered electronically? Ans. five yrs Q6. Which US co. Owns the brands Diesel, Timberland, Ernemildo Zegna etc ? Ans. Kenneth Cole Q7. The question that got Sushil Kumar 5Cr in KBC. Which colonial power left India from Nicobar islands in 1868 ? Ans. Denmark Q8. From Dec 1 which indian city will be the only US consulate to accept and process L visas ? Ans. Chennai Q9. Which international ad group has acquired the controlling stake in MUDRA Page 302

PG GK COLLECTION that used to pride itself as a rare indian agency ? Ans. Omnicom Q10. Which global brokerage that runs a TVC claiming to guide thru the investing jungle is itself filing for bankruptcy ? Ans. MF Global Q11. Who once said womens role is in the kitchen dressed in white like all other domestic appliances ? Ans. F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone ___________________________________________________________________________ Awards-May 2011 Gopinath Muthukad wins Merlin Award: Thiruvananthapuram-based illusionist and stunt performer Gopinath Muthukad has been selected by the International Magicians Society (IMS) of the US for the International Merlin Award this year. He is the second Indian magician, after P.C. Sorcar Jr. of West Bengal, to receive the award. The jury selected Muthukad April 2011 for his contributions to the development and popularisation of magical art and science over the last 35 years. S. L. Bhyrappa wins Saraswati Samman: Kannada writer S. L. Bhyrappa was on April 5, 2011 chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman for his novel Mandra. The award, constituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation, consists of Rs.7.50 lakh, a citation and a plaque. The jury which selected Bhyrappa was headed by former Chief Justice of India G. B. Patnaik. Seventy-five-year-old Bhyrappa has so far published 22 novels, the first being Bheemakaya in 1959. He is one of the bestselling novelists in Kannada over the past 25 years. D. Seshagiri Rao selected for The Pride of India Leadership Award: D. Seshagiri Rao, cardiologist and Head of the Department, of Hyderabad-based Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), has been selected for The Pride of India Leadership Award, an international award given by NRI Institute, a Delhi-based not-for-profit NGO of People of Indian Origin. The award is being given to Dr. Rao for the outstanding service and excellence in cardiology. It will be presented on April 15 by Mauritius President Sir Anerood Jugnauth in Delhi. M. S. Dhoni offered honorary commission in Territorial Army: World Cup winning captain of the Indian team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was Page 303

PG GK COLLECTION offered an honorary commission in the Territorial Army, during his meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff General V.K. Singh in New Delhi on April 5, 2011. Dhoni readily accepted the offer. The commission would go through as per the laid-down procedure of the service. It may be noted that former captain Kapil Dev, is already an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, while Sachin Tendulkar was conferred an honorary Group Captain rank of the IAF in September last year, which was approved by the President of India. _______________________________________________________________ women in action . Indra Nooyi-current Chairman and CEO of Pepsico. Chanda Kochhar - currently the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICICI Bank. also got the PADMA BHUSAN AWARD by the Government of India for the year 2010 for her services to banking sector. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw- Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon. she got prestigious Padma Shri (1989) and the Padma Bhushan (2005) from the Government of India. She is also on the Forbes list of the world's 100 most powerful women. Naina Lal Kidwai- currently the Group General Manager and Country Head of the HSBC Group in India. Monisha Kaltenborn- current Chief Executive Officer of the Sauber Formula One team. Virginia Rometty- Designated as CEO of IBM, effective January 1, 2012. Margaret Whitman- the President and CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Irene Rosenfeld- CEO of Kraft foods. Forbes rated Rosenfeld 2nd on the top 10 most powerful women in October 2010. Andrea Jung- CEO of Avon Products, Inc. Ursula Burns- the chairwoman and CEO of Xerox. ________________________________________________________________________________ FDI Caps on Various sectors (Effective as of Oct 1, 2011) Agriculture & Animal Husbandry 100% Tea Plantation 100% Mining and Exploration of metal and non-metal ores 100% Coal and Lignite 100% Mining and mineral separation of titanium bearing minerals and ores 100% Page 304

PG GK COLLECTION Petroleum & Natural Gas 100% Manufacture of items reserved for production in Micro and Small Enterprises 100% DEFENCE 26% Terrestrial Broadcasting FM 26% Cable Network 49% Directto-Home 49% Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) Broadcasting Service 74% Setting up of Up-linking HUB/ Teleports 49% Up-linking a Non-News & Current Affairs TV Channel 100% Publishing of Newspaper and periodicals dealing with news and current affairs 26% Publication of Indian editions of foreign magazines dealing with news and current affairs 26% Publishing/printing of Scientific and Technical Magazines/specialty journals/ periodicals 100% Publication of facsimile edition of foreign newspapers 100% Airports 100% Scheduled Air Transport Service/ Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline 49% Non-Scheduled Air Transport Service 74% Helicopter services/seaplane services requiring DGCA approval 100% Ground Handling Services 74% Maintenance and Repair organizations 100% Courier services 100% Construction Development: Townships, Housing, Built-up infrastructure 100% Industrial Parks new and existing 100% Satellites Establishment and operation 74% Private Security Agencies 49% Telecom services 74% ISP with gateways/not providing gateways 74% Infrastructure provider providing dark fibre 100% E Mail 100% Voice Mail 100% Cash & Carry Wholesale Trading/ Wholesale Trading 100% E-commerce activities 100% Test marketing 100% Single Brand product trading 51% Asset Reconstruction Company 49% Banking Private sector 74% Banking- Public Sector 20% Policy for FDI in Commodity Exchange 49% Credit Information Companies 49% Infrastructure Company in the Securities Market 49% Insurance 26% Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) 100% _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Page 305

PG GK COLLECTION \India has comprehensive Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA ) with 79 countries. This means that there are agreed rates of tax and jurisdiction on specified types of income arising in a country to a tax resident of another country. Under the Income Tax Act 1961 of India, there are two provisions, Section 90 and Section 91, which provide specific relief to taxpayers to save them from double taxation. Section 90 is for taxpayers who have paid the tax to a country with which India has signed DTAA, while Section 91 provides relief to tax payers who have paid tax to a country with which India has not signed a DTAA. Thus, India gives relief to both kind of taxpayers. Latest DTAA signed/queued : SEPT : India has signed a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) with Estonia OCT : Indo-Mauritius DTAA discussion is final India, Philippines to sign revised DTAA by Jan India is the third most favoured destination globally for investments in the renewable energy sector and will also be a major source of new entrants into the sector, behind the US and China, according to a survey released by global consulting firm KPMG. The top targeted countries for renewable energy investment are the US, selected by 53 percent of respondents, China (38 per cent), India (35 per cent) Germany (34 per cent) and the UK (33 per cent)," according to KPMG's annual survey of global renewable energy mergers and acquisitions titled Green Power 2011. GE Energy Financial Services will invest $50 million to form a joint venture with Indian clean energy developer Greenko Group for 500 megawatts of wind projects in India. Greenko committed $65 million for the venture, to be called Greenko Wind Project Private Ltd., a subsidiary of Greenko. The biography of Sushil Ansal, chairman of Ansal-API, named Brick by Brick Sushil Ansal, was released by Atul Gupta, former chief secretary, Uttar Pradesh Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to the prestigious board of governors of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) for the 2011-13 period at the 67th annual general meeting held at Singapore. Goyal has previously served on the board from 2008 until 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ First in Indian Politics 1 First President ofIndia Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Page 306

PG GK COLLECTION 2 First Woman President ofIndia Mrs. Pratibha Patil 3 First Vice President ofIndia Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. 4 First Muslim President ofIndia Dr. Zakir Hussain. 5 First Sikh President ofIndia Giani Jail Singh. 6 First Prime Minister ofIndia Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru 7 First Woman Prime Minister ofIndia Mrs. Indira Gandhi. 8 First Speaker of the Lok Sabha G.V. Mavlankar. 9 First Chief Justice ofIndia Justice H.L. Kania. 10 First Chairman of the Rajaya Sabha Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. 11 First Woman Governor of a State Mrs. Sarojini Naidu. 12 First Woman Chief Minister Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani. 13 First Woman Central Minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. Page 307

PG GK COLLECTION 14 First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha Mrs. Shanno Devi. 15 First Woman IAS Officer Anna George. 16 First Woman IPS Officer Kiran Bedi. 17 First Woman Advocate Carnelia Sorabji. 18 First Woman Judge Anna Chandi. 19 First Woman Judge of High Court Anna Chandi. 20 First Woman Judge of Supreme Court M. Fathima Beevi. 21 First Woman Chief Justice of High Court Justice Leela Seth. 22 First Chairman of Planning Commission Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. 23 First Chairman of Finance Commission K.C. Niyogi. 24 First Acting Prime Minister ofIndia Guljari Lal Nanda. 25 First Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha Page 308

PG GK COLLECTION M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar. 26 First recognised leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Y.V. Chavan. 27 First recognised leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Lokpati Tripathi. 28 First Lok Sabha Election 1952 29 First Chief Election Commissioner ofIndia Sukumar Sen. 30 First Woman Chief Election Commissioner ofIndia Smt. V.S. Rama Devi. 31 First Governor of the Reserve Bank Sir Osborne Smith 32 First woman RBI deputy governor KJ Udeshi ____________________________________________________________________ the annual use of postcard (Meghdoot service) in India has declined from 336.45 crore to just 78.24 crore in the last ten years. The Central Board of Trustees of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) has appointed Reliance Capital Asset Management, along with HSBC Bank, ICICI Securities and State Bank of India to manage its corpus of Rs 3.5 trillion, for a period of three years. Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka are now among the most urbanized States in India, having more than 35 per cent of their population living in urban areas. Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of its people living in rural areas; 55.5 crore people in UP live in rural areas. Mumbai tops the list of places having maximum number of people in urban area at 5 crore. Punjab has become the first State in India to start an integrated solid waste management programme in the entire State. Page 309

PG GK COLLECTION World Population Day is celebrated every year on July 11. News of the World, 168-year-old newspaper of Britain, is closed down in a breathtaking response to a phone-hacking scandal engulfing the media empire of Rupert Murdoch. The Union Cabinet has cleared a massive hike of Rs 3 crore per MP in the annual allocation of MPLAD fund that enables every MP to recommend development works in his/her constituency. The allocation has been hiked from Rs 2 crore per MP to Rs 5 crore per MP and will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 2,370 crore annually. Hyderabad will host the Table Tennis World Championship, 2013 Juba is the capital of the new nation of South Sudan which declared independence on July 9, 2011. Mumbai and Delhi are among the five cheapest places in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living survey. The five cheapest cities are: Karachi (Pakistan), Tunis (Tunisia), Mumbai (India), Tehran (Iran) and New Delhi (India), in that order. The five costliest places are: Tokyo (Japan), Oslo (Norway), Osaka Kobe (Japan), Paris (France), Zurich (Switzerland). According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report, as many as 320 million people in India and China are expected to come out of extreme poverty by 2015, while Indias poverty rate is projected to drop to 22%, from 55% in 1990. Those living on less than $1.25 a day are considered extremely poor. The four-day fifth conference of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians was held in New Delhi from July 9, 2011. On July 8, 2011, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee launched a new set of coins and Rs 10 notes bearing the rupee symbol. With this India became the second country after England to have its currency symbol printed on its notes. National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a judicial body constituted to try all matters related to environmental issues. The Tribunal is headed by Justice L.S. Panta. The first sitting of NGT was held on July 4, 2011. Indias 25th nuclear power plant is being built at Rawatbhatta, Rajasthan. It is a 700 MW indigenously built pressurised heavy water reactor plant. The construction of the plant started on July 17, 2011. Prahaar is a surface-to-surface quick-reaction tactical missile of India. It has a range of 150 km and is capable of carrying different types of warheads. The uniqueness of the missile is that in one salvo six missiles can be fired at multiple Page 310

PG GK COLLECTION targets in all directions. The missile can also be launched form a road mobile system. India has slipped from being the 8th largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2009 to the 14th largest in 2010, according to the World Investment Report, 2011, brought out by UNCTAD. On July 26, 2011, the Reserve Bank of India hiked the benchmark rates again by stiff 50 basis points, taking the Repo rate to 8 per cent and Reverse Repo rate to 7 per cent. New investors will now have to cough up an additional Rs 150 for investment of Rs 10,000 and above in mutual funds, while the charge will be Rs 100 for existing investors, according to SEBI. Investors are already paying a commission in some cases, besides up to 2.5 per cent of their investment towards expanses of fund management. On August 1, 2011, India assumed the monthly Presidency of the UN Security Council after a gap of 19 years. ________________________________________________________________________________ Per capita income of Indians grew by 14.5 per cent to Rs 46,492 in 2009-10, from Rs 40,605 in 2008-09. The new per capita income figure estimates on current market prices is over Rs 2,000 more than the previous estimate of Rs 44,345 calculated by the Central Statistical Organisation. Per capita income means earnings of each Indian if the national income is evenly divided among the country's population at 117 crore (1.17 billion). Per capita income (at 2004-05 prices) stood at Rs 33,731 in FY10 against Rs 31,801 in the previous year. The size of the economy at current prices rose to Rs 61,33,230 crore (Rs 61,332.30 billion) in 2009-10, up 16.1 per cent over Rs 52,82,086 crore (Rs 52,820.86 billion) in FY'09. Based on 2004-05 prices, the Indian economy expanded by 8 per cent during the fiscal ended March 2010. This is higher than 6.8 per cent growth in fiscal 2008-09. The gross domestic product (GDP), or gross domestic income (GDI), is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. The idea of gross domestic product came into existence after the Great Depression and World War II. GDP was first developed by Simon Kuznets for a United States Congress report in 1934. His idea was to calculate all economic production by individuals, companies and the government in a single measure. According to him, GDP would rise in good times and fall during any crisis. In 1944, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund accepted GDP as a method to assess a nation's economy. Page 311

PG GK COLLECTION The 98th Indian Science Congress was held at SRM University near Chennai. While 2010 was observed as the International Year of Biodiversity, from 2011 starts the Decade of Biodiversity. During the decade, a UN body, much like the IPCC for Climate Change, is expected to push for action on biodiversity front. The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge in China is the worlds longest sea bridge. It is 42.48 km long, 8.04 km further than the distance between Dover and Calais, as also longer than a marathon. The bridge links the main urban area of Qingdao city in east Chinas Shandong province with Huangdao district. January 14, 2011 marked the 250th anniversary of the third battle of Panipat. The defeat of the Marathas by the army of Ahmad Shah Abdali prepared the ground for the gradual take-over of India by the East India company. Army Day is observed in India on January 15. The World Bank has offered to India a loan of $1.5 billion (about Rs 6,800 crore) for building 24,000km of all-weather roads in the rural seven economically poor and hilly areas StatesHimachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Punjab and any other State which may join at alter date over the next five-year period. On January 17, 2011, Indian Navy commissioned a squadron of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), named INAS 343, at Porbander, Gujarat, to enhance coastal surveillance capabilities. The UAVs have been nick-named Frontier Formidables. The worlds highest restaurant is located on the 122nd floor of the worlds tallest building Burj Khalifa. It is called At.mosphere. The restaurant is 92 meter taller than the worlds second highest eatery, the revolving 360 Restaurant in Torontos CN Tower. Rural roads account for about 61% of Indias road length. National Highways comprise less than 2 per cent of the road network, but carry 40 per cent of road-based traffic. RBI has decided to circulate Rs 5 coins to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Rajendra Prasad, Indias first President. Objective Anti-Leprosy Day is observed in India on January 30. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ The NASDAQ-listed iGate has sealed the deal to buy Patni Computers, Indias seventh largest IT services firm, to create a $1-billion entity Page 312

PG GK COLLECTION Starbucks, the worlds largest coffee retailer, has entered into an agreement with Tata Coffee for a strategic alliance in India. Under the non-binding MoU between the two, Starbucks will set up stores in the Tata groups retail outlets and hotels and source roast coffee beans from Tata Coffees Kodagu facility. Infrastructure, Leasing & Finance Services (IL&FS) will be the new promoter of Maytas Properties, the cash-strapped company owned by family members of disgraced Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has done away with the dual helmsman-ship model and appointed T.K. Kurien as Wipros new CEO. Google Inc co-founder Larry Page has taken over as CEO from Eric Schmidt. Pages assumption of day-to-day operations marks a return to Googles technological roots, 13 years after he and fellow Stanford University student Sergy Brin founded what has become the worlds number one internet search engine. Mahindra & Mahindra, the market leader in utility vehicles, has launched a pick-up vehicle based on the Xylo model. The vehicle has been named Genio. The Aditya Birla group has bought the $1-billion revenue earning US firm Colombian Chemicals for $875 million, catapulting the group to become the world leader in carbon black, from its number four position that it held before the acquisition. Opening another chapter in aviation history, G.R. Gopinath, known as the pioneer of low-cost carriers in India, has had his Deccan Charters Ltd join hands with Taj Air, the executive charter service of Indian Hotels Company Ltd and with Business Jets India Pvt Ltd, to launch Powerfly, an alliance in the air charter industry. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has entered into luxury sedan segment with launch of its car Kizashi. ICICI Bank has entered into an agreement with Indian Army for extending modern banking products to the personnel in uniform ______________________________________________________________________________ Union Budget 2011 Highlights Standard rate of excise duty held at 10 percent; no change in CENVAT rates. Personal income tax exemption limit raised to Rs 180,000 from Rs 160,000 for individual tax payers. For senior citizens, the qualifying age reduced to 60 years and exemption limit raised to Rs 2.50 lakh. Citizens over 80 years to have exemption limit of Rs 5 lakh. Page 313

PG GK COLLECTION To reduce surcharge on domestic companies to 5 percent from 7.5 percent. A new revised income tax return form 'Sugam' to be introduced for small tax papers. raise minimum alternate tax to 18.5 percent from 18 percent. Iron ore export duty raised to 20 percent Nominal one per cent central excise duty on 130 items entering the tax net. Peak rate of customs duty maintained at 10 per cent in view of the global economic situation. Service tax widened to cover hotel accommodation above Rs 1,000 per day, A/C restaurants serving liquor, some category of hospitals, diagnostic tests. Service tax on air travel increased by Rs 50 for domestic travel and Rs 250 for international travel in economy class. On higher classes, it will be ten per cent flat. Works of art exempt from customs when imported for exhibition in state-run institutions; this now extended to private institutions. Subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 1.44 trillion rupees. Food subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 605.7 billion rupees. Revised food subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 606 billion rupees. Revised fertilizer subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 550 billion rupees. Revised petroleum subsidy bill in 2010-11 at 384 billion rupees. State-run oil retailers to be provided with 200 billion rupee cash subsidy in 2011-12. Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1 percent of GDP in 2010-11. Fiscal deficit seen at 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011-12. Total expenditure in 2011-12 seen at 12.58 trillion rupees. Plan expenditure seen at 4.41 trillion rupees in 2011-12, up 18.3 percent. Gross tax receipts seen at 9.32 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Non-tax revenue seen at 1.25 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Corporate tax receipts seen at 3.6 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Tax-to-GDP ratio seen at 10.4 percent in 2011-12; seen at 10.8 percent in 2012-13. Customs revenue seen at 1.52 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Service tax receipts seen at 820 billion rupees in 2011-12. Economy expected to grow at 9 percent in 2012, plus or minus 0.25 percent. Inflation seen lower in the financial year 2011-12. Disinvestment in 2011-12 seen at 400 billion rupees. Government committed to retaining 51 percent stake in public sector enterprises. Net market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 3.43 trillion rupees, down from 3.45 trillion rupees in 2010-11. Gross market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 4.17 trillion rupees. Revised gross market borrowing for 2010-11 at 4.47 trillion rupees. To create infrastructure debt funds. FDI policy being liberalized. To boost infrastructure development with tax-free bonds of 300 billion rupees. Food security bill to be introduced. To permit SEBI registered mutual funds to access subscriptions from foreign Page 314

PG GK COLLECTION investments. Raised foreign institutional investor limit in 5-year corporate bonds for investment in infrastructure by $20 billion. Setting up independent debt management office; Public debt bill to be introduced in parliament soon. Bills on insurance, pension funds, banking to be introduced. To allocate more than 1.64 trillion rupees to defence sector in 2011-12. Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund raised to 180 billion rupees in 2011-12. To provide 201.5 billion rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2011-12. To allocate 520.5 billion rupees for the education sector. Rs.21,000 crore for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. To raise health sector allocation to 267.6 billion rupees. Rs.500 crore more for national skill development fund. Rs.54 crore each for AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) centres at Murshidabad and Mallapuram. Rs.58,000 crore for Bharat Nirman; increase of Rs.10,000 crore. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wage rates linked to consumer price index; will rise from existing Rs.100 per day. Infrastructure critical for development; 23 percent higher allocation in 2011-12. Removal of supply bottlenecks in the food sector will be in focus in 2011-12. To raise target of credit flow to agriculture sector to 4.75 trillion rupees. 3 percent interest subsidy to farmers in 2011-12. Cold storage chains to be given infrastructure status. Capitalisation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of 30 billion rupees in a phased manner. To provide 3 billion rupees for 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation. Food storage capacity to be augmented; 15 more mega food parks to be set up in 2011-12; of 30 sanctioned in previous fiscal, 15 set up. Comprehensive policy on further developing PPP (public-private-partnership) model. To move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy for kerosene, LPG and fertilizers. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge B. Srikrishna, to complete its work in 24 months; to overhaul financial regulations. Five-fold strategy against black money; 13 new double taxation avoidance agreements; foreign tax division of CTBT strengthened; strength of Enforcement Directorate increased three-fold. Bill to be introduced to review Indian Stamp Act. New coins carrying new rupee symbol to be issued. Anganwadi workers salary raised from Rs.1,500 to Rs.3,000. Housing loan limit for priority sector lending raised to Rs.25 lakh. Railway Budget, 2011 For the third year in a row, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee made an attempt to come out with the aam aadmi budget sparing the passengers and industry from fare and freight hikes and announcing the highest ever investment of Rs Page 315

PG GK COLLECTION 57,630 crore, with 68 new trains. On February 25, 2011, presenting her third Railway Budget in UPA-II in the Lok Sabha, Mamata vowed to build a stronger railroad infrastructure based on the Vision 2020 document while announcing a slew of concessions, including reducing the eligibility age of senior women citizens from 60 to 58 years and raising the fare concession for senior citizens (above 60) from 30 to 40 per cent. The budget estimates for 2011-12 project a freight loading of 993 million tonne and a passenger growth of 6.4 per cent. Ordinary working expenses have been estimated at Rs 73,650 crore and appropriation to depreciation reserve fund pegged at Rs 7,000 crore. A provision of Rs 6,735 crore has been made for dividend payment and the excess for railways for the new fiscal has been projected at Rs 5,258 crore, with an operating ratio of 98.1 per cent. Gross traffic receipts have been fixed at Rs 94,840 crore, which is higher by Rs 75 crore over budget estimates. The ordinary working expenses have been fixed at Rs 67,000 crore. A target of 1,300 km of new lines, 867 km of doubling of lines and 1,017 km of gauge conversion has been set. Indian Railways, the worlds second largest under a single management, has a network of 64,099 km to ferry as many as 18.9 million passengers on 7,000 trains daily, from 6,906 stations. It also runs 4,000 freight trains to carry 850 million tonne of cargo. Highlights No hike in passenger fare and freight rates. Highest ever plan outlay of Rs 57,630 crore proposed. Rs 9,583 crore provided for new lines. 1,300 km new lines, 867 km doubling of lines and 1,017 km gauge conversion targeted in 2011-12. 56 new Express Trains, 3 new Shatabdis and 9 Durontos to be introduced. 16,000 ex-servicemen to be given jobs in railways. Ten-year backlog of 1.75 lakh jobs to be addressed. Durontos on the Allahabad-Mumbai, Pune-Ahmedabad, Sealdah-Puri, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam, Madurai-Chennai routes. Integrated suburban network to be set up in Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad. A bridge factory in Jammu & Kashmir and a state-of-art institute for tunnel and bridge engineering proposed at Jammu. New Shatabadi to link Ludhiana with New Delhi. New weekly train, "Vivek Express", on Bandra (T)-Jammu Tawi Express route via Marwar-Degana- Ratangarh -Jakhal-Ludhiana. Industrial park in Nandigram, Metro coach factory for Singur. Centre for excellence in software at Darjeeling. Concession for senior citizens increased from 30% to 40%. Page 316

PG GK COLLECTION Age for senior women citizens concession reduced to 58 from 60. Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana to be launched. Student special .trains to be started; start of Rajrani Express. Multi-purpose smart card to be introduced for all-India travel. Review of economic growth story of India As per the Economic Survey 2011, non-Congress States are scripting Indias economic growth story. The Survey places Bihar on top in terms of performance on growth, with the State posting a whopping 16.59 per cent growth in 2008-2009, the latest year for which the data is available. But Gujarat pips Bihar (which is followed by Orissa, Haryana and Uttrakhand) to the lead spot when the growth performance is measured from 2002-2003 onwards to 2009. Interesting to see is the fact that out of top five growing States in the country, four are ruled by non-Congress governments, with the exception of Haryana which stands fourth in this list. The Economic Survey reveals that though Rajasthan, followed by Andhra Pradesh, UP, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, provided maximum employment under MNREGA in 2009-2010, it was Punjab (ruled by the Shorimani Akali Dal-BJP combine) which employed the maximum Scheduled Castes under the programme (Punjab also reports the lowest number of people below poverty line in India) while the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh employed the maximum STs, followed by Jharkhand, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. After Punjab, the maximum SC employment under MNREGA was reported from Tamil Nadu, UP, Haryana and Bihar. On gross enrollment ratios in elementary education also, the Opposition-ruled States of Jharkhand (where the JMM and BJP are in coalition), Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat rank the highest. So far as the progress under the National Rural Health Mission goes, the maximum health centers have come up in Tamil Nadu, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Ironically, though they are doing well in terms of economic growth, non-Congress ruled states like Orissa and Bihar continue to perform poorly on poverty indicators. The percentage of people below the poverty line is very high in Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttrakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Rural income inequality is the highest in Haryana and urban income inequality is the highest in Madhya Pradesh. Plan to deal with black money menace Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the government had adopted a five-fold strategy to deal with the problem of generation and circulation of black money. Presenting the Budget, he said: The five-fold Page 317

PG GK COLLECTION strategy consists of joining the global crusade against black money, creating an appropriate legislative framework, setting up institutions for dealing with illicit funds, developing systems for implementation and imparting skills to the manpower for effective action. He added that while the membership of the Financial Action Task Force was secured in June 2010, the government has also joined the Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development, Eurasian Group and Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Discussions have also been concluded for 11 Tax Information Exchange Agreements and 13 new Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs), along with revision of provisions of 10 existing DTAAs, he said. India, Japan sign free trade agreement On February 16, 2011, India and Japan signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) to open markets and reduce barriers on goods, services and movement of people between the two countries. The pact was signed between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Seiji Maehara in Tokyo. Indian government has set a target of doubling bilateral trade to $25 billion by 2014, which is currently at $10.3 billion. CEPA will lead to a quantum increase in bilateral trade and investment flows, by relaxing barriers to trade in goods, services and movement of natural persons, besides enhanced cooperation on protection of intellectual property. This agreement is the most ambitious agreement signed by India so far and covers trade in goods, services and investment under its ambit. This agreement follows from the commitment of the two Prime Ministers in October 2010. The agreement has ensured that the sensitive sectors for India are fully protected, including agriculture, fruits, spices, wheat, basmati rice, edible oils, wines and spirits and also certain categories of industrial products such as auto and auto parts. India, Malaysia ink free trade pact On February 18, 2011, India and Malaysia signed a comprehensive market opening pact that throws up myriad trade opportunities for both sides and give a boost to India's Look-East Policy and the prospects for its economic integration with South-East Asia. Indias Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his Malaysian counterpart Mustapa Mohamed, in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Razak and several leading captains of industry from both sides, signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Page 318

PG GK COLLECTION The agreement, which was reached after seven rounds of negotiation, will see Indian mangoes, cotton, motorcycles, trucks and basmati rice attract less duty in Malaysia, among other things. As a quid pro quo, the South-East nation will face less barriers on the sale of its fruit, engineering goods and chemicals in India. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ Indias first inland fish processing unit has been set up in the village of Bhutana in Karnal district of Haryana. The unit has been set up in technical collaboration with ZTM BPD Unit, South Zone, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, which comes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). As per the Economic Survey, 2011, India has the fourth largest foreign exchange reserves in the world. Indias foreign exchange reserves touched $ 297.3 billion in December 2010, from 279.1 billion in March. The National Science Day is observed on February 28 to mark the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928, for which he was awarded the Nobel prize. To reduce the burden of small tax-payers, a new, simplified income tax return form, Sugam, has been introduced. The Union Budget 2011 has increased the Defence budget by 11 per cent. Additional Rs 17,071 crore have been allotted over 2010 Budget figure of Rs 1,47,344 crore. About Rs 69,199 crore has been earmarked for capital expenses like weapons, planes, ships, special classified projects etc. The Budget 2011 has earmarked Rs 52,000 crore for education, out of which Rs 21,000 crore will be spent on Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Rs 6,213 crore on secondary education and Rs 2,200 crore on higher education. The Hyderabad international airport has bagged the first rank in its category in the latest Airport Service Quality (ASQ) rankings of the Airports Council International (ACI). The theme song of Cricket World Cup, 2011 was De Ghuma Ke. It was composed by the trio of Shankar, Ehasan and Loy India received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $21 billion 9Rs 96,104 crore) in the calendar year 2010, a decline of 22 per cent over 2009. The SAARC Foreign Ministers meet was held in Thimpu, Bhutan on February 8, 2011. Page 319

PG GK COLLECTION The NASSCOM India Leadership Forum (NILF) was held in Mumbai in February 2011. Mahatma Gandhi and the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama have been listed by the Time magazine as the worlds top 25 political icons. Times top 25 political icons are: Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander the Great, Mao Zedong, Winston Churchill, Genghis Khan, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Ernesto Che Guevara, Ronald Reagan, Cleopatra, Franklin Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Queen Victoria, Benito Mussolini, Akbar the Great, Lenin, Margaret Thatcher, Simn Bolvar, Qin Shi Huang, Kim Il-Sung, Charles de Gaulle, Louis XIV, Haile Selassie, King Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. India has agreed to temporarily lend fragments of Buddhas bones, famously known as Kapilavastu relics, to Sri Lanka for an exposition to celebrate his 2600th year of enlightenment in 2011. China has emerged as the worlds largest economy, surpassing Japan, which had held on to the position for over four decades. At the end of 2010, Japanese economy was estimated to be worth about $5.5 trillion and that of China $5.8 trillion. USA continues to be the largest economy of the world with the economy worth $14.6 trillion. _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ First Indian In Different Categories 1 First British Viceroy ofIndia Lord Canning 2 First Chairman of Prasar Bharti Nikhil Chakravorty 3 First Chairman of Rajyasabha S.V. Krishnamurthy 4 First Chief Election Commissioner ofIndia Sukumar Sen 5 First Field Marshal ofIndia General S.P.F.J. Manekshaw 6 First Foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan 7 First Governor General of freeIndia Lord Mountbatten Page 320

PG GK COLLECTION 8 First Home Minister ofIndia Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel 9 First Indian Air chief Marshal S. Mukherjee 10 First Indian Chess Grandmaster S Vishwnathan 11 First Indian Commander-in-chief General K. M. Kariappa 12 First Indian Cricketer to score Triple Century in Test Virendra Sehwag 13 First Indian Naval Chief Vice Admiral R. D. Katari 14 First Indian Pilot JRD Tata 15 First Indian toCrossEnglish Channel Mihir Sen 16 First Indian to get an Oscar Bhanu Athaiya 17 First Indian to get Anderson Award Ruskin Bond 18 First Indian to go in space Squadron Ldr. Rakesh Sharma 19 First Indian to reachAntarctica Lt. Ran Charan 20 First Indian to reach the deep sea floor in the Mid Atlantic P.S. Rao 21 First Indian to reach the south pole Col.I K Bajaj 22 First Indian to Receive Bharat Ratna Dr. Radha Krishnan 23 First Indian to receive Jnan Peeth award Page 321

PG GK COLLECTION Sri Shankar Kurup 24 First Indian to receive Magsaysay Award Vinoba Bhave 25 First Indian to receive Nobel Prize in Economics Dr. Amartya Sen 26 First Indian to receive Stalin Prize Saifuddin Kichlu 27 First Indian to win Nobel Prize Rabindra Nath Tagore 28 First Judge to face Impeachment proceedings in Loksabha Justice V. Ramaswami 29 First person to reachMount Everestwithout Oxygen Sherpa Arga Dorji 30 First person to receive Paramvir Chakra Major Somnath Sharma 31 First President of Indian National Congress W.C. Banerjee ___________________________________________________________________ Credit policy of India is declared by RBI SEBI regulates securities market in India Organization of petroleum Exploring Countries HQ : Vienna The planning commission is not a constitutional commission Planning Commission approves the Five year plans Operation Flood : A rural dev. programme started by India's National Dairy Development Board. Major component of Biogas - Methane

_______________________________________________________________ 1) Which among the following 2011 Nobel Peace Laureates is also the President of a West African country? c) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (President of Liberia)

2) Which personality bagged the NDTV Transformational Idea of the Year Award 2011? Page 322

PG GK COLLECTION b) Nandan Nilekani (For Project Aadhar)

3) The planets that rotate on a retrograde basis (East to West) unlike other planets of the solar system that rotate from West to East? d) Venus & Uranus 4) The First President of the Indian National Congress? a) Womesh Chandra Bajerjee

5) The only instance of a cricket match in the Olympics was in 1900 Summer Olympics. Which two teams competed in the only match played? c) Great Britain & France

6) Dost, a Light Commercial Vehicle, belongs to which company? c) Ashok Leyland ________________________________________________________________________ 1) Country with the largest number of nuclear reactors? USA(104) 2) Where is Eravikulam National Park located? Munnar, Kerela 3) What is the coastline to the eastern side of India known as? Coramandel coast line 4) Full form of IRBM? Name it. Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, AGNI III 5) Who was Miss Earth 2010? Nicole Faria 6) Who has been crowned as Miss Universe 2011? Leila Lopes 7) What was the venue of Miss Universe 2011? Sao Paulo, Brazil According to the 2011 census what is the average age of Indians? 29yrs(by 2020) 9) HTC launched an ipad/tablet pc, Name it. HTC Flyer 10) Stock exchange Index of Singapore is known as? Simex 11) What is RMSA scheme? Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan 12) Government has targeted which year to ensure universal access to secondary level education? 2017 13) The sense of an Ending is written by? Julian Barnes 14) What is Hkakabo Razi? Where is it located? A National Park, KachinMyanmar, China, India. 15) The Panchayti Raj System was introduced in which of the five year plans? 2nd Five Year Plan. 16) When was the Rolling Plan introduced and when was it dropped? 6th Five Page 323

PG GK COLLECTION Year Plan. Dropped in 1980. 17) Who has the shortest term as a RBI governor?? What was it? Amitav Ghosh, 20 days from January 15 to February 4, 1985, as the 16th governor of the Reserve Bank of India. 1 What is so special about NAG? 1st Anti Tank Missile that has a complete fibre glass structure. 19) Who received the 26th Indira Gandhi Award For National Integration, 2011? Mohan Dharia 20) Which day is celebrated as Balika Diwas? 9th December 21) What is common between Sutlej, Indus and Ghaghra? Originate from Tibet _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Some more ambassadors... Seagram's 100 Pipers : Arunoday Singh Seagram's Royal Stag : Gambhir,Bhajji,Smith,Gayle,Vettori,Murali + Saif Ali Khan Personal favourite! Make it large!

Seagram's Imperial Blue : Men will be Men campaign! Segram's Blender's pride : Priyanka Chopra Mcdowells RC : Virat Kohli,Murali Vijay Mcdowells Platinum : Dhoni _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ 1).Who won the 2011 Man Booker Prize? d. Julian Barnes

2).Sahara Group has bought a _______ percent stake worth $100 million, in the Vijay Mallya owned Force India F1 team, which has been re-christened as Sahara Force India. a. 42.5 percent 3).Who has been honoured with the Swiss Ambassador's award for "exceptional leadership" and his contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between India and Switzerland? Page 324

PG GK COLLECTION b. Ratan Tata

4).In which of the following BRIC countries, Renault-Nissan announced a combined investment of $1.8 billion where the companies plan to introduce 23 new models? b. Brazil

5).One of Indias largest airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Vietnam Airlines. Name the airline. b. Jet Airways 6).Which of the following countries has set a target of achieving bilateral trade of $7 billion with Vietnam by 2015 a. India

7).He was a prominent Indian Ghazal singer, composer, music director, activist and entrepreneur. He was known as "The Ghazal King. He has sung in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi and Nepali languages, and awarded India's third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2003 for his contribution to the fields of music and culture. He passed away on October 10, 2011. Name him. c. Jagjit Singh

.General Electric, a multinational conglomerate is all set to build the largest solar plant at $ 300 million in which of the following countries? d. USA 9).Which of the following Healthcare companies in South Africa is all set to buy a 26 percent stake in Max Healthcare for Rs 516 crore, by making it one of the largest foreign investment deals in the Indian Healthcare sector? b. Life Healthcarel

10).Which of the following countries has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Switzerland on financial dialogue that will pave the way for greater cooperation between the two countries' tax authorities, a move that will allow unearthing black money stashed in Swiss banks? a. Belize c. India

11).Bahadur Shah was the c. last Mughal rule Page 325

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12).Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh is famous for d. Gold

13).The imaginary lines joining places of same height at equal intervals are b. Contours

14).What is place of India in the World in Tea production? a. First 15).Gandhiji's movement of boycotting the foreign goods aimed at a. full independence _________________________________________________________________________________ __ IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES Durand Line : Boundary between India & Afghanistan. Hindenburg Line : Boundary between Germany & Poland. McMohan Line : Boundary between China & India. Maginot Line : Boundary between France & Germany. Radcliffe Line : Boundary between India & Pakistan. 17th parallel : Defined the boundary between North Vietnam & South Vietnam before the two were united. 38th parallel : Boundary line between North Korea & South Korea. 49th parallel : Boundary line between USA & Canada. Siegfried Line : The line between Germany and France __________________________________________________________________________ 1).Who is the Business Leader of the Year 2011? d. Chanda Kochhar

2).Who received the Entrepreneur of the Year award 2011? a. Rahul Bhatia 3).Who received the Global Indian of the Year award 2011 at the ET Awards? b. Vikram Pandit 4).Emerging Company of the Year went to c. Shree Renuka Sugars Page 326

PG GK COLLECTION 5).Company of the Year? a. Bajaj Auto 6).Who received the Policy Change Agent award for the year 2011? b. Nandan Nilekani 7).Who received the Lifetime Achievement Award? a. Yaga Venugopal Reddy .An American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer, he won the top award at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards in Nashville. He and his band The Steep Canyon Rangers were named entertainers of the year. Name the actor c. Steve Martin 9).Which of the following Indian healthcare providers has been named laureate of the Tech Awards 2011, a signature programme of the US-based Tech Museum for applying technology to benefit humanity and spark global change? d. E HealthPoint 10).A Lebanese actress and director, her second directorial effort "Et maintenant on va ou?" ("Where Do We Go Now?") won the Toronto film festival's People's Choice Award for best picture. Name her? b. Nadine Labaki 11).G-15 is consists of ______ c. Third World Nations 12).In which year did Hitler become the president of Germany? c. 1934 13.When was the meeting of the Agriculture Ministers of the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) held for the first time? b. December 2009 14)._________ is not the official language of the United Nations? a. Portuguese 15).Who was the 12th president of India? b. Pratibha Patil _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ CEO's --> Auto Sector Page 327

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Maruti Suzuki India Limited --> Shinzo Nakanishi (MD and CEO) Mahindra & Mahindra Limited --> Keshub Mahindra (Chairman) Tata Motors Limited --> Carl Peter Forster (CEO) Bayerische Motoren Werke AG(BMW) --> Norbert Reithofer (CEO) FIAT --> Sergio Marchionne (CEO) Ford Motor Company --> Alan R. Mulally (President & CEO) Honda Motor Company Ltd --> Takanobu Ito (CEO) Hyundai Motor Company --> Chung Mong-koo (Chairman and CEO) Mercedes-Benz --> Dieter Zetsche Suzuki Motor Corporation --> Osamu Suzuki Toyota Motor Corporation --> Akio Toyoda Bajaj Auto --> Rahul Bajaj (Chairman) TVS Motor Company --> K N Radhakrishnan (President & CEO) ___________________________________________________________________ Match List I (Committee) with List II (Subject) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists List*I (Committee) List II (Subject) 1. A . Tandon Committee 1 . Capital Financing B. Rakesh Mohan 2 . Infrastructure Development C . Narasimhan Committee 3 . Financial Sector Reforms D. Omkar Goswami 4 . Industrial Sickness Committee ABCD (3) 1 23 4 2.. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below. List I A . Fiscal deficit B. budget Page 328

PG GK COLLECTION C . revenue D. primary deficit List II 1 . excess of total Expenditure over Total Receipts 2 . excess of Revenue Expenditure over Revenue Receipts 3 . excess of Total Expenditure over Total Receipts less borrowings 4 . excess of Total Expenditure less bor rowings and Interest Payments ABCD (1) 3 12 4 3. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes*given below. List I A . WTO B. IDA C . IMF D. IBRD List II 1 . provides loans to address short term balance of payment problems 2 . multilateral trade negotiation body 3 . sanction of soft loans 4 . facilitating lending and*borrowing for reconstruction and development ABCD (2) 2 31 4 4. How many timeshas the Indian currency been demonetized so far? (2) Twice 5. Name the*biggest Indian drug firm. (1) Ranbaxy India's largest pharmaceutical company and is ranked among the top 10 generics manufacturers worldwide and aiming to be in the top five with sales of $5 billion by 201 _______________________________________________________________________________ 1).Who is the most powerful woman in U.S.business according to Forbes magazine? c. Irene Rosenfeld 2).An American actor, director, producer, and author, he is best known for his Page 329

PG GK COLLECTION role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days. He has been appointed an honorary (OBE) Order of the British Empire for his educational work on dyslexia in the UK. Name him. b. Henry Winkler 3).Which of the following technological companies beat Microsoft in tech giants ranking? d. IBM 4).One of India's top retailers is in talks to rope in Japanese convenience store chain Lawson Inc as a 49% partner in its foods sourcing and manufacturing operations. Name the retailer? d. Future Group 5).Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No.3 PC brand, has entered into a _______million venture with contract laptop PC maker Compal Electronics Inc in eastern China, pushing their shares up sharply. b. $300 million 6).Which of the following technology companies has acquired the assets of retail consulting and software development firm Zaffera LLC for an "undisclosed amount? d. Cognizant 7).He was an American engineer and inventor who is most widely known as the inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker. He held more than 350 patents and was a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and a recipient of the LemelsonMIT Prize. He passed away on September 27, 2011. Name him a. Wilson Greatbatch .Which is the most polluted city in India according to the latest report released by World Health Organization (WHO)? b. Ludhiana 9).Which of the following FMCG companies has plans to invest $15 million in Sri Lanka to set up a new export-oriented manufacturing facility for producing fruit-based beverages? d. Dabur India Ltd 10).Who is the author of Saraswati Park? c. Anjali Joseph 11).English is the official language of which one of the following Indian States a. Nagaland 12).The capital of Pakistan till 1959 was b. Karach Page 330

PG GK COLLECTION 13).Silicon Valley of India is located in b. Bangalore 14).A judge of the Supreme Court retires at the age of___________. b. 65

15).What is the name for the kind of energy that is produced from coal? d. Thermal Energy ____________________________________________________________________ Irene Rosenfeld -Kraft foods Carol bArtz -Yahoo (Pastr tense ) currently yahoo has an interim CEO (some guy Morse who happenms to be thwre CFO as well Ursula burns - Xerox Vineeta bali -Britaanina Indira Nooyi -Pepsi Co Chanda kochar -ICICI Naina lal Kidwai - HSBC Shikha Shrma - AXIs BAnk ellen kullman - Dupont _________________________________________________________________________________ __ List of Maharatna, Navratna CPSEs As per available information (as on 20th July, 2011) Maharatna CPSEs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Coal India Limited Indian Oil Corporation Limited NTPC Limited Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited Steel Authority of India Limited

Navratna CPSEs Page 331

PG GK COLLECTION 1. Bharat Electronics Limited 2. Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited 3. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited 4. GAIL (India) Limited 5. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 6. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited 7. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited 8. National Aluminium Company Limited 9. NMDC Limited 10. Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited 11. Oil India Limited 12. Power Finance Corporation Limited 13. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited 14. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited 15. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited 16. Shipping Corporation of India Limited _________________________________________________________ 1. Father of C programming language has recently died.Name him ?

2. Name the lawyer activist who was recently beaten because of his remarks on Kashmir Issue ?

3. WHich CM has inaugrated a 650 crore Ambedkar Park ?

4. Which company has recently acquired Skype ?

5. Where is IBSA Summit being held

6. Force India is owned by which two Indian honcho's

7. Name the Indycar driver who died recently at Las Vegas 300 IndyCar Series Finale

8. Name the movie whose television rights have been sold for a whoping 41 crores .

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PG GK COLLECTION 9. Name the Chairman of Maruti Suzuki

10. Name the latest protest in New York which is against corruption

OA's 1. Dennis Ritchie 2. prashant Bhushan 3. Smt Mayadevi 4. Microsoft 5. pretoria 6. Vijay Mallya and Subroto Roy 7. Dan Wheldon 8. Agneeath 9. RC Bhargava 10. Occupy Wall St. _______________________________________________________________________________ 1.the indian constitution borrowed the concept of a five-year plan from the constitution of ________________. A. Russia b. Japan c. China d. Germany 2.a judge of the supreme court retires at the age of___________. A. 62 b. 65 c. 64 d. 58 3.who is the new president of cuba who was elected on february 24th 2008? A. Ral castro b. Jos r. Machado ventura c. Juan almeida bosque d. Abelardo colom ibarra 4.indias first national park, earlier known as the hailey national park is the ______________. A. Anshi national park b. Dachigam national park c. Dudhwa national park d. Corbett national park Page 333

PG GK COLLECTION 5.which of indias largest private sector enterprise is in talks to acquire national highway road projects in tamil nadu and karnataka worth rs 2,000 crore? A. Infosys technologies ltd b. Tata consultancy services c. Reliance infrastructure d. Wipro limited

6.which of the following companies has replaced dell to become the world's second largest personal computer company? A. Microsoft b. Acer inc c. Apple d. Lenovo

7.name the indian-origin tycoon who has been accused of one of australia's biggest corporate frauds for siphoning an additional 113 million dollars out of his burrup fertilisers. a. Pankaj oswal b. Chirag patel c. Micky jagtiani d. Kanwal rekhi

8.the world steel association (wsa), a premier global steel industry body, elected arcelor mittal chairman _____________ and jsw steel vice-chairman sajjan jindal to its 15-member executive committee. A. Sunil mittal b. Lakshmi mittal c. Narayanan vaghul d. Bruno lafont 9.the wailing wall is in which of the following cities? A. Hadera b. Holon c. Jerusalem d. Haifa

10.of which asian country is phnom penh the capital? A. Thailand b. Vietnam c. Cambodia d. North korea 11.which of the following indian healthcare providers has been named laureate Page 334

PG GK COLLECTION of the tech awards 2011, a signature programme of the us-based tech museum for applying technology to benefit humanity and spark global change? A. Cipla b. Wipro ge health care c. Apollo life d. E healthpoint 12.g-15 is consists of ______ a. Developed countries b. Second world nations c. Third world nations d. Fourth world nations

13.the two-year old alliance between volkswagen ag (vw) and which of the following japanese car makers has collapsed dissolving the partnership after the german firm accused it of violating their partnership contract by agreeing to buy diesel engines from italy's fiat s.p.a. A. Nissan b. Suzuki motor corporation c. Toyota d. Honda\ 14.india's second-largest software exporter is close to acquiring thomson reuters' healthcare business for $700-$750 million. Name the software exporter? A. Infosys technologies b. Wipro c. Tata consultancy services d. Hcl technologies 15.who won the 2011 davis cup? The 2011 davis cup (also known as the 2011 davis cup by bnp paribas for sponsorship purposes) is the 100th edition of a tournament between national teams in men's tennis. A. Jos acasuso b. Rafael nadal c. David adams d. Andre agassi 16.vijay singh is associated to which of the following sports? A. Tennis b. Golf c. Basketball d. Soccer 17.the world's largest pc maker is all set to acquire uk-based software company autonomy corp for $11.7 billion. Name the pc maker? Page 335

PG GK COLLECTION A. Hewlett packard b. Dell c. Apple d. Samsung 18.who won the men's marathon at the world championships in kenya? A. Benson barus b. Abel kirui c. Jonathan cheruiyot d. William chebor 19.which of the following indian multinational conglomerates uk-based subsidiary has signed an agreement to acquire 30.6 per cent stake in canadian potash miner epm mining ventures? A. Jindal steel & power india b. Reliance industries c. Tata group d. Mahindra & mahindra 20.who is the new director of air india? A. S chandrasekhar b. Rohit nandan c. S venkat d. K m unni

21.who is the interim ceo of yahoo? A. Patti hart b. Roy bostok c. Carol bartz d. Tim morse

oa - 1.a 2.b 3.a 4.d 5.c 6.d 7.a 8.b 9.c 10.c 11.d 12.c 13.b 14.a 15.b 16.b 17.a 18.b 19.c 20.c 21.d _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________ 1).Who has been conferred Spain's highest military honour, 'The Grand Cross of Military Merit' on behalf of the King of Spain. The award was recognition of Pakistan Army's contribution in the fight against terrorism. c. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani 2).A French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, America and France he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers." He is to collect a career honour at the Zurich Film Page 336

PG GK COLLECTION Festival, two years after his arrest in the city on child sex charges. Name him d. Roman Polanski 3).Which of the following bands has been voted the best festival headliner of 2011, in an online poll conducted by BBC 6 Music? d. Coldplay 4).In the second-largest Indian acquisition in Australia's mining sector after Adani Group's investment in a Queensland coal block, Hyderabad-based GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd, part of the GVK Group, acquired majority assets of Australia's heiress Gina Rinehart-owned Hancock Coal for ____________ c. $1.26 billion 5).State-run India Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IIFCL) signed a memorandum of understanding with ___________ and Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited (IDFC) to share the cost of financing infrastructure projects. Name the company a. Life Insurance Corporation of India 6).Who won the grand prix of Aragon b. Casey Stoner 7).He was a former chief of the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) and chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India's Takeover Regulations Advisory Committee (TRAC). He passed away September 19, 2011. Name him d. C. Achuthan .The second-largest independent oil and gas company in the US after Anadarko Petroleum, is buying oil giant ExxonMobil's North Sea assets for about $1.75 billion in order to increase its North Sea production. Name the company c. Apache Corp 9).Which of the following global Internet giants won a court case against Australia's competition regulator over claims that sponsored links at the top of its search results were misleading to consumers d. Google 10).The science of the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code is called d. Cryptology 11).Iron is a sports term associated with which of the following games? c. Golf 12).The NSG (The Nuclear Suppliers Group) finally waived off the 16-year-old embargo on nuclear relations with India on the b. 6th of September 2008 Page 337

PG GK COLLECTION 13).The capital of Israel is ______________. c. Jerusalem

14).What system of government does the Constitution of India provide? c. Cabinet System of Governmen 15).Which country is a member of the WTO despite the fact that it became a part of China? c. Hongkong _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ 1. Which company owns India's leading sweetener brand sugar free? Cadilla 2. Which was India's first-ever free Internet service provider, which started operations in 1999? Caltiger.com 3. Big Blue is IBM, but who is Big Yellow? Kodak 4. What is the meaning of the word MOTOROLA? Motion of Sound 5. What was launched in 1929 by the London Rubber company and derived its name from the qualities of "durability, reliability and excellence . Durex Condoms 6. Avinash Bajaj & Suvir Sujan, 2 Harvard Busines School classmates started this hugely popular website. Which website is this? Bazee.com 7. What is common to the brands Rolex and Hallmark? Same logos 8. Which company has the patent for the CDMA technology? QualComm 9. Which company had insured the World Trade Centre (WTC)? GE _________________________________________________________________________________ _ Q1. Nehrus birthday on 14th Nov is celebrated as Childrens day and also as National ________ day. Fill in the blank. Ans. Metallurgists Q2. In which Indian cos mine have they found Indias biggest diamond weighing 37.68 carat ? Ans. NMDC, Panna Mines Q3.______ is like manure. You have to spread it around or it smells. said J Paul Getty. Fill in the blank. Ans. Money Page 338

PG GK COLLECTION Q4. Which investment guru says risk can be greatly reduced by concentrating on only a few holdings ? Ans. Warren Buffett Q5. Web sites like Huffingtonpost and Firstpost do curation ? What is it ? Ans. Selecting news from various sources and presenting it Q6. What is the new interest rate and new limit on PPF announced by govt yesterday ? Ans. From 8.0 to 8.6% and Rs 70,000 to Rs 1,00,000 Q7. The paints industry brings creative people in Paris to forecast colour trends. For 2011 it was Lime Twist. What is it for 2012 ? Ans. Tea Dance ( a shade of red) Q8. Name the Bollywood star who has been signed up by West Bengal state as its brand ambassador. Ans. Shahrukh Khan Q9. Which silicon valley hot start up has asked its under performing employees to surrender the shares given or get fired ? Ans. Zynga Q10. Which co has now got the dubious distinction of posting the highest ever loss in a quarter by a listed co ? (Rs 7845 cr only) Ans. Indianoil Q11. Name this Indias largest herbal drugs co that wants to remain unlisted to focus on the long term. Ans. Himalaya drugs Q12. Name the insurance co with whom TCS has signed the biggest IT deal by an indian co. Ans. Friendslife Q13. Of the 175 routes in which our flag carrier Air India flies which are the only 2 routes it makes money ? Page 339

PG GK COLLECTION Ans. Delhi-tokyo and Tokyo-Delhi Q14. Why does Narendra Modi agree to the govt theory that high inflation is being caused by higher GDP. As per NaMo what is GDP ? Ans. Gas, diesel, petrol _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ Corp for $11.7 billion. Name the PC maker? a. Hewlett Packard 2).Who won the men's marathon at the world championships in Kenya? b. Abel Kirui 3).Who won the men's marathon at the world championships in Kenya? b. Abel Kirui 4).Which of the following Indian multinational conglomerates UK-based subsidiary has signed an agreement to acquire 30.6 per cent stake in Canadian potash miner EPM Mining Ventures? c. Tata Group 5).Who is the new director of Air India? c. S Venkat 6).Who has taken over as director-refineries of state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC)? d. Rajkumar Ghosh 7).Who is the interim CEO of Yahoo? d. Tim Morse .An Indian filmmaker, he was best known for his early career as an American exploitation film writer-director. He made films like ''Bawandar'' and ''Provoked''. He passed away on September 4, 2011. Name him Jagmohan Moondra!! 9).The world's largest food company is in talks to acquire Progress OAO, a Russian juice and baby food producer, to expand its presence in the baby foods market in Russia. Name the company. d. Nestl 10).Who is the new industry minister of Japan? a. Yukio Edano 11).In which did Germany attack France during World War II? Page 340

PG GK COLLECTION d. 1940 12).Which cup is associated with Football? a. Durand Cup 13).What does ESCAP stand for? c. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific 14).In which year was the International Monetary Fund (IMF) established? b. 1945 15).__________ is the highest literary award of the world? b. Pulitzer Prize _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ CEOs / MD igate Patni - Phaneesh Murthy HCL technologies - Vineet Nayar L&T - A.M Naik Mahindra Satyam - C.P Gurnani Larry Ellison - Oracle Largest semi- conductor chip maker company - Intel Eponyms Japan - Nippon Korea - Hanguk Greece - Ellada Germany - Deutschland ASI - Archaeological Survey of India CDS - Compulsary Deposit Scheme Temple of Emerald Buddha - in Thailand First indian to swim across the English Channel - Mihir Sen Vitamin necessary for blood clotting - K Which company has recently launched the car named " Sunny" - Nissan Brands and ambassadors Aviva Life Insurance - Sachin Tendulkar Peopsodent - RAone (shahrukh khan) Binani Cement - Amitabh bacchan Panasonic Television - Ranbir Kapoor ICICI prudential - Amitabh bacchan West Bengal - SRK Page 341

PG GK COLLECTION Taglines HDFC Bank - We Understand Your World Dena Bank - Trusted Family Bank Oriental bank of Commerce - Where every individual is committed HSBC - The worlds local bank Citibank - Citi never sleeps __________________________________________________________________ Famous places USA Grand Canyon - Arizona Waikiki Beach - Oahu , Hawaii Metropolitan Museum - NY Temple Square , Salt City lake - Utah UK Westminster Abbey - London London Tower Bridge Stonehenge - England Big Ben China Tian'anmen Square - Beijing Huang Shan (peak circuit) Victoria Peak - Hong Kong Longhua Temple - Shanghai Great wall , Forbidden city - Beijing Egypt Valley of Queens - Luxor Valley of Kings Pyramids of Giza Malaysia Twin Petronas Towers - Kuala Lumpur India Dona Paula - Goa Calangute, the Queen of Beaches - Goa Khajuraho Temples - Madhya Pradesh ______________________________________________________________ Terms Used in Games and Sports

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PG GK COLLECTION Badminton Double, Drop, Fault, Game, Let, Love, Smash,set point and match point Baseball Bunting, Diamond, Home, Pitcher, Put out, Strike Billiards Break, Cannons, Cue, In off, Jigger, Scratch Boat Race Cox Boxing Hook, Jab, Knock-out, Punch, upper cut Bridge Diamonds, Dummy, Grand slam, Little slam, Revoke, Ruff, Tricks, Trump Chess Check, Checkmate, Gambit, Stalemate Cricket Bowling, Bouncer, Crease, Cover point, Drive, Duck, Follow on, Googly, Hat trick, Hit wicket, L. B. W. (Leg Before Wicket), Leg Break, Leg spinner, Maiden over No ball, Pitch, Run, Silly point, Stumped, Wicket keeper Football Dribble, Drop kick, Foul, Hat trick, Off-side, Penalty, Throw in, Touch Down, volley Golf Bogey, Caddie, Hole, Links, Put, Putting the green, Stymie, Tee Hockey Carry, Center forward, Carried, Dribble, Goal, Hat trick, Penalty Scoop, Short corner, Sticks, Striking circle, Under cutting, icing Horse Racing Jockey, Place, Protest, Punter, Win Lawn Tennis Back - hand - drive, Service, Smash, Volley, Deuce, Game, Set, Love Polo Bunder, Chuckker, Mallet Page 343

PG GK COLLECTION Rifle Shooting Bull's eye

Rugby Drop kick, Screen Swimming Stroke Volleyball Booster, Deuce, Love, Service, Spikers Wrestling Half Nelson, Heave ______________________________________________________________________________ Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) are supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Not a currency, SDRs instead represent a claim to currency held by IMF member countries for which they may be exchanged. As they can only be exchanged for Euros, Japanese yen, UK pounds, or US dollars, SDRs may actually represent a potential claim on IMF member countries' nongold foreign exchange reserve assets, which are usually held in those currencies. While they may appear to have a far more important part to play, or, perhaps, an important future role, being the unit of account for the IMF has long been the main function of the SDR. ________________________________________________________________________________ retrograde motion---

our solar system has 8 planets....Pluto now consider as a dwarf planet(not planet) with no solid only gas. SUN is rotating anti clockwise on its axis and all 8 planets are revolving same as SUN rotation e.g anti-clockwise all planets rotating anticlockwise on their axis(as as of sun), except Venus ans Uranus. _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ \The International Seabed Authority (ISA) elected Peter Thomson, its President on 14 July 2011. Peter Thomson is Fijis permanent representative to the United Page 344

PG GK COLLECTION Nations. Thomson was elected as ISA president by its assembly during its annual session in Kingston, Jamaica. The assembly is the supreme body of the organisation, consisting of delegations from 161 member countries. Fiji has played a prominent role at the ISA since its inception. ISA was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea held in the year 1982. Fiji became the first nation to sign the convention on 10 December 1982. ISA is an autonomous international organisation. Any nation which becomes a party to the convention is given the responsibility of organizing, controlling and administering the resources of the international seabed beyond the limits of national exclusive economic zone. ___________________________________________________________________________ UN recognized languages Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish Parliament Names The Storting : Norway The Crotes : Spain Duma : Russia Riksdag : Sweden Rashtriya Panchayat : Nepal Yuan : China Folketing : Denmark Bundestag : Germany Shergo : Ethopia Some important articles of Indian Constitution PART-XIII (Article 301-307) of Indian Constitution: Deals with Trade, Commence and Intercourse within the territory of India. PART-XVIII (Article 352-360) of Indian Constitution: Deals with emergency provisions, Presidents rule. PART-II (Article 5-11) of Indian Constitution: Deals with various rights of Citizenship. World's First Super Computer : Cray - 1 Birth of UN : Treaty of Versailles India's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine Arihant Page 345

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ After being denied Cray supercomputers[2] as a result of a technology embargo, India started a program to develop an indigenous supercomputer in collaboration with Russia. PARAM was the first Indian Super Computer. the PARAM 8000. which was installed in 1991.[1] It is considered India's first supercomputer.

In 2011, Savitri Jindal is listed by Forbes as the world's 56th person and India's 5th richest woman having net worth of $13.2 Billion[4], as well as for having more children than any other billionaire mother (nine) After O.P Jindal's death in 2005, much of his assets were transferred to his wife, Savitri Jindal. Jindal Group's management was then split among his four sons with Naveen Jindal as the Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Limited. His elder brother, Sajjan Jindal, is currently the head of ASSOCHAM, an influential body of the chambers of commerce, and the head of JSW Group, part of O.P. Jindal Group. _____________________________________________________________________________ \\The Volkswagen Group comprises ten active automotive companies, and their corresponding marques: AUDI AG, the Audi Group, and the Audi marque 99.55% ownership; the Audi marque is the sole active marque of the former Auto Union, bought from Daimler-Benz on 30 December 1964. Audi AG wholly owns the private high performance subsidiary company, quattro GmbH. Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.,[3] and the Lamborghini marque 100% ownership by Audi AG; company was bought in June 1998. Bentley Motors Limited,[3] and the Bentley marque 100% ownership by Volkswagen AG; the company (at the time known as Page 346

PG GK COLLECTION Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motors Ltd.) was bought on 28 July 1998 from Vickers, but did not include the 'Rolls-Royce' brand name. The Rolls-Royce marque was subsequently restarted by BMW who had licensed the brand from Rolls-Royce plc. Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., and the Bugatti marque 100% ownership via the Volkswagen France subsidiary, Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. was created after Volkswagen Group purchased the right to the Bugatti marque.[40] SEAT, S.A.,[3] and the SEAT marque 100% ownership since 1990; initially in 1982 a co-operation agreement with Audi AG; 51% and 75% ownership in 1986, being the first non-German subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.[19] koda automobilov a.s.,[3] koda Auto, and the koda marque 100% ownership since 2000; initially in 1991 a co-operation agreement and 30% ownership;[19] 60.3% and 70% ownership on 1994 and 1995 respectively[21] Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and the Volkswagen marque the founding marque of the company, 100% ownership. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV), or German: Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge (VWN) 100% ownership; started operations as an independent entity in 1995. VWCV/VWN is in charge of all commercial vehicle developments within the Group, and has control over Scania AB and is a major shareholder in MAN SE. Scania AB,[3] and the Scania marque (controlling shareholder) Acquired July 2008 becoming the 9th marque of the Group,[1] 70.94% of voting rights as of 30 November 2009.[41] MAN SE, and the MAN marque (controlling shareholder) Acquired July 2011 becoming the 10th marque of the Group, 55.9% of voting rights as of 4 July 2011. Note: From July 1998 until December 2002, the Group's Bentley division also sold cars under the Rolls-Royce marque, under an agreement with BMW, which had bought the rights to the Rolls-Royce name, but not the Rolls-Royce operations. From 2003, only BMW has been able to make cars under the Rolls-Royce marque.

The Group also owns five inactive marques, via Audi AG: Auto Union (the Auto Union company, together with NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU), were merged into "Audi NSU Auto-Union AG" in 1969. The name was Page 347

PG GK COLLECTION shortened to "Audi AG" in 1985, and the interlocked four-ring badge from Auto Union is still used by Audi AG). Dampf-Kraft-Wagen (DKW) Horch NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU) bought in 1969 by Volkswagen AG, and merged into Audi AG; the NSU brand has not been used since 1977. However, the current Audi AG shares trade under the ticker symbol "NSU". Wanderer These heritage marques are retained and managed through the companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, both of which are 100% owned by Audi AG.

IN Short Whatever u buy ... Its Volkswagen ... DAS AUTO :P Suzuki Motor Corporation Volkswagen AG completed the purchase 19.9% of Suzuki Motor Corporation's issued shares on 15 January 2010.[44] Suzuki intends to invest up to one half of the amount received from Volkswagen into shares of Volkswagen. ___________________________________________________________________________ Q1. Which was the first bank to raise savings bank interest rate to 6 % after RBI deregulated it ? Ans. Yes Bank Q2. Name the first woman President and CEO of IBM who will take over from Sam Palmisano Ans. Virginia M Rometty Q3. Which Indian woman has appeared for the first time in the Forbes billionaires list ? Ans. Savitri Jindal Q4. Who has bought over the Ericsson stake in Sony ericsson joint venture ? Ans. Sony Page 348

PG GK COLLECTION Q5. Which co has launched its first ATM that dispenses gold and diamonds at Phoenix Mills, Mumbai ? Ans. Gitanjali Jewels Q6. In the context of IBM what is TWO IN A BOX ? Ans. A team of two. One consultant and one salesman to handle a client. Q7. Who owns the sports car brands Porsche and Lamborghini ? Ans. The VW Audi group. Q8. Who is a SOMMELIER ? Ans. A wine expert Q9. Which model of SUV has been launched in RA.ONE ? Ans. VW Touraeg Q10. Why is the closing down of Vaishnavi communications front page news ? Ans. Nira Radia Q11. As per a Mint study who was the highest paid non promoter executive in 2010 11 @17.3 cr ? Ans. Debu Bhattacharya ________________________________________________________________________ some thing about INDIA Most populous city- MUMBAI (2011 census) Most populous state- UTTAR PRADESH (2011 census) Longest national highway in INDIA - NH7 (2369KM, 1472mi), from Varanasi to kanyakumari Railways: The longest railway platform in India is at Kharagpur (W.B.) (everybody knows ) The fastest train in India is the Shatabadi Express whose maximum speed is 140 km/hr. The longest train route is of Himsagar Express from Jammu Tavi to Kanyakumari. It covers a distance of 3,726 km and passes through ten states. Highest peak point- Kanchenjunga (8598 mts) The Chief Justice of India- Hon'ble Mr.Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia Page 349

PG GK COLLECTION Chief of ARMY staff- General Vijay Kumar Singh Chief of Air Staff- Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne Chief of Naval Staff- Admiral Nirmal Verma _________________________________________________________________________________ _______ CEOs IBM : Samuel J. Palmisano : Virginia M. Rometty from Jan 2012 Wallmart : Mike Duke Anu agha - who led Thermax Ltd Nasscom President : Som mittal Durand cup : winners : Churchill brothers (2011) ( football) (India) Orange cellular provider : The brand was created in 1994 forHutchison Telecom's UK mobile phone network, which was acquired by France Tlcom in August 2000. Censor Board of India chairman : Leela Samson ( a classical Dancer) Companies and bikes Bajaj - Avenger , Pulsar , Discover , Platina , Ninja Yamha - Crux , Fazer , FZ1 , R1, YBR Suzuki - Slingshot , Bandit , Intruder TVS - Apache , Star City dhoni addition, Jive , Flame honda - unicorn CARS Hundai - Verna , Santa Fe ,Accent,Xing, elantra , Fluidic , Eon , Genesis Audi - A series , TT , Q series Fiat : Grande Punto , Linea , Palio , Bravo , Mio ,Siena, Sedici Ford : Endeavour , Fiesta , Fusion , Ikon ,Figo, Mondeo Land Rover : Discovery 3, Freelander 2 , Nissan : Micra , Murrano , Pixo , Largo , sunny Scoda - Fabia ,Laura , Octavia , Superb , joyster ___________________________________________________________ Brands and their punchlines I would give as many as i can Automobiles Mercedes Benz - Brace Yourself Mahindra Bolero - Breakfree Wagon R - For the smarter race Maruti Suzuki - Count on us Fiat - Driven by passion. FIAT Audi - Vorsprung Durch Technik(Progress through technology) Ford Fiesta - Go Fida Page 350

PG GK COLLECTION Toyota Corolla - Life's A Journey GM - Only GM Volkswagon - Drivers Wanted Skoda - Obsessed with quality since 1897 IT Wipro - Applying Thought Accenture - High Performance Delivered Hewlett&Packard - Invent Infosys - Powered by intellect, Driven by values Cisco - Powered Network Dell - Easy as DELL Indiainfoline.com - Its all about money honey ebay - The world's online market place amazon.com - Earth's Biggest Bookstore IBM - On Demand

BANKS Punjab National Bank - The name you can bank upon Deutsche Bank - A new look at life Allahabad Bank - A Passion to perform IDBI - Aao Sochein Bada ( Mast hai na , hindi mei asli indian jaise ) Merrill Lynch - Be Bullish Union Bank of India - Good people to bank with Bank of Baroda - India's International Bank SBI - Banker to every Indian HSBC - The World's Local Bank ICICI - Hum hai na( Tum ho isiliye toh tension dete ho) Corporation Bank - One bank many soultions Dena bank - Trusted Family Bank MEDIA CNN.com - Be the first to know Forbes - Capitalist Tool NDTV - Expertise. Truth First Discovery Channel - Lets all discover Times Now - Feel the News Business today - For managing tomorrow Business Standard - Intelligence Everywhere Zee Network - Jiyo zee bhar ke Indian Express - Journalism of courage Times of India - The Name India Trusts for News BBC World - Putting news first The Economic Times - The Power of Knowledge NDTV Profit - News You can USe Star Sports - We know your game Page 351

PG GK COLLECTION The Telegraph - Unputdownable Outlook - Speakout Tehelka - The People's Paper _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ 1).An American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor; he was the big winner at Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards 2011? c. Chris Brown 2).Who has been re-elected president of the Music Academy a. N. Murali 3).Which of the following Bollywood movies won three IIFA Awards? b. Band Baaja Baaraat 4).He is the founder-president of the Indian Wine Academy, was honoured with the prestigious Mrite de l'OIV by the International Organization of Vine and Wine at its 34th World Conference held in Porto, Portugal. b. Subhash Arora 5).PNC Financial Services Group Inc agreed to buy Royal Bank of Canada's U.S. retail bank operations for ______________, helping it expand in markets in the U.S. Southeast d. Philip Morris

6).Who has been named Unilever's first global (COO) chief operating officer? d. Harish Manwani 7).Which Bollywood actor was named the best male and female actor at the IIFA Awards? a. Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma .He was an Indian economist and former chief of National Statistical Commission. He was also a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) from 2004 to 2008 and as its Chairman from 2008 to 2009. He passed away on 21 June 2011. Name him c. Suresh Tendulkar 9).Who is set to receive Germany's Goethe Medal in honour of his life's work? The medal honours personalities "who have performed outstanding service for the German language and international cultural relations". c. John le Carr 10).What does GATT stand for? Page 352

PG GK COLLECTION b. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 11).Which American President was involved in the Watergate scandal? a. President Richard Nixon 12).The book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was set in_____________. a. Amsterdam 13).The Oxford University stands on the banks of the river ____________. a. Thames 14).What is Absorbic acid better known as? c. Vitamin C 15).What does the third schedule in the Constitution of India list? b. The oaths of offices for elected officials and judges _________________________________________________________________________ Deodhar Trophy of Cricket-North Zone beats West Zone Ranji Trophy-Rajasthan for the 1st time Vijay Hazare Trophy for the fourth time-Tamil Nadu state defeated Bengal Chameli Devi Jain Award 2010-Shahina K.K. (correspondent of Open Magazine) National Research Professor for a second term of five years from February 2011-Mahasweta Devi Hall of Fame Award for 2011-V. Kalidas(The Hindu) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and lndusirys top honour-Aishwarya Bachchan Eminent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir was awarded South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Lifetime Achievement Award at SAARC Festival of Literature at New Delhi. Big cat count increases from 1411 to 1706 But how many in Sunderbans? 70 Prime Prime Prime Prime Minister Minister Minister Minister of of of of Pakistan-Yousuf Raja Gilani Myanmar-Thein Sein Nepal-Jhalanath Kamal Afghanistan-Hamid Karzai Page 353

PG GK COLLECTION Lobsang Sangay: A research fellow at Harvard Law School, he has been elected as the Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile. 44th International Tourism Bourse Berlin. ITB, one of the worlds largest travel trade shows, is held annually in Berlin, Germany Julianna Smoot is appointed as the new social secretary of U.S. President NPTEL Project: Now source your courses from Google and YouTube National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a venture of the IITs and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, will shortly design study materials in science and humanities for engineering institutes in the country. The same would be provided via Google and YouTube Sandra Bullock actress won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress of 2009.When will she finally stop? Marie Orler is appointed as United Nations Police Adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which makes her the first woman to hold the top rank. For the first time ever Apple suprpass Nokia as the world's largest phone vendor by revenue Royal Emirates Group buys Spanish first division soccer club Getafe, renames 'Getafe Team Dubai' First Bejing international film festival held in China HCL bags broadband connectivity project for Indian Railways Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL has been appointed as the chairman of the board of governors of the IIT Kharagpur Atifete Jahjaga: Kosovos highest ranking police-woman, she has been appointed as the President of Kosovo. Which software training major has decided to setup 100 One World centres in a year's time?..............NIIT Which company has stuck a deal with British Library to digitise books?..........Google Page 354

PG GK COLLECTION Which two stocks of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has BSE decided to take out of the elite sensex index?............RCOM and R-Infra What is the name of the insurance plan launched by LIC recently?.........Jeevan Arogya Which Olympic boxer was shot dead in Pakistan recently?...........Abrar Hussain The Double Falsehood of the play by William Shakespeare, that has been for more than 280 years considered to be a hoax, is finally up to be included in a new series of the Bards work by his publisher The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an independent judicial body set up by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the conventin. Rudiger Wolfrum of Germany- Tullio Treves of Italy and Ivan Anthony Shearer of Australia.Wolfrum will preside over the tribunal. U.S.A. country passed the most sweeping health-care legislation in four decades, rewriting the rules governing medical industries and ensuring that tens of millions of uninsured citizens will get medical coverage. _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ FMCG/Consumer Durables Voltas Air Conditioners - ACs with IQ Kinley - Boond Boond mei Vishwas BPL - Believe in the best Nokia - Connecting poeple Bluestar - A brighter way to go Samsung Digital - Digital InInspiration Wills classic - Discover a passion Britannia - Eat Healthy, think better ITC - Enduring Value Panasonic - Ideas for life Hitachi - Inspire the net Wills Navy cut - Made for each other Amul - The taste of India Electrolux - Thinking of you( Flirt maarte waqt ladki ko electrolux bol dena) Liberty - The spirit of freedom Canon - Delighting you always Garments & Apparels Wills lifestyle - Enjoy the change peter england - Honestly Impressive Page 355

PG GK COLLECTION Lee Cooper - The fine english denim company Van Heusen - Powered Dressing Park Avenue - Enjoy the feeling Raymond - The Complete man Grasim suitings - The power of fashion Louis Philippe - The upper crest Scullers - This is life Rivolta - undress code for man LEE - The jeans that built america OCM Suiting - The secret of style DKNY - The official uniform of Newyork _________________________________________________________________________________ _ Airlines Singapore Airlines - A great way to fly Air Sahara - Emotionally yours Emirates - Fly emirates Malaysian Airlines - Going beyond expectaions Indian Airlines - New Horizons, Enduring values Thai Airways - Smooth as silk Qatar Airlines- Taking you places Cathay Pacific - Fly greener Jet Airways - The joy of flying Austrian Airline - The most friendly airlines British Airways - The way to fly Lufthansa - There is no better way to fly Srilankan Airlines - Youre our world Air Canada - A breath of fresh air Kingfisher Airlines - Fly the good times Cellular network providers BSNL - Connecting India Airtel - Express yourself Motorola - Intelligence everywhere MTNL - MTNL hai toh sahi hai Trump(Mobile care) - the easy way to stay in touch Dolphin - The affordable cellular service AOL - Welcome to the world wide wow _______________________________________________________________________ 1. This disease is caused by the deficiency of protein. Can you identify it from the given options? a. Goitre b. Kwashiorkar c. Hypokalemia d. Dermatosis Page 356

PG GK COLLECTION

2. We all know very well that the Pacific Ocean is the earths largest ocean. Which of the following represents the percentage area (approximately) of the earth covered by it? a. 25% b. 35% c. 40% d. 45% 3. This place is the wettest place on earth. Can you identify it from the given options? a. Mount Waialeale b. Cherapoonji c. Mawsynram d. None of these 4. The number of non-permanent members of the UN Security Council is a. 5 b. 10 c. 15 d. 20 5. According to the latest population Census, the state with the least population density is a. Sikkim b. Mizoram c. Andaman & Nicobar Islands d. Arunachal Pradesh 6. The number of Union Territories in India is a. 5 b. 6 c. 7 d. 8 7. The maximum duration for which the Presidents office can remain vacant is a. 1 month b. 2 months c. 3 months d. 6 months 8. Which of the following represents the minimum age required to become the member of the Rajya Sabha? a. 25 years b. 30 years c. 35 years d. There is no age limit as such 9. Which of the following represents the percentage contribution of the agriculture sector to the Growth Domestic Product of the Indian Economy (approximately)? a 15% b. 17% c. 21% d. 30% 10. Sakyamuni is another name of a. Mahavir b. Buddha c. Lord Shiva d. Lord Vishnu OA=BBCBDCDBCB _________________________________________________________________________________ __________________

Ports The United States Department of Commerce (DOC), International Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS), is organizing an executive-led Ports and Maritime Technology Trade Mission to India from Page 357

PG GK COLLECTION February 20 to 24, 2012. Where? Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Kolkata, India States and number of ports West coast Gujarat (40 Ports) Maharastra (53 Ports) Goa (5 Ports) Daman & Diu Port (2 Ports) Karnataka (10 Ports) Kerla (13 Ports) Lakshadweep Islands (10 Ports) East Coast Tamilnadu (15 Ports) Pondichery (1 Port) Andhra Pradesh (12 Ports) Orissa (2 Ports) West Bengal (1 Port) Andaman & Nicobar Islands (23 Ports) http://ipa.nic.in/state_ports.htm Worlds busiest port - Singapore World's second most busiest port - Shanghai , China _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Economy of The Republic of India Currency 1 Indian Rupee (INR) () = 100 Paise Fiscal year 1 April 31 March GDP $1.70 trillion (nominal: 9th; 2010)[1],$4.45 trillion (PPP: 4th; 2010) GDP growth 8.5% (201011) Page 358

PG GK COLLECTION GDP per capita $1,382 (nominal: 138th; 2010)$3,608 (PPP: 129th; 2010) GDP by sector services (55.2%), industry (26.3%), agriculture (18.5%) (2010 est.) Inflation (CPI) 9.72% (September 2011) Population below poverty line 37% (2010) Unemployment 9.4% (200910) External Exports $225.4 billion (2010 est.) Export goods petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles, apparel Main export partners UAE 12.5%, US 11.1%, China 6.1%, Hong Kong 4.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2009) Imports $359 billion (2010 est.) Import goods crude oil, precious stones, machinery, fertilizer, iron and steel, chemicals Main import partners China 11.2%, US 6.5%, UAE 6%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Australia 4.2%, Germany 4.2%, Iran 4.1% (2009) FDI stock $35.6 billion (200910) Gross external debt $238 billion (31 December 2010 est.) Public finances Public debt 71.84% of GDP (2010 est.) Revenues $185.4 billion (2010 est.) Expenses $269.8 billion (2010 est.) Economic aid $2.107 billion Credit rating BBB- (Domestic) BBB- (Foreign) BBB+ (T&C Assessment) Outlook: Stable (Standard & Poor's) Foreign reserves $319 billion (July 2011)

____________________________________________________________________________ Books written by APJ Abdul Kalam 1.Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam 2.Scientist to President 3.Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India 4.India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium Page 359

PG GK COLLECTION 5.India-my-dream 6.Envisioning an Empowered Nation: Technology for Societal Transformation 7.Guiding Souls: Dialogues on the Purpose of Life 8.Children Ask Kalam 9.Indomitable Spirit 10.The Scientific Indian: A Twenty-first Century Guide to the World around Us 11.My Journey Mahatma Gandhi An Aotubiography-The Story of My Experiments With Truths Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule Jawaharlal Nehru The Discovery of India Glimpses of World History Towards Freedom Tryst with destiny the historic speech Bill Gates The Road Ahead Business @ the Speed of Thought ___________________________________________________________ Railway Zones For administrative purposes, Indian railways are divided into sixteen functional zones These are: Zone Headquarter Northern Railway Delhi North Eastern Railway Gorakhpur Eastern Railway Maligaon South Eastern Railway Kolkata South Central Railway Secunderabad Southern Railway Chennai Central Railway Mumbai Western Railway Mumbai South Western Railway Hubli North Western Railway Jaipur West Central Railway Jabalpur North Central Railway Allahabad South East Control Railway Bilaspur East Coast Railway Bhubaneswar East Control Railway Hajipur Page 360

PG GK COLLECTION Notable Achievement of Indian Railways Some of the notable achievements of Indian railways are: l The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (railway station in Mumbai) are all world heritage sites accredited by UNESCO. l Samjhauta Express and Thar express are two trains run by Indian Railway that connect India and Pakistan. l Lifeline Express is a hospital on wheels providing healthcare facilities to people in rural areas. l Kharagpur railway station has the largest railway platform in the World, while ib is the shortest name for a station and longest name is Sri Venkatanarasimharajauvaripeta. _________________________________________________________________________________ _ Books by famous Personalities contd. Shashi Tharoor Riot (2001) Show Business (1992) The Five Dollar Smile and Other Stories (1990) The Great Indian Novel (1989) Shadows Across the Playing Field: Sixty Years of India-Pakistan Cricket [with Shaharyar Khan] (2009) The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell Phone: Reflections on India in the 21st Century (2007) Bookless in Baghdad (2005) Nehru: The Invention of India (2003) India: From Midnight to the Millennium (1997) Reasons of State (1982) ISBN 978-0-7069-1275-3 One more by Mahatma Gandhi : The Mahatma & the Poetess LK Advani My Country,My Life Page 361

PG GK COLLECTION M.A.K. Azad India Wins Freedom Sonia Gandhi Authored: Rajiv Rajiv's World Edited : Freedom's Daughter Two alone,two together! aise faltu log bhi book likh dete hain Khuswant Singh The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories, 1950 The History of Sikhs, 1953 Train to Pakistan, 1956 The Voice of God and Other Stories, 1957 I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale, 1959 The Sikhs Today, 1959 The Fall of the Kingdom of the Punjab, 1962 A History of the Sikhs, 1963[8] Ranjit Singh: The Maharajah of the Punjab, 1963 Ghadar 1915: India's first armed revolution, 1966 A History of the Sikhs, 1966 (2nd edition)[9] A Bride for the Sahib and Other Stories, 1967 Black Jasmine, 1971 Tragedy of Punjab, 1984 Delhi: A Novel, 1990 Sex, Scotch and Scholarship: Selected Writings, 1992 Not a Nice Man to Know: The Best of Khushwant Singh, 1993 We Indians, 1993 Women and Men in My Life, 1995 Uncertain Liaisons; Sex, Strife and Togetherness in Urban India, 1995 Declaring Love in Four Languages, by Khushwant Singh and Sharda Kaushik, 1997 The Company of Women, 1999 Truth, Love and a Little Malice (an autobiography), 2002 With Malice towards One and All The End of India, 2003 Burial at the Sea, 2004 Paradise and Other Stories, 2004 A History of the Sikhs: 1469-1838, 2004 Death at My Doorstep, 2005 A History of the Sikhs: 1839-2004, 2005 Page 362

PG GK COLLECTION The Illustrated History of the Sikhs, 2006 Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles, 2009 The Sunset Club, 2010

Also these : Flames of the Chinar Indira Gandhi Returns Memories of Madness: Stories in 1947 ________________________________________________________ 1).Luxor Writing Instruments has signed which of the following Bollywood stars as the brand ambassador of 'Parker' pens in India again after a gap of two years. c. Amitabh Bachchan

2).Which of the following countries is likely to be the largest economy by 2050 according to US Assistant Secretary of State (Bureau of South and central Asian affairs) Robert O Blake? b. India

3).Wipro has appointed________ to its Board of Directors. He will be the 12th board member and join as an independent director. d. Mahendra Kumar Sharma 4).British engine maker Rolls Royce has inked its first deal with Brazilian airline TAM to provide engines worth $2.2 billion for Airbus A350s. Name the Brazilian airline? a. TAM

5).PNC Financial Services Group Inc agreed to buy Royal Bank of Canada's U.S. retail bank operations for ______________, helping it expand in markets in the U.S. Southeast b. $3.45 billion

6).Who has won the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition? d. Valentina Nafornita

7).Which of the following television soap operas has won the top Daytime Emmy award, clinching the prize for best drama series. d. The Young and the Restless Page 363

PG GK COLLECTION .Asias biggest sports content provider, announced today that it has secured live and exclusive rights to broadcast the Spanish La Liga for the 2012/13 to 2014/15 seasons, on multiple distribution platforms in 18 markets across Asia. Is it d. ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) 9).The world's largest two-wheeler company by volume got shareholders' approval to change its corporate name to Hero MotoCorp Ltd. Name the two-wheeler company. b. Hero Honda

10).On October 4th,1957 what satellite was launched , becoming the first satellite to officially orbit the earth? c. Sputnik 1

11).In which state is the Sariska Tiger Reserve, infamous for poaching of tigers, located? a. Rajasthan

12).The currency of Greece is a. Euro 13).Sunita Williams is associated with: b. Space Sciences 14).The largest river of Asia is d. Yangtze 15).A leap year occurs once in d. 4 years _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ 1. Name the jailed Chinese pro-democracy activist who won this years Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. a. Went Xiabo b. Wen Jiabao c. Liu Jiabao d. Liu Xiaobo 2. Which government is behind the The Nalanda Proposal, proposing Nalanda as an ideal site for establishing a 21st century learning institution. a. Singapore b. India c. U.K. d. China 3. Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger are known for founding a. Facebook b. Orkut c. Wikipedia d. Google Page 364

PG GK COLLECTION 4. The year 2010 is represented in Roman Numerals as a. LLX b. MMX c. IIXX d. CCXX 5. In which country is the seat of the United Nations International Court of Justice? a. France b. Norway c. Britain d. Netherlands 6. In 1965 Gordon Moore, Co-founder of Intel, made a prediction about the future of computer processing. What does his prediction, known as Moores Law say? a. As technology continues to advance, computer chips will become obsolete. b. Computer-processing power will double every 18 months to two years. c. There will eventually be no need for transistors in high-tech electronics. d. As the number of transistors increases, computer-processing power will be reduced by half in every two years. 7. At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock. Who wrote this famous advertising headline? a. David Ogilvy b. Walter Thompson c. Leo Burnett d. Salman Rushdie 8. His lifes motto was simple living and high thinking He was one of the greatest intellectual and activists of the 19th century and one of the pillars of the Bengal Renaissance. He was a polymath, Sanskrit pundit, educator, social reformer, writer and philanthropist. Due to his relentless efforts, on 26th July 1856, widow re-marriage was legalized by the then Government of India. Who is this towering personality? a. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar b. Raja Ram Mohan Roy c. Rabindranath Tagore d. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee 9. Eustace Fernandes, who passed away in early 2010 was the much admired creator of a. Tom and Jerry b. Amul Girl c. Air India Maharaja d. Snow White 10. Find the mismatch a. Somdev Devvaraman Badminton b. Gagan Narang Shooting c. Arjun Atwal Golf d. Anita Sood Swimming OA=DACBDBAABA ________________________________________

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PG GK COLLECTION 1) International Brand Ambassador for World Toilet Day - Matt Damon (Hollywood actor) 2) New Delhi City imposes fine of Rs 100 on those disturbing public hygiene. 3) Founder of Sulabh International - Dr Bindeshwar Pathak 4) Mates Condoms, from Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is the only brand from Virgin group without the flagship "Virgin" name. 5) Longest tennis match ever played - between Nicolas Mahut & John Isner during Wimbledon 2010. 6) Inside Coca-Cola - authored by former Coke executive Neville Isdell, co-authored by David Beasley _________________________________________________________________________ Some static stuff! Animal, Tallest Giraffe Archipelago Largest Indonesia Bird, Fastest Swift Bird, Largest Ostrich Bird, Smallest Humming Bird Bridge, Longest Railway Huey P.Long Bridge, Louisiana (U.S.A.) Canal, Longest Irrigational The Kalakumsky canal Canal, Longest Suez canal Capital, Highest La Paz (Bolivia) City, Biggest in area Mount Isa (Australia) City, Largest in population Tokyo City, Costliest Tokyo City, Highest Van Chuan (China) Continent, Largest Asia Continent, Smallest Australia Country, Biggest (Area) Russia Country, Largest (population) China Country, Largest (electorate) India Creature, Largest Blue Whale Delta, Largest Sunderban (Bangladesh & India) Desert, Largest (World) Sahara (Africa) Desert, Largest (Asia) Gobi Dam, Largest Grand Coulee Dam (U.S.A.) Dam, Highest Hoover Dam (U.S.A.) Diamond, Largest The Cullinan Epic, Largest Mahabharat Irrigation Scheme, Largest Lloyd Barrage, Sukkhur (Pakistan) Page 366

PG GK COLLECTION Island, Largest Greenland Sea, Largest Mediterranean Sea Lake, Deepest Baikal (Siberia) Lake, Largest (Artificial) Lake Mead (Boulder Dam) Lake, Highest Titicaca (Bolivia) Lake, Largest (Fresh Water) Superior Lake, Largest (Salt water) Caspian Library, Largest United States Library of Congress, Washington D.C. Mountain Peak, Highest Everest (Nepal) Mountain Range, Longest Andes (S. America) Museum, Largest British Museum, London Ocean, Largest Pacific Palace, Biggest Vatican (Italy) Park, Largest Yellow Stone National Park (U.S.A.) Peninsula, Largest Arabia Place, Coldest (Habitated) Verkhoyansk (Siberia) Place, Dryest Iqique (in Atacama Desert, Chile) Place, Hottest Azizia (Libya, Africa) Place, Rainiest Mausinram (Meghalaya, India) Planet, Biggest Jupiter Planet, Brightest Venus Plateau, Highest Pamir (Tibet) Platform, Longest Kharagpur (India) Railway, Longest Trans-Siberian railway Railway Station, Largest Grand Central Terminal, Chicago (U.S.A.) River, Longest Nile (Africa) River, Largest Amazon (S. America) Sea-bird, Largest Albatross Star, Brightest Sirius Statue, Tallest Statue of Motherland, Volgagrad (Russia) Telescope, Largest Radio New Mexico (U.S.A.) Tramway, World's first New York Tunnel, Longest (Railway) Tanna (Japan) Tunnel, Longest (road) Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy Volcano, Highest Ojos del Salado (Andes, Ecuador) Volcano, Most Active Maunaloa (Hawaii - U.S.A.) Wall, Longest Great Wall of China Waterfall, Highest Angel (Venezuela) Water, Lowest Body Dead Sea Zoo, Largest Kruger National Park, South Africa

_________________________________________________________________________________ ____ 1).India's second largest Pharmaceutical Healthcare company which sold its generics unit to Abbott Laboratories for $3.8 billion (Rs 17,190 crore) last year, Page 367

PG GK COLLECTION is taking its second step to transform into a financial services conglomerate as it negotiates to buy Enam Financial's stake in ING Life Insurance. Name the pharmaceutical company? d. Piramal Healthcare 2).Who is the new director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune? a. Dharmendra Jai Narain 3).A US-based IT company, Computer Science Corporation (CSC) has appointed ________as the head of a new business unit focused on Indian domestic customers. Name him b. Narendra Nayak 4).Which of the following banks has signed a service agreement with TimesofMoney, India's leading e-payments service provider to offer remittance solutions to NRIs in selected countries? This tie up would enable all NRIs across 22 countries, to remit funds online to any bank in India under the NEFT/RTGS network. Is it b. South Indian Bank 5).Which of the following companies has bagged three ICWAI awards for excellence in cost management? c. BHEL 6).A global hospitality company, which is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm has signed an agreement with Nehru Place Hotels Limited, an Eros Group company, to take over the management of its hotel located in Nehru Place in New Delhi. Name the company? a. Hilton Worldwide 7).He is a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. He received his initial training from his father, who was the court musician of the former principality of Raigarh, situated in the modern state of Chattisgarh. Later he became a student of the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Under the tutelage of both, he enriched his repertoire in both classical and semi-classical music and can sing khayal and thumri with equal command. He has also performed in all the major conferences held all over the country and has toured abroad in countries like USA, Canada, UK and several parts of Europe. He passed away on July 19, 2011. a. Pandit Jagdish Prasad .India has inked an agreement with which of the following countries to promote increased collaboration in cyber security. d. USA 9).An information technology firm providing business outcomes-based solutions, has signed a $30-million contract to provide managed IT infrastructure service operations to Weyerhaeuser NR Company, a leading forest products company. Page 368

PG GK COLLECTION Name the IT firm b. iGATE 10).Who has been crowned Miss India Universe 2011? a. Vasuki Sunkavalli 11).After a gigabyte comes a a. Terabyte 12).Which is the largest pyramid in the world? b. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, Mexico 13).Pablo Aimar is associated with which of the following sports? b. Football 14).In which state is the Sariska Tiger Reserve, infamous for poaching of tigers, located? d. Rajasthan 15).A TI-83 is a b. Scientific calculator _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Smallest Biggest in the world

Largest Continent - Asia, 17,212,2000 square miles Smallest Continent - Australia,312,2000 square miles Highest Mountain - Mount Everest, Himalayan Mountains, Nepal-Tibet, 29,035 feet above sea level Lowest Point on land - The Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan, water surface 1,349 feet below sea level Deepest Underwater Trench - Marina Trench, 200 miles southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, 36,198 feet below the ocean surface Largest Sea - The Mediterranean Sea, 1,144,800 square miles Highest Lake - The Highest navigable lake is Lake Titicaca in Peru, 12,500 feet above sea level Lowest Lake - The Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan, surface of water 1,349 feet below sea level Largest Lake - Caspian Sea, 152,239 square miles Largest Freshwater Lake - Lake Superior, US-Canada, 31,820 square miles Deepest Ocean - Pacific Ocean, average depth 13,215 feet Largest Ocean - Pacific Ocean, 60,060,700 square miles Smallest Ocean - Arctic Ocean, 5,427,000 square miles Largest Gulf - Gulf of Mexico, 615,000 square miles Page 369

PG GK COLLECTION Largest Island - Greenland, 839,999 square miles Largest Peninsula - Arabia, 1,250,000 square miles Largest Archipelago - Indonesia, 3,500-mile stretch of 17,000 islands Largest Gorge - Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Arizona, US, 217 miles long, 4-18 miles wide, 1 mile deep Deepest Gorge - Hells Canyon, Snake River, Idaho, 7,900 feet deep Longest Mountain Range - The Andes of South America, 5,000 miles Longest River - The Nile, Africa, 4,180 miles Shortest River - The Roe, Montana, US, 200 feet long Largest River - The Amazon, South America, basin of 2,500,000 square miles Longest Estuary - Ob River, Russia, 550 miles long, up to 50 miles wide Larget Lagoon - Lagoa dos Patos, Brazil, 150 miles long, 4,500 square miles Largest Waterfall - Angel Falls, Venezuela, 3,212 feet high ______________________________________________________________________________ recent past of indian states---a)karunanidhi DMK gone,ANADMK's jayalalitha came in power, in Tamil nadu. b)kiran kumar reddy new CM of AP(andra pradesh), after demise of Y S Rajeshekhran Reddy c)oommen chandy new cm of kerala(indian national congress), v.s achuthandan was the former one of communist d)mamta banerjee of trinmool congress sworn in CM of west Bengal after step down of 4 decades ruling of communist(CM- buddhadeb bhattacharya) e)prithviraj chauhan CM of Maharashtra f)Sardana Gowda of BJP appointed as new CM of Karnataka, after step removal of B S Yederuppa on corruption charges(Karnataka lokayukt- justice santosh hegde) g)major general bhuvan chander knanduri sworn in as 6th CM of uttrakhand replacing ramesh pokhriyal nishank. h)Jarbom Gamlin was the CM of Arunachal Pradesh who is now replaced by Nabam Tuki

(dnt mind wrong spell ___________________________________________________________________________

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PG GK COLLECTION National Emblems of different countries: COUNTRY EMBLEM

Australia - Kangaroo Bangladesh - Water Lily Barbados - Head of a Trident Belgium - Lion Canada - White Lily Chile - Candor & Huemul Denmark - Beach Dominica - Sisserou Parrot France - Lily Germany - Corn Flower Guyana - Canje Pheasant Hong Kong - Bauhinia (Orchid Tree) India - Lioned Capital Iran - Rose Ireland - Shamrock Israel - Candelabrum Italy - White Lily Ivory - Coast Elephant Japan - Chrysanthemum Lebanon - Cedar Tree Luxembourg - Lion with Crown Mongolia - The Soyombo Netherlands - Lion New Zealand - Southern Cross, Kiwi, Fern Norway - Lion Pakistan - Crescent Papua New Guinea - Bird of paradise Spain - Eagle Senegal - Bhobab Tree Sierra Leone - Lion Sri Lanka - Lion Sudan - Secretary Bird Syria - Eagle Turkey - Crescent & Star U.K. - Rose U.S.A. - Golden Rod _________________________________________________________________________________ My GK part for the day Books Page 371

PG GK COLLECTION Outliners - Malcolm Gladwell ( A very nice book ,pm me if u want it ) My life - Bill Clinton Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff Ben-hur - Lewis Wallace Indersoll Rand has declared it's entry into cold chain consultancy segment in India 2011 . OLEV is the world's first commercial wireless electric vehicle launched in South Korea . RIDF - Rural infrastructure development fund Pulitzer prize 2011 for General Non Fiction category - Siddhartha Mukherjeeis "The Emperor of All Maladies" (This has been discussed once on this thread , so for those who know it move on ) Rheumatism is a disease that affects joints in the human body. India's first tablet PC was launched by Olive Telecom and is known as Olive Pad. Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd's Brand Ambassador - Ranbir Kapoor . "consider IT done " - Tagline of Syntel "passion for building stronger business" - Tagline of Cognizant _________________________________________________________________________________ ___ Official Books and Publications of Various Countries Name of the Book - Country Blue Book - any official report of the British govt Green Book - Official publication of Italy and Iran Grey Book - Official reports of the Japanese and the Belgium Govt Orange Book - Official publication of the Netherlands White book - Official publication of Germany, China, Portugal Yellow Book - Official Book of France White Paper - Short pamphlet giving authoritative details of facts issued by the Indian govt. stating its view on a particular issue for the knowledge of general public _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ Page 372

PG GK COLLECTION Major Indian Magazines Magazine - Publishing house A & M - Spectrum Magazines Business World - Ananda Bazaar Patrika The Week - Malayala Manorama Business Today - Living Media Computers Today- Living Media Cosmopolitan - Living Media Digit - Jassubhai Digital MEdia Economic and Political Weekly - Sameeksha Trust Femina - Benett Coleman and Company Filmfare - Benett Coleman and Company Fortune (Indian Edition) - Living MEdia Frontline - Hindu Group Gentleman - Express Publications Good housekeeping - Living MEdia India Today - Living MEdia Intelligent Investor - Berkshire Hathway Kadambini - HT MEdia Ltd Nandan - HT Media Ltd Outlook - Rajan Raheja Group Reader's digest (Indian Version) - Living Media The sportstar - Hindu Group Teens Today - Living Media Yojana- Ministry of I&B

Major Indian Newspapers Newspaper - Publishing House Times of India - Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. Asian Age - Asian Age Holdings Business Standard - Business standard Ltd. Financial Express - RPG promoted Indian Express Group Hindu Business Line - Hindu Group Hindustan Times - Kk Birla Promoted HT Media Indian Express - RPG PRomoted Indian Express Group Navbharat Times - Benett Coleman and Comapny Pioneer - CMYK Printech Telegraph - Ananda Bazaar Patrika The Hindu - Hindu Group The Economic Times - Benett Coleman and Company Tribune - Tribune Trust Bharat Chronicle - India's Internet Newspaper Page 373

PG GK COLLECTION Free Press Journal - Indian National Press _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ To the best of my knowledge: Amitabh Bachchan - Reid & Taylor,Cadbury's dairlymilk, Nerolac, Just Dial, Hajmola, Navratan,Emami,Dabur,Pulse polo campaign,Binani cement, Parker pens Aishwarya rai - Coke, Nakshatra,lux,longines Shahrukh Khan - Videocon,pepsi,santroxing,unicef,tag heauer, omega,airtel,ITC sunfeast,dish tv,nokia, Belmonte Sania Mirza - Atlas cycles,tata tea, Sports authority of andhra pradesh,save the girl child campaign,lotto,tata indicom,hyundai getz,HPCL,sprite,adidas Hrithik Roshan - Coke,ITC john players, Hero Honda Karizma,sony ericsson,acer,rasna,rupa macroman,hide n seek John Abraham - diet pepsi,yamaha,clinic shampoo,wrangler,fastrack sunglasses Kareena Kapoor - Citizen eco-drive,pepsi,luv,globus,garnier,anne french,head & shoulders,boroplus MS Dhoni - exide batteries,IOC,tvs starcity,reebok,brylcreem,frito lays,videocon,RCOM,Royal stag, Tata sonata Deepika Padukone - kingfisher airlines,tissot, levis signature,maybelline,lyrill soap,parachute oil Abhishek Bachchan - Idea,flying machine,BIG 92.7 Fm,omega, Motorola,Ford Fiesta Priyanka chopra - Lux, J Hampstead,Sunsilk, Killer jeans Sushmita Sen - olay,kiah,pantene shampoo Yuvraj Singh - Donear suitings,marico,xbox 360,royalstag,pepsi,microsoft,SBI cards,seagram Sachin Tendulkar ( GOD) - TVS, Canon,adidas,MRF,Avira,Sunfeast, Boost Rani Mukherjee - Titan Raga, Nestle Munch, Good Night, Aveo Page 374

PG GK COLLECTION Saif Ali Khan - Aveo, Royal Stag,Asian paints, Lenovo, Frito Lays, Provogue, Newport, Tajmahal tea _________________________________________________________________________________ __ Taglines of business-houses/conglomerates: Britannia Industries - zindagi mein life Hindustan Unilever - Small Actions, Big Difference ITC - 100 inspiring years Tata - Leadership with trust Reliance Industries Limited - Growth is Life Murugappa Group - Be the Energy Mahindra - Rise ____________________________________________________________________________ The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2011- Gagan Narang WTA's Player of the Year 2011- Petra Kvitova Athlete of the Year 2011- Usain Bolt and Hurdler Sally Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix Winner-McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton(Britain) All India Beighton Cup 2011 Winner- Indian Oil Singapore Formula One Grand Prix Winner- Red Bull Driver Sebastian Vettel(Germany) ________________________________________________________________________________ BRAND OF MAJOR FMCG COMPANIES

ITC Cigarettes : Wills, Classic, Gold Flake, NAVY Cut, Hotels : Welcome Group Hotel Packaged Foods, Confectionery : Aashirvaad, Sunfeast, Mint-O, Candyman, Bingo Branded Apparel : Wills Lifestyle, John Players, Miss Players Personal Care : Essenza Di Wills, Fiama Di Wills Greeting Card : Expressions Safety matches : Mangal Deep, Delite Stationery : Classmate, Paperkraft, Saathi

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PG GK COLLECTION Proctor & Gamble Feminine Care : Whisper Health Care : Vicks Action 500+, Vicks Vapo Rub, Vicks Cough Drops, and Vicks Inhaler. Fabric Care : Tide, Ariel Hair Care : Head & Shoulders Pantene. Olay, Max Factor, Cover Girl. Joy. Essences and Clairol Nice "n' Easy, Rejoice Baby Care : Pampers

Hindustan Lever Soaps : Lifebuoy, Lux, Breeze, Liril, Rexona. Hamam, Moti Beverages : Lipton tea, Brooke Bond tea, Bru Coffee Detergents : Surf, Rin, Wheel Creams and Beauty products : Pond's talcs and creams, Vaseline lotions, Fair & Lovely creams, Lakme beauty products Shampoos : Clinic Plus, Clinic All Clear, Sunsilk Dove Dishwashers : Vim dishwash, Ala bleach, Domex disinfectant Toothpaste and Brushes : Pepsodent, Close Up Deosprays : Rexona, Axe Ice Cream : Kwality Walls Squashes and Jams : Kissan

Dabur Foods : Real juice, Real Active, Real Twist, Capsico, Honey Healthcare : Dabur Lal Tail, Dabur Baby Olive Oil, Dabur Janma Ghunti Health Supplements : Dabur Chyawanprash, Dabur Glucose D Digestives : Hajmola, Anardana, Hajmola Candy, Pudin Hara, Dabur Hingoli Natural Cures : Shilajit Gold, Isabgol, Itch Care, Dabur Balm, Hair Care Oil : Amla Hair Oil, Vatika Hair Oil, Dabur Olive Oil, Jasmine Hair Oil Hair Care Shampoo : Vatika Henna Conditioning Shampo, Vatika Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Oral Care : Dabur Red Toothpaste, Dabur Lal Dant Manjan Dabur Binaca Toothbrush, Miswak, Promise Skin Care : Vatika Fairness Face Pack

Marico Hair Care : Parachute, Hair & Care, Mediker, Revive Food : Saffola

Nestle Beverages : Nescafe classic, Nescafe sunrise. Nestle milo Food : Maggi, Kit kat, Munch, Milkybar, Bar-one, Eclairs, Polo, Polo Powermint Page 376

PG GK COLLECTION

Pepsi Co Beverages : Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda and Mountain Dew, Aquafina, Tropicana and Slice. Lehar Soda, Dukes lemonade and Mangola Snacks : Lays Potato Chips; Cheetos snacks, Uncle Chips and namkeen snacks under the Kurkure and Lehar brands.

Coca-Cola Beverages : Coca-Cola, Thumbs Up, Fanta , Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Kinley, Georgia, Minute Maid Britannia Biscuits : VitaMariegold, Tiger, Nutrichoice Junior, Good Day, 50-50, Treat, Pure Magic and Good Morning. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ abbreviations of some names AOL- America Online AT&T- America Telephone & Telegraph BMW- Bayerische Motoren Werke DHL- Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn FedEx- Federal Express FIAT- Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino GE- General Electric corporation GM- General Motors IBM- International Business Machines Corporation INTEL- Integrated Electronics LG- Lucky Goldstar Corporation BPL- British Physical Laboratories HCL-Hindustan Computer Limited HSBC- Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation HTC Corporation- High Tech Computer Corporation Infosys- Information Systems DKNY- Donna Karan New York EA Games- Electronic Arts ESPN- Entertainment and Sports Programming Network FCUK- French Connection United Kingdom Qantas- Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Sega- Service Games Wipro- Western India Products Limited Page 377

PG GK COLLECTION ________________________________________________________________ 1).Global chemicals major DuPont has acquired Denmarks enzyme and specialty food ingredients maker for $ 5.8 billion. Name the food maker. c. Danisco

2).Which two companies have been named as India's two best managed companies in an annual poll conducted by Finance Asia magazine? c. TCS and HDFC 3).Which of the following Indian conglomerates is all set to invest between $5 billion and $10 billion in mining infrastructure in Indonesia? a. Reliance ADAG 4).Who has won the fourth Man Booker International Prize for the year 2011? d. Philip Roth

5).Aman ki Asha is a campaign which was started by the largest publishing house in India and the Jang group of Pakistan in January 2010 and won the coveted "best of show" award at the 81st annual INMA World Congress. Name the publishing house. a. The Times of India 6).Who is the new chief minister of Kerala? b. Oommen Chandy 7).Which of the following two countries have been placed at the first position, on the list of 59, in terms of world competitiveness by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)? . Hong Kong and the US .Who was appointed as Singapores new foreign affairs minister on May 18, 2011? c. K. Shanmugam 9).Name the Chief of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a member of the Socialist Party of France (PS) who recently resigned following allegations that he sexually assaulted a hotel maid in New York. a. Dominique Strauss-Kahn 10).What is the capital of Chile? d. Santiago 11).Which is the largest oil producing nation in Africa? Page 378

PG GK COLLECTION d. Togo 12).Who is the chairman and CEO of GE? a. Jeff Immelt 13).What does WMO stand for? b. World Meteorological Organisation 14).Who authored My Friend Sancho? c. Amit Varma 15).Ethiopia was formerly known as: a. Abyssinia

_________________________________________________________________________________ __________________ TAX STRUCTURE IN INDIA TAX STRUCTURE IN INDIA 1) Ques. : What are you doing? Ans.: Business. Tax: PAY PROFESSIONAL TAX! 2) Ques. : What are you doing in Business? Ans.: Selling the Goods. Tax: PAY SALES TAX!! 3) Ques. : From where are you getting Goods? Ans.: From other State/Abroad Tax: PAY CENTRAL SALES TAX, CUSTOM DUTY & OCTROI! 4) Ques. : What are you getting in Selling Goods? Ans.: Profit. Tax: PAY INCOME TAX! 5) Ques. : Where you Manufacturing the Goods? Ans.: Factory. Tax: PAY EXCISE DUTY! 6) Ques. : Do you have Office / Warehouse/ Factory? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY MUNICIPAL & FIRE TAX! 7) Ques. : Do you have Staff? Ans.: Yes Page 379

PG GK COLLECTION Tax: PAY STAFF PROFESSIONAL TAX! Ques. : Doing business in Millions? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY TURNOVER TAX! 9) Ques. : Are you taking out over 25,000 Cash from Bank? Ans.: Yes, for Salary. Tax: PAY CASH HANDLING TAX! 10) Ques. : Where are you taking your client for Lunch & Dinner? Ans.: Hotel Tax: PAY FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT TAX! 11) Ques. : Are you going Out of Station for Business? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY FRINGE BENEFIT TAX! 12) Ques. : Have you taken or given any Service/s? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY SERVICE TAX! 13) Ques. : How come you got such a Big Amount? Ans.: Gift on birthday. Tax: PAY GIFT TAX! 14) Ques. : Do you have any Wealth? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY WEALTH TAX! 15) Ques. : To reduce Tension, for entertainment, where are you going? Ans.: Cinema or Resort. Tax: PAY ENTERTAINMENT TAX! 16) Ques. : Have you purchased House? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY STAMP DUTY & REGISTRATION FEE! 17) Ques. : How you Travel? Ans.: Bus Tax: PAY SURCHARGE! 1 Ques. : Any Additional Tax? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY EDUCATIONAL, ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL & SURCHARGE ON ALL THE CENTRAL GOVT.'s TAX!!! Page 380

PG GK COLLECTION 19) Ques. : Delayed any time Paying Any Tax? Ans.: Yes Tax: PAY INTEREST & PENALTY! 20) Ques. : Which tax do you want to be excluded from our System? Ans.: Bribe. See what a business man or service man has to pay to run his business. Now you all say why we should not support to Anna Hazare's Fight against Corruption. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ 1) Which company has the website KO.com as a reference to its ticker symbol? a. Coca-Cola b. Kleenex c. Kodak d. Kosher-Choc 2) The TAG in TAG-Heuer watches stands for? a. Total Avant Garde b. Techniques Aktiengesellschaft c. Techniques d'Avant Garde d. Total Aktiengesellchaft 3) Which company organizes "Art of Chilling" parties as a promotional event across India? a. Carlsberg b. Kingfisher c. Fosters d. Smirnoff 4) "Amazing Heritage, Grand Experience". Tagline of which state's tourism industry? a. Madhya Pradesh b. Uttar Pradesh c. Arunachal Pradesh d. Rajasthan 5) Which company was incorporated as the software arm of "Dun and Bradstreet Corporation"? a. i-Flex b. i-Gate c. Cognizant d. Covansys 6) Which Shyam Benegal movie was inspired by the White Revolution of India? Page 381

PG GK COLLECTION a. Ankur b. Nishant c. Manthan d. Bhumika OA=ACCBCC _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ Country : Currency Brazil :Real Kyrgyzstan:Som Mongolia: Tugrik Paraguay : Guarani Albania: Lek _____________________________________________________________ Disease : Virus Malaria : Plasmodium Parasite Typhoid:Salmonella Typi Bacteria Chicken Pox:Varicella-zoster virus Measles:Rubeola Virus ___________________________________________________________________ Some Important Political Parties of Different Countries United States of America - Republican Party, Democratic Party Iraq- Bath Party Israel- Labour Party, Likud Party Hamas Party, Shas Party France - Socialist Party, National Front, Union for France Democracy Australia - Liberal Party, Labour Party Bangladesh - Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Awami League, Jatiya Party Nepal - Nepali Communist Party, Nepali Congress party China - Communist Party of China Sri Lanka - United National Party, Freedom Party South Africa - African National Congress, National Party, Inkatha Freedom Party United Kingdom - Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democratic Party Russia - Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Russias, Choice India - India National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, RJD, CPI, CPM, SP, LJP, TDP Pakistan - Muslim League, Pakistan People Party _______________________________________________________________________ Joseph William "Joe" Frazier (January 12, 1944 November 7, 2011), also known Page 382

PG GK COLLECTION asSmokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981. Guillermo Len Senz Vargas (22 July 1948 4 November 2011),more commonly known by his nom de guerre Alfonso Cano was the commander of the militant group known as Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Economist Lucas Papademos will be Greeces next prime minister, Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal by former President Moshe Katsav against his conviction for rape and other sexual offences, and upheld his seven year jail term Chris Martin became the first-ever recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal at the New Zealand Cricket Awards in Auckland this week. Michael D. Higgins was inaugurated as the ninth President of Ireland this week. AFSPA stands for Armed Forces Special Powers Act _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ Asian Games - Held after every 4 years. First Asian Game was held in New Delhi. 2006 - Doha, Qatar 2010 - Guangjhou, China 2014 - Incheon, South Korea _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ OlymPic GAMES

Sydney Australia Australia XXVII Summer 2000 Salt Lake City United States North America XIX Winter 2002 Athens Greece Europe XXVIII Summer 2004 Torino Italy Europe XX Winter 2006 Beijing[e] China Asia XXIX Summer 2008 Vancouver Canada North America XXI Winter 2010 London Great Britain Europe XXX Summer 2012 Sochi Russia Europe[d] XXII Winter 2014 Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America XXXI Summer 2016 Pyeongchang South Korea Asia XXIII Winter _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 383

PG GK COLLECTION _ 1) National Voters' day is ond) 25th January 2) How many times Lance Armstrong won Tour De France-7

3) The issue of protection of which animal made the Girnar Ropeway project controversiala) Vulture

4) Who has been appointed as the advisor to the PM in the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) with the rank of a cabinet ministerc) S Ramadorai

5) Who is the new head of RAW? S k TRipathi _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ 1).A multinational information technology and electronics corporation headquartered in Xizhi, New Taipei City, Taiwan is all set to buy US-based cloud computing firm iGware Inc for $320 million, the fifth-largest ever Taiwanese buyout of a US company, as it seeks to move beyond its core hardware manufacturing business . Name the Taiwanese company? a. Acer Inc 2).Randstad Holding N V, the world's second largest human resources (HR) services provider is all set to buy out its US rival SFN Group for about ________in cash d. $770 million 3).Express Scripts is all set to acquire Medco Health Solutions foR________creating the largest pharmacy benefits management (PBM) companies in the US health care industry. a. $29.1 billion 4).Agro-chemicals major United Phosphorus Ltd (UPL) has acquired 51 per cent stake in Brazilian firm DVA Agro Do Brasil (DVA Agro Brazil) for _________ c. $150 million-wbw Page 384

PG GK COLLECTION 5).Who has been appointed to run Deutsche Bank, the most important bank in Europe's biggest economy, as operations both in Asia and Germany take on greater importance. He is the first a non-German speaker is to run Deutsche Bank. b. Anshu Jain 6).A multinational provider of custom information technology, consulting and business process outsourcing services company has acquired CoreLogic Global Services' captive operations in India for USD 50 million. Name the company b. Cognizant ` 7).Who is the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Larsen and Toubro? d. R Shankar Raman .She was an American actress and was best known for her role as Charlene "Cha Cha" DiGregorio in Grease. She made several appearances on television as well. She passed away on August 3, 2011. a. Annette Charles 9).A financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management services is all set to sell its Latin American pensions, life insurance and investment management operations to Colombia's Grupo de Inversiones Suramericana (Gruposura) for approximately 2.7 billion ($3.74 billion). Name the financial institution. a. ING Groep N V 10).He is an Indian politician and was the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and represents Shikaripura in the Karnataka legislative assembly. He became the Chief Minister of Karnataka after the BJP's success in the 2008 Karnataka Assembly election. He was also briefly the Chief Minister in November 2007 before the coalition government with Janata Dal (Secular) collapsed. He was indicted in the Karnataka Lokayukta report on illegal mining and resigned on July 31, 2011. d. BS Yeddyurappa 11).What is the old name of Taiwan? d. Formosa 12).The President of the United States of America is all of the following EXCEPT b. the chief justice of the Supreme Court 13).Who succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister upon his death in May 1964, and is often referred to as the first acting Prime Minister of India? c. Gulzari Lal Nanda Page 385

PG GK COLLECTION 14).The United Kingdom is b. a constitutional monarchy _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ 1. The Angkor Vat Temple at Cambodia is dedicated to which of the following deity c) Vishnu 2. Ancient Damascus located in Syria is a world heritage site. Is it a c) City (City of Jasmine) 3. The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay awards are given annually for outstanding contribution in the field of Public Service, Community Leadership, Journalism, Arts, Literature etc. Ramon Magsaysay was the president of which of the following countries b) Phillippines 4. In which of the following direction can we find the evening star b) West 5. With which of the following Banks Umesh Chandra Sarangi is associated with ? (B)NABARD (Now the chairman is Prakash Bakshi) 6. Which among the following is also called as permanent council of economic cooperation (A)G-20 _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ N.G Ranga Award is related to : Agriculture Books Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Decisive days APJ Kalam- Inspiring thoughts VS Naipaul = An area of darkness Amartya Sen - The idea of justice Country - Currency pair Madagascar - Ariary Thailand - Bhat Armenia - Dram Haiti - Gourde National Parks Nanda Devi - Uttarakhand Kaziranga National Park - Assam Page 386

PG GK COLLECTION Sunderbans - West Bengal Keoladeo Ghana National park - Rajasthan (Also called Bird Sanctuary Bahartpur) UTI - Unit Trust of India SLV - Satellite launch Vehicle HMT - Hindustan Machine tools WCTL - Working Capital Term Loan Brand Equity most trusted brand of 2011 - Colgate Min. age requirement for an Indian Citizen to be a member of Lok Sabha - 25 yr of age _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ SET-11

1).A unique mobile technology based concept to improve the yield, productivity, income and quality of living of illiterate farmers in rural India has scooped the Coffey International Award as part of Business in the Community's 2011 Award for their campaign, m-Powering Farmers to provide agricultural information to farmers via mobile phone using innovative voice based technology in their local language including a local support Help Line. Is it c. IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd 2).Which of the following Bollywood divas has been appointed brand ambassador for a fund-raising project for conservation of Asian elephants and tigers? a. Madhuri Dixit 3).Chinas biggest offshore oil producer has agreed to acquire Opti Canada Inc. for ________in cash and debt to increase its oil-sands reserves, and pledged to buy more energy assets globally. d. $2.1 billion

4).Which of the following companys power transmission and distribution division has been awarded a Rs1, 210-crore order for building sub-stations for the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA). b. Larsen and Toubro Page 387

PG GK COLLECTION 5).A state-owned telecommunications company has launched its VVOIP (voice and video over internet protocol) service in India. c. BSNL 6).A Rs 3,500 crore diversified business conglomerate has acquired developmental rights to set-up a 400-MW wind power project in Chile. Name the conglomerate? . NSL Group ` 7).The worlds third largest chemical company has bought solar technology start-up Innovalight Inc in a move to help double sales to the solar industry to $2 billion by 2014. Name the company. a. DuPont .Who is the new chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF)? d. Norman Anil Kumar Browne 9).Which of the following countrys first voice-based social networking mobile platform has bagged the prestigious mBillionth 2011 award that felicitates mobile innovations, applications and content services delivery in South Asia. d. India

10).Which is the third most popular browser in the world a. Google Chrome 11).Who authored The Fourth Estate? . Jeffrey Archer 12).Which of the following cups is associated with the game of Football? d. Durand Cup 13).___________ is the economic grouping of Third World Nations d. G-15 14)._____________ is used to measure ocean depth b. Fathometer 15).___________ is used to purify water a. Alum _________________________________________________________________________________ _______ 1) Who is the founder, chairman and Managing Director of Moser Baer, world's second largest optical storage media manufacturer? Page 388

PG GK COLLECTION c. Deepak Puri 2) Which Japanese pharmaceutical giant has a controlling stake in Ranbaxy? d. Daiichi Sankyo 3) Arvind Mills, the flagship company of the Lalbhai group, was established in 1931 by whom? d. Kasturbhai Lalbhai 4) In banking terminology, what does REPO stand for? a. Repurchase Agreement 5) Which web-browser created waves by advertising in major national newspapers in India in September 2010? d. Google Chrome 6) Under which brand does Coca Cola dispense Iced Tea (Lemon & Peach) and cold coffee from vending machines? b. Georgia Gold 7) Which were the first Indian companies to be listed on NYSE and NASDAQ respectively? a. ICICI & Infosys Who among the following is the author of Jalebi Management? a. Shombit Sengupta _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ --India's first 3g tablet PC was launched by Olive Telecom and is known as Olive Pad VT100. dnt confuse with AKASH, it is india's first "ultra-low-cost tablet"has an Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is equipped with a 7 inch touch screen which is resistive and consists of 800x480 display and has a weight of about 350gms. Aakash has been made out of a collaboration between the U. K. based Data Page 389

PG GK COLLECTION Wind and IIT rajasthan and manufactured in india based company QUAD(hyderabad). Aakash has RAM of 256 MB, an expandable memory slot of 32.GB as well as 2 USB ports.It also has a headphone jack of standard 3.5mm. A commercial version will be marketed as the UbiSlate 7[10] at a projected price of $60 and no 3G(sim slot ) in it _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ 1. INDIAN TOURISM:-ATITHI DEVO BHAVA.(bolne ki baat hai bas) 2. KERALA:-GOD'S OWN COUNTRY. (ho sakta hai) 3.AP:-THE KOHINOOR OF INDIA. (Kohinoor is not in india,angrez le gaye 4. MP:-THE VERY HEART OF INDIA. (ha,center mai hai na) 5. CHATTISGARH:-FULL OF SURPRISES. (ha ha,maoists hai na entertainment ke liye) 6. RAJASTHAN:-SIMPLY COLORFUL/THE GRAND CANVAS. (kha yaar,ek hi to color hai sand ka) 7. PONDICHERRY:-GIVE TIME A BREAK. (.)

8. HIMACHAL PRADESH:-THE PERFECT HOST. (My native, cnt comment, aap log kar lo)(Total silence, pure air, pure water, and ultimate travelling destinations---himachal the perfect host) 9. ORISSA:-THE SOUL OF INDIA. (yup,extreme famine,soul to apne aap bhahar aa jayegi) 10. TAMIL NADU:-EXPERIENCE YOURSELF (yup) 11. UP:-AMAZING HERITAGE, GRAND EXPERIENCE.(yup, mayawati made a true heritage from poors money) 12. WEST BENGAL:-COMPLETE DESTINATION.(ho sakta hai) 13. GOA:- 365 DAYS ON A HOLIDAY.(vo to hai, kabhi bhi nikal lo) _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ Page 390

PG GK COLLECTION Awards Jnanpith Award - Chandrasekhar Kambar - 2010 Last Bharat Ratna Awarded - Bhimsen Joshi - 2008 - Hindustani Classical Music Dadasaheb Phalke Award - India's highest award in cinema - K. Balachander 2010 and vishal jalani 2011 Padma Vibhushan - Trade and Industry - 2011 - Azim Premji

Trophies -

i.Badminton Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and World Cup. ii.Cricket Ashes, Champions Trophy, C.K.Naidu Trophy, County Championships, Duleep Trophy, Gavaskar-Border Trophy, ICC World Cup, Irani Trophy, Ranji Trophy, and Sheffield Shield Cup. iii.Football African Nations Cup, Asia Cup, Confederations Cup, Durand Cup, English Premier League, Federation Cup, FIFA World Cup, German Bundeslga, Italian Serie A, Merdeka Cup, NFL Cup, Santosh Trophy, Spanish LA Liga, and UEFA Cup. iv.Golf British Open, Ryder Cup, US Open, and Walker Cup. v.Hockey Agha Khan Cup, Champions Trophy, Dhyan Chand Trophy, Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy, and World Cup. vi.Tennis ATP Masters, Australian Open Championships, Champions Cup, Davis Cup, Federation Cup, French Open Championships, US Open Championships, and Wimbeldon Championships. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________ the present President of the Confederation of Indian Industry is B. Muthuraman. Reebok is owned by Adidas. Sam Pitroda is the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Infrastructure, Innovation and Information. The Manesar Plant of Maruti Suzuki witnessed a prolonged strike in September 2011. According to latest World Tourism Organization figures, France is the most Page 391

PG GK COLLECTION popular tourist destination with 78.95 million tourist arrivals. In June 2011 the prestigious National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) was launched by Sonia Gandhi in Rajasthan. Tony Tan was elected as president of Singapore in September 2011. Christiana Figueres is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Frame Work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). N.C.Vij is the Vice Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Tourism has a foreign direct investment (FDI) limit of 100%. Martin Rees won the Templeton Prize for 2011. NEYVELI LIGNITE CORPORATION LIMITED (NLC) was given Navaratna status in April 2011. Ben Bernanke is the chairman of the Federal Reserve, the apex bank of the United States of America. Mukesh Ambani is the first non-American to join the board of the Bank of America (BOA). _________________________________________________________________________________ ___

1. The students of which among the following institutions have built the Jugnu satellite which is a remote-sensing satellite that will monitor vegetation and water-bodies? a)IIT Kanpur 2. Who among the following is the author of 'The Sense of an Ending'? c)Julian Barnes 3. Which among the following offices has recently become Indias first digital signature enabled department.? b)Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) 4. Which of the following is responsible for the extra strength of Pyrex glass c) Borax 5. Which one of the following is not a constitutional body? c)Planning Commission Page 392

PG GK COLLECTION 6. Who said: "Good citizen makes a good state, bad citizen makes a bad state" b) Aristotle _________________________________________________________________________________ ___ \AdAsia, the Asian Advertising Congress, has come back to India after eight years. It will be held in New Delhi from October 30 to November 3, 2011. National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated on October 1. International Day of Older Persons is celebrated on October 1. World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29. TRAI has renamed the National Do Not Call list as the National Consumer Preference Registry. Indias first Bamboo Museum is located at the Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (IHBT) in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. The museum happens to be the largest bamboo structure in India. It has been built by the Uttarakhand Bamboo Board at a cost of Rs 65 lakh. SLINEX-II was the joint Indo-Lankan naval exercise held at the Trincomalee navy base, 275 km east of Colombo, in September 2011. Jammu & Kashmir has become the first State of India to get MY Stamp by which people will get personalised stamps with their photographs on these. Uttarkhands Tehri district is all set to become the first Himalayan site to host a wind energy farm, which is being set-up on a hill top in Bachhelikhal. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the regulatory body which makes rules for food safety, has recommended the use of Stevia, a natural sweetener, for use in carbonated water, soft drink concentrates, chewing-gums and table-top sweeteners. A 69 cm tall college student of USA, Bridgette Jordan, 22, has been declared as the worlds shortest woman by Guinness Book of World Records. Goldplus is the worlds first pure gold jewellery car. It has been made jointly by Tata Motors and Titan Industries, on a Nano car platform, to celebrate 5,000 years of Indian jewellery In a tribute to Indian soldiers, the municipality of Haifa, Israel, has decided to include the stories of their valiant efforts in liberating the city during the First Page 393

PG GK COLLECTION World War in Israeli school curricula, as part of the history textbooks. India and China launched their first economic dialogue in end-September. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of Planning Commission, led the strategic dialogue from Indian side, with an aim to increasing Indian investment in China and addressing the burgeoning trade deficit. The annual Global Competitveness Report (GCR) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked Switzerland as the most competitive country globally. Singapore is the second most competitive country. China is ranked 26, while India is ranked 56th. India has fallen 5 notches since 2010. International Literacy Day is celebrated on September 8. The University of Cambridge has retained its premier status in the QS World University Rankings, beating Harvard for the second year. MIT was ranked third and Yale University fourth. The University of Oxford ranked fifth. On September 16, 2011, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the repo rate (the rate at which it lends to the bank) and the reverse repo rate (the rate at which it borrows from the banks) by 25 basis points each (100 basis points equals one per cent). These now stand at 8.25 per cent and 7.25 per cent, respectively. Former atomic energy commission chairman Anil Kakodkar has been made head of the high-level committee to review railway safety. In 2011 Delhi is celebrating 100 years of completion. As per data compiled on participation of women in the Parliaments, by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a group of 154 national Parliaments across the world, India ranks 100th, with just 10.8 per cent women in the Parliament. The highest representation of women is in Rwanda (56.3%), followed by Sweden (46.4%) and South Africa (44.5%). The lowestnilis in Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. In South Asia, Nepal is best placed at 17th rank, with 33.2% women in Parliament, beating Germany which stands at rank 18th. Also ahead of India are Singapore, Pakistan and China, at 44th, 49,th and 55th levels, respectively. Health Insurance portability service, which would allow policy holders to switch insurers, is all set to to be implemented from October 1, 2011. Shooter Abhinav Bindra and cricketer M.S. Dhoni have been conferred the honorary rank of Lt. Colonel in the Indian Army. The Union government has decided to reduce the lock-in period of investment by FIIs in long-term infra bonds to one year. _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 394

PG GK COLLECTION ___________ \\ABBREVIATIONS PAK-FA: Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation. AWARDS Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards Eleven scientists have been selected for the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, 2011. First given in 1958, the country's highest award in science is named after the founder director of CSIR, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It is given to a scientist up to 45 years of age and carries a prize of Rs 5 lakh. The winners include Amit Prakash Sharma of International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi and Rajan Sankaranarayanan of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad for the biological sciences category. In the chemical sciences category, Balasubramanian Sundaram of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Banglore and Garikapati N have won the award. The award for earth, atmosphere, ocean and planetary sciences category went to Shankar Doraiswamy of National Institute of Oceanography, Goa. In the engineering sciences category, Sirshendu De of IIT, Kharagpur and Upadrasta Ramamurty of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Banglore, were given the award. Mahan Maharaj of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Howrah and Palash Sarkar of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata were picked for the award in mathematical sciences category. In the medical sciences category, Kithiganahalli N Balaji of IISc, Banglore, was nominated while the award for physical sciences category went to Shiraz Minwalla of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. Jnanpith Award, 2009 & 2010 Eminent Hindi authors Srilal Shukla and Amar Kant have been chosen for Jnanpith award 2009. Renowned Kannada litterateur Chandrasekhar Kambar has won it for the year 2010. For most readers in Hindi, Srilal Shukla's name is synonymous with Raag Darbari, the novel that made reading Hindi books fashionable. The novel was translated into English by Gillian Wright, to introduce English readers to the hard-hitting satire of the Hindi hinterland. A former IPS officer later inducted into IAS, Srilal Shukla (born 1925) authored about 25 books, important among which are Makaan, Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj, Pehla Padaav, Ahyatvas and Bisrampur Ka Sant. He also wrote a detective novel titled Aadmi Ka Zahar, which was serialised in the weekly magazine Hindustan. He has already been conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award, Vyas Samman and Padma Shree (200. Page 395

PG GK COLLECTION Amar Kant, who shares his year of birth with Shukla, is the author of Inhin Hashiyon Se, that earned him Sahitya Akademi Award (2007). At one time, fighting penury, Kant was willing to sell his Akademi Award. His short stories like Hatyare, Dopahar Ka Bhojan and Diptee Collector were part of syllabi in several Indian universities. Kant also authored Sukha Patta, Kale Ujale, Beech Ki Deewar and Desh Ke Log. Kambar, who has won the Jnanpith for the year 2010, is a novelist and playwright. His noted works include Takararinavaru, Saavirada Neralu, Chakori (poetry collection) and Harakeya Kuri (plays). He is also a recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi awards. ______________________________________________________________________ DEFENCE Stealth fighter PAK-FA Hindustan Aeronautics Limited expects an indigenous fight-generation stealth fighter aircraft to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in about six years. The aircraft, called PAK-FA, is being developed with Russia. Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi has unveiled PAK-FA, also dubbed as the T-50, which will be the base variant for developing a version that specifically caters to Indian requirements. PAK-FA is a Russian acronym for Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation and its designers have claimed that it is comparable to the F-22 Raptor, US Air Force's latest fighter. A joint venture company on the lines of cruise missile manufacturer BrahMos will be set up for the purpose. HAL's contribution will include fuselage composites, flight software, including the mission computer, navigation systems, avionics and cockpit displays and counter-measure dispensing systems. Unlike the Russian version, the Indian aircraft will be a two-seater aircraft, which will involve limited re-designing of the fuselage, wings and control surfaces that will be undertaken by HAL. The project had kicked off in 2007. Amphibious vessels to strengthen Indian navy The Union government has cleared the Rs 2,176-crore acquisition of eight specialised vessels or LCUs (landing craft utility), capable of "hard beaching" on enemy shores, to boost the countrys amphibious warfare and island protection capabilities. The LCUs will help in swiftly transporting thousands of troops, heavy weapon systems and infantry combat vehicles over long distances to take the battle right to the enemy mainland. Page 396

PG GK COLLECTION The vessels will be built by the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. The LCUs are likely to be based at India's first and only regional "theatre command", the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC). With additional airstrips, OTR (operational turn around) bases and jetties, ANC is slowly being transformed into a major amphibious warfare hub. A strong military presence in the 572-island archipelago is considered imperative to counter China's strategic moves in the Indian Ocean, as well as ensure security of the sea lanes converging towards Malacca Strait. _______________________________________________________________________________ N-ENERGY BARC develops spent fuel automation system The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has designed and developed the first of its kind advanced automation system for transferring spent fuel bundles of pressurised heavy water reactors for nuclear reprocessing plants. Introduction of this automation system for reprocessing plant is aimed at transferring the fuel bundles directly from fuel handling area (FHA) of storage pool to the dissolver cell in an automated way, without the necessity of using charging cask. This contributes in eliminating dependency on skilled manpower and thus reduction of man-rem (radiation dose) consumption by workers. The system design is such that it can easily be adopted to handle fuel from 220 MW PHWR as well as from 550 MW/700 MW with minimum changes. Provision has also been kept for manual changing of spent fuel in case of non-availability of automation system. The spent fuel bundles from nuclear power reactors are stored under water at reactor site. After allowing it to cool down for a given period, the bundles from the reactor site are transferred to underwater storage facility at the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant site. PERSONS Pataudi, Mansur Ali Khan Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, India's youngest-ever Test captain, also known in the cricketing fraternity as "Tiger" Pataudi, died on September 22, 2011. Born on January 5, 1941 in Bhopal, the right-handed batsman made his debut for India at the age of 21 in a drawn match against England here in 1961. In a career spanning almost two decades, he played a total of 46 Test matches. In 1964, Pataudi was bestowed the Arjuna Award before being honoured with a Padma Shri in 1967. A star not just on field but off it too, Pataudi married the then reigning queen of Indian cinema Sharmila Tagore in 1969 and the glamorous couple had three children - Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Page 397

PG GK COLLECTION Khan. PROJECTS NTPC to set up first overseas power plant in Sri Lanka State-run power producer NTPC will set up a 500-Mw coal-based power plant in Sri Lanka by 2016, which will mark its foray into the overseas market. The unit will come up at Sampur in Trincomalee at an estimated cost of Rs 3,150 crore. A joint venture agreement to this effect was signed between NTPC and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). The Sri Lankan government will give land for the project on a long-term lease. Coal for the project will be imported and supplied by Lanka Coal Company (LCC) and the power generated will be supplied to the CEB _________________________________________________________________________________ __ SPACE RESEARCH Looking inside the moon More than 100 spacecraft have been to the moon, including six with U.S. astronauts, but one key piece of information about Earth's natural satellite is still missing --nwhat's inside. Learning about the interior of the moon is the primary goal of a new NASA mission called Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, which was launched on September 8, 2011. Overall, the moon has about one-sixth the gravity of Earth, but it is not evenly distributed. On the moon, a mountain actually might be a molehill, gravitationally speaking. Likewise, gravity maps of lunar flat lands show unexplained pockets of extra heft, an indication of subterranean deposits or structures. Learning the interior structure of the moon is considered critical to piecing together the story about what happened to the moon since its formation some 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists believe the moon's building blocks were large chunks of debris jettisoned from Earth after a collision with an object as big as Mars. In addition to un-ravelling the moon's history, GRAIL scientists expect to extrapolate their findings to other rocky bodies, both in our solar system and eventually to those beyond. The two spacecraft will take a long, slow journey to the moon, arriving on December 31 and January 1. After a few months to manoeuvre into the proper orbit, the pair will spend 82 days flying over the lunar poles, linked by radio waves. Page 398

PG GK COLLECTION When one spacecraft flies over a region of higher gravity, it will speed up, momentarily changing the distance between itself and its sibling probe. Less dense regions likewise will affect the satellites' positions. Using the radio waves as a ruler, changes as tiny as a micron -- the width of a red blood cell -- can be detected. With gravity maps in hand, scientists can then use computer models and data from other lunar missions to determine whether the moon's core is solid, liquid or a combination of the two, and what elements it contains. MISCELLANEOUS Asterix creator retires after 52 years Albert Uderzo, co-creator of one of France's greatest comic book heroes, Asterix the Gaul, has decided to hang up his pen at the age of 84. The Italian-born artist, who dreamt up the indomitable warrior with his scriptwriter friend Rene Goscinny in 1959, said he was "a bit tired" after 52 years of drawing and that it was time to hand over his creation to younger talent. The announcement came on the day publishing house Hachette celebrated the sale of 350 million Asterix books around the world, making the diminutive hero one of France's biggest-selling exports. Asterix and his jovial sidekick Obelix first appeared in print in October 1959, and their adventures fighting the Roman invaders have since been translated into over 100 languages. ________________________________________________________________________________ 1) 2009 film AVATAR hold the record for the biggest worldwide box office record, second is 1997 TITANIC 2)Star Alliance has been named winner of the World's Best Airline Alliance award at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held in the French Air and Space Museum at the Paris Air Show. 3)solicitor general of india is a sub-ordinate of attorney general of indai,who is indian government's chief legal advisor and its primary lawyer in the supreme court of India. attorney general of India- goolam essaji vahanvati(G E Vahanvati) Solicitor general of India - rohinton nariman 4)INS Satpura is a Shivalik class frigate of the Indian Navy, built at Mazagon Dock Limited. Ship was handed over to the Indian navy on 9th July 2011 and it was commissioned on 20th August 2011. _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 399

PG GK COLLECTION _____ Appointment 1. Roop Mahajan named Lewis Hester Chair in Engineering 2. IIT alumnus named head of MIT's top lab The prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has named Indian academician Anant Agarwal as director of its Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), . 3. Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar is new CVC 4. Ban appointed as UN chief for 2nd term . 5. Senate approved Panetta as US Defence Secretary 6. Brazil's Graziano elected FAO chief Jose Graziano da Silva of Brazil has been elected Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the U.N. agency tasked with reducing world hunger at a time of record high food prices. 8. Nirupma Roa appointed as US Ambassador Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was officially named as the next envoy of India to the United States. She is expected to take up her assignment shortly, a release by MEA said. Rao will be India's second woman ambassador to America after Meera Shankar. Rao's appointment to succeed Shankar was cleared by the Government a few weeks ago. Her tenure as Foreign Secretary ends on July 31. A 1973 batch Indian Foreign service topper, Rao in July 2009 became the second woman after Chokila Iyer to hold the post of Indian Foreign Secretary. 9. Rohinton Nariman appointed as new solicitor general Senior advocate Rohinton Nariman was appointed as the new solicitor-general. His appointement follows the resignation of Gopal Subramaniam. Ironically, Gopal Subramaniam had resigned to protest the move by Kapil Sibal to field Nariman to represent him in the Supreme Court in the 2Gspectrum allocation case. The apex court threw out Nariman successfully argued the case and the application at the admission stage. Page 400

PG GK COLLECTION 10. Justice Shivaraj Patil appointed new Karnataka Lokayukta Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Shivaraj V Patil, was appointed the new Lokayukta of Karnataka to succeed Santosh Hegde. Governor H R Bhardwaj cleared the name of Patil, who had earlier served as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court as well as Acting Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. 71-year-old Patil, who hails from Karnataka, replaces Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge who completes his term on August 2. 11.Troubled Air India got a new Chief Air India got a new Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD), with the government, formally notifying the appointment of Rohit Nandan, an Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer of 1982 batch, to the post. Mr. Nandan, a joint secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, replaced senior IAS officer Arvind Jadhav, who was given the marching orders and repatriated to his parent cadre in Karnataka. Mr. Jadhav's three-year term was to end in May 2012, but his failure on all parameters and lacklustre performance only hurried his exit from the airline, which finds itself deep in huge financial losses. 12. Petraeus handed over Afghan command US General David Petraeus, Washingtons new intelligence chief, handed over command of US and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, a day after a tentative start was made to a gradual process of transferring security to Afghan forces. Petraeus, credited with reversing a spiral towards civil war in Iraq, took over in Afghanistan on July 4, 2010, and is to now take over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. 13. D J Narain took over as FTII director Dharmendra Jai Narain, popularly known as D J Narain, took over as the director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). A 1990 Indian Information Services officer, Narain follows Pankaj Rag in the post. TV section dean Iftekar Ahmed was the interim director. 14. Indian-origin activist on British media panel Shami Chakrabarti, a prominent Indian-origin human rights activist was named Page 401

PG GK COLLECTION by British Prime Minister David Cameron among six independent experts who will form a panel to examine British media practices in the wake of the raging phone-hacking scandal. Chakrabarti, 42, is a barrister and director of the London-based human rights group Liberty. The panel of independent experts will help Lord Justice Leveson examine media practices in the wake of the phone hacking scandal and is expected to report within 12 months. 15. Rakesh Sood new envoy to France India's Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood was appointed Ambassador to France. 16. Browne to take over as IAF Chief Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, who logged 3,100 hours of flying a slew of fighter aircraft, will take over as Chief of the Indian Air Force from Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik. 17. Shinawatra confirmed as Thailand's first female PM Yingluck Shinawatra became politically turbulent Thailand's first female prime minister after parliament endorsed her crushing election victory. A political novice, Yingluck -the sister of ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra -- gained support from 296 members of the lower house out of a potential 500 reflecting the majority enjoyed by her party and its allies. Yingluck's Puea Thai party and its partners command a three-fifths parliamentary majority after a resounding victory in the July 3 election over the pro-establishment Democrats. The country's 28th prime minister can expect royal endorsement within days to formalise her position. 18. Lobsang Sangay to be sworn in The central courtyard of Tsuglakhang temple, opposite the office of the Dalai Lama, remained abuzz with hectic activity, with just a day to go for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Kalon Tripa (prime minister). Lobsang Sangay, who was elected to office earlier this year, formally took oath as the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile before Ngawang Phelgyal, the chief justice commissioner, in the presence of the Dalai Lama at McLeodganj, which earned the sobriquet of 'Mini Lhasa'. He took the oath exactly at 9 minutes and 9 seconds after 9 am. Page 402

PG GK COLLECTION 19. Randhir Singh re-elected Randhir Singh was re-elected Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Asia for the sixth consecutive term at the General Assembly meeting of the OCA held in Tokyo. Randhir is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has hailed Randhir Singh's election as the Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). 20. D Subbarao got 2-yr extension as RBI governor Reserve Bank of India governor D Subbarao was given a two-year extension at a time when the government and the central bank are trying to limit the impact of the US rating downgrade and the slowdown in debt-ridden European economies. Breaking from tradition, the Prime Minister's Office put out a statement announcing that Subbarao, a former finance secretary would now retire on September 4, 2013. The decision comes barely a month before his original three-year term was to end on September 5. 21. Prahlada took over as DIAT Vice-Chancellor The Chief Controller of Aero Programmes, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Prahlada, has taken over as Vice-Chancellor of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), a deemed-to-be university situated at Pune. The DIAT is an autonomous organisation fully funded by the DRDO, Ministry of Defence. On the basis of accreditation by the All-India Council of Technical Education, Pune University had recognised in 1980 eight courses in M.E. offered by the DIAT. The Institute became a deemed-to-be university in 2000. Its areas of academic studies and research cover aerospace, computer science, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, applied physics, chemistry, mathematics and material science. 22. Four new Governors appointed The Union government formally announced the appointment of the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, K. Rosaiah, as the Tamil Nadu Governor. He is among four new Page 403

PG GK COLLECTION Governors, whose appointments were announced by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ram Naresh Yadav (83), was appointed the Madhya Pradesh Governor and the former Kerala Assembly Speaker, Vakkom Purushothaman, has been named as the Governor of Mizoram. Syed Ahmed, a former Maharashtra Minister, has been appointed Jharkhand Governor. 23. Allahabad High Court got 9 new judges Nine judicial officers, mostly from the district courts, have been promoted as judges to the Allahabad High Court. They will take oath following which the total number of judges in the high court will go up to 71. The high court, including the Lucknow bench, has a sanctioned strength of 160 judges, but has been working with a depleted staff. 24. Supreme Court judges sworn in President Pratibha Patil has appointed the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, S.J. Mukhopadhaya; the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, J.S. Khehar; and Justice Ranjana Desai of the Bombay High Court as Supreme Court Judges. Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia swore them in on September 13 in his court hall. Justice Desai is the second woman Judge in the Supreme Court. In its sanctioned strength of 31 judges, Justice Gyan Sudha Misra is the only woman judge now. 25. Khanduri replaced Pokhriyal as Uttarakhand Chief Minister Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been asked by the Bharatiya Janata Party high command to put in his papers. The State legislature party is to meet in Dehradun to elect B.C. Khanduri to replace Mr. Pokhriyal as Chief Minister of the hill State. 26. Ashish Bagga, new INS president Ashish Bagga of India Today had elected president of The Indian Newspaper Society for the year 2011-12 at its 72nd annual general meeting. He succeeds Kundan R Vyas of the Janmabhoomi Group. K.N. Tilak Kumar ( Prajavani ) has elected deputy president, Ravindra Kumar ( The Statesman ) vice-president and Rakesh Sharma ( Aaj Samaj ) honorary Page 404

PG GK COLLECTION treasurer. V. Shankaran is the secretary-general of the Society. 27. Supreme Court got two new judges President Pratibha Patil has appointed the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Dipak Misra, and the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Jasti Chelameswar, as Supreme Court judges. Mr. Justice Misra, who will complete 58 years of age this month, represents Orissa. He was appointed the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in December 2009 and transferred to the Delhi High Court as Chief Justice in May 2010. He will have tenure of about seven years, and an opportunity to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI). In that event, he will be the third judge from Orissa to adorn the highest judicial office, after Rangnath Misra and G.B. Patnaik. Justice Chelameswar, 58, representing Andhra Pradesh, will fill the place of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, who retired in July. He was appointed the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in May 2007 and then shifted as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court in March 2010. He will also have tenure of about seven years in the Supreme Court. 28. New Police Chief for Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law & Order) Brij Lal, an Indian Police Service officer of the 1977 batch took over as the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. 29. Shanti Tigga became first woman jawan Another barrier was broken in the Army with a mother of two becoming the first woman jawan. Outperforming her male counterparts in the physical tests, 35-year-old Sapper Shanti Tigga joined the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of Territorial Army (TA). According to a senior army officer, women are allowed to join the armed forces only as officers in the non-combat units. But Tigga has earned the unique distinction of being the first lady jawan in the 1.3 million strong defence forces. She performed exceedingly well in all the physical tests. President Pratibha Patil honored her, a member of the Territorial Army, at Rashtrapati Bhavan . 30. Pulok Chatterjee took over as Principal Secretary to Manmohan Page 405

PG GK COLLECTION Senior IAS officer Pulok Chatterjee, took charge as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. A 1974 Uttar Pradesh cadre officer, Mr. Chatterjee replaces T.K.A. Nair, who has been associated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since 2004. 31. Dipak Mishra, Chelameswar sworn in Supreme Court judges Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Dipak Mishra and Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Jasti Chelameswar were sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia administered them the oath of office at a brief function held in his court hall. With the swearing-in of these judges, the total strength of the Supreme Court has gone up to 28 as against the sanctioned strength of 31. 32. Sudhir Vasudeva new CMD of ONGC Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the appointment of Sudhir Vasudeva as the Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Mr. Vasudeva, 57, is now Director (Offshore) in ONGC. The formal orders for appointment of Mr. Vasudeva, who was selected by government appointed Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) in interviews on October 19 last year, were issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, officials in the Ministry said. Mr. Vasudeva will head ONGC till his retirement on January 31, 2014. The Prime Minister gave his approval to Mr. Vasudeva's appointment after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) gave final clearance on all complaints received against him. 33. Dutch honour for Bedi Former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi was selected for the Avicenna Leadership Award, constituted by a Dutch institute, for her innate ability to inspire others towards leadership. She had been selected for the award for leading Indian women, as well as her contributions to the Tihar Jail as its head _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ Country - City - Airport Page 406

PG GK COLLECTION India -Mumbai- Chattarpati Shivaji India -Kolkata- Dum Dum India -Chennai- Mennambakam India -Delhi- IGI UK -London- Heathrow Spain -Madrid- Barajas Germany -Berlin- Tegal Germany -Munich- Munchen Riem Turkey -Istanbul- Yesilkoy Switzerland -Geneva- Cointrin Switzerland -Zurich- Kloten Sweden -Stockholm- Arlanda Norway -Oslo- Gardermoen Japan -Tokyo- narita Singapore -Singapore- Changi USA -NYC- John F kennedy USA -Houston- George Bush IC USA -Las Vega- McCarren USA -Phoenix- Sky Harbor Netherlands -Amsterdam- Schiphol France -Paris- Charles de gaulle USA -Chicago- Ohare USA -Atlanta- Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Thailand -Bangkok- Don Muang _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad Mar 2011 For the second time in a row, Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has been rated the world's number one airport in the category of airports handling 5 to 15 million passengers by the Airport Council International.

Hong Kong International Airport has been named the Worlds Best Airport by air travellers across the globe. A perennial favourite of air travellers worldwide, and the 2010 top airport, Changi Airport Singapore was a very close runner up ranking 2nd in 2011. Incheon International Airport, the overall award winner in 2009 was similarly in very close contention, securing 3rd place. Munich Airport ranked 4th in the world and the repeat winner of the Best Airport Page 407

PG GK COLLECTION Europe title. Beijing Capital Airport continued its improvement in the global ratings, moving up to 5th from 8th in 2010, also named Best Airport China. _____________________________________________________________ Episode 1

Q1.Which country has a new draft constitution written by citizens through social media ? Ans. Iceland Q2. The current US impasse is due to a govt debt ceiling which needs to be raised. name the only other country that has a debt ceiling ? Denmark Q3. As per UN estimates where will the 7 billionth person be born on 31st October this year ? India Q4. Name the handbag of Paki foreign minister Hina Rabbani that has caught the attention of the chatterati ? Birkin Q5. What tech has Harish Hande taken to villages tha have got him the Ramon Mgsaysay award ? Solar lighting Q6. With which watch brand would you associate Sachin Tendulkar ? Audemars Piquet Q7. There are 4 major watch cos in Japan. Name them. Citizen Seiko, Casio and Orient Q8. Which economist had said water is useful but worthless whereas diamonds were useless but far more valuable ? Adam Smith Page 408

PG GK COLLECTION Q9. Dzjchdzhe Shorash was born in 1930 in Budapest. How do we know him better ? George Soros the legendary hedge fund manager Q 10. Who is the other newly appointed Co-CEO to Jurgen Fitshen in Deutsche Bank ? Anshu jain _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ Major Mergers and Acquisitions-1

Top 10 billion dollar mergers and acquisitions India has been :-- Tata Steels mega takeover of European steel major Corus for $12.2 billion. The biggest ever for an Indian company. This is the first big thing which marked the arrival of India Inc on the global stage. The next big thing everyone is talking about is Tata Nano. -- Vodafones purchase of 52% stake in Hutch Essar for about $10 billion. Essar group still holds 32% in the Joint venture. -- Hindalco of Aditya Birla groups acquisition of Novellis for $6 billion. -- Ranbaxys sale to Japans Daiichi for $4.5 billion. Sing brothers sold the company to Daiichi and since then there is no real good news coming out of Ranbaxy.-- ONGC acquisition of Russia based Imperial Energy for $2.8 billion. This marked the turn around of Indias hunt for natural reserves to compete with China. -- HDFC Bank acquisition of Centurion Bank of Punjab for $2.4 billion. AND NTT DoCoMo-Tata Tele services deal for $2.7 billion. The second biggest telecom deal after the Vodafone. Reliance MTN deal if went through would have been a good addition to the list. -- Tata Motors acquisition of luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover for $2.3 billion. This could probably the most ambitious deal after the Ranbaxy one. It certainly landed Tata Motors into lot of trouble.AND Reliance Industries taking over Reliance Petroleum Limited (RPL) for 8500 crores or $1.6 billion. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ Page 409

PG GK COLLECTION

Directive Principles of State Policy

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It came into existence on January 26, 1950. It is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world, containing 444 articles , 12 schedules , 22 parts and 94 amendments .

Part IV (Article 36-51) deals with various Directive Principles of State Policy. History The concept of Directive Principles of State Policy was borrowed from the Irish Constitution. The makers of the Constitution of India were influenced by the Irish nationalist movement. The principles have been inspired by the Directive Principles given in the Constitution of Ireland and also by the principles of Gandhism ; and relate to social justice, economic welfare, foreign policy, and legal and administrative matters. Definition The Directive Principles of State Policy are guidelines to the central and state governments of India, to be kept in mind while framing laws and policies. These provisions, contained in Part IV of the Constitution ofIndia, are not enforceable by any court, but the principles laid down therein are considered fundamental in the governance of the country, making it the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws to establish a just society in the country. Characteristics:DPSPs aim tocreate social and economic conditions under which the citizens can lead a good life. establish social and economic democracy through a welfare state. They act as a, yardstick in the hands of the people to measure the performance of the government. The Directive Principles are non-justiciable rights of the people. The Directive Principles, though not justiciable, are fundamental in the governance of the country. DIRECTIVEs. Article 36:Definition of state: The State includes the Government and Parliament of India and the Government and the Legislatureof each of the States and all local or other Page 410

PG GK COLLECTION authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India. Article 37:Application of the principles. Contd Article 38: State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people. Article 39: Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State. -equal rights to men and women. -ownership of resources. -equal pay for equal work. -protection of children.. Contd Article 39 A: Equal justice and free legal aid. - to citizens having economic or other disabilities. Article 40: Organisation of village panchayats. Article 41: Right-to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases. Contd Article 42: Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief . Article 43: Living wage, good working conditions etc. , for workers . Article 43 A: Participation of workers in management of industries. Contd Article 44: Uniform civil code for the citizens. Article 45: Provision for free and compulsory education for children. Article 46: Promotion of educational and economic interests of Scheduled castes , Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections. Page 411

PG GK COLLECTION Contd Article 47: Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health . Article 48: Organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry. Article 48 A: Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife. Contd Article 49: Protect ion of monuments and places and objects of national importance . Article 50: Separation of judiciary from executive. Article 51: Promotion of international peace and security. -just and honorable relations. -encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration. Implementation of DPSPs through Land Reform Acts. Banking policy. Fixation minimum wages for employees engaged in various employments. Welfare schemes for the weaker sections. Nuclear disarmament.

Contd... Panchayati Raj. The Equal Remuneration Act of 1976. Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The 86th constitutional amendment of 2002 inserted a new articl e, Article 21-A. Amendments to DPSPs . (an amendment requires the approval of two-thirds of the members present and voting.) Major amendments Article 31-C , inserted into the Directive Principles of State Policy by the 25th Amendment Act of 1971 seeks to upgrade the DPSPs. Article 48-A , which ensures Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life, was added by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. Contd Article 45 , which ensures Provision for free and compulsory education for children , was added by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002 . Page 412

PG GK COLLECTION Conclusion DPSPs areo non-justiciable rights of the people. o guidelines to the central and state govts of India. o not enforceable by any court. o considered fundamental in the governance of the country. It the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws to establish a just society in the country. Contd In fact, it is the duty of the State to be kept in mind of DPSPs, while framing laws and policies to establish a just society in the country. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Intresting facts about India India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization) The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus. Chess was invented in India. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C. The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola. India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level. India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than Page 413

PG GK COLLECTION 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake. The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days. The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12). Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world (Source: Gemological Institute of America). The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982. Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. India exports software to 90 countries. The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively. Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion. There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world. The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively. Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively Page 414

PG GK COLLECTION The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century. The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday. Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577. Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India. Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years. _________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year 2011 - Dilip Sanghvi, MD of Sun Pharma Major Mithali Madhumita - first woman officer of Indian Army to be decorated with gallantry medal Antrix - Commercial arm of ISRO Asian Winter Games 2011 - held at Astana & Alamaty in Kazakasthan Rupert Murdoch's The Daily - first iPad newspaper _____________________________________________________________ 1. Which among the following is called "Fool's Gold" b) Iron Sulphide 2. Which among the following Vitamin is added to milk in some countries as it is lost during the process of Fat Removal(Skimming) a) Vitamin A 3. Magnus Carlsen is a player among which of the following sports/games a) Chess 4. Who started the practice of military governships in India by leaving the military governors called "Strategos" in India Page 415

PG GK COLLECTION a) Greeks 5. Which of these diseases is very rare in a women compared to the men affected with the same disorder b) Color Blindness 6. Dendrochronology is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. In a tree from which of the following zones the analyzing the circles would be most easy b) Temperate Zones _________________________________________________________________ points to remember---a)RUDOLF ELMER,a whistle-blower who has bought out much information on secret Swiss banks accounts. b)National Aerospace Laboratories, a constituent laboratory of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Mahindra Aerospace, jointly developed C-NM5 aircraft. The programme is India's first public-private partnership in development of aircraft and this "milestone" event is the result of teamwork across three development teams CSIR-NAL, Mahindra Aerospace and GippsAero (a Mahindra Aerospace subsidiary in Australia).

c)Infosys Technologies was the first company to get listed in NYSE(NYSE:INFY) _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Oprah Winfrey Chairwoman and CEO of Harpo Productions Chairwoman, CEO, and CCO of the Oprah Winfrey Network Global Muslim Community - Ummah Virus for one , river for another : Ebola ( river in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo) India's high tech submarine project - ATV The Siege of Krishnapur is a novel by the author J. G. Farrell ( Booker winner) Far from the maddening crowd : Thomas Hardy's classic Page 416

PG GK COLLECTION Tegucigalpa is the Capital of : Honduras __________________________________________________________________ Chief guest at 2012 Republic Day would be Thailand Premier Yingluck Shinawatra. She is Thailand's first female Prime Minister and is the youngest Prime Minister of Thailand in over 60 years. assumed office in august 2011 ______________________________________________________________ Epithets-Comprehensive list Americas Motor City Detroit Britain of the South New Zealand Chinas Sorrow River Hwang Ho City of Dreaming Spires Oxford (England) City of Eternal Springs Quito (S.America) City of Flowers Cape Town (S.Africa) City of Golden Gate San Francisco (USA) City of Magnificient Buildings Washington (USA) City of Quiet thoroughfares Venice City of Seven Hills Rome (Italy) City of Skyscrapers New York (USA) Cockpit of Europe Belgium Dark Continent Africa Emerald Isle Ireland Empire City New York Eternal City of Hopes Rome, Italy Forbidden City Lhasa (Tibet) Garden City Chicago Garden in the desert Ethiopia Garden of England Kent (England) Gate of tears Strait of bab-el-Mandeb Golden City Johannesburg Gibraltar of Indian Ocean Aden Gift of Nile Egypt Granite City Aberdeen Hanging Valleys Valley of Switzerland Hermit Kingdom Korea Herring Pond Atlantic Ocean Holy Land Palestine Human Equator of the Earth Himalayas Island Continent Australia Island of Cloves Zanzibar Island of Pearls Bahrain (Persian Gulf) Islands of Sunshine West Indies Page 417

PG GK COLLECTION Kashmir of Europe Switzerland Key to Mediterranean Gibraltar Land of Five Seas South West Asia Land of Lakes Scotland Land of Golden Pagoda Myanmar Land of Kangaroo Australia Land of Golden Fleece Australia Land of Lilies Canada Land of Maple Canada Land of Midnight Sun Norway Land of Morning Calm Korea Land of Rising Sun Japan Land of Setting Sun United Kingdom Land of Thousand Elephants Laos Land of Thousand Lakes Finland Land of Thunderbolt Bhutan Land of White Elephant Thailand Loneliest Island Tristan De Gumha (Mid. Atlantic) Manchester of Japan Osaka (Japan) Pillars of Hercules Straits of Gibraltar Play Ground of Europe Switzerland Quaker City Philadelphia Queen of the Adriatic Venice Roof of the World The pamirs (Tibet) River in the Sea Gulf Stream Sickman of Europe Turkey Sugar Bowl of the world Cuba Venice of the East Bangkok Venice of the North Stockholm White City Belgrade Windy City Chicago Workshop of Europe Belgium Worlds Loneliest Island Tristan Da Cunha Yellow River River Hwang Ho(China) __________________________________________________________________ World -Minerals Aluminium USA, France & India Asbestos Canada, Zimbabwe Bauxite Australia, Guinea Chromium Zimbabwe, India Coal U.S.A., England, Russia and Germany Copper Ore CIS, U.S.A. Page 418

PG GK COLLECTION Crude Oil CIS, Saudi Arabia Diamonds CIS, Zaire Gold South Africa, South America, Australia Graphite Ore CIS, Brazil Ilmenite India Iron Ore U.S.A., Russia Lignite East Germany, CIS Manganese Ore CIS, South Africa Mercury Italy, Spain Mica, Monazite India Natural Gas U.S.A., CIS Nickel Ore Canada, CIS Petroleum U.S.A., Russia & Middle East Countries Phosphate U.S.A., CIS Silver Mexico, U.S.A., and India Steel U.S.A., Russia, U.K. & Germany Tin Malaysia, Indonesia Uranium U.S.A., Canada Zinc Ore Canada, CIS SIGNS AND SYMBOLS Sun Air India Wheel (Chakra) Progress Red Triangle Family Planning Black Flag Protest (or Flag flown at half mast National Mourning) Red Cross Hospital Medical Aid Red Light Traffic Sign Stop Lotus Culture & Civilization

White Flag Truce Olive Branch Peace Stars and Stripes National Flag of U.S.A. Tricolour National Flag of India Justice A Blind-folded woman holding a balanced scale. Union Jack National flag of U.K. Hammer & Sickle National Flag of Russia ___________________________________________________________________________ Countries & Capitals Page 419

PG GK COLLECTION Afghanistan Kabul Albania Tirana Algeria Algiers Angola Luanda Andorra Andorre-la-Vieille Antigua & Barbuda St.Johns Argentina Buenos Aires Armenia Yerevan Australia Canberra Austria Vienna Azerbaijan Baku Bahamas Nassau Bahrain Manama Bangladesh Dhaka Barbados Bridgetown Belgium Brussels Belize Belmopan Benin Porto Novo Bermuda Hamilton Bhutan Thimphu

Bolivia La Paz Bosniaherzegovina Sarajevo Botswana Gaborone Brazil Brasillia Brunei Bander Seri begawan Bulgaria Sofia Burkina faso Ouagadougou Burundi Bujumbura Byelorussia Minsk Cambodia Phnom-Penh Cameroon Yaounde Canada Ottawa Cape Verde Praia Central African Republic Bangui Chad N Djamena Chile Santiago China Beijing Colombia Bogota Comoros Moroni Congo (Formerly French) Brazzav

Costa Rica San Jose Coted ivoira Abidjan Page 420

PG GK COLLECTION Croatia Zagrab Cuba Havana Cyprus Nicosia Czechoslovakia Prague (Praha) Denmark Copenhagen Djibouti Djibouti Dominica Roseau Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Ecuador Quito Egypt Cairo El Salvador San Salvador Equatorial Guinea Malabo Eritrea Asmara Estonia Tallinn Ethiopia (or Abyssinia) Addis Ababa Falkland Islands Stanley Fiji Suva Finland Helsinki France Paris Gabon Libreville Gambia Banjul Germany (United) Berlin Georgia Tbilisi Ghana Accra Greece Athens Grenada St.Georges Guatemala Guatemala City Guinea Conakry Guinea-Bissau Bissau Guyana Georgetown Haiti Port-au-Prince Honduras Tegucigalpa Hong Kong Victoria Hungary Budapest Iceland Reykjavik India New Delhi Indonesia Jakarta Iran Teheran Iraq Baghdad Ireland (or Eire) Dublin Israel Jerusalem Italy Rome Ivory Coast Abidjan Jamaica Kingston

Japan Tokyo Page 421

PG GK COLLECTION Jordan Amman Kazakhstan Alma-ata Kenya Nairobi Kirghizia Frunze Kiribati Tarawa Korea (North) Pyongyang Korea (South) Seoul Kuwait Kuwait City Lao s.P.D.R. Vientiane Latria Riga Lebanon Beirut Lesotho Maseru Liberia Monrovia Libya Tripoli Lithuania Vilnius Luxembourg Luxembourg Macao Macao Macedonia Skopje Madagascar Antananarivo Malawi Lilongwe Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Maldives Male Mali Bamako Malta Valletta Mauritania Nouakchott Mauritius Port Louis Mexico Mexico City Monaco Monaco Mongolia Ulam Bator Montserrat Plymouth Morocco Rabat Mozambique Maputo Myanmar (Burma) Yangon Namibia Windhoek Nauru Yaren Nauru Nepal Kathmandu Netherlands Amsterdam New Zealand Wellington Nicaragua Managua Niger Niamey Nigeria Abuja Northern Ireland Belfast Norway Oslo Oman Muscat Pakistan Islamabad Panama Panama City Papua New Guinea Port Moresby Page 422

PG GK COLLECTION Paraguay Asuncion Peru Lima Philippines Manila (Quezon City) Poland Warsaw Portugal Lisbon Puerto Rico San Juan Qatar Doha Rourkina Fasso (Upper Volta) Quagadougon Romania Bucharest Russia Mascow

Rwanda Kigali San Marino San Marino Sao Tome and Principle Sao Tome Saudi Arabia Riyadh Senegal Dakar Seychelles Victoria Sierra Leone Freetown Singapore Singapore City Solomon Islands Honiara Somalia Magadishu South Africa Pretoria Spain Madrid Sri Lanka Colombo St.Kitts-Nevis Basseterre St.Lucia Castries St.Vincent & The Grenadines Kingstown Sudan Khartoum Suriname Paramaribo Swaziland Mbabane Sweden Stockholm Switzerland Berne Syria Damascus Tadzhikistan Dushanbe Taiwan Taipei Tanzania Do doma Thailand Bangkok

Timor Dili Togo Lome Tonga Nukualofa Trinidad and Tobago Port-of-Spain Tunisia Tunis Turkey Ankara Turkmenistan Ashkhabad Page 423

PG GK COLLECTION Tuvalu Funafuti Uganda Kampala Ukraine Kiev United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi United Kingdom London U.S.A. Washington D.C. Uruguay Montivideo Uzbekistan Tashkent Vanuatu Vila Vatican City State Vatican City Venezuela Caracas Vietnam Hanoi Western Samoa Apia Yemen (North) Sania Yugoslavia Belgrade Zaire Kinshasa Zambia Lusaka Zimbabwe Harare _______________________________________________________________________________ Countries & Currencies

Afganistan Afghani Albania Lek Algeria Dinar Andorra French Franc, Spanish Peseta Angola New Kwanza Antigua & Eastern Caribbean Barbuda Dollar Argentina Peso Armenia Rubie Australia Australian Dollar Austria Schilling Bahamas Bahamian Dollar Bahrain Bahrain Dinar Bangladesh Taka Barbados Dollar Belgium Franc Brazil New Cruzado Britain Pound British Dollar Honduras Bulgaria Lev Canada Dollar Page 424

PG GK COLLECTION

Central African France CFA Republic Chile Peso China (People's) Yuan Columbia Peso Congo France CFA Costa Rica Colone Cuba Peso Cyprus Cyprus Pound Czechoslovakia Koruna Denmark Krone Ecuador Sucre Egypt Pound El Salvador Colon Ethiopia Birr Fiji Dollar Finland Mark France Franc Gambia Dalasi Germany Deutsche Mark (United) Ghana Cedi Greece Drachma

Guatemala Quetzal Guinea-Bissau Peso Guyana Guyana Dollar Haiti Gourde Holland Florin Honduras Lempira Hong Kong Hong Kong Dollar Hungary Forint Iceland Krona Ireland Irish Pound India Rupee Indonesia Rupiah Iran Rial Iraq Dinar Israel New Shekel Italy Lira Ivory Coast Franc CFA Jamaica Jamaican Pound Japan Yen Jordan Jordan Dinar Page 425

PG GK COLLECTION Kenya Kenyan Shilling Korea Won Kuwait Kuwait Dinar _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Religious Books Hindus Four Vedas, The Bhagwad Gita, The Ramayana, The Puranas, The Mahabharat, The Upanishads, The Ramcharitmanas Muslims The Holy Quran Sikhs Guru Granth Sahib Christians The Bible Parsis Zend Avesta ____________________________________________________________________ NATIONAL PARKS AND SANCTUARIES

Anna Zoological Sanctuary Vandalur (T.N.) Anamalai Sanctuary Coimbatore, (T.N.) Bandipur National Park Mysore (Karnataka) Corbett National Park Nainital (Uttarakhand) Crocodile Farm Kovalam (Chennai) Dachigam Santuary Srinagar (J & K) Ghana Bird Sanctuary Bharatpur (Rajasthan) Ghatprabha Bird Sanctuary Belgaum (Karnataka) Gir National Park Junagarh (Gujarat) Guindy Deer Sanctuary Guindy (Chennai) Guindy Snake Park Guindy (Chennai)

Hazaribagh National Park Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) Kanha National Park Mandla (M.P.) Kaziranga Natinoal Park Jorhat (Assam) Manas Tiger Sanctuary Barbeta (Assam) Mudumalai Sanctuary Nilgris Periyar Sanctuary Idukki (Kerala) Pichavaram Bird Sanctuary Chidambaram (T.N.) Page 426

PG GK COLLECTION Rangathitto Bird Sanctuary Mysore (Karnataka) Ranthanbor Tiger Sanctuary Sawai (Rajasthan) Sivpuri National Park Sivpurai (M.P.) Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Kancheepuram ___________________________________________________________________________ Epithets-India Bengals Sorrow Damodar River Blue Mountains Nilgiris Hills City Beautiful Chandigarh City of Ghats & Temples Varanasi City of Golden Temple Amritsar Garden City of India Bangalore Gateway of India Mumbai Land of Five Rivers Punjab Land of Sunrise Arunachal Pradesh

Land of Setting Sun Kanyakumari Manchester of India Mumbai Manchester of South India Coimbatore Poormans Ooty Yercaud Queen of Arabian Sea Cochin Queen of Hills Mussoorie (U.P.) Rose Pink City Jaipur Scotland of the East Meghalaya Spice Garden of India Kerala Switzerland of India Jammu & Kashmir Venice of East Cochin __________________________________________________________________________ High Courts & their Jurisdiction

1. Allahabad State of Uttar Pradesh 2. Andhra Pradesh State of Andhra Pradesh 3. Guwahati States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya,Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. 4. Mumbai States of Maharashtra & Goa and Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. 5. Kolkata State of West Bengal & Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands 6. Delhi Delhi 7. Gujarat State of Gujarat 8. Himachal Pradesh State of Himachal Pradesh Page 427

PG GK COLLECTION 9. Jammu & Kashmir State of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh 10. Kerala (Ernakulam) State of Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep 11. Madhya Pradesh State of Madhya Pradesh 12. Chennai State of Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Pondicherry. 13. Karnataka State of Karnataka 14. Orissa State of Orissa 15. Patna State of Bihar 16. Punjab & Haryana States of Punjab and Haryana & Union Territory of Chandigarh. 17. Rajasthan State of Rajasthan 18. Sikkim State of Sikkim 19. Bilaspur State of Chhattisgarh 20. Nainital State of Uttaranchal 21. Ranchi State of Jharkhand _______________________________________________________________________ NATIONAL PARTIES

1. Bharatiya Janata Party 2. Communist Party of India 3. Communist Party of India (Marxist) 4. Indian Congress (Socialist - S.C. Sinha) 5. Indian National Congress 6. Janata Party (JP) 7. Samajvadi Janata Party 8. Lok Dal (B) 9. Lok Dal (Ajit) 10. Janata Dal

STATE PARTIES

1. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 2. All India Forward Bloc 3. All India Muslim League 4. All Parties Hill Leaders Conference 5. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 6. Goa Congress 7. Hill State Peoples Democratic Party 8. Indian Congress (J) 9. Jammu & Kashmir National Conference 10. Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Conference 11. Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party Page 428

PG GK COLLECTION 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. Kerala Congress Kerala Congress (J) Kuki National Assembly Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Manipur Peoples Party Muslim League Naga National Democratic Party Pattali Makkal Katchi Peasants and Workers Party of India Peoples Conference Peoples Party of Arunachal Plains Tribal Council of Assam Public Demands Implementation Convention Revolutionary Socialist Party Shiromani Akali Dal Sikkim Prajatantra Congress Sikkim Congress (R) Sikkim Sangram Parishad Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti Telugu Desam Bhaushab Bandodkar Gomantak Asom Gana Parishad, Assam United Minorities Front, Assam United Democratic Party, Manipur Hill People Union Mizo National Front Shiv Sena Shiv Sena (B) Forward Bloc Jharkhand Mukti Morcha National Conference Rising Sun Party Indian Congress (J) Nagaland Peoples Council Nagaland Peoples Party Marrumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar)

____________________________________________________________ The Constitution Of India The individual Articles of the Constitution are grouped together into the following Parts: Preamble Part I Union and its Territory Part II Citizenship. Page 429

Part Part Part Part Part Part Part Part Part

PG GK COLLECTION III Fundamental Rights IV Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties. V The Union. VI The States. VII States in the B part of the First schedule(Repealed). VIII The Union Territories IX Panchayat system and Municipalities. X The scheduled and Tribal Areas XI Relations between the Union and the States.

Part XII Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits Part XIII Trade and Commerce within the territory of India Part XIV Services Under the Union, the States and Tribunals Part XV Elections Part XVI Special Provisions Relating to certain Classes. Part XVII Languages Part XVIII Emergency Provisions Part XIX Miscellaneous Part XX Amendment of the Constitution Part XXI Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions Part XXII Short title, date of commencement, Authoritative text in Hindi and Repeals _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ company headquarter country Yahoo! Sunnyvale, California United States Google Mountain View, California United States Mirosoft Redmond, Washington United States McAfee Santa Clara, California United States IBM Armonk, New York United States Dell Round Rock,Texas United States Intel Santa Clara, California United States Credit Suisse Zurich Switzerland McDonald's Oak Brook, Illinois United States Procter & Gamble Cincinnati, Ohio United States Siemens Munich Germany BMW Munich Germany Vodafone London United Kingdom _____________________________________________________________________________ OA are as follows:1. Reserve Bank of India was nationalized in Page 430

PG GK COLLECTION a. 1949 b. 1952 c. 1955 d. 1964 2. We all know very well that the largest planet of the solar system is Jupiter. Can you identify the name of the second largest planet of the solar system? a. Earth b. Saturn c. Uranus d. Venus 3. You would find Andes mountain range in a. North America b. South America c. Europe d. Australia

4. The worlds rarest element on earth is a. Palladium b. Astatine c. Radium d. None of these 5. Which of the following is the densest planet of the solar system? a. Earth b. Saturn c. Jupiter d. Mercury 6. Which of the following is NOT based on the banks of river Danube? a. Vienna b. Belgrade c. Budapest d. Warsaw 7. Which of the following cases highlighted that total reservation in the government jobs cannot exceed 50% of total? a. T.A. Pai case b. Minerva Mills case c. Keshvanand Bharti case d. Indira Sawhney case 8. Ngultrum is the name of the currency of a. Chile b. Bhutan c. Botswana d. Bulgaria 9. International Committee of Red Cross has won the Nobel Peace Prize for record _____times. a. Three b. Four c. Five d. Six 10. Poise is the unit of a. pressure b. viscosity c. luminous intensity d. inductance OA=ABBBADDBAB _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ INDIAN RAILWAYS First Passenger Train Ran On: 16th April 1853 (between Bombay to Thane) First Railway Bridge: Dapoorie Viaduct on the Mumbai-Thane route First Rail Tunnel: Parsik Tunnel Page 431

PG GK COLLECTION First Ghats Covered by Rail Lines: Thal and Bhore Ghats First Underground Railway: Calcutta METRO First Computerized Reservation System Started In: New Delhi (1986) First Electric Train Ran On: 3rd Feb' 1925 (between Bombay VT and Kurla) Toilets on Trains Introduced In: 1891 (1st Class) & 1907 (lower classes) Shortest Station Name: Ib (Orissa) Longest Station Name: Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta (Tamil Nadu) Busiest Railway Station: Lucknow (64 trains everyday) Longest Run (Time): Himsagar Express (3751 km in 74 hrs and 55 min) Shortest Run: Route between Nagpur and Ajni (3km) Longest Run for Daily Train: Kerala Express (3054 km in 42.5 hrs) Longest Non-Stop Run (Distance): Trivandrum Rajdhani (528 km in 6.5 hrs) Longest Railway Platform in the World: Kharagpur (2,733 ft in length) Longest Railway Bridge: Nehru Setu on Sone River (10044ft in length) Longest Tunnel: Karbude Tunnel of the Konkan Railway (6.5 km) Oldest Preserved Locomotive: Fairy Queen (1855), still in working order Gauges of Track: 4 Gauges; BG (5'6"), MG (1 metre), NG (2) IR Daily Runs: About 14,000 trains IR Daily Carries: More than 11 million passengers & 1 million tonnes of freight IR's Only Line with Rack & Pinion System: From Mettupalayam to Conoor IR's Fastest Train: Bhopal-Shatabdi (runs at a speed up to 140 Km/ph) Railway Station with all the Three Gauges: Siliguri Railway Station Route Kilometers of Track: More than 62,000 kms People Employed in IR: About 1.6 million people Train with Maximum Number of Halts: Howrah-Amritsar Express (115 halts) Trains without Commercial Halts: Sampoorna Kranti Express, Howrah Rajdhani, Bombay Rajdhani, Pragati Express and Pune Shatabdi Stations across State Lines: Navapur (Maharashtra and Gujarat), Bhawani Mandi (Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) Classes of Travel on Indian Railway: Ist AC, 2nd AC, 3rd AC, AC Chair Car 2nd sleeper & 2nd ordinary _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ Amar pratap singh is the new Dir. of CBI Dr. Anand Burman : Chairman Dabur (Notice the common "bur" and learn ) EMC corp. Chairman : Joseph M Tucci (notice the separate "M" and learn) : EMC corp is the biggest maker of corporate data storage Indira Gandhi Peace Prize award : 2010 : Brazilian president (Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva) (known as Lula) 2011 : Social activitst Ela Bhatt _____________________________________________________________________ Page 432

PG GK COLLECTION INDIAN/INDIAN ORIGIN NOBEL LAUREATES

Name Field Rabindranath Tagore Literature, 1913 C.V. Raman Physics, 1930 Mother Teresa Peace, 1979 Hargobind Khorana Medicine, 1968 Subramanian Chandrasekhar Physics, 1983 Amartya Sen Economics, 1998 V.S. Naipaul Literature, 2001 Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Chemistry, 2009 _________________________________________________________________________ ORGANIZATIONS & THEIR YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT Amnesty International 1961 Commonwealth 1931 International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 1864 Green Peace 1971 Action Aid 1972 Asian Development Bank 1966 Asean 1967 Commonwealth of Independent States 1991 Economic Cooperation Organization 1985 European Union 1992 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 1945 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 1947 International Labour Organization 1919 International Monetary Fund 1945 Interpol 1923 Page 433

PG GK COLLECTION NATO 1949 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 1994 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 1948 OPEC 1960 Shanghai Cooperation Organization 2001 South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) 1985 The World Meteorological Organization 1873 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 1964 UNEP 1972 United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 1946 United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) 1966 United Nations 1945 World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 1950 World Trade Organization (WTO) 1995 Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) 1961 _________________________________________________________________________________ __ 1. Who was appointed to Probe the massacre of 76 CRPF Personal is Dandewada ? (a) E.N. Rammohan [Answer] (b) T.N. Chaturvedi (c) P.K. Sharma (d) R.S. Meena 2. The Rajasthan Government appointed a seven - member committee to look into all aspect of the issue of providing reservation to Gujjars under a special category. this committee is headed by ? (a) Tsering Pentsom (b) J. S. Sharma (c) I.S. Israni [Answer] Page 434

PG GK COLLECTION (d) R.K. Vaidya 3.The commission on centre - state relations submitted its report It was constituted in April 2007 to take a fresh look at the relative role and responsibilities of the various levels of government and centre- state relations. This commission was headed by? (a) Verappa Moily (b) M.M. Punchhi [Answer] (c) K.M. Khurshid (d) Lalit Vatia 4. Recently the Rajya Sabha Passed a Bill proposing to create legislative council for which state. 24 years after it was abolished ? (a) Goa (b) Kerala (c) Orissa (d) Tamil Nadu [Ans] 5. Recently the human resource Development Ministry had set up a committee to go into the working of the deemed university in the country. This Committee was headed by ? (a) Professor Tandon [Ans] (b) Professor G. Subramaniam (c) Professor K. Shandari (d) Professor J.S. Duggal 6. The concept of south Asian University was initated by prime minister Manmohan Singh during the 13th SAARC summit at Dhaka in 2005, with a formal agreement for establishing the institute signed in April 2007 during the 14th Summit in New Delhi. Now the institute was setup in ? (a) Dhaka (b) New Delhi [Ans] (c) Colombo (d) Kathmandu 7. Technology Development Mission is the government of Indias project that will execute which project ? (a) Save the tiger project (b) To clean Ganga river. [Ans] (c) Providing cheaper laptop to every student. (d) Providing Software technology to the grassroot level. 8. Who is headed the five member Empowered committee to go into the safety of the mullaperiyar dam ? (a) Justice A.S. Anand [Ans] (b) Justice K. Sudarsan (c) Justice K. Venu gopal Page 435

PG GK COLLECTION (d) Justice cyric Joseph

9. Who is headed the Group of ministers, that has been set up to help coordinate energy security issues that have an international angle. Civilian nuclear power deals, the India- Iran- Pakistan gas pipeline .Propopsals, and regional energy Coopperation come Under its ambit. (a) Pranab mukherjee [Ans] (b) Sushil Kumar Shinde. (c) S.M. Krishna. (d) Murli Deora. 10. Dongria Kondhs, a notified primitive Tribal Group are live in which state ? (a) Chattisgarh (b) Orissa [Ans] (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Jharkhand 11. Alamatti dam is constructed across which river as this create a dispute between Andhra pradesh Karnataka and Maharashtra. (a) Tungabhadra (b) Godavari (c) Krishna [Ans] (d) Pen ganga 12. In a bid to give a sharp edge to anti-naxal operations, government has set up a unified command. which one of the following state does not come under the unified command ? (a) Andhra Pradesh [Ans] (b) Chattisgarh (c) Orissa (d) Jharkhand 13. Thr recent UN poverty index Placed china as ranked 46 out of 104. where India is in which place ? (a) 60 th place (b) 61st place (c) 62nd place (d) 63rd place [Ans] 14. The pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) introduced a new scheme NPS - Lite. The objective of the scheme is ? (a) Provide monetary incentives to the pension of low grade government employee. (b) Target Economically disadvantaged section and promote small savings during their productive life. [Ans] (c) Make a mechanism by which the pension fund money can be utilize in Page 436

PG GK COLLECTION Infrastructure projects. (d) None of the above. 15. The pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram yojana (PMAGY) is aiming for integrated development of 1000 villages, where a majority of the population belongs to the Schedule caste. this scheme is first launched in ? (a) Haryana (b) Punjab (c) Rajasthan [Ans] (d) Uttar Pradesh ____________________________________________________________________________ India' Ranks: economic freedom index(2010) : 124 gender inequality index(2010) , UNDP : 122 Human Development Index(2010): 119 (2011) : 134 Environment Performance Index(2010) : 123 Ease of doing business rank (2011) : 134 World Hunger Index(2011) : 67 Corruption Perception Index : 87 UN poverty Index : 63 Bribe paying Index: 19 __________________________________________________________________-Who among the following was the first American President to resign from presidency? a. Richard Nixon 2) Any moving object on earth finally comes to rest due to which among the following? b. Friction 3) The "libety, equality and fraternity" enshrined by Preamble is inspired by which revolution? b. French 4) "Right to vote" can be placed in which among the following categories? b. Constitutional Right 5) President can proclaim a state of Financial Emergency under which among the following articles? d. Article 360 6) Which among the following got the status of India's first 100% e-literate city? c. Kozhikode Page 437

PG GK COLLECTION 7) India's Andaman & Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with which among the following? b. Thailand & Indonesia ______________________________________________________________________________ Major agricultural revolutions in India Yellow Revolution - Oil Seeds White Revolution - Milk Blue Revolution - Fish Pink Revolution Shrimp/ Onion Production Silver Revolution - Egg/Poultry Production Golden Revolution - Horticulture Green Revolution Agriculture Black Revolution -Petrolium Grey Revolution - Fertilizer _______________________________________________________ Loksabha Max- 552 Current-545 Speaker Mira Kumar Opp Leader : Sushma Swaraj

Rajyasabha Max-250 Current-238 + 12 Speaker Vise President Hamid Ansari Opp Leader : Arun Jaitley __________________________________________________________ \The Constitution Of India A way to learn the parts number of our constitution like,from a RAW land to a full operational plant,constitution makes land a whole country. The individual Articles of the Constitution are grouped together into the following Parts:

PART 1-Union and its territory(like dividing a land,making border to recognize a country) Page 438

PG GK COLLECTION PART 2-Citizenship(now,put people inside that land)

PART 3-Fundamental rights(give power to people e.g speak,express etc)

PART 4- Directive principles and fundamental duties(give responsibility to citizens to be loyal towards country and country's people)

PART 5,6,7,8- make states, territories and name them

PART 9- Panchayat system and Municipalities(to take care of states made)

PART 10- The scheduled and tribes area(highlight areas of respective)

PART 11-Relations between the Union and the States.(eg.central government to state government)

PART 12- Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits(now money,defines from where to get money and respective property of government)

PART 13- Trade and Commerce within the territory of India

PART 14- Services Under the Union, the States and Tribunals

PART 15- Elections(ab lado,everything defined,now who will get all above,lets fight)

PART16- Special Provisions Relating to certain Classes.

PART17-languages

PART 18-Emergency Provisions(Jab sab kuch upar ka na chale to emergency) Page 439

PG GK COLLECTION

PART 19-Miscellaneous(blabla)

PART 20- Amendment of the Constitution(to learn this remember,you can amend article only in last,so amendment in LAST)

PART 21-Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions(no-one will ask)

PART 22-Short title, date of commencement(no-one will ask)

A way to learn,no offense intended. __________________________________________________________________ 1) Way of life is the tagline of? a)Maruti suzuki b) Hyundai c) Etios d) Dzire Ans - a Learn - way of life p first car maruti hi hoti thii pehle :P 2) feel the difference is the tagline of ? a) Fiat b) Grand Vitara c) Ford d) toyota ans- c Learn - Feel or Difference .They form FORD together 3) Which group was involved in building the Buddh International Circuit ? a)Futures Group b)Wadia Group c)Jaypee group d) Manikchand ans - c 4) The worlds local bank is the tagline of a)HSBC b) Deutche Bank c)City bank d)ICICI bank ans-a Learn - Local but not so local 5)with you all the way is the tagline of a)SBI b) ICICI c)Canara bank d)Bank of Baroda Page 440

PG GK COLLECTION Learn - everyone is a part of the state so it stays with us all the way 6)flying for everyone is the tagline of? a)Spicejet b)Lufthansa c)American Airlines d) Kingfisher ans - Spicejet Learn - "everyone uses spices " 7)Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) president ? a)Mr. Harsh Mariwala b)Ashok Pathak c) Mr. Som Mittal d) none of the above ans - a

9)founder of samsung ? ans - Lee Byung Chull ( u dominated names ) Both samsung ans Byung have ung 10) AOL CEO ? a)tim armstong b)steve balmer c)john donahow d)jeffery bezos ans - a learn - AOL - arm or leg -> catch arm -> armstrong

_________________________________________________________________________________ ________ DEDICATED TO OUR SOLAR SYATEM

arrangement is in decreasing order(by SIZE)...... a)Jupiter(largest number of moons) b)Saturn c)Uranus d)Neptune e)earth f)Venus g)mars h)mercury REMEMBER LIKE SIZE above(WHICH CAN BE REMEMBER EASILY),MASS FOLLOWS SAME RHYTHM,EXCEPT NEPTUNE AND URANUS BOTH ARE OPPOSITE(NEPTUNE IS Heavier) also above four are gas giants,whereas last four are solid among all these EARTH is densest , and,pluto ab planet nai hai,it's dwarf star which also includes cenes, Haumea, makemake, Eris ______________________________________________________________________ Page 441

PG GK COLLECTION Build A Better Life Around Us - Central Bank (Central implies beech main hogi tab hi toh "around" kuch karegi) Your Partner for Life; "Karo Zyaada Ka Iraada" - Max New York Life Insurance ( Zyada ka iraada - zyada strikes ur mind and next word Maximum aaega so Max New York.......) Much more to do. With YOU in focus - Andhra Bank (itz not in lime light that much so obvi. it has much more to do ) Hum hai na - ICICI Bank (I guess its by default easy to rememeber) _______________________________________________________________________________ Q1. What is the small car by Toyota recently launched called? A1. Etios..........then Etios Liva....... come on liva come on.. ( Awesum song By A R rehman who also compose Hum main Hai Hero...... Hero Moto CORP ... Commonwealth Games Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto ...... Controversial )

Q2. The tagline When you are sure is associated with which of the following? A2. Business Standard Bhi Standard ki baat hai if ur nt sure u will not do it..:P

Q3. Paul S. Otellini is the CEO of which of the following companies? A3. Intel Corp. The company name lies in his name find it

Q5. Who among the following is the CEO of NIIT Technologies? Vijay K. Thadani......

Q6. For Decision Makers is the tagline of which of the following magazine? A6. Outlook Business...............ultimately money comes from Decision maker's outlook towards the bussiness Page 442

PG GK COLLECTION

Q7. Uday Shankar is the CEO of which of the following entertainment channel? A7. Star India.................this u will never furget.. Every Uday is always attached to star dome ... like UDAY chopra

Q8. Odomos belongs to the stable of which of the following companies? A8. Dabur..... 1 fact.. Under the Brand name of MAXO .... DRDO few months back came out with Maxo-safe & soft' a Mosquito repellent cream... Q9. Who is the Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd.? A9. H. Nakagawa......... japani hai ... there names generally similar to there places like this dude Hiroshi nakagawa...( sounds like hiroshima nakashaki

Q10. Globus Stores Pvt. Ltd. is a part of which of the following Company? A10. Rajan Raheja Group alag sa hi hai MORE:-Aditya birla 6 Ten - Relliance Reliance fresh-reliance Best Price - Bharti+ Wallmart Big Bazaar-- Future group ( Pantaloons bhi inhi ka hai _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Noble Prizes 2011 in Funnies 1).To win Noble prize in physics you need Soul(Saul) , Brain(Brian) and Grease(Reiss) 2).To win noble prize in chemistry you need to sketch(Shechtman) good benzene rings\ 3).Medicine has got no hope(Hoffman), hence become a butler(Beutler), atleast Page 443

PG GK COLLECTION you wiil have stains in your cloths(Steinman) 4).To write good stories watch movie Tranformer(Transtomer) 5).Use Ellley(Ellen n Leyman) cream to look like Carmen electra(karman) and get peace To remain economical in this recession eat a lot of saggery(Sargent) and play Sims on your playstation ____________________________________________________________ Mergers and acquisitions-2

1).Social networking site Facebook acquired Friend.ly on 10 October 2011. Friend.ly is a social question and answer service. Friend.ly designed an app for Facebook that helped users pose questions to online friends. 2).Software product development services provider Global-Logic on 28 September announced the acquisition of acquired San Francisco headquartered global design and innovation consultancy firm Method. The acquisition will help Global-Logic to better serve clients in social media, mobile commerce, IPTV, medical devices, and tablet computing segments, GlobalLogic said in a statement. The acquisition of Method is the second by GlobalLogic in the last four months. In May 2011 GlobalLogic had announced the acquisition of Rofous, a product and content engineering company of 1,500 people located in Hyderabad, India.

3).Global leader and U.S.-based technology services provider Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) on 14 September 2011 announced the acquisition of Hyderabad-based software testing company AppLabs. The break-up of the acquisition comprised 50 per cent of the stake from WestBridge, 40 per cent from the promoters (primarily himself) and 10 per cent from employees. this is the second acquisition within two weeks for CSC, a company with 93,000 employees and a reported revenue of $16.2 billion for the 12 months ended 1 July 2011. It earlier acquired Baltimore-based Maricom Systems that is in the business intelligence and data management solutions space. 4).Dell on 13 September 2011 declared its acquisition of U.S.-based $200 million revenue networking company Force 10 Networks. Force10 Network's Chennai research and development team is to be ramped up to play a crucial part for Dell's networking business. Force10 at present had 270 people in the Chennai R&D team. Page 444

PG GK COLLECTION 5).Google has acquired restaurant review firm Zagat. However, the company didnt disclose the financial details of the transaction. The Zagat acquisition is Googles second buyout in September 2011, which takes the total number of acquisition by the internet firm in 2011 to 20. Zagat was founded by Tim and Nina in 1979. It provides people with a democratized, authentic and comprehensive view of where to eat, drink, shop, stay and play worldwide. 6).Online media network platform Komli Media announced in July 2011 that it acquired mobile advertising and publishing network, Zestadz. Zestadz was founded in 2007 by Asif Ali, Nat D Natraj and Terry Uppal. 7).Mobile research site Mobi Thinking predicted mobile ad spends worldwide to reach $3.3 billion in 2011 and $20.6 billion in 2015. India is estimated to be the largest mobile ad impressions market in Asia, with over 41% of Asias total ad impressions generated in the country. .Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) announced on 18 July 2011, the merger of Maharashtra Elektrosmelt (MEL) with itself. SAIL also announced its plans to set up a 4 MW power plant, using gas as a by-product from the proposed third furnace, entailing an investment of Rs.36 crore within the plant. 9).Nestle announced on 11 July 2011 that it bought a majority stake in candy maker Hsu Fu Chi for 1.7 billion US dollars. The Swiss manufacturer of Nescafe coffee, KitKat bars and Dreyer's ice cream, said it would acquire 60 per cent of shares in Singapore-listed Hsu Fu Chi. Nestle is worlds biggest food and drink company. Hsu Fu Chi sells candies, cakes and pastries. It was started in 1992. 10).Glodyne Technoserve on 10 June 2011 announced the acquisition of Comat Technologies. Comat technologies is a leading provider of e-governance services in India. Glodyne is among the largest technology infrastructure management services provider. It is also a pioneer in e-governance managed services in India.

11).The Ruia group on 10 May 2011 finalised acquisition of Turkey-based automotive sealing manufacturing firm, Standard Profil AS. A deal in this regard was sealed with Turkey based Bancroft PE. This is Ruias' third overseas acquisition of sealing makers after Schlegel in the UK in 2008 and Grefrath (Germany)-based GDX Automotive (now Draftex) in December 2009. _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ Page 445

PG GK COLLECTION Mergers and acquisitions-3

1).Mundra Port and SEZ Ltd (MPSEZL) announced on 3 May 2011 that it acquired Abbot Point Coal Terminal (APCT), an Australian port for $2 billion, or nearly Rs 9000 crore. MPSEZL is the port arm of infrastructure conglomerate and group flagship company Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL). The sale-and-purchase agreement was signed in Brisbane, Australia, between MPSEZL Director Rajeeva Sinha and officials of the State of Queensland and it marked the largest acquisition by any Indian company abroad in this sector. With the acquisition MPSEZL became one of the top port companies in the world with its asset base of $100 million increasing to over $3 billion. From a 2.5 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) port in 2001, MPSEZL's cargo handling capacity rose to over 200 MTPA. Abbot Point, which commenced operations in 1984, is a profit-making port with take-or-pay arrangement for its entire 50 MTPA capacity.

2).The Aditya Birla Group on 18 April 2011 announced the acquisition of Domsjo Fabriker, a leading Swedish speciality pulp and bio-refinery company. The acquisition was made by the Birla Group through its global companies Thai Rayon Public Company (Thailand) and Indo Bharat Rayon (Indonesia) for a consideration of $340 million from a Swedish consortium of six individuals. The Aditya Birla group is the worlds largest producer of VSF, with a 24 per cent global share. The production capacity of the Domsjo which clocked revenue of $ 390 million last year, will be increased to 2.55 lakh tonnes by June 2012 from 2.1 lakh tonnes at present.

3).The Meinhardt Group, a global engineering, infrastructure and project management consultancy on 23 March 2011 announced that it acquired Gurgaon-based Eigen Technical Services. Eigen Technical Services is a leading provider of advanced engineering services to the global construction industry from UK-based Laing O'Rourke.

4).Vedanta Group firm Sesa Goa on 22 March 2011 announced that it acquired the assets of the upcoming steel plant of Bellary Steel and Alloys. The assets of the acquired company were transferred on as is where is basis to Sesa Goa. The steel plant of Bellary Steel and Alloys was put on the block for sale by a consortium of lenders led by IFCI. BASL, a Karnataka-based company, had embarked on to set up an integrated 0.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity steel plant with provision of taking it to 2 MTPA, at Bellary on 700 acres of freehold land. BASL however Page 446

PG GK COLLECTION could not complete the project and ran into debt, following which the lenders consortium led by IFCI put it on the block for sale. 5).Jyothy Laboratories announced on 22 March 2011 that its subsidiary fully acquired Delhi-based laundry player Diamond Fabcare Private Limited (DFPL). Jyothy Fabricare Services Limited (JFSL), a subsidiary of Jyothy Laboratories Ltd (JLL) acquired a 100 per cent stake in the Delhi-based laundry player DFPL. 6).Tata Realty and Infrastructure Ltd. (TRIL) and Tata Realty Initiatives Fund 1 (TRIF 1) announced on 7 March 2011 that it acquired Peepul Tree Properties Pvt. Ltd. (Peepul Tree Properties) from Kotak India Real Estate Fund I. The Peepul Tree Properties Pvt. Ltd was acquired Rs.525 crore.

7).South Korean engineering major Doosan in January 2011 acquired the Chennai works of Austrian power company AE&E. Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Company had been lately securing several orders from India and hence the Korean company wanted a manufacturing base in India. AE&E plant belonged to Deutsche Babcock initially and was later taken over by Austrian Energy. In 2010 AE&E had secured its first order, for the supply of six CFBC-type boilers of 150 MW each, from the Essar group for the Salaya III project. .UK-based publishing house, Pearson announced on 18 January 2011 that it acquired a majority stake in TutorVista, a Bangalore based online education services company. The acquisition marked the biggest acquisitions in the Indian education sector. TutorVista was set up in 2005 and currently provides online tutoring services to about 10,000 students each month. It uses Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol and online whiteboards to connect instructors in India with school and college students. In association with the Manipal Group, TutorVista also provides curriculum design, teacher training, technology solutions and school administration services to 11 schools across India. 9).TVS Logistics Services Ltd. (TVS LSL) announced on 18 January 2011 that it acquired closely-held Michigan-based Manufacturers Equipment & Supply Company (MESCO). TVS Logistics also bought out the joint venture partner in TVS America and set up a holding company in the U.S. 10).In October 2009 TVS Logistics had acquired Multipart Holding in the U.K. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ DIfferent gases... Page 447

PG GK COLLECTION Oxygen is needed for breathing and burning nitrogen is 79% of the atmosphere and needed for plants and protens methane is swamp gas or most of natural gas an is a fuel hydrogen sulfide is the smell of rotten eggs chlorine is used to purify water fluorine is added to water to strengthen teeth hydrogen is used for hydrogenation of unsaturated organic compounds helium is lighter than air and used in balloons neon is used in no signs argon is used in light bulbs xenon is used in strobe lights radon is radioactive and comes from uranium in rocks krypton is an inert gas used in some bulbs ethane is part of natural gas, a fuel propane is used in bbq stoves butane is used in lighters carbon dioxide is used by plants for photosynthesis we breath out water vapor carbon monoxide is produced in fires and is poisonous ozone is found in the upper atmosphere and in smog acetylene is used in torches _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________ World Stock Market Indices and Countries:

Nikkei 225- Japan KOSPI South Korea Hang Seng - Honk Kong Shanghai Index - China Straits Times Index(STI) - Singapore FTSE-100 - London, Great britain Dow Jones, NASDAQ index - USA CAC - France DAX Germany ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Minute Maid is a juice brand from (A) Pepsi (B) Coca Cola (C) Godrej (D) Voltas Ans : (B) Coca Cola 2. Thinking Ahead is a punch line of (A) ICICI Securities (B) ICICI Discover (C) HDFC Children Plan (D) LIC Gold Ans : (A) ICICI Securities Page 448

PG GK COLLECTION 3. Project Bhasa is related with (A) Microsoft India (B) Satyam (C) Central Hindi Institute (D) U.P. Govt. Ans : (A) Microsoft India 4. Sutlej Textile is a group company of (A) K.K. Birla group (B) S. Kumars (C) J.K. group (D) I.T.C. Ans : (A) K.K. Birla group 5. The word Wall Street is associated with (A) Trading of gold (B) Trading of crops (C) Trading of cement (D) Trading of stocks and shares Ans : (D) Trading of stocks and shares 6. The Title Big Bull was given to (A) Adnan Sami (B) Joseph Hanger (C) Harshad Mehta (D) Mike Tyson Ans : (C) Harshad Mehta 7. Duramile is a (A) Tyre (B) 2 Toil (C) Gear (D) Mobil oil Ans : (A) Tyre 8. Which is not a product of Bajaj? (A) Blaze (B) Platina (C) Sapphire (D) Brave Ans : (A) Blaze 9. Life Bond is a product of (A) ICICI (B) HDFC (C) Aviva Life Insurance (D) SBI life Ans : (C) Aviva Life Insurance 10. Inheritance of Loss is a book written by (A) Vikram Seth (B) Harold Robbins (C) Kiran Desai (D) R.K. Narayan Ans : (C) Kiran Desai _________________________________________________________ 2 Thinking Ahead is a punch line of (A) ICICI Securities (B) ICICI Discover (C) HDFC Children Plan (D) LIC Gold Ans : (A) ICICI Securities( I see i see...i see ahead) 3. Project Bhasa is related with (A) Microsoft India (B) Satyam (C) Central Hindi Institute (D) U.P. Govt. Ans : (A) Microsoft India Page 449

PG GK COLLECTION Project Bhasha is a comprehensive program which aims to localize Microsofts flagship products, Windows and Office in 12 Indian Languages

7. Duramile is a (A) Tyre (B) 2 Toil (C) Gear (D) Mobil oil Ans : (A) Tyre(mile in the name) 8. Which is not a product of Bajaj? (A) Blaze (B) Platina (C) Sapphire (D) Brave Ans : (A) Blaze (of kinetic---ultimate scooter) 10. Inheritance of Loss is a book written by (A) Vikram Seth (B) Harold Robbins (C) Kiran Desai (D) R.K. Narayan Ans : (C) Kiran Desai Man Booker Prize 2006 ________________________________________________________________--a) The Largest Producer of Cotton in the World : China b) The Largest Producer of Wheat in the World : China c) The Largest Producer of Gold in the World : China d) The Largest Producer of Rice in the World : China e) The Largest producer of Tobacco in World : China f) The Largest Producer of Tea in the World : China g) The Largest Producer of Aluminum in the World : China h) The Largest Producer of Steel in the World : China i) The Largest producer of Cement in World : China j) The Largest Producer of Milk in the world: India k) The Largest producer of Butter & Ghee in World : India l) The Largest producer of groundnut in World :India m) The Largest Cattle production in World : India n) The Largest producer of Automobiles in World : USA o) The Largest Producer of Coffee in the World : Brazil p) The Largest Producer of Sugar in the World : Brazil q) The Largest Producer of Rubber in the World : Thailand r) The Largest Producer of Silver in the World : Peru s) The Largest Producer of Copper in the World : Chile t) The Largest producer of Mercury in World : Spain u) The Largest producer of Uranium in World : Canada Note: Indias position on the above list as follows: a),b),d),f),i),p) 2nd h)4th o)6th (lean like this---india mai cattle jayada to dudh jayada to butter ghee jayada) _________________________________________________________________________________ __________| Who is in race to become CEO of Yahoo? Page 450

PG GK COLLECTION Rapper Snoop Dogg When and where India's First Film Museum is set to be ready for inauguration? 2013 in Mumbai Name the diesel versions of Etios launched by Toyota. Entry-level Etios sedan and Compact car Etios Liva Who is all set to be Chief Minister of Uttarakhand? B.C.Khanduri Name the economy, trade and industry minister who resigned in Japan's 8-day old Government. Yoshio Hachiro India's finance ministry has launched its page on which social networking site? Facebook Which mode of exam has Delhi University is set to scarp instead adopt Common Admission Test(CAT)? Faculty of Management Studies Name the weather satellite ISRO is set to launch with Indo-French collaboration on 12th October 2011. Megha Tropiques Who won the hockey Asian Champions Trophy against Pakistan? India _________________________________________________________________________________ Name the chairman of Xinjiang who is set to visit India. Nur Berki Which computer virus could be a next big cyber threat? Duqu Which bollywood female actors wax statue was revealed at Madame Tussauds wax museum? Kareena Kapoor Who is set to start two free schools in every district across India? Azim Premji(Azim Premji Foundation) Who won the inaugural Indian Grand Prix? Sebatian Vettel Who becomes the first monk to win the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for mathematics? Mahan Maharaj Name the Kerala Food and Civil Supplies Minister who passed away recently. T.M.Jacob Who won the Black Pearl Award for Best Actress in Narrative Competition in Abu Dhabi for her role in Avie Luthra's film Lucky? Jayashree Who won The Hindu Literary Prize 2011? Page 451

PG GK COLLECTION Debutant novelist Rahul Bhattacharya for his "The Sly Company of People Who Care" Who has been named 10th Nawab of Pataudi? Saif Ali Khan Where was the world's 7 billionth baby born? Allahabad, baby named Nargis(Nargis Fakhri ki yaad aa gyi rockstar waali) Which country became member of UNESCO recently? Palestine Who is Haryana election department's brand icon? Boxer Vijender Who has been elected Libya's interim Prime Minister? Abdul al-Raheem al-Qeeb ________________________________________________________________________________ Captain of Indian hockey team : Rajpal Singh Coach of Indian hockey team: Michael Jack Nobbs (Australian) Captain of Indian football team (after Baichung Bhutia's retirement) - Subrata Paul (first goalkeeper captain in 25 years) Coach of Indian football team: Savio Medeira Indian Davis Cup (tennis) squad: SP Mishra (non-playing captain) Leander Paes Mahesh Bhupati Rohan Bopanna Somdev Devarman _______________________________________________________ Markets--a)world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization---NYSE(new york stock exchange), NY,US indexes-- Dow jones(industrial) --- S n P 500

b) world's second largest-- NASDAQ(national association of securities dealers automated quotations, NY, US indexes-- NASDAQ composite NASDAQ 100

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PG GK COLLECTION c)World's 8th largest stock exchange-BSE-bombay stock exchange(market cap $1.63b) (world's oldest stock exchange) indexes- sensex(base year-1978-79) BSE Small cap BSE mid cap BSE 500 __________________________________________ a way to learn Blue Book - any official report of the British govt(capital letter same b for blue b for british) Green Book - Official publication of Italy and Iran(pakistan ka flag bhi green hai,inhe green se bhaut pyar hai,jaise gabbar ko holi se) Grey Book - Official reports of the Japanese and the Belgium Govt(Japan is top technology oriented export nation,grey market birth place) Orange Book - Official publication of the Netherlands(vo holland ki cricket team ka rang bhi orange tha)

White book - Official publication of Germany, China, Portugal(germans and china itne duth ke dhule hai nai, another way.......> go to any of Japanese manufacturing plant their uniform is mostly white)

Yellow Book - Official Book of France()

White Paper - Short pamphlet giving authoritative details of facts issued by the Indian govt. stating its view on a particular issue for the knowledge of general public(ab ye to sabko pta hai india kitna white hai,2g,cwg are good examples) ( way to learn,no offense intended) wana share one more thing--China is artificially keeping its currency yuan low,so that other countries find it lucrative to invest/outsource to china Obama is very tensed on this issue,as this hampers U.S work force as Chinese Page 453

PG GK COLLECTION counterparts can do same work in much lower cost. ____________________________________ Which Indian state is the largest producer in the world of the golden coloured 'Muga' silk ? (A) Assam (B) Orissa (C) West Bengal (D) Karnataka Assam

2. Which Indian freedom fighter was popularly called 'Mahamana' ? (A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (B) Jai Prakash Narain (C) Gopal Hari Deshmukh (D) Madan Mohan Malaviya Madan Mohan Malviya

3. 'Anandmath', 'Durgeshnondini' and 'Kapalkundala' novels were authored by which Bengali writer ? (A) Rabindranath Tagore (B) Sharat Chandra Chatterjee (C) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (D) Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay Bankim Chandra Chatterjee 4. Baglihar Dam, also known as Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, in Jammu & Kashmir is built across which river ? (A) Beas (B) Chenab (C) Jhelum (D) Sutlej Chenab 5. Where was the first Indian Institute of Management (IIM) established in 1961 ? (A) Kolkata (B) Bengaluru (C) Ahmedabad (D) Lucknow here u go!!! its Kolkata Page 454

PG GK COLLECTION 6. Where is the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, the apex training institution for senior members of the civil services in India, located ? (A) Mussoorie (Uttarakhand) (B) Mount Abu (Rajasthan) (C) Darjeeling (West Bengal) (D) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu) Mussoorie (Uttarakhand) 7. Which was the only session of Indian National Congress (INC) presided over by Mahatma Gandhi ? (A) Surat (1907) (B) Belgaum (1924) (C) Lahore (1929) (D) Tripuri (1939) Belgaum (1924) 8. Which national film award is given to the 'Best Feature Film on National Integration' ? (A) Indira Gandhi Award (B) Nargis Dutt Award (C) Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) (D) Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) Nargis Dutt Award >>> longest river is nile but Amazon carries maximum amount of water into the sea. >>> SBI earlier known as Imperial bank of India, which was formed by amalgamation of 3 banks in 1920 1. Bengal bank 2. Bank of Madras 3. Bank of Bombay(hint all the 3 major british cities) __________________________________________ CENSUS 2011-My last post for IIFT!! All the best eveyone Max Population : UP,MH,Bihar,WB,AP Least poulation : Sikkim Max Population UT : Delhi Least Poulation UT : lakshadweep Largest States : Rajasthan,MP,MH,AP,UP Smallest State : Goa Largest UT : Delhi ,Andaman Page 455

PG GK COLLECTION Smallest UT : lakshadweep Largest District Kachchh (Gujarat) Smallest District Mahe ( Pondicherry ) State with Highest density : Bihar, WB,UP(Important) State with Lowest density : Arunachal Pradesh UT with Highest density : Delhi UT with lowest density : Andaman State with Highest Female Sex Ratio Kerala State with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Haryana UT with Highest Female Sex Ratio Pondicherry UT with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Daman & Diu State with Highest Literacy Rate Kerala (90.9) State with Lowest Literacy Rate Bihar (47.0) UT with Highest Literacy Rate Lakshadweep (86.7) UT with Lowest Literacy Rate Dadra & Nagar Haveli (57.6) _________________________________________________________________________________ _ ISO STANDARD : OVERVIEW.... Quality Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 9001 Environmental Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 14001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certification Scheme IS 18001 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Scheme IS/ISO 22000 Service Quality Management System Certification Scheme IS 15700

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 Formelly Termed AS ISI .... National Institute of Training for Standardization (NITS)[/B] It is a training institute of BIS which is set up in 1995. It is functioning from Page 456

PG GK COLLECTION Noida, (Uttar Pradesh), India.

]958 Corresponding to 23 Carat 916 Corresponding to 22 Carat 875 Corresponding to 21 Carat 750 Corresponding to 18 Carat 585 Corresponding to 14 Carat

Energy Appliance Rating By BEE .... 5 Star Rating

Bharat stage emission standards are emission standards instituted by Government of India Generally In CARS.... Indian Cars Like Ambassador ....are rated In Bharat Stage ...and you can find it Written India 2000 Euro 1 Bharat Stage II Euro 2 Bharat Stage III Euro 3 Bharat Stage IV Euro 4 ________________________________________________________________ n Sept. 2011 , China aimed to increase it's forest cover to 40 million hectares , over the next decade , as part of it's commitment to cut down carbon emissions .

The theme of the first APEC forestry ministerial meeting of forestry is "enhanced regional cooperation for green growth and sustainable forestry development." .. It was held in Beijing Earlier - Eddy Murphy was to host the next Oscar awards , but now Brian Grazer _________________________________________________________ Page 457

PG GK COLLECTION As on 25th OCT 2011 Reverse REPo was 7.5% ... Repo was 8.5%. ______________________________________________ List of various Committees formed in India(All time) for various issues:Quote: U.C.Benerjee Commission(2006) - Enquiry into Godhra carnage (Railways) -- Nanavati-Shah commission Post Godhra riots (2002) -- Palekar Tribunal - Journalist pays reforms -- Hunter Commission Jallianwala bagh massacre -- Nanavati Commission - 1984 Sikh riots -- Mukherjee Commission - Death/Disappearance of Subhash Chandra Bose -- Liberhan Commission(1992) - Babri Masjid demolition case -- Sarkaria Commission - Centre-State relations -- M.M. Punchhi Commission: Centre-State Relations [note- this committee has been set up recently- after the demise of Justice (Retd.) Sarkaria] -- Sri Krishna Commission - 1992 Bombay riots -- Thakkar Commission - Indira Gandhi assassination case -- Phukhan Commission - Tehelka tapes -- Malimath Commission - Criminal Justice -- Upendra Commission - Inquiry on rape and murder Thangjem Manorama Devi -- G.C.Garg Commission - Train accident near Khanna, Punjab -- Mandal Commission - Reservation of seats for Backward castes -- Kothari Commission - Educational reforms -- Hilton Young Commission RBI was formed, 1926 -- Shah Commission (1966) - Reorganization of States --Butler Committee - Relation between Indian states & paramount power --Hurtog Committee - Growth of British India education-its effects --Malhotra Committee - Insurance Reforms --Janaki Ram Committee - Security Scam --Ajay Vikram Singh Committee - Faster promotions in Army --Sawant Committee - Enquiry on corruption, charges against ministers & Anna Hazare Yeah...these are in abundance..might be confusing to learn...here is a funny way to grab it quickely Godhra rioters wore UCB collection clothings. Nana Patekar is still fighting with sikh people after riots Tribounded journal panels Hunt the jalianwala bag crimans. Napatekar fights with Sikhs. Subhash Chandra mukherjee Page 458

PG GK COLLECTION Babri masjid is in a library(Liberhan) Sakaria ney punchi ko aisa puch mara centere mein ki uska state hil gaya. Hare Krishna hare rama, dum maro dum movie was shot in Bombay. Indra Gandhi ko Thakkar markey mar diya TV mein phukney sey tehelka mach jata hai Mati mari jati hai to insaan criminal ban jata hai Upendra raped manorama Rajesh khanna died in a train accident run by Gargi aunti Kothe men education milta hai -- Hilton Young Commission RBI was formed, 1926 -- Shah Commission (1966) - Reorganization of States Kharab physical state ke karan Hilton shah ke saat Roo raha tha(RBI )(reorganizing states) sab ko BUTLER giri karni hi padti h chahe vo INDIA ho ya koi PARAMOUNT POWER har dog (HURTOG) ko BRITISH le jake EDUCATION do.. MALHOTRA ji kal INSURANCE karwane k liye aye the.. jako rakhe(JANAKI RAM) saiya mar(SECURITY) sake na koi.. AJAY bahut fast fast run karta h me to use ARMY me hi dekhugi kyuki usme vo jaldi se PRMOTION le sakta h.. rakhi SAWANT ko CURRUPTION k alawa ata ky h..(no offence-) me gaoo jaoga KHAITI karuga(AGRICULTURE) malla farak padat nahi latest _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ Todays news which might change one or two answers : 51% FDI allowed in multi brand retail eg. of multi brand retail : Wallmart, Tesco, Carrefour 100% FDI permitted in single brand retail : up from existing 51% e.g. of Single brand retail : Zara, Marks and Spencer one imp. revision: MD of Bharti Wallmart India-Raj Jain Source : Economic Times Headlines __________________________________________________________________________ Something about Julian Barnes - The 2011 Booker prize winner He is English He is an officer of LOrdre des Arts et des Lettres Three of his earlier books had been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize: Flaubert's Parrot (1984), England, England (199, and Arthur & George (2005). He wins - 50000 prize money - for the 2011 Booker prize Page 459

PG GK COLLECTION

The other shortlisted books were:Carol Birch - Jamrach's Menagerie Patrick deWitt - The Sisters Brothers Esi Edugyan - Half Blood Blues Stephen Kelman - Pigeon English A D Miller - Snowdrops (Menagerie , Sis-Bro , Blood Blues , Pigeons ,Snowdrops ) _________________________________________________________________________

TAGLINES ------>> Build A Better Life Around Us - Central Bank (Central implies beech- beech main hogi tab hi toh "around" kuch karegi) Your Partner for Life; "Karo Zyaada Ka Iraada" - Max New York Life Insurance ( Zyada ka iraada - zyada strikes ur mind and next word Maximum aaega so Max New York.......) Much more to do. With YOU in focus - Andhra Bank (bank z not in lime light that much so obvi. it has much more to do with you-customer in focus ) Hum hai na - ICICI Bank (I guess its by default easy to rememeber)

SOME COMPANIES, HQs and their CEOs ---CALIFORNIA, US >> Yahoo! - Sunnyvale, California United States --- INTERIM CEO : TIM MORSE (Tim Cook - APPLE ) Google - Mountain View, California United States -- CEO : LARRY PAGE ( Oracle ka Larry Ellison) McAfee - Santa Clara, California United States Intel - Santa Clara, California United States --- CEO : PAUL OTELLINI (surname main Intel banta hai :P ) UNITED STATES >> Mirosoft - Redmond, Washington United States --- STEVE BALLMER IBM - Armonk, New York United States --- PRESENT : SAMUEL PALMISANO (Jan 2012 - Virginia Rometty) Dell - Round Rock,Texas United States ---- MICHAEL DELL McDonald's - Oak Brook, Illinois United States --- Chairman and CEO : James A Skinner ( McD pe nahi khaoge, toh u vl be skinny >> skinner ) Page 460

PG GK COLLECTION Procter & Gamble - Cincinnati, Ohio United States --- CEO : Bob McDonald (Mcdonalds surname P&G main )

Credit Suisse - Zurich Switzerland Siemens - Munich Germany --- CEO and President : Peter Loscher BMW - Munich Germany --- CEO : Norbert Reithofeir Vodafone - London United Kingdom --- CEO : Vittorio Colao (Voadafone "ko lao" >> COLAO ) _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________

Some related companies: Armaco- Oil Rusal- aluminium coeur- silver codelco- copper JFE- steel De Beers- diamond caterpillar- construction equipment hershey- chocolate Weyerhaeuser- Paper Michelin- tyre companies & brand associated; Raymond- Parx,Park avenue,colorplus,Notting hill Grasim- graviera Unilever- lifebuoy,Lux,Liril,rexona,hamam,Pears,Breeze,Pepso dent,close up,surf,rin,wheel,sunsilk,dove,vim bar,axe spray,fair and lovely _________________________________________________________

-- SOME IMPORTANT DAYS -January January January January 12 15 26 30 : National Youth Day. :Army Day. :India's Republic Day and International Customs day. :Martyrs' Day

February 24 :Central Excise Day. February 28 :National Science Day. March 8 :International Women's Day. Page 461

March March March March April April April April May May May May May May May May May

15 21 21 23

PG GK COLLECTION :World Disabled Day. :World Forestry Day. :International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. :World Meteorological Day.

5 :National Maritime Day. 7 :World Health Day. 18 :World Heritage Day. 22 :Earth Day. 1 :Workers Day (International Labor Day). 3 :Press Freedom Day. (2nd Sunday) : Mother's Day. 8 :World Red Cross Day. 11 :National Technology Day. 15 :International Day of the Family. 17 :World Telecommunication Day. 24 :Commonwealth Day. 31 :Anti-Tobacco Day.

June 4 :International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. June 5 : World Environment Day. June(2nd Sunday) : Fathers Day. June 26 :International day against Drug abuse & Illicit Trafficking. June 27 :World Diabetes Day. July 6 :World Zoonoses Day. July 11 :World Population Day. August August August August August 3 :International Friendship Day. 6 :Hiroshima Day, 9 :Quit India Day and Nagasaki Day. 15 :Independence Day. 29 :National Sports Day. 5 :Teachers' Day. 8 :World Literacy Day. 16 :World Ozone Day. 21 :Alzheimer's Day. 26 : Day of the Deaf. 27 : World Tourism Day.

September September September September September September October October October October October 1 3 4 8 9

: International day of the Elderly. :World Habitat Day. :World Animal Welfare Day. :Indian Air Force Day. :World Post Office day. Page 462

October October October October October October October

10 13 14 15 16 24 30

PG GK COLLECTION :National Post Day. :UN International Day for National disaster reduction. :World Standards Day. :World White Cane Day( guiding the Blind). :World Food Day. :UN Day, World development information Day. :World Thrift Day.

November 14 : Children's Day ( in India ) November 20 :Africa Industrialization Day. November 29 :International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People. December 1 :World Aids Day. December 4 :Navy Day. December 7 :Armed Forces Flag Day. December 10 :Human Right Day. December 23 :Kisan Divas (Farmer's Day). ____________________________________________________________________________ Some Funny mnemonics to remember Facebook needed friends so took over friendly Dell became dhila so took over force 10(can think ov manforce) Google wanted to rule the world hence needed to take over Zygat(jagat if it helps you to remember) Global logic had logic but needed METHOD to put in action Kolmi media needed a ustad hence got zestads SAIL Needed steel to melt in maharastra hence tookover maharastra elkromelt. Nestle wanted to learn Tai chi hence bought Hu Fu chi (Singapore) Goldyne technologies after seeing gold prices got into coma hence got comat technologies. Ruia needed to make a new resume so he took over all standard profiles.previsoly he stole resumes from schelegel and greyfarth(you can remember grey fart) Mundra port got full of sins hence they hired a Abbot(APCT) ________________________________________________ Some important stuff about UN: a. Charter signed at San Francisco on June 26, 1945 at a meeting of 50 representative states b. UN name given by President Roosevelt c. The constitution formed at Dumbarton Oaks (Washington DC) by US, USSR, UK and China. It came into force on Oct 24, 1945 d. First regular session- London in Jan 1946; First Secretary General: Trygve Le of Norway Page 463

PG GK COLLECTION e. Flag adopted on Oct 20, 1947. This flag is not to be subordinated to any flag in the world f. Official languages:6-- English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic. Working languages: English and French only g. 6 principal bodies: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, Trusteeship Council and Secretariat h. Ban-ki-Moon (South Korea) is the 8th secretary general of UN i. Some Important UN agencies, headquarters and establishment year: 1. International Labor Organisation: Geneva, 1919 2. World Health Organisation: Geneva, 1948 3. UNESCO: Paris, 1946 4. International Atomic Energy Agency: Vienna, 1957 5. UNICEF: New York, 1946 6. UN Conference on Trade and Development: Geneva, 1964 7. International Monetary Fund: Washington, 1945 8. International Finance Corporation: Washington, 1956 9. UN Environmental Program: Nairobi, 1972 10. Food and Agricultural Organisation: Rome, 1945 11. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development: Washington, 1945 12. World Trade Organisation: Geneva, 1995 j. Total Members: 193. Latest member: South Sudan- joined on 14th july, 2011 _______________________________________ an aid to remember 5 year plans : pehle [1st]"agriculture and irrigation ki" ..fir [2]"heavy industries pe dhyan diya"...fir [3]"indian economy pe dhyan diya"..fir [annual]"china aur pakistan ki ladai ho gayi" ..fir [4]" ladai ki vajah se scientific temper agriculture mai aya"..fir [5]"is temper ko maintain karne k liye Rolling Plan implement huya"..fir [annual]"janta govt. ne ise launch kar diya"...fir [6]"ye plan revise huya"..fir[7] "thoda food,work and productivity pe dhyan diya"..[8]"iski vajah se fast economic growth huyi"..fir[9]"agriculture ,women employment etc pe dhyan diya"..fir [10]"itna sab hone pe..zada expenditure karne ko mana kiya..cut down"..fir[11]"growth in agriculture,safe drinking water,polio,urban devt..pe dhyan diya" [ ] = 5 yr plan no. _____________________________________________________________ The Calcutta Polo Club(CPC) - the world's oldest - to crown it's 150th anniversary - is set to unveil the EZRA World Cup at the Pat Williamson Ground. Captivated by the game, in 1858, called 'Sagol Kangjei" played by locals in Silchar, 2 British soldiers Page 464

PG GK COLLECTION Cpt Robert Stewart and Major General Joe shearer introduced the game by giving birth to CPC in 1861-62 Polo is now played over 70 countries. _________________________________________________________________________________ __________ Q1. In the Boost ad, a young boy appeared with Kapil Dev. He also went on to don the India cap. Name him. Ans. Nikhil Chopra Q2. The former telecom minister Sukh Ram has been convicted for receiving a bribe for a cable contract. What was the amount of the bribe ? Ans. 3 lakh Q3. What is TATA FIRST DOT ? Ans. A platform for student startups Q4 Which group has entered the retail sector with plans to launch over a lakh of small grocery outlets under the Q Shop name ? Ans. Sahara Q5. Which global brand has launched a controversial ad campaign showing Obama-Wen Lip kiss ? Ans. Benetton Q6. Raghuram Rajan and Pratap Bhanu Mehta have been awarded prizes for Economics and Pol Science. Name this prestigious prize. Ans. Infosys Prize Q7. My fathers watch was one. My alarm clock was one. Name this old swiss brand acquired by Titan for a mere 2 m euros. Ans. Favre Leuba Q8. Name this artist who accounts for 17% of contemporary art sales. His first exhibition was 32 paintings of Campbells soup cans. Ans. Andy Warhol Q9. Name this 100 year old car brand named after a swiss born racing driver and has a bow-tie badge on its bonnet. Ans. Chevrolet Q10. Exxon Mobil is the worlds largest listed oil co. But it is only 11th if unlisted oil cos are included in terms of oil reserves. Name the . Ans. National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) of Iran Q11. How do we know this Korean conglomerale that started life as a noodle co and is today a group of 83 cos under a holding co Everland ? Ans. Samsung ( it means three stars in Korean) Q12. Einstein is normally associated with theoretical physics. For which home appliance he has a joint patent with Leo Szilard? Ans. Refrigerator _______________________________________________________________ Page 465

PG GK COLLECTION Vo Chi Cong, who was president of Vietnam from 1987 to 1991, in southern Ho Chi Minh City. He was 99. Present President - Truong Tan Sang (Chi Chong died ..now tring trong present ..calls directed to Vietnam ) Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed 17th SAARC Summit in Maldives Peoples Majlis (Maldivian Parliament)

GOPIO International (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin) is holding its 2011 convention in Iselin, New Jersey . (Gopi in New Jersey ) Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez [Argen(chris)TINA] Indian IT company Wipro Technologies today announced it has been awarded the 2011 Microsoft Software Development Partner of the Year Award ______________________________________________________________________ Corporate Social Responsibility:Initiatives and Examples

Anand Corporate Services Limited Anand has a longstanding commitment to addressing the needs of the society, in view of its belief that for any economic development to be meaningful, the benefits from the business must trickle down to the society at large.Anand is of the firm view that the corporate goals must be aligned with the larger societal goals. 25 years ago, the SNS Foundation, an expression of Anands corporate social responsibility, was born. The objective of SNS foundation was comprehensive community development. The Foundation has created programs in the fields of health, education, natural resource management and life skills training, only to make sure that fellow humans could breathe easy. The long term goal of Anand CSR is to implement concepts like Zero Tolerance Zone for Child Labour, Zero Waste Zone using strategies like Reduce, Recycle and Reuse not only at Anand/SNSF locations but extend to Anand residential areas.

Aptech Limited Aptech Limited, a leading education player with a global presence, has played an extensive and sustained role in encouraging and fostering education throughout the country since inception.As a global player with complete solutions-providing capability, Aptech has a long history of participating in community activities. It has, in association with leading NGOs, provided computers at schools, education to the underprivileged and conducted training Page 466

PG GK COLLECTION and awareness-camps. Aptech students donated part of the proceeds from the sale of their art work to NGOs. To propagate education among all sections of the society throughout the country, especially the underprivileged, Aptech fosters tie-ups with leading NGOs throughout the country, including the Barrackpur-based NGO, Udayan, a residential school for children of leprosy patients in Barrackpur, established in 1970.The company strongly believes that education is an integral part of the countrys social fabric and works towardssupporting basic education and basic computer literacy amongst the underprivileged children in India.

Avon Cycle Limited The poor and ignorant of Indias rural population turnto nearest towns and cities for healthcare. They face indifferenceand exploitation. Hope gives way to despair.This gave inspiration to AVON for locating MATAKAUSHALYA DEVI, PAHWA CHARITABLE HOSPITAL.Mr. Sohan Lal Pahwa, AVON's Chairman and Principal Trustee of the hospital,spent a good part of his workinglife devoted to philanthropy. The hospital, in its 5th yearof inception, has risen to serve a model healthcare facility boasting of some bold experiments in its very early yearsof existence. Its support since inception has been of the order of Rs. 3 crore to date and it continues uninterrupted.Reaching out to the needy farther afield, the hospitalholds regular camps in surrounding villages to propagate scientific approach to healthcare. Recently the hospital took the social responsibility concept a step further and formulated a scheme titled 'Celebrated Female Child' to enable and inspire positive and enduring environment for society's allconsuming passion for 'sons only' to end.

CISCO System Inc. Philanthropy at Cisco is about building strong and productive global communities - communities in which every individual has the means to live, the opportunity to learn, and the chance to give back. The company pursues a strong triple bottom line which is described as profits, people and presence. The company promotes a culture of charitable giving and connects employees to nonprofit organizations serving the communities where they live. Cisco invests its best-in-class networking equipment to those nonprofit organizations that best put it to work for their communities, eventuating in positive global impact. It takes its responsibility seriously as a global citizen. Education is a top corporate priority for Cisco, as it is the key to prosperity and opportunity.

ICICI Bank Ltd The Social Initiatives Group (SIG) of ICICI Bank Ltd works with a mission to build the capacities of the poorest of the poor to participate in the larger economy. Page 467

PG GK COLLECTION The group identifies and supports initiatives designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poor health and nutrition, ensure essential early childhood education and schooling as well as access to basic financial services.Thus, by promoting early child health, catalyzing universal elementary education and maximizing access to micro financial services, ICICI Bank believes that it can build the capacities of Indias poor to participate in larger socio-economic processes and thereby spur the overall development of the country. The SIG works by understanding the status of existing systems of service delivery and identifying critical knowledge and practice gaps in their functioning. It locates cost effective and scalable initiatives and approaches that have the potential to address these gaps and supports research to understand their impact. This is undertakenin collaboration with research agencies, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), companies, government departments, local stakeholders and international organisations.

Infosys Technologies Limited Infosys is actively involved in various community development programs.Infosys promoted, in 1996, the Infosys Foundation as a not-for-profit trust to which it contributes up to 1%PAT every year. Additionally, the Education and ResearchDepartment (E&R) at Infosys also works with employee volunteers on community development projects. Infosys leadership has set examples in the area of corporate citizenship and has involved itself actively in key national bodies. They have taken initiatives to work in the areas of Research and Education, Community Service,Rural Reach Programme, Employment, Welfare activities undertaken by the Infosys Foundation, Healthcare for the poor, Education and Arts & Culture.

ITC Limited ITC partnered the Indian farmer for close to a century. ITC is now engaged in elevating this partnership to a new paradigm by leveraging information technology through its trailblazing 'e-Choupal' initiative. ITC is significantly widening its farmer partnerships to embrace a host of value-adding activities: creating livelihoods by helping poor tribals make their wastelands productive; investing in rainwater harvesting to bring much-needed irrigation to parched drylands; empowering rural women by helping them evolve into entrepreneurs; and providing infrastructural support to make schools exciting for village children.Through Page 468

PG GK COLLECTION these rural partnerships, ITC touches the lives of nearly 3 million villagers across India.

Mahindra & Mahindra The K. C. Mahindra Education Trust was established in 1953 by late Mr. K. C. Mahindra with an objective topromote education. Its vision is to transform the lives of people in India through education, financial assistanceand recognition to them, across age groups and across income strata. The K. C. Mahindra Education Trust undertakesa number of education initiatives, which make a difference to the lives of deserving students.The Trust has provided more than Rs. 7.5 Crore in the form of grants, scholarships and loans. It promotes education mainly by the way of scholarships. The Nanhi Kali project has over 3,300 children under it. We aim to increase the number of Nanhi Kalis (children) to 10,000 in the next 2 years, by reaching out to the underprivileged children especially in rural areas.

Satyam Computer Services Limited Alambana (support) is the corporate social responsibility arm of Satyam Computer Services Limited, formed to support and strengthen the vulnerable and underprivileged sections in urban India. Registered as Satyam Alambana Trust in 2000, Alambana aims at transforming the quality of life among urban population. Alambana's services are directed primarily at the disadvantaged sections in all the cities that Satyam has offices in. Volunteers from among Satyam associates and their family members lead the services and perform the required tasks.

Tata Consultancy Services The Adult Literacy Program (ALP) was conceived and set up by Dr. F C Kohli along with Prof. P N Murthy and Prof. Kesav Nori of Tata Consultancy Services in May 2000 to address the problem of illiteracy. ALP believes illiteracy is a major social concern affecting a third of the Indian population comprising old and young adults. To accelerate the rate of learning, it uses a TCS-designed ComputerBased Functional Literacy Method (CBFL), an innovative teaching Page 469

PG GK COLLECTION strategy that uses multimedia software to teach adults to read within about 40 learning hours.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited The water source for the villages in and around the Dalmia Cement factory is dependent on rains. During summer months, the villagers, particularly women folk, travel long distances to fetch water for drinking and other purposes. Considering the difficulties and hardship faced by the people, the company, after discussing with the village elders and concerned Government authorities,took the initiative of making water available by: Providing deep bore wells. So far, 45 bore wells have been provided in various villages, namely Kallakudi, Palanganathan, Malvoi, Elakkurichi, Muthuvathur, Pullabmadi, Edayathankudi etc. Approximately, 300 to 400 people get adequate drinking water from each bore well. Water tanks to store the water. Rain and seepage water is harvested in the quarries of the company is pumped into a tank and supplied to inhabitants. 44,000 trees were planted and nurtured over a period of eight years. The presence of large trees and vast greenery has considerably improved the ecology in the area.

Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) HCC plays an active role in CSR initiatives in the fields of Health, Education, Disaster Management, and Environment.Disaster Resource Network DRN is a worldwide initiative,promoted by the World Economic Forum (WEF).Trained volunteers and equipment resources from Engineering Construction & Logistics companies will complement the existing efforts of Government, NGO's and International Organizations in disaster management. It was during the WEF annual meet that the massive earthquake struck Gujarat in January 2001. The need for a trained and effective participation from industry was first felt there. The members of Engineering and Logistics segment of WEF came together to Page 470

PG GK COLLECTION establish this network. The idea was further strengthened during the 9/11 incident where again the industry participated in the relief operations. DRN Worldwide was formally launched in New York in January 2002. And shortly thereafter, DRN - India Initiative was launched.

India Aluminium Company Limited The Women's Empowerment project was initiated by Indal-Muri in Jharkhand where the Company operates an alumina refining plant. It was implemented in collaboration with an NGO, CARE-Jharkhand. The central problem this project has attempted to address is the very low socio-economic condition of the rural and tribal population of Silli block caused by low agricultural productivity,lack of or low cash income, unresponsive health/ Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)schemes.The Project has helped set up around 100 Self Help Groups so far, which are running successfully with members trained in various vocational incomegenerating skills, agricultural methods for better yields and health care initiatives. About 2000 women have been brought into the fold of this activity helping to improve not justtheir own lives but the quality of life of their children and families as well. The Indal Women's Empowerment & Child Care project employed integrated package of strategies and interventions, such as: Establishment and Strengthening of Self Help Groups (SHG) in 30 strategically selected villages; Promotion of Nutrition Gardens and improved land / agricultural and natural resource management practices; and Creation of demand for improved ICDS/ health services through Self Help Groups and strengthening ICDS/ Health Department's service delivery[/I]

JCB India Ltd. JCB India adopted a Government school, in the vicinity of the company premises as its social responsibility. They strongly believe that children are the foundation of our nation and they could be helped, we could build a better community and society tomorrow. The reason for adopting this particular school was the poor Page 471

PG GK COLLECTION management of the school in terms of infrastructure, resources and qualityof education. The companys commitment to the school goes much beyond just providing monetary support towards infrastructure and maintenance of school building.

Larsen & Toubro (L & T) Limited Considering that construction industry is the second largest employer in India after agriculture, employing about 32 million-strong workforce, L&T set out to regulate and promote Construction Vocational Training (CVT) in India by establishing a Construction Skills Training Institute (CSTI) on a 5.5 acre land, close to its Construction Division Headquarters at Manapakkam,Chennai. CSTI imparts, totally free of cost, basic training in formwork, carpentry, masonry, bar-bending, plumbing and sanitary, scaffolder and electrical wireman trades to a wide spectrum of the rural poor. As a result of the good response it received in Chennai, CSTI set up a branch at Panvel, Mumbai, initially offering training in formwork, carpentry and masonry trades. The Manapakkam and Panvel facilities together provide training to about 300 candidates annually who are inducted after a process of selection, the minimum qualification being tenth standard. Since inception, these two units have produced about 2,000 skilled workmen in various trades, with about sixty percent of them being deployed to L&Ts jobsites spread across the country. The success of this training-initiative demonstrates that adoption of systematic training techniques are bound to yield efficient and skilled personnel in the shortest possible time, and in the power to convert the potential of the Rural Youth in Construction and upgrading Rura Economy in a small way _________________________________________________________________________________ _ Before the making of Aakash Tablet PC , India attempted Simputer also. While Aakash is Android based , Simputer was Linux based . (The Simputer is a self-contained, open hardware Linux-based handheld computer, first released in 2002. Developed in, and primarily distributed within India, the product was envisioned as a low-cost alternative to personal computers. With initial goals of selling 50,000 simputers, the project had sold only about 4,000 units by 2005, and has been called a failure by news sources.) PSU tales : Until recently , The National Highways Authority of India, didnt have a chairman for over a year: the secretary of the road transport ministry was doubling up as its chairman. RS Gujral was this serving chairman of National Highways Authority of India , who is secretary roads, was given the additional charge of chairman when the erstwhile chairman Brijeshwar Singh retired in November, 2010. (I could not find out if he is serving till now also or not..will Page 472

PG GK COLLECTION edit as soon as I find out ) __________________________________________________ a)Nissan launched new automobile SUNNY and FLUENCE is of Renault. b)FIFA 2014 gonna be held in BRAZIL,Pepe is the honor y ambassador for the cup. c)Rs. 32 for the urban and Rs. 26/day for rural is the BPL limit proposed by planning commission. d)Macau is world top gambling city(not las vegas guys......hangover 3 going to macau this time) e)SKODA gonna aunch CITIGO,a small segment car originally planned for europe, after the failure of FABIA to capture its segment.SKODA parent VW.

_____________________________________________________________________ Global Zero Summit 2011 , London Global Zero program - Global Zero is an international initiative launched in December 2008 to promote the elimination of nuclear weapons. It proposes a phased withdrawal and verification for the destruction of all devices held by official and unofficial members of the nuclear club. The Global Zero campaign works toward building an international consensus and a sustained global movement of leaders and citizens for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Queen Noor of Jordan - She is a founding leader of Global Zero Which business was sold off by Richard Branson of Virgin group in 2008? Music Records Sir Richard Branson (Virgin group) is also one of the actively involved members On the same lines - START (for STrategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994. Since it expired, Predsident Barak Obama ratified the New START Treaty in the Oval Office on Feb. 2, 2011.

Forbes Asia fab 50 Points to remember The most notable newcomer: Qingdao Haier, the worlds No. 1 white goods Page 473

PG GK COLLECTION brand. this years list of the 50 best publicly traded companies in Asia-Pacific certainly reflects that. Virtually half of the companies23, to be exacthail from China. India could muster only seven entries this year. No company from Japan From South Korea : 8 That means many excellent outfits didnt make the cut and none were more notable than Hong Kongs Li & Fung and Indias Infosys.

From India : (in alphabetical order) 1)Asian Paints 2)Bharti Airtel 3) HCL 4)ITC 5)Kotak Mahindra Bank 6)Mahindra and Mahindra 7)TCS ___________________________________________________________________ Some from Business News:: The NASDAQ-listed iGate has sealed the deal to buy Patni Computers, Indias seventh largest IT services firm, to create a $1-billion entity Starbucks, the worlds largest coffee retailer, has entered into an agreement with Tata Coffee for a strategic alliance in India. Under the non-binding MoU between the two, Starbucks will set up stores in the Tata groups retail outlets and hotels and source roast coffee beans from Tata Coffees Kodagu facility. Infrastructure, Leasing & Finance Services (IL&FS) will be the new promoter of Maytas Properties, the cash-strapped company owned by family members of disgraced Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has done away with the dual helmsman-ship model and appointed T.K. Kurien as Wipros new CEO. Google Inc co-founder Larry Page has taken over as CEO from Eric Schmidt. Pages assumption of day-to-day operations marks a return to Googles technological roots, 13 years after he and fellow Stanford University student Sergy Brin founded what has become the worlds number one internet search engine. Mahindra & Mahindra, the market leader in utility vehicles, has launched a pick-up vehicle based on the Xylo model. The vehicle has been named Genio. The Aditya Birla group has bought the $1-billion revenue earning US firm Page 474

PG GK COLLECTION Colombian Chemicals for $875 million, catapulting the group to become the world leader in carbon black, from its number four position that it held before the acquisition. Opening another chapter in aviation history, G.R. Gopinath, known as the pioneer of low-cost carriers in India, has had his Deccan Charters Ltd join hands with Taj Air, the executive charter service of Indian Hotels Company Ltd and with Business Jets India Pvt Ltd, to launch Powerfly, an alliance in the air charter industry. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has entered into luxury sedan segment with launch of its car Kizashi. ICICI Bank has entered into an agreement with Indian Army for extending modern banking products to the personnel in uniform. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Which country is the runner up in FIFA World Cup 2010 held in South Africa? Netherlands Whio is the Brand Ambassador of Andhra Pradesh tourism board? Saina Nehwal The top three countries of the 19th Commonwealth Games 2010 are: Australia, England, India What was the original name of CWG? British Empire Games What was the motto of 2010 Asian Games? Thrilling Games, Harmonious Asia Which of the following counties was the first Asian country to host the Commonwealth Games? Malaysia Which countries will host the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018 and 2022 respectively? Page 475

PG GK COLLECTION Brazil, Russia and Qatar What is the rank of India in the final Medal Table of the Asian Games 2010? 6th _________________________________________________________ List of Punch Lines of Famous Companies, Brands, Banks, Movies , Tourism Places Etc. Digit: Your Technology Navigator Fiat: Driven By Passion Abn Amro Bank: Making More Possible Accenture : High Performance Delivered Adobe: Simplicity At Work Better By Adobe Addidas: Forever Sports AIG Or American International Group Insurance Company: We Know Money Air Canada: A Breath Of Fresh Air Air Deccan: Simply Fly Allianz Group: The Power On Your Side American Red Cross: Together We Prepare Andhra Bank: Much More To Do, With YOU In Focus Andhra Pradesh : The Kohinoor Of India Apple Macintosh: Think Different Arcelor: Steel Solutions For A Better World Astrazeneca : Life Inspiring Ideas At & T: The World's Networking Company Audi: Vorsprung Durch Technik Austrian Airlines: Fly With Friends Axa UK: Be Life Confident Bank Of America: Higher Standards Bank Of Baroda: India's International Bank Bank Of Rajasthan: Dare To Dream Barclays: Fluent In Finance; Its Our Business To Know Your Business Big Bazaar: Is Se Sasta Aur Achcha Kahee Nahee Biocon : The Difference Lies In Our Dna Blogger.com: Push Button Publishing Bloomingdales: Like No Other Store In The World BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine Boeing: Forever New Frontiers Bombay Stock Exchange: The Edge Is Efficiency BPCL: Pure For Sure Brand Of BPCL, Speed: High Performance Petrol Brand Of IOCL, Servo: 100 % Performance Everytime Bridgestone: Passion For Excellence Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation : Bringing Innovations In Health And Learning To The Global Community Page 476

PG GK COLLECTION Bristol Myers Squibb : Extending And Enhancing Human Life British Airways: The Way To Fly British Petroleum: Beyond Petroleum Business India: The Magazine Of The Corporate World Business Today: For Managing Tomorrow Business World: Play The Game Cast Away: At The Edge Of The World, His Journey Begins (Movie) CEAT Tyre: Born Tough Central Mall: Shop Eat Celebrate Chattisgarh Tourism: Full Of Surprises Chevrolet Aveo: When Good Is Not Good Enough Chevron Corporation: Human Energy Cry : Child Relief & YOU Chip: Intelligent Computing Cipla: Caring For Life Citigroup Or Citibank: The Citi Never Sleeps CNBC Television: Profit From It Comptron And Greaves: Everyday Solutions Computer Associates: The Software That Powers The E Business Continental Airlines: Work Hard, Fly Right Daimler Chrysler: The Future Of Automobile Amazon.com: Earth's Biggest Bookstore Deutsche Bank: A Passion To Perform Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (Movie) : Come And Fall In Love Dow Chemical Company: Living Improved Daily Dr Reddy's Laboratories : Life Research Hope Dunlop: Accelerate Your Soul Dupont: The Miracles Of Science Ebay: The World's Online Market Place Emirates Air: Keep Discovering Epson: Exceed Your Vision Ernst And Young: Quality In Everything We Do Essar Corp: A Positive A++Itude Euronext : Go For Growth Exxon Mobil: Taking On The Worlds Toughest Energy Challenges Ford: Built For The Road Ahead Ford Motor: Make Every Day Exciting Fortune: Every Fortune Tells The Story Franklin Templeton Investments: Gain From Our Perspective FT Financial Times: No FT, No Comments Gail: Gas And Beyond Glaxo Smithkline : Today's Medicines Finance Tomorrow's Miracles GM: Only GM Goa Tourism : 365 Days On A Holiday Guiness Beer: My Goodness My Guiness Haier: Inspired Living Himachal Pradesh Tourism: The Perfect Host Page 477

PG GK COLLECTION Hindustan Times: The Name India Trusts For News Hollywood Stock Exchange : It's Your Hollywood Home Depot: You Can Do It We Can Help Honda : The Power Of Dreams Hp Invent: Everything Is Possible HSBC: The World's Local Bank Hyundai: Drive Your Way IBM: On Demand IBM: I Think, Therefore IBM IBP: Pure Bhi Poora Bhi ICICI Bank: Hum Hain Na !!! Infosys: Powered By Intellect, Driven By Values;Improve Your Odds With Infosys Predictability Intel: Intel Inside IOCL: Bringing Energy To Life Jaguar: Born To Perform Jet Airways: The Joy Of Flying Jurassic Park: An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making JVC: The Perfect Experience Kerala Tourism: God's Own Country KFC: There's Fast Food, Then There's Kfc Kingfisher Airlines: Fly The Good Times Kit Kat : Have A Break Have A Kit Kat KLM Airlines: The Reliable Airline KMART: The Stuff Of Life Kotak: Think Investments Think Kotak Kroger: Costs Less To Get More Larsen And Toubro: We Make Things Which Make India Proud Lee: The Jeans That Built America Lehman Brothers: Where Vision Gets Built Lenovo: We Are Building A New Technology Company Lexus: The Pursuit Of Perfection LG: Life's Good LIC: Trust Thy Name Is LIC, Jindagi ke Saath Bhi, Jindagi ke Baad Bhi London Metal Exchange : The World's Center For Non Ferrous Metal Trading Louis Phillips: The Upper Crest Lufthansa Airlines: There's No Better To Fly Lukoil: Always Moving Forward Macromedia: What The Web Can Be Malaysian Airlines: Going Beyond Expectations Mastercard: There Are Some Things Money Can't Buy For Everything Else There's Mastercard Max Newyork Life Insurance: Your Partner For Life Mcdowells Signature: The New Sign Of Success MCX: Trade With Trust Merck : Where Patients Come First Metro: The Spirit Of Commerce Page 478

PG GK COLLECTION Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Or Metlife : Have You Met Life Today Michelin: A Better Way Forward Microsoft: Where Do You Want To Go Today ; Your Potential Our Passion Microsoft Office 2003: Microsoft Office Has Evolved Have You? Better, Faster, And Newer Mittal Steel: Shaping The Future Of Steel Monstor.Com : Never Settle Madhya Pradesh : The Very Heart Of India MRF: Tyres With Muscle Nasdaq : Stock Market For The Digital World NDTV Profit: New You Can Use NOKIA : Connecting People Dell: Easy As Dell NYSE New York Stock Exchange : The World Puts Its Stock In Us ONGC: Making Tomorrow Brighter Orange: The Future Is Bright The Future Is Orange Peter England: Honestly Impressive Petronas: 10 Years In Formula One The World Is Watching Us Pfizer: Life Is Our Life's Work Phillips: Sense And Simplicity Prudential Insurance Company: Growing And Protecting Your Wealth Qantas: The Spirit Of Australia Rajasthan Tourism : Simply Colorful Raymonds: The Complete Man Reid & Taylor: Bond With The Best Reliance Industries Limited: Growth Is Life Sahara: Emotionally Yours SAIL: There Is A Little Bit Of Sail In Everyone's Life Samsung: Everyone's Invited Or Its Hard To Imagine Sanofi Aventis : Because Health Matters Sansui: Born In Japan Entertaining The World SAP: The Best Run Businesses Run SAP SBI Debit Card: Welcome To A Cashless World Rotary International: Service Above Self Sholay: The Greatest Story Ever Told Singapore Stock Exchange, SGX : Tomorrow Market's Today Skoda: Obsessed With Quality Since 1897 Sony: Like No Other Standard Chartered Bank: Your Right Partner Standard Insurance Company Limited: Positively Different Star Sports: We Know Your Game Star Wars The Revenge Of Sith: The Saga Is Complete Sun Microsystems: The Network Is The Computer Suzlon Energy: Powering A Greener Tomorrow Swiss Air: The World's Most Refreshing Airline Symantec: Be Fearless Tata Motors: Even More Car Per Car Page 479

PG GK COLLECTION TCS: Beyond The Obvious TESCO: Every Little Helps The Daily Telegraph: Read A Bestseller Everyday The Day After Tomorrow (Movie) : Where Will You Be The Economic Times: The Power Of Knowledge The Hindu : India's national newspaper since 1878 The Indian Express: Journalism Of Courage Thomas Cook : Dont Just Book It Thomas Cook It Timesjobs.com: If You Have A Reason, We Have The Job Titanic (Movie) : Collide With Destiny To Learn To Heal To Raise: Csim Toshiba: Choose Freedom Total: Trademark Of Energy Toyota: Touch The Perfection Toyota Innova: All You Desire Union Bank Of India: Good People To Bank With United Airlines: It's Time To Fly Uttarpradesh Tourism : Amazing Heritage, Grand Experience Videocon: The Indian Multinational Virgin Atlantic: Your Never Forget Your First Time Vizag Steel: Pride Of Steel Voice : Helping Children Write Their Future Volkswagen: Drivers Wanted Wallet365com: Pay Anyone Online Walmart: Always Low Prices Always West Bengal: Complete Destination Wills Lifestyle: Enjoy The Change Windows XP: Do More With Less Wipro: Applying Thought Blue Cross India : Working For Animals Since 1954 Amnesty International : Working To Protect Human Rights Worldwide: Larsen and Toubro : Its all about imagineering. Essar : A possitive attitude Maruti Suzuki : Count on us Dell : Here is yours. _________________________________________________________________________________ ______

-Puneeta Arora (Commandant, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune) became the first woman to reach the rank of Lt. General in the Indian army. -Sonali Banerjee is India's First woman Merchant Navy Officer. -Bachhendri Pal is first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest. Page 480

PG GK COLLECTION -Mithali Raj (August 2002 playing against England) is the first Indian woman cricketer to score double century. -Dr. Manmohan Singh is the first Sikh Prime Minister of India. -Bula Chaudhury has the distinction of being the first Indian to cross seven important seas by swimming -Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Biwi is the first woman Judge in Supreme Court. -Leela Seth is the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court. -Kalpana Chawla is the first Indian woman (now U.S citizen) to go in space. -Mrs. Ranjana Kumar is the first woman Chairman and Managing Director of NABARD. -Karnam Malleshwari is the first Indian weightlifter to win bronze medal in Olympics (Sydney, in 2000). -Vishwanathan Anand is the First Indian World Chess Champion. -The News Today (Launched on Jan. 3, 2001) is India's first paperless Newspaper. -Anju Bobby George (Aug. 2003) is the first Indian lady to win a medal in World Athletic Championship. -G. M. C. Balyogi is the first Dalit Speaker of the Lok Sabha. -Ms. Kiran Bedi is the first Indian to be appointed as United Nations Civilian Police Advisor. -K. J. Udeshi (appointed on June 10, 2003) is the first woman to be appointed Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India. -Rahul Dravid (playing test against Pakistan in Pakistan, April 2004) became the first Indian cricketer to make double centuries five times. -Smt. Roopa Misra was the first Orissa woman to top I.A.S. (2003) -Kanchan C. Bhattacharya (DGP Uttaranchal) became the first woman Director General of Police of a State. -Krishna Kant is the first Vice-President of India to die in harness -Sania Mirza (2003) is the first Indian girl to register a win in a Wimbledon Page 481

PG GK COLLECTION tournament. _________________________________________________________________________________ ________ Who put the first self propelled vehicle on the moon? Lunokhod - I How many miles per hour is one knot? 1.151 miles/hour or 1.84 km/hour. In which year was the Nobel Prize instituted and which country awards it? 1901, Sweeden What is the study of earthquakes called? Seismology What is the approximate distance of moon from the earth? 384,402 km center to center, or 376,285 km surface to surface Which is the largest dome in the world? Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. It has an outside diameter of 680 feet Which planet is farthest away from the sun? Pluto How long is the Great Wall of China? It is debatable. According to Guinness, the main length is 3460 km with a further 2860 km of branches and spurs Who is the religious head of the English church? Archbishop of Canterbury Which was the first country to use paper? China, Ts'ai Sun invented it. Where is the headquarters of the International Red Cross Society? Geneva Name the sculptor who created "The Thinker". Auguste Rodin. Which is the oldest known formally written language? Elamite, dating back to 3500 BC Which planet has the longest day? Venus. Its day is longer than its year because it spins on its axis once every 243 earth days whereas rotation of the sun is completed in 224.7 days. How did the month of January get its name? From Jauarius (Latin) after Janus, the two-faced Roman God of Doorways, as presiding over the entrance or begining of the year Who founded the Red Cross in 1864? Henry Durrant. What does the phrase 'ipso facto' mean? By the very fact What is a platoon? A division of an infantry company consisting of 50 soldiers commanded by a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant What is a whiteout? When the land is completely covered with snow and the horizon obliterated, making land and sky indistinguishable Which alphabet do the Russians use? The Cyrillic alphabet. Who is known as the Holy Pontiff? The Pope What is the name of the deepest known spot in the ocean? Challenger Deep. South west of Guam in the Pacific, 11,033m deep _____________________________________________________________________________ Famous Company Punchlines: AMAZON.COM Earths Biggest BookStore TIMESJOBS.COM If you have a reason, we have the job BLOGGER.COM Push Button Publishing Page 482

PG GK COLLECTION MRF Tyres with Muscle CEAT Born Tough EBAY The Worlds Online Market Place Microsoft Where Do You Want to Go Today ; Your Potential Our Passion Windows XP Do More with Less HP-Invent Everything is Possible Accenture High Performance. Delivered SKODA Obsessed with Quality since 1897. VOLKSWAGEN Drivers wanted FIAT Driven by Passion. FIAT TATA MOTORS Even More Car per Car IBM I think, therefore IBM. Dell Easy as DELL. Intel Intel inside. LEE The jeans that built America Master card There are some things money cant buy. For everything else theres MASTERCARD. Kotak Think Investments. Think Kotak. Sun Microsystems The Network is the Computer Ernst and Young Quality in Everything we Do Barclays Fluent in Finance; Its our business to know your business Standard Chartered Bank Your Right Partner CNBC Profit from it AT&T The Worlds Networking Company Monster.com Never Settle Jet Airways The Joy of Flying Lufthansa Theres no better to fly British airways The Way to Fly. Air Canada A breath of Fresh Air Sahara Emotionally yours. Malaysian Airlines Going Beyond Expectations Kingfisher Airlines Fly the good times Exxon Mobil Taking on the Worlds Toughest Energy Challenges Chevron Corporation Human Energy Reliance industries Limited Growth is Life British Petroleum Beyond Petroleum ONGC Making Tomorrow Brighter IOCL Bringing Energy to Life BPCL Pure for Sure IBP Pure bhi. Poora bhi GAIL Gas and Beyond Essar corp A positive a++itude Speed High Performance Petrol Servo 100 % Performance. Everytime. NDTV Profit News you can Use. Toyota Innova All you Desire. Star Sports We know your game Page 483

PG GK COLLECTION IBM ON DEMAND LENOVO We are building a new technology company. Apple Macintosh Think Different. TCS Beyond the Obvious Infosys Powered by Intellect, Driven by Values; Improve your odds with Infosys Predictability WIPRO Applying Thought Adobe Simplicity at work. Better by adobe. Macromedia What the web can be. FORD Built for the Road Ahead GM Only GM. BMW The Ultimate Driving Machine TOYOTA Touch The Perfection HYUNDAI Drive Your Way HONDA The Power of Dreams VERTU - Experience Life, Beautifully Arranged. KFC - so good Hero MotoCorp - Hum Mein Hai Hero ________________________________________________________________________ A global conference on mango was held in Lucknow in June 2011. The main topic was the challenges facing the crop and its growers in backdrop of changing climatic conditions. According to a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters Trustlaw Women, a hub of legal information and legal support for womens rights, India is the fourth most dangerous place for women in the world. Afghanistan is the most dangerous place for women, followed by Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India and Somalia. India ranked fourth primarily due to female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking. According to TLGs Index of Emerging Market Thought Leaders, seven out of the top ten brands in India are indigenous firms. Infosys and Tata group have piped global majors like Google, Nokia and Facebook to the top two spots. Google is at number 3, followed by Maruti Suzuki, L&T, Nokia, SBI, Facebook, Hindustan Unilever and Mahindra Group. Apple, which leads the pack in Britain and USA, failed to make a mark in the top 20 list in India. China has become the worlds largest energy consumer, overtaking the USA. Chinese energy consumption grew by 11.2 per cent between 2009 and 2010, the highest for any country. India was not far behind, recording a high 9.2 per cent increase in energy consumption. IBM, also called the Big Blue, completed 100 years of operation on June 16, 2011. Over the last 100 years, it garnered over $100 billion in revenue, carved a global footprint in over 160 countries. Collected over 6000 patents worldwide Page 484

PG GK COLLECTION (the highest fo any company in the world), developed a computer system called Watson. India is now ranked 12th in the world in terms of the number of millionaires, according to the Capgemini and Merrill Lynchs World Wealth Report, 2011. It has moved one notch up in the ranks, pushing Spain behind. Indias performance on global environment index has improved, earning it the 123rd rank, primarily because of progress made in renewable. Junrey Balawing of Philippines, measured at 24.25 inches, has been named as the worlds shortest living man. On June 17, 2011, the University of Oxford celebrated an Oxford-India day to mark 400 years of links with India.

Rashtriya Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram is a scheme to provide all required healthcare facilities to pregnant women and infants free of cost. The scheme has been adopted for the entire country under the National Rural Health Mission. Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple in Kerala was in news after the Supreme Court appointed a special committee to examine the secret chambers of the temple, which are believed to store precious treasures of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore. Tata Consutancy Services (TCS) has become Indias third most valuable company in terms of market capitalisation. RIL continues to hold the first position, followed by Coal India Ltd. ONGC is at the fourth spot. The first India-US Higher Education Summit was held on July 15-16, 2011 in Washington. The summit was announced during the visit of President Obama to India in 2010. The new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental jetliner is the worlds longest passenger aircraft. It is 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, a standard 747 and seats 467 passengers. Airbus A380, however, continues to be the biggest plane with seating capacity of 525 passengers The Punjab Mail, which runs from Ferozepur to Mumbai, has entered its 100th year of service. Once known as the pride of Punjab, the train was introduced by the British in 1912 between Peshawar and Mumbai.. The Union governmenthas approved the development of housing and basic facilities in slums across 250 cities in India under the Rajiv Awas Yojana. Two Indian firmshave won the prestigious Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, considered as the Green Oscar Abellon CleanEnergy and Husk Power Page 485

PG GK COLLECTION Systems. World Blood Donor Day is observed on June 14. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed on June 15. World Environment Day is observed on June 5. ________________________________________________________________________________ A list of OLOGIES Easy one anthropology-- humans apiology -- bees archaeology -- past culture of humans astrology -- stars(for making predictions) bacteriology -- bacteria biology -- life cartology -- maps and map-making climatolgy -- climate cosmetology -- cosmetics cosmology -- universe criminology -- crime and criminals cryptology -- codes ecology -- interactions in environments entomology -- insects embryology -- embryos etymology -- a word geology -- earth hydrology -- water ichthyology -- fish ideology -- ideas mammalogy -- mammals meteorology -- climate and weather microbiology -- microscopic life musicology -- music ophthalmology -- eyes otology -- ears paleoanthropology -- ancient human-like creatures paleobiology -- ancient life paleontology -- ancient life, studied through fossils paleozoology -- ancient animals pathology -- disease pedology -- children phenomenology -- phenomenons philology -- historical language phonology -- speech sounds phraseology -- use of words and phrases Page 486

PG GK COLLECTION physical anthropology -- human characteristics physiology -- characteristics of organisms sociology -- society topology -- characteristics and history of a place tropical biology -- tropical life vulcanology -- volcanoes zoology -- animals Not so easy one cetology -- whales conchology -- shells eschatology -- death,judgement, afterlife ethnobiology -- life pertaining to certain people ethnology -- cultural heritage ethology -- animal behavior etiology -- causes and reasons graphology -- handwriting herpetology -- reptiles hippology -- horses morphology -- structure of organisms mycology -- fungi myrmecology -- ants nephology -- clouds neurology -- brain ornithology -- birds ophiology -- snakes petrology -- rocks phantomology -- supernatural beings pharmacology -- drugs pharyngology -- pharynx(part of throat) phenology -- periodic biological phenomena phytology -- plants(usually called botany) phytosociology -- relationships and charactistics of plants pomology -- fruit psychology -- mind and behavior pyrology -- fire seismology -- earthquakes somatology -- human characteristics speleology -- caves storiology -- stories and legends ________________________________________________________________________________

1. Sir Thomas Raffles is the founder of which nation. a) Vatican City b) Singapore Page 487

PG GK COLLECTION c) Cyprus d) New Zealand 2. Which conflict was put to an end by the Dayton Agreement a) Algerian War b) Vietnam War c) Bosnian War d) Chinese Civil War 3. Which material was used in Mathura School of Art a) Granite b) Slate c) White marble d) Red Sandstone 4. Kleptocracy is related to which of the following a) Corruption b) Rituals c) Terrorism d) Communalism 5. A fire temple is a place of worship for a) Sikhs b) Zorastrians c) Buddhists d) Shinto's 6. Which of the following can be used as the preservative in tomato juice a) Sodium Chloride b) Sodium Carbonate c) Sodium Benzoate d) Sodium Bicarbonate 7. Linotype machine is used in an industry for a) Leather b) Printing c) Paper d) Computer printing 8. In which year was Mahatma Gandhi chosen as the Person of the Year by the US Time magazine a) 1930 b) 1935 c) 1940 d) 1936 9. Which is the most populous country of Africa Page 488

PG GK COLLECTION a) Nigeria b) Egypt c) Algeria d) South Africa 10. What is Heliopause a) Its the theoretical boundary beyond which Light from the sun cannot reach. b) Its the theoretical boundary beyond which heat from the sun cannot reach. c) Its the theoretical boundary beyond which solar winds from the sun cannot reach. d) Its the theoretical boundary beyond which there is no existence of the solar system. OA=BCDABCBAAC __________________________________________________________________ important trophies and cups:american cup-yacht racing ashes-cricket canada cup-golf colombo cup-football corbillion cup-football davis cup-tennis derby-horse racing holker-bridge jules rimet trophy-world football merdeka-football(asian cup) ryder cup-golf reliance cup-cricket swaythling cup-world table tennis(men) todd memorial trophy-basketball thomas cup-world badminton(men) tunku abdul rahman cup-asian badminton u. Thant cup-lawn tennis uber cup-world badminton(women) yonex cup-badminton walker cup-golf william cup-basketball wimbledon trophy-tennis world cup-cricket(prudential/reliance cup) __________________________________________________________________ 1)Pakistan tested on 19th april 2011 half range ballistic missile hatf IX, in answer to indias cold start Doctrine. Page 489

PG GK COLLECTION 2)Protest happen against SYRIS President : BASAR Al Assad in to capital DAMASCUS. 3)Meanwhile Syria also lift emergency law that had been in force for 48 years. 4)BRICS summit has happened in SANYA in CHINa drew up an action plan to make the voice of developeing countries more effective on world stage 5)On 12 april 2011 it marked a half century since yuri gagarin become the first man in space, on 12th april 1961 gagarin uttered the famous words lets go as the vostok rocket with him squeezed into tiny capsule at the top blasted off from the south of soviet republic of Kazakhstan . 6)1 may 2011 OSAMA BIN LADEN is Killed. 7)Brazil runs worlds longest bus on biofuel.the mega BRT bus manufactured by volve do brasil has a capacity of 250 seat 60 and 190 standing. ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. Which among the following is major source of Salt in India? a)Salt Pan b)Salt Lake c)Salt Rocks d)None of them 2. Which among following is also known as white gold?. a)Nickel b)Rhodium c)Platinum d)Palladium 3. Which among following is rich in Ozone. a)Stratosphere b)Mesosphere c)Ionosphere d)Troposphere 4. Which among the following is a millet. a)Sorghum b)Maize c)Wheat d)Rice 5. What does the Red Data Book contain. a) Astrology b) Endangered wild plants, animals c) Communism d) Endangered Forests 6. Which Portuguese Viceroy followed the Blue Water policy in India. a)Afonso de Albuquerque Page 490

PG GK COLLECTION b)Francisco de Almeida c)Diogo Lopes de Sequeira d)None of them 7. Kolkata Declaration (February 2011) calls for which among the following a)Education for All b)Employment for All c)Healthcare for All d)Life Insurance for All 8.What was the name of the Lunar Module in which, on July 20, in 1969, Neil Armstrong, Commander of Apollo 11 Mission and Edwin Aldrin Jr., Commander of this module, became the first cosmonauts to land on the moon. a)Columbia b)LM Orion c)Eagle d)Aquarius OA=ACAABBCC __________________________________________________________________________ Omnicom Group Inc, the worlds second largest advertising group after WPP, has announced an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Mudra Group, controlled by Reliance ADAG. MF Global has become the first US financial casualty of the European debt crisis. It has filed for bankruptcy protection. Sony Corp has taken over the Sony Ericsson mobile phone joint venture for 1.05 billion euros. The deal will give Sony ownership of certain handset patents held by Ericsson and will enable it to integrate the joint ventures output with its own range of products and contents. Nokia has announced its first devices powered by Microsofts Windows Phone platform. The two phones are Lumia 800 and Lumia 710. Besides, Nokia has also launched three Asha phones, which combine touch screen with a keyboard and are targeted to consumers looking for cheap feature phones in emerging markets like India. As per the latest Forbes list, Krafts CEO Irene Rosenfeld is the most powerful woman in the US business. She beat Indra Noori, CEO of PepsiCo, who remained at the top spot for last five years, to the second place. Sudhir Vasudeva is the new Chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Page 491

PG GK COLLECTION British carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced a strategic tie-up with energy firm LanzaTech to develop in India a low carbon fuel using waste gases from industrial steel production. The fuel will have just half the carbon footprint of the standard fossil fuel alternative. Microsoft has launched its latest version of the Windows phone operating system, Mango, in India. R.K. Tayagi has been appointed as the new Chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). India has climbed 10 spots to reach 34th ranking on the global IT industry competitive index, compiled jointly by Business Software Alliance and the Economic Intelligence Unit. The Union government has given a major boost to the television industry by clearing an ordinance to completely digitize the Rs 20,000-crore cable and satellite television industry in India by 2014. The move is expected to improve the subscription revenues and end a hefty carriage fee they pay the cable TV operators.

___________________________________________________________________________ \\Nivesh Mitra is a online platform for entrepreneurs, launched by the Uttar Pradesh government. The interface combines online payment facility and several unique features for facilitating quicker processing of matters relating to industrialists and investors. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has renamed the Lakhanpur-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 1-A as the Lakhanpur-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 44. It is the lone surface link between the Kashmir valley and rest of the country. It has taken just 12 years for the world population to reach from 6 to 7-billion mark. World population did not reach 1 billion mark until 1804. It took 123 years to reach the 2-billion mark in 1927, 33 years to reach 3 billion in 1960, 14 years to reach 4 billion in 1974, 13 years to reach 5 billion in 1987 and 12 years to reach 6 billion in 1999. World population is projected to nearly stabilise at just above 10 billion after 2200. China (19%) and India (17%) together make up 36% of the world population. The Tokyo Sky Tree, which is under construction in downtown Tokyo, Japan, will stand 634 m high after completion and will be the tallest stand-alone communications tower in the world. An escopetarrist is a musician whose guitar is made of a defunct AK-47 rifle. The guitar is called escopetarracombining escopeta and guitarra, Spanish for Page 492

PG GK COLLECTION shot gun and guitar. The Union Cabinet has approved Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat at Rs 1,285 a quintal. In its quarterly monetary review, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on October 25, 2011, increased the interest rate by 25 basis points. RBI has also de-regulated the savings account interest rate. Banks are also now free to fix interest rates on deposits above Rs one lakh. RBI has also lowered the economic growth forecast to 7.6 per cent for 2011-12. RBI has also accepted the Damodaran Committee recommendations under which banks will have to withdraw pre-payment charges on home loans. RBI has also hiked the home loan limit for Urban Co-op banks to Rs 30 lakh with a tenure of 20 years. The Union government has planned to float seven mega zones to boost manufacturing. These will be: Ahmedabad-Dholera (Gujarat), Shendra-Bidkin (Maharashtra), Manesar-Bawal (Haryana), Khushkhera-Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Dighi Port Area (Maharashtra), Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Pithampur-Dhar-Mhow (Madhya Pradesh). The 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held at Perth, Australia. India was represented by Vice-President Hamid Ansari. As per the Forbes annual India rich list, Mukesh Ambani, head of Reliance Industries, has retained his position as the richest Indian with a net worth of $22.6 billion. Second in the lsit is Lakshmi Mittal, followed by Azim Premji, Shashi and Ravi Ruia and Savitri Jindal. No Higher Honour is a book written by Condoleeza Rice, former Secretary of State of USA. Mumbai has emerged as the city with the highest number of internet users in India. Mumbai is followed by Delhi, Kolkata Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. World Polio Day is observed on October 24. Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day is observed on October 21. The Union government has announced setting up of National Institute of Sports Science and Medicine (NISSM) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. The institute will aim at fostering the disciplines of physiology, psychology, nutrition, biochemistry, biomedical, anthropometry and sports medicine. Mahendergarh district of Haryana has entered the Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest eye camps organized at seven places to mark Gandhi Jayanti. Eyes of 8,006 persons were screened in these camps. The camps were organized by Hasanpuria Grameen Janseva Sammitti, in Page 493

PG GK COLLECTION collaboration with the district administration. Non-cognizable offence is defined under Section 2(1) Code of Criminal Procedure which says that a non-cognizable offence is an offence for which a police officer has no authority to arrest without warrant. President Pratibha Patil unveiled a bust of Rabindranath Tagore at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland on October 4, 2011, as part of the Nobel laureates ongoing 150th birth anniversary. Sudarshan Shakti was the massive joint exercise held by Indian Army, with Air Force and Navy. Pakistan: A personal history has been written by Imran Khan, former captain of Pakistan cricket team. The brakes are off is the autobiography of English cricketer Graeme Swann. Major mobile operating systems are: Android from Google, BlackBerry OS from RIM, iOS from Apple, Symbian OS from Symbian Foundation, Windows Phone from Microsoft. The World Food Day is observed every year on October 16. It was on this day in 1945 that the Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations came into being. The aim of the Day is to heighten public awareness on the scarcity of food and strengthen movement against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Indias longest rail tunnel, 10.96 km long, is situated in J&K. It connects Banihal in south side to Qazigund in the north side of the mountains and thus takes passengers from the Jammu side to Kashmir side in just six minutes. The empowered group of State Finance Ministers on GST has approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called the GST Network, which will be headed by Nandan Nilekani. The SPV will be responsible for implementing the IT infrastructure needed to roll out GST, one of the country's most ambitious tax reforms. Jugnu, a nano-satellite built by IIT, Kanpur, is Indias first indigenously designed nano-satellite to be successfully placed into its orbit. It was launched on October 12, 2011 by PSLV-C1. _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ Abbreviation: IBSA: India-Brazil-South Africa Page 494

PG GK COLLECTION PAK-FA: Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation. GRAIL: Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory UNCLOS: UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. DMIC: Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor ICAS: Indian Court Of Arbitration for Sports _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ 1. At which of the following places Weight of a person will be maximum. a) At Poles b) At tropic of Capricorn c) At tropic of Cancer d) At the peak of Everest 2. Which among the following is caused by Virus a) Mumps b) Beri Beri c) Tuberculosis d) Dysentery 3. What is the total number of planets in Solar system a) 6 b) 7 c) 8 [ International Astronomical Union Removed Pluto on August 24, 2006] d) 9 4. Shiva Crater is located near which of the following places in India a) Mumbai b) Chennai c) Cochin d) Puri 5. Which of the following causes the drop of water to be in spherical shape? a) Viscosity b) Air resistance c) Surface tension d) Gravity of earth 6. World's tallest Tower "Kingdom Tower" is coming up in which among the following cities a) UAE b) Dar-ul-Islam Page 495

PG GK COLLECTION c) Jeddah d) Istanbul 7. As per the latest data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which among the following states leads in Teledensity in India a) Delhi b) Maharashtra c) Punjab d) Himachal Pradesh 8. Immediately before his resignation following the impeachment process started in Rajya Sabha, Justice Soumitra Sen was Judge at which among the following courts a)Jharkhand High Court b)Calcutta High Court c)Guwahati High Court d)Odisha High Court OA=AACACCDB _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ 1. Bipin Chandra Pal started a patriotic journal in August 1906, he named it Vande Mataram. 2. The national song of India, Vande Mataram was first published in this novel Anand Math which is creation of Bankim Chandra Chattarjee 3. national Symbol of Aquatic animal of India - River Dolphin 4. India's voting power at world Bank is 2.91%. Maximum Voting power is of USA -15.85% 5. Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner co-authored Freakonomics, a book about cheating teachers, bizarre baby names, self-dealing Realtors, and crack-selling mamas boys. 6. Kyoto Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, and entered into force on 16 February 2005. USA has not signed it yet. 7. Chief economist of world - bank : - Justin Yifu Lin TISS 1. Author of " The theory of moral sentiments " - Adam Smith 2. Author of "Brief Foundations of Human Resource Development", The Adult Learner, Analysis for improving performance : tools for diagnosing organizations and documenting workplace expertise- Richard A. Swanson Page 496

PG GK COLLECTION 3. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation.Maslow's theory was fully expressed in his 1954 book Motivation and Personality 4. Author of "Man's search for meaning"- Viktor Emil Frankl _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ 1. Who among the following is known for the famous quote an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy a) Jawahar Lal Nehru b) Mahatma Gandhi c) Leo Tolstoy d) Rabindranath Tagore 2. Which among the following states of India is running the Dhanwantari Yojana in the healthcare sector. a) Haryana b) Rajasthan c) Madhya Pradesh d) Uttar Pradesh 3. Income generated from Tourism can be placed in which among the following a) Invisible Import b) Invisible Export c) Visible Import d) Visible Export 4. Which among the following state has been selected for The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) a) Tamil Nadu b) Kerala c) Karnataka d) Andhra Pradesh 5. In which state is located the Tuirial Hydro Electric Project located a) Manipur b) Mizoaram c) Nagaland d) Arunachal Pradesh 6. Which among the following has the lowest frequency Range a) L-Band b) S-Band c) C-band Page 497

PG GK COLLECTION d) X-Band 7. As per the news published recently in the newspapers, in which of the following states, world's first facility to manufacture carbon foam batteries is coming up a) Karnataka b) Rajasthan c) Gujarat [Near Ahamadabad] d) Andhra Pradesh 8. In bank group-wise classification, IDBI Bank Ltd has been included in which among the following a) Nationalized Banks b) Private Sector Banks c) Foreign Banks d) None of them OA=BCBABACA _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ . Which state government has renamed the Brookside Bungalow to Rabindranath Art Gallery?a)Mizoram b)Assam c)Meghalaya d)Uttaranchal e)none 2. Who wrote the book India - Pakistan: Coming To Terms? a)Ajit Pawar b)Ashutosh Misra c)K R Narayana d)Shashi Tharoor e)none 3. Who has been elected as President of Karnataka State Cricket Association(KSCA)? a)Rahul Dravid b)Vijay Mallya c)Javagal Srinath d)Venkates Prasad e)Anil Kumble 4. Which animal has been declared as National Heritage Animal by GOI Elephant. 5. Which of the following nation is the recent one to join Non Aligned Movement(NAM)? a)Fiji b)Cuba c)Iran d)Colombia e)Egypt 6. DIPP is the nodal agency in the field of foreign investments? what is the full form of DIPP - Department Of Industrial Policy and Promotion. 7. RBI was considering the proposal to set up satellite banks and ATMs to provide banking facilities to the villagers in which state? a)Bihar b)Jharkhand c)Uttar Pradesh d)Assam e)none 8. National Voters Day is observed on _________? a)Jan 6th b)April 1st c)May 25st d)Jan 25th e)Oct 6th 9. Which country has opened Worlds first nuclear bank - Russia? 10. Minimum Support Prices(MSP) is increased based on the recommendation of ? a)Ministry of Finance b)Ministry of Agriculture c)Agriculture Cost and Price Commission d)both a & c e)Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs Page 498

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ Q1. The campus placements in IIMs have been likened to what by Tata HR Chief Satish Pradhan ? Ans. Cattle at Pushkar fair Q2. Connect Bandit, intruder, Hayabuza.. Ans.Suzuki motorcycles . Q3Cyrus Mistry is the first Non-Indian national to head the Tatas. What passport does he have ?. Ans. Irish Q4. Name this detergent brand that created waves in the 80s as competitor to Surf and is now being withdrawn. Ans. Nirma Q5. What is the day after Thanksgiving day called in the US ? Why is this day important for retail industry ? Ans. Black Friday. Discount season Q6. Verghese Kurien is known as the milkman of India . An easy question. How did AMUL get its name ? Ans. Anand Milk Union Ltd Q7. Under what brand has tanishq launched a range of low-priced jewllery for working women ? Ans. Mia Q8. Which co has launched the music of 3 that has the Why this KOLAVERI di tamil song that has gone viral ? (probably will not come cause paper already made but still).... Ans. Sony Music Q9. In Money market lingo, what is TED spread ? Ans. The gap between LIBOR & US 3m treasury bill Q10. Why is a 1967 study by psychologist Stanley Milgram relevant for todays social networking world ? Ans. The concept of 6 degrees of freedom that separates any two humans Q11, Name the man behind JaxtrSMS the free SMS service ? Ans.Sabeer Bhatia Q12. Which smartphone operating system is also known as ice cream sandwich ? Page 499

PG GK COLLECTION Ans. Android 4.0 Q13. New Income Tax Return system introduced by the govornment to help small scale traders? Ans. Sugam Q14. The World's longest sea bridge... Ans. Qingdao haiwan Bridge in China, 42.48 km long Q15. The world's highest restaurent? Ans. It's located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa and is called At.mosphere _________________________________________________________________________________ _______ 1. The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct? I. It will facilitate disposal of pending cases in three years, from the current average of 15 years II. It provides for the establishment of an All India Judicial Service III. Union Labour Minister will be the National Mission Leader a) I only b) I and II only* c) II and III only d) III and I only 2. Late K.M. Mathew, in whose honour India Post released a postage stamp recently, was known for achievements in: a) Sports b) Archaeology c) Industry d) Journalism* e) Science 3. The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is operated under the joint responsibility of Central Government and State/UT Governments. Which of the following tasks are performed by the State/UT Governments? I. Procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the FCI II. Identification of eligible BPL families and issuance of ration cards to them III. Supervision over distribution of allocated foodgrains to eligible card holders through the Fair Price Shops (FPSs) a) I only b) I and II only c) II and III only* d) III and I only Page 500

PG GK COLLECTION e) I, II and III 4. Ronjan Sodhi is known for achievements in which sport? a) Shooting* b) Rowing c) Wrestling d) Archery e) Weightlifting 5. Domestic workers will now be covered under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). Which of the following statements is/are correct? I. The workers will be required to pay only 10% of the premium while the remaining 90% will be contributed by the Central and State governments. II. Workers will get annual health insurance cover up to Rs. 30,000/- every year. III. A maximum of five members per family would be covered. I only I and II only II and III only* III and I only I, II and III OA=BDCAC ________________________________________________________________ 6. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has decided to utilise the services of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for: a) Checking malnutrition by providing nutritional supplements to infants in BPL families b) Keeping a watch over gender selection clinics in rural and urban areas c) Providing family planning services at homes of beneficiaries* d) Popularising initiatives taken by Central government under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana e) None of the above 7. Which major foodgrain producing country has proposed to host a global grain reserve to avoid price fluctuations under the auspices of the United Nations? a) India b) Australia c) USA d) Ukraine* e) China 8. The rules governing release of funds under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) were modified recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct? Page 501

PG GK COLLECTION I. MPs would be allowed to spend on projects in any State or Union Territory other than the one from where they were elected. II. Projects implemented by government agencies would now be provided 75 per cent of the project cost as the first instalment III. Projects implemented by non-governmental agencies would be provided 60 per cent of the project cost as the first instalment a) I only b) I and II only c) II and III only* d) III and I only e) I, II and III 9. Which of the following statements about Indias production and consumption of petroleum products in 2010-11 is/are correct? I. Indias consumption of petroleum products in 2010-11 was more than 150 million metric tonnes (MMT) II. Production of petroleum products from indigenous sources has increased from 2008-09 to 2010-11 III. India is dependent on imports for 75% of its crude oil requirement in 2010-11 a) I only b) I and II only c) II and III only* d) III and I only e) I, II and III 10. Which of the following statements about the draft National Food Security Bill, 2011 approved by the National Advisory Council (NAC) recently is/are correct? I. It guarantees subsidised foodgrains to at least 90 per cent of rural households, and 50 percent of urban households. II. Priority households under the bill consist of Lower Middle Class families. III. General households would be sold foodgrains at a price not exceeding 50 per cent of the Minimum Support Price paid to farmers. a) I only b) I and II only* c) II and III only d) III and I only e) I, II and III OA=CDCCB ________________________________________________________________________ Japanese Parliament Selects New Prime Minister (Aug. 30): Japan's finance minister Yoshihiko Noda is elected prime minister by parliament. Noda becomes the nation's sixth prime minister in five years. He faces a country still recovering from an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster earlier this year as well as a Page 502

PG GK COLLECTION weakened economy and ongoing concern over Japan's debt. ______________________________________________________________________________ Some Imp Facts : 1. Templeton prize is awarded for Religion 2. Direct Tax Code will be implemented from April1, 2012. 3. 5th SCO summit took place in Pretoria 4. B.C Roy trophy is associated with Football. 5. CBDT recently announced that taxpayers will have to procure a new number for filling returns and making any communication with Income tax department. Than number is called as DIN (Director Identification number). 6. Malhotra Committee has recommended to setup Insurance regulatory development authority (IRDA). ______________________________________________________________________________ FAMOUS LINES WHICH SEPARATE COUNTRIES ===> A) DURAND LINE == PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN B) HINDENBERG LINE == GERMANY, POLAND ODER NIESSE LINE == GERMANY, POLAND C) McMAHON LINE == INDIA, CHINA

D) MAGINOT LINE == FRANCE, GERMANY SEIGFRID LINE == FRANCE, GERMANY E) 17TH PARALLEL == NORTH VIETNAM, SOUTH VIETNAM F) 38TH PARALLEL == NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA G) 49TH PARALLEL == USA, CANADA H) RADCLIFFE LINE == INDIA, PAKISTAN LINE OF CONTROL == INDIA, PAKISTAN 24TH PARALLEL == INDIA, PAKISTAN I) MANNERHEIM LINE == FINLAND, RUSSIA Page 503

PG GK COLLECTION ________________________________________________________________________ jnanpith award 2010 -chandrasekhar kambara magasaysay award 2011- harish hander ,neelima mishra dadasaheb phalke award 2010- k balachander indira gandhi award for national integration 2011 - mohan dharia indira gandhi peace prize - ela bhatt ____________________________________________________________________ 1. Chief Justice of India : SH Kapadia (Sarosh Homi Kapadia) 2. The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India. 3. Articles 124 to 147 of the Constitution of India lay down the composition and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India. 4. The first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court was Justice Fatima Beevi in 1987 5. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha & Vice President of India - Mohmmad hamid Ansari 6. Speaker of the lok sabha - Meira K. Nayar 7. Leader of the House (Lok Sabha) - Pranab Mukharjee 8. Leader of the house (Rajya sabha) - Manmohan Singh 9. Total numbers of Members in Parliament - 790 245 - Members of Rajya sabha 545 - Members of Lok Sabha 10. Loksabha is known as "House of the people" or "Lower House". 11. The parliament has three sessions each year: Budget session: 2035 days in the months of February to May. Monsoon session: 2035 days in the months of July to August. Winter session: 20-34days in the months of November to December. 12. Founder of Self-employed Association of India : Ela Bhatt Ela Bhatt was also awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1985, and the Padma Bhushan in 1986. She was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1977 and the Right Livelihood Award in 1984. 13. Host of 2016, Olympic games ;Rio de Janiero, Brazil MottoViva sua Paixo (Live Your Passion)MottoViva sua Paixo Page 504

PG GK COLLECTION (Live Your Passion)Motto : Live your passion Particiating Nation : 210 14. Host of 2014 FIFA world Cup : Brazil _______________________________________________________________________________ Sita Bhramachari won Waterstones Children book prize for Artichoke hearts. Arun Mohanty of JNU got Pushkin gold medal from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Delhi Cabinet approved PRAGATI -2 Project to be constructed at Bermauli by BHEL.

BHEL bagged a 436 million $ contract from Yemen to set up a Marib GAS Based power project in Yemen.

Three member team of Interlocutors appointed by Central Govt. To look at the problems of Jammu & Kashmir > Prof Radha Kumar, M.M Ansari & Padgaonkar In Kerala, Supreme court convicted former minister R.Balakrishnan Pillai in Idamalayar dam corruption case.

L&T and Cassidian announced in Feb to form a joint venture to address the Indian Defence Market. Cassidian is a renamed division of European defence and aerospace conglomerate (EADS).

Ashok Chawla Committee formed for the allocation of natural resources such as the distribution in telecom spectrum on 7th Feb, 2011.

Drug Controller general of India has ordered all the state drug controllers to immediately withdraw permission to AZ Brand from the Market on 7th Feb, 2011.

RBI recently released third Financial Stability report. It is released twice a year under the guidance of financial committee. Page 505

PG GK COLLECTION According to UNCTAD report, Indias position in FDI fell down to 14th from 8th position. Central Board of Trustees of the EPFO (Employees provident fund organization) approved the appointment of Standard Chartered bank as the custodian of the securities of EPFO. Central board of trustees is the apex body of EPFO. It has also approved the appointment of Mumbai-based Chandbhoy and Jassoobhoy as external auditor to audit the investments of the EPFO funds. Total fund size is Rs 3.5 Lakhs Crore.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) board okayed the all-important Takeover Code accepting the recommendations of the Takeover Regulations Advisory Committee (TRAC).According to the Takeover Code passed by SEBI, mandatory open offer size was raised to 26% from 20% and the trigger point for buyout was made to stand at 25% as against 15% in the past. Central Board of Trustees, the Apex body of EPFO appointed 4 fund managers for its 3.5 trillion pensions. The 4 fund managers who will take care of the corpus amount are : SBI, Reliance Capital, HSBC Asset Management & ICICI securities primary dealership LTD. These four will remain the fund managers till 2014 (3 years).

The oil ministry blocked Cairn Indias plans to begin the oil production from Bhagyam field in Rajasthan. The ministry had stonewalled the Cairn programme in the lieu of finding Royalty as the cost recoverable item. Cairns argument here is that Cairn believes Royalty is paid by the State owned ONGC. Cairns views were contested by the oil ministry which made cost recovery of royalty as a precondition for allowing Cairn Energy to sell 40% stake in Cairn India to Vedanta Resources.

Central Economic Intelligence bureau is formed for sharing black money information. It is headed by S.S Khan, retired member of CBDT.

India total food grain production 2010-11 == 241.56 MT 2008-09 == 234MT; 2009-10 == 218 MT

BK chaturvedi Committee for go and no go policy of Coal mining process .

The report on Customer services in banks was submitted by a committee chaired by M.Damodaran, former Chairman of SEBI on 3rd July 2011. Page 506

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________ 1. Human Develop ment Index : The origins of the HDI are found in the annual Human Development Reports of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). These were devised and launched by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq in 1990 and had the explicit purpose "to shift the focus of development economics from national income accounting to people centered policies". 2. Kerala stand first in Human Development index in India. and Chandigarh in Union Territory. &Bihar is in lowest position. 3. The India Human Development Report, 2011 is prepared by Institute of Applied Manpower Research. C K Prahalad's Books: 1. Core Competence 2. The fortune at the bottom of Pyramid 3. Future of Competition ________________________________________________________________________________ concepts about Jan Lokpal BIll The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the citizens ombudsman bill, is a proposed independent anti-corruption law in India. Anti-corruption social activists proposed it as a more effective improvement to the original Lokpal bill, which is currently being proposed by the Government of India. Below are some the Salient Features of Initial Govt. Lokpal Bill: Lokpal can investigate Prime Minister only after he demist office. Lokpal will have powers to investigate and prosecute all ministers, MPs and MLAs except on their conduct in their respective legislative bodies and all gazetted level government officials. Seven-year time limit from date of offense mentioned for investigating a complaint. Punishment for corruption by public servants increased from seven to ten years. No recommendation can be made without hearing the public servant against whom complaint has been found to be true. Respective ministers will decide whether to accept Lokpal recommendation or not against corrupt officials. Chairpersons of legislative bodies will decide in case of elected representative and PM in case of central ministers. The bill provides up to two years punishment and up to Rs. 2 lakh fine for false or frivolous complaint. Public servant will also be able to seek compensation from the complaint. The bill provides for mandatory declaration of assets by all public servants and their family members once a year and to be placed on public domain. ___________________________________________________ Page 507

PG GK COLLECTION 1. Collateralized Borrowing and Lending Obligation (CBLO) is a ____ a) Money Market Instrument b) Monetary Policy Instrument c) Investment Fund d) Capital Market Instrument 2. All countries from the Cotton-4 group belong to ____ a) Asia b) America c) Africa d) Europe 3. Now a days Environmental Accounting is making news. What is Environment Accounting a) It is a method to measure the consumption of the environment/ natural resources b) Its a method to statistically analyze the green areas of the country c) Its a method of accounting in which all units are expressed in terms of loss / gain of Carbon Dioxide d) Its a method of accounting in which all measurement is expressed in Carbon Credits 4. 1. 2. 3. Aadhaar can be the basis to open bank accounts because it can provide: Know Your Customer details Social and Financial Status of Customer Repaying Capacity of the Customer

Choose the correct options: a) Only 1 b) 1 & 2 c) 1 & 3 d) 1, 2 & 3 5. 1. 2. 3. In India, the dollar-rupee exchange rate depends upon: Government Control Demand-supply balance RBI's Monetary policy

Choose the correct options: a) Only 2 b) 1 & 2 c) 1 & 3 d) 1, 2 & 3 6.Who among the following has recently sworn in as the chief of the Central Intelligence Agency (United States) Page 508

PG GK COLLECTION a) Leon Panetta b) David Petraeus c) James Clapper d) John Brennan 7. Which among the following sector gets maximum FDI currently a) Services sector (Financial and non-financial) b) Computer (software & hardware) c) Telecommunications (radio paging, cellular mobile, basic telephone services) d) Housing & Real Estate 8. Which among the following is India's first state to have an e-monitoring system where citizens can track their applications and check for delays online a) Gujarat b) Punjab c) Maharastra d) Delhi OA=ACAAABAD _____________________________________________________________________________

1 Biggest Airbus Double Decker A-380 2 Biggest Cinema House Roxy,New York 3 Biggest Dome Gol Gumbaz (Bijapur),India 4 Biggest Flower Rafflesia (Java) 5 Biggest Museum American Museum of Natural History (New York) 6 Biggest Oceans Pacific Ocean 7 Biggest Palace Vatican(Rome) 8 Biggest Telescope Mt.Palomar(USA) Page 509

PG GK COLLECTION 9 DeepestLake Baikal (Siberia) 10 Deepest Oceans Pacific Ocean 11 Fastest Animal Cheetah 12 Fastest Bird Swift 13 Highest Airport Lhasa Airport,Tibet 14 Highest Cable Car Project Gulmarg (Jammu-Kashmir) 15 Highest City Wenchuan,China 16 Highest Lake Titicaca (Bolivia) 17 HighestMountainPeak Mount Everest (Nepal) 18 Highest Mountain Range Himalayas,Asia. 19 Highest Plateau Pamir (Tibet) 20 Highest Rail Track Kwinghai- Tibbet Railway (China) 21 Highest Road Leh-Nobra, Ladakh divisionIndia. 22 Highest Village Andean (Chile) 23 Highest Volcano Ojos del Salado, (Argentina)Chile 24 Highest Waterfall Page 510

PG GK COLLECTION Angel (Venezuela) 25 Hottest Place Azizia (Libya)

___________________________________________________________________________ 1. Highest Law officer of India is Attorney General 2. Highest Law officer of a State in India is Advocate General Which among the above statements is/ are correct? (A)Only 1 is correct (B)Only 2 is correct (C)Both 1 & 2 are correct (D)Neither 1 nor 2 is correct

2. Which among the following Sikh Gurus had been given the Palace of Amritsar by Mughal Emperor Akbar? (A)Guru Ram Das (B)Guru Arjun Das (C)Guru Angad (D)Guru Hargovind 3. Section 304 A of the Indian Penal Code is related to which among the following? (A)Murder (B)Culpable Homicide (C)Death Under Negligence (D)None of them

4. In which of the following states , the Sharavati Project is located? (A)Andhra Pradesh (B)Karnataka, (C)Tamil Nadu (D)Madhya Pradesh

5. In which of the following states, the Balimela Project is located? (A)West Bengal (B)Bihar (C)Madhya Pradesh (D)Odisha

6. What does the Olympic Flame symbolize? Page 511

PG GK COLLECTION (A)A zeal to play sports (B)Challenge (C)Continuity (D)Integrity

7. For which among the following kinds of offenses, COFEPOSA was enacted in 1970s? (A)Terrorism Activities (B)Religious Offenses (C)Economic Offenses (D)International Offenses 8. Consider the following statements: 1. Earths rotation on her own axis is from West to East 2. If seen from North Star Polaris, the Earth turns clockwise Which among the above statements is/ are correct? (A)Only 1 is correct (B)Only 2 is correct (C)Both 1 & 2 are correct (D)Neither 1 nor 2 is correct 9. If a match live commentary in Delhi commences at 10.00 am,at what time the viewer at London should tune into? (A)4.00 a.m. (B)4.30 a.m. (C)4.45 a.m. (D)4.50 a.m

10. Consider the following statements: 1. United Kingdom consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales 2. These 4 Countries are the formal subdivisions of the United Kingdom Which among the above statements is/ are correct? (A)Only 1 is correct (B)Only 2 is correct (C)Both 1 & 2 are correct (D)neither 1 nor 2 is correct 11. Which among the following Ministries of India publishes the Employment News? (A)Ministry of Labour & Employment (B)Ministry of Communication (C)Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (D)Ministry of Education

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PG GK COLLECTION 12. Consider the following statements: 1. Myanmar and India share a border of over 1,640 kilometers. 2. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram share borders with Burma 3. India and Myanmar share only land border and NO maritime border Which among the above statements is/ are correct? (A)Only 1 is correct (B)Only 1 & 2 are correct (C)Only 2 & 3 are correct (D)All are correct

13. In which state is located the Koyna Hydroelectric Power project? (A)Madhya Pradesh (B)Gujarat (C)Andhra Pradesh (D)Maharastra 14. Consider the following: 1. Dr. M S Swaminathan is called Father of Green Revolution in India 2. Norman Borlaug is called Father of Green Revolution Which among the above statements is/ are correct? (A)Only 1 is correct (B)Only 2 is correct (C)Both 1 & 2 are correct (D)Neither 1 nor 2 is correct 15. The total valley area covered by Damodar Valley Corporation is approximately 24,235 sq. km. In which among the following states this area is spread? (A)Jharkhand only (B)Jharkhand & West Bengal (C)Jharkhand & Bihar (D)Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal OA=CACBDCCABACDDCB __________________________________________________________________________ 1. who among the following was the Prime Minister of India when Mandal Commission was constituted? (A)Indira Gandhi (B)Morar Ji Desai (C)Rajiv Gandhi (D)V P Singh 2. Which among the following two capital cities of India are connected by Page 513

PG GK COLLECTION National Highway Number 2? (A)Delhi & Jaipur (B)Delhi & Kolkata (C)Delhi & Lucknow (D)Delhi & Chandigarh 3. The Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB) are used for which among the following purposes? (A)Soil Reclamation (B)Pollution Control (C)Biofertilizers (D)Environment Indicators 4. In which of the following years, the First successful launch of satellite of INSAT series was achieved? (A)1981 (B)1982 (C)1983 (D)1985 5. Which among the following countries is known for the UN Oil for Food Programme, became controversial later? (A)Iran (B)Iraq (C)Libya (D)Egypt 6. My Kashmir: Conflict & Prospects of Enduring Peace. Who among the following has written this book? (A)Tariq Answer (B)Wajahat Habibullah (C)Barakat Ahmad (D)Jagmohan 7. Which among the following organization publishes a Red List compiling information from a network of conservation organizations to rate which species are most endangered in the world? (A)World Wide Fund for Nature (B)International Union for Conservation of Nature (C)United Nations Environment Programme (D)World Conservation Monitoring Centre 8. Which among the following the correct English Official name of CERN ( Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nuclaire)? (A)European Organization for Nuclear Research (B)European Council for Nuclear Research (C)European Center for Nuclear Research Page 514

PG GK COLLECTION (D)European Nuclear Research organization 9. The Bhaskar Ghosh Committee is related to issues of which among the following schemes? (A)Export Promotion (B)Rural Development (C)Cultural schemes (D)Scholarships for SC / ST students 10. With which of the following diseases, the Project Sankalp is related to? (A)Malaria (B)HIV/ AIDS (C)Cancer (D)Tuberculosis 11. Which among the following statements is correct? (A)There are no deserts in Europe (B)There are no volcanoes in Australia mainland (C)There are no rivers in Iraq (D)Equatorial Guinea is located on Equator

12. Consider the following: 1. Chile Saltpetre 2. Saltpetre 3. Quick Lime Which among the following is the correct set of chemical formulae of the above? (A)KNO3, NaNO3, CaO (B)NaNO3, KNO3, Ca(OH)2 (C)Na(OH)2, KOH, CaO (D)NaNO3, KNO3, CaO 13. Which among the following Indian Public sector company is known for the highest IPO subscription so far? (A)Steel Authority of India Ltd (B)Coal India Ltd (C)Indian Oil Corporation Limited (D)NTPC Ltd 14. Diatoms, whose cell walls are unique and made up of Silica can be placed in which among the following groups? (A)Algae (B)Fungi (C)Bacteria (D)Thallophyta Page 515

PG GK COLLECTION 15. Who among the following has written Ghoolamgiri? (A) Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar (B)Acharya Vinoba Bhave (C)Jyotiba Phule (D)Dadu Dayal OA=BBCCBBBACBBDBAC _____________________________________________________________________________ 1. Who among the following leaders announced the Industrial Policy of 1956? [A] Sardar Patel [B] Jawaharlal Nehru [C] Balwant Rai mehta [D]J B Kriplani 2. Which among the following was set up by Government of India in 1988 with objective of developing multi modal logistics support for Indias International and Domestic containerized cargo and trade? [A] Inland Container Depots [B] Container Corporation of India [C] Central warehousing Corporation [D]None of them 3. Which among the following is the correct full form of SIDO? [A] Small Industries Development Organization [B] Sick Industries Development Organization [C] Small Industries Development Office [D]State Industrial Development Organization 4. Consider the following: 1. Uneconomic & Fragmented Holdings 2. Inefficient Labor Force 3. No use of HYV seeds Which among the above is/ are the reasons for low productivity in Indian Agriculture? [A]Only 1 [B]Only 1 & 2 [C]Only 2 & 3 [D]1, 2 & 3

5. Consider the following works: 1. Subscribing to share capital of State Warehousing Corporations Page 516

PG GK COLLECTION 2. Acquire buildings and go downs at suitable places 2. Arrange facilities for transport of agriculture produce Which among the above functions are performed by Central Warehousing Corporation? [A]Only 1 [B]1 & 2 [C]2 & 3 [D]1, 2 & 3 6. Which among the following is the cheapest mode of transport in terms of fixed plus running costs? [A] Roadways [B] Waterways [C] Railways [D]Pipelines 7. Which among the following is characterized by Highest Fixed Cost & Lowest Running Cost ? [A] Road Transport [B] Rail Transport [C] Air transport [D]Pipeline Transport 8. Consider the following factors: 1. High Investment in industries 2. Expanding market for product 3. Dynamic entrepreneurship Which of the above are required for accelerated growth of an economy ? [A]Only 1 [B]1 & 2 [C]1, 2 & 3 [D]2 & 3

9. Which among the following is the most important bulk import of India? [A] Non-electrical machinery [B] Electric Goods [C] Petroleum [D]Food Grains OA=BBAADBDCC _________________________________________________________________________________ _____ 2011 KEY FINDINGS OF THE CENSUS Page 517

PG GK COLLECTION * Population grows to 1.21 billion * 181 million people added during 2001-11 * Growth declines to 17.64% from 21.15% during 1991-2001 * There are 623.7 million males and 586.5 million females * India accounts for 17.5% of the worlds population, China 19.4% * First decade (with exception of 1911-1921) which saw addition of lesser people than the previous decade. * Child sex ratio 914 females against 1,000 males lowest since independence * Overall sex ratio rises by seven points 940 females per 1,000 males * Literacy rate goes up from 64.83% to 74.04% * 74% people aged seven and above are literate * 82.14% male literacy, 65.46% female literacy * In 2001, male literacy was 75.26%, female literacy was 53.67% * Delhi (11,297 people per square km) has the highest population density, followed by Chandigarh (9,252) * Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with 199 million people while Lakshadweep is the least populated at 64,429 _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ worlds Top Automobile comapnies (by volume) 1.TOYOTA--- JAPAN (LEXUS,HINO,SCINO) 2.GENERAL MOTORS- USA (CHEROVELT,OPEL,GMC) 3.VOLKSWAGEN-- GERMANY (AUDI,BENTLEY,BUGATTI,LAMBORGINI) 4.HYUNDAI-- SOUTH KOREA 5.FORD-- USA 6.NISSAN-- JAPAN 7.HONDA-- JAPAN 8.PSA-- FRANCE 9.SUZUKI- JAPAN 10.RENAULT-- FRANCE _________________________________________________________________________________ I thought of compiling some important points with regard to current affairs for the month of September. I have simplified it to the lowest level to make it easy to remember the major points. 1. $230 Million given by the British Royal Air Force to Central Bank in Libya. 2. 24-hours Public Grievance Redressel Cell in Kerala Chief Ministers Office commences. 3. Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2011 Page 518

PG GK COLLECTION HARISH HANDE NILEEMA MISHRA HASANAIN JUAINI (Indonesia) KOUL PANHA (Cambodia) TRI MUMPUNI (Indonesia) 4. Justice Soumitra Sen resigns - found guilty of misappropriating funds as a judge and of misrepresenting facts. Justice Sen is the first Judge who has been impeached by the Rajya Sabha. 5. Rajkumar Ghosh becomes Director-refineries of state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC). 6. Herve Ladsous appointed new chief of United Nations peacekeeping operations. 7. Kalyan K.Chaudhuri, Veteran Journalist & Former President of Indian Journalist's Association, passed away. 8. Anil Kumar Chaudhary appointed as Director of Finance, Steel Authority of India (SAIL). 9. Vijender Singh won gold and also won the Best Boxer award at the World Police and Fire Games in NewYork. 10. Economist Professor D.U. Sastry (81) passes away. He was a renowned industrial economist. 11. India's GDP Growth for the 2011-12 fiscal anticipated at 7.5-8% by the Rating Agency Moody. Moody's also owns about 29% of ICRA Ltd, one of India's leading credit rating agencies. 12. India and Israel decided to augment cooperation in Tourism Sector. India Tourism Office take part in International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) which is held in Tel Aviv to demonstrate India's tourism destinations and products to the tour operators and consumers of Israel. 13. WCCB (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau), selected for Chief Dave Cameron Award 2010 for distinction in Environmental Crimes Enforcement and Education by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). 14. Shri M O H Farooq took over as the Governor of Kerala. 15. Mr. Ram Naresh Yadav took charge as the new Governor of Madhya Pradesh. _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ Indian Rivers are also a prominent area for SNAP,so this post is dedicated to INDIAN RIVERS Ganges Combined Sources Bay of Benal Satluj Mansarovar Rakas Lakes Chenab Indus Near Mansarovar lake Arabian Sea Ravi Kullu Hills near Rohtang Pass Chenab Beas Near Rohtang Pass Satluj Jhelum Verinag in Kashmir Chenab Yamuna Yamunotri Ganga Page 519

PG GK COLLECTION Chambal M. P. Yamuna Ghagra Matsatung Glacier Ganga Kosi Near Gosain Dham Peak Ganga Betwa Vindhyanchal Yamuna Son Amarkantak Ganga Brahmaputra Near Mansarovar Lake. Bay of Bengal Narmada Amarkantak Gulf of Khambat Tapti Betul Distt. in M. P. Gulf of Khambat Mahanadi Raipur Distt. in Chhatisgarh Bay of Bengal Luni Aravallis Rann of Kuchchh Ghaggar Himalayas Near Fatehabad Sabarmati Aravallis Gulf of Khambat Krishna Western Ghats Bay of Bengal Godavari Nasik distt. in Maharashtra Bay of Bengal Cauvery Brahmair Range of Western Ghats Bay of Bengal Tungabhadra Western Ghats Krishna river _____________________________________________________________________________ Banks Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann (mann se deutch India m aye the) Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan ( Moynihan is American :P ) HSBC CEO. Stuart Gulliver (remember gulliver travels to hong kong )

Banks India 1) SBI (govt. owned and largest bank) 2) ICICI Chandra Kochar (pivotal role in the domains of investment banking, venture capital and asset management and life and non-life insurance, net banking) 3) Axis Bank - Ms. Shikha Sharma, MD & CEO (Axis Bank was the first of the new private banks in India to have begun operations in 1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established Recently in news : The largest life insurer in the country, LIC of India and Axis Bank, India's third largest private sector Bank have come together to offer value added Credit Card services to the customers and employees of LIC of India, its subsidiaries and group companies. .) 4) HDFC Mr Aditya Puri 5) Citibank CEO Vikram Pandit (in news : Michael ONeill as chairman of the board overseeing Citibank NA, its primary banking subsidiary.) Page 520

PG GK COLLECTION FMCG Unilever CEO - Paul Polman Nestl CEO - - Peter Brabeck-Letmathe Coca cola - Muhtar Kent Carlsberg CEO -- Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen PepsiCo's CEO Indra Nooyi Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________

1.1. Recently which Ghazal Singer and Padmabhushan Awardee, Passed Away in Mumbai ? -Jagjit Singh 2. Name the Ex-Chief Minister of Karnataka who was arrested recently. B.S.Yeddyurappa 3. Name the 3D animation film Shemaroo Entertainment which is set to release online. Super K 4. Who is set to head special purpose vehicle called the GST Network? Nandan Nilekani 5.Which business has NIIT sold to Skillsoft for $110 million? Element K 6. Who has been appointed as commissioner for the AFC Champions League final? FIFA badge holder Gautam Kar 7. Name the men's and women's singles National champions who won the Fenesta National Championship. Yuki Bhambri and Rutuja Bhonsle 8. Name the Indian golfer who finished 2nd in the Hero Indian Open golf tournament. Chiragh Kumar 9. Name the Indian women's discus thrower who qualified for London Olympics after clinching gold medal at an event of the Fling Throw Meet in Portland, USA. Krishna Poonia 10.10. Upon whose name a highway leading south out of the capital in Grenada is set to be renamed? Kirani James Boulevard Page 521

PG GK COLLECTION 11. Which director is set to make film on mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan? Roger Spottiswoode 12. Name the team which won the Durand Cup? Churchill Brothers 13. Which former Ranji Player died after falling from train at Vaikom in Kottayam? K.R.Krishna Varma 14. Name the 69-year-old who collapsed and died minutes after fulfilling his life-long ambition of climbing Africa's highest mountain peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. Alistair Cook 15. Which Bollywood movie have been watched by over 1.3 lakh Chinese since its Mandarin version release? Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots 16. Which Asian Advertising congress is coming back to India after 8 years? Ad Asia (October 31st to November 3rd 2011) 17. Name the education technology solution launched by Texas Instruments in association with CORE Education and Technologies to facilitate a better learning experience for students in classrooms across India. STEMpower 18. Who has been honoured with Dr.B.Saroja Devi award recently? Dr.Vyjayanthimala 19. Who is set to receive Mahatma Gandhi peace prize in South Africa? Dalai Lama 20. Name the rocket and navigation satellite launched by Russia after August's space ship crash. Soyuz-2 rocket launched a GLONASS navigation satellite 21. Who has been voted as 2nd most powerful business-woman in US? Indra Nooyi 22. Which company has struck natural gas reserves in its first well drilled in the offshore Mannar basin in Sri Lanka? Cairn India 23. Who has been selected to create the theme music for the London Olympics 2012? Scottish rocker Mark Ronson 24. Which Indian shuttler finished runner-up in Czech International Open? Arundhati Pantawane 25. Which IAS officer has joined as Prime Minister's principal secretary? Pulok Chatterjee 26. Name the trio who received Nobel Medicine Prize for immune system research. Bruce Beutler of USA, Jules Hoffmann Luxembourg and Ralph Steinman Canada Page 522

PG GK COLLECTION 27. Which FM radio channel has taken initiative to make Goddess Durga idol out of bio-degradable and recyclable waste material in Kolkata? OYE 104.8 FM 28. Who is called as the Gandhian of Brazil? Lia Diskin 29. Who is the inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker which keeps the heartbeat in a regular rhythm? Wilson Greatbatch 30. What is the name of the China's first space Laboratory? Tiangong-1 31. Name the famous television personality of CBS News channel's program called "60 minutes" retired recently? Andy Rooney 32. Which UAE telecom giant recently launched 4G mobile broadband network in UAE? Etisalat 33. Who retired as the CEO of Hyundai Motor co. recently? Yang Seung-suk 34. Name the planetary scientist who worked for NASA recently died? Micheal J.Drake 35. Name the three Indian boxers who have qualified for London Olympics 2012? Jai Bhagwan, L.Devendro Singh and Manoj Kumar 36. Name the Afghan President who was in India for a two-day visit. Hamid Karzai 37. Who has been appointed as Chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation? Sudhir Vasudeva 38. Name the MD and VP, Nokia India, who has been assigned global role to head India, Middle East and Africa region. D.Shivakumar 39. Name the company which has launched apps for iPad and Android phones recently. Adobe 40. Who has shot a film in 47 days titled 'Facebook'? RP.Patnaik 41. Who won the 2011 Nobel prize in chemistry? Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman for his discovery of quasicrystals 42. Name the world's cheapest laptop launched in India. Aakash 43. Name the Ashes hero who died at the age of 52. Former England fast bowler, Graham Dilley 44. Who won the Irani Cup 2011? Rest of India Team Page 523

PG GK COLLECTION 45. Name the application launched by Monster India for Facebook users. BeKnown 46. Name the Galaxy version mobile launched by Samsung India. Galaxy Y 46. Name the Galaxy version mobile launched by Samsung India. Galaxy Y 47. What is the financial strength rating retained for ICICI Bank while SBI's rating is downgraded from 'C-' to 'D+' by Moody's? C48. Name the person who has been conferred at the 2011 Telstra NSW Business Women's Award for her contribution to world's first green steel manufacturing process. Veena Sahajwalla 49. Name the Apple co-founder who passed away recently. Steve Jobs 50. Which four teams entered semi-finals in Champions League Twenty-20 cricket? Somerset, Mumbai Indians, New South Wales and Royal Challengers Bangalore 51. Name the Swedish poet who won 2011 Nobel in literature. Tomas Transtromer 52. Name the Sanskrit scholar and a former director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan who passed away recently. Mathoor Krishnamurthi 53. Which countries President have offered hindi films to be shot at the picturesque country? Austrian President 54. Which country has won first victory in UNESCO vote? Palestine 55. What is the annual inflation as of September 2011 in Sri Lanka? 7.2per cent 56. Whose museum was inaugurated in Austria recently? Arnold Schwarzenegger 57. Name the 3 women who share the Nobel Peace Prize 2011. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen for work on women's rights 58. Who booked the finals berth in Champions League Twenty 20 cricket tournament 2011? Royal Challengers Bangalore 59. Name the Lord Mayor of London who will be on a 5-day visit to India from October 10th 2011 to strengthen economic ties between India and the UK. Lord Mayor Michael Bear 60. Name the 2 British banks which included in the list of 12 whose credit ratings were downgraded by Page 524

PG GK COLLECTION Moody's. Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB 61. Who won the Showjumping Open title on the opening day of the South India Equestrian championship? Hrishika Basappa 62. Which software's updated version has been launched by Infosys? Finacle e-Banking solution 63. Who won the Shanghai Masters title? Andy Murray 64. Which day has been declared as 'Steve Jobs Day'? 16th October 65. Name the businessman who won the Queen's award for enterprise 2011 in london. Dr.Rami Ranger 66. Who won the MotoGP title for the fifth consecutive year at the Australian Grand Prix? Casey Stoner 67. Who won the Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix 2011? Sebastian Vettel 68. Name the Australian University which has offered Amitabh Bachchan honorary doctorate for his contribution to the world of entertainment. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 69. Which country is backing to rebuild Nalanda University in India? China 70. Name India's longest tunnel opened in Jammu and Kashmir recently. Pir Panjal railway tunnel (10.96km) 71. When is the IPL 5 scheduled for 2012? April 4th to May 27th 2012 72. What is the degraded debt rating of Spain as per Standard and Poor's? AA- from AA 73. Name the British CEO whom Olympus sacked recently. Michael Woodford 74. Who is set to replace Liam Fox as UK defence minister? Philip Hammond 75. Name the Italian Prime Minister who survived confidence vote. Silvio Berlusconic 76. Where was the world's largest blind symbol unveiled? A yellow banner with three black spots was unveiled at Vienna's St.Stephen's Cathedral 77. Which technology major acquired Skype for $8.5 billion? _________________________________________________________________________________ ___ 1. Schussing, traversing and edging and turning are the basic maneuvers of Page 525

PG GK COLLECTION which among the following types of skiing a) Alpine skiing b) Nordic skiing c) Ski- Jumping d) Freestyle skiing 2. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)Act, 1986 prohibits employment of children below which among the following ages in occupations/processes specified in Part A and Part B of the Schedule of that Act a) 12 years b) 13 years c) 14 years d) 15 years 3. Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner has been recently reelected for a second term as President of which among the following countries a) Brazil b) Peru c) Argentina d) Chile 4. National Optical Fiber Network will be providing broadband connectivity to which among the following a) Municipalities b) Gram Panchayats c) Panchayat Samitis d) Nagarpalikas 5. Which among the following is the venue of the recent (October 2011) Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) a) Venice b) Perth c) Ottawa d) Canberra 6. Microcredit or microfinance is a novel approach to banking with the poor through Self Help Groups or SHGs. However, the Microfinance Institutions or MFI's have now replaced the SHGs with JLGs. What does the JLG most commonly stands for a) Joint Lending Groups b) Joint Liability Groups c) Joint Local Groups d) Joint Lenders Groups 7. A tourist, who plans to visit a hill station located at very high altitude also wishes to take along his Television Set. In this context, consider the following: 1. LCD TV Page 526

PG GK COLLECTION 2. Plasma TV 3. Cathode Ray Tube TV Which among the above are expected to work properly at very high altitudes a) Only 1 b) 1 & 2 c) 1 & 3 d) 2 & 3 8. What is the number of the Biogeographic zones in India a) 4 b) 6 c) 8 d)10 [Trans Himalayan zone, Himalayan zone, Desert zone, Semiarid zone, Western ghat zone, Deccan plateau zone, Gangetic plain zone, North east zone, Coastal zone and Islands present near the shore line] OA=ACCBBBCD _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ 1. Port Stanley is capital of which among the following a) Falkland islands b) Hawaii Islands c) Madagascar d) Guam 2. In which of the following climates pine trees grow a) Wet Deciduous b) Coniferous c) Tundra d) Monsoon 3. "Nebular Hypothesis" is a theory which is related to origin of the following a) Sun b) Solar System c) Galaxy d) Universe 4. Which among the following organizations was established and led by Latika Ghosh, during freedom struggle of India a) Mahila Rashtriya Sangha b) Rashtriya Stree Sabha c) Nari Satyagraha Samiti d) Women's association of Bengal Page 527

PG GK COLLECTION 5. The Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is commonly known as _______ a) Foot & Mouth Disease b) Mad Cow Disease c) Fog fever d) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease 6. Which among the following options represents a correct sequence of India's largest trade partners in the ASEAN bloc for the period of 2010-11 a) Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam b) Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam c) Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam d) Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand 7. Who among the following had established a branch of Muslim League in London a) Aga Khan b) Amir Ali c) Mohammad Ali Jinnah d) Chaudhary Liaqat Ali 8. On which of the following dates World Press Freedom Day is observed in May a) May 1 b) May 3 c) May 6 d) May 10 9. Emotionally Yours is/was the baseline of which among the following airlines a) Jet Airways b) Sahara Airlines [It was the baseline of Sahara Airlines that merged with Jet Airways in 2008] c) Kingfisher Airlines d) IndiGO 10. Which among the following bankers was awarded the top French honor "Chevalier de L'ordre de Legion" in December 2010 a) M V Nair b) K V Kamath c) O P Bhatt d) Deepak Parekh OA=ABBABBBBBD _________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ 1.The venue of G-20 Summit, India to be represented by Dr. Manmohan Singh Cannes, France Page 528

PG GK COLLECTION 2.The Red Bull driver who has won the Indian Grand Prix held at Buddh International Circuit on 30 Oct 2011 Sebastian Vettel 3.The renowned nephrologist from Apollo Hospitals, Chennai who has been awarded the 40th Dhanvantari Award recently Dr. M.K. Mani 4.The country in which a plaque of Rabindranath Tagore has been unveiled in its parliament Iran 5.The 37 tonne inter-continental nuclear-capable Bulava ballistic missile were recently test fired by Russia 6.The railway station which will be developed as the best station in the country by the Indian Railways Habibgunj 7.The second of Kamorta-class Anti-Submarine Warfare corvetted launched by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata is named INS Kadmatt 8.The venue of CHOGM Summit 2011, where India is being represented by Vice-President Hamid Ansari Perth, Australia 9.The type of helicopter which strayed into Pakistan occupied Kashmir and was force-landed at Skardu while flying from Leh to Bhimbad was Cheetah 10.The place at which the government has decided to set up National Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (NIMAS) Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh 11.The Committee set up to prepare a comprehensive policy to deal with corrupt practices in the private sector is headed by Kiran Karnik 12.The 1,000-year-old Lord Bhavanarayana Swami temple, constructed during the reign of Chalukyas, whose tower collapsed on 23 Oct 11 is located in Bapatla, A.P. 13.India's first F1 race scheduled to begin on Oct 28 is being organised by Jaypee Sports International 14.The Indian singer who has entered the Guiness Book of World Records for the most single studio recordings Asha Bhonsle 15.The four day joint exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) which was conducted at Air Force Station Jamnagar was named Ex Eastern Bridge - 2011 _________________________________________________________________________________ ______ 1. The age for retirement of judges from supreme courts and high courts are Page 529

PG GK COLLECTION respectively a) 65 & 62 b) 65 & 60 c) 65 for both d) 65 and 63 2. What is the minimum years of age for candidate for office of the vice president a) 25 b) 30 c) 35 d) 28 3. Which among the following authorities can remove the UPSC chairman a) President b) Supreme Court c) Prime Minister d) Both A and B 4. The amendment of the constitution can be initiated in which of the following a) Loksabha b) Rajyasabha c) Any House of the Parliament d) Any House of the Parliament and Assembly of a state 5. An appeal can be made in the Supreme Court of India in __________ a) Civil & Criminal Matters b) Criminal & Constitutional Matters c) Civil , Criminal & Constitutional Matters d) Constitutional and Criminal Matters 6.Sindhi Language was included in the list of official languages in the 8th schedule of our constitution in which year a) 1957 b) 1967 c) 1969 d) 1968 7. Sikkim became a new state in the Union by the __________Amendment act __________ a) 32nd, 1974 b) 35th, 1975 c) 36th, 1975 d) 37th, 1978 8. The concept of fundamental duties of Indian constitution was borrowed from which among the following Page 530

PG GK COLLECTION a) Constitution of Australia b) U N Charter c) Constitution of Socialist Countries such as Russia d) Constitution of UK OA=ACACCBCC ___________________________________________________________________ >> Khyber Pass is in a. Pakistan b. India c. Myanmar d. Afghanistan >> The first Secretary-General of the United Nations was a. U. Thant b. Trygve Lie c. Boutros-Boutros Ghali d. Javier Perez de Cuellar >> Southern Railway is headquartered at a. Hyderabad b. Bangalore c. Secunderabad d. Chennai >> First ministerial meeting of World Trade Organization took place at a. Washington b. New York c. Geneva d. Singapore >> The first Chief Election Commissioner of India was a. S. L. Shakadhar b. Sukumar Sen c. H. J. Kania d. P. C. Sen >> Identify the correct match: Date Celebrated as a. May 8 World Health Day b. May 1 World Literacy Day c. May 17 World Telecommunication Day d. June 5 World Ozone Day Page 531

PG GK COLLECTION >> Mount Etna is a famous volcano located in a. Argentina b. Italy c. Mexico d. Phillipines >> Tungabhadra Sanctuary is located at a. Madhya Pradesh b. Uttar Pradesh c. Karnataka d. West Bengal >> The agency of United Nations that was set-up to strengthen the international cooperation in the field of education and improve the standards of education is a. UNEP b. UNCTAD c. UNESCO d. UNDP >> What is the approximate length of Indian coastlines? a. 3,440 km b. 4,589 km c. 7,500 km d. 8,924 km >> Reserve Bank of India is headquarted at a. Kolkata b. New Delhi c. Mumbai d. Chennai OA=DBDDBCBBCCC _________________________________________________________________________ 1. Onkar Kanwar, who was recently making news as one of the Highest paid CEOs in the country is Chairman of which among the following a) MRF b) Apollo Tyres c) Spicejet d) Genpact 2. The term "Mint Road" refers to which among the following a) State Bank of India b) Reserve Bank of India c) Ministry of Finance d) Government of India Mint at Mumbai Page 532

PG GK COLLECTION 3. Where is India's Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute located a) Muradabad b) Faizabad c) Kolkata d) Pune 4. Recently, India has proposed a special $ 10 Billion Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) fund for which among the following organizations a) SAARC b) BRICS c) IBSA d) Non-Aligned Movement 5. Which among the following is played on a synthetic hard court a) French Open b) Wimbledon c) US Open d) Australian Open 6. Which among the following state leads in the Infant Mortality Rate in India currently a) Bihar b) Madhya Pradesh c) Uttar Pradesh d) West Bengal 7. Who among the following has been given a constitutional power to address the Parliament of India a) Attorney General b) Chief Justice of India c) Chief Election Commissioner d) Solicitor General 8. Who among the following is also venerated as "Second Buddha" a) Padmasambhava b) Avalokitesvara c) Maitreya d) Mahasthamaprapta 9. The Potassium graphite and Calcium Graphite can be mostly used as which among the following a) Moderators b) Semiconductors c) Superconductors d) Lubricants Page 533

PG GK COLLECTION 10. "There was only one genuine extremist in India and that was Mr. Tilak" Who among the following had made this remark in context with Bal Gangadhar Tilak a) Mahatma Gandhi b) Moti Lal Nehru c) Edwin Montague d) Lord Hardinge OA=BBCBDBAACC ____________________________________________________________________________ 1. The Indian institute of Science Bangalore has signed a MOU-with which telecom equipment company studying telecom equipment? (1) Ericsson (2) Huawei Technologies (3) Cisco (4) Nortel 2. IBM signed an IT outsourcing deal valued at about $1 billion in August 2011 to manage IT systems for (1) TTIL (2) Idea cellular (3) Airtel (4) Vodafone 3. Who among the following is the Chairman of the Primary Market Advisory Committee of SEBI? (1) C.B. Bhave (2) O.P. Bhatt (3) Deepak Parekh (4) Bimal Jalan 4. Who is the Chairman of the committee that was constituted by the RBI to look into the various aspects of services rendered by banks to retail and small customers, including pensioners? (1) M. Damodaran (2) Usha Thorat (3) K.C. Chakravarty (4) Subir Gokarn 5. The Red Sari: When Life is the Price of Power is written by (1) Fatima Bhutto. (2) Benazir Bhutto. (3) Hillary Mantle. (4) None of these 6. Koleos is a premium sports utility vehicle (SUV) launched in September 2011 in India by (1) General Motors (2) Renault(3) Peugeot (4) Volkswagen 7. In September 2011 CEO, Carol Bartz was removed by the Chairman of the Board of (1) HP (2) Yahoo! (3) Coca cola (4) Google 8. What is the name of the stock exchange index of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)? (1) Kospi (2) Hangseng (3) Nikki (4) Dow Jones 9. What is the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the Defence sector? Page 534

PG GK COLLECTION (1) 26% (2) 51% (3) 49% (4) 74% 10. October 24 is observed as (1) World Habitat Day. (2) World Environment Day. (3) World Development Information Day. (4) World Diabetes Day. 11. Tuvalu became the 187th member of which of the following organizations/ Institutions in 2010? (1) World Bank (2)IMF (3) NAM (4) UNO 12. Abel Prize is given to outstanding mathematicians. Niels Henrik Abel, after whom this prize is named, belonged to which of the following countries? (1) Sweden (2) USA (3) Norway (4) Germany 13. With which sport/game is the term Tee associated? (1) Polo (2) Golf (3) Horse racing (4) Hockey 14. Which country hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2010? (1) USA (2) Denmark (3) Mexico (4) India 15. Which of the following books is written by Amitav Ghosh? (1) The Hungry Tide (2) The Shape of the Beast (3) Fasting, Feasting (4) Everybody Loves a Good Drought 16. Which sportsperson was awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain of the Indian Air Force recently? (1) M.S Dhoni (2) Kapil Dev (3) Vijender Singh (4) Sachin Tendulkar 17. Which of the following is claimed to be the first fully electrified district in India? (1) Rohtak (2) Alwar (3) Palakkad(4) Ganganagar 18. Which infrastructure company in the news is building a brand new highway between Bangalore and Mysore? (1) L and T (2) IDFC (3) Jaypee group (4) NICE 19.Power to you is an ad- campaign launched by (1) Airtel (2) Idea (3) Vodafone (4) MTNL 20. Which of the following is the punch line of the United Bank of India? (1) Good people to bank with (2) A tradition of trust (3) The bank that begins with U (4) Where every individual is committed OA=24314224132323143433 _________________________________________________________________________________ Page 535

PG GK COLLECTION _____ A few epithets What city is known as The worlds chocolate capital: Hershey Pennsylvania Which countries name translates as land of the free- Thailand The country known as the Land of Thunderbolts is Bhutan Rome is also known as City of Seven Hills. Penang is called the Pearl of East. Sandwich Island is called to Hawaii Island. Detroit is known as the Motor City. Britain of south is called to New Zealand. Buffer state of Asia is called to Afghanistan. Cockpit of Europe is called to Belgium. Crossroad of Western Europe is called to Belgium. Emerald Island is called to Ireland. Flower garden to Europe is called to Netherlands. Gift of Nile is called of Egypt. Great Britain of the Pacific is called to Japan. Island continent is called to Australia. Horn of Africa is called to Somalia. Key to Mediterranean is called to Gibraltar. Land of contrasts is called to Colombia. Land of free people is called to Thailand. Land of fertile fields is called to Algeria. Land of golden fiber is called to Bangladesh. Land of midnight sun is called to Norway. Land of milk and honey is called to Lebanon. Land of morning calm is called to Korea. Land of mighty rivers is called to Nigeria. Land of mountain is called to Nepal. Land of rising sun is called to Japan. Land of Thousand Island is called to Indonesia. Land of pure people is called to Pakistan. Land of white elephant is called to Thailand. Pillars of Hercules is called to Gibraltar. Playground of Europe is called to Switzerland. Remnant of mighty empire is called to Austria. Sorrow of china is called to Hawang Hoo. Switzerland of Africa is called to Swaziland. Site of Ancient Civilization is called to Iraq. Whitemans Grave is called to Guinea. Brasilia of Pakistan is called to Islamabad. City of angles is called to Bangkok. City of bazaars is called to Cairo. City of colleges is called to Lahore. City of conference is called to Geneva. Page 536

PG GK COLLECTION City of cosmonauts is called to Moscow. City of eternal spring is called to Quito. City of golden temple is called to Amritsar. City of Golden Gate is called to San Francisco. City of mosques is called to Dhaka. City of parks is called to Kiev. City of palaces is called to Calcutta. City of pope is called to Rome. City of space flights is called to Cape Kennedy. City of peace is called to Baghdad. Forbidden City is called to Lahaska. Gateway to the east is called to Beirut. Gateway to the gulf is called to Abu Dhabi. Gateway to India is called to Bombay. Gateway to Pakistan is called to Karachi. Little Pakistan is called to Bradford. Manchester of Pakistan is called to Faisalabad. Pyramid city is called to Cairo. Rose pink city is called to Jaipur. Windy city is called to Chicago. Lusitanian is the alternative name of Portugal. Emerald Island is called to Ireland. Land of Prophets is called to Palestine. Yellow River is known as Chinas Sorrow because of devastating floods. Gibraltar of the west is said to Quebec. Zambia is known as "country of Copper" Albania means the Land of Eagles. Argentian means Like Silver. Bahrain means two seas. Brazil means Red wood. Costa Rica means Rich coast. Cyprus means Land of copper. Guuatnemala mean Land of Eagles. Jamaica means Good water. Kuwait means Fort. Liberia means Land of free people. Netherlands means low land. Nigeria means a great river. Sierra Leone means Lion Mountains. Singapore means city of lions. Sudan means Land of black people. Turkey means Land of Turks. Which country is popularly called The Land of the Maple Leaf? Canada Mistress of the Eastern Seas is epithet referred to Sri Lanka. Hong Kong is called as Pearl of the Orient. Which worlds city is known as The Golden City Prague Czech What place was nicknamed "The Pearl of the Orient"-Manilla - Philippines Page 537

PG GK COLLECTION What countries name translates as lion mountains- Sierra Leone What place is nicknamed "The City of Lilies"- Florence Mesopotamia means- Between two Rivers

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INDIANS WHO HAVE QUALIFIED AT OLYMPICS 2012 ( SO FAR...) Athletics Krishna Poonia Vikas Gowda Mayookha Johny Om Prakash Karhana Tintu Luka Gurmeet Singh Babubhai Panocha (First Athlete from Gujarat at World Level) Swimming Virdhawal Khade Sandeep Sejwal Shooting Gagan Narang ( First Indian to Qualify) Vijay Kumar Abhinav Bindra Annuraj Singh Hariom Singh Sanjeev Rajput Ronjan Sodhi Rahi Sarnoba Archery Jayanta Talukdar Laishram Bombayla Devi, Deepika Kumari and Chekrovolu Swuro Boxing Manoj Kumar Devendro Singh Jai Bhagwan Vikas Krishan _______________________________________________________________________ Category : Entertainment : Classical music Ustad Bismillah Khan : Shehnai Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan : Sitar Ustad Rashid Khan : vocal music Ayan Ali Khan : Sarod Zakir Hussain : Tabla ________________________________________________________ Who said what --- >> Page 538

PG GK COLLECTION Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration [Ans:Thomas Edison] Be the change you want to see in the world.[ Ans: M.Gandhi] I came,I saw , I conquered.[ Ans: William Shakespeare ] Impossibility,a word only to be found in the dictionary of the fools.[Ans: N.Bonaparte] The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.[ Ans: F.Roosevelt] _________________________________________________________________________ Indian retail sector : 1) Pantaloon Retail : HQ - Mumbai It is not the largest retailer in India with a turnover of over Rs. 20 billion but is present across most retail segments - Food & grocery (Big bazaar, Food bazaar), Home solutions (Hometown, furniture bazaar, collection-i), consumer electronics (e-zone), shoes (shoe factory), Books: music & gifts (Depot), Health & Beauty care services (Star, Sitara and Health village in the pipeline), e-tailing (Futurbazaar.com), entertainment (Bowling co.) One of their recent innovations include e-commerce hybrid format of small shops , the area for these stores will be 150 sq. ft. fitted with 40 digital screens. 2) 2. K Raheja Group They forayed into retail with Shoppers Stop, Indias first departmental store in 2001. It is the only retailer from India to become a member of the prestigious Intercontinental Group of Departmental Stores (IGDS). They have signed a 50:50 joint venture with the Nuance Group for Airport Retailing. The first Hypercity opened in Mumbai in 2006 with an area of 1, 20,000 sq. ft. clocking gross sales of Rs. 1 bn in its first year. Crossword brand of book stores, Homes stop a store for home solutions, Mothercare a concept stocking merchandise related to childcare are also owned by them. 3. Tata group: Established in 1998, Trent - one of the subsidiaries of Tata Group - operates Westside, a lifestyle retail chain and Star India Bazaar - a hypermarket with a large assortment of products at the lowest prices. In 2005, it acquired Landmark, India's largest book and music retailer. Tatas has also formed a subsidiary named Infiniti retail which consists of Croma, a consumer electronics chain. It is a 15000-17000 sq. ft. format with 8 Page 539

PG GK COLLECTION stores as of September 2007. Another subsidiary, Titan Industries, owns brands like Titan, the watch of India has 200 exclusive outlets the country and Tanishq, the jewellery brand, has 87 exclusive outlets. 4. RPG group bookstores Books and Beyond RPG has Spencers Hyper, Super, Daily and Express formats and Music World stores across the country 5. Landmark group: Lifestyle is spread across six cities, covering 4.6 lakh sq. ft. with a turnover of Rs 3.5 billion in 2005. A new division named Lifestyle International has emerged for their international brands business comprising Bossino, Kappa and Springfield in their portfolio. Their retail mix includes Home solutions (Home centre), fashion (lifestyle, landmark International), value retailing (max retail), hypermarkets & supermarkets (Max), kids entertainment (Funcity). 6. Piramal Group In September 1999, Piramal Enterprises announced their arrival into retail with the launch of three retail concepts: India's first true shopping mall of international standards, called Crossroads; a lifestyle department store named Piramyd Megastore; and a family entertainment centre known as Jammin. Piramyd Megastore and Jammin were anchor tenants for Crossroads (recently sold to Pantaloon for Rs 4 billion). In 2001, the group entered the business of food & grocery retail with the launch of TruMart supermarkets in Pune. 7. Subhiksha Subhiksha is a Chennai-based, decade old, no frills, food, grocery, pharma and telecom, discount retail chain. ICICI Venture Capital holds 24% in the equity capital of Subhiksha. 8. Bharti-Walmart Their plans include US$ 7 bn investment in creating retail network in the country including 100 hypermarkets and several hundred small stores. They have signed a 50:50 percent joint venture agreement with Walmart. Wal-Mart will do the cash & carry while Bharti will do the front-end. 9. AV Birla Group Page 540

PG GK COLLECTION They have a strong presence in apparel retailing through Madura garments which is subsidiary of Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. They own brands like Louis Phillipe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Trouser town. The acquisition of Trinethra (food & grocery) chain in the south has moved their tally to 400 stores in the country. Their More range of 15 supermarkets are slated to open at Nashik, Pune and other tier II cities in Western India. ________________________________________________________________________________ The story in numbers No. of airports operational in India : 52 Domestic carrier market share (Jan 2011) Jet Airways + Jetlite : 24.8% Kingfisher Airlines : 19.5% Indigo : 19.2% Air India + Indian Airlines : 15.8% SpiceJet : 14.3% GoAir : 6.4% ________________________________________________________ Mascot & Creator 1. Eustace Fernandis :He passed away in 2010 & he was a much admired creator of "AMUL GIRI" 2.Bobby Kukka : Air India MAhajara 3.Gattu, The Asian Paints MAscot, created by : R.K. Laxman 4.Hanna Barberra : tom & jerry 5.Rupee Symbol : D.Udaya Kumar ________________________________________________________________________________ Category : Intelligence agencies in the world MSS is the intelligence agency of : China (MSS : Ministry of State security) ASIS is the intelligence agency of : Australia (ASIS : Australian Secret Intelligence Service) Mossad is the intelligence agency of : Israel RAW is the intelligence agency of : India (RAW : Research and Analysis Wing) FSB is the intelligence agency of : Russia (FSB : The Federal Security Service of Russian Federation) Page 541

PG GK COLLECTION _________________________________________________________________________________ ___________ (1.) KYOTO PROTOCOL WILL EXPIRE IN 2012. IT IS A PROTOCOL OF UNITED NATION FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE(UNFCCC) AIMED AT FIGHTING GLOBAL WARMING. (2.) NEW PRESIDENT OF INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION ===> R.K SHETTY (3.) WORLD'S BIGGEST HYDROELECTRIC FACILITY ===> ITAIPU DAM, SOUTH AMERICA (4.) 15 MEMBERS OF SOVIET UNION ===> 1.RUSSIA 2.ESTONIA 3.LITHUANIA 4.TAJIKISTAN 5.TURKMENISTAN 6.UZBEKISTAN 7.KAZAKHASTAN 8.KYRGZSTAN 9.LATVIA 10.BELARUS 11.ARMENIA 12.GEORGIA 13.UKRAINE 14.MOLDOVA 15.AZERBAIJAN (5.) OFFICIAL HOME OF SANTA CLAUS FINLAND (6.) ONLY COUNTRY WITH SQUARE FLAG SWITZERLAND (7.) SINGAPORE IS DIVIDED INTO HOW MANY ISLANDS ===> 64 (8.) FAMOUS SOCCER PLAYER WHO IS NOW THE PM OF TURKEY ===> TAYYIB ERDOGAN Page 542

PG GK COLLECTION (9.) INDIA RANKS 5TH IN THE INDEX OF GOVT. ECONOMIC POWER (IDEP). (10.) PILOT PROJECT RECENTLY LAUNCHED BY PRESIDENT PRATIBHA PATIL IN ORDER TO EMPOWER WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS THROUGH TELECOM SERVICES. SANCHAR SHAKTI __________________________________________________ 1. The word "Hindu" with reference to the People of India was first used by which among the following a) Greeks b) Romans c) Afghans d) Arabs 2. Who among the following was the first writer to use Urdu as a medium of poetic Expression a) Amir Khusaru b) Mirza Ghalib c) Bahadur Shah Zafar d) Faiz 3. "Chashma-3" and "Chashma-4" which were recently news are the following type of power projects of Pakistan a) Thermal b) Hydropower c) Nuclear d) Geothermal 4. Who among the following is known for starting the "Free Software movement" in September 1983 and GNU Project to develop software that would free users from the restrictive licenses imposed by software companies a) Georg C. F. Greve b) Benjamin Mako Hill c) Richard Stallman d) Robert J. Chassell 5. Indira Gandhi super thermal power project, whose first unit recently went on steam, is located in which of the following states a) Uttarakhand b) Haryana c) Punjab d) Uttar Pradesh OA=DACCB Page 543

PG GK COLLECTION __________________________________________________________________ A Few imp WHS (World Heritage Sites) -Mountain Railways of India : 1999 (declared on) -Mahabodhi Temple complex at Bodh Gaya : 2002 -Rock Shelters of Bimbetks : 2003 -Chattarpati Shivaji Terminus : 2004 -Champaner-paragadh Archaelogical Park : 2004 -The Red Fort Complex : 2007 -Jantar Mantar :2010 As of now, there are "28" WHS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Authors Work Odyssey Homer Summer Lightning D.G. Woodhouse Lord Of the Rings JRR Tolkein Beyond the Blue Mountain JRD Tata (Biography)..he is the father of Civil Aviation India ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Character Creator James Bond Ian Fleming Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carol Bertie Wooster P.G. Woodhouse Sherlock Holmes Canon Doyle Oliver Twist Charles Dickens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tagline of Census 2011 = Our Census,our future lowest ranks in terms of literacy rates : Rajasthan & Bihar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nicknames Father Of Medicine : Hippocrates Wizard a menio park : Thomas Elva Edison The Little Tramp : Charlie Chaplin Holy Pontiff : The Pope _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Page 544

PG GK COLLECTION 1. Who among the following is the first citizen of a city in India a) Mayor b) Chairman c) Sheriff d) Member of Legislative Assembly 2. The Bhagat Movement is related to which among the following tribes of India a) Birhor b) Bhil c) Santal d) Kol 3. Who among the following is called the "guardian of the public purse" of India a) Comptroller and Auditor General b) Finance Minister c) Chairman of Public Accounts Committee d) Prime Minister 4. Which among the following is the SI physical unit of dynamic viscosity a) Poise b) Pascal-second c) Newton-second d) Poise-second 5. If earth stops rotating, the impact on weight of a body will be minimum on which among the following places a) Equator b) North Pole c) Tropic of Cancer d) Tropic of Capricorn 6. Which among the following two countries are separated by the Straits of Johor a) Korea and Japan b) Singapore and Malaysia c) Denmark and Sweden d) Singapore and Indonesia 7. At which among the following places, National Flag was hoisted for the First time in India a) Lucknow b) Nagpur c) Kolkata [August 7, 1906, by Surendra Nath Banerjee] d) Delhi 8. One of the following banks is the Oldest Public Sector Bank in India having branches all over India and serving the customers for the last 145 years and even today. Identify that Bank: Page 545

PG GK COLLECTION a) Punjab National Bank b) Bank of India c) State Bank of India d) Allahabad Bank OA=ABABBBCD __________________________________________________________ UNO - Secretary General : Ban-Ki-Moon NATO - Secretary General : Anders Fogh Rasmussen SAARC - Secretary General : Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed (Spelling main gadbad ho sakti hai, dont mind) WTO - Secreatry General : Pascal Lamy FICCI - President : Harish Mariwala (MD n Chairman of Marico Ltd.) ASSOCHAM - President : Dilip Modi TRAI - Head : J.S.Sarma SEBI - CHairman : U.K.Sinha IRDA - Head : Hari Narayan PFRDA - Chief GM : Kamal Kumar Chaudhary NHRC - Chairman : K.G. Balakrishnan National Commission for Children and Child Rights : Shanta Sinha National Commission for Women - Chairperson : Mamta Sharma Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) ::Pradeep Kumar India's Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) :: Vinod Rai Cauvery Water Dispute - Chairman : N.P. Singh (Members : NS Rao and Sudhir Narain) Press Trust of India - Chairman : Mr. Vineet Kumar Jain [President of Board Of Directors - M.P. Veerendra Kumar] Press Council of India - Chairman : Justice Markandey Katju 13th Finance Commission of India : Vijay Kelkar - [2010-15] 19th Law Commission of India : P.V.Reddy - [2009-12] International Criominal Court - President : Song Sang Hyun ICC - President : Sharads Pawar FIFA - President : Sepp Blatter (Switzerland ka hai) Microsoft - CEO : Steve Ballmer Oracle - CEO : Larry Ellison Nokia - CEO : Stephen Elop Siemens - CEo : Peter Loscher Nike - CEO : Mark Parker Berkshire Hathaway - CEO : Warren Buffet Page 546

PG GK COLLECTION McDonalds - CEo : James A Skinner Intel - CEO : Paul Ottelini Air India - Director : Rohit Nandan Whirpool - Director : Harish Manwani (Unilever - Global COO )

Winter Olympics - 2010 : Vancouver, Canada (21st - W.Olympics) 2014 : Sochi, Russia 2018 : Pyeongchang, South Korea Summer Olympics - 2008 : Beijing, China [29th - S.Olympics] 2012 : London, UK 2016 : Rio-de-Janerio, Brazil Asian Games - 1951 : New Delhi, India 2010 : Guangjhou, China 2014 : Incheon, South Korea 2nd Youth Olympics - 2014 : Ninjang, China DadaSaheb Phalke Award - 2009 : D. Ramanaidu 2010 : K. Balachander _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ January 2011:1).U.S govt slashed the defence Budget By a whopping amount of 78 billion dollars!! 2).china Announced succesful Launch of First test Flight of their Stealth Fighter jet,Chengadu(J-20) 3).Russian president Mr. Dmitry medevadev signs into the law the new START treaty,a landmark Nuclear Arms pact with The U.S!! 4).AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2011 in melbourne: Men's Singles Title--Novak Djokovic(serbia) beating Andy Murray(UK) Women's Single Title--Kim clijters(Belgium) beating Li Na(China) Doubles Men title--Mike-Bob Brayan(US) Beating Lee-haesh(India) 5).Argentina & FC barcelona Striker Lionell Messi Won FIFA ballon D'Or Award for best Footballer of the year 2010. 6).56th Annual Filmfare awards at Mumbai: Best Actor--SRK(My Name Is Khan) Best Actress--Kajol(My Name is Khan) Page 547

PG GK COLLECTION Best Movie--Dabbang LifeTime Achievment--Manna Dey 7).Padma Awards 2011 Announced: Main Padma Vibhushan Awardees as Follows:*Montek Singh Ahluwalia(Deputy chairmen,Planning Commission) *Brijesh Mishra(former national Security Advisor) *A.Nageshwara Rao(Tamil Celebrity) *Aziz Premji(Wipro) *Kapila Vatsayan(Art Historian) *Homai Vyarwalla(India's first Women news photographer) *General K parsaravan(Former Attorney general)++6 more In total 128 people announced Padma awards...31 for Padma Bhushan...84 for padma Shri..!! .Scientists At BAE systems,Sweden announced that they have devloped a new technology that can make BaTTle Tank "Disappear"..!! 9).British Scientist Said That they have devloped Low cost artificial petrol at rs. 14 Using Hydrogen Instead of carbon..!! 10).germany,Portugal,india,Columbia,South Africa Entered in the list of non-permanent members In security Council!! _________________________________________________________________________________ _________ Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) ::Pradeep Kumar India's Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) :: Vinod Rai _____________________________________________________________________________

11. Who has been appointed the new director of Indian Institute of Technology-Madras ? -Bhaskar Ramamurthi 2. Which Country now allows transgender option in passports? Australia 3. Expand ICBC. Which bank from Mainland, China has set up shop in India? Industrial and Commercial Bank of China 4. Which 3 technology major are planning advertisement sale? Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft 5. Who has been appointed as British Deputy Commissioner representing United Kingdom in Karnataka? Ian Felton 6. What is the CRR, Repo and Reverse Repo Rate as on 16th September 2011? Page 548

PG GK COLLECTION CRR - 6.00%, Repo - 8.25% and Reverse Repo - 7.25% 7. Which company bagged two awards for Jaguar and Land Rover from Autoweek at the Frankfurt Motor Show? Tata Motors 8. In which part of India has new species of frog found? Western ghats 9. What is the limitation on SMSes have TRAI imposed per day per sim from 27th of September 2011? 100 per day from per SIM 10. Who took over as CEO and MD of ONGC Videsh Ltd.? Dinesh K.Sarraf 11. What rank did Rahul Dravid hold as he retired from One-Day International cricket? 118 12. Name the Board launched by Indian Medical Association to give doctor community a say in formulation of major policies in the health sector. Hospital Board of India 13. What is the percentage of Dearness Allowance hike announced by Government and it is effective from which date? 7% and 1st July 2011 14. Who has raised USD 57,600 for the ongoing efforts in Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami? Heavy rockers Iron Maiden 15. Where is the (NSG) National Security Guard hub setup in India and due for inauguration? Kolkata 16. When and Where is the 64th Auto Show being held? 15th September to 25th September 2011 Frankfurt, Germany 17. Who has been appointed as chief of ITBP? Ranjit Sinha 18. Which country showcased Central Asia's high-speed train (254km per hour)? Uzbekistan 19. Which three Japanese electronics giant are set to merge small and mediumsized display businesses for smartphones and tablet computers? Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi 20. Who was awarded with German's top honour, silver laurel leaf? Dirk Nowitzi 21. What is the food inflation for the week ended August 20th 2011? 10.05% 22. Which middle-east country is set to invest in Indian markets? Iran 23. Which country's court has banned Samsung tablet computer? Page 549

PG GK COLLECTION Germany 24. Which hockey tournament has been moved out of India as FIH is unhappy with the sport being run by 2 bodies - Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation? Champions Trophy Hockey tournament 25. Which country-men and who won the men's 5000 metre world title at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu? Britian's Mo Farah 26. Name the architect who designed 133-foot Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari passed away -V.Ganapati Sthapati 27. Which Indian-American elected as the governor of a US state filed his re-election papers? Bobby Jindal 28. Which ERP platform has IBM decided to implement at Automotive Axles? SAP 29. Which country has qualified for Euro 2012 finals after winning over Liechtenstein? Spain _________________________________________________________________________________ ______________|\ 1. In which country is located Hagia Sophia a) Greece b) Georgia c) Turkey d) Armenia 2. Which among the following is not a currency a) Tenge b) Sheqel c) Forint d) Astana [Astana is capital of Kazhakhastan] 3. Which article of the constitution of India lays down the procedure for impeachment of the President a) Article 105 b) Article 61 c) Article 60 d) Article 35 4. Which of the following rights deal with freedom of religion a) 12-19 b) 19-21 c) 25-28 Page 550

PG GK COLLECTION d) 21-28 5. What is the name of a channel that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal a) Nine Degree Channel b) 10 degree channel c) 12 degree channel d) Kardiva Channel 6. In which state is located TERLS a) Andhra Pradesh b) Himachal Pradesh c) Kerala [Thumba Equatorial Rocket launching Station] d) Tamil Nadu 7. How many arteries are present in Human Umbilical Cord a) 1 b) 2 [2 Arteries and 1 vein] c) 3 d) 4 8. The Conium plant is related to which of the following philosopher's death a) Aristotle b) Socrates [Conium maculatum (Hemlock or Poison Hemlock) is a poisonous tree and hemlock was given to Socrates for his execution] c) Zarathushtra d) Plato _________________________________________________________________________________ ____ Cartoon Charactor -----------------------------Creator Charlie Brown - Charles Schultz Goofy - Art Bebbitt The Simpsons - Matt Groenig Spongebob - Spephen Hillenberg Daffy Duck - Tex Avery & Bob Champett Mickey Mouse/Donald Duk - Walt Disney Tom & Jerry - William Hanna & Joseph Barbera Batman - Bob Kane Superman - Jerry Siegal & Joe Shuster(J&J)--(the first superman . . was a villion spiderman - Stanlee & Steve Ditko Scooby doo - Iwao Takamato shaggy - Dr. Andrew zagarian Pop-eye - elzie crisler segar (his one eye is popped ..dats y his . . name is pop- eye Page 551

PG GK COLLECTION garfield - Jim Davis Archie - Vic Bloom & Bob Montana Richie Rich - Alfred Harvey & Warren Kremer Calvin & Hobbes - Bill Watterson tintin - Herge ___________________________________________________________________ FeB 2011 1).Myannmar Military Rulers Appoint Mr. Thein Sein as first President of the nation under its 2008 constitution!! [Mnemonic:-Thin(thein) say(sein),,,,What??....."Mai Ni Maara(myanmaar)"] 2).Eqypt's president Hosni Mubarak resigned after ruling the country for 30 odd years!! 3).ChIna becomes No.2 economy dispalcing Japan as Japan's GDP totalled 5.47 trillion $ lesser than China's 5.80 trillion $..!! 4).Russia launched its next generation navigation Sattelite,Glonass K [Mnemonic:-Russia K Khass(Glonass)] 5).Abhinav Bindra clinched Air Rifle GOLD in french GP in Paris!! 6).34th National Games started in Ranchi(Jharkhand):Medal Tally: *Services162(70,50,42) **Manipur118(48,37,33) ***Haryana115(42,33,40) Richa Mishra(Delhi) and Virdhawal Khade(Maharastra) named Best Atheletes!! 7).Rafael nadal Won Laureus World Sportsmen of the year In a ceremony in Abu Dhabi(UAE) .Oscar Awards(acadamy awards) took place in Los Angels,US:Best Movie--The King's Speech Best Actor--Colin Forth(King's Speech) Best Director--Tom hooper(The King's Speech) Best Actress--Natalie portman(Black Swan) 9).Scientists at Queensland University announced that they have upturned a natural law by creating an array of plastic that can conduct electricity. ____________________________________________________________ Page 552

PG GK COLLECTION March 2011

1).Central Bank of bangladesh Removed Nobel laurate Dr. Mhd Yunus as MD of Grameen Bank on basis of allegation of Shady Funding patterns. 2).Tsunami Hits japan(earthquake of level 8.9 on Rictar scale).Radiation leak from Fukushima nuclear plant(Plutonium in Soil samples). 3).NATO took the control of military Operations in Libya also enforced NO FLY ZONE!!! 4).Saina Nehwal wins Swiss open Championship beating South korean Sung jihyn in a final at Basel,Switzerland..!! 5).German Red Bull Driver Sabestian Vettel wins Australian GP in melbourne Ahead of british mclaren Driver Lewis Hamilton. 6)."Vyas Samman" awarded to Mr. Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari.!! 7).Chineese author Mr. Bi feiyn Won Asia's Top literarey Honour $ 30,000 Man Asian Litereay Priize For the Book "Three sisters" [Mnemonic:-Chineese Beef(Bi Feiyn) was served to Three Sisters] .Mathematician John willard Milnor of Institute for Mathematical Science in Stony Brooke was awarded Abel prize 2011 [Mnemonic:-"Abe! Velle John se Mille na??(William John Millnar)"] 9).Scientist At MIT,USA unevlied the World's first Practical leaf that can turn Sunlight and water Into Energy..!! _________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________

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