General Studies : Mock Test 5 for UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary Examination)

This is the fifth Mock Test from Our Mega Quiz Series for Civil Services 2010 (Preliminary Examination) . Please download this document which provides you a question paper along with answers printed in the end, so that you may use it as an offline assessment tool . We shall place the answer buttons in this quiz after 1 or 2 days.

Please assess yourself as follows:

• 35 and above Very Good
• 30 and above Good
• 25 and Above Fair
• 20 and above Poor and need to work more

Notes: Please read question 3 as

"Out of the following given statements bring out the correct statements about Warsaw Pact"

****

1.In which of the following Biochar is used?
(A)Oral Rehydration
(B)Drinking water filters
(C)Carbon capture and storage
(D)Environment Friendly Fuel
(E)As herbal medicine for gastric problems

2.Arrange the following events in correct Chronological Order:
1. Korean War 2. Berlin Blockade 3. Cuban Missile Crisis 4.starting of Vietnam War 5. Soviet war in Afghanistan
(A)12345
(B)23451
(C)21435
(D)21345
(E)21543

3.Out of the following given statements bring out the correct statements:
1. It was a Soviet reply to the West's expansion of NATO
2. Czechoslovakia was the first country which formally withdrew from Warsaw pact
3. Czechoslovak President, Václav Havel played and important role in dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.
(A)1 only is correct
(B)2 only is correct
(C)1 & 2 are correct
(D)1 & 3 are correct
(E)all are correct

4.Bring out the incorrect match:
(A)BWSL : Manufacturing
(B)IGMDP : Defense
(C)NSSK - Child Care
(D)INCOIS - Oceanology
(E)MSME - Industry

5.Consider the following awards:
1. Mussabini Medal 2.Eddie Robinson Award 3. Walter Payton Award 4. Golden Whistle Award 5. Bronze Bails Award
How many of them are given to umpires ?
(A)One
(B)Two
(C)Three
(D)Four
(E)Five

6.Who among the following was leader of the Opposition between 1998 and 2004 in Rajya Sabha?
(A)Jairam Ramesh
(B)Man Mohan Singh
(C)Ghulam Nabi Azad
(D)Arjun Singh
(E)Shivraj Patil

7.Arrange the following events related to First Anglo Maratha war in correct chronological order:
1. Battle of Wadgaon 2. Treaty of Purandar 3. Treaty of Surat 4. Treaty of Salbai
(A)1234
(B)2314
(C)3214
(D)4213
(E)1432

8.Which of the following dates was observed by Muslim League as "Pakistan Day" which resulted in large scale massacres, burning of houses, loots, rapes, and other violence?
(A)August 16, 1976
(B)January 21, 1947
(C)March 27, 1947
(D)March 31, 1947
(E)August 14, 1947

9.Who among the following was the founder of Land Holders Society which was founded in 1838 at Calcutta?
(A)Devendra Nath Tagore
(B)S N Banerjee
(C)Shirish Chandra Bose
(D)Sambhunath Pandit
(E)Dwarkanath Tagore

10.Match the following correctly :
1.Pather Panchali A. Rabindra Nath Tagore
2. Chokher Bali B. Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay
3. Bhagyawati C. Shivram Karanth
4. Chomana Dudi D. Shardha Ram Phillauri
5. Baluta E. Dagdu Maruti Pawar
(A)1-A, 2-B, 3-D, 4-C, 5-E
(B)1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D, 5-E
(C)1-B, 2-A, 3-D, 4-C, 5-E
(D)1-B, 2-A, 3-E, 4-D, 5-C
(E)1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-B, 5-A

11." My Strong Bulwark is Gone" the death of which of the following was mourned by Gandhi Ji in the said words?
(A)Lala Lajpat Rai
(B)Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(D)Maulana Shaukat Ali
(E)None of them

12.Under whose chairmanship on June I0, 1918 a war conference was held in Bombay?
(A)Lord George Lloyd
(B)Lord Wavell
(C)Lord Willingdon
(D)Lord Ripon
(E)Lord Mayo

13.Who among the following tennis player was the first Indian woman to win a round at a Grand Slam?
(A)Isha Lakhani
(B)Nirupama Mankad
(C)Sania Mirza
(D)Nirupama Vaidyanathan
(E)Sunitha Rao

14.Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(A)Black Forest - Germany
(B)Pennines - France
(C)Sierra Nevada - Canada
(D)Vosges - Italy
(E)None of them

15.Which of the following gas makes the largest part of Flue Gas?
(A)Carbon Dioxide
(B)Sulphur Dioxide
(C)Nitrogen
(D)Chloro Fluoro Carbons
(E)Oxygen

16.Bring out the only correct pair :
(A)Madhya Pradesh - Toda
(B)Rajasthan - Kharwar
(C)Tamilnadu - Bhil
(D)Jharkhand - Oran
(E)Sikkim - Khasis

17.Trans-Andean railways which is the only Transcontinental railroad of South America connects the following?
(A)Rio De Janeiro - Lima
(B)Rio De Janeiro - Lapaz
(C)Buenos Airies - Valparaíso
(D)Buenos Aires - San Antonio
(E)Buenos Airies - Lima

18.Consider the following countries:
1. India 2. Bangladesh 3. Pakistan 4. Sri Lanka
Arrange them in decreasing order of population density:
(A)1234
(B)2134
(C)2143
(D)2413
(E)2314

19.Which among the following is not correctly matched:
(A)Brickfielder - Australia
(B)Chinook winds - Africa
(C)Khamsin - Arabian Peninsula
(D)Ghibli - North Africa
(E)Solano - Spain

20.Which of the following rivers of India forms an Estuary?
(A)Mahanadi
(B)Hugli
(C)Godavari
(D)Kaveri
(E)None of them

21.Which among the following are the bills that can be introduced but can not be considered without prior recommendation of the President of India?
(A)Money Bills Under Article 110
(B)Financial Bills not consisting solely of matters specified in article 110
(C)Ordinary Bills involving expenditure from the consolidated Fund of India
(D)Bills affecting taxes in which states are interested
(E)None of them

22.Which of the following country introduced Citizen's Charter in 1991 as an initiative to bring greater accountability and openness in administration ?
(A)United States
(B)India
(C)United Kingdom
(D)Australia
(E)France

23.Which of the following in the Indian Constitution provides in certain circumstances to appoint a Governor for two or more States?
(A)Article 153
(B)Article 155
(C)Constitution 7th Amendment Act
(D)Constitution 5th Amendment Act
(E)Constitution 11th amendment act

24.Audit of state Government Accounts comes under the following :
(A)Union List
(B)State List
(C)Concurrent List
(D)Fiscal Policy
(E)Budget Policy

25.Which among the following is also known as bulwark of Individual liberty?
(A)Injunction
(B)Prohibition
(C)Quo Warranto
(D)Habeas Corpus
(E)Certiorari

26.Which among the following regions did not constitute a separate suba under Akbar ?
(A)Orissa
(B)Bengal
(C)Bihar
(D)Awadh
(E)Ahmadnagar

27.Consider the following statements regarding Bukka I of Vijayanagar Empire:
1. He instilled new energy in the Hindu Society
2. Sayana was an important commentator on the Vedas under Bukka I
3. Bukka I adopted many measures for the upliftment of Shudras in Hindu Society
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 & 2 are correct
(B)1 & 3 are correct
(C)2 & 3 are correct
(D)only 3 is correct
(E)only 1 is correct

28.Bring out the incorrect statement :
(A)During Mahadji Shinde's rule Gwalior became the leading state in the Maratha Confederacy and one of the foremost military powers in India
(B)The British on the basis of Doctrine of Lapse annexed Jhansi
(C)Lord Wellesley Introduced subsidiary alliance System
(D)Peshwas accepted the subsidiary alliance by treaty of Surat
(E)The tree of Liberty was planted by Tipu Sultan at Seringapattam

29.Sarojini Naidu became the first woman to preside over the Indian National Congress Session in 1925. Where this session was held?
(A)Lucknow
(B)Allahabad
(C)Kanpur
(D)Varanasi
(E)Surat

30.Consider the following :
1. Ethanol 2. Carbon dioxide 3. Oxygen 4. Water
Bring out those, which are end products in alcoholic fermentation?
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2
(C)1 2 & 3
(D)1 & 3
(E)1 & 4

31.Bring out the incorrectly matched pair:
(A)Food and Agriculture Organization - Jacques Diouf
(B)International Civil Aviation Organization - Raymond Benjamin
(C)International Maritime Organization - Efthimios E. Mitropoulos
(D)International Monetary Fund - Dominique Strauss-Kahn
(E)United Nations Children's Fund - Irina Bokova

32.In which of the following fields are given RIBA European Award?
(A)Arts
(B)Architecture
(C)Social Science
(D)Technology
(E)Cultural Development

33.Consider the Following statements:
1. Most of the insects excrete in the form of Uric Acid
2. Malpighian tubules perform the function of excretion in Insects
3. Insects excrete as Uric acid as most of them develop in water
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)1 & 3 only
(D)3 only
(E)2 & 3 only

34.Consider the following statements:
1. Chandrayaan-I has collected voluminous data on topography and mineralogy of Moon
2. The most significant achievement of Chandrayaan is the discovery of presence of water and hydroxyl molecules
3. Evidence of presence of water has been found only on southern regions of the moon
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1& 2
(C)1 & 3
(D)2 & 3
(E)all 1, 2, 3,

35.Which among the following is the apex body to grant licenses to the installation using radiation or radio active substances in India?
(A)Atomic Energy Commission of India
(B)Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
(C)Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research
(D)Nuclear Command Authority
(E)Department of Atomic Energy

36.In December 2009, in which of the following regions of Antarctica, India's Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the establishment of India's third permanent research base during the XIth Five Year Plan period at a total cost of Rs.287 crore to meet the logistic and scientific objectives?
(A)Schirmacher region
(B)Larsemann Hills region
(C)Greenwich Island
(D)Hope Bay
(E)Terra Nova Bay

37.In which year was enacted the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act?
(A)1952
(B)1956
(C)1959
(D)1965
(E)1968

38.Consider the following facts regarding India's population since 1971:
1. since 1971, the population of India has grown approximately 190%
2. the decadal growth rate has rose steadily
3. The average annual growth rate in each decade has been almost constant
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 only
(B)1 & 2 only
(C)1,2, & 3
(D)2 & 3 only
(E)3 only

39.Consider the following statements regarding Africa Cup of Nations 2010:
1. Egypt won this title for the third consecutive times beating Kenya
2. A total of 16 teams participated in the event
3. Palanquinha was the mascot of this event
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 & 2
(B)1 & 3
(C)2 & 3
(D)2 only
(E)3 only

40.Bring out the incorrectly displaying 2010 in other calendars:
(A)Vikram Samvat 2065-66
(B)Shaka Samvat 1932-33
(C)Islamic Calendar 1331-1332
(D)Buddhist Calder- 2554
(E)Kaliyuga 5111-5112

41.One Trillion is used as a statistical term in which of the following sports?
(A)Baseball
(B)Basket Ball
(C)Ice hockey
(D)Fencing
(E)Gymnastics

42.Consider the following statements in context with India Germany relationships:
1. Germany is second largest trade partner of India after England in the European Union
2.. Indo-German Science and Technology Centre was established in 2008 in New Delhi
3. Germany has always supported India for permanent UN Council seat
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)only 1
(B)only 2
(C)only 3
(D)1 & 2
(E)2 & 3

43.In which of the following G 20 summits , the 20 leaders of the world's top industrialized nations, as well as key countries with developing economies, have agreed to phase out their subsidies for fossil fuels, including coal?
(A)London
(B)Pittsburg
(C)Washington DC
(D)Toronto
(E)None of them

44.Which among the following term is nowhere related to Environment issues?
(A)Gaia hypothesis
(B)Urban Heat Island
(C)CLAW hypothesis
(D)Sydney Declaration
(E)Durban Review Conference

45.As per a latest IATA report which of the following regions of the world is the largest aviation market?
(A)Middle East
(B)Asia Pacific
(C)Europe
(D)North America
(E)South America

46.Which of the following Harappan sites is located in the north of Hindukush Mountain ranges?
(A)Chanhu daro
(B)Sutkagendor
(C)Manda
(D)Shortugai
(E)None of them

47.In which of the following the first ever mention of 4 varnas is found?
(A)Prithvi Sukta
(B)Purusha Sukta
(C)Taittriya Samhita
(D)Shatapatha Brahman
(E)None of them

48.Who among the following is known for coining the word Pakistan?
(A)Muhammad Ali Jinnnah
(B)Muhammed Iqbal
(C)Chawdhary Rahamat Ali
(D)Liaqat Ali
(E)None of them

49.The formation of sedimentary rocks tends to withdraw which of the following from the system ?
(A)Water Vapor
(B)Nitrogen
(C)Oxygen
(D)Carbon dioxide
(E)Hydrogen

50.Who among the following international personalities brought the Mumbai Dabbawalas in international attention when he met them while his visit to Mumbai?
(A)Bill Clinton
(B)Prince Charles
(C)Bill Gates
(D)George W. Bush
(E)Vladimir Putin

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Current Affairs : February 3, 2010

Appointments:
Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High court: Kurian Joseph
Execrcising the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President of India Smt. Pratibha Patil appoints Shri Justice Kurian Joseph, Judge of the Kerala High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. (PIB)

Events & Happenings:
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Sammelan–2010
1200 participants from across the country, gather at Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi.
read here
Buddhist Conclave - Nalanda
Buddhist scholars, academicians, monks, travel and tour operators and media persons from across the world attend a two-day international Buddhist conclave at Nalanda in Bihar. The theme is 'International Buddhist Conclave - Experience Buddhism'. Union ministry of tourism, Bihar tourism department and Nava Nalanda Mahavihara are organizing this conclave in which delegates from more than 12 countries are coming. Objective of the international conclave is to give a major thrust to cultural tourism and explore the potential related to the Buddhist circuit in India and especially in Bihar.

National Updates:
On PIL on violation of labor laws at Commonwealth Games sites
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Peoples Union for Democratic Rights. The Delhi high court passes an order to form a 4 member committee to probe the alleged violations of labour laws at Commonwealth Games project sites.


Madhya Pradesh : Soil Health Certificates
The MP Government decides to give soil health certificates in the next two years to all farmers in the state. Soil health is an assessment of ability of a soil to meet its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment. The The soil health certificates will help the farmers to determine the cycle of profitable crops.
Srikrishna Committee (for Consultation with all sections of Andhra Pradesh on Telangana issue)
Union Government creates five-member panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna to deliberate on a mechanism for a separate Telangana state and consult all sections of people, political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh. The commitee is as follows:

1. Shri Justice B N Srikrishna, retired Judge, Supreme Court of India – Chairman
2. Prof. (Dr.) Ranbir Singh, Vice Chancellor, National Law University, Delhi – Member
3. Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute, Delhi – Member
4. Dr. (Ms.) Ravinder Kaur, Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT, Delhi – Member
5. Shri Vinod K Duggal, IAS (Retd.), former Home Secretary – Member Secretary

CJ on recommendation of Law Commission for reorganization of Supreme Court
Chief Justice of India (CJI), KG Balakrishnan comes out against the recommendation of the Law Commission that the Supreme Court (SC) be reorganized into a Constitution bench in Delhi and four regional benches.

This recommendation has been predominant topic among the legal circles of the country. CJ favors that he is not in favor of “disintegration” of the SC which “is the highest court of the land and should be in the Capital city of the country”.

He points out that there is a powerful symbolism to the country’s apex court which vests it with a unique sense of authority and goes beyond its official status as the ultimate arbiter of justice and protector of the Constitution. Such an institution cannot be anywhere other than the Capital, and just as there is only one Parliament, there can be only one SC.

However, the logic of Law Commission recommendation was taking forward the legal reforms as Justice delayed is justice denied. Even CJ admits that there is a piling backlog in Supreme Court. The Law Commission mentions aspects like raising the sitting period of judges, reducing the length of court vacations and coming down heavily on lawyers seeking too many adjournments and judges granting them.

On February 2, 2010, The Law Ministry ruled out any move to set up a bench of the Supreme Court outside Delhi. However Ministry says that it has 'open mind' on forming Courts of Appeal (COA) on the lines of the courts in the United States and the United Kingdom. This could be a mean to meet the growing demands of regions.

Business & Economy:
On NTPC's Follow on Public Offer :
The follow on public offer of NTPC starts. The floor price of Rs 201 a share for NTPC's follow-on public offering (FPO) was set by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) which was attractive for retail investors along with low risk profile. The EGoM also offered a deal to NTPC employees, with a discount of Rs 10 per share. Employees were offered equity shares at Rs 191 a share. Up to 50 per cent of the net offer will be allocated to qualified institutional buyers.

Through this FPO , govt will mop up a minimum of Rs. 8000 crore from the divestment of 41.22 crore shares, which is about 5 per cent of the paid-up capital of the company. The FPO was subscribed 61% within two hours of its opening.


BSNL - Novatium Partnership in Uttar Pradesh
BSNL and Chennai-based IT solutions company Novatium partner to provide cheaper broadband connections in Uttar Pradesh. For this purpose Novatium launches three new products Nova Navigator+, Nova Neon and Nova cNergy to provide seamless net connectivity to the BSNL broadband consumers. UP is the first state where these products have been launched. Nova Navigator+ transforms a normal TV into a computing device, while Nova Neon is a netBook enabled with Wi-fi, multiple USB ports and 160 GB hard disk. Nova cNergy is a USB stick to enhance the existing PC/laptop with Nova environment.

On Mobile Number Portability:
March 31, 2010 is the deadline for the mobiles companies all over the country to implement the mobile number portability. The BSNL and MTNL say that they will be Ready by this date for implementation. The earlier date to implement MNP was December 31, 2009 for all metros and March 31, 2010 for rest of the country. However some operators expressed inability and demanded more time from the government, so the new deadline of March 31, 2010 was fixed by the government for the entire country. TRAI has fixed Rs 19 as the charge to be paid by a subscriber to avail the MNP service and the whole process will take a maximum of four days.

First Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Shipping
First Consultative Committee meeting (of the 15th Lok Sabha )of the Ministry of Shipping takes place. Some notes:

Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection
Precautionary measures for pollution control and arrest of associated problems are essential along with Industrial development Read Here


India & World:
On India Hungary Trade:
Second Session of the India-Hungary Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) and Joint Business Commission (JBC) meetings was held at Hungary's capital Budapest (Why the name is Budapest? ) during February 1-2 2010. Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry was there in Budapest. Shri Sharma highlighted new sectors for cooperation like energy, medical equipment, agro-processing, dairy plants, water management, waste management and waste water purification. Both sides agreed to increase the level of trade to US $ 1 billion by 2012.

An agreement for oil exploration has already been signed between MOL (Magyar Olaj- és Gázipari Nyrt., ) the Hungarian Oil Company, and ONGC of India in which MOL is a 35% partner. It was agreed that the two countries will strengthen cooperation in the IT sector and an MoU detailing the areas of cooperation will be entered into between the Hungarian association of IT companies and Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) India. The India-Hungary S&T fund of Euro 2 million per annum for the promotion of joint research projects will soon be operationalised and bilateral S&T projects would be selected for funding.

A Social Security Agreement was signed between the two countries on the sidelines of the JCEC, which would address the issues on social security tax particularly in the case of IT sector. An agreement on Trade and Investment cooperation was also signed between Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and ITD Hungary. The chambers of the two countries also signed an agreement on arbitration.


"Change for Good" programme of Finair
Finnair which is Finland's largest airline has been cooperating with UNICEF since 1994 to improve conditions for the world's children Read Here

India and Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are those organic compounds which are resistant to environmental degradation through Read Here

Maldives Delegation Visiting India
Home Minister of Maldives Mohamed Shihab Shihab leads a delegation to India to visit the facilities related to forensic sciences. cyber crime etc. The visit Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters, Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), DNA lab, computer forensics and voice spectrograph division, ballistics division and lie-detection division in the CFSL.
Maldives wants India to help in establishing a police academy along with forensic science laboratory, corporate fraud cell and also training for its investing officers for which India assures for all possible assistance.

On Global Initiative on River Cleaning
March 22, is the World Day for Water, recognized by the UN. A special initiative has been launched by Rivers of the World Foundation & Yamuna Foundation for Blue Water which includes picking up trash and clean up river beds in India, China and US by March 22. The rivers are Yamuna, Potomac & Yangtze. The job is being taken up by volunteers in US and China & School children in Agra.

Global Updates
Iran : successful launch of Kavoshgar 3
Iran successfully test Kavoshgar 3 on February 3, 2010 on 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Besides It unveils: domestically produced carrier engine Simorq, three new communications satellites, named the Tolou, Mesbah 2 and Navid. Please note that Iran launched its first satellite into orbit in February 2009. The name of the satellite was Omid and it was propelled by Safir 2 rocket.

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Prep Quiz 15: Basic General Knowledge For All Examinations

1.In which yearn Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana was launched?
(A)2004
(B)2005
(C)2006
(D)2007
(E)2008



2.Establishment of which of the following was a result of negotiation carried out in "Uruguay Round"?
(A)NATO
(B)OECD
(C)WHO
(D)WEF
(E)WTO



3.On which of the following rates Reserve Bank of India provides loan to scheduled commercial banks ?
(A)Repo Rate
(B)Reverse Rate
(C)Credit Rate
(D)Bank Rate
(E)London Interbank Offer rate



4.What can be the number of members in a legislative assembly of a state in India?
(A)400
(B)450
(C)500
(D)550
(E)600



5.Which among the following is not present in pure sugar ?
(A)Carbon
(B)Hydrogen
(C)Oxygen
(D)Nitrogen
(E)None of them



6.Which of the following bacteria forms an endosymbiotic nitrogen fixing association with roots of legumes that helps in Nitrogen Fixation?
(A)Clostridium
(B)Rhizobium
(C)Salmonella
(D)Staphylococcus
(E)None of them



7.In which of the following light produces image focus in front of the retina ?
(A)Presbyopia
(B)Myopia
(C)Astigmatism
(D)Hyperopia
(E)Hypertropia



8.Which among the following is not correctly matched?
(A)Electromagnetism - Faraday
(B)Principles of Inheritance- Darwin
(C)Laws of inertia - Newton
(D)Theory of Natural selection - Mendel
(E)All are correctly matched



9.The term "white coal " sometimes referred to which of the following?
(A)Geothermal Electricity
(B)Wind Energy
(C)Hydroelectricity
(D)Biomass Energy
(E)None of them



10.Sun accounts for approximately what fraction of total mass of Solar System ?
(A)70%
(B)85%
(C)92.5%
(D)96.86%
(E)99.86%



11. Phobos and Deimos are the natural satellites of which of the following planets?
(A)Saturn
(B)Mars
(C)Jupiter
(D)Pluto
(E)Uranus



12.Dalton's name is associated with which of the following terms?
(A)Electron
(B)Proton
(C)Neutron
(D)Atom
(E)Molecule



13.Daltonism is the name referred to which of the following disorders as this name was kept in honour of John Dalton , the father of atomic theory?
(A)Deafness
(B)Color Blindness
(C)Night Blindness
(D)Astigmatism
(E)Myopia



14.The branch of science Herpatology deals with the study of ?
(A)Fishes
(B)Insects
(C)Amphibians
(D)Amphibians and Reptiles
(E)Reptiles



15.Which of the following country has a motto of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity"?
(A)Spain
(B)France
(C)Germany
(D)Italy
(E)UK



16.Which of the following is the source of adult human stem cell?
(A)Liver
(B)Bone Marrow
(C)Brain
(D)Medulla
(E)Thymus



17.Which of the following work as bioindicator of environmental pollution?
(A)Diatoms
(B)Coral Reefs
(C)Fishes
(D)Lichens
(E)Ferns



18.Which of the following is a light-emitting biological pigments found in lower organisms that causes bioluminescence ?
(A)Caspin
(B)Cathepsin
(C)Lecithin
(D)Luciferin
(E)Melanin



19.In Context with the computer terminology, how many bits are there in a nibble?
(A)2
(B)4
(C)8
(D)16
(E)32



20.The Umoja Project of United Nations is related to which of the following?
(A)Information Technology
(B)Enterprise Resource Planning
(C)Content Management
(D)Software Development
(E)Internet Development



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Quiz 326 : Indian Polity & Constitution for Civil Services, State Public Services & Judiciary Examinations

1.Which of the following article was added to Indian Constitution by 25th amendment act , which gives the directive principles in article 39 (b) and ( c) primacy over fundamental rights guaranteed under article 14 & 19 of the Indian Constitution?
(A)Article 31-C
(B)Article 51-A
(C)Article 42-C
(D)Article 32-C
(E)None of them



2.The real executive powers lies in ____?
(A)President
(B)Prime Minister and Chief Minister
(C)Council of Ministers
(D)Cabinet
(E)Parliament



3.Consider the Following statements about Comptroller & Auditor General of India:
1. The salary & Allowances are charged from Consolidated Fund of India
2. The appointment is for a Period of 6 years or up to age of 65 Years
3. After retirement Comptroller & Auditor general can be appointed as member of UPSC or Chairman of State Public Service Commission
Bring out the correct statements:
(A)1 & 2 are correct
(B)1 & 3 are correct
(C)only 1 is correct
(D)only 2 is correct
(E)all are correct



4.The office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India has been created in / on the basis of __?
(A)Indian Constitution
(B)A cabinet resolution
(C)A presidential Ordinance
(D)Enactment by Parliament
(E)None of them



5.In which year , the Comptroller & Auditor General of India was relieved from his responsibilities of maintenance of accounts?
(A)1967
(B)1976
(C)1981
(D)1982
(E)1971



6.In which year 2 election commissioners were first appointed after the president of India fixed the number of election commissioners to 2?
(A)1982
(B)1983
(C)1986
(D)1989
(E)1992



7.The Constitution 61st Amendment act 1988 substituted the words "Eighteen years" for "Twenty One years" so that a person who attains the age of 18 years is eligible to vote. In which article this amendment was made?
(A)Article 321
(B)Article 322
(C)Article 324
(D)Article 326
(E)Article 327



8.Who among the following recommends the president of India regarding the principles which should govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the states out of Consolidated Fund of India?
(A)Finance Minister
(B)Comptroller & Auditor General of India
(C)Finance Commission
(D)Controller General of Accounts
(E)Revenue Secretary of India



9.How parliament comes to know about what UPSC has done in a year ?
(A)Parliament may ask any time the UPSC chairman to present a report
(B)The UPSC chairman is asked to present a report in the annual budget session of the Lok Sabha.,
(C)The UPSC chairman presents an annual report in both the houses of parliament at any time in a year,
(D)The UPSC presents the annual report to the President who shall cause a copy of this report to both the houses of parliament
(E)The UPSC presents the annual report to the Human Resources Minister who shall cause a copy of this report to both the houses of parliament



10.About which of the following bodies, no constitutional guidelines exist?
(A)The Election Commission
(B)The Planning Commission
(C)The Finance Commission
(D)the UPSC
(E)None of them



11.Who among the following was the first Deputy Chairman of the Planning commission ?
(A)V.T. Krishnamachari
(B)C.M. Trivedi
(C)Gulzari Lal Nanda
(D)Ashok Mehta
(E)D.R. Gadgil



12.Till now, How many deputy chairmen of the Planning Commission have also served as Chairmen of Planning Commission?
(A)1 only
(B)2
(C)3
(D)4
(E)5



13.Which of the following article deals with the appointment, duty and tenure of the Advocate General of State?
(A)155
(B)165
(C)175
(D)185
(E)163



14.Which of the following acts later led to creation of Zonal councils?
(A)Government of India Act 1935
(B)Indian Independence Act 1947
(C)People's Representation Act 1950
(D)States Reorganization Act 1956
(E)None of the above



15.Which among the following is a written supplementary, explanatory or appended document of Indian constitution?
(A)Part VI
(B)Preamble
(C)Amendment
(D)Schedules
(E)Bare acts



16.In which of the following sessions of Indian National Congress , our national anthem was first sung 27 December 1911 ?
(A)Lahore
(B)Calcutta
(C)Delhi
(D)Surat
(E)Bombay



17.Who among the following heads the committee to make recommendation, inter-alia on the feasibility of treating all languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, including Tamil, as Official Languages of the Union. The Government will consider the recommendations of the Committee and
take a suitable decision in the matter?
(A)Madhav Gadgil
(B)B K Patnaik
(C)B N Tiwari
(D)Sitakant Mahapatra
(E)None of them



18.The constitution of Jammu & Kashmir was framed by _____?
(A)The same constituent assembly which framed the constitution of India
(B)A special constituent assembly set up by parliament
(C)A special constituent assembly set up by state
(D)None of them
(E)



19.Which among the following is also called as lengthiest amendment to Indian Constitution?
(A)24th
(B)42nd
(C)44th
(D)46th
(E)86th



20.Which of the following article of the Indian Constitution guarantees rights to arrested persons?
(A)article 14
(B)Article 19
(C)Article 22
(D)Article 21
(E)Article 30



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Current Affairs February 2,2010

Observances

International Wetland Day: 2010
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands Read Here

Awards & Honours
US Congressional Award - M Karunandhi
US Congress has decided to honour Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunandhi with the prestigeous "US Congressional Award". Mr Karunanidhi would be the first Indian to receive this award. The award will be presented in the World Classical Tamil Conference to be held in Coimbatore from June 23 to 27, 2010.


Genome Valley Award:
Genome Valley Award was instituted by Government of Andhra Pradesh during BioAsia 2004 to honour eminent personalities for exceptional contribution to the life sciences research and industry.
Professor C R Rao, Director, Centre for Multivariate Analysis, Pennsylvania State University, USA and Professor Janet Thornton, Director, EMBL European Bio-informatics Institute, Cambridge, UK are the recepients of BioAsia Award 2010.
2009 winners are Emeritus Professor Dr Marc Van Montagu, President of European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) and Dr Martin Mackay, President of Pfizer Global R&D, USA .

Events & Happenings:
First NEMPF
North East MPs' Forum (NEMPF) is going to hold its first summit in Gangtok on February 12. There are 39 MPs from North East India.

'BioAsia 2010' - Hyderabad
BioAsia is the ideal platform at Hyderabad where suppliers of equipment & consumables meet engineers, research-personnel & procurement managers of biotec-companies. It is being held at Hyderabad from February 3-6, 2010 at Hyderabad. BioAsia will have an International Conference, a Tradeshow, a Business Forum, a poster program, CEO Conclave and an Awards Nite. Over 60 exhibitors, 1000 conference delegates, 70 international speakers and 15,000 visitors across the globe are expected to participate in this event. This is the 7th edition of the event.

74th five-day conference of Presiding Officers and Secretaries of Legislative Bodies
74th five-day conference of Presiding Officers and Secretaries of Legislative Bodies starts from Feb 4, 2010 at Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. Meira kumar is the chairperson of the conference. This is for the third time this conference is held at Madhya Pradesh after 1971 and 1989.

National Updates:
Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme
Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF) was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Barpeta in Assam on 19th February 2006. Read on Current Affairs Today

BJP constitutes Panel on Tribal Policy:
BJP constitutes a five-member panel, headed by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda to recommend a suitable policy for improving the vast tribal population in the country and make a clear demarcation of their rights over the forest produces across the country.


On benches of Supreme Court outside Delhi:
The Law Ministry rules out any move to set up a bench of the Supreme Court outside Delhi. However Ministry says that it has 'open mind' on forming Courts of Appeal (COA) on the lines of the courts in the United States and the United Kingdom. This could be a mean to meet the growing demands of regions.


Transferred: Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh:
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Anil Ramesh Dave, Chief Justice, Andhra Pradesh High Court as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and to direct him to assume charge of the office of the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on or before 15th February,2010. (From PIB)

On Himalayan Biodiversity
To conseve Himalayan biodiversity,the Ministry of Environment and Forests have notified 6 Biosphere Reserves, 30 National Parks, 112 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 15 Conservation Reserves in the Himalayan Region.

National Biodiversity Authority has been set up in 2003 to conserve the Biodiversity of the Country. Ministry has also released “Governance for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (G-SHE) Guidelines & Best Practices”

Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 provide for the conservation of biological diversity, use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources knowledge and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Accordingly, National, State and local level mechanisms have been provided for implementation of the Act. (PIB)

On The National Afforestation Programme
The National Afforestation and Eco-development Board of the Ministry is implementing the National Afforestation Programme aimed at regeneration of degraded forests and fringe areas. This is done through a two tier institutional set-up of Forest Development Agencies (FDAs) at the district level and Joint Forest Management Committees at the village level. 270 projects have been approved for the current year. The National Afforestation Programme is likely to incurre Rs. 345.62 crores during current financial year for this purpose.

Business & Economy:
Third Quarter Review of The Monetary Policy 2009-10
Reserve Bank of India has released its third quarterly review of the monetary policy on January 29, 2010. Read Here

Acer's "Liquid"

Acer launches a new smart phone "Liquid" . It is based upon Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Snapdragon is architecture of a family of chipsets with an ARM-based CPU. This architecture was developed by Qualcomm (which calls Snapdragon a "platform") for use in smartphones and mobile computing devices. The first mobile internet device to use a 1GHz Snapdragon was Toshiba's TG01 smartphone followed by Acer's neoTouch. Acer's new Liquid is world's first based and Android 1.6-high definition smartphone. Its priced at Rs. 24, 900. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon running Android 1.6, delivers real-time ubiquitous communication and location-aware content.

First Private IT Park of Orissa:
Orissa gets its first private software technology park on the outskirts Bhubaneswar by city-based JSS Group. This JSS Software Technology Park has a built-up area of about 55,000 square feet and can accommodate about 1,000 IT (Information Technology) professionals.

India & World
60th Anniversary of Fulbright scholarship programme in India
The Fulbright Program which includes the Fulbright-Hays Program is a program of grants for international educational exchange for scholars, educators, graduate students and professionals. Read Here
GlobGlacier Project:
Since glaciers are among the most reliable indicators of climate change and because they can have a major influence on water availability Read Here

Indian Peace keepers in MONUC
MONUC is a acronoym of Frech word of Mission of the United Nations Organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)). It is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which was established by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1279 (1999) and 1291 (2000) of the United Nations Security Councilto monitor the peace process of the Second Congo War. However subsequently its focus turns to Ituri conflict or Kivu conflict and Dongo conflict.
India is the largest contributor of peacekeepers to MONUC with more than 4,500 soldiers deployed across North Kivu province.
The Indian contingent first arrived in DRC in November 2004 with most of it being deployed to North Kivu. Since then the contingent has served several successive mandates in one of the most complex and multidisciplinary missions ever deployed by the United Nations.
The Indian Peace-keepers in MONUC have been decorated for their service with the UN peacekeeping Mission. About 150 Blue Helmets from four Infantry Battalions, the Aviation contingent, the Level III hospital and Military Observers were honoured for their contribution in a ceremony in Goma held on January 26, Republic Day.

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Prep Quiz 14: Basic General Knowledge For All Examinations

1.Since the last few decades, as our economy developed, the share of the tertiary sector of economy in the GDP has _________?
(A)Increased
(B)Decreased
(C)Decreased then increased
(D)Increased then decreased
(E)remained unaltered



2.What is the duration of Current Foreign Trade Policy of India ?
(A)2009-14
(B)2010-15
(C)2008-11
(D)2009-12
(E)2008-13



3.Which of the following has highest share in India's power generation?
(A)Atomic Power
(B)Hydro Power
(C)Thermal Power
(D)Nuclear Power
(E)None of them



4.In which year Mid Day Meal scheme was launched?
(A)1995
(B)1996
(C)1997
(D)1998
(E)1999



5.Government of India lays down stress on minimizing the inequalities of the economy among the people. Which of the following is not a measure that aims to reduce economic inequalities?
(A)Taxation
(B)Land Reforms
(C)Liberalization
(D)Minimum Needs programme
(E)Employment generation programmes



6.The largest source of agricultural credit in India are as follows:
(A)Commercial Banks
(B)Scheduled Banks
(C)Cooperative Banks
(D)Regional Rural Banks
(E)Land Development Banks



7.Which among the following is the largest item of public expenditure for Union Budget?
(A)Defense Expenditure
(B)Subsidies
(C)Loan Weavers
(D)Capital Expenditures
(E)Interest Payments



8.Which among the following estimates National Income of India?
(A)Reserve bank of India
(B)Planning Commission
(C)National Development council
(D)Ministry of Finance
(E)Central statistical Organization



9.Gujarat is largest producer state of which of the following commodities?
(A)Soya bean
(B)Wheat
(C)Sugarcane
(D)Groundnut
(E)Mustard



10.In which schedule are mentioned the functions to be assigned to Panchayats by 73rd amendment bill?
(A)Tenth
(B)Eleventh
(C)Thirteenth
(D)Twelfth
(E)None of them



11.Who among the following is said to be a Friend and Guide of Public Accounts Committee?
(A)Prime Minister
(B)Finance Minister
(C)Governor of Reserve Bank of India
(D)Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(E)Attorney General



12.In which month of 1946, the interim government formed under the leadership of Jawahar Lal Nehru?
(A)August
(B)September
(C)March
(D)April
(E)May



13.What was the number of the members in the Constitution drafting committee?
(A)5
(B)6
(C)7
(D)8
(E)9



14.If any vacancy exists in the office of the President, it must be filled by _____?
(A)2 months
(B)6 months
(C)3 months
(D)1 year
(E)2 years



15.Which of the following amendment of the constitution gave rise to Sikkim as a new state of India?
(A)33th Amendment
(B)34th Amendment
(C)35th Amendment
(D)36th Amendment
(E)37th Amendment



16.In which of the following set of countries, the system of Judicial Review exists?
(A)India Only
(B)India & UK
(C)India & USA
(D)India , USA & UK
(E)India, Australia, USA & UK



17.Which of the following Prime Ministers is known to have never faced the parliament?
(A)Indra Kumar Gujaral
(B)Chaudhury Charan Singh
(C)Morar Ji Desai
(D)H D Devegowda
(E)Chandra Shekhar



18.Who among the following has the authority to specify as which castes will be deemed to be scheduled casts?
(A)Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes
(B)National Minority Commission
(C)Governor of Respective state
(D)parliament
(E)President



19.Article 21A providing Right to Education was inserted by which of the following amendments:
(A)86th
(B)87th
(C)88th
(D)89th
(E)90th



20.On which of the following dates Rajya Sabha had its first sitting?
(A)13 March 1952.
(B)11 August 1952.
(C)2 September 1952.
(D)13 May 1952.
(E)2 April 1952



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Quiz 325: Current General Awareness For All Examinations

1.Recently NREGA has completed 4 years, as the act was passed in 2005 and scheme started working in February 2006. In these 4 years its has attracted both enthusiasts and doubters. From the given options please find out one of the NREGA jobs which has absorbed almost half of the financial outlays of the scheme but has attracted maximum doubters?
(A)Gravel Road Construction
(B)Water Conservation and harvesting
(C)Irrigation Canals
(D)Tree Plantations
(E)None of them



2.Recently Kirit Parikh committee submitted its report. This Kirit Parikh committee was related to which of the following?
(A)Gurjars Reservation Issue in Rajasthan
(B)Oil & Petroleum Import Policy
(C)Oil Price Reforms
(D)Commodity Exchange Regulations
(E)Future Trade Reforms



3.Recently we read in the newspapers that SEBI's new notification on February 4, 2010 has asked the banks and financial companies that the debt & money market instruments which have maturity up to 91 days will be subject to mark-to-market norms from July 1. At present securities with which of the following maturities come under mark-to-market norms?
(A)120 days
(B)182 days
(C)210 Days
(D)270 Days
(E)365 Days



4.Who among the following scientists is known for developing techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used all over the world in forensic science to assist police detective work?
(A)Vernon Heywood
(B)Patrick Laidlaw
(C)Alec Jeffreys
(D)Heinz Wolff
(E)James Underwood



5.Who among the following is one of the 2009 Climate Award Winners of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?
(A)Medha Patkar
(B)Dr. Ajit Rohatagi
(C)Dr. Rajendra Pachauri
(D)Sandeep Ganesh
(E)None of them



6.Bring out the correct combination of Olympic games and their venue:
(A)XXIX - Athens,XXX -Beijing, XXXI -London, XXXII Rio De Janeiro
(B)XXIX - Beijing,XXX -Athens, XXXI -Rio De Janeiro, XXXII Singapore
(C)XXIX - Beijing,XXX -Athens, XXXI -London, XXXII Rio De Janeiro
(D)XXIX - Athens,XXX -Beijing, XXXI -Rio de Janeiro , XXXII Undecided
(E)XXIX - Beijing XXX -London XXXI -Rio de Janeiro , XXXII Undecided



7.Which among the following represents the per capita income (per capita net national income at factor cost) in real terms, i.e. at 2004-05 prices, as per latest estimates of CSO (Central Statistical Organization) for 2008-09 ? `
(A)Rs. 35,430
(B)Rs. 40,141
(C)Rs. 28171
(D) Rs. 31,821
(E)None of them



8.At which of the following places took place the 60th Pearls National Basketball Championships in January 2010?
(A)Jalandhar
(B)Ludhinana
(C)Amritsar
(D)Gorakhpur
(E)Ranchi



9.In which of the following months do India and Pakistan exchange their nuke installation lists every year?
(A)January
(B)February
(C)March
(D)April
(E)December



10.Which of the following governments / agencies confers Indian Peace Medals ?
(A)United Nations
(B)United Kingdom
(C)United States
(D)Union Government of India
(E)SAARC



11.Which of the following paramilitary forces of India has recently proposed " Intranet Prahari " scheme for the computerization of its system?
(A)Border Security Forces
(B)Indo Tibetan Police Forces
(C)Central Reserve Police Forces
(D)Home Guards
(E)Central Industrial Security Forces



12.Lalit Suri Title is related to which of the following sports? (more than 1 options )
(A)Cricket
(B)Golf
(C)Basket ball
(D)Polo
(E)Races



13.What is India's rank in steel production in the world ?
(A)first
(B)second
(C)third
(D)fourth
(E)fifth



14.Which of the following bollywood star pair recently became India's first to ring the opening bell of NASDAQ, the world's biggest stock exchange in the United states?
(A)Sharukh Khan - Aishwarya Bachchan
(B)Shahrukh Khan - Kajol
(C)Ajay Devgan - Kajol
(D)Abhishek Bachchan - Aishwarya Bachchan
(E)None of them



15.As per the Global Economic Prospects 2010 report released by Word Bank Recently, which among the following what is the expected growth fraction of Global GDP this year (2010) ?
(A)2.2%
(B)2.5%
(C)2.7%
(D)3.1%
(E)negative 1.1%



16.On February 2, we observed World Wetland Day which marks the signing of Ramsar Convention in which of the following year ?
(A)1965
(B)1969
(C)1971
(D)1975
(E)1982



17.What is the total number of Ramsar Sites in India ?
(A)12
(B)25
(C)29
(D)38
(E)49



18.Wipro , India's one of the biggest IT giants has recently opened first Government Relations office in United States. Which place____?
(A)Washington
(B)New York
(C)Chicago
(D)San Francisco
(E)Colorado



19.What has been proposed the duration of proposed Bachelor in Rural Medicine and Surgery (BRMS) degree which has been recently in mid of criticism?
(A)3 years with internship
(B)4 years with internship
(C)5 years with internship
(D)2.5 years without internship
(E)None of them



20.Jaihind TV which is a channel launched by Indian National Congress in 2007 is in which of the following languages?
(A)Tamil
(B)Malayalam
(C)Hindi
(D)Kannada
(E)Gujarati



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Current Affairs for Exams : February 1, 2010

Appointments:
Secretary, Department of Disinvestment - Shri Sumit Bose
Shri Sumit Bose , IAS assumes the office of Secretary, Department of Disinvestment, Ministry of Finance. Prior to this, Shri Sumit Bose was serving as Secretary, 13th Finance Commission.

Military Secretary : Lt Gen GM Nair
Lt Gen GM Nair, SM, VSM assumes charge of Military Secretary today at Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

Director General CRPF : Vikram Srivastava
Shri Vikram Srivastava has been appointed as Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He is an IPS officer of the 1973 batch and belongs to the UP cadre.

Director General Indo Tibetan Police Force : R.K.Bhatia
Shri R.K.Bhatia has been appointed as Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). He is an IPS officer of the 1974 batch and belongs to the UP cadre.

Awards:
52nd Grammy Awards
Mozart of Madras , A R Rahman has won 2 Grammy awards in the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Read Here

Dr Ambedkar National Award - Dr Narendra Jadhav
Dr Narendra Jadhav, a renowned economist, former vice-chancellor of Pune University and member of Planning Commission of Government of India will receive Dr Ambedkar National Award 2009 of marwari Foundation.

Events , Happenings & Observances:
Suraj Kund Mela: Haryana
The 24th annual Surajkund Crafts Mela inaugurated by Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. Suraj Kund mela is held every year from February 1-15. It was started in 1987. Traditional craftsman (artists, painters, weavers and sculptors) from all parts of the country participate in this annual celebration named as the “Surajkund Crafts Mela” or "Surajkund designer’s Village”.

This mela is now getting international fame and not only boosts Indian tourism but also enhances the status of the craftsmen. The theme state this year is Rajasthan and a traditional Shekhawati Gate has been adorned to give a white marble look.
First Annual Conference of Chief Secretaries - New Delhi

New Delhi First annual conference of Chief Secretaries of States opens at New Delhi. Now onwards this annual conference will become a forum for useful and productive exchange of views between the Centre and the States.

War Resisters International (WRI) Conference - New Delhi
War Resisters International (WRI) conference was held at Gujarat Vidyapeeth in Ahmedabad to investigate the links between militarism, war profiteering and the patterns of development pursued across the world today. Participants from Orissa presented a picture of the mining-led displacement of tribal communities in various parts of the state as well as the destruction of environment threatened by Vedanta/Sterlite in the Niyamgiri hills or due to Hindalco in Kashipur or two various steel plants in Kalinganagar. Non-violent activists from 32 countries took part in this.

2010 'Year of Forensic Science'
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram declares 2010 as 'the Year of Forensic Science'. This also includes formation of a two-member panel of consultants to thoroughly examine the state of forensic science teaching and training. The panel comprises two consultants Gopalji Sharma and C Damodaram who will submit an interim report April 30 and a final report by July 31 2010.

This report will serve as a base to upgrade and strengthen forensic science institutions during the financial year 2010-11.

National Updates:
On INS Chakra
The K-152 Nerpa is Akula II type nuclear-powered attack submarine. The submarine will eventually be leased to the Indian Navy in 2010 as recommissioned INS Chakra. Indian Navy gets this missile now in July 2010. It was partly financed by India under a deal signed with Russia in January 2004. It is being built at Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard in Russia. It will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Chakra. Please note that India previously leased a Charlie-I class nuclear submarine from the erstwhile Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991.


Longest human chain for Telangana:
People of Telanganaform a 500 kilometers-long human chain all along the National Highway number 7 from Adilabad on the northern most tip of the region to Alampur on the borders of Kurnool district. This was to press their demand for a separate state.


World Updates:
Internet Nominated for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize:
The Internet has been nominated for the '2010 Nobel Peace Prize'. It was proposed by the Italian edition of the popular Wired magazine for promoting 'dialogue, debate and consensus through communication' as well as democracy. The premier endorsers of Internet for Nobel Peace Prize nomination include 2003 Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi and famous Italian surgeon, known for his contributions to breast cancer treatments, Umberto Veronesi.

India delivers $5 million to the government of Haiti
India transfers $5 million to the government of Haiti for relief and rehabilitation. Indian Ambassador at UN Hardeep Singh Puri hands over the check for $5 million at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
On Jaipur Foot:
India also looks into the possibility of providing Jaipur Foot to huge number of amputees in Haiti. India is operating through the trilateral -- India-Brazil-South Africa Initiative -- and is also looking at increasing its investment and technical and cooperation in Haiti.

Business & Economy
Latest data on Foreign Trade:
India’s exports during December, 2009 were valued at US $14606 million (Rs. 68107 crore) which was 9.3 per cent higher in dollar terms (4.8 per cent in Rupee terms) than the level of US $ 13368 million (Rs. 65015 crore) during December, 2008. Cumulative value of exports for the period April- December, 2009 was US $ 117587 million (Rs 563304 crore) as against US $ 147569 million (Rs. 652919 crore) registering a negative growth of 20.3 per cent in Dollar terms and 13.7 per cent in Rupee terms over the same period last year. (PIB)

Latest projection of World Bank about India's Economy
India's economy will grow at 7.5 percent in the 2010-11 fiscal beginning April 1 and will increase by 8 percent in the year after that. This is the latest projection of Hans Timmer, director of the World Bank's Development Prospects Group.

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Quiz 324: Finance, Business & Economy Awareness

1.In context with the RBI, NDS is an electronic platform for facilitating dealing in Government Securities and Money Market Instruments. What does NDS stand for__?
(A)National Depository System
(B)Negotiated Dealing System
(C)National Dealing System
(D)Negotiable Deals System
(E)None of them



2.In the Quarter 3 review of the monetary policy for Financial Year 2010 , the Reserve bank of India hiked the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) 75 BPS in two stages to 5.75%. Which among the following was the objective of RBI for this move?
(A)RBI wished to absorb excess liquidity from the market
(B)RBI wished to release more liquidity in the market
(C)RBI wished to support the economy struggling with financial downturn
(D)RBI wished to surprise the market by raising CRR rather than other rates
(E)RBI had earlier announced that Repo & Reverse Repo rates would not be altered



3.Approximately how much amount RBI intends to suck out of excess liquidity from the market by raising CRR?
(A)Rs 26,000 crore
(B)Rs 36,000 crore
(C)Rs 46,000 crore
(D)Rs 29,000 crore
(E)None of them



4.What was the rationalized attitude of the Reserve Bank of India while presenting the third quarter review of the monetary policy?
(A)Managing the Crisis
(B)Managing the Liquidity
(C)Managing the Interest rates
(D)Managing the Inflation
(E)Managing the Recovery



5.What is the latest RBI forecast for India's GDP growth for Financial Year 2010?
(A)6%
(B)6.5%
(C)7%
(D)7.5%
(E)7.9%



6.What is the latest WPI inflation projection for Financial Year 2010?
(A)6.5%
(B)7%
(C)8.5%
(D)8%
(E)9%



7.What is the name of reserve Bank of India's VSAT based communication system which is used for financial transaction between banks?
(A)FIB
(B)INFINET
(C)INFONET
(D)BANKNET
(E)SWIFT



8.In the current Business & economy conditions of the country, what will be the most probable impact on the interest rates after the Reserve Bank of India has hiked CRR rate in Q3 review of monetary policy?
(A)The interest rates may rise sharply and swiftly
(B)The interest rates may remain rise or fall
(C)The interest rates may fall swiftly
(D)The interest rates may rise but slowly
(E)There may be no impact on interest rates



9.As per the Macroeconomic & Monetary Developments report released on January 29, 2010, Indian Economy will grow by following rates?
(A)6%
(B)6.5%
(C)6.9%
(D)7.5%
(E)7.9%



10.Debt financing that can magnify the risk and reward for an investment are called as follows:
(A)Reward risk
(B)Derivative
(C)Leverage
(D)Investment strategy
(E)Margin



11.Which of the following sectors is regulated by IrDA ?
(A)Insurance
(B)Industry
(C)Finance
(D)Investment
(E)Internet



12.The monetary aggregates M1, M2 & M3 have been modified by Reserve Bank of India on the basis of recommendation of ___?
(A)Dave Panel
(B)Y V Reddy Committee
(C)V Vaghul Committee
(D)Narsimhamam Committee
(E)None of them



13.Which among the following is the first pillar of Basel II accord?
(A)minimum capital requirements
(B)supervisory review
(C)market discipline
(D)Regulatory arbitrage
(E)None of them



14.Many a times Govt. raises additional resources through taxation and allocation of expenditure as per its priorities. This is known as the following______?
(A)Economic Policy
(B)Budget Policy
(C)Monetary Policy
(D)Fiscal Policy
(E)Tax Policy



15.What period was covered in the recommendations of first Finance Commission ?
(A)1951-56
(B)1952-57
(C)1953-58
(D)1954-59
(E)1950-55



16.The bank employees are expected to be in the branched 15 minutes before the beginning of the customer service. Which of the following committee recommended this?
(A)Goiporia committee
(B)Rangrajan Committee
(C)Jilani Committee
(D)Tarapore Committee
(E)Talwar Committee



17.Which among the following is the upper limit of sound advice of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for residential areas?
(A)50 Decibels
(B)55 Decibels
(C)60 Decibels
(D)65 Decibels
(E)70 Decibels



18.Which of the following measures of money supply is called aggregate monetary resources ?
(A)M1
(B)M2
(C)M3
(D)M4
(E)None of them



19.From the following bring out the one which is not a liability of a commercial bank?
(A)Time Deposits
(B)Borrowing from saving banks
(C)Security Holdings
(D)Demand deposits
(E)Saving accounts



20.Why Commercial banks are called creators of money?
(A)because they buy securities from the central government
(B)because the loans create deposits
(C)because they distribute the money in the system
(D)because they purchase investments
(E)because they invest money in securities & shares



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