GK Test-March27 April2 2011

8/6/2019 GK Test-March27 April2 2011

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General Awareness TestFor the Week: March 27 to April 2, 2011

No of questions: 100Answers marked by *

Explanatory answer after each question

TEST - I

1. A high level group on universal health coverage constituted by the Planning Commission submitted its report recentlConsider the following statements about its recommendations.1. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the pharmaceutical sector should be limited to 49%2. Pharma PSUs should be revived by infusing capital3. User fees should be the preferred option for mobilising fundsWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only*(b)2 and 3 only

(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

2. Who was the Chairperson of the High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure which submitted its report to thUrban Development Ministry recently?(a)Dr Isher Ahluwalia*(b)Nasser Munjee(c)Dr Nachiket Mor(d)Dr Rajiv Lall

3. Consider the following statements about Sanchar Shakti project launched recently.1. Its objective is the promote the use of information technology in education in rural areas2. Information under Sanchar Shakti would be delivered using short messaging service (SMS) and interactive voice response system(IVRS)3. It will be funded by Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 only(b)1 and 2 only(c)3 only*(d)3 and 1 only

4. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below:

List I(Person)

List II(Group/Company)

A. N. Srinivasan 1. Murugappa Group

B. A. Vellayan 2. Sanmar group

C. N. Sankar 3. India CementsD. A C Muthiah 4. SPIC Group

Code:

A B C D

(a) 2 4 3 1

(b) 2 3 4 1

(c) 3 1 2 4

(d)* 3 2 1 4


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5. Consider the following statements about the Universal Service Obligation Fund for funding telecom services in rural anremote.1. Both private and public sector telecom service providers are required to contribute to the USO2. Only profit making telecom service providers are required to contribute to the USO

3. Telecom service providers are required to contribute a fixed share of their net-profits to the USOWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 only*(b)1 and 2 only(c)2 only(d)3 and 1 only

6. A high level group on universal health coverage constituted by the Planning Commission submitted its report recentlConsider the following statements about its recommendations.1. Public spending on healthcare should be raised to upto 4% of GDP by 20172. Secondary healthcare should comprise major share of public spending3. Role of private sector should be confined to tertiary healthcareWhich of the above statements is/are correct?

(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only*(d)1, 2 and 3

7. Consider the following statements about the ballistic missile defence system test conducted by DRDO recently.1. The test involved an attacker and an interceptor missile2. The interceptor missile is known as Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile3. This was the first successful test of Indias ballistic missile defence systemWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 only(b)1 and 2 only*(c)2 only(d)3 and 1 only

8. The Cabinet Committee (CCS) on Security has set up an inter-ministerial group headed by the __________ to monitor the earrelease of Indian ships held by pirates.(a)Home Minister(b)Cabinet Secretary*(c)Defence Minister(d)External Affairs Minister

9. Jaguar at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US was the worlds fastest supercomputer in 2010. Which among of the followipairs of worlds top four supercomputers and their vendors/companies is not matched correctly?(a)RoadrunnerIBM(b)JaguarCray(c)NebulaeIBM*

(d)KrakenCray

10. The Legal Information Institute (LII) of India launched recently, is a joint project developed by legal education instituti oof India and ____________.(a)Britain(b)USA(c)Canada(d)Australia*

11. India Post was in news for launching which of the following recently?(a)Stationery products(b)Microfinance services


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(c)e-commerce portal*(d)Railway reservation facilities

12. Who among the following was in news for resigning as Chairman of International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolutio

(ICADR) recently?(a)Abhishek Singhvi(b)Hans Raj Bhardwaj*(c)Gopal Subramaniam(d)M Veerappa Moily

13. Kashmir and Beyond: 1966-84, released recently, is a compilation of letters written by ____ and Indira Gandhi to each othe(a)B. G. Verghese(b)Pranab Mukherjee(c)Dr. Karan Singh*(d)Khushwant Singh

14. Raminder Singh Jassal, who passed away recently, was Indias Ambassador to _____________.

(a)Nigeria(b)Turkey*(c)Russia(d)South Korea

15. K. S. Chalapati Rao and Biswajit Dhar are well known:(a)Painters(b)Architects(c)Archaeologists(d)Economists*

16. Lok Sabha member Baliram Kashyap, who passed away recently, belonged to which political party?(a)Congress

(b)SP(c)BJP*(d)BSP

17. The Humanitarian Action for Children Report, 2011, which has solicited $1.4 billion in donations for women and childraffected by drought, famine, violent conflict and long-term displacement in the world, has been launched by:(a)WHO(b)UNHCR(c)UNICEF*(d)UNESCO

18. The NASA Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida is named after who among the following ex-Presidents of the US?(a)John F. Kennedy*(b)Dwight D. Eisenhower(c)Lyndon B. Johnson(d)Harry S. Truman

19. Which among the following permanent members of the UN Security Council became the first to officially recognise thopposition National Transition Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people recently?(a)France*(b)Britain(c)China(d)Russia

20. Consider the following statements about nuclear power reactors in India.


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1. India has 20 operational reactors by the end of February 20112. More than half of Indias reactors are of Boiling Water type3. Less than half of Indias 20 reactors are of Pressurised Heavy Water typeWhich of the above statements is/are correct?

(a)1 only*(b)1 and 2 only(c)2 only(d)3 and 1 only

21. In which country was the ruling Rally for Constitutional Democracy party dissolved recently?(a)Libya(b)Egypt(c)Tunisia*(d)Yemen

22. Which of the following is the objective of the America Invents Act passed by US Senate recently?(a)To promote research & development in US universities

(b)To raise revenues by imposing tax on goods and services exported to the US(c)To give tax exemptions to US companies to spend on R&D(d)To clear the backlog of patent applications waiting for approval*

23. World ______ Day was observed on March 10, 2011.(a)Blood Donation(b)Cancer(c)Diabetes(d)Kidney*

24. Consider the following statements about Tibetan Government-in-Exile.1. The Prime Minister is called Tempa Tsering2. The Dalai Lama is not the Prime Minister3. Kashag is the Cabinet of Tibetan Government-in-Exile

Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only*(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

25. Who has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Ireland?(a)Jim McDaid(b)Enda Kenny*(c)James Reilly(d)Michael Noonan

26. _________ became a unified country when North and South ______ merged in 1991.

(a)Sudan(b)Kuwait(c)Oman(d)Yemen*

27. Which of the following, launched recently, has been named after the prison number of Nelson Mandela?(a)Publishing company(b)TV channel(c)Social-networking website(d)Apparel company*

28. Who is the monarch of Morocco, in news for announcing comprehensive constitutional reform in his country recently?


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(a)Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan(b)Abdullah II(c)Hassanal Bolkiah(d)Mohammed VI*

29. The Election Commission of India celebrated National Voters Day for the first time on January 25, 2011. The Day marwhich of the following?(a)Date on which the first voter identity card was issued(b)Date on which the Election Commission as founded*(c)Date on which the first vote was cast in independent India(d)Date on which Electronic Voting Machine was used for the first time in India

30. The Survey on performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) during 2009-10 was released recently. Which of tfollowing increased in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09?1. Total turnover of all CPSEs2. Profit of Profit making CPSEs3. Loss of loss making CPSEs

(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only*(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

31. Who among the following former Presidents of an African country was in news for the conclusion of his three-year long wcrimes trial at the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice recently?(a)Olusegun Obasanjo(b)Mamadou Tandja(c)Charles Taylor*(d)Blaise Compaor

32. The Bhagwat Award conferred on P. Naren recently is given for achievements in the field of:(a)Dentistry

(b)Nephrology(c)Cardiology(d)Psychiatry*

33. Which state has the highest number of operational special economic zones (SEZs) as per recent information from the Ministof Commerce and Industry?(a)Andhra Pradesh*(b)Tamil Nadu(c)Karnataka(d)Maharashtra

34. The Bangladesh government sacked Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus from his position as Managing Director of GrameeBank for which of the following reasons?

(a)Yunus had failed to get Grameen Banks finances audited for the past several years(b)Yunus had formed a political party in violation of his service rules(c)Yunus had continued in office despite crossing retirement age*(d)Yunus had accepted funds from overseas donors without informing the government

35. Which among of the following is not among the six infrastructure industries that comprise the core sector?(a)Crude Oil(b)Chemicals & Fertilsers*(c)Coal(d)Electricity


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36. Consider the following statements about Congress politician and former Union Minister Arjun Singh who passed awrecently is/are correct?1. He is a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan2. He had resigned from the membership of Congress Party when P V Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister

3. He was the Governor of the state when the Assam Accord was signed in 1985Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 only(b)1 and 2 only(c)2 only*(d)3 and 1 only

37. The Womens SHGs Development Fund proposed in Budget 2011-12 will come under the purview of which of the followin(a)Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN)(b)Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)(c)National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)*(d)Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

38. The Motorcycle Diaries, in news recently, is a film on who among the following revolutionaries?(a)Simon Bolivar(b)Vladimir Lenin(c)Fidel Castro(d)Ernesto Guevara*

39. Consider the following statements about per capita income of states and union territories in 2009-10.1. Goa had the highest per capita income among all states and union territories2. Orissa had the lowest per capita income among all states and union territories3. Chandigarh had the highest per capita income among all union territoriesWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only*

(d)1, 2 and 3

40. Chameli Devi Jain Award, given to Shahina K.K. recently, is given for achievements in which of the following?(a)Painting(b)Agriculture(c)Media*(d)Social work

41. The Survey on performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) during 2009-10 was released recently. Which of tfollowing increased in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09?1. Reserves and surplus of all CPSEs2. Net Worth of all CPSEs3. Contribution of all CPSEs to Central Exchequer

Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only*(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

42. Noted Hindi writer Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari was in news for winning which of the following awards recently?(a)Bhasha Samman(b)Vyas Samman*(c)Saraswati Samman(d)Kalidas Samman


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43. Capital Investments in which of the following have been accorded infrastructure status recently?1. Educational institutions2. Small scale industries3. Hospitals

(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only*(d)1, 2 and 3

44. Which of the following is/are not among the Stree Shakti Puraskars given by the Ministry of Women and Child Developmerecently?(a)Rani Lakshmibai Award(b)Kannagi Award(c)Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award(d)Mata Jijabai Award*

45. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been given the authority to scrutinize merger and acquisition (M&A) deals

the Indian corporate sector. Consider the following statements.1. CCI has to either clear or reject an M&A deal within 90 days2. M&A deals in the banking sector will not come under the purview of CCI3. Dhanendra Kumar is the Chairman of CCIWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only*(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3I

46. Who among the following political leaders is the winner of the Women of Courage Award given by the US State departmerecently?(a)Iveta RadicovPrime Minister of Slovakia(b)Roza OtunbayevaPresident of Kyrgyzstan*

(c)Mari KiviniemiPrime Minister of Finland(d)Kamla Persad-BissessarPrime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

47. Which of the following publishes the Technology Review magazine, in news for honouring 18 Indian innovators recently?(a)Massachusetts Institute of Technology*(b)California Institute of Technology(c)Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(d)Georgia Institute of Technology

48. The Survey on performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) during 2009-10 was released recently. Consider tfollowing statements.1. The number of CPSEs is more than 2252. Less than 200 CPSEs were operational with the rest being under construction

3. More than 150 CPSEs posted net profitWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 only(c)3 and 1 only*(d)1, 2 and 3

49. 77-year-old American Bruce Davidson is known for achievements in which of the following?(a)Cartography(b)Astronomy(c)Oceanography(d)Photography*


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50. Consider the following statements about US magazine Forbes annual list of worlds top billionaires released recently.1. Christy Walton is the richest woman in the world2. Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian man

3. Savitri Jindal is the richest Indian womanWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only*(d)1, 2 and 3

Answer KeyGeneral Awareness Test

For the Week: March 27 to April 2, 2011TEST-I

1. a 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. a 6. c 7. b 8. c 9. c 10. d

11. c 12. b 13. c 14. b 15. d 16. c 17. c 18. a 19. a 20. a

21. c 22. d 23. d 24. b 25. b 26. d 27. d 28. d 29. b 30. b

31. c 32. d 33. a 34. c 35. b 36. c 37. b 38. d 39. c 40. c

41. b 42. b 43. c 44. b 45. d 46. b 47. a 48. c 49. d 50. c

Explanatory AnswersMarch 27 to April 2, 2011 TEST-I:

Answer 1:

The 15-member high level group on universal health coverage was chaired by K Srinath Reddy. The group constituted by the PlanninCommission in its report submitted in March 2011. Following are its major recommendations:

Taxes should be the preferred option for mobilising funds, with contributory social health insurance supplementing tax revenues.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the pharmaceutical sector should be reduced to below 49% in order to bring down the cost omedicines. Currently, the government allows 100% FDI in the sector through automatic route.

Healthcare coverage should be universal. Preventive, primary and secondary healthcare be publicly funded and made cashless. Privasector could be involved in tertiary healthcare subject to strict governmental regulations.

It has recommended reviving drug PSUs in the country by infusing capital and providing autonomous status to them.

In order to provide cheap vaccines in the country, the expert group has also recommended revival of old vaccine manufacturing units wiadditional infusion of capital and new vaccines parks with autonomous status.

Answer 2:

Indias economic growth momentum can be sustained only ifurbanisation is actively facilitated, according to a recent report prepared the High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure which submitted its report to the Minister of Urban Development KamNath and the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in New Delhi on March 7, 2011. The Committee wchaired by economist Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia {Chairperson, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relatio(ICRIER)} and included as Members, Nasser Munjee, Dr Nachiket Mor, Dr M Vijayanunni, Sudhir Mankad, Dr Rajiv Lall, HaSankaran, Ramesh Ramanathan, Prof Om Prakash Mathur and P.K. Srivastava, made a presentation to the two Ministers at NirmBhavan.

Answer 3:Sanchar Shakti project of the Department of Telecommunications was launched by President Pratibha Patil on March 7, 2011. Tproject includes four categories of projects aimed at rural womens SHGs:a) Provision of subsidized mobile VAS subscription to SHGs with a service validity/warranty of at least one year


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b) Setting up of SHG run mobile repair centers in rural areasc) Setting up of SHG run modem repair centers in rural areasd) Setting up of SHG run solar based mobile charging centers in rural areas

Financed by the Universal Service Obligation Funds (USOF), the scheme envisages empowering women, especially in rural areas, wi

the help of NGOs and other national and international organisations working for the uplift of women.

The mobile VAS projects would focus on providing the women SHG members with a bundle of informational inputs which are pertineto their livelihood/entrepreneurial activities and lifestyles. This would comprise information related to markets and financial producskill enhancement, health, social issues and Government schemes. The mode of delivery would include short messaging service (SMSand interactive voice response systems (IVRS).

The Universal Service Obligation Fund of India came into being with retrospective effect from April 01, 2002 with the passing of thIndian Telegraph (Amendment) Act 2003, in December 2003. The Fund which is headed by the Administrator, USOF has a mandate providing access to Telegraph (Telecommunications) Services to people in rural and remote areas at reasonable and affordable prices.

Answer 4:N. Srinivasan is Managing Director of India CementsA. Vellayan is Chairman of Murugappa Group

N. Sankar is Chairman of Sanmar groupA C Muthiah is Chairman of SPIC (Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation) Group

Answer 5:The resources for implementation of USO are raised through a Universal Service Levy (USL) which has presently been fixed at 5% the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) ofALLTelecom Service Providers. In addition, the Central Govt. may also give grants and loan

The annual revenue share licence fee shall be reduced to the extent of reduction in contribution towards Universal Service ObligatiFund (USOF) levy if the licensee in service area(s) meets the prescribed qualification. This means that a company providing the requirminimum number of telephone/mobile connections (as prescribed by the government) in rural and remote areas will be exempt fropayments into the USO Fund.The implementation of USO related activities is carried out by both public and private sector telecom service providers.

Answer 6:

The 15-member high level group on universal health coverage was chaired by K Srinath Reddy. The group constituted under the PlanniCommission in its report submitted in March 2011. The group has pointed out that public spending on health is currently just 1.1 per ceof GDP, and wants the government to step it up to 3-4 per cent by 2017. Central funds need to be prioritised for providing primary ansecondary medicare nationwide. There is a need to earmark 70-75 per cent of public spending for primary care, the group said.

Preventive, primary and secondary healthcare be publicly funded and made cashless. For tertiary healthcare, the expert group said tprivate sector can be roped in, but within a strict regulatory and contracting framework to keep costs in check and safeguard consuminterests.

In India, primary healthcare means vaccination and basic check-ups. Secondary healthcare is about diagnosis and treatment of mosimple diseases. Tertiary healthcare is essentially treatment of complex diseases (or simple diseases that get complicated) provided bsuper-specialty hospitals such as AIIMS, or large hospital chains like Apollo or Max.

Answer 7:India on March 6, 2011 conducted another successful test of its ballistic missile defence system when it successfully destroyed a

attacker ballistic missile with an interceptor missile, over the Bay of Bengal off Orissa coast.At about 9.32 am, DRDO scientists launched a target attacker missile (a modified version of Prithvi) from launch pad P-3 froInterim Test Range in Chandipur in Balasore district mimicking an enemy missile.

At 9.37 a.m, the interceptor missile, known as Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile, blasted off at from Wheeler Island, 70 km awazeroed in on the target (the attacker missile) and destroyed it over the Bay of Bengal.

The AAD hit the attacker at an altitude of 16 km above the ground, blasting it into two pieces.

The trial was important as the attacker missile had a manoeuvrable trajectory and tried to dodge the interceptor from homing in on Long Range Tracking Radars located at Konark and Multi-Functional Fire Control Radar at Paradip tracked the enemy missile and passon the information to Mission Control Centre (MCC). The MCC relayed the impact point and assigned the AAD battery to launch tinterceptor.


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Besides this successful test, the DRDO has so far successfully tested its interceptor missile four times July 26, 2010, November 22006, December 6, 2007 and March 6, 2009. DRDO officials said the entire mission went off in a copybook fashion and the trajectories the both the missiles followed the pre-designated paths. Avinash Chander, director of Advanced Systems Laboratory of DRDO, said withis launch India has moved closer to the stage of having a credible ballistic missile defence system.

Answer 8:The Cabinet Committee (CCS) on Security on March 11, 2011 approved a series of measures to address various aspects of conductinanti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia. As part of the move, an inter-ministerial group, headed by thCabinet Secretary, K.M. Chandrashekhar would be set up. The group will act as an apex forum at the government level to monitor thearly release of Indian ships or cargo or crew. External affairs minister, S.M. Krishna said that the CCS-approved policy would changstandard operating procedures for the Navys activities with the Navies of friendly foreign countries. This would mean deplo yment more Indian Navy ships in the region. Meanwhile, the Indian National Shipowners Association (INSA) has requested the government grant approval to have armed guards, preferably Navy personnel, on-board its ships to deter piracy which has risen alarmingly in recemonths.

Answer 9:Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems involving quantum physics, weather forecasting, clima

research, molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical compounds, biological macromolecules, polymeand crystals), physical simulations (such as simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, aresearch into nuclear fusion).

Top 5 Supercomputers in the world: 2010 rankings

Rank Rpeak(Tflops)

Name/Vendor Site Operating System

1 1.759 Jaguar/Cray Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Linux (CLE)

2 1.271 Nebulae/Dawning National Supercomputing Centre, Shenzhen, China Linux

3 1.042 Roadrunner/IBM Los Alamos National Laboratory, US Linux

4 0.831 Kraken/Cray National Institute for Computational Sciences, US Linux (CLE)

5 0.825 JUGENE/IBM Jlich Research Centre Germany Linux (SLES)

Answer 10:Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on March 9, 2011 launched the Legal Information Institute (LII) of India, an online portal thcomprises 108 legal databases covering all States, Union Territories and Central government jurisdictions. LII of India, a joint projedeveloped by leading Australian and Indian legal education institutions, draws on the framework of online public libraries that offer frand open access to legal information.

Answer 11:e- post office, the e-commerce portal of India Post that will provide various postal services online, was launched by UniCommunications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on March 9, 2011. Initially this portal would provide electronic monorder, instant money order, philatelic stamps, postal information, tracking of express and international shipments, PIN code search, anregistration of feedback and complaints online. The portal will enable the customers to transact postal business any time and froanywhere using either debit card or credit card through the medium of internet.

Answer 12:Karnataka Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj on March 12, 2011 resigned as chairman of International Centre for Alternative DispuResolution after holding the post for 16 years since its inception in the wake of a office of profit controversy. ICADR, established in 199is a Delhi headquartered organisation under the aegis of the law ministry, with regional centres at Hyderabad and Bangalore. It came inexistence when Bhardwaj was law minister in the P V Narasimha Rao ministry and he was chairman of the body. Bhardwaj had comunder criticism from some quarters, including some constitutional experts,for holding two offices, attracting the office of profit clause ICADR receives Rs 11 crore grants from the Centre annually.

Answer 13:Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released Kashmir and Beyond: 1966-84, a book by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCPresident Karan Singh on the occasion of the latters 80 th birthday in New Delhi on March 9, 2011. The book is a compilation of lettewritten by Dr. Karan Singh and Indira Gandhi to each other on the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, the Emergency and other burning issues


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the time. A DVD of a film on Dr. Karan Singhs philosophy titled I Believe: Universal Values for a Global Society was also released the occasion.

Answer 14:

Senior diplomat Raminder Singh Jassal passed away on March 11, 2011 in Turkey where he was posted as Ambassador since 2008. 1976-batch IFS officer, Jassal had served as Ambassador to Israel and Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington. He was a member of tIndian negotiating team for the Indo- U.S. civil nuclear deal. He had served as Joint Secretary in the External Publicity Division of thMinistry of External Affairs from 1999 to 2001, and was at the forefront of communicating Indias positio n during the Kargil conflict 1999.

Answer 15:India witnessed a sharp fall in the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) after 2008, when the global financial crisis pulled dowdemand overseas, and the current exercise to liberalise FDI policies is aimed at reversing the fall.

However, two Delhi-based researchers, in a study unveiled in March 2011, have found the fall is not as acute and is magnified because tgovernment wrongly included funds like private equity, which are more in the nature of portfolio investments, in the FDI category. FDIessentially long-term investments that come with added benefits such as better technology, management and marketing assistance, sathe study.

The researchersK S Chalapati Rao of Institute for Studies in Industrial Development, New Delhi and Biswajit Dhar, Director Generat Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi feel that segregating investments like private equitventure capital and hedge funds, and round-tripped investments from FDI will help India plan its FDI policy better.

Answer 16:Baliram Kashyap, veteran parliamentarian and the man who prepared saffron ground in the red zone, passed away in Raipur on March 12011. He was 75 and was representing Naxal-infested Bastar Lok Sabha constituency as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member. Kashyawas first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and represented the constituency since then for the fourth consecutive term. Starting his careas school teacher in a remote area of Bastar, Kashyap quit his job to join politics. He was first elected as MLA from Jagdalpur. He latcontested election from Bhanpuri assembly segment and never lost election till 1993. He twice served as minister in the erstwhile MadhPradesh in 1977 and 1991.

Answer 17:

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) on March 6, 2011 released the Humanitarian Action for Children Report, 201requesting $1.4 billion in its appeal to donors to assist children and women caught in the throes of crises. The 32 countries targeted in thappeal have been prioritised based on the scale of the crisis, the severity of its impact on children and women, the chronic or protractenature of the crisis, and the potential to bring about life-saving and long lasting results. Around the world, drought, famine, violeconflict, and long-term displacement are a reality for millions of people. These humanitarian crises have dire consequences for childreamong them, recruitment into armed forces, sexual violence, and the loss of basic services such as water, health and education. The reposhows areas where urgent action is imperative to save lives, to protect children against violence and abuse, and to ensure access to basservices, such as water, sanitation, health, nutrition and education.

Answer 18:Discovery, one of the orbiters in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, returned after its final space flight recently. The shuttle cruised onto trunway at the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida on March 9, 2011, wrapping up a rich, 27-year career in spaceflighOther two Orbiters Atlantis and Endeavour remain operational. Both of the two Orbiters will be retired after their final missions

2011-12.

Answer 19:France on March 10, 2011 announced it was officially recognising Libyas National Transition Council as the legitimate representative the Libyan people, further increasing the pressure on Muammar Qadhafi. Sarkozy has also placed the building of the former LibyaEmbassy to Paris at the disposal of the council. France has become the first Western power to fully legitimise the rebellion.

Answer 20:Top officials of the nuclear establishment in March 2011 assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a nuclear catastrophe similar the one that is devastating Japan is most unlikely to happen here. Secretary Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of thAtomic Energy Commission Srikumar Banerjee briefed Dr. Singh about the technical review of the nuclear installations in the countr


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[email protected] For the Week: March 20 to 26, 2011 For UPSC, Bank PO

including, most importantly the safety aspect. Of India's 20 nuclear power reactors, 18 are indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water ReactorTwo reactors at Tarapur, TAPS-1and TAPS-2, are Boiling Water Reactors of the type being operated in Japan.

Answer 21:A Tunisian court on March 9, 2011 dissolved the party of deposed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, ousted on 14 January. Tdismantling of his Rally for Constitutional Democracy party had been one of protesters main demands. The ruling blocks the p artywhose activities were suspended after Ali left the countryfrom putting forward a candidate in future elections.

Answer 22:The United States Senate on March 9, 2011 voted overwhelmingly to approve a legislation to make the first reforms to its patent systemnearly six decades. The America Invents Act is aimed at improving patent quality and help reduce patent application backlogs. It wtransition the US patent system to a first-inventor-to-file system and ensure that the USPTO has the funds necessary to process tbacklog of more than 700,000 pending patent applications. The Bill now goes to the US House of Representatives.

Answer 23:March 10, 2011 was observed as the World Kidney Day (WKD). WKD is a global health awareness campaign focusing on the importanof the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide. The campaign celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March in more than 100 countries on 6 continents. WKD is a joint initiative of th

International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations.

Answer 24:The Kashag (Cabinet) is the highest executive office of the Central Tibetan Administration under the guidance of the Dalai Lama. accordance to the Charter of Tibetan Government in Exile, the seven members Kashag, is headed by a Kalon Tripa (Prime MinisterKalon Tripa is directly elected by exile Tibetan populace. Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche is the Kalon Tripa. The term of the Kashag is for fiyears. Under the Kashag are the main departments of Religion and Culture, Home, Education, Finance, Security, Information anInternational Relations, and Health.

Answer 25:A new government has taken power in the Irish Republic after the ruling Fianna Fail partys heavy defeat in general election in Februa2011. Ireland went to the polls just three months after receiving a 90bn euro bail-out from the EU and IMF. Opposition leader EndKenny was appointed the new prime minister when the new parliament met in Dublin on March 9, 2011. The new coalition governmeincludes Kennys centre-right Fine Gael party, and the centre-left Labour Party. The two parties programme for government includ

wide-ranging proposals to deal with the countrys massive fiscal deficit.

Answer 26:Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on March 10, 2011 announced plans to change the constitution to move to a parliamentary systemIn a live televised address, he said a referendum would be held this year on measures including a new election law. The pledge comafter weeks of protest against his 32-year rule have left about 30 people dead. Protesters have dismissed his earlier promise not to seek relection after his current term ends in 2013. The Yemeni republic was created by the merger of North and South Yemen in 1990. Salehad led the Yemen Arab Republic - the northern part of present-day Yemen - since 1978 when he came to power in a military coup. Direpresidential elections were first held in 1999. Although nominally a multi-party system, Yemeni politics has been dominated by SalehGeneral Peoples Congress since unification. Yemen is one of a number of countries in the North African and Middle East region thhave seen increasing unrest since the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia were ousted in popular revolts.

Answer 27:

Nelson Mandelas AIDS charity 46664 will launch an international fashion label called 46664 Apparel after the number the former SouAfrican President wore in jail. This was announced by the former South African presidents foundation on March 9, 2011. Profits will gto the charity and the label is also intended to boost South Africas clothing industry. The anti -apartheid icon spent 27 years in prisbefore becoming South Africas first black president in 1994

Answer 28:Moroccos King Mohammed VI on March 9, 2011 promised comprehensive constitutional reform in the North African country. In h

first national address since nationwide protests in February, the king said that he would give up the power to name the prime ministewho would be chosen by parliament. This meets some of the demands of street rallies, similar to those seen in Tunisia and Egypt. KinMohammed has said the fight against poverty and high unemployment is his priority, but some non-government groups say little h


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changed. Moroccolike Egypt and Algeriadoes allow limited freedom of expression and has so far been able to contain protests. LiJordan it is a monarchy with strong support among sections of the public. Abdullah II is the monarch of Jordan. Hassanal Bolkiah is thSultan of Brunei. Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is President of UAE.

Answer 29:The National Voters Day, observed for the first time on January 25, 2011, marks the foundation day of the Election Commission of Ind

Answer 30:The Survey on the performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in the year 2009-10 was released on February 24, 2011. Tmain Highlights of the performance of CPSEs during 2009-10 are mentioned below:

Total turnover of all CPSEs during 2009-10 was 1235060 crore compared to 1271529 crore in the previous year showing a reduction 2.87%.

Profit of Profit making CPSEs went up from 98,488 crore in 2008-09 to 108435 crore in 2009-10.

Loss of loss making CPSEs increased from 14621 crore in 2008-09 to 15842 crore in 2009-2010.

Answer 31:The three-year long war crimes trial of Liberias ex-President Charles Taylor closed on March 11, 2011 for judges in The Hague consider their verdict. Taylor denies 11 charges, including murder, rape and using child soldiers during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Hethe first former African leader to face such an international tribunal. He has been accused of arming and controlling the RevolutionaUnited Front (RUF) rebels during a 10-year campaign of terror conducted largely against civilians. The defence team has argued that thtrial has been politically motivated. The Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague has heard from more than 100 witnesses.

Answer 32:Psychiatrist P. Naren has been given the Bhagwat Award of the Indian Psychiatric Society. Union Minister for Women and Child WelfaKrishna Teerath presented the award to Dr. Naren at an all-India convention of psychiatrists in New Delhi in March 2011.

Answer 33:South India is way ahead of other regions in encashing on the tax-free special economic zones scheme as 79 of 130 functional SEZs arlocated in four southern states. Among southern states, Andhra Pradesh is on the top of the table with a maximum number of 3operational special economic zones (SEZs) followed by Tamil Nadu (22), Karnataka (20) and Kerala (7), Minister of State for Commerand Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Lok Sabha on March 7, 2011. In all, 582 SEZ proposals have been approved, while 374 habeen notified. A total of 130 SEZs have commenced exports.

Answer 34:The dismissal of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus from the Grameen microfinance bank he founded was legal, Bangladeshs High Cou

ruled on March 8, 2011. He was challenging his dismissal after the central bank sacked him. It argued that Prof Yunus was past hretirement age and was improperly appointed. He said the attempt to remove him from the bank was politically motivated. Grameen Bahas pioneered micro-lending to the poor by giving small loans to millions of borrowers

Answer 35:The six infrastructure industries that comprise the core sector are: Crude Oil, Petroleum Refinery Products, Coal, Electric ity, Cemeand Finished Steel.

Answer 36:Veteran Congress leader and former MP CM and Union Minister Arjun Singh passed away on March 4, 2011 at the age of 8Incidentally, Singh was on the same day dropped from the partys highest policy making body, Congress Working Committee, and made

Permanent Invitee. He was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh three times, the first term being between 1980 and 1985. Hwas made Governor of Punjab just a day after he took oath as Chief Minister for the second time in the state in March 1985. He latserved as Union Minister of Commerce (1985 - 1986), Union Minister of Communications (1986 - 1988), Chief Minister, MadhPradesh (1988 - 1989), and Union Minister of Human Resource Development from 1991- 1994 and 2004 2009. He resigned from tCongress during P V Narasimha Raos tenure as PM formed a rebel Congress under the leadership of N D Tiwari in 1994. Singh rejoinethe Congress in 1997.

Answer 37:


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The Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on March 11, 2011 announced that, Womens SHGs Development Fund proposed in tBudget with a corpus of Rs. 500 crore will operate through NABARD and will be exclusively utilized for providing refinance on loangiven to womens SHGs (Self-Help Groups) on soft terms.

A self-help group (SHG) is a village-based financial intermediary usually composed of between 10-20 local women. Members maksmall regular savings contributions over a few months until there is enough capital in the group to begin lending. Funds may then be leback to the members or to others in the village for any purpose. Many SHGs are linked to banks or microfinance institutions (MFI) fthe delivery of microcredit. This means that the SHG takes guarantee for repayment of loan taken by any of its members from a MFI or

bank. The group members use collective wisdom and peer pressure to ensure proper end-use of credit and timely repayment. This systeeliminates the need for collateral.

Answer 38:Alberto Granado, the motorcycle companion of Ernesto Che Guevara, passed away in Cuba on March 5, 2011 at the age of 88. The paieight-month journey around Latin America was immortalised in the 2004 film The Motorcycle Diaries. The journey, started in 195exposed the two medical students to deep poverty and social injustice and awoke Guevaras revolutionary convictions. After helping FidCastro overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, Guevara invited Granado to Cuba. After arriving in Cuba in 1961, Granadtaught biochemistry at Havana University

Answer 39:Goa recorded the highest per capita income among all states and union territories during 2009-10, while Bihar bagged the last sp

Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs Ashwini Kumar informed Lok Sabha on March 9, 2011. Goa topped the list wian annual per capita income (PCI) of Rs. 1,32,719 in 2009-10. It was followed by the union territory (UT) of Chandigarh at Rs. 1,20,91and Delhi at Rs. 1,16,886. In contrast, Bihar recorded the lowest PCI of Rs. 16,119 in the same period. States such as Uttar Pradesregistered PCI of Rs. 23,132, Assam (Rs. 27,197) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs. 27,250). Among other major states, Maharashtra recordedPCI of Rs. 74,027, Tamil Nadu of Rs. 62,499 and Gujarat of Rs. 63,961.

Answer 40:Shahina K.K., the Thiruvananthapuram correspondent of Open magazine, has been selected for the Chameli Devi Jain Award-2010 of tMedia Foundation for outstanding woman media person. The jury consisted of broadcast personality Jai Chandiram, former DoordarshDirector-General and Information & Broadcasting Secretary Bhaskar Ghose and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library senior felloDipankar Gupta. Nominations for the award, which was presented on March 15, were received from all over the country. Shahiformerly wrote for Tehelka.


Reserves and surplus of all CPSEs went up from 536212 crore in 2008-09 to 605648 crore in 2009-10, showing an increase of 12.95%

Net Worth of all CPSEs (including under construction) went up from 587286 crore in 2008-09 to 660245 crore in 2009-10 registeringgrowth of 12.42%

Contribution of CPSEs to Central Exchequer by way of excise duty, customs duty, corporate tax, interest on Central Governmeloans, dividend and other duties and taxes declined from 151543 crore in 2008-09 to 139830 crore in 2009-10, showing a decrease 7.73%.

2009-10 (Rs. crore) 2008-09 (Rs. crore) Growth (%

Reserves and surplus of all CPSEs 605648 536212 12.95

Net Worth of all CPSEs 660245 587286 12.42

Contribution of CPSEs to Central Exchequer 139830 151543 ()7.73

Answer 42:Noted Hindi writer Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman for 2010 for his collection of poemPhir Bhi Kuch Rah Jayega published in 2008. Instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation, the award, carrying a cash award of Rs . 2.5 lakis given to an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen during the past 10 years. The selection was made bycommittee presided over by the former head of Lucknow Universitys Department of Hindi, Surya Prasad Dixit in March 2011. Tiw

retired from the post of head of the Hindi Department and Aacharya from Gorakhpur University in 2001. Some of the eminent personwho have been given the same honour in earlier years include Mridula Garg, Giriraj Kishore and Chitra Mudgal.


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Answer 43:Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on March 11, 2011 announced that henceforth capital investment in educational institutioand hospitals will be treated as infrastructure sub-sectors.

Accordingly, capital investment in educational institutions and hospitals will now be eligible for the Viability Gap Funding Scheme of tMinistry of Finance. Under the viability gap funding scheme of the finance ministry, the Union government provides a grant to the projeequivalent to the lowest bid for capital subsidy, but subject to a maximum of 20 per cent of the total project cost.

Currently capital investments in the following come under infrastructure: Road Transport, Rail Transport, Inland Water Transport (IWTSea & Coastal Transport, Air Transport, Mining & Quarrying, Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction, Electricity, Telecom, PoSanitation, Drinking Water Supply, Irrigation and Storage

Answer 44:International Womens Day celebrations were organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi March 8, 20 1The Stree Shakti Puraskars for the year 2010 were presented to the winners on the occasion. Rani Lakshmibai Award was prese nted Pottabathini Padmavathi from Andhra Pradesh, Kannagi Award was conferred upon Thagu Maya Bardewa from Sikkim, Rani GaidinlZeliang Award went to Rathnamma from Karnataka and Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award was given to Monika S. Garg an officer of th1989 batch of Indian Administrative service from Uttar Pradesh. The Mata Jijabai and Rani Rudrama Devi awards were not awarded anyone this year.

Answer 45:The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) on March 4, 2011 notified the relevant provisions of competition law that will give t

Competition Commission of India (CCI) powers to examine corporate deals beyond a certain value. The maximum number of days thCCI can take to clear an M&A deal has been capped at 180 days. The provisions will be effective from June 2011. The Reserve Bank India will have the final say on bank mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Banking mergers and acquisitions will not come under tpurview of the Competition Act or the Companies Act. The mergers and acquisitions of banks will be under the purview of the BankinRegulation Act, said the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, on March 5, 2011. The RB I will get the power to approve bank M&Aonce the Banking Laws Amendment Bill gets enacted.

Answer 46:Kyrgyzstans President Roza Otunbayeva was on March 8, 2011 given the prestigious US state department Women of Courage awar

Otunbayeva, Central Asias first female leader, came to power last year after a popular uprising in Kyrgyzstan. The state department sashe had played a major role in the countrys efforts to shed authoritarian rule. But her award has also drawn criticism because last year

bloody clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks happened under her stewardship.

Answer 47:Eighteen Indian innovaors under the age of 35 were honoured by the Massachusetts Instiute of Technologys Technology Reviemagazine for developing novel solutions to problems in biotechnology, computer engineering, energy, telecommunications and nantechnology. The prestigious TR 35 India awards for 2011 were presented at EmTech India 2011, jointly organised by Technology Revieand CyberMedia, Indias leading technology publisher starting March 22, 2011. The innovations are socially relevant and address reroblems. Ajit Narayanan of Invention Labs, Chennai, named innovator of the year, will be awarded for developing AVAZ, a speesynthesiser that helps users with cerebral palsy, autism and aphasia communicate. AVAZ is a handheld device with text predictioallowing the user to construct sentences through noticeable motor movements such as a nod of the head or by tapping an option on thscreen.


There were 249 CPSEs in 2009-10, out of which 217 were in operation. The remaining 32 CPSEs were under construction.Out of 217 operating units in 2009-10, 158 CPSEs posted net profit (same as in 2008-09). 59 CPSEs incurred losses as against 55 in 20009.

Answer 49:Bruce Davidson was on March 10, 2011 selected to receive the outstanding contribution prize at this years Sony World Photographawards. The 77-year-old Americans work has included following a Brooklyn gang in the 1950s and chronicling the civil rights movemein the early 1960s. He will get the award at a 27 April ceremony in London. The jury said Davidsons work showed the rare combinatiof absolute commitment to his subjects and a sophisticated visual sensibility. Davidson, a founding member of the World PhotograpAcademy, began his career working for Life magazine.


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Answer 50:Carlos Slim Helu remained the richest person in the world with USD 74 billion in assets followed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates withnet worth of USD 56 billion and Investment guru Warren Buffet at the third spot with assets worth USD 50 billion. Christy Walton USA, ranked 10th, is the richest woman in the list.

As many as 50 Indians made it to the Forbes list of world billionaires for 2011. Top among them are: Lakshmi Mittal of ArcelorMitt(worth $31 bn), Mukesh Ambani of RIL ($27bn), Azim Premji of Wipro (16.8 bn), Shashi & Ravi Ruia of Essar ($15.8 bn), Savitri Jind

& family of Jindal Group ($ 13.2 bn), Gautam Adani of Adani Group ( $10 bn), Kumar Mangalam Birla of AV Birla Group ($9.2 bAnil Ambani of ADAG ($8.8 bn), Sunil Mittal & family of Bharti Airtel Group ($8.3 bn) and Adi Godrej & family of Godrej Group ($7billion).


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TEST - II

1. Consider the following statements about spread of banking services in the country.1. Only 35% of the bank branches of Scheduled Commercial Banks are in rural areas2. Only 40% of the countrys population has bank accounts3. The government plans to provide banking services in all habitations having population in excess of 2000 by March 2012Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only*(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3


List I(Person)

List II(Profession)

A. Adish C.Aggarwala

1. Journalist

B. Ashok Gulati 2. Economist

C. Ketan Raheja 3. Retailer

D. Manu Joseph 4. LawyerCode:

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b)* 4 2 3 1

(c) 3 4 1 2

(d) 2 3 4 1

3. Consider the following statements about credit flow to agriculture and allied activities in Union Budget 2011-12.1. The target of credit flow in 2011-12 has been raised to Rs. 4,75,000 crore2. Short term crop loans upto Rs 3 lakh will be provided by public sector banks at concessional interest rate3. Farmers who have repaid previous loans on time will get loans at 4% interest in 2011-12

Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3*

4. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been given the authority to scrutinize merger and acquisition (M&A) deals the Indian corporate sector. Which of the following deals will come under the purview of the CCI?1. Deals involving Indian companies where the combined annual revenue of the individual companies is at least Rs. 3,000 crore2. Deals involving two groups of Indian companies where the combined annual revenue is at least Rs. 5,000 crore3. Deals involving two foreign companies having presence in India where the combined annual revenue is at least Rs. 6,750 crore(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 and 3 only

(c)3 and 1 only*(d)1, 2 and 3

5. The Survey on performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) during 2009-10 was released recently. Which of thfollowing increased in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09?1. Total paid up capital in all CPSEs2. Total investment in all CPSEs3. Capital employed in all CPSEs(a)1 and 2 only(b)2 only


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(c)3 and 1 only*(d)1, 2 and 3

6. A study on contract labour in Indian industry was carried out by the VV Giri National Labour Institute on behalf of the laboministry recently. Consider the following statements.1. As many as 32% of the labour force in public sector is on contract while the rest are regular workers2. The share of contract labour in labour force is higher for private sector compared to public sector

3. The number of Contract Labour in the country is estimated at 68 millionWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 only*(b)1 and 2 only(c)2 only(d)3 and 1 only

7. Consider the following statements about the total water resources availability in the country.1. Per capita availability of less than 1,500 cubic metres is termed as water scarcity condition.2. The per capita availability of water has been steadily declining since 1951.3. The per capita availability of water is estimated at 1,625 cubic metres in 2010.Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only

(b)2 and 3 only*(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

8. Consider the following statements about Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).1. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is the nodal agency responsible for policy formulation, release of funds anmonitoring implementation of MPLADS2. Nominated Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha also come under purview of MPLADS3. The government doubled the per Member allocation under MPLAD recentlyWhich of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 and 2 only*(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

9. How much was Indias per capita income during 2009-10 according to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation?(a)Rs 38,462(b)Rs 42,866(c)Rs 46,492*(d)Rs 51,846

10. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has projected an agricultural output ______ in 2010-11.(a)decline of 0.6%(b)growth of 5.1%(c)decline of 1.3%(d)growth of 6.5%*

11. Which sector accounts for the highest number of operational special economic zones (SEZs) as per recent information frothe Ministry of Commerce and Industry?(a)IT/ITeS and electronic hardware*(b)Engineering(c)Gems and jewellery(d)Pharmaceuticals


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20. Which of the following has won a contract to publish the Rail Bandhu magazine for Indian Railways recently?(a)The Tribune(b)The Indian Express(c)Hindustan Times(d)The Pioneer*

21. Which of the following is ranked first in Fortune Magazines Worlds 50 Most Admired Companies list recently?

(a)Facebook(b)Apple*(c)Amazon.com(d)FedEx

22. Who among the following won the Deodhar Trophy Cricket recently?(a)South Zone(b)North Zone*(c)Central Zone(d)West Zone


List I(Forbes

Billionaire2011/rank)

List II(Country)

A. Carlos SlimHelu/1st

1. Spain

B. Eike Batista/ 8th 2. France

C. Amancio Ortega/7th 3. Brazil

D. Bernard Arnault/4th 4. Mexico

Code:A B C D

(a) 4 2 1 3

(b)* 4 3 1 2

(c) 4 1 3 2

(d) 3 1 4 2

24. A High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure submitted its report to the Urban Development Ministrrecently. Consider the following statements regarding its findings/recommendations.1. Water supply, sewerage, solid waste management and storm water drains will account for the largest share of urban infrastructuinvestment over the next 20 years2. Urban population is expected to increase to 600 million in 2031

3. Investment in urban infrastructure was less than 1 per cent of GDP in 2011-12Which of the above statements is/are correct?(a)1 only(b)1 and 2 only(c)2 and 3 only*(d)3 and 1 only


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List I(Person)

List II(Industry)

A. Karl Slym 1. Advertising

B. Kishore Chhabria 2. Automobiles

C. Prahlad Kakkar 3. Alcohol

D. Roopa Kudva 4. Credit ratingCode:

A B C D

(a) 3 4 1 2

(b) 4 3 2 1

(c) 1 2 3 4

(d)* 2 1 3 4

26. Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) Bharat Pumps and Compressors, Braithwaite & Company, Bridge & Roof Co anCement Corporation of India were in news recently for which of the following?(a)Government has decided to allow foreign investors to invest in them(b)They have been merged with larger CPSEs

(c)They were awarded for improving financial performance*(d)They are in list of CPSEs identified for disinvestment in Budget 2011-12

27. Pradeep Jain of Parsvnath Ltd was appointed chairperson of the organisation representing which of the following?(a)Retailing companies(b)Microfinance companies(c)Real estate companies*(d)Publishing companies

28. Sudip Ghosh and Soumen Mondal are known for achievement in which sport?(a)Motorcycle racing(b)Skiing(c)Car racing*

(d)Yachting


List I(Person)

List II(Company/institution)

A. Rajiv Lall 1. Development CreditBank

B. Nasser Munjee 2. Infrastructure Leasing& Financial Services

C. Nachiket Mor 3. InfrastructureDevelopment FinanceCompany

D. Hari Sankaran 4. ICICI Foundation forInclusive Growth

Code:

A B C D

(a) 4 2 1 3

(b) 4 1 4 3

(c) 3 4 2 1

(d)* 3 1 4 2


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30. China has decided to set up itsfirst cross-border nature reserve to protect wild animals and promote biodiversity with which the following neighbouring countries recently?(a)India(b)Russia*(c)Mongolia(d)Kazakhstan

31. Seema Nazareth Award for Excellence in Print Journalism, won by Arunima Mishra recently, is given by which of tfollowing?(a)Indian Express(b)Economic Times(c)Business Standard*(d)Deccan Chronicle

32. Which of the following pairs of regions and countries is not matched correctly?(a)ColumbiaUnited States of America(b)ColombiaSouth America(c)Inner MongoliaKazakhstan*(d)CrimeaUkraine

33. Which of the following conferred the Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Samman, Kalpana Chawla Shourya Samman and SannDevi Panchayati Raj Samman awards for their contribution to society on Womens Day recently?(a)Rajasthan(b)Haryana*(c)Delhi(d)Maharashtra

34. Kamal Jhulka was in news recently for launching his book on which of the following?(a)Commonwealth Games(b)Indian Hockey(c)Cricket World Cup*(d)Sachin Tendulkar

35. UKs retailing company Marks & Spencer has a joint venture in India with which of the following?

(a)Mahindra & Mahindra(b)Reliance Industries Ltd*(c)Future Group(d)Bharti Enterprises

36. Which of the following confers the annual Vishwakarma Awards, given for Lifetime Achievement to Late B G Shirkrecently?(a)Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India(b)Construction Industry Development Council*(c)National Real Estate Development Council(d)Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation

37. Which state government runs the Rajiv Arogyasri Scheme for healthcare services for low -income groups?

(a)Rajasthan(b)Delhi(c)Andhra Pradesh*(d)Maharashtra

38. Which of the following won the Star Public Sector Company award at the Business Standard awards recently?(a)Coal India Ltd(b)Indian Oil(c)Engineering India Ltd*(d)State Trading Corporation


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39. Rajiv-Longowal peace accord refers to the end of militancy in which state?(a)Assam(b)Mizoram(c)Punjab*(d)Nagaland

40. The Stree Shakti Puraskars given by the Union government annually are named after six eminent women personalities. W

among the following is not one of them?(a)Kasturba*(b)Kannagi(c)Devi Ahilyabai Holkar(d)Mata Jijabai

41. A. K. Srivastava, who was suspended on charges of corruption recently, was the Chairman and Managing Director of whicpublic sector company?(a)STC(b)NTPC(c)MMTC(d)NALCO*

42. S.S. Bajaj is the Chairman of the regulatory organisation in which of the following sectors?(a)Insurance(b)Nuclear energy*(c)Civil Aviation(d)Telecom

43. Which of the following statements about the banking sector is/are correct?1. CRISIL is introducing an index that will evaluate public sector banks performance on financial inclusion2. National Housing Bank is 100% owned by the RBI3. CARE stands for Credit Analysis & Rating(a)1 and 2 only*(b)2 and 3 only(c)3 and 1 only(d)1, 2 and 3

44. Why was the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in news recently?(a)He has decided to shift his headquarters from Dharamsala to Gangtok(b)He has decided to transfer his political authority to an elected leader*(c)He was invited to address the inaugural session of UN General Assembly this year(d)He has been nominated as United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity

45. Stakeholder consultations on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in India were organised in New Delhi recentlWhich of the following statements is/are correct?1. India accounts for less than 5% of the recorded plant and animal species of the world2. India has been divided into ten bio-geographic zones3. The total forest and tree cover of the country is estimated at less than 20% of the geographic area(a)1 only

(b)1 and 2 only(c)2 only*(d)3 and 1 only

46. Which of the following institutions and their locations in Kerala is not matched correctly?(a)Brahmos AerospaceThiruvananthapuram(b)International Container Transshipment TerminalKochi(c)National Institute for Research & Development in Defence ShipbuildingKozhikode(d)None of the above*


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47. Which of the following telecom activities are supported by the Universal Service Obligation Fund?1. Provision of Household Telephones in rural and remote areas2. Provision of Public Telecom and Information Services in urban areas3. Creation of infrastructure for provision of mobile services in remote areas(a)1 only(b)1 and 2 only(c)3 only

(d)3 and 1 only*

48. Which well-known university has opened campuses in other states for the first time recently?(a)Aligarh Muslim University*(b)Osmania University(c)Banaras Hindu University(d)Jamia Millia Islamia University

49. March 20, 2011 was observed as the World __________ Day.(a)Corn(b)Vulture(c)Coconut(d)Sparrow*

50. Prof. J.A.K. Tareen Committee was appointed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on which of the following issues(a)Salaries of teaching staff(b)Teachers to student ratio*(c)FDI in higher education(d)Grant of University status to better colleges

Answer Key & Explanatory Answers on Next Page


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Answer KeyGeneral Awareness Test

For the Week: March 27 to April 2, 2011TEST-II

51. b 52. b 53. d 54. c 55. c 56. a 57. b 58. a 59. c 60. d

61. a 62. d 63. a 64. b 65. d 66. c 67. c 68. b 69. c 70. d

71. b 72. b 73. b 74. c 75. d 76. c 77. c 78. c 79. d 80. b

81. c 82. c 83. b 84. c 85. b 86. b 87. c 88. c 89. c 90. a

91. d 92. b 93. a 94. b 95. c 96. d 97. d 98. a 99. d 100. b

Explanatory AnswersMarch 27 to April 2, 2011 TEST-II:

Answer 1:The Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that financial Inclusion is an important priority of the Government as only 38

(32,919) of the 87,051 bank branches of Scheduled Commercial Banks are in rural areas and only 40% (approx.) of the countrypopulation has bank accounts. He was speaking on the occasion of 106 th Foundation Day Celebrations of Corporation Bank in Mumbai March 12, 2011. There are about 600,000 villages in India as per the 2001 Census but there are only 32,919 rural bank branches in thcountry.

The government has directed all banks to provide appropriate banking facilities to habitations having population in excess of 2000 March, 2012 using various models including branchless banking through Business Correspondents (BCs).

Banks through the forum of State Level Banker Committees (SLBCs) have formulated their road maps for Financial Inclusion and haidentified approximately 73,000 habitations having a population of over 2000 for providing banking facilities. These habitations habeen allocated to Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperatives Banks for providing banking facilities in a time boumanner. The Union Finance Minister said that this would provide new bank accounts to around 5 crore rural households. This FinanciInclusion Campaign named Swabhimaan aims at providing branchless banking through the use of technology. Such Banks will provibasic services like deposits, withdrawals and remittances using the services of Business Correspondents also known as Bank Saathi. Thinitiative will also enable Government subsidies and social security benefits to now be directly credited to the accounts of the beneficiar

and who would be able to draw the money through the Business Correspondents in their village itself.

Answer 2:Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati was appointed new Chairman of Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) in Mar2011.Ketan Raheja is the promoter of Shoppers Stop Ltd. (SSL) and hypermarket chain HyperCity.Adish C. Aggarwala, senior advocate, has been appointed Additional Advocate General of Tamil Nadu to represent the State in tSupreme Court. He assumed charge in March 2011. President of the International Council of Jurists, he had served as Vice-Chairman the Bar Council of India and vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.Manu Joseph is the Editor of Open magazine in news recently for the Niira Radia tapes.

Answer 3:Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has pointed out that the target of credit flow to the farmers has been raised to Rs. 4,75,000 crore

2011-12. He was speaking on the occasion of 106th

Foundation Day Celebrations of Corporation Bank in Mumbai on March 12, 201The target for the flow of agriculture credit was set at Rs. 3,25,000 crore for the year 2009-10, while the Banking system actually providRs. 3,84,514 crore as credit. For the year 2010-11 the target is fixed at Rs. 3, 75,000 crore.

The Government is also providing Interest Subvention to all Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and CooperatiBanks for short term crop loans upto Rs 3 lakh, so as to ensure that short term agriculture credit is available at 7% p.a. to farmers. In tyear 2011-12, the Interest Subvention Scheme has incentivised prompt repayment by farmers by providing a further incentive of 3intense interest subvention, i.e., loans will be available to farmers who pay on time @ 4% p.a.

The Finance Minister launched the Branchless Banking project of Corporation Bank. The Bank has opened 1700+ Corp Grameen VikKendras in the country. The minister also announced the inauguration of the Banks Heritage and Financial Research Centre at Udu


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which will house, Numismatic Museum, Notophily Museum and an exclusive section dedicated to contribution of past and preseluminaries in the field of Indian Banking and Finance.

Answer 4:The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) on March 4, 2011 notified the relevant provisions of competition law that will give tCompetition Commission of India (CCI) powers to examine corporate deals beyond a certain value. CCI became functional in 2009 anstarted taking cases relating to abuse of dominant position as also cartelization, but could not take up prior approval of M& As as it has n

yet been given legal powers to do so.According to the Act, companies involved in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As) should notify CCI about proposed deals as long as thcombined annual revenue of the individual companies is at least Rs. 3,000 crore.

For two groups of Indian companies, the combined revenue needs to be at least Rs. 12,000 crore.

Two merging foreign companies that have an Indian presence will also have to notify CCI in case they have combined annual sales ofleast $1.5 billion (Rs. 6,750 crore).

For global groups, the threshold is a combined revenue of $6 billion, with Indian subsidiaries having a combined sales of Rs. 1,500 crore

Answer 5:The Survey on the performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in the year 2009-10 was released on February 24, 201The main Highlights of the performance of CPSEs during 2009-10 are mentioned below:

Total paid up capital in 249 CPSEs as on 31.3.2010 stood at 148367 crore compared to 138734 crore as on 31.3.2009, showing a grow

of 6.94%.Total investment (equity plus long term loans) in all CPSEs stood at 579920 crore as on 31.3.2010 compared to 513532 crore as o31.3.2009, recording a growth of 12.93%.

Capital employed (net block plus working capital) in all CPSEs as on 31.3.2010 stood at 910120 crore compared to 793240 crore on 31.3.2009, showing a growth of 14.73% over the previous year.

2009-10 (Rs. crore) 2008-09 (Rs. crore) Growth (%

Total paid up capital in all CPSEs on March 31 148367 138734 crore 6.94

Total investment in all CPSEs on March 31 579920 513532 12.93

Capital employed in all CPSEs on March 31 910120 793240 14.73

Answer 6:

Almost 32% of the labour force in public sector is on contract as against 30% in the private sector, a recent study conducted by tVV Giri National Labour Institute on behalf of the labour ministry has shown. Findings of the study were unveiled in March 2011. Tgovernment is considering a recast of the laws to give contract labour the same benefits as the regular workers. If implemented, thamended law would entitle the estimated 36 million contract labour in the country to the same wage rates, holidays, hours of work asocial security provisions offered to regular employees doing similar work.

Answer 7:The Government on March 11, 2011 informed Lok Sabha that while the total water resources availability in the country remains constathe per capita availability of water has been steadily declining since 1951 due to population growth. The twin indicators of water scarcare per capita availability and storage. A per capita availability of less than 1,700 cubic metres is termed a water stressed conditiowhile if it falls below 1,000 cubic meters, it is termed as water scarcity condition. While on average the country may be nearing the watstressed condition, on an individual river basin wise situation, 9 out of our 20 river basins with 200 milllion populations are already facia water scarcity condition. The per capita availability of water works out to be 1,625 cubic metres as per the current population of t

country in 2010.

Answer 8:The Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced, in Lok Sabha on March 11, 2011, an increase in the allocation under thMPLAD Scheme from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore (two and half times) per Member. This will result in additional allocation of Rs. 2,3crore per year. Members cutting across party lines from both Houses have been demanding increase in the allocation under the MPLAScheme.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is the nodal agency responsible for policy formulation, release of funds anmonitoring implementation of the scheme.

Under the scheme, each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector works to be taken up in his/her constituency.


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Answer 15:The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on March 8, 2011 named HDFC Asset Management Company Managing DirectoMilind Barve, as its new chairman, a position which fell vacant after incumbent U K Sinha became chief of the Securities and ExchanBoard of India (SEBI). In addition to being an industry organisation, AMFI also serves as a self-regulatory body for the mutual funcompanies. Its responsibilities include implementation of various regulatory requirements for the mutual fund companies, distributors ainvestors.

Answer 16:Shortfall in coal supply may touch 269 million tonnes by 2021-22, from the current level of 80 million tonnes as domestic producers fato keep up with the growing demand for the commodity. The demand for coal in 2021-22 is projected to be around 1,353 million tonnesagainst the production assessment of 1,084 million tonnes, resulting in a shortfall of 269 million tonnes, said the Coal Mini ster, SriprakaJaiswal, on March 9, 2011. Demand for coal, driven by the rapid capacity addition in the power sector, is growing at around 9-10 per cea year, whereas coal production is growing at around 7 per cent. For fiscal 2011-12, the demand for coal is estimated to be around 696.0million tonnes, while the projected production is around 554 million tonnes. The gap will have to be met through imports.

Answer 17:Navratna PSU National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) will become the first public sector company to issue Employee StocOptions (ESOPs). The company has decided to amend the Article of Association, to make a provision for issue of ESOPs ie shares to employees. This decision was endorsed in an extraordinary general meeting of the companys shareholders on March 6, 2011. The ESOare planned to be issued to the executives of the company as part of payment of dues to them under Performance Related Payment (PRP

a component of revised pay package.

Answer 18:Bilateral Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Brazil was signed by the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and CiAviation Vayalar Ravi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Antonio de Aguiar Patriota in New Delhi on March 8, 2011. ThAgreement is based on the liberal ICAO template and paves the way for increased air connectivity between both countries. As per the neAir Services Agreement: 1. Both the countries shall be entitled to designate any number of airlines 2. The designated airlines of each sidare entitled to operate any point in each others territory, via any intermediate point and beyond to any point 3. The design ated airlines each side are entitled to operate upto 21 services per week in each direction with any type of aircraft not exceeding the capacity of B-7aircraft.

Answer 19:About 35% of adults in India use tobacco in some form or the other, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 201Among them, 21 % adults use smokeless tobacco, 9 % smoke, and 5 % smoke as well as use smokeless tobacco. As per this report, th

estimated number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million, with 163.7 million users of only smokeless tobacco, 68.9 million onsmokers, and 42.3 million users of both smoking and smokeless tobacco. As per Report on Tobacco Control in India, 2004, an estimatnumber of 8-9 Lakh people die every year in India due to diseases caused by consumption of tobacco products. This information wagiven by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Lok Sabha on March 11, 2011.

Answer 20:The Pioneer Group, publishers of the English daily The Pioneer, has bagged the contract to publish Rail Bandhu, Indias first magazifor train passengers. The first edition of the magazine will be published on April 16, and will be distributed free of cost in the premiutrains such as Rajdhani Express trains, Shatabdi Express trains and Duronto Express trains.

Answer 21:Apple has once again topped the Fortune Magazines Worlds 50 Most Admired Companies list unveiled on March 9, 2011. Steve Jobcompany is followed by Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Southwest Airlines, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Amazon.com, FedE

Microsoft and McDonalds. There are no Indian companies in the Top 50 list.

Answer 22:Joginder Sharma gave a fine exhibition of seam bowling with a six-wicket haul as North Zone beat West by five wickets to defend iDeodhar Trophy title at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur on March 9, 2011. Norths bowlers made the best use of a helpful trackthe morning after skipper Amit Mishra lost the toss. They bundled out West captained by Parthiv Patel for a paltry 101 inside 27 oveafter which North achieved the target within 30 overs.


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Answer 23:Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico is ranked firstBernard Arnault of France is ranked 4thAmancio Ortega of Spain is ranked 7thEike Batista of Brazil is ranked 8th

Answer 24:

Indias economic growth momentum can be sustained only if urbanisation is actively facilitated, according to a recent report prepa red the High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure which submitted its report to the Minister of Urban Development KamNath and the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in New Delhi on March 7, 2011.

Noting that the urban population is expected to increase from about 350 million in 2010 to 600 million in 2031, the Committee hestimated that urban infrastructure will require a total investment ofRs 39.2 lakh crore over the next 20 years, with Rs 17.3 lakcrore for urban roads, Rs 8 lakh crore for sectors delivering urban services such as water supply, sewerage, solid waste managemenand storm water drains, Rs 4 lakh crore for renewal and redevelopment including slums, etc. The Committee has emphasised thimportance of maintaining these assets if the investments are to make a durable impact on service delivery.

Highlighting the need for a comprehensive framework of urban policy and planning, the committee has recommended increasing thinvestment in urban infrastructure from 0.7 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011-12 to 1.1 per cent by 2031-32.

The Committee has emphasized that Indias economic growth momentum cannot be sustained if urbanisation is not actively facilitated ncan urban poverty be effectively addressed if the needs of the urban poor are isolated from the broader challenges of managin

urbanisation. The Committee has stated that cities will have to become the engines of national development. The fortunes of thagricultural sector are also crucially linked to the development of markets for agriculture which will be enhanced by urban expansion.

Financing the large sums required to meet the investment needs of urban infrastructure is crucially dependent on the reform of institutioand the capacity of those who run the institutions for service delivery and revenue generation. Municipal entities need to be strengtheneas local governments with their own sources of revenue and predictable formula-based transfers from state governments. The committcalled for better governance structures, strong political and administrative will to collect taxes and user charges, and improved capacitydeliver. A unified command under a mayor has been recommended for improving the governance of cities and towns.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has initiated change in the urban landscape of the country and somgood examples are emerging. However, much more needs to be done for building capacity of the municipal bodies and pushinimplementation of reforms. Learning from the implementation of the present Mission, the Committee recommends a New ImprovJNNURM (NIJNNURM) with a clear focus on capacity building and a programmatic approach, which will be open to all cities and towand will cater to the varying needs of municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats. The Committee recommends that thscale of the Mission be expanded from the current 0.1 per cent of GDP to 0.25 per cent of GDP every year, and the new Mission should

a 20-year Mission beginning 2012-13.

Answer 25:Karl Slym is President & Managing Director of General Motors IndiaKishore Chhabria is the Promoter of liquor company Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD).Prahlad Kakkar is Director of Genesis FilmsRoopa Kudva is Managing Director & CEO, CRISILIndias leading credit-rating agency

Answer 26:The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) Turnaround Award 2010 ceremony was organised in New Delhi oMarch 10, 2011. These erstwhile sick/loss making CPSEs have made profits consecutively for the 3 FY2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-after receiving financial assistance from Government on the recommendation of BRPSE. The Awards were given by Chairman, BRPSDr. Nitish Sengupta. The Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) awarded are BBJ Construction Company Ltd., Bharat Pumps a

Compressors Ltd., Braithwaite & Company Ltd., Bridge & Roof Co. (India) Ltd., Cement Corporation of India Ltd., Central ElectronicLtd., Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd., Hindustan Insecticides Ltd., MECON Ltd., Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd. and StaFarms Corporation of India Ltd.

Answer 27:The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) on March 10, 2011 elected Parsvnath Developers L

Chairman, Pradeep Jain its new Chairman. Lalit Kumar Jain, Chairman of Kumar Urban Development Ltd, has also been elected as tPresident of CREDAI National. Jain said the association would take up with the government various issues such as tax sops and priorilending to buyers as well as builders in the affordable housing segment.


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Answer 28:The team of Sudip Ghosh and Soumen Mondal emerged winner in the adventure category in the fourth JK Tyre Indo-Bhutan FriendshCar Rally, which culminated in Thimpu, Bhutan on March 7, 2011. Ghosh and his navigator Mondal bagged the first prize of Rs 60,0with 679 penalty points. In the Extreme category, Pritul Dey and his navigator Nirav Mehta were declared the winners.

Answer 29:Indias economic growth momentum can be sustained only if urbanisation is actively facilitated, according to a recent report prepared

the High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure which submitted its report to the Minister of Urban Development KamNath and the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in New Delhi on March 7, 2011. The Committee wchaired by economist Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia {Chairperson, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relatio(ICRIER)}. Its members include Nasser Munjee, Dr Nachiket Mor, Dr Rajiv Lall and Hari Sankaran.

Rajiv Lall is Managing director and CEO of Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited (IDFC). Nasser Munjee is Chairmof Development Credit Bank (DCB). Nachiket Mor is the Chairman of the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth. Hari Sankaran is ViChairman and Managing Director of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS). Ravi Parthasarathy is Chairman of ILFS.

Answer 30:China and Russia would jointly build their first cross-border nature reserve to protect wild animals and promote biodiversity. The nereserve, to be built at a border town in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, will have a total area of 130,000 hectarExpected to be completed by the end of this year, it will be the first reserve across the China-Russia border, covering land, river anislands, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on February 22, 2011.

Answer 31:The Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award for Excellence in Print Journalism for 2010 was conferred on Arunima Mishra oFebruary 24, 2011. The award was instituted by Business Standard and the Nazareth family in memory of Seema Nazareth, who died 1999 while a staffer with the newspaper.

Answer 32:ColumbiaUnited States of AmericaColombiaSouth AmericaInner MongoliaChinaCrimeaUkraine

China is building up strategic reserves of rare earth metals in a move that could give it better control over the resource so indispensable high tech products, the Wall Street Journal reported on February 8, 2011. Storage facilities have been built in recent months in t

northern region ofInner Mongolia with the capacity to hold more than the 39,813 tonnes of the metals. China controls about 95 per ceof the global trade for the 17 minerals that collectively make up the rare earth metals market. The metals, prized for their special chemicor electromagnetic properties, are used in making mobile phones, batteries for hybrid cars, wind turbines, flat-screen televisions and othhigh tech products.

Answer 33:Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda conferred the Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Samman, Kalpana Chawla Shourya Sammand Sanno Devi Panchayati Raj Samman awards on outstanding women of the State for their contribution to society on InternationWomen Day on March 8, 2011.

Answer 34:Former captain, Kapil Dev launched noted cricket photographer Kamal Jhulka's book World Cup: A Pictorial Journey, at the Press Cluof India in New Delhi on March 3, 2011. The 285-page book is a compilation of photographs, mainly by Jhulka, and articles by crickete

and mediapersons covering each edition of the World Cup since its inception in 1975.

Answer 35:Marks & Spencer Reliance India Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between UKs leading retailer Marks & Spencer and India's Reliance Re tail,announced senior appointments in February 2011.

Answer 36:

Late B G Shirke (B G Shirke Construction Technology Pvt. Ltd.) was conferred with the Special Jury Award Life Time Achievemeat the third Construction Industry Development Council (Vishwakarma) Award given on March 14, 2011. The Council is a semgovernment body that works under the Planning Commission. The Vishwakarma award is the highest in the c

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GK Test-March27 April2 2011