GK Test-March27 April2 2011

General Awareness Test
For the Week: March 27 to April 2, 2011
No of questions: 100
Answers 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 recently.
Consider 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 capital
3. User fees should be the preferred option for mobilising funds
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
2. Who was the Chairperson of the High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure which submitted its report to the
Urban 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 areas
2. Information under ‗Sanchar Shakti‘ would be delivered using short messaging service (SMS) and interactive voice response systems
(IVRS)
3. It will be funded by Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)
(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 List II
(Person) (Group/Company)
A. N. Srinivasan 1. Murugappa Group
B. A. Vellayan 2. Sanmar group
C. N. Sankar 3. India Cements
D. 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
1 © www.TestFunda.com
5. Consider the following statements about the Universal Service Obligation Fund for funding telecom services in rural and
remote.
1. Both private and public sector telecom service providers are required to contribute to the USO
2. 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 USO
(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 recently.
Consider the following statements about its recommendations.
1. Public spending on healthcare should be raised to upto 4% of GDP by 2017
2. Secondary healthcare should comprise major share of public spending
3. Role of private sector should be confined to tertiary healthcare
(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‘ missile
2. The interceptor missile is known as Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile
3. This was the first successful test of India‘s ballistic missile defence system
(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 early
release 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 world‟s fastest supercomputer in 2010. Which among of the following
pairs of world‟s top four supercomputers and their vendors/companies is not matched correctly?
(a) Roadrunner – IBM
(b) Jaguar – Cray
(c) Nebulae – IBM*
(d) Kraken – Cray
10. The „Legal Information Institute (LII) of India‟ launched recently, is a joint project developed by legal education institutions
of 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
(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 Resolution
(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 other.
(a) B. G. Verghese
(b) Pranab Mukherjee
(c) Dr. Karan Singh*
(d) Khushwant Singh
14. Raminder Singh Jassal, who passed away recently, was India‟s 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 children
affected 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 the
opposition 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.
1. India has 20 operational reactors by the end of February 2011
2. More than half of India‘s reactors are of Boiling Water type
3. Less than half of India‘s 20 reactors are of Pressurised Heavy Water type
(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 Tsering
2. The Dalai Lama is not the Prime Minister
3. Kashag is the Cabinet of Tibetan Government-in-Exile
(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?
(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 marks
which 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 the
following increased in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09?
1. Total turnover of all CPSEs
2. Profit of Profit making CPSEs
3. 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 war
crimes trial at the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice recently?
(a) Olusegun Obasanjo
(b) Mamadou Tandja
(c) Charles Taylor*
(d) Blaise Compaoré
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 Ministry
of 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 Grameen
Bank for which of the following reasons?
(a) Yunus had failed to get Grameen Bank‘s 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
36. Consider the following statements about Congress politician and former Union Minister Arjun Singh who passed away
recently is/are correct?
1. He is a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan
2. 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 1985
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 only*
(d) 3 and 1 only
37. The “Women‟s SHGs Development Fund” proposed in Budget 2011-12 will come under the purview of which of the following?
(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 territories
2. Orissa had the lowest per capita income among all states and union territories
3. Chandigarh had the highest per capita income among all union territories
(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
1. Reserves and surplus of all CPSEs
2. Net Worth of all CPSEs
3. Contribution of all CPSEs to Central Exchequer
(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
43. Capital Investments in which of the following have been accorded infrastructure status recently?
1. Educational institutions
2. Small scale industries
3. 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 Development
recently?
(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 in
the Indian corporate sector. Consider the following statements.
1. CCI has to either clear or reject an M&A deal within 90 days
2. M&A deals in the banking sector will not come under the purview of CCI
3. Dhanendra Kumar is the Chairman of CCI
(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 department
recently?
(a) Iveta Radicová – Prime Minister of Slovakia
(b) Roza Otunbayeva – President of Kyrgyzstan*
(c) Mari Kiviniemi – Prime Minister of Finland
(d) Kamla Persad-Bissessar – Prime 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 the
following statements.
1. The number of CPSEs is more than 225
2. Less than 200 CPSEs were operational with the rest being under construction
3. More than 150 CPSEs posted net profit
(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*
50. Consider the following statements about US magazine Forbes annual list of world‟s top billionaires released recently.
1. Christy Walton is the richest woman in the world
2. Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian man
3. Savitri Jindal is the richest Indian woman
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 1 only*
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer Key
TEST-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 Answers
March 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 Planning
Commission 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 of
medicines. 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. Private
sector 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 with
additional infusion of capital and new vaccines parks with autonomous status.
Answer 2:
India‘s economic growth momentum can be sustained only if urbanisation is actively facilitated, according to a recent report prepared by
the High Powered Expert Committee on Urban Infrastructure which submitted its report to the Minister of Urban Development Kamal
Nath and the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in New Delhi on March 7, 2011. The Committee was
chaired by economist Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia {Chairperson, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
(ICRIER)} and included as Members, Nasser Munjee, Dr Nachiket Mor, Dr M Vijayanunni, Sudhir Mankad, Dr Rajiv Lall, Hari
Sankaran, Ramesh Ramanathan, Prof Om Prakash Mathur and P.K. Srivastava, made a presentation to the two Ministers at Nirman
Bhavan.
Answer 3:
‗Sanchar Shakti‘ project of the Department of Telecommunications was launched by President Pratibha Patil on March 7, 2011. The
project includes four categories of projects aimed at rural women‘s SHGs:
a) Provision of subsidized mobile VAS subscription to SHGs with a service validity/warranty of at least one year
b) Setting up of SHG run mobile repair centers in rural areas
c) Setting up of SHG run modem repair centers in rural areas
d) 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, with
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 pertinent
to their livelihood/entrepreneurial activities and lifestyles. This would comprise information related to markets and financial products,
skill enhancement, health, social issues and Government schemes. The mode of delivery would include short messaging service (SMS)
and 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 the
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act 2003, in December 2003. The Fund which is headed by the Administrator, USOF has a mandate of
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 Cements
A. Vellayan is Chairman of Murugappa Group
N. Sankar is Chairman of Sanmar group
A 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% of
the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of ALL Telecom Service Providers. In addition, the Central Govt. may also give grants and loans.
The annual revenue share licence fee shall be reduced to the extent of reduction in contribution towards Universal Service Obligation
Fund (USOF) levy if the licensee in service area(s) meets the prescribed qualification. This means that a company providing the required
minimum number of telephone/mobile connections (as prescribed by the government) in rural and remote areas will be exempt from
payments 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 Planning
Commission in its report submitted in March 2011. The group has pointed out that public spending on health is currently just 1.1 per cent
of 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 and
secondary 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 the
private sector can be roped in, but within a strict regulatory and contracting framework to keep costs in check and safeguard consumer
interests.
In India, primary healthcare means vaccination and basic check-ups. Secondary healthcare is about diagnosis and treatment of most
simple diseases. Tertiary healthcare is essentially treatment of complex diseases (or simple diseases that get complicated) provided by
super-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 an
―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 from
Interim 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 away,
zeroed 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 it.
Long Range Tracking Radars located at Konark and Multi-Functional Fire Control Radar at Paradip tracked the enemy missile and passed
on the information to Mission Control Centre (MCC). The MCC relayed the impact point and assigned the AAD battery to launch the
interceptor.
Besides this successful test, the DRDO has so far successfully tested its interceptor missile four times – July 26, 2010, November 27,
2006, December 6, 2007 and March 6, 2009. DRDO officials said the entire mission went off in a copybook fashion and the trajectories of
the both the missiles followed the pre-designated paths. Avinash Chander, director of Advanced Systems Laboratory of DRDO, said with
this 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 conducting
anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia. As part of the move, an inter-ministerial group, headed by the
Cabinet Secretary, K.M. Chandrashekhar would be set up. The group will act as an apex forum at the government level to monitor the
early release of Indian ships or cargo or crew. External affairs minister, S.M. Krishna said that the CCS-approved policy would change
standard operating procedures for the Navy‘s activities with the Navies of friendly foreign countries. This would mean deployment of
more Indian Navy ships in the region. Meanwhile, the Indian National Shipowners Association (INSA) has requested the government to
grant approval to have armed guards, preferably Navy personnel, on-board its ships to deter piracy which has risen alarmingly in recent
months.
Answer 9:
Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems involving quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate
research, molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical compounds, biological macromolecules, polymers,
and crystals), physical simulations (such as simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, and
research into nuclear fusion).
Top 5 Supercomputers in the world: 2010 rankings

Rank Rpeak Name/Vendor Site Operating System
(Tflops)
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 Jülich 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 that
comprises 108 legal databases covering all States, Union Territories and Central government jurisdictions. LII of India, a joint project
developed by leading Australian and Indian legal education institutions, draws on the framework of online public libraries that offer free
and 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 Union
Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on March 9, 2011. Initially this portal would provide electronic money
order, instant money order, philatelic stamps, postal information, tracking of express and international shipments, PIN code search, and
registration of feedback and complaints online. The portal will enable the customers to transact postal business any time and from
anywhere 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 Dispute
Resolution after holding the post for 16 years since its inception in the wake of a office of profit controversy. ICADR, established in 1995,
is a Delhi headquartered organisation under the aegis of the law ministry, with regional centres at Hyderabad and Bangalore. It came into
existence when Bhardwaj was law minister in the P V Narasimha Rao ministry and he was chairman of the body. Bhardwaj had come
under criticism from some quarters, including some constitutional experts,for holding two offices, attracting the office of profit clause as
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 (ICCR)
President Karan Singh on the occasion of the latter‘s 80 th birthday in New Delhi on March 9, 2011. The book is a compilation of letters
written by Dr. Karan Singh and Indira Gandhi to each other on the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, the Emergency and other burning issues of
the time. A DVD of a film on Dr. Karan Singh‘s philosophy titled ―I Believe: Universal Values for a Global Society‖ was also released on
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. A
1976-batch IFS officer, Jassal had served as Ambassador to Israel and Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington. He was a member of the
Indian negotiating team for the Indo- U.S. civil nuclear deal. He had served as Joint Secretary in the External Publicity Division of the
Ministry of External Affairs from 1999 to 2001, and was at the forefront of communicating India‘s position during the Kargil conflict in
1999.
Answer 15:
India witnessed a sharp fall in the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) after 2008, when the global financial crisis pulled down
demand 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 the
government wrongly included funds like private equity, which are more in the nature of portfolio investments, in the FDI category. FDI is
essentially long-term investments that come with added benefits such as better technology, management and marketing assistance, says
the study.
The researchers — K S Chalapati Rao of Institute for Studies in Industrial Development, New Delhi and Biswajit Dhar, Director General
at Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi — feel that segregating investments like private equity,
venture 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 11,
2011. He was 75 and was representing Naxal-infested Bastar Lok Sabha constituency as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member. Kashyap
was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and represented the constituency since then for the fourth consecutive term. Starting his career
as school teacher in a remote area of Bastar, Kashyap quit his job to join politics. He was first elected as MLA from Jagdalpur. He later
contested election from Bhanpuri assembly segment and never lost election till 1993. He twice served as minister in the erstwhile Madhya
Pradesh in 1977 and 1991.
Answer 17:
The United Nations Children‘s Fund (UNICEF) on March 6, 2011 released the Humanitarian Action for Children Report, 2011,
requesting $1.4 billion in its appeal to donors to assist children and women caught in the throes of crises. The 32 countries targeted in this
appeal have been prioritised based on the scale of the crisis, the severity of its impact on children and women, the chronic or protracted
nature of the crisis, and the potential to bring about life-saving and long lasting results. Around the world, drought, famine, violent
conflict, and long-term displacement are a reality for millions of people. These humanitarian crises have dire consequences for children,
among them, recruitment into armed forces, sexual violence, and the loss of basic services such as water, health and education. The report
shows areas where urgent action is imperative to save lives, to protect children against violence and abuse, and to ensure access to basic
services, 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 the
runway at the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida on March 9, 2011, wrapping up a rich, 27-year career in spaceflight.
Other two Orbiters – Atlantis and Endeavour – remain operational. Both of the two Orbiters will be retired after their final missions in
2011-12.
Answer 19:
France on March 10, 2011 announced it was officially recognising Libya‘s National Transition Council as the legitimate representative of
the Libyan people, further increasing the pressure on Muammar Qadhafi. Sarkozy has also placed the building of the former Libyan
Embassy 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 to
the one that is devastating Japan is most unlikely to happen here. Secretary Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission Srikumar Banerjee briefed Dr. Singh about the technical review of the nuclear installations in the country,
12
including, most importantly the safety aspect. Of India's 20 nuclear power reactors, 18 are indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors.
Two 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. The
dismantling of his Rally for Constitutional Democracy party had been one of protesters‘ main demands. The ruling blocks the party –
whose activities were suspended after Ali left the country – from 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 system in
nearly six decades. The America Invents Act is aimed at improving patent quality and help reduce patent application backlogs. It will
transition the US patent system to a first-inventor-to-file system and ensure that the USPTO has the funds necessary to process the
backlog 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 importance
of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide. The campaign is
celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March in more than 100 countries on 6 continents. WKD is a joint initiative of the
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. In
accordance to the Charter of Tibetan Government in Exile, the seven members Kashag, is headed by a Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister).
Kalon Tripa is directly elected by exile Tibetan populace. Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche is the Kalon Tripa. The term of the Kashag is for five
years. Under the Kashag are the main departments of Religion and Culture, Home, Education, Finance, Security, Information and
International Relations, and Health.
Answer 25:
A new government has taken power in the Irish Republic after the ruling Fianna Fail party‘s heavy defeat in general election in February
2011. Ireland went to the polls just three months after receiving a 90bn euro bail-out from the EU and IMF. Opposition leader Enda
Kenny was appointed the new prime minister when the new parliament met in Dublin on March 9, 2011. The new coalition government
includes Kenny‘s centre-right Fine Gael party, and the centre-left Labour Party. The two parties‘ programme for government includes
wide-ranging proposals to deal with the country‘s 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 system.
In a live televised address, he said a referendum would be held this year on measures including a new election law. The pledge comes
after weeks of protest against his 32-year rule have left about 30 people dead. Protesters have dismissed his earlier promise not to seek re-
election after his current term ends in 2013. The Yemeni republic was created by the merger of North and South Yemen in 1990. Saleh
had led the Yemen Arab Republic - the northern part of present-day Yemen - since 1978 when he came to power in a military coup. Direct
presidential elections were first held in 1999. Although nominally a multi-party system, Yemeni politics has been dominated by Saleh‘s
General People‘s Congress since unification. Yemen is one of a number of countries in the North African and Middle East region that
have seen increasing unrest since the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia were ousted in popular revolts.
Answer 27:
Nelson Mandela‘s AIDS charity 46664 will launch an international fashion label called 46664 Apparel after the number the former South
African President wore in jail. This was announced by the former South African president‘s foundation on March 9, 2011. Profits will go
to the charity and the label is also intended to boost South Africa‘s clothing industry. The anti-apartheid icon spent 27 years in prison
before becoming South Africa‘s first black president in 1994
Answer 28:
Morocco‘s King Mohammed VI on March 9, 2011 promised ―comprehensive constitutional reform‖ in the North African country. In his
first national address since nationwide protests in February, the king said that he would give up the power to name the prime minister,
who would be chosen by parliament. This meets some of the demands of street rallies, similar to those seen in Tunisia and Egypt. King
Mohammed has said the fight against poverty and high unemployment is his priority, but some non-government groups say little has
gk.express@hotmail.com For the Week: March 20 to 26, 2011 For UPSC, Bank PO
13
changed. Morocco – like Egypt and Algeria – does allow limited freedom of expression and has so far been able to contain protests. Like
Jordan it is a monarchy with strong support among sections of the public. Abdullah II is the monarch of Jordan. Hassanal Bolkiah is the
Sultan 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 India.
Answer 30:
The Survey on the performance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in the year 2009-10 was released on February 24, 2011. The
main 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 of
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 Liberia‘s ex-President Charles Taylor closed on March 11, 2011 for judges in The Hague to
consider their verdict. Taylor denies 11 charges, including murder, rape and using child soldiers during the civil war in Sierra Leone. He is
the first former African leader to face such an international tribunal. He has been accused of arming and controlling the Revolutionary
United Front (RUF) rebels during a 10-year campaign of terror conducted largely against civilians. The defence team has argued that the
trial 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 Welfare
Krishna 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 are
located in four southern states. Among southern states, Andhra Pradesh is on the top of the table with a maximum number of 32
operational special economic zones (SEZs) followed by Tamil Nadu (22), Karnataka (20) and Kerala (7), Minister of State for Commerce
and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Lok Sabha on March 7, 2011. In all, 582 SEZ proposals have been approved, while 374 have
been 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, Bangladesh‘s High Court
ruled on March 8, 2011. He was challenging his dismissal after the central bank sacked him. It argued that Prof Yunus was past his
retirement age and was improperly appointed. He said the attempt to remove him from the bank was politically motivated. Grameen Bank
has 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, Electricity, Cement
and 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 81.
Incidentally, Singh was on the same day dropped from the party‘s highest policy making body, Congress Working Committee, and made a
Permanent Invitee. He was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh three times, the first term being between 1980 and 1985. He
was 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 later
served as Union Minister of Commerce (1985 - 1986), Union Minister of Communications (1986 - 1988), Chief Minister, Madhya
Pradesh (1988 - 1989), and Union Minister of Human Resource Development from 1991- 1994 and 2004 – 2009. He resigned from the
Congress during P V Narasimha Rao‘s tenure as PM formed a rebel Congress under the leadership of N D Tiwari in 1994. Singh rejoined
the Congress in 1997.
Answer 37:
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The Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on March 11, 2011 announced that, ―Women‘s SHGs Development Fund‖ proposed in the
Budget with a corpus of Rs. 500 crore will operate through NABARD and will be exclusively utilized for providing refinance on loans
given to women‘s 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 make
small regular savings contributions over a few months until there is enough capital in the group to begin lending. Funds may then be lent
back to the members or to others in the village for any purpose. Many SHGs are ‗linked‘ to banks or microfinance institutions (MFI) for
the delivery of microcredit. This means that the SHG takes guarantee for repayment of loan taken by any of its members from a MFI or a
bank. The group members use collective wisdom and peer pressure to ensure proper end-use of credit and timely repayment. This system
eliminates 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 pair‘s
eight-month journey around Latin America was immortalised in the 2004 film ‗The Motorcycle Diaries‘. The journey, started in 1951,
exposed the two medical students to deep poverty and social injustice and awoke Guevara‘s revolutionary convictions. After helping Fidel
Castro overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, Guevara invited Granado to Cuba. After arriving in Cuba in 1961, Granado
taught 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 spot,
Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs Ashwini Kumar informed Lok Sabha on March 9, 2011. Goa topped the list with
an 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. 1,20,912
and 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 Pradesh
registered PCI of Rs. 23,132, Assam (Rs. 27,197) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs. 27,250). Among other major states, Maharashtra recorded a
PCI 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 the
Media Foundation for outstanding woman media person. The jury consisted of broadcast personality Jai Chandiram, former Doordarshan
Director-General and Information & Broadcasting Secretary Bhaskar Ghose and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library senior fellow
Dipankar Gupta. Nominations for the award, which was presented on March 15, were received from all over the country. Shahina
formerly wrote for Tehelka.
Answer 41:
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 registering a
growth of 12.42%
Contribution of CPSEs to Central Exchequer by way of excise duty, customs duty, corporate tax, interest on Central Government
loans, dividend and other duties and taxes declined from 151543 crore in 2008-09 to 139830 crore in 2009-10, showing a decrease of
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 poems,
‗Phir Bhi Kuch Rah Jayega‘ published in 2008. Instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation, the award, carrying a cash award of Rs. 2.5 lakh,
is given to an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen during the past 10 years. The selection was made by a
committee presided over by the former head of Lucknow University‘s Department of Hindi, Surya Prasad Dixit in March 2011. Tiwari
retired from the post of head of the Hindi Department and Aacharya from Gorakhpur University in 2001. Some of the eminent persons
who have been given the same honour in earlier years include Mridula Garg, Giriraj Kishore and Chitra Mudgal.
15
Answer 43:
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on March 11, 2011 announced that henceforth capital investment in educational institutions
and 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 the
Ministry of Finance. Under the viability gap funding scheme of the finance ministry, the Union government provides a grant to the project
equivalent 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 (IWT),
Sea & Coastal Transport, Air Transport, Mining & Quarrying, Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction, Electricity, Telecom, Post,
Sanitation, Drinking Water Supply, Irrigation and Storage
Answer 44:
International Women‘s Day celebrations were organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi March 8, 2011.
The ‗Stree Shakti Puraskars‘ for the year 2010 were presented to the winners on the occasion. Rani Lakshmibai Award was presented to
Pottabathini Padmavathi from Andhra Pradesh, Kannagi Award was conferred upon Thagu Maya Bardewa from Sikkim, Rani Gaidinliu
Zeliang Award went to Rathnamma from Karnataka and Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award was given to Monika S. Garg an officer of the
1989 batch of Indian Administrative service from Uttar Pradesh. The Mata Jijabai and Rani Rudrama Devi awards were not awarded to
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 the
Competition Commission of India (CCI) powers to examine corporate deals beyond a certain value. The maximum number of days that
CCI 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 of
India will have the final say on bank mergers and acquisitions (M&A). ―Banking mergers and acquisitions will not come under the
purview of the Competition Act or the Companies Act. The mergers and acquisitions of banks will be under the purview of the Banking
Regulation Act,‖ said the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, on March 5, 2011. The RBI will get the power to approve bank M&As
once the Banking Laws Amendment Bill gets enacted.
Answer 46:
Kyrgyzstan‘s President Roza Otunbayeva was on March 8, 2011 given the prestigious US state department Women of Courage award.
Otunbayeva, Central Asia‘s first female leader, came to power last year after a popular uprising in Kyrgyzstan. The state department said
she had played a major role in the country‘s efforts to shed authoritarian rule. But her award has also drawn criticism because last year‘s
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 Technology‘s Technology Review
magazine for developing novel solutions to problems in biotechnology, computer engineering, energy, telecommunications and nano-
technology. The prestigious TR 35 India awards for 2011 were presented at EmTech India 2011, jointly organised by Technology Review
and CyberMedia, India‘s leading technology publisher starting March 22, 2011. The innovations are socially relevant and address real
roblems. Ajit Narayanan of Invention Labs, Chennai, named innovator of the year, will be awarded for developing AVAZ, a speech
synthesiser that helps users with cerebral palsy, autism and aphasia communicate. AVAZ is a handheld device with text prediction,
allowing the user to construct sentences through noticeable motor movements such as a nod of the head or by tapping an option on the
screen.
Answer 48:
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 2008-
09.
Answer 49:
Bruce Davidson was on March 10, 2011 selected to receive the outstanding contribution prize at this year‘s Sony World Photography
awards. The 77-year-old American‘s work has included following a Brooklyn gang in the 1950s and chronicling the civil rights movement
in the early 1960s. He will get the award at a 27 April ceremony in London. The jury said Davidson‘s work showed ―the rare combination
of absolute commitment to his subjects and a sophisticated visual sensibility‖. Davidson, a founding member of the World Photography
Academy, began his career working for Life magazine.
16
Answer 50:
Carlos Slim Helu remained the richest person in the world with USD 74 billion in assets followed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates with a
net worth of USD 56 billion and Investment guru Warren Buffet at the third spot with assets worth USD 50 billion. Christy Walton of
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 ArcelorMittal
(worth $31 bn), Mukesh Ambani of RIL ($27bn), Azim Premji of Wipro (16.8 bn), Shashi & Ravi Ruia of Essar ($15.8 bn), Savitri Jindal
& family of Jindal Group ($ 13.2 bn), Gautam Adani of Adani Group ( $10 bn), Kumar Mangalam Birla of AV Birla Group ($9.2 b n),
Anil Ambani of ADAG ($8.8 bn), Sunil Mittal & family of Bharti Airtel Group ($8.3 bn) and Adi Godrej & family of Godrej Group ($7.3
billion).
17
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 areas
2. Only 40% of the country‘s population has bank accounts
3. The government plans to provide banking services in all habitations having population in excess of 2000 by March 2012
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only*
(c) 3 and 1 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
List I List II
(Person) (Profession)
A. Adish C. 1. Journalist
Aggarwala
B. Ashok Gulati 2. Economist
C. Ketan Raheja 3. Retailer
D. Manu Joseph 4. Lawyer
Code:
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 crore
2. Short term crop loans upto Rs 3 lakh will be provided by public sector banks at concessional interest rate
3. Farmers who have repaid previous loans on time will get loans at 4% interest in 2011-12
(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 in
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 crore
2. Deals involving two groups of Indian companies where the combined annual revenue is at least Rs. 5,000 crore
3. 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
1. Total paid up capital in all CPSEs
2. Total investment in all CPSEs
3. Capital employed in all CPSEs
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
18
(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 labour
ministry 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 workers
2. 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 million
(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.
(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 and
monitoring implementation of MPLADS
2. Nominated Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha also come under purview of MPLADS
3. The government doubled the per Member allocation under MPLAD recently
(a) 1 and 2 only*
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 1 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
9. How much was India‟s 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 from
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry?
(a) IT/ITeS and electronic hardware*
(b) Engineering
(c) Gems and jewellery
(d) Pharmaceuticals
19
1. Foreign exchange earnings through exports of goods and services
2. Foreign exchange outgo on imports
3. Total Market Capitalisation of listed CPSEs on BSE
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 and 1 only*
13. A study on contract labour in Indian industry was carried out by the VV Giri National Labour Institute on behalf of the
labour ministry recently. Which of the following statements about its findings is/are correct?
1. Average wage of contract labour in public sector is higher than that paid by the private sector
2. Average wage of regular workers in public sector is lower than that paid by the private sector
(a) 1 only*
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
14. The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a working group under the Chairmanship of former Deputy-Governor Usha
Thorat to examine a range of emerging issues pertaining to the regulation of which of the following?
(a) Private Equity (PE) Funds
(b) Non-banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)*
(c) Mutual Funds
(d) Microfinance Institutions (MFIs)
15. Milind Barve was appointed as the chairman of which of the following?
(a) Indian Banks Association (IBA)
(b) Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
(c) Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN)
(d) Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI)*
16. What is the estimated domestic coal production in 2010-11 according to the Union Coal Ministry‟s recent assessment?
(a) 353 million tonnes
(b) 484 million tonnes
(c) 554 million tonnes*
(d) 696 million tonnes
17. Which of the following became the first public sector company to offer Employee Stock Options (ESOPs) to its employees?
(a) ONGC
(b) NALCO
(c) NTPC*
(d) SAIL
18. Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Civil Aviation Vayalar Ravi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of_______, Antonio
de Aguiar Patriota signed the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and __________ recently.
(a) Portugal
(b) Brazil*
(c) Spain
(d) Mexico
19. What is the number of tobacco users as per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010?
(a) 462 million
(b) 360 million
(c) 275 million*
(d) 170 million
20
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 Magazine‟s World‟s 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 List II
(Forbes (Country)
Billionaire
2011/rank)
A. Carlos Slim 1. Spain
Helu/1st
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 Ministry
recently. 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 infrastructure
investment over the next 20 years
2. 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 2011-12
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only*
(d) 3 and 1 only
21
List I List II
(Person) (Industry)
A. Karl Slym 1. Advertising
B. Kishore Chhabria 2. Automobiles
C. Prahlad Kakkar 3. Alcohol
D. Roopa Kudva 4. Credit rating
Code:
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 and
Cement 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 List II
(Person) (Company/institution)
A. Rajiv Lall 1. Development Credit
Bank
B. Nasser Munjee 2. Infrastructure Leasing
& Financial Services
C. Nachiket Mor 3. Infrastructure
Development Finance
Company
D. Hari Sankaran 4. ICICI Foundation for
Inclusive 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
22
30. China has decided to set up its first cross-border nature reserve to protect wild animals and promote biodiversity with which of
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 the
following?
(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) Columbia – United States of America
(b) Colombia – South America
(c) Inner Mongolia – Kazakhstan*
(d) Crimea – Ukraine
33. Which of the following conferred the Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Samman, Kalpana Chawla Shourya Samman and Sanno
Devi Panchayati Raj Samman awards for their contribution to society on Women‟s 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. UK‟s 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 Shirke
recently?
(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. Who
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 which
public 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 inclusion
2. National Housing Bank is 100% owned by the RBI
3. 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 recently.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. India accounts for less than 5% of the recorded plant and animal species of the world
2. India has been divided into ten bio-geographic zones
3. 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 Aerospace – Thiruvananthapuram
(b) International Container Transshipment Terminal – Kochi
(c) National Institute for Research & Development in Defence Shipbuilding – Kozhikode
(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 areas
2. Provision of Public Telecom and Information Services in urban areas
3. 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 Key
TEST-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 Answers
March 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 country‘s
population has bank accounts. He was speaking on the occasion of 106 th Foundation Day Celebrations of Corporation Bank in Mumbai on
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 the
country.
The government has directed all banks to provide appropriate banking facilities to habitations having population in excess of 2000 by
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 have
identified approximately 73,000 habitations having a population of over 2000 for providing banking facilities. These habitations have
been allocated to Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperatives Banks for providing banking facilities in a time bound
manner. The Union Finance Minister said that this would provide new bank accounts to around 5 crore rural households. This Financial
Inclusion Campaign named ―Swabhimaan‖ aims at providing branchless banking through the use of technology. Such Banks will provide
basic services like deposits, withdrawals and remittances using the services of Business Correspondents also known as Bank Saathi. This
initiative will also enable Government subsidies and social security benefits to now be directly credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries
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 March
2011.
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 the
Supreme Court. He assumed charge in March 2011. President of the International Council of Jurists, he had served as Vice-Chairman of
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 in
2011-12. He was speaking on the occasion of 106 th Foundation Day Celebrations of Corporation Bank in Mumbai on March 12, 2011.
The 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 provided
Rs. 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 Cooperative
Banks 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 the
year 2011-12, the Interest Subvention Scheme has incentivised prompt repayment by farmers by providing a further incentive of 3%
intense 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 Vikas
Kendras in the country. The minister also announced the inauguration of the Bank‘s Heritage and Financial Research Centre at Udupi
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which will house, Numismatic Museum, Notophily Museum and an exclusive section dedicated to contribution of past and present
luminaries 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 the
Competition Commission of India (CCI) powers to examine corporate deals beyond a certain value. CCI became functional in 2009 and
started taking cases relating to abuse of dominant position as also cartelization, but could not take up prior approval of M&As as it has not
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 the
combined 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 of at
least $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, 2011.
The 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 growth
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 on
31.3.2009, 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 as
on 31.3.2009, showing a growth of 14.73% over the previous year.

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 the
VV Giri National Labour Institute on behalf of the labour ministry has shown. Findings of the study were unveiled in March 2011. The
government is considering a recast of the laws to give contract labour the same benefits as the regular workers. If implemented, the
amended law would entitle the estimated 36 million contract labour in the country to the same wage rates, holidays, hours of work and
social 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 constant,
the per capita availability of water has been steadily declining since 1951 due to population growth. The twin indicators of water scarcity
are per capita availability and storage. A ‗per capita availability‘ of less than 1,700 cubic metres is termed a water stressed condition,
while if it falls below 1,000 cubic meters, it is termed as water scarcity condition. While on average the country may be nearing the water
stressed condition, on an individual river basin wise situation, 9 out of our 20 river basins with 200 milllion populations are already facing
a water scarcity condition. The per capita availability of water works out to be 1,625 cubic metres as per the current population of the
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 the
MPLAD Scheme from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore (two and half times) per Member. This will result in additional allocation of Rs. 2,370
crore per year. Members cutting across party lines from both Houses have been demanding increase in the allocation under the MPLAD
Scheme.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is the nodal agency responsible for policy formulation, release of funds and
monitoring 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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The Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament can recommend works in one or more districts in the State from where he/she has been elected.
The Nominated Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha may select any one or more Districts from any one State in the Country for
implementation of their choice of work under the scheme.
The Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced, in Lok Sabha on March 11, 2011, an increase in the allocation under the
MPLAD Scheme from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore per Member. This will result in additional allocation of Rs. 2,370 crore per year.
Members cutting across party lines from both Houses have been demanding increase in the allocation under the MPLAD Scheme.
Answer 9:
The country‘s per capita income, often used to measure a country‘s standard of living, increased by 14.5 per cent during 2009-10 to Rs
46,492. In 2008-09, the per capita income, which measures the income per person in a population, was Rs 40,605, Statistics and
Programme Implementation Minister M S Gill informed Lok Sabha on March 8, 2011.
Answer 10:
India‘s agriculture output was expected to rise 3.8 per cent in 2011-12 on assumption of favourable weather conditions, the Centre for
Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said in its monthly review on March 7, 2011. Agricultural output is expected to rise 6.5 per cent in
2010-11. Foodgrain production is set to grow by 3.7 per cent to 236.9 million tonnes in 2011-12. It will surpass the record 234.5 million
tonnes achieved in 2008-09. The output of rice and wheat will power this growth.
Answer 11:
The sector-wise data on special economic zones (SEZs) shows that out of 130 operational SEZs, an overwhelming 75 of them relate to
IT/ITeS and electronic hardware. ―An investment of Rs 1.95 lakh crore has been made in SEZs,‖ Minister of State for Commerce and
Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Lok Sabha on March 7, 2011. In all, 582 SEZ proposals have been approved, while 374 have been
notified. A total of 130 SEZs have commenced exports.
Answer 12:
Foreign exchange earnings through exports of goods and services increased from 74206 crore in 2008-09 to 77745 crore in 2009-10,
showing a growth of 4.77%.
Foreign exchange outgo on imports decreased from 433332 crore in 2008-09 to 420477 crore in 2009-10 showing a reduction of 2.97%.
Total Market Capitalisation(M_Cap) of 43 listed CPSEs, based on the stock price in Bombay Stock Exchange, went up from 813530
crore as on 31.3.2009 to 1426212 crores as on 31.3.2010, showing a growth of 75.31%.

Foreign exchange earnings through exports of goods and services 77745 74206 4.77
Foreign exchange outgo on imports 420477 433332 (–) 2.97
Total Market Capitalisation of listed CPSEs 1426212 813530 75.31
Answer 13:
Findings of a recent study conducted by the VV Giri National Labour Institute on behalf of the labour ministry were unveiled in March
2011. The average wage of contract labour in public sector at Rs. 185.28 is higher than that paid by the private sector at Rs. 143.45.
Also, regular workers with the public sector get a much higher average wage of Rs. 441.9 compared with Rs. 212.45 in the private
sector.
Answer 14:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on March 7, 2011 constituted a working group under the Chairmanship of Usha Thorat, Director,
‗Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning‘ (CAFRAL), to examine a range of emerging issues pertaining to regulation of the
NBFCs (non-banking financial companies) sector. While examining a range of emerging issues pertaining to the regulation of the sector,
the working group will focus on the definition and classification of NBFCs, addressing regulatory gaps and regulatory arbitrage,
maintaining standards of governance in the sector and appropriate approach to NBFC supervision. NBFCs lend money and some even
take deposits from investors but have differential treatment when it comes to regulation. The total share of NBFCs in the financial sector
is 9.1%. And the total assets managed as on June 2009 is Rs. 95,727 crore.
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Answer 15:
The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on March 8, 2011 named HDFC Asset Management Company Managing Director,
Milind Barve, as its new chairman, a position which fell vacant after incumbent U K Sinha became chief of the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI). In addition to being an industry organisation, AMFI also serves as a self-regulatory body for the mutual fund
companies. Its responsibilities include implementation of various regulatory requirements for the mutual fund companies, distributors and
investors.
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 fail
to keep up with the growing demand for the commodity. The demand for coal in 2021-22 is projected to be around 1,353 million tonnes as
against the production assessment of 1,084 million tonnes, resulting in a shortfall of 269 million tonnes, said the Coal Minister, Sriprakash
Jaiswal, on March 9, 2011. Demand for coal, driven by the rapid capacity addition in the power sector, is growing at around 9-10 per cent
a year, whereas coal production is growing at around 7 per cent. For fiscal 2011-12, the demand for coal is estimated to be around 696.03
million 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 Stock
Options (ESOPs). The company has decided to amend the Article of Association, to make a provision for issue of ESOPs ie shares to its
employees. This decision was endorsed in an extraordinary general meeting of the company‘s shareholders on March 6, 2011. The ESOPs
are 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 Civil
Aviation Vayalar Ravi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Antonio de Aguiar Patriota in New Delhi on March 8, 2011. The
Agreement is based on the liberal ICAO template and paves the way for increased air connectivity between both countries. As per the new
Air Services Agreement: 1. Both the countries shall be entitled to designate any number of airlines 2. The designated airlines of each side
are entitled to operate any point in each other‘s territory, via any intermediate point and beyond to any point 3. The designated airlines of
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-747
aircraft.
Answer 19:
About 35% of adults in India use tobacco in some form or the other, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2010.
Among them, 21 % adults use smokeless tobacco, 9 % smoke, and 5 % smoke as well as use smokeless tobacco. As per this report, the
estimated number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million, with 163.7 million users of only smokeless tobacco, 68.9 million only
smokers, and 42.3 million users of both smoking and smokeless tobacco. As per Report on Tobacco Control in India, 2004, an estimated
number of 8-9 Lakh people die every year in India due to diseases caused by consumption of tobacco products. This information was
given 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, India‘s first magazine
for train passengers. The first edition of the magazine will be published on April 16, and will be distributed free of cost in the premium
trains such as Rajdhani Express trains, Shatabdi Express trains and Duronto Express trains.
Answer 21:
Apple has once again topped the Fortune Magazine‘s World‘s 50 Most Admired Companies list unveiled on March 9, 2011. Steve Jobs‘
company is followed by Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Southwest Airlines, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Amazon.com, FedEx,
Microsoft and McDonald‘s. 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 its
Deodhar Trophy title at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur on March 9, 2011. North‘s bowlers made the best use of a helpful track in
the morning after skipper Amit Mishra lost the toss. They bundled out West captained by Parthiv Patel for a paltry 101 inside 27 overs
after which North achieved the target within 30 overs.
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Answer 23:
Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico is ranked first
Bernard Arnault of France is ranked 4th
Amancio Ortega of Spain is ranked 7th
Eike Batista of Brazil is ranked 8th
Answer 24:
Nath 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 has
estimated that urban infrastructure will require a total investment of Rs 39.2 lakh crore over the next 20 years, with Rs 17.3 lakh
crore for urban roads, Rs 8 lakh crore for sectors delivering urban services such as water supply, sewerage, solid waste management,
and storm water drains, Rs 4 lakh crore for renewal and redevelopment including slums, etc. The Committee has emphasised the
importance 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 the
investment 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 India‘s economic growth momentum cannot be sustained if urbanisation is not actively facilitated nor
can urban poverty be effectively addressed if the needs of the urban poor are isolated from the broader challenges of managing
urbanisation. The Committee has stated that cities will have to become the engines of national development. The fortunes of the
agricultural 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 institutions
and the capacity of those who run the institutions for service delivery and revenue generation. Municipal entities need to be strengthened
as local governments with their ‛own‘ sources of revenue and predictable formula-based transfers from state governments. The committee
called for better governance structures, strong political and administrative will to collect taxes and user charges, and improved capacity to
deliver. 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 some
good examples are emerging. However, much more needs to be done for building capacity of the municipal bodies and pushing
implementation of reforms. Learning from the implementation of the present Mission, the Committee recommends a New Improved
JNNURM (NIJNNURM) with a clear focus on capacity building and a programmatic approach, which will be open to all cities and towns
and will cater to the varying needs of municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats. The Committee recommends that the
scale 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 be
a 20-year Mission beginning 2012-13.
Answer 25:
Karl Slym is President & Managing Director of General Motors India
Kishore Chhabria is the Promoter of liquor company Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD).
Prahlad Kakkar is Director of Genesis Films
Roopa Kudva is Managing Director & CEO, CRISIL – India‘s leading credit-rating agency
Answer 26:
The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) Turnaround Award 2010 ceremony was organised in New Delhi on
March 10, 2011. These erstwhile sick/loss making CPSEs have made profits consecutively for the 3 FY—2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09
after receiving financial assistance from Government on the recommendation of BRPSE. The Awards were given by Chairman, BRPSE,
Dr. Nitish Sengupta. The Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) awarded are BBJ Construction Company Ltd., Bharat Pumps and
Compressors Ltd., Braithwaite & Company Ltd., Bridge & Roof Co. (India) Ltd., Cement Corporation of India Ltd., Central Electronics
Ltd., Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd., Hindustan Insecticides Ltd., MECON Ltd., Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd. and State
Farms Corporation of India Ltd.
Answer 27:
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers‘ Association of India (CREDAI) on March 10, 2011 elected Parsvnath Developers Ltd
Chairman, Pradeep Jain its new Chairman. Lalit Kumar Jain, Chairman of Kumar Urban Development Ltd, has also been elected as the
President of CREDAI National. Jain said the association would take up with the government various issues such as tax sops and priority
lending 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 Friendship
Car Rally, which culminated in Thimpu, Bhutan on March 7, 2011. Ghosh and his navigator Mondal bagged the first prize of Rs 60,000
with 679 penalty points. In the Extreme category, Pritul Dey and his navigator Nirav Mehta were declared the winners.
Answer 29:
Nath and the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja in New Delhi on March 7, 2011. The Committee was
chaired by economist Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia {Chairperson, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
(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 Chairman
of Development Credit Bank (DCB). Nachiket Mor is the Chairman of the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth. Hari Sankaran is Vice
Chairman 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 new
reserve, to be built at a border town in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, will have a total area of 130,000 hectares.
Expected to be completed by the end of this year, it will be the first reserve across the China-Russia border, covering land, river and
islands, 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 on
February 24, 2011. The award was instituted by Business Standard and the Nazareth family in memory of Seema Nazareth, who died in
1999 while a staffer with the newspaper.
Answer 32:
Columbia – United States of America
Colombia – South America
Inner Mongolia – China
Crimea – Ukraine
China is building up strategic reserves of rare earth metals in a move that could give it better control over the resource so indispensable to
high tech products, the Wall Street Journal reported on February 8, 2011. Storage facilities have been built in recent months in the
northern region of Inner Mongolia with the capacity to hold more than the 39,813 tonnes of the metals. China controls about 95 per cent
of the global trade for the 17 minerals that collectively make up the rare earth metals market. The metals, prized for their special chemical
or electromagnetic properties, are used in making mobile phones, batteries for hybrid cars, wind turbines, flat-screen televisions and other
high tech products.
Answer 33:
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda conferred the Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Samman, Kalpana Chawla Shourya Samman
and Sanno Devi Panchayati Raj Samman awards on outstanding women of the State for their contribution to society on International
Women 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 Club
of India in New Delhi on March 3, 2011. The 285-page book is a compilation of photographs, mainly by Jhulka, and articles by cricketers
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 UK‘s leading retailer Marks & Spencer and India's Reliance Retail,
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 Achievement
at the third Construction Industry Development Council (Vishwakarma) Award given on March 14, 2011. The Council is a semi-
government body that works under the Planning Commission. The Vishwakarma award is the highest in the construction industry.
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Answer 37:
A high-level expert group set up by the Planning Commission has called for universalisation of healthcare in its report submitted in March
2011. The group warned against adopting the US model of private insurance-backed healthcare, but was simultaneously critical of the
Centre‘s Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and Andhra Pradesh‘s Arogyashri schemes, which it said appeared to be ―financially
unsustainable‖. Rajiv Aarogyasri is the flagship scheme of all health initiatives of the Andhra Pradesh Government with a mission to
provide quality healthcare to the poor.
Answer 38:
Asian Paints Managing Director & CEO P M Murty was on March 11, 2011 selected as the Business Standard CEO of the Year for 2009-
10. The largest paints company in India, which has almost 50 per cent share in the decorative paints market, Asian Paints is ranked among
the top 10 decorative paint companies in the world. The other coveted award – Company of the Year – has been won by Maruti Suzuki.
Three other companies were selected for Business Standard‘s ―Star‖ awards in different categories. The Jury chose specialised
engineering and consultancy giant Engineering India Ltd (EIL) as the Star Public Sector Company; GlaxoSmithKline Consumer
Healthcare as the Star Multinational; and TTK Prestige, India‘s largest kitchen equipment maker, as the Star Company in the Small and
Medium Enterprises sector.
Answer 39:
Veteran Congress leader and former MP CM and Union Minister Arjun Singh passed away on March 4, 2011 at the age of 81. He was
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 became
Governor at the height of militancy and helped Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi reach an accord with Akali Dal leader Sant Harchand Singh
Longowal, which came to be known as the Rajiv-Longowal peace accord.
Answer 40:
The annual ‗Stree Shakti Puraskars‘ given by the Union government annually are named after six eminent women personalities – Rani
Lakshmibai, Kannagi, Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, Mata Jijabai and Rani Rudrama Devi.
Answer 41:
Public sector Aluminium Company NALCO's CMD A K Srivastava, who was caught allegedly taking bribe and is in CBI custody now,
has been suspended by the government. The CBI on February 25, 2011 arrested Srivastva, his wife and two others in a bribery case and
recovered about 10 kgs of gold bricks and jewellery valued at around Rs 2.13 crores as also Rs 30 lakh from them.
Answer 42:
Top officials of the nuclear establishment in March 2011 assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a nuclear catastrophe similar to
the one that is devastating Japan is most unlikely to happen here. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) Chairman S.S. Bajaj briefed
Dr. Singh about the technical review of the nuclear installations in the country, including, most importantly the safety aspect.
Answer 43:
Rating agency CRISIL is developing an index for financial inclusion, which will look into operational nature of ―no-frills accounts‖. The
CRISIL Index will be applied to evaluate public sector banks performance on financial inclusion. CARE stands for Credit Analysis &
Research while Investment Information Credit Rating Agency is ICRA. The only major financial institution where RBI holds a stake is
National Housing Bank (NHB). The central bank holds 100 per cent stake in NHB.
Answer 44:
Tibetan supreme spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has decided to transfer his political authority and administrative powers to a leader
directly elected by the Tibetan refugees, during his address to his people on the 52 nd anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day on
March 10, 2011. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been in exile in India since 1959, when an uprising in Tibet was crushed by
the Chinese Communist regime. Tibetans living in exile, in India and around the world, also consider the Dalai Lama as their head of
state, a responsibility which he would now like to relinquish.
Answer 45:
Stakeholder consultations on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in India were organised in New Delhi from 10-11, February
2011. The objective was to develop the framework for strengthening biodiversity conservation programs and initiate action for assessing
the economic value of India‘s natural capital.
With an area of about 329 million hectares, India is 7th largest country in the world. With only 2.4% of world‘s land area, India accounts
for 7 to 8 % of the recorded plant and animal species of the world.
India has been divided into ten bio-geographic zones, namely, Trans Himalaya, Himalaya, Indian Desert, Semi-Arid, Western Ghats,
Deccan Peninsula, Gangetic Plains, Coasts, North-East and Islands.
32
The total forest and tree cover of the country is estimated at 23.39% of the geographic area, of which forest cover accounts for 21.02%
(69.09 mha).
Answer 46:
Conference on Kerala Development – Vision 2025 was organised in Thiruvananthapuram on Feb 11, 2011. The Union government has
sanctioned several projects for the economic, social and educational development in the state in recent times. In the field of higher
education these include a new Central University in Kasargod and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research and Indian Institute
of Space Technology in Thiruvananthapuram. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the country‘s first International Container
Transshipment terminal at Kochi on February 11 and the International Terminal building at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
on February 12. In the field of defence, several projects have been taken up in the state. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is setting up a
new strategic electronic plant in Kasargod. The National Institute for Research & Development in Defence Shipbuilding has been
established near Kozhikode. The Brahmos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram was commissioned in December, 2007. The Indian Naval
Academy at Ezhimala, inaugurated in 2009, is a world class educational and training facility for the Navy. In the field of Agriculture a
special package has been sanctioned for the development of Kuttanad Wetland Ecosystem with a plan outlay of around Rs 1800 crore.
Answer 47:
USO Fund was established with the fundamental objective of providing access to basic telegraph services. The Universal Service Support
Policy came into effect from 01.04.2002. The Fund is to be utilized exclusively for providing access to telegraph services to people in the
rural and remote areas at affordable and reasonable prices. Following telecom activities are supported by the Universal Service Obligation
Fund:
 Provision of Public Telecom and Information Services in rural areas
 Provision of Household Telephones in rural and remote areas
 Creation of infrastructure for provision of mobile services in rural and remote areas
 Creation of general infrastructure in rural and remote areas for development of telecommunication facilities
 Induction of new technological developments in the telecom sector in rural and remote areas
Answer 48:
The Malappuram (Kerala) Centre of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) started on February 28, 2011 while the Murshidabad centre in
West Bengal started on March 6, 2011. These are the first two Centres of AMU outside Aligarh.
Answer 49:
March 20, 2010 was observed as World House Sparrow Day (WHSD) to focus on raising awareness about the decline of the common
House Sparrow and to throw light on the problems faced by the House Sparrow in its daily fight for survival. The WHSD is an
international initiative by Nature Forever Society in collaboration with Bombay Natural History Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
(USA), Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France), Avon Wildlife Trust (UK) and numerous other NGOs.
Answer 50:
The University Grants Commission (UGC), constituted a Committee under Prof. J.A.K. Tareen on the norms for teachers to student ratio
for various disciplines/programmes and teaching to non-teaching in Central Universities and UGC-maintained institutions deemed to be
universities. This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. D. Purandeswari in the Lok
Sabha on March 16, 2011. The recommendations of the Committee are as under:
Teachers to Student Ratio:
PG Programme
(i) For Science Programme –1:10
(ii) For Humanities/Social Sector –1:15
(iii) Commerce & Management –1:15
(iv) Media & Mass Communication –1.10
UG Programme
(i) Social Sciences –1:30
(ii) Sciences – 1:25
(iii) B.Ed. – As per NCTE norms
(iv) Media & Mass Communication – 1:15
Teacher to Non-Teaching Ratio:
Non-Teaching (Ministerial) – 1:1.1
Non-Teaching (Technical) – 1:0.40
1:1.30 for affiliating University (Ministerial)

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General Awareness Test

For the Week: March 27 to April 2, 2011

15. K. S. Chalapati Rao and Biswajit Dhar are well known:

23. World ______ Day was observed on March 10, 2011.

24. Consider the following statements about Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

Top 5 Supercomputers in the world: 2010 rankings

(c) 3 and 1 only*

C. Amancio Ortega/7th 3. Brazil

D. Bernard Arnault/4th 4. Mexico

Answer Key & Explanatory Answers on Next Page

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

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

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