UPSC 2008 Prelims General Studies Solution 
 
SET B:

1c (BRIT – Isotope Tech)

2c (National Brain Research Centre – Gurgaon and fingerprinting centre – hyderabad)

3a (desalination plant – Kavaratti)

4b (Bretton Woods Conference)

5b (Directive principles of state Policy)

6b (Legislative assembly)

7c (Ninety Second amendment)

8d ( PSU of GoI – all 3)

9d ( million plus cities – all 4)

10a (CDM statement 1 only)

11c ( World summit on Sustainable Development – Johannesberg)

12d (K. P. Singh, Vikram Pandit…..)

13d (Amnesty International, CIS…)

14b (% rural population – himachal pradesh)

15b ( Dec order of population – USA & Indonesia)

16c ( Spoken max after hindi – Bengali)

17b (Heavy Water – H. C. Urey)

18c ( Kim Dae jung – South Korea)

19d (Ogaden region – Ethiopia and Somalia)

20a (Palitana Temple – Bhavnagar)

21c (2004 Euro – Greece)

22b (Jupiter and Saturn)

23b (Cristina Kirchner – Argentina)

24c (Rowlatt Act – Lord Chelmsford)

25c (radioactive water leakage – Japan)

26d (% of people over 65 years – 5-6%)

27b (Spacecraft – Cassini)

28b (ITER – Southern France)

29c (Themis Mission)

30b (Biosphere Reserve – Kanchenjunga)

31b (agent orange – weed killing)

32d (cabinet mission)

33c (Free Indian Legion – S. C. Bose)

34c (Prisoner’s Dilemma – Game Theory)

35b (East India Company – Jahangir)

36c (refused knighthood – G. K. Gokhale)

37d (Irrigation project by state – all 3)

38b (Current power generation – installed and generation)

39b (International Date Line – Bering Strait)

40b (Waterfalls & Rivers)

41d (Nearest to equator – Singapore)

42b (Tehri Hydropower complex – Bhagirathi)

43d ( Minerals in Chhattisgarh – all 4)

44b (Theory/Law & Scientists – Albert Einstien)

45a (Baudhayan theorem = Pythogoras theorem)

46a (Sharing border with Moldova)

47a (Asian Development bank & Colombo Plan)

48c (Emirates of UAE – Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah(last))

49b (largest areawise Lok Sabha constituency – Ladakh)

50b (Median age of Population)

51b (Person-Area : Sabyasachi Mukherjee,…)

52b (Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer)

53c (Ebraham Alkazi – Theatre training)

54d (Chikmanglur/coffee, Mandya/sugar)

55a (Bimbavati Devi -Manipuri)

56c (Sarosh Zaiwalla – legal expert)

57c (Tapovan & Vishnugarh – Uttarakhand)

58c (Author/Work – Dinbandhu Mitra–Nil-darpan)

59a (New Lamps for Old – Aurobindo Ghosh)

60c (Un-British Rule in India – Dadabhai Naoroji)

61a (egg laying mammal – echidna)

62c (Mosquito – gambusia fish)

63b (Scheduled areas in several states – fifth schedule)

64b (Dept. of Border Management – Ministry of Home Affairs)

65d (Verappa Moily – Administrative Reforms)

66c (Elizabeth Hawley – Himalayan Expeditions)

67c (States of India sharing coastline – 9)

68d (James D Watson/Nobel Prize – Genetics)

69b (Board – Headquarters —- Tobacco board/guntur….)

70a (max no. of national parks – Andaman & Nicobar)

71c (Not an Ape – Langur)

72d (5 identical balls – one in each row – 108)

73a (exactly 5 letters in 6 envelopes – zero)

74c (identical red, black and white balls in cells – 24)

75a (how many diff triangles – 28)

76d (Francis Collins)

77d (S & P 500)

78b (Rajiv Gandhi National flying institute)

79c (Saurav Ganguly)

80b (Faiz Ahmed Faiz)

81c (180*10^7)

82c (Equal to R)

83b (Narmada)

84d (Nuclear supplier’s group)

85c (Advanced Light helicopter)

86a (hand-in-hand china)

87c (Liver)

88d (Visible spectrum)

89b (radio waves)

90a (congress ministries)

91b (french open)

92b (malta)

93c (mahendragiri)

94c (Service/Agency – country)

95b (C Rangarajan)

96c  (7.35-7.45)

97b (Vice-Precident)

98b (Kurnool)

99d (India semi-final)

100a (Namchik-namphuk)

101a (Norman Ernest Borlaug – UAE)

102c (Yom kippur War)

103c (probiotic food)

104c (Albedo)

105c (A.N.ray – CJI . Nagendra singh- cec)

106b (Pitcher plant)

107d (king cobra)

108c (Spider)

109b ( High courts-3)

110c (Livestock population – India)

111d (Crocodile)

112d (Tributary river-Main River)

113c ( Nilgiri)

114b (Mahogany)

115d (Number of spokes)

116d (source of methane)

117a (Barak – Israel)

118c (Selene-1)

119d (Rig-veda)

120a (Orange prize)

121b (I)

122b (Number of terms – 73)

1123b (4 books-12)

124c (Carpenter)

125c (100 pens at discount of 10%-862.50)

126c (school teacher-10)

127a (600)

128c (Bisphenol)

129d (GDP)

130b (March 1 2008 friday)

131b (electrification policy)

132c (2045)

133d (Biodiesel mission)

134d (National old age pension)

135c (Swayamsiddha)

136c ( M D C L)

137c (William henry bragg)

138b (Lal bahadur shastri)

139d (Sikkim – minimum population Census of india 2001)

140c (jet engine and rocket)

141a (Dye laser printer)

142a (Musical scale sa ni)

143b (Rubies and sapphires – Aluminium oxide)

144c (Stranger gas-Xenon)

145c (Methane and air- explosion in mines)

146b (Lithium and osmium)

147b (one barrel of oil – 159 litres)

148c (J.B. Kriplani)

149a (Al-Hilal)

150b (Bombay-First Session of INC)

FREE MORE QUESTIONS ON  :

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1. What was renamed as Rajiv Gandhi National Park?

1. Nagarhole

2. She was the first woman president of the INC and the first woman Governor of India. Who?

2. Sarojini Naidu

3. He was the first Indian to be the member of the British Parliament and President of INC thrice. Who?

3. Dadabhai Naoroji

4. Her real name was Agnes Gonha Bojaxhiu. She won a Nobel Prize in 1979 and died in 1997 and before her death said ‘Love others as I have loved you’.Who?

4. Mother Teresa

5. The foremost Maratha patriot, his real name was Ramachandra Pandurang. He got his nickname from the fact that he was in charge of the firing of cannons. Who?

5. Tantya Tope

6. This place gets its name because it was here that Lakshmana cut of the nose of Shurpanakha. Which place?

6. Nasik

7. When Ravana set fire to Hanuman’s tail, he set fire to entire Lanka. How was the fire put out?

7. Ravana played the Amruthavarshini raga on his Veena and brought forth rain

8. What was the principle of peace and friendship enunciated by Nehru called?

8. Panchsheel

9. Two famous Indian cricketers starred in a movie called ‘Kabhi Ajnabi The’. Who?

9. Syed Kirmani and Sandeep Patil

10. According to Hindu myth who was the first mortal to die?

10. Yama

11. In the Mahabharatha other than the Kauravas who else had a 100 brothers?

11. Shakuni

12. Whose residence is called ‘Matushri’?

12. Bal Thackeray

13. What does the M.F. in M.F.Hussain’s name stand for?

13. Maqbool Fida

14. What well known verse is actually part of an over all poem titled ‘Bharat Vidhatha’?

14. Jana Gana Mana

15. Who sang the theme song of France’98?

15. Ricky MArtin

16. Whose last words were ‘Don’t worry, relax’?

16. Rajiv Gandhi

17. Who is the only Indian to win a Grand Slam title?

17. Mahesh Bhupati

18. Which place would be the Indian equivalent of the Pakistani Chagai Hills?

18. Pokhran

19. What is common to Clinic All Clear, Pepsi, Nippo, Reebok?

19. Rahul Dravid endorses all of them

20. Who made the popular T.V. serial Malgudi Days?

20. Shankar Nag

21. Who owns a little known software company in Bangalore called D’n’A Systems?

21. Anil Kumble

22. He calls his dog Chewbacca Khan. He won the Sword of Honour in the 12th std. At St. Columbus, Delhi. He made his debut on television as a soldier. Who?

22. Shahrukh Khan

23. In restaurants today, the computerised bill is heavily in use. The items are often abbreviated. If you found MS Dos written on your bill what would you have eaten?

23. Masala Dosa

24. Created by Tnoshiro Honda and Eiji Tsukusuya it was named after a workman at Toho studios in Tokyo. Radioactive and 164 foot high, it breathes fire and made its way to the cover of TIME and Newsweek in the 60s. What?

24. Godzilla

25. If you went to Ooty and asked for a “Filmi Chakkar” what would you get?

25. A tour of the locations where movies are shot in Ooty

26. This man’s first direct contribution to the test field was a leg-break over where he gave nine runs. The place was Port of Spain in 1971. Who?

26. Sunil Gavaskar

27. Which vehicle has the registration no. NCC 1701?

27. Star Trek Enterprise

28. It is called the Hoysala in Bangalore. What is it in Mysore?

28. Garuda

29. What is the duck that appears on Channel 9’s cricket scorecards called?

29. Waddles

30. What would you find at 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue?

30. The White House

31. Who is the daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone?

31. Pebbbles

32. It made its first appearance in the New York Times supplement in 1913. What?

32. The Crossword

33. He is the son of accomplished choreographer Sundaram Master. He made his first on screen appearanceas an extra in a song in the movie ‘Agni Nakshatram’. Who?

33. Prabhudeva

34. What does the 31 in Baskin Robbins 31 signify?

34. That it is available in 31 favours

35. His residence is called “Neverland Ranch’. His autobiography is titled Moonwalk. Who?

35. Michael JAckson

36. What is common to Rajnikanth, Johnny Walker, John Major?

36. All were bus conductors at some point of time

37. In the Bofors case who was nicknamed ‘Lotus’?

37. Rajiv Gandhi

38. His heir apparent Baby was killed a year ago. His brother Arjunan and his two associates Ayyandorai and Karanangalur Ramaswamy committed suicide. Who?

38. Veerappan

39. Which brand’s new adline is ‘I Can’?

39. Nike

40. Which cricketer is nicknamed ‘Jammy’ because his father used to work in Kissan?

40. Rahul Dravid

41. His middle name is Fauntleroy. His father’s name is Quackmore. Who?

41. Donald Duck

42. He made his debut as a stunt double for Bruce Lee because Lee refused to jump from 30 feet for a sequence. Who?

42. Jackie Chan

43. Who is the only real life character to appear in Tintin comics?

43. Al Capone

44. Who was the target of the Jackal in the ‘Day of the Jackal’?

44. Charles De GAulle

45. One of the two main components of the dowry given by Catherine Braganza to Charles I was the Moroccan city of Tangiers. What was the other?

45. Bombay

46. Abandoned in front of a cathedral, he was brought up by a priest. His name in Latin means ‘half formed’. He became the church bell ringer by the age of 14 and lost his hearing as a result. He was dubbed the’Pope of Fools’. Who?

46. Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame

47. Which animal gets its name, from Tamil, because it supposedly has the strength to kill an elephant?

47. Anaconda

48. What does the NE in the Premier 118 NE stand for?

48. Nissan Engine

49. Under what category does the Guinness Book of Records enter itself?

49. As the most stolen book from Libraries

50. This linguist knows 13 languages. He recently released a semi-autobiography titled ‘The Insider’. Who?

50. P.V. Narasimha Rao

51. The video of which recent chartbuster is based on Indiana Jones?

51. Aqua’s Dr. Jones

52. Who represents the constituency of Gurdaspur in the current Lok Sabha?

52. Vinod Khanna

53. His father was the dreaded dacoit Bhairav Singh. He is the founder chief of the Citizens Security Force. Who?

53. Bahadur

54. Who would you find with Raveena Tandon on the cover of the latest issue(Aug 9  of Filmfare?

54. Ricky MArtin

55. Which popular comic character made his first appearance in Pep Comics No. 22 in Dec 1941?

55. Archie

56. What did the Romanian Govt. ban in 1935 saying that it frightened children?

56. Mickey Mouse

57. Who wrote romantic novels under the pen name Mary Clarissa Westmacott?

57. Agatha Christie

58. What was the football world cup trophy called before it was renamed the FIFA trophy?

58. Jules Rimet Cup

59. If you were ‘oscitating’ what would you be doing?

59. Walking backwards

60. Who, at a Nobel awards banquet, wished that the dinner could have been packed and carried to the more needy back home?

60. Mother TEresa

61. India is developing an ICBM called Surya and also an underwater missile. What is it called?

61. Sagarika

62. Who is the host of a new Star Plus chat show called “Not a nice man to know” which is also the title ofhis autobiography?

62. Kushwant Singh

63. In Hindu myth it is referred to as the Pralaya, in Christianity as Armageddon. What is it referred to as in Islam?

63. Qayamat

64. A famous lexicographer upon being approached by a lady thanking him for omitting 4-letter words from his dictionary, is said to have replied with consternation “ So you have been looking for them madam”. Who?

64. Noah Webster

65. What is the German word for ‘store’ or ‘storehouse’?

65. Lager, therefore Lager beer

66. If your IQ is below 20, you are an ‘idiot’, if it is between 20 and 49 you are an ‘imbecile’. What are you if it is between 50 and 69?

66. Moron

67. What is a ‘Mexican breakfast’?

67. A glass of water with a cigarette

68. In the world of Indian fiction, who won the ‘All India Rifle Competition’ in 1975?

68. Feluda

69. “We contemplate the ultimate reality which is in the earth, the sky, the heaven,

Let us bring our minds to meditate in the glory of the divine earth. May truth inspire our reflection“. This is the last prayer of a cult. Which one?

69. Heaven’s Gate

70. Which sportsman’s name is a corruption of the title ‘Ayo Dele’ which means ‘Joy in the house’ and was bestowed upon him by his Nigerian father while it got corrupted due to a mispronunciation by his Scottish mother?

70. Daley Thompson

71. In Greek myth when Theseus offered to kill the Minotaur, Ariadne, Daughter of the King of Crete gave him a thread to help him find his way back from the Minotaur’s dwelling. What word came into English language from this?

71. Clue

72. What commodity was originally called a ‘delirious drug’ in France and ‘a product that causes the shrivelled look of the orient’ in Germany?

72. Tea

73. Where in the world would you find the only digital Rolex clock?

73. Wimbledon Centre Court

74. She works 10-12 hours a day. She smokes 5 packets of cigarettes a day while working. She is the daughter of the renowned poet, Manish Ghatak and niece of director Ritwik Ghatak. She runs a tribal welfare organisation called ‘Paschim Bangla Keriya Sabar Kalyan Samiti’. Who?

74. Mahashweta Devi

75. ‘RUPTUREWORT’ is the largest word that can be made from the letters on the first row of a typewriter. What is the second largest?

75. Typewriter

76. What is the female equivalent of a ‘runway’?

76. Catwalk

77. The fusion of the Chinese ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ is the symbol of which organisation in India?

77. Doordarshan

78. Who is the first Indian to be appointed the Master of the Trinity College at Oxford?

78. Amartya Sen, now Nobel laureate

79. What did Winston Churchill describe as ‘an ineffectual attempt to direct an uncontrollable object into an inaccessible hole with instruments ill-adapted for the purpose’?

79. Golf

80. In Table Tennis a ball is so spun on the table that the opponent does not reach it. This inspired a person named Bosanquet to invent something. What?

80. The Googly in cricket

81. He was recently in India to inaugurate the India Internet World exhibition in Delhi. Originally from Bangalore, he was the co-founder of the popular Hotmail free e-mail service which he sold to Microsoft for $400 million last year. Who?

81. Sabeer Bahtia

82. It’s official name is ‘The Albert Victor Conservatory’ and is spread over an area of 2180 sq.m. What are we talking about?

82. The Glass House at lalbagh, Bangalore

83. This person originally had the surname ‘Little’. Influenced by Elijah Mohd., he joined the Nation of Islam. After a pilgrimage to Mecca, he returned under the name G Haj Malik el Shahbazz, a Sunni Muslim. Who?

83. Malcolm X

84. In a fit of madness this person killed his wife Megara and their children. In order to atone for his sins he did something. Who and what?

84. Hercules and he performed the 12 tasks

85. He was named so because he was born in the same year as that his father first tasted success, in the movie ‘Choti Behan’. He cleaned carpets, worked on an oil rig and on a horse farm. He is now settled as a farmer in New Zealand. Who?

85. Lucky Ali

86. Its predecessor was codenamed ‘Chicago’. Its codename was ‘Memphis’. It was released about two months ago after a delay of nearly a year. What are we talking about?

86. Windows 98

87. A 2 word answer: The first word is the common name for a South American shrub whose dried leaves are chewed as a stimulant. The second word is a West African tree whose seed is used as a condiment and tonic.

87. Coca Cola

88. ‘The god of wind brought about the winds of change in India’. What was once advertised thus?

88. Maruti

89. Which literary personality’s last work was ‘The Phoenix and the Turtle’?

89. William Shakespeare

90. In Phantom comics what are the names of the Phantom’s two pet dolphins?

90. Solomon and Nefertiti

91. Who recently won the “Businessperson of the Year” Award for 1998 instituted by The Economic Times newspaper?

91. N. Chandrababu NAidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

92. About which music group did the legendary Phil Spector remark “ The only difference between a pornographic movie and them is that the pornographic movie has better music”

92. The Spice Girls

93. In the film Mr. And Mrs. 55 Guru Dutt was a cartoonist. Who actually drew the cartoons?

93. Bal Thackeray

94. His wife said of him “he is frightened of the titles and degrees on peoples visiting cards” and his card reads ‘ senior shoe salesman’. Who?

94. Thomas J. Bata

95. It is called ‘deuce’ in English, ‘egalite’ in French. What is it in German?

95. Einstein

96. So sure were the distributors of the success of this film , that they split up the film into 20 minute segments for a kids morning show. Which film?

96. Star Wars

97. If you were engaged in an altercation with a friend and he gave you a ‘circum orbital Hemotopo’ what would you have?

97. A black eye.

98. What is referred to as ‘blue sky research’?

98. Spending enormous amounts of money on futile projects like finding out why the sky is blue etc.

99. What do psychologists define as ‘a disorder in which strongly felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longing often of a perverse nature’?

99. Love

100. Locals affectionately refer to it as ‘bobby’. It is 90 ft long, has a sinuous body, tail, snake like head and a long neck. What?

100. The Loch Ness Monster.

101. According to legend Allah has 1001 names. To be good men, men need know only 1000 names. Who is the only one to know all 1001 names?

101. The Camel

102. What contribution did a vague movie by name ‘Rooplekha’ make to Indian cinema?

102. First movie with a flashback sequence.

103. The word ‘stadium’ comes from ‘stade’ a unit of distance. What was the unit?

103. The distance that Hercules could walk holding his breath.

104. In Asterix comic Unhygienix buys a plot of land from Obelix. How do we supposedly know this land today?

104. As Stonehenge.

105. Which day to day medical term is derived from the Latin for Cow?

105. Vaccination.

106. Based on Hamlet, it was the first English movie to be dubbed into Zulu and was also the first English movie not to feature a single human. Which movie?

106. The Lion King

107. It was believed that the devil was present at all important occasions during the medieval period. What practice arose from this?

107. The practice of clinking glasses to toast. They believed that the sound made was similar to church bells which scared the Devil away.

108. When King George first met him he asked him ‘Tell me , how did you pee’? Who are we talking about?

108. Sir Charles Lindbergh

109. She is a graduate of the National School of Drama . She replaced Mita Vashist in her most celebrated role to date. She is also starring in Kamal Hassan’s under-production film ‘Ladies Only’. Who

109. Seema Biswas.

110. What is common to hearty, Patiala, silent, cocktail, open heart, dancing and round?

110. All are types of laughter.

111. If you were playing with the Devil’s Book what would you be doing?

111. Playing cards.

112. In medieval times, in Europe, 1/3 of taxes went to the King, 1/3 to the nobility and 1/3 to the common man. How is this immortalised?

112. Through the nursery rhyme ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’

113. Born with the body of a mastiff, looks of a lamb, teeth of a bunny rabbit and is one of those mutations that happen when God plays dice. Who or What are we talking about?

113. Ronaldo

114. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid, there were many debates in Parliament regarding what to be done with the disputed land. One of the most popular suggestions came from a first time M.P. from Uttar Pradesh who suggested that a sweet shop be built there. What was his logic?

114. Rama + Babri = Rabri which was a sweetmeat.

115. This bird has the unique distinction of being called by the names of two different countries in different parts of the world. Give both names.

115. Turkey and Peru in Latin America.

116. “There was neither non-exist nor exist. There was neither the realm of space nor the sky beyond”. Opening lines of what?

116. The Rig Veda.

117. In February 1935, the superpolyamide formed from hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid was made by Du Pont. How do we know this compound better?

117. As Nylon

118. This person wrote about himself thus :”Principal virtues : keeps his nails clean. Principal faults : that he has no family, is bad tempered and has a poor digestion. One and only wish : Not to be buried alive. Greatest sin : that he does not worship Mammon. Important events in his life : None”. Who?

118. Alfred Nobel

119. There’s a story that, around 1600, two children were playing with lenses in a shop in Middleburg. What resulted, according to the story, from the game?

119. The telescope. They were playing in Hans Lippershey’s shop. Lippershey is considered to be the probable inventor of the telescope. By holding together the two lenses, the children found, they could magnify the objects kept in the shop. This led Lippershey to construct the telescope.

120. What was patented by Hippolyte Mege Mouries in 1869, after he was commissioned by the Victualing Department of the French Navy to find an alternative for butter at a time of acute butter shortage?

120. Margarine

121. They began to appear in quantities in the 1860s. “I hate those redbreasts”, cried “Punch” in 1869. In 1877 “The Times” magazine declared them a great social evil, and it was following difficulties with them in 1879 that the London Post Office in 1880 cried out “Post Early”. What are we talking about?

121. Christmas Cards

122. His first voyage, in 1607, was intended to find a quick way to China by way of the North Pole, but resulted instead in the establishment of the Spitzbergen whale fisheries. In 1608, in the service of the Dutch East India Company, he sailed 150 miles past the site of New York, but returned back. In 1610, he explored the site that is now known by his name and was frozen in it. Who?

122. Henry Hudson, of Hudson Bay

123. A man by name Friedrich Froebel, walking with two of his disciples over the Steiger Pass on the way to the village of Blankenburg, scratched his head for the right name to give the institution, and then suddenly shouted out “Eureka ! I have it ! It shall be called _______________!”. Fill in the blank.

123. Kindergarten. Froebel, the German educational reformer was the inventor of the Kindergarden system of education.

124. Back in 1890, Johnson & Johnson put together the first of its kind in response to a plea from railroad workers who needed treatment on the scene as they toiled to lay tracks across America. What?

124. First Aid kits

125. To the Hopi Indians, who feared it and filled it with frightening myths, it was the trail made by the God Ta-Vwoats when he took a mourning chief to find his wife in the other world; the river associated with it, according to them was an addition to hold back the unworthy. What?

125. The Grand Canyon and the River Colorado.

126. An author, as a sign of gratitude to the nurse who had cared for his firstborn child, gave a script and asked her to sell it when she was in need of money. Years later, when the nurse was really in want of money, she sold it and lived in comfort for the rest of her life. The manuscript was the first part of a famous work of this author Name the book and author?

126. Rudyard Kipling and the Jungle Book

127. Though Magellan is regarded as the first person to circumnavigate the world, technically he was not, and it was a person by name Juan Sebastian del Cano, who is technically the first circumnavigator. Why?

127. Magellan, while on the expedition, was killed in a squabble with the natives in the Philippines, and it was Cano who assumed command of the expedition and sailed the expedition through the rest of its journey

128. In the United States, currently a small stock of this exists at only one location – at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Some additional stocks are available in Great Britain, Russia and China. Stocks of what?

128. The Small pox virus

129. Masaru Ibuka, after graduating in engineering, failed the entry examination for lifetime employment at Toshiba, and decided to start his own small business. He was fortunate to find a partner who had a flair for finance and salesmanship. Who was this partner?

129. Akio Morita. They together started the company that later became Sony.

130. US banned her entry calling her ‘a communist good’. She was kept in On her journey to the USA from China she got into trouble when the London for time’s sake and became a major attraction there. Who?

130. Chi-Chi the Panda, who became the mascot of the WWF

131. The comic character Yogi Bear lives in a national park that takes its name from the world’s first national park. Name both.

131. Jellystone and Yellowstone

132. The byline of which company, rather ironically went ‘What we do will touch your lives in some way everyday’?

132. Union Carbide Limited (Bhopal Gas Tragedy)

133. Cubatao, in Brazil has certain epithet because it is the world’s most polluted place. What epithet?

133. The Valley of Death

134. Which popular brand takes its name from a particular species of deer native to South Africa?

134. Reebok

135. Which metal was responsible for the fatal brain disease that affected people eating fish caught from the Minamata Bay off the Japanese island of Kyushu?

135. Mercury

136. What is the claim to fame of a body called the Dasohli Gram Swarajya Mandali?

136. Pioneered the Chipko movement

137. A certain kind of bird called Storm Petrels are named after St. Peter. Why?

137. Because they can walk on water

138. The largest flower in the world is named after the person who forced Lord Minto to occupy Java and was at one time the keeper of the London Zoo. We know him best for a city that he founded. Name him and the flower?

138. Sir Stamford Thomas Raffles and the Rafflesia arnoldi

139. In which book would you find the lines ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal’.

139. George Orwell’s ‘Animal farm’

140. The Indian television series ‘Living on the edge’ was the first in Asia to win the prestigious Panda Award. By what popular name is this award known?

140. The Green Oscar

141. Which animal is mentioned as the teacher of Yudhishthira in the Mahabharatha?

141. The Mongoose

142. Which comic character cannot stand trees being cut down?

142. Dogmatix of Asterix

143. Which Banking and Finance corporate major recently tied up with the WWF to issue special WWF branded credit cards wherein the company would donate a certain amount of money on the customer’s behalf to WWF everytime he used the card?

143. Citibank

144. A few years ago a certain insect called the Mexican Beetle was imported into Bangalore in large numbers. Why?

144. To eradicate the weed Parthenium

145. India’s premier environmental magazine is edited by activist Bittu Sahgal. Name it.

145. Sanctuary

146. Who said ‘A nation’s wealth, its real wealth can be gauged by its tree cover ‘?

146. Richard St. Barbe Baker, ‘The Man of Trees’

147. Who is the patron saint of ecology?

147. St. Francis

148. Of which media powerhouse is the Discovery Channel a division?

148. Disney

149. Who authored a bestseller ‘Overload’ which is concerned with a fight between environmentalists and an engineer over the building of a thermal power station?

149. Arthur Hailey

150. This American industrialist donated about 1/5th of his property to WWF in return for which the WWF gives an annual Wildlife Conservation Prize to individuals and organisations for distinguished service to the cause of conservation, in his name. Who?

150. J. Paul Getty

FREE UPSC (PT) QUESTIONS ON :  http://indiaknow.blogspot.com

1.  In the absence of both the President and the Vice-President, who shall act as the President of India?   (a)Prime Minister   
(b)Speaker of the Lok Sabha   
(c)Chief Justice of India    
(d)Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha    
ANS (c)
2. Who among the following advocated Scientific Socialism?   (a) Robert   
(b)Proudhon Pierre Joseph   
(c)Karl Marx   
(d)Saint Simon Henri Claude   
ANS (c)  3. During the Mughal period, which one of the following trades were the first to come to India? (a) Portuguese    
(b) Dutch   
(c) Danish   
(d) English   
ANS (a)  4. Among the following States, which one sends the highest number of members to the Lok Sabha? 
(a) Andhra Pradesh   
(b) Bihar   
(c) Karnataka   
(d) Madhya Pradesh   
ANS (ca)  5. With reference to the Indian Parliament, consider the following statements :
1. A member of the Lok Sabha cannot be arrested by the police under any case when the Parliament is in session.
2. Members of the Indian Parliament have the privilege of exemption from attendance as witnesses in the law courts.
Which of these statement is/are correct ?  (a) 1 only   
(b) 2 only   
(c) Both 1 and 2   
(d) Neither 1 nor 2   
ANS (b)  6. Who among the following was appointed by Ashoka to administer justice in his empire?
(a) Shramana   
(b) Uparika   
(c) Rajuka   
(d) Kumaramaya   
ANS (c)  7. Consider the following statement :
1. Jainism in ancient India condemned the varna system.
2. Jain religious literature was written in Ardhamgadhi.
3. Mahavira admitted women into the order of his follows.
Which if these statement is/are correct ?
(a) G. G. Agarkar    
(b) M. G. Ranade   
(c) R. G. Bhandarkar   
(d) G. H. Deshmukh   
ANS (b)  8. Who among the following was the author of Rajtarangini, commonly regarded as the first genuine history of India written by an Indian?
(a) Banbhatta   
(b) Ravikirti   
(c) Pushpananda   
(d) Kalhana   
ANS (d)  9. Who among the following was the first economist to hold the office of Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Union Finance Ministry?
(a) Dr. I.G. Patel   
(b) Dr. Manmohan Singh   
(c) Rakesh Mohan    
(d) Dr. M.S. Ahluwalia   
ANS (a)  10.What does the abbreviation ATR stand for?
(a) Action Taken Result   
(b) Actually True Report    
(c) Action Taken Report   
(d) Action Taken Rejoinder   
ANS (c)  11. Which of the following cities will host 2012 Olympics Games?
(a) Paris   
(b) New York   
(c) London   
(d) Madrid   
ANS (c)   12. Why among the following was the founder of the Nyay Darshan, on of the six, major schools of ancient Indian philosophy?
(a) Patanjali   
(b) Panini   
(c) Kapil   
(d) Gautam   
ANS (d)  13. Which of the following companies has started a rural marketing network called “e-chaupal”?
(a) ITC   
(b)Dabur   
(c) Hindustan Lever   
(d) Procter & Gamble    
ANS (a)  14. Th e decision to from the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was taken at :  (a) Rangoon   
(b) Bangkok   
(c) Kuala Lumpur   
(d) Tokyo   
ANS (d)
  15. Th e decision to from the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was taken at :   (a) Rangoon   
(b) Bangkok   
(c) Kuala Lumpur   
(d) Tokyo   
ANS (d)  16. Give the correct chronological sequence of the following :
1. Russian Revolution
2. American War of Independence
3. Spanish Revolution
4. The French Revolution  (a) 1 2 4 3   
(b) 2 4 3 1   
(c) 2 1 4 3   
(d) 4 2 3 1   
ANS (b)  17. Which of the following States has the highest female literacy rate, according to 2001Census?  (a) Mizoram   
(b) Kerala   
(c) Tamil Nadu   
(d) Meghalaya   
ANS (b)
  18. Who among the following has been choosen the FDI Personality of the Year 2007 in Asia?   (a) P. Chidambaram   
(b) Kamal Nath   
(c) Ratish Nayaar   
(d) Kaushik Rai   
ANS (b)  19. At which of the following places India’s fist Net Route Server has been set up?
(a) Mumbai   
(b) Noida   
(c) Chennai   
(d) Hyderabad   
ANS (c)  20. Which of the following Fortune 500 Indian companies has suffered loss for the first time in the first quarter of 2005-06?   (a) Indian Oil Corporation   
(b) ONGC   
(c) Reliance Industries   
(d) Bharat Petroleum Corporation    
ANS (a)  21. Answers Correct Answer User Answer  
(a) V.K. Duggal   
(b) Jairam Ramesh   
(c) Dr. I.G. Patel   
(d) Jagmohan   
ANS (d)  22. Which one of the following is not a land-locked country?   (a) Afghanistan   
(b ) Nepal   
(c) Bhutan   
(d) Thailand   
ANS (d)  23. Who invented polio vaccine (oral)?   (a) Albert Sabin   
(b) Burkholder   
(c) Luise Pasture    
(d) Jonas Salk   
ANS (a)  24. Which one of the following processes is not related with chemical weathering?   (a) Exfoliation   
(b) Carbonation   
(c) Hydration   
(d) Oxidation   
ANS (a)  25. Mist is caused by :   (a) Dry ice   
(b) Ice at low temperature    
(c) Water vapours at low temperature    
(d) Carbon-monoxide in solid form  
ANS (c)

FREE UPSC (PT) QUESTIONS ON :  http://indiaknow.blogspot.com

Current Events April 1, 2008 (2008-04-01) (Tuesday)

A human rights group in Sri Lanka has blamed local security forces for the massacre of 17 aid workers in 2006 and accused the government of a cover-up.

The Swedish national postal service will merge with its Danish counterpart, the new group will be based in Stockholm.

Finland‘s Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva is forced to resign after a scandal involving 200 text messages sent to a stripper.

India warns the Dalai Lama not to anger the People’s Republic of China. (BBC News)

Delays in releasing the official results of parliamentary and presidential elections in Zimbabwe are met with widespread speculation and concerns over possible vote rigging. 

Current events of April 2, 2008 (2008-04-02) (Wednesday)

Leader of the House of Commons Harriet Harman becomes the first Labour woman ever to answer Prime Minister’s Questions.

A cross human-cow embryo survives a third straight day after being fertilized at Newcastle University, England. A director for embryonic stem cell laboratories at the Australian Stem Cell Centre said that the “99 per cent human” embryo could improve research within the field of human diseases. The Catholic Church in England however said that the creation was “monstrous” and says that the later destruction of it is unethical. 

The United States House of Representatives votes to provide $50 billion over five years to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa and other third world areas. 

Suspended Serb prison workers from Lipljan, Kosovo, claim that Serbia has not paid them money promised for leaving the Kosovo institutions.

Talks begin in Priština on demarcation of the border between Macedonia and Kosovo.

Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announces he will resign on 6 May after 11 years of rule.

A strong cold front sweeps across south-eastern Australia, bringing destructive winds to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. In Melbourne, a woman died when part of a wall collapsed in the suburb of Mentone.

The European Union announces an investigation into the bailout of the Northern Rock bank in the United Kingdom. 

The President of the United States George W. Bush supports the bids by Georgia and Ukraine to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. 

Cuban citizens now have access to what were formerly “tourist-only” hotels and cellphones. 

Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change defeats Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF in the Zimbabean parliamentary elections. 

Current events of April 3, 2008 (2008-04-03) (Thursday)

An Antonov An-28 operated by Blue Wing Airlines crashes upon landing in Benzdorp, Suriname. All nineteen on board are presumed dead.

Zimbabwean presidential election, 2008:

Police in riot gear surround a hotel in Harare housing foreign journalists. New York Times correspondent Barry Bearak, Daily Telegraph correspondent Stephen Bevan, and two others are arrested. 

MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti reports that police have begun raiding opposition party offices in an apparent “crackdown”.

Bagatur is named the acting Chairman of Inner Mongolia, succeeding Yang Jing, who is the new minister in charge of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.

Jules Verne, the first European Automated Transfer Vehicle, successfully performs a fully automated docking with the International Space Station.

In a procedural decision, the European Court of Justice overturns the addition of the Kurdish rebel organization PKK to the EU’s terrorist blacklist.

Serbian Minister on Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić submits to UNMIK a plan suggesting Kosovo’s division into cantons along ethnic lines. 

Greek and Turkish Cypriots open a crossing at Ledra Street, a main shopping street in Cyprus’ divided capital Nicosia that has come to symbolize the island’s ethnic partition.

The Iraqi military says a suicide bomber has attacked a checkpoint near Mosul, killing 7 people and wounding 12. 

At its summit in Bucharest, NATO invites Albania and Croatia to join the alliance.

CURRENT EVEENTS of April 4, 2008 (2008-04-04) (Friday)

Former commander of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1998–99 war Ramush Haradinaj is acquitted of war crimes charges by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

United States airline Skybus announces that it will be shutting down Saturday and cancels all flights. 

The United States Department of State renews the contract of Blackwater Worldwide to provide security in Iraq despite a number of ongoing investigations.

A suicide bomb attack kills three policemen and a civilian in southern Afghanistan.

The luxury yacht Le Ponant is seized by pirates off the Somalian coast.

Current events of April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05) (Saturday)

A bus carrying high school band students tips over on Interstate 94 northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, killing one person and leaving three others in critical condition. 

183 women and children are taken into protective custody from the YFZ Ranch compound linked to polygamist Warren Jeffs.

Comply or Die ridden by Timmy Murphy, wins the 2008 Grand National at Aintree by four lengths. 

The 4th series of Sci Fi phenomenon Doctor Who started drawing 9.5 million viewers on BBC1 at 6:20 PM.

Current events of April 6, 2008 (2008-04-06) (Sunday) 

Mark Penn resigns as chief strategist for the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign. This comes in the wake of revelations that he performed lobbying work for the Colombian government, regarding a free trade pact that Senator Clinton opposes. 

One man grabs the Olympic torch before police wrestle him to the ground as thousands of anti-China protesters disrupt the Olympic torch relay through London.

Gunmen kidnap 42 university students near the Iraqi city of Mosul. They are later released unharmed.

Twenty people are killed and 50 injured in overnight clashes in Sadr City in Baghdad. 

A rocket attack on the Green Zone in Baghdad results in the death of two United States Army soldiers and 17 injuries.

President of the United States George W. Bush and President of Russia Vladimir Putin hold their final talks in their current positions.

At least ten people including Government minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle are killed in an explosion near Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

Vandals desecrate 148 Muslim graves in France’s biggest WWI cemetery at Notre Dame de Lorette outside Arras in northern France. 

Current events of April 7, 2008 (2008-04-07) (Monday) 

The European Commission approves the use of mobile phones on European flights.

The Kansas Jayhawks defeat the Memphis Tigers in overtime, 75-68, to win the 2008 U.S. Division I men’s college basketball championship.

The Washington Post wins six Pulitzer Prizes including the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for a series of articles of poor conditions for veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

2008 Summer Olympics

The Olympic torch is extinguished by officials as police are confronted by protesters during the Olympic torch relay through Paris. 

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton calls on President George W. Bush to boycott the opening ceremony at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. 

The head of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge says he’s “very concerned” about unrest in Tibet and other issues associated with the Summer Olympics.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the Summer Olympiad claims that the “Olympic torch has received a warm welcome worldwide.” (Beijing 2008)

China and New Zealand sign a free trade agreement. This is China’s first trade agreement with a developed nation. 

Current events of April 8, 2008 (2008-04-08) (Tuesday)

The first Korean astronaut, Yi So-yeon and two Russian Expedition 17 cosmonauts are launched towards the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-12. 

Movement for Democratic Change Secretary General Tendai Biti calls for international intervention to thwart violence in the wake of the Zimbabwean presidential election. 

Current events of April 9, 2008 (2008-04-09) (Wednesday)

The Olympic torch relay through San Francisco descends into confusion as the first runner in the elaborately planned relay disappears into a warehouse on a waterfront pier. 

The body representing all National Olympic Committees says it had deleted a mention of Tibet in its Beijing Games declaration after a debate among its members. 

American Airlines cancels more than 1,000 flights in order to make sure some wiring on its fleet of 300 MD-80 jetliners was secured correctly inside wheel wells. 

Police in Nepal shoot dead six Maoists the day before the holding of Constituent Assembly elections. (ABC Radio Australia)

Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council approves changes to the system of government on Sark, ending about 450 years of feudalism on the Channel Island. 

Current events of April 10, 2008 (2008-04-10) (Thursday) 

Mayor Anders Lago of Södertälje, Sweden, says that his small city of about 80,000 is currently home to nearly 6,000 Iraqis. “More refugees than the United States and Canada together”. 

Frontier Airlines files for bankruptcy protection.

2008 Summer Olympics:

The European Parliament passes a resolution in favor of a boycott of the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympiad.

IOC president Jacques Rogge calls for China to respect its commitment to improve human rights ahead of the Beijing Games.

The Olympic torch arrives in Buenos Aires for the Olympic torch relay under heavy security.

A suicide car bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Kandahar, resulting in the death of eight citizens. 

Nepal prepares for an election that will decide the new Constituent Assembly, tasked with rewriting the constitution. The fate of the monarchy is also at stake. 

Current events of April 11, 2008 (2008-04-11) (Friday)

The President of Cuba Raúl Castro allows thousands of renters to gain title to their own houses. 

A fire destroys the campaign office of Senator Hillary Clinton in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Somalian pirates release 30 hostages (mostly French) kidnapped aboard Le Ponant in the Gulf of Aden a week ago. 

Current events of April 12, 2008 (2008-04-12) (Saturday)

The National Assembly of Haiti removes the Prime Minister of Haiti Jacques-Edouard Alexis following a week of food riots in which six deaths had occurred. 

The President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao meets with the Vice-President-elect of Republic of China (Taiwan) Vincent Siew in the highest level talks between the two sides since 1949. 

The Herald, a government-run newspaper, reports that Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, will not attend the regional crisis meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, to discuss the crisis over the 2008 presidential election. 

International reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence:

Russia threatens to block Ban Ki Moon from serving a second term as United Nations Secretary-General because of his stance on Kosovo’s recent independence. The Kremlin is pressing Ban to ignore, or at least prolong, a proposed 120-day transition period to Kosovo independence from Serbia that expires on 16 June. Renewal of Serbia-Kosovo talks is possible. 

A Sudanese cargo plane crashes in Moldova, killing eight people.

A call to boycott French hypermart Carrefour from 1 May began spreading through mobile text messaging and online chat rooms amongst the Chinese over the weekend from 12 April, accusing the company’s major shareholder, the LVMH Group, of donating funds to the Dalai Lama. There were also calls to extend the boycott to include French luxury goods and cosmetic products.According to the Washington Times on April 15, however, the Chinese government was attempting to “calm the situation” through censorship: “All comments posted on popular Internet forum Sohu.com relating to a boycott of Carrefour have been deleted.

Current events of April 13, 2008 (2008-04-13) (Sunday)

Trevor Immelman of South Africa wins the 2008 Masters Tournament.

Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, calls for immediate action to tackle rising food prices which have caused rioting in several countries. 

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Hajredin Kuçi announces that the newly independent country plans to open 20 embassies abroad. 

The Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd announces that current Governor of Queensland Quentin Bryce will become Australia’s next Governor-General. Ms Bryce will be the first woman appointed to the role.

Thousands of pro-China demonstrators gathered in front of the Canadian Parliament Building in Ottawa to show their support for the Chinese government and 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Current events of April 14, 2008 (2008-04-14) (Monday)

The Nevado del Huila volcano erupts in Colombia, causing thousands to evacuate.

Delta Air Lines reaches an agreement with Northwest Airlines to take over Northwest and create the world’s biggest airline. 

The United States begins occupying its new US$736 million embassy in Iraq, one of the largest embassies in the world. Presently under construction, it is approximately as large as the Vatican City and will permanently employ thousands of Americans, including a Marine detachment. 

Silvio Berlusconi is re-elected for the third time as the Prime Minister of Italy. (AP via The International Herald Tribune)

Nabucco Pipeline: Turkmenistan agrees to supply 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas to the European Union per annum, to reduce the bloc’s dependence on gas from Russia. 

Passenger trains resume between Dhaka in Bangladesh and the Indian city of Calcutta, after 43 years. 

Taliban insurgents attack a checkpoint in southern Afghanistan killing 11 police officers. 

The World Bank announces a package of emergency measures to tackle the dramatic rise in basic food prices which has led to civil unrest throughout much of the developing world.

Current events of April 15, 2008 (2008-04-15) (Tuesday)

A five-year ban preventing prominent Malaysian Opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim from running for office in Malaysia effectively expires midnight .

A plane from Hewa Bora Airways crashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 44.  

War in Iraq: Two separate bombings in Baquba and Ramadi kills at least 60. (CNN)

Six students and a teacher from Manukau City’s Elim Christian College die in a canyoning trip on the Mangatepopo Stream in the North Island’s Tongariro National Park in New Zealand. 

Current events of April 16, 2008 (2008-04-16) (Wednesday)

A Zimbabwean judge clears two British journalists of reporting on the 2008 presidential election without accreditation. 

Around 44 people, mostly children, die after a bus plunges into the Narmada River in the western Indian state of Gujarat. 

The United States Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of lethal injection as a form of capital punishment over Eighth Amendment “cruel and unusual punishment” challenges. 

Current events of April 17, 2008 (2008-04-17) (Thursday)

South Korean special prosecutors investigating Samsung Group indict the Chairman Lee Kun-hee for tax evasion and breach of trust. 

In Malta held the casual election to elect 12 other parliament members, 6 for the Malta Labour Party (MLP) and 6 for the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN), before opening the new parliament of Malta on 11 May, 2008. 

Current events of April 18, 2008 (2008-04-18) (Friday)

CNN news anchor Richard Quest is arrested for possession of methamphetamine in New York’s Central Park.

Texas judge rules that 418 children taken from the YFZ Ranch should remain in state custody for 60 days

South Korea agrees to open its market to beef from the United States ahead of trade talks. 

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs at 04:37 Central Standard Time with its epicenter six miles (10 km) from West Salem, Illinois. Effects are felt as far off as Evansville, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit and Cleveland. While shaking was reported in Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati, there are few reports of damage. 

Current events of April 19, 2008 (2008-04-19) (Saturday)

Muqtada al-Sadr threatens a new rebellion if a United States-Iraqi crackdown against his followers continues. 

Soyuz TMA-11 lands safely outside Arkalyk, 475 kilometers (295 mi) short of the planned landing site in Kazakhstan, due to a computer glitch. 

2008 Summer Olympics torch relay: Chinese nationalists boycott the French-owned retail chain Carrefour in cities including Kunming, Hefei and Wuhan, accusing the French people of racism. Protesters block customers with large flags and throw water bottles. In Hefei, a Carrefour store was vandalized and looted by protesters.

A South African court blocks unloading of the An Yue Jiang, a Chinese cargo ship carrying 77 tonnes of small arms bound for Zimbabwe, purportedly from the Chinese Ministry of Defense. According to reports, the ship has since left for Mozambique. 

Current events of April 20, 2008 (2008-04-20) (Sunday)

Former bishop Fernando Lugo is elected as the President of Paraguay. (AFP via Google News)

Radio Television of Kosovo wants to participate as soon as possible in the Eurovision Song Contest and therefore aims to join the European Broadcasting Union. Some EBU members such as Serbia, Russia and Greece may object, as they don’t recognise the new Republic of Kosovo. 

Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to win a race in any top-flight American motor racing series with her victory in IndyCar’s 2008 Indy Japan 300. 

The New York Times publishes an exposé on the Pentagon message machine. (The New York Times)

Brazilian priest Adelir Antonio de Carli goes missing after cluster ballooning to raise money for truck drivers in Paranaguá, Paraná. 

Current events of April 21, 2008 (2008-04-21) (Monday)

Rioting breaks out in Montreal after the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL win their first round playoff series against the Boston Bruins. Several police cars are torched, but there are no reports of any serious injuries. 

A missile hits the headquarters of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council political party in Baghdad. No one is reported injured. 

A boat carrying Haitian immigrants capsizes off the coast of the Bahamas. At least 20 deaths are reported by the United States Coast Guard. 

Current events of April 22, 2008 (2008-04-22) (Tuesday)

Costa Rica rejects an application for political asylum by former Colombian Senator Mario Uribe following orders for Uribe’s arrest on charges of ties with paramilitary groups. Uribe is then arrested. 

A U.S. federal grand jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, indicts a man on charges of possessing the toxin ricin and on weapons charges. 

Ben-ami Kaddish, a former U.S. Army mechanical engineer, is arrested on charges of disclosing national defense information to Israel. 

The United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that former President of the United States Jimmy Carter was advised not to hold talks with Hamas. 

Zimbabwe churches claim that people are being tortured, abducted and some murdered in a campaign of political retribution against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Current events of April 23, 2008 (2008-04-23) (Wednesday)

Sri Lankan Civil War: In fighting in the North of Sri Lanka, the military claims victory with 43 soldiers killed and 33 missing while killing over 100 Tamil Tigers. The rebels also claim victory, saying that they killed 100 soldiers and wounded 500 while only losing 16 of their own. 

Former President of the United States Jimmy Carter reiterates that no person from the United States Department of State ever asked him not to meet with representatives from Hamas or Syria.

Current events of April 24, 2008 (2008-04-24) (Thursday)

Operation Orchard: The United States claims North Korea helped Syria build a nuclear reactor at a site destroyed by Israeli forces in September 2007. 

Final results in the Nepal Constituent Assembly election show that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won double the number of seats of the next largest party. 

Current events of April 25, 2008 (2008-04-25) (Friday)

Some forty people are injured when the floor of a Mennonite church collapses during a Christian rock concert in Abbotsford, British Columbia. 

Two people are killed and more than a dozen injured after a semitrailer crashes into a Chicago Transit Authority station during rush hour. 

Sri Lankan Civil War: At least 24 people are killed by a blast on a bus near Colombo. (BBC News)

Actor Wesley Snipes is sentenced to three years in prison for tax violations. (The New York Times)

A United States military-contracted vessel fires warning shots in front of two boats in the Persian Gulf, causing the boats to leave. 

Students and their families in various locations across the United States participate in the nationally-recognized 13th annual Day of Silence. 

Current events of April 26, 2008 (2008-04-26) (Saturday)

The death toll from a fire in a mattress factory in the Hay Hassani district of Casablanca rises to 55.

The 26 members of the Spanish FV Playa de Bakio are released by Somali pirates.

The sole provider of public transport in Toronto, Canada, the Toronto Transit Commission, is shut down by a strike.

2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq: The Turkish Armed Forces attack Kurdistan Workers Party positions in northern Iraq. 

Nauruan elections are held after the dissolution of Parliament on April 18. 

Current events of April 27, 2008 (2008-04-27) (Sunday)

Dignitaries including the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai take cover as automatic gunfire breaks out at a ceremony in Kabul. 

A father-and-son duo who owned and managed the factory that burnt down with 55 deaths yesterday in Casablanca have been arrested over serious safety violations.

FREE MORE QUESTION ON : http://indiaknow.blogspot.com

1. Consider the following statements about India’s livestock population?

(1) India owns the largest livestock population in the world.

(2) India accounts for nearly 57 percent of the world buffalo population and 16 percent of the cattle

population.

(3) India is the largest producer of milk.

Which of the above given statement(s) is/are true?

(A) Only (1)

(B) Both (1) and (2)

(C) Only (3)

(D) All (1), (2) and (3)

2. World Tuberculosis Day is observed on which among the following dates?

(A) 22nd May

(B) 23rd June

(C) 24th March

(D) 3rd April

3. The per capita availability of pulses in India is approx.

(A) 13 kg per year

(B) 10.5 kg per year

(C) 18 kg per year

(D) 14 kg per year

4. Which among the following persons and posts they hold is NOT correctly matched?

(A) Rajiv Shukla; Treasurer of Board for Control of Cricket in India

(B) Asif Ismail; Training partner of Sania Mirza

(C) John Gloster; Physical Trainer of Indian Cricket Team

(D) V. Bhaskaran; Coach of Indian Hockey Team

5. Consider the following statements:-

(1) The central government signed two agreements to set up joint venture companies involving the

public sector Airports Authority of India and the GMR and GVK groups for handling over the Delhi and

Mumbai airports for modernisation.

(2) K Ramalingam is Chairman of AAI.

(3) The headquarters of AAI is situated in Jamshed G. Tata House, Navi Mumbai.

Which among the above statements is/are true?

(A) Only (1) is true.

(B) Only (2) and (3) are true.

(C) All (1), (2) and (3) are true.

(D) Only (1) and (2) are true.

6. The commerce ministry has appointed a one-member committee to finalise a viable package for

plantation farmers. Who among the following persons was selected for the job?

(A) M S Swaminathan

(B) CVK Krishnamurthy

(C) N Rangachary

(D) Mr. Sompal

7. According to the WTO charter which among the following is not a benefit availed by is members?

(A) The member Governments are shielded from lobbying.

(B) Freer trade cuts the costs of living

(C) Trade Disputes are handled constructively

(D) Access to Foreign currency is made easier

8. Which among the following states is India’s largest user or pesticide products?

(A) Andhra Pradesh

(B) Uttar Pradesh

(C) Karnataka

(D) Punjab

9. Which among the following is not a cause of decline in the number of natural pollinators worldwide?

(A) Increased international trade of food products has led to a rapid transfer of parasites and diseases

of pollinator species around the world.

(B) In some areas development or agriculture has disrupted and broken up and traditional nectar

corridors that are required to gain their energy requirements for the migration of the pollinators.

(C) The use of Genetically Modified seeds has reduced the chances of pollination via external bodies.

(D) There is growing number of cases where insecticides are being used during the blooming seasons

of the plants, thus causing damage to pollinator species.

10. Which among the following products can be pasteurized?

1. Egg 2. Beer 3. Water 4. Milk

(A) Only 1, 2 and 3

(B) Only 2, 3 and 4

(C) Only 1, 2 and 4

(D) All 1, 2, 3 and 4

11. Which of the following is a breed of buffalo?

(A) Murrah

(B) Mecheri

(C) Gunjam

(D) Chokla

12. Which among the following scheme is not implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare?

(A) Vande Mantram Scheme

(B) Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) Scheme

(C) Janani Suraksha Yojana

(D) Bal Vikas Pariyojana

13. Which among the following persons is the Director General of World Intellectual Property Organisation?

(A) Sultan Shah Amil

(B) Kamil Idris

(C) John Smith Openheimer

(D) Michel Kamdasus

14. According to the latest data which among the following nations has the maximum number of Pravasi

Bhartiya (Migrated Indian Citizens) as their residents?

(A) USA

(B) UK

(C) South Africa

(D) Myanmar

15. Which among the following persons was the chairman of the advisory committee constituted to enable

the government to formulate its view on restructuring of Oil public sector undertakings?

(A) S V Rangnathan

(B) S Vijayaraghavan

(C) V Krishnamurthy

(D) Rakesh Tuteja

16. Which of the following facts is not true about India’s present electricity scenario?

(A) Around 74% of rural households were electrified in the country till March 2006.

(B) Out of this about 55.8% capacity is generated by the state sector.

(C) The contribution of thermal power is 66% of the total installed capacity.

(D) The total installed capacity of power generation in India is about 1.26 lakh MW.

17. Which among the following is not the responsibility of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission that

was established in 1998?

(A) To improve the operations and management of the regional transmission systems through Indian

Electricity Grid Code (IEGC), and Availability Based Tariff (ABT).

(B) To Facilitate open access in interstate transmission.

(C) To dissolve the disputes between power generation and distribution authorities.

(D) Facilitate technological and institutional changes required for the development of competitive

markets in bulk power and transmission services.

18. Vanya is a brand name/label for which among the following products?

(A) Honey

(B) Silk

(C) Sahtoosh

(D) Sandal

19. India’s Integrated Interim missile-testing site Chandipur-On-Sea, from where Agni-Ill was tested, is

situated in which among the following states?

(A) Orissa

(B) Maharashtra

(C) West Bengal

(D) Andhra Pradesh

20. Which among the following business barons was appointed as the Sheriff of Mumbai?

(A) Nusli Wadia

(B) Vijaypat Singhania

(C) Jerry Rao

(D) Ravi Dasani

21. Mr. Tulsi Tanti is chairman of which among the following firms?

(A) Suzlon Energy

(B) Crompton Greaves

(C) DLF

(D) Pollo Tyres

22. The first 20-20 International match was held between which among the following nations?

(A) Australia and England

(B) England and Sri Lanka

(C) Australia and New Zealand

(D) New Zealand and England

23. India hosted the 2006 ICCO global summit for the first time. Which among the following cities hosted it?

(A) Pune

(B) Hyderabad

(C) Mumbai

(D) New Delhi

24. Blaupunkt GmbH is the euro300 million mobile communications and car entertainment company from

which among the following countries?

(A) The Netherlands

(B) Luxembourg

(C) Germany

(D) Norway

25. Global IT services giant Electronic Data Systems Corporation has acquired a significant stake in which

among the following companies?

(A) MphasiS BFL

(B) Hexaware Technologies

(C) Polaris Software

(D) HCL Info

26. Which among the following Indian firm was ranked as India’s Most Respected Multinational Business

Conglomerate’ by United States-India Business Council?

(A) Tata Group

(B) Reliance Industries Limited

(C) Hero Honda

(D) AV Birla Group

27. Which among the following business barons announced to donate about $37.4 billion to Bill and

Melinda Gates foundation?

(A) Steve jobs

(B) Warren Buffet

(C) David Trump

(D) Ingvar Kamprad

28. Which among the following is India’s most profitable company?

(A) Reliance Industries Limited

(B) Indian Tobacco Company

(C) ONGC

(D) NTPC

29. Which among the following Indian companies is providing a free data management solution, as well as,

IT services to ‘Project Hope’ in China?

(A) Living Digital

(B) Satyam Computers

(C) L&T Info

(D) TCS

30. ONGC Mittal Energy Ltd has finalised the investment proposals for setting up a 15 million tonne per

annum export-oriented refinery, a 2,000 MW power plant and railway lines in which among the following

African countries?

(A) Zambia

(B) Ghana

(C) Angola

(D) Nigeria

ANSWERS 1. (D) 2. (C) 3. (B) 4. (A) 5. (D) 6. (C) 7. (D) 8. (B) 9. (C) 10. (D) 11. (A) 12. (D) 13. (B) 14. (D) 15. (C) 16. (A) 17. (C) 18. (B) 19. (A) 20. (B) 21. (A) 22. (A) 23. (D) 24. (C) 25. (A) 26. (A) 27. (B) 28. (C) 29. (B) 30. (D)

Current events of April 13, 2008 (2008-04-13)  (Sunday)

• Biranchi Das shot dead in Bhubneshwar, on Sunday.
• Trevor Immelman of South Africa wins the 2008 Masters Tournament. (Reuters via ABC)
• Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, calls for immediate action to tackle rising food prices which have caused rioting in several countries. (Associated Press)
• Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Hajredin Kuçi announces that the newly independent country plans to open 20 embassies abroad. (PressTV)
• The Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd announces that current Governor of Queensland Quentin Bryce will become Australia’s next Governor-General. Ms Bryce will be the first woman appointed to the role. (News.com.au)
• Thousands of pro-China demonstrators gathered in front of the Canadian Parliament Building in Ottawa to show their support for the Chinese government and 2008 Beijing Olympics. (CTV)

Current events of April 12, 2008 (2008-04-12) (Saturday) 

• The National Assembly of Haiti removes the Prime Minister of Haiti Jacques-Edouard Alexis following a week of food riots in which six deaths had occurred. (Los Angeles Times)
• The President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao meets with the Vice-President-elect of Republic of China (Taiwan) Vincent Siew in the highest level talks between the two sides since 1949. (BBC News)
• The Herald, a government-run newspaper, reports that Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, will not attend the regional crisis meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, to discuss the crisis over the 2008 presidential election. (AP via Google News)
• Controversy over Kosovo independence:
• Russia threatens to block Ban Ki Moon from serving a second term as United Nations Secretary-General because of his stance on Kosovo’s recent independence. The Kremlin is pressing Ban to ignore, or at least prolong, a proposed 120-day transition period to Kosovo independence from Serbia that expires on 16 June. Renewal of Serbia-Kosovo talks is possible. (Makfax)
• A Sudanese cargo plane crashes in Moldova, killing eight people. (Reuters)

Current events of April 11, 2008 (2008-04-11) (Friday)

• The President of Cuba Raúl Castro allows thousands of renters to gain title to their own houses. (USA Today)
• A fire destroys the campaign office of Senator Hillary Clinton in Terre Haute, Indiana. (AP via Google News)
• Somalian pirates release 30 hostages (mostly French) kidnapped aboard Le Ponant in the Gulf of Aden a week ago. (AFP via Google News)

Current events of April 10, 2008 (2008-04-10) (Thursday)

• Mayor Anders Lago of Södertälje, Sweden, says that his small city of about 80,000 is currently home to nearly 6,000 Iraqis. “More refugees than the United States and Canada together”. (The International Herald Tribune)
• Frontier Airlines files for bankruptcy protection. (AP via Google News)
• 2008 Summer Olympics:
• The European Parliament passes a resolution in favor of a boycott of the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympiad. (Deutsche Welle)
• IOC president Jacques Rogge calls for China to respect its commitment to improve human rights ahead of the Beijing Games. (The Herald)
• The Olympic torch arrives in Buenos Aires for the Olympic torch relay under heavy security. (AFP via ABC News Australia)
• A suicide car bomber attacks a NATO convoy in Kandahar, resulting in the death of eight citizens. (Reuters)
• Nepal prepares for an election that will decide the new Constituent Assembly, tasked with rewriting the constitution. The fate of the monarchy is also at stake. (The New York Times)

Current events of April 9, 2008 (2008-04-09) (Wednesday)

• The Olympic torch relay through San Francisco descends into confusion as the first runner in the elaborately planned relay disappears into a warehouse on a waterfront pier. (MarketWatch)
• The body representing all National Olympic Committees says it had deleted a mention of Tibet in its Beijing Games declaration after a debate among its members. (The International Herald Tribune)
• American Airlines cancels more than 1,000 flights in order to make sure some wiring on its fleet of 300 MD-80 jetliners was secured correctly inside wheel wells. (The New York Times)
• Police in Nepal shoot dead six Maoists the day before the holding of Constituent Assembly elections. (ABC Radio Australia)
• Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council approves changes to the system of government on Sark, ending about 450 years of feudalism on the Channel Island. (The Independent)

Current events of April 8, 2008 (2008-04-08) (Tuesday)

• The first Korean astronaut, Yi So-yeon and two Russian Expedition 17 cosmonauts are launched towards the International Space Station on board Soyuz TMA-12. (Spaceflightnow.com)
• Movement for Democratic Change Secretary General Tendai Biti calls for international intervention to thwart violence in the wake of the Zimbabwean presidential election. (BBC News)