GENERAL AWARENESS QUESTIONS FOR BANK EXAMS

1. Which one of the following statements regarding Vladimir Putin in incorrect?
(A) He is the leader of the United Russia Party.
(B) took the oath as the President of Russia on 7 May 2012.
(C) He had served as the President of Russia for two consecutive terms from 2000 to 2008.
(D) He is known as the father of modern Russia.
Answer: He is known as the father of modern Russia

2. Francois Hollande is elected as the President of which of the following nation?
(A) France
(B) Portugal
(C) Greece
(D) Poland
Answer: France

3. Which of the following group of nations has decided to hold consultations on South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region later this year?
(A) U.S., Russia and China
(B) U.S., Russia and India
(C) U.S., India and China
(D) U.S., Japan and China
Answer: U.S., India and China

4. The Teesta treaty has becomes a bone of contention between India and……………...?
(A) Pakistan
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Nepal
(D) China
Answer: Bangladesh

5. Kumbum is a monastery found in which of the country?
(A) India
(B) China
(C) Thailand
(D) Japan
Answer: China

6. The President of which of the following country has recently supported same-sex marriage?
(A) The Netherlands
(B) U.S.A.
(C) Canada
(D) Vatican City
Answer: U.S.A.

7. India said the report biased titled “One Planet” on Asia Pacific region. The report was released by which of the following UN body–
(A) UNESCO
(B) UNSC
(C) UNDP
(D) UNCTAD
Answer: UNDP

8. The Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf is found at–
(A) Antarctica region
(D) Arctic region
(C) Extra-polar region
(D) Himalayan region
Answer: Antarctica region

9. Consider the following statements–
1. invited Indian companies to participate in the exploration.
2. Puntaland is a territory of European continent.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A) only 1
(B) only 2
(C) None of them
(D) Both of them
Answer: only 1

10. Which one of the following is not a nuclear site of Iran?
(A) Qom
(B) Natanz
(C) Bushehr
(D) Abadan
Answer: Abadan

11. Recently a team of Indian scientists have achieved a breakthrough in the search for new anti-malarial compounds of natural origin to combat different strains of the parasites responsible for the dreaded disease. The project is funded by which one of the followings?
(A) Department of Biotechnology
(B) Department of Science and Technology
(C) World Health Organisation
(D) UNESCO
Answer: Department of Biotechnology

12. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) banned the use of live animals in dissection and other experiments in educational and research institutions. The ban is based on which one of the followings?
(A) The prevention of cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
(B) The prevention of cruelty to animals act 1970
(C) The prevention of cruelty to animals act 1980
(D) The Prevention of cruelty to animals act 1990
Answer: The prevention of cruelty to Animals Act 1960

13. A 600 MW solar power park, touted as Asia's first and largest, was dedicated to the nationat which one of the following place?
(A) Badmer, Rajasthan
(B) Patan, Gujarat
(C) Anand, Gujarat
(D) Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Answer: Patan, Gujarat

14. The two-member Adarsh Judicial Commission set up to probe into the scam-tainted Adarsh Housing Society submitted its interim report to the state Government on 13 April 2012? By which of the following governments was the committee set up?
(A) Maharashtra Government
(B) Union Government
(C) Gujarat Government
(D) Andhra Pradesh Government
Answer: Maharashtra Government

15. Who among the following leaders was re-elected General Secretary of CPI (M) for the third consecutive term at the party's 20th Congress, which took place at Kozhikode?
(A) Brinda Karat
(B) Prakash Karat
(C) Sitaram Yechury
(D) AB Bardhan
Answer: Prakash Karat

16. Consider the following statements–
1. A High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) chaired by Srinath Reddy was mandated to develop a framework for providing easily accessible and affordable health care to all Indians.
2. The HLEG was appointed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 & 2
(D) None of the above
Answer: Only 1

17. Consider the following statements–
1. Today India is the largest producer of movies in the world.
2. The National Film Development Corporation of India plans to launch the National Film Heritage Mission with a view to conserving blockbuster movies of the past 100 years of Indian cinema.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 & 2
(D) None of the above
Answer: Both 1 & 2

18. Which of the following district of Bihar has achieved highest record paddy and potato production?
(A) Nawada
(B) Nalanda
(C) Saharasa
(D) Saran
Answer: Nalanda

19. The Centre on 2nd April has rewarded.........................States for performing well in executing rural drinking water schemes during 2011-12?
(A) Six
(B) Seven
(C) Eight
(D) Nine
Answer: Eight

20. Which one of the following will be the longest tunnel of India being constructed in J&K?
(A) Banihal tunnel
(B) Rohtang tunnel
(C) Chenani-Nashri tunnel
(D) None of them
Answer: Chenani-Nashri tunnel 

21. As per a report by Security and Defence Agenda (SDA) and McAfee on 6 May 2012, India ranked………………in affected cyber crimes?
(A) 4th
(B) 5th
(C) 6th
(D) 7th
Answer: 6th

22. Pranahita-Chevella irrigation project was signed between which two states?
(A) Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
(B) Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra
(C) MP and Maharashtra
(D) Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
Answer: Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra

23. Which of the following job guarantee scheme was expanded on 9th May to include 30 works in agriculture, watershed, livestock, fisheries, flood management and irrigation?
(A) MNREGA
(B) NRLM
(C) SSGRY
(D) PRY
Answer: MNREGA

24. A centre dedicated to the life and works of Rabindranath Tagoreis being proposed to be established at–
(A) London
(B) Washington
(C) Edinburgh
(D) Tokyo
Answer: Edinburgh

25. The………………..alone have been empowered to decide on the priority of work to be taken up under MNREGA:
(A) Gram Panchayat
(B) Gram Sabha
(C) DRDA
(D) State government
Answer: Gram Panchayat

26. The UN General Assembly started observing the World Environment Day in 1972 to
1. raise public awareness about the need of better environment.
2. to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment
Choose the right option–
(A) Both 1and 2 are correct.
(B) Only 1 is correct.
(C) Only 2 is correct.
(D) Neither 1 nor 2 is correct.
Answer: Both 1and 2 are correct

27. Scientists at the Tomato Genome Consortium (TGC) successfully sequenced the genomes of which of the following vegetables?
(A) Tomato
(B) Onion
(C) Brinjal
(D) Potato
Answer: Tomato

28. One of the Asia-Pacific nations has agreed to hold its first ever maritime exercises with India. The nation is–
(A) Vietnam
(B) U.S.A
(C) Australia
(D) Japan
Answer: U.S.A.

29. A report titled “Living Planet Report 2012” was released on 15 May 2012 by which one of the following international body–
(A) UNEP
(B) WWF
(C) IUCN
(D) IPCC
Answer: IPCC

30. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was after a long wait allowed visiting any nation. First of all she has visited–
(A) Thailand
(B) Vietnam
(C) India
(D) China
Answer: Thailand

31. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, received the Templeton Prize on 14 May 2012 for his role in promoting links between spirituality and science. The prize money of the award is–
(A) 1.7 million dollar
(B) 2.2 million dollar
(C) 2.7 million dollar
(D) 2.2 million dollar
Answer: 1.7 million dollar

32. Muktinath Temple, a pilgrimage destination for Hindus is situated at which of the following nation?
(A) India
(B) Nepal
(C) Trinidad & Tobago
(D) Malaysia
Answer: India

33. Which of the following country on 9th May has passed a law to encourage a multiparty political system in the country?
(A) Jordan
(B) Qatar
(C) Russia
(D) India
Answer: Jordan

34. Pakistan successfully test-fired Hatf III missile on 10 May 2012. Another name of the missile is–
(A) Babar
(B) Ghaznavi
(C) Gouri
(D) Shahin
Answer: Ghaznavi

35. Consider the following statements–
1. About 50 people on board were killed in a Superjet 100 aircraft crash about 40 miles (64 km) south of Jakarta on 9 May 2012.
2. The Superjet 100 aircraft, Russia's first all-new passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union went missing on 9 May 2012.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A) Only 1
(B) only2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) None of them
Answer: Only 1

36. Veteran actor of Bengali cinema Soumitra Chatterjee was honoured with one of the following award–
(A) Dadasaheb Phalke Award
(B) Dadasaheb Phalke Ratna Award
(C) Lifetime Achievement Award
(D) Sahitya Academy Award
Answer: Dadasaheb Phalke Award

37. According to the 66th round of National Sample Survey (NSS) carried out between July 2009 and June 2010, about…………….of India's rural population lives on less than Rs 35 a day–
(A) 60%
(B) 62%
(C) 66%
(D) 69%
Answer: 66%

38. Which of the following Indian actress has been chosen as the brand ambassador for sanitation programme?
(A) Kareena Kapoor
(B) Vidya Balan
(C) Aishwarya Rai
(D) Hema Malini
Answer: Vidya Balan

39. Recently which of the following body has directed to the Central government to eliminate Haj Subsidy?
(A) Law Commission of India
(B) Supreme court of India
(C) Ministry of Minority Affairs
(D) PMO
Answer: Supreme court of India

40. Yesteryear actress Sushma Seth has been recently awarded by–
(A) Dada Saheb Phalke Award
(B) Jgyanpith Award
(C) Kalpana Chawla Award
(D) Best Jury Award at National Film Festival
Answer: Kalpana Chawla Award   

41. Among the following sentences about the suggestions made by Parliamentary panel, pick out the wrong one:
(A) It has recently suggested to the government to build capabilities to face any challenge.
(B) It has suggested allocating funds towards the modernization of Indian army.
(C) It also underscored the need to fast-track procurement of ammunition for the Army considering that the situation is critical.
(D) It has suggested to restart India’s IGMDP.
Answer: It has suggested to restart India’s IGMDP

42. Who among the following leaders was re-elected General Secretary of the CPI (M) for the third consecutive term at the party's 20th Congress, which took place at Kozhikode?
(A) Brinda Karat
(B) Prakash Karat
(C) Sitaram Yechury
(D) (A) (B) Bardhan
Answer: Prakash Karat

43. The Union Cabinet, on April 26, 2012 decided to retain the voting rights in the private sector banks at 10 percent and felt it could be raised progressively to
(A) 26 percent
(B) 11 percent
(C) 33 percent
(D) 42 percent
Answer: 26 percent

44. ISRO recently gave clearance for using which frequency band from satellite for internet on trains?
(A) C Band
(B) KU band
(C) S Band
(D) 3G Spectrum
Answer: KU band

45. Who is appointed Governor of Rajasthan on 12th May 2012?
(A) Shivraj Singh
(B) Aruna Roy
(C) Margaret Alwa
(D) Prabha Singh
Answer: Margaret Alwa

46. Mother's day is celebrated on–
(A) 13 May
(B) 8 May
(C) 8 April
(D) 14 November
Answer: 13 May

47. The multi-disciplinary steering committee of the Union Sports Ministry approved National coaching camps and exposure trips for the Olympic-bound wrestlers, Name the place where the camp was set up?
(A) Chandigadh
(B) Bhiwani
(C) Patiala
(D) Sonepat
Answer: Sonepat

48. A new naval base, INS Dweeprakshak, of the Indian Navy has been commissioned at–
(A) A&N Islands
(B) Lakshadweep
(C) Visakhapatnam
(D) Kochi
Answer: Lakshadweep

49. The Supreme Court on 2nd May ordered the release of merchant navy ship Enrica Lexie which was seized at Kerala. The ship belongs to–
(A) Italy
(B) France
(C) Singapore
(D) Thailand
Answer: Italy

50. A report title “Premature baby deaths in India” was released on May 2 by which one of the following body?
(A) WHO
(B) UNESCO
(C) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(D) None of the above
Answer: None of the above

GENERAL AWARENESS MCQs

1. Goa's highest civilian award, the Gomant Vibhushan 2011 has been awarded to:
a) Anil Kakodkar                 

b) Charles Correa
c) K Shankaranarayanan  

d) Sam Pitroda

2. The UNESCO Kalinga Prize, an international award, was created following a donation from the former Chief Minister of India to UNESCO in 1951. To which State the chief minister belonged?
a) Kerala  

b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Orissa  

d) Karnataka

3. The Electronic Nose, a biomarker used to diagnose which disease?
a) Tuberculosis  

b) Influenza
c) Malaria         

d) Allergy

4. A new category has been added to the Infosys Prize. The name of the new category is:
a) Public Administration        

b) Botany
c) Humanities  

d) Environment

5. Martin Schulz, elected as the president of the European Parliament belongs to:
a) France  

b) Italy
c) Spain  

d) Germany 

6. Hindu Marriage Act applied to regulate personal life among Hindus, especially their institution of marriage, its validity, conditions for in-validity, and applicability. The act is not applicable to which of the following:

a) Sikhs  

b) Parsi

c) Jains 

 d) Buddhists

7. Which of the following states does not have a full fledged Buddhist Centre?

a) UP         

b) Bihar

c) J&K 

 d) Himachal Pradesh

8. World Food Prize 2012 has been won by the person belonging to which nationality?

a) Brazil  

b) Ghana

c) Israel  

d) USA

9. China's first woman in space is

a) Lin Dan  

b) Lin Ying

c) Lu Lan  

d) Liu Yang

10. Indian judge Dalveer Bhandari has been selected in International Criminal Court. What is the tenure of the judges in ICC?

a) 5 years  

b) 6 years

c) 7 years  

d) 9 years

 

11. Fitch has downgraded the rating of India. What does BBB- implies?

a) economic situation can affect finance

b) currently vulnerable and dependent on favorable economic conditions 

c) Highly vulnerable

d) medium- to long-term growth potential will gradually deteriorate if further structural reforms are not hastened

12. The fertilizer management system has been recommended by:

a) Sam Pitroda  

b) Nandan Nilekani

c) Kaushik Basu  

d) C.Rangarajan

13. GOI has proposed establishment of India Opportunities Venture Fund in collaboration of

a) NABARD         

b) RRB

c) IDBI 

 d) SIDBI

14. Wang Shu has won the Pritzker prize 2012. In which field Pritzker prize is given?

a) Arts 

 b) Music

c) Architecture  

d) Journalism 

15. Hunar se Rojgar Scheme has been launched by

a) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

b) Ministry of Tourism

c) Ministry of Rural Development

d) Ministry of Commerce

 

 

16. Indian has recently signed a Border Pact with which of the SAARC countries?
a) Myanmar  

b) Nepal
c) China       

d) Bangladesh

17. Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2011 was given to
a) V.K Murthy             

 b) Shyam Benegal
c) Soumitra Chatterjee  

d) Saeed Akhtar Mirza

18. Name the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice who was sworn in as Supreme Court judge?
a) Justice F.M.Ibrahim Kalifulla  

b) Justice Dalveer Bhandari
c) Justice Aftab Alam              

d) Justice Madan Bhimarao Lokur

19. Sir creek area is a bone of contention between
a) Pakistan and Afghanistan  

b) India and Pakistan
c) India and Bangladesh       

d) India and Sri Lanka

20. Mahadayi Water Disputes is among the States of
a) Kerala and Karnataka            

b) Karnataka and Goa
c) Karnataka and Tamil Nadu     

d) Kerala and Tamil Nadu

21. India has declared the year 2012 as

a) Year of Intensification of Routine Immunization
b) Year for conservation of Biodiversity

c) Year as conservation of Mineral resources
d) Year of reducing Gender Disparity

22. The first Indian State to pass the Lokayukta bill in 2011 is

a) Uttar Pradesh         

b) Bihar

c) Uttarakhand 

 d) Jharkhand

23. At the 59th National Film Awards, who was declared the best actor?

a) Girish Kulkarni  

b) Upendra Limaye

c) Dhanush  

d) Salim Kumar

24. Who among the following has not been conferred Padma Vibhusan in the year 2012?

a) Bhupen Hazarike  

b) Mario de Miranda

c) Jose Pereira  

d) K.G. Subramanyan

25. German Order of Merit conferred to

a) Ummu Salma Bava  

b) Karl Kehrle

c) Armin Maiwald         

d) Ulrich Adam

 

26. Kabir Puraskar is awarded for:

a) Hindi literature 

 b) Promotion of Communal harmony

c) For contribution in culture development  

d) None of the above

27. India’s first food bank has been established at:

a) Mumbai         

b) Chennai

c) New Delhi  

d) Kolkata

28. Which among these islands in a bone of contention between U.K. & Argentina?

a) Spratly Island  

b) Shetland Island

c) Falkland Island  

d) Turks & Caicos Island

29. In which State the newly inaugurated Dhamra Port is situated?

a) Andhra Pradesh  

b) Maharashtra

c) Orissa         

d) Goa

30. Kerala has the highest sex ratio according to the latest figures released by Census for 2001-2011. What is the sex ratio for that State?

a) 1099  

b) 1091

c) 1084  

d) None of the above

 

SOCIO ECONOMIC AWARENESS QUESTIONS

 

1. As per advance estimates of CSO for the year 2011-12, the GDP growth rate has been estimated at—

(A) 7.6%
(B) 6.9%
(C) 6.4%      
(D) 6.1%

2. The primary sector growth in advance estimate for 2011-12 was2.5% which was......in 2010-11 (Quick Estimates).

(A) 5.4%
(B) 6.4%
(C) 7.0%       
(D) 7.3%

3. 'Sensitive Sector' as defined by RBI includes—

(A) Capital Market
(B) Real Estate
(C) Commodities
(D) All of the above

4. PMEAC has revised its GDP growth estimates for 2011-12 to 7-1% and projected GDP growth for 2012-13 at—

(A) 7-0%-7-4%
(B) 7-5%-8-0%
(C) 8-l%-8-3%
(D) 8-5%

5. The newly launched CPI-based inflation for January 2012 on point to point basis is 7-65%. This inflation has the base year—

(A) 2004
(B) 2006
(C) 2008       
(D) 2010

6. The new Chairman of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) who took charge in January 2012 is—

(A) Harsh Mariwala
(B) R.V.Kanoria
(C) Naina Lai Kidwai
(D) Siddharth Birla

7. As per advance estimates of CSO, the estimated growth rate in tertiary (service) sector for 2011-12 is—

(A) 8-6%
(B) 9-0%
(C) 9-4%      
(D) 9-8%

8. Which of the following sector show the negative growth in the advance estimates of CSO for the year 2011-12 ?

(A) Mining and Quarrying
(B) Agriculture and Fisheries
(C) Manufacturing
(D) Electricity, Gas and Water supply

9. Which organisation is meant to ensure exports from India ?

(A) EXIMBank
(B) ECGC
(C) Ministry of Commerce
(D) None of the above

10. Which of the following is considered lending for promotion of exports ?

(A) Packing Credit
(B) Overdraft
(C) Cash Credit Account
(D) Bill Discounting

11. Which of the major port in India celebrated its Golden Jubilee in January 2012 ?

(A) Kolkata/Haldia Port
(B) ParadeepPort
(C) Vishakhapatnam Port
(D) KandlaPort

12. As per India State of Forest Report 2011, the State having the maximum forest area is—

(A) Arunachal Pradesh
(B) Rajasthan
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Uttar Pradesh

13. India State of Forest Report 2011 puts forest area in the country at—

(A) Below 25%
(B) Between 25% and 27%
(C) Between 27% to 30%
(D) Above 30%

14. At the end-December 2011, the teledensity in the country stood at—

(A) 72.38%
(B) 76.86%
(C) 79.03%
(D) 80.76%

15. As per the changed import duty structure on gold and silver, the import duty on gold and silver will be charged at.................respectively of the value of the imported metal.

(A) 1.5% and 5%
(B) 2.0% and 6%
(C) 1.5% and 6%
(D) 2.5% and 6%

16. As per the status of end-December 2011, which of the following company holds the maximum share in telephone services ?

(A) Vodafone
(B) BhartiAirtel
(C) Reliance
(D) BSNL

17. Which type of bank account can be opened by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) in India ?

(A) Current Account
(B) Fixed Deposit Account
(C) Savings Account
(D) Locker Account

18. 'HUNGAMA' report of Nandi Foundation is related to—

(A) Hunger and Malnutrition
(B) 2-G Spectrum Scam
(C) Tax-evasion
(D) Black Money deposited in foreign banks

19. 'Trust Card' has been launched by an organisation to make consumer's payment more easier. The organisation is—

(A) Delhi Metro
(B) ICERT
(C) BSNL
(D) BhartiAirtel

20. The Sixth Economic Census of commercial units was/will be done in the year—

(A) 2011
(B) 2012
(C) 2013       
(D) 2014

21. As per the HUNGAMA report, the percentage of underweight (malnourished) children younger than five years in India is—

(A) 65%
(B) 54%
(C) 42%
(D) 31%

22. As per the second advance foodgrains estimates for 2011-12, foodgrains production during 2011-12 is estimated at—

(A) 246-46 MT
(B) 250-42 MT
(C) 254-68 MT
(D) 262-32 MT

23. As per final estimates, wheat and rice production in 2010-11 stood at—

(A) 86-87 MT and 95-98 MT respectively
(B) 95-98 MT and 86-87 MT respectively
(C) 88-31 MT and 102-75 MT respectively
(D) 86-87 MT and 102-75 MT respectively

24. The Fourth Rail Coach Manufacturing Factory (The first in India to be built on PPP model) is being made in—

(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Kerala
(C) Karnataka
(D) Tamil Nadu

25. In which of the following currencies, India has decided to make payment to buy crude oil from Iran ?

(A) US Dollar
(B) Indian Rupee
(C) Pound Sterling
(D) Euro

Answers

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

11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Cochin

The 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held from 7 to 9 January, 2013 in Cochin. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs said that the Prime Minister will inaugurate this annual flagship event of the Ministry on 2013 January 8, and the President of India will deliver the valedictory address on 2013 January 9 and also confer the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards. The pre-conference seminars will also be organized on  7 January.

The Minister said that the PBD has become a significant forum to connect the overseas Indians from all over the world and the PBD-2013 will be focusing on more connectivity with overseas Indians. He further said that Kerala will be the partner State of the 11th PBD, which would provide the Diaspora an opportunity to understand the vibrant culture and potential of the State. The Minister said that more than 2000 delegates are expected to participate in PBD-2013 from all over the world.

Economy & Banking Awareness Questions for IBPS Exams

1. Which Hyderabad-based drug discovery research and development organisationon 28 November 2011 entered into an alliance with the Moulder Centre for Drug Discovery Research at Temple University, Philadelphia?
a. Ranbaxy
b. Cipla
c. GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO)
d. Sanofi-Aventis
Answer: (c)

2. Which of the following companies mentioned below launched its cruiser bike Intruder M800 priced at Rs 8.88 lakh on 28 November 2011?
a. Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd
b. Hero Moto group
c. Yamaha
d. Bajaj Auto
Answer: (c)

3. Afghanistan on 28 November 2011 awarded mining rights for three of the four Hajigak blocks located at the central Bamyan province to an Indian consortium led by which of the following PSUs?
a. BHEL
b. SAIL
c. National Mineral Development Corporation
d. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam
Answer: (b)

4. Who did British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC re-elected as Chairman on 29 November 2011 in the company’s annual general meeting in London?
a. James Murdoch
b. Rupert Murdoch
c. Martin Gilbert
d. Matthieu Pigasse
Answer: (a)

5. Which drug maker on 30 November 2011 launched the generic version of blockbuster cholesterol-busting drug Lipitor, dubbing it the largest generic product launch in US history?
a. Pfizer
b. Watson Pharma
c. Dr.Reddy’s
d. Cipla
Answer: (b)

6. Which real eastate major company acquired the additional 26 per cent stake in its joint venture company with Hilton Hotel from Aro Participation Ltd and Splendid Property Company Ltd, affiliates of Hilton International?
a. Larsen & Toubro Limited
b. DLF
c. Punj Lloyd Limited
d. Tata Construction & Projects Ltd
Answer: (b)

7. Which Power distribution company on 5 December 2011 announced change of its name to Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited?
a. North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL)
b. Adani Power
c. Lanco Infratech
d. CLP Power
Answer: (a)

8. Name the mobile phone operator in India which decided to renew its contract with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to manage and maintain its networks in eight circles for three years.
a. BSNL
b. Idea Cellular
c. Bharti Airtel
d. Uninor
Answer: (c)

9. Retail entrepreneur Kishore Biyani exited his financial services through two separate transactions worth over Rs 1000 crore. Which company purchased Pantaloon's 26% stake in its insurance Future group’s joint venture Future Generali Life for Rs 250-300 crore?
a. Deccan Chronicle
b. Investment Trust ( IITL)
c. RIL
d. Tata group
Answer: (b)

10. Which bank signed a memorandum of understanding with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to use the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) facility to facilitate electronic funds transfer of policy payments to policyholders?
a. IDBI
b. Corp Bank
c. Indian Overseas Bank
d. Dhanlaxmi Bank
Answer: (d)

11. Which digital technology major received an award for its Air conditioners at the National Energy Conservation Awards, 2011?
a. Samsung Electronics
b. Phillips
c. Hitachi
d. Videocon
Answer: (a)

12. Swedish multinational SKF launched the company's Global Technical Centre in which of the following cities in India on 14 December 2011?
a. Chennai
b. Hyderabad
c. Bangalore
d. New Delhi
Answer: (c)

13. Which PSU lender decided to aggressively market its gold loan scheme for farmers to prevent defaults after the agriculture sector witnessed a sharp spike in bad debt in the past one year?
a. Union Bank
b. United Bank of India
c. Industrial Development Bank of India
d. State Bank of India
Answer: (d)

14. Who did the Central Government appoint as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Andhra Bank?
a. B. A. Prabhakar
b. O. P. Bhatt
c. Pratip Chaudhuri
d. S. Vishvanathan
Answer: (a)

15. The directorate general of hydrocarbons (DGH), the technical arm of the oil ministry approved which company’s proposal to commence production from Bhagyam, the second-largest oil field in the Rajasthan block?
a. Essar Oil
b. ONGC
c. Cairn India
d. Indian Oil
Answer: (c)

16. Who did Colgate-Palmolive India (CPIL) on 20 December 2011 appoint as Managing Director for five years from 1 February 2012?
a. Prabha Parameswaran
b. Mukul Deora
c. R. A. Shah
d. P. K. Ghosh
Answer: (a)

17. AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical company in December 2011 chose which of the following companies as a strategic infrastructure outsourcing partner?
a. Infosys
b. HCL Technologies
c. Wipro BPO
d. Cape Gemini
Answer: (b)

18. Which of India's leading commodity bourses on 20 December 2011 became the world's fifth-largest commodity futures exchange?
a. National Multi Commodity Exchange of India
b. Bharat Diamond Bourse
c. Multi Commodity Exchange
d. Bombay Stock Exchange
Answer: (d)

19. Ravi Ruia decided on 21 December 2011 to step down as chairman of which of the following London-listed after a trial court admitted a criminal chargesheet filed by the investigating agency, CBI?
a. Essar Energy
b. Essar Shipping
c. Essar Oil
d. Eaasr Technologies
Answer: (a)

20. Which company won the award for Alternative Thinking and Driving Positive Change in the Fleet Owner category at the Mahindra Navistar Transport Excellence Awards 2011 at Hotel Ashok here on 20 December 2011?
a. Tata Motors
b. Hero Group
c. Edu Comp
d. Agarwal Packers & Movers
Answer: (d)

21. Oman Investment Fund (OIF), the Sultanate of Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, filed application with the government to buy a stake in which of the software solutions company, IT People promoted exchange?
a. Universal Commodity Exchange
b. Agri bourse NCDEX
c. Intercontinental Exchange
d. National Spot Exchange Limited
Answer: (a)

22. Which company on 27 Deember 2011 mentioned that it would acquire the remaining 51 per cent stake from BP Alternative Energy Holdings in the joint venture that it formed with BP?
a. Reliance Power
b. Tata Power
c. Adani Power Limited
d. ABB Ltd
Answer: (b)

23. Which paharmaceutical company announced in December 2011 the launch of Supamovecream used for treating pain and inflammation in India?
a. Cipla
b. Ranbaxy
c. Dr. Reddy’s
d. Sun Pharmaceuticals
Answer: (c)

24. Name the state-run Mumbai-headquartered bank which on 29 December 2011 surprised the market by cutting its base rate, the minimum lending rate, by 10 basis points, thereby becoming the first banker this year to do so when others are waiting for a signal from the central bank.
a. State Bank of India
b. Union Bank
c. United Bank of India
d. Allahabad Bank
Answer: (b)

25. The $35-billion Aditya Birla group plans to set up a viscose staple fibre (VSF) plant in the Adana Organised Industrial Zone in which of the following countries?
a. Tunisia
b. Tanzania
c. Turkey
d. Tibet
Answer: (c)

26. Which PSU announced on 2 January 2012 that its board approved in a meeting held on 30 December 2011 the switching over to internationally-accepted Gross Caloric Value-based pricing mechanism?
a. BHEL
b. ISPAT
c. CIL
d. IOC
Answer: (c)

27. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) entered the media and entertainment sector by making a major investment in one of India’s largest broadcast companies. Name the broadcast company.
a. Network18 Group
b. Adlabs Films
c. Balaji Telefilms
d. Bag Films
Answer: (a)

28. Credit Suisse upgraded which company to neutral from underperform, citing valuation comfort at current?
a. Essar Energy
b. Reliance Power
c. Bajaj Auto
d. Tata Steel
Answer: (d)

29. Which PSU lender called off its plans to set up a joint venture with Visa Inc and Elavon Inc to enter the merchant acquiring business over differences on sharing technology?
a. Union Bank
b. State Bank of India
c. Syndicate Bank
d. Corp Bank
Answer: (b)

30. This company acquired Star more than 500 films like blockbusters like Salman Khan's Dabangg, Ready, Golmaal 3, Tees Maar Khan, Thank You, No One Killed Jessica, Guzaarish, Kites and Raavan from a general entertainment channel owned by the Viacom 18 Group?
a. Sony
b. UTV movies
c. Colors
d. Sab TV
Answer: (c)

31. State-run Northern Coalfields (NCL) agreed to surrender land required to mine two blocks attached to the Sasan ultra mega power plant to which of the following companies giving the comapany the benefit of over Rs 6000 crore over the life of the venture?
a. Reliance Power
b. Adani Power
c. Birla Power Solutions
d. DLF Power
Answer: (a)

32. Which car took home the crown of Indian Car Of The Year 2012 in January 2012?
a. Toyota Etios Liva
b. Maruti Suzuki Swift
c. Hyundai Verna
d. Hyundai Eon
Answer: (b)

33. B. D. Park was appointed the President and CEO of this electronic major’s South West Asia Operations and Managing Director of its India operations. Which electronic major is in question here?
a. Phillips
b. Videocon
c. Samsung
d. LG
Answer: (c)

34. Maldives authorities allowed Male International Airport operator to collect airport development and insurance charges from passengers, nearly a month after a local court barred the Bangalore-based company from doing so. Name the operator.
a. GMR Infrastructure
b. International Air Transport Association (IATA)
c. Fraport AG
d. DIAL
Answer: (a)

35. Which French construction major entered the Indian market by buying out 100 per cent stake in NAPC, a Chennai-based construction company?
a. Sinopec Engineering
b. Uhde
c. Vinci
d. Snamprogetti
Answer: (c)

36. Which of the following companies infused Rs 520 crore equity into BSES Delhi distribution companies as part of Rs 5,100 crore financial package being worked by IDBI
a. NTPC
b. RIL
c. Adani Power Ltd
d. Birla Group
Answer: (b)

37. Suzlon Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with this State Government as a part of the CII's Partnership Summit that concluded on 13 January 2012. As per the MoU, Suzlon Energy will develop wind power projects totalling 3,000 MW in Andhra Pradesh over the next four years, involving potential investment of up to Rs.18,000 crore. Name the state government with which the MoU was signed.
a. Andhra Pradesh government
b. Gujarat governemnt
c. Orissa government
d. Arunachal Pradesh government
Answer: (a)

38. Name the auto making company which launched three new variants of the Eon-D — Lite plus, Era plus and Magna plus in the Indian market in January 2012.
a. Tata Motors
b. Hyundai Motor India
c. Volkswagen
d. Maruti Suzuki
Answer: (b)

39. The Government of which of the following countries acquired 1.09 per cent stake, currently worth about Rs.2500 crore, in Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), the company's latest shareholding data show?
a. Malaysia
b. Japan
c. Phillipines
d. Singapore
Answer: (d)

40. Which Photography Pioneer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 19 January 2012 making it likely for the 132-year-old trailblazer to become the most storied casualty of a digital age?
a. Eastman Kodak Company
b. Fuji
c. Nikon
d. Canon
Answer: (a)

41. Which company retained its top position in Interbrand's list of the top 100 global brands in 2011?
a. Apple
b. Coca cola
c. Microsoft
d. Google
Answer: (b)

42. The Bangalore-based pharmaceutical major, Strides Arcolab, sold its 94 per cent stake in Ascent Pharmahealth, a subsidiary with operations in Australia and Southeast Asia, to which of the following U.S.-based pharma companies?
a. Watson Pharmaceuticals
b. Abbott Laboratories
c. Pfizer
d. Derma Sciences
Answer: (a)

43. The Board of Approval (BoA) under the Commerce Ministry on 24 January 2012 approved the proposal of this company to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Identify the company.
a. Reliance Industries
b. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
c. Hero Motors
d. Infosys
Answer: (b)

44. Which private life insurance company from India on 25 January 2012 launched its first international operations with the opening of its representative office in Dubai?
a. Kotak Insurance
b. New India Insurance
c. HDFC Life
d. Religare Insurnce
Answer: (c)

45. Name the world’s largest biotechnology company, agreed to buy Micromet in a $1.16 billion deal to gain an experimental leukemia drug.
a. Celgene Drug
b. B B Biotech
c. Dechert
d. Amgen
Answer: (d)

46. Which channel developed a 52-week special India: Wild Encounters to focuss on India's enchanting wildlife s well as take viewers on an exploration spree ?
a. Discovery India
b. Animal Planet
c. Sony
d. National Gepgraphy
Answer: (b)

47. Which electronic gadget maker predicting a fourth consecutive year of losses, named Kazuo Hirai as chief executive officer, replacing Howard Stringer?
a. Sony
b. Samsung Electronics
c. Videocon
d. Hitachi
Answer: (a)

48. Binani Industries, the holding company of Braj Binani group, cquired a Belgian fibreglass company for 275 million euros. The Belgian company is a leading manufacturer of fibreglass in Europe. Name the Belgian company.
1. 1B
2. 2B
3. 3B
4. F2B
Answer: (c)

49. Which state run company signed an agreement with its trade unions for increase in the wages under which minimum guaranteed benefit would be 25% of gross?
a. BHEL
b. CIL
c. IOC
d. ONGC
Answer: (b)

50. Which of the following banks filed a criminal complaint against Sterling Biotech, and its six directors, for allegedly defaulting on repayments on credit facilities provided by the public sector lender?
a. State Bank of Travancore
b. State Bank of Mysore
c. State Bank of Patiala
d. State Bank of Indore
Answer: (b)

51. Shailesh Rao, managing director (media & platforms) at Google’s Asia-Pacific operations, left the world’s biggest Internet search company to set up the international business of which of the following companies?
a. Yahoo
b. Rediffmail
c. Skype
d. Twitter
Answer: (d)

52. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1. He was the founder of Max Telecom
2. He is the founder and Chairman of Max India
3. He has been appointed the Non-Executive Chairman of Vodafone India
4. He is a veteran of Telecom Industry
(a). Deepak Parekh
(b). Sunil Bharati Mittal
(c). KP Singh
(d). Analjeet Singh
Answer: (d)

53. Which of the following Indian Telecom company on 16 February 2012 got the RBI nod for FCCB redemption?
(a). Reliance Telecom
(b). Uninor
(c). Airtel
(d). Vodafone
Answer: (a)

54. Cognizant which on 13 February 2012 inked a 5-year deal with Future Group is a
(a). Logistic Company
(b). Aviation Company
(c). Online Retail Company
(d). Technology Solution Company
Answer: (d)

55. Kintetsu World Express of Japan and Gati on 13 February 2012 entered into a Joint Venture of which of the following sector?
(a). Electronic Equipments
(b). Supply Chain
(c). Single Brand Retail
(d). Technology Solution
Answer: (b)

56. Legrand, the French electronic and digital equipments company on 9 February 2012 acquired the UPS business of which of the following Indian brand?
(a). Luminous
(b). Onida
(c). Numeric Power
(d). Invertabular
Answer: (c)

57. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
2. He is the Chairman of HDFC
3. He has been given the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award 2011
4. He is one of the pioneer in the Housing Finance in the country
5. He is on the board of Castrol India Limited
(a) Deepak Parekh
(b) Rahul Bhatia
(c) Ratan Tata
(d) Analjeet Singh
Answer: (a)

58. Rahul Bhatia, who was chosen for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award is the Managing Director of
(a) Qualcomm Communications
(b) Jet Airways
(c) Vodafone
(d) InterGlobe Enterprises
Answer: (d)

59. Etisalat Which has initiated the legal proceeding against the promoters of Swan Telecom, its joint venture partner in India, is a
(a) Baharain Based Company
(b) UAE Based Company
(c) Australia Based Company
(d) Russia Based Company
Answer: (b)

60. The Competition Commission of India, under the Competition Act, 2002of Parliament, has been empowered to look into
(a) high voltage merger and acquisition deals
(b) market activities
(c) security market tradings
(d) client base of different companies
Answer: (a)

61. World’s largest two wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp on 22 February 2012 inked a pact with Erik Buell Racing [EBR]. EBR is an
(a) USA based company
(b) UAE based company
(c) Argentina based company
(d) UK based company
Answer: (a)

62. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1. He has recently joined the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as its Chairman
2. He is one of the few outsiders to head HAL
3. He started his career with ONGC in 1976
4. He has also served as the head of Pawan Hans Limited
(a) RK Sharma
(b) RK Tyagi
(c) AM Naik
(d) Pratip Chaudhury
Answer: (b)


63. Which of the following Indian company has formed a joint venture with South African firm Exxaro
(a) Reliance Industries
(b) Essar
(c) Tata Power
(d) Vodafone India
Answer: (c)

64. Who has been appointed the new Managing Director of Hyundai India?
(a) Bo Shin Seo
(b) Andrew Mark
(c) Anil Aggarwal
(d) Anand Mahindra
Answer: (a)

65. Admax, South Asia’s largest digital media network was acquired by which Indian company
(a) Komli Media
(b) Mindtree
(c) Tata Teleservices
(d) Google India
Answer: (a)

66. James Murdoch, who on 29 February 2012 stepped down as Executive Chairman of News International is son of
(a) Rupert Grint
(b) Steve Murdoch
(c) Mark Rupert
(d) Rupert Murdoch
Answer: (d)

67. Consider the following statements using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
2. He has recently been appointed as the Chairman of Mindtree Limited
3. He is also the co-founder of Mindtree limited
4. He has replaced Ashok Soota as the Chairman of Mindtree Limited
5. He has also served as the Vice Chaiman of Mindtree
(a) Subroto Bagchi
(b) Vivek Hooda
(c) Ashok Malik
(d) Pradeep Rungta
Answer: (a)

68. Which one of the following statements is wrong
(a) Varun Berry resigned from the Pepsi Co India on 29 February 2012
(b) He was the Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo India Food
(c) He joined the company in 2006
(d) As the CEO of PepsiCo India Foods, he promoted brands like Lay’s, Quaker, Kurkure and Lehar
Answer: (c)

69. Who has been appointed the new Managing Director of Hyundai India?
(a) Bo Shin Seo
(b) Andrew Mark
(c) Anil Aggarwal
(d) Anand Mahindra
Answer: (a)

70. Company Law Board on 1 March 2012, returned the petitions of
(a) Telenor and Unitech
(b) Reliance Telecom
(c) Etisalat DB
(d) STel
Answer: (a)

71. Which of the following public sector bank has appointed Madhukant Girdharlal Sanghvi as its new Chairman
(a) Bank of Baroda
(b) Allahabad Bank
(c) State Bank of Maharashtra
(d) Syndicate Bank
Answer: (d)

72. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1. He the CEO of Mahindra Satyam
2. He is to be appointed as the CEO of Mahindra Satyam-Tech Mahindra
3. He was instrumental in recreating the image of fraud-hit-firm and giving it a new lease of life Satyam
4. In 2007, he was nominated for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award bestowed by Ernst & Young.
(a) AM Naik
(b) CP Gurnani
(c) Shiv Nadar
(d) Anand Mahindra
Answer: (c)

73. Which of the following car company on 23 March 2012 hiked the price of its cars by 2.2 – 5.1 per cent
(a) Skoda India
(b) Volkswagen India
(c) Tata Motores
(d) Hyundai
Answer: (a)

74. Indigo Manza is the car manufactured by _ _ _ _ _ _
(a) Tata Motors
(b) Honda Motors
(c) Hyundai Motors
(d) Nissan Motors
Answer: (a)

75. Which of the following banks on 20 March 2012, launched its new card product named Sapphiro
(a) HDFC
(b) State Bank of India
(c) Kotak Mahindra
(d) ICICI
Answer: (a)

76. Which of the following companies on 12 March 2012 unveiled India’s first CDMA network technology driven tablet computers
(a) Airtel
(b) Dell
(c) Reliance Communications
(d) Idea Cellular
Answer: (c)

77. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
2. He is the deputy chairman of Tata Group
3. He is to be appointed as the Chairman of Tata Group in December 2012
4. He was appointed on the Board of Directors of TCS on 1 April 2012
5. He is the first person out of Tata family, who has selected to head the Tata group after Ratan Tata
(a) OP Bhatt
(b) Cyrus Mistry
(c) Noel Tata
(d) Kumar Mangalam Birla
Answer: (b)

78. Which of the following nationalized bank on 1 April 2012 appointed D Sarkar as chairman and Managing Director
(a) Indian Bank
(b) Allahabad Bank
(c) Union Bank of India
(d) Canara Bank
Answer: (c)

79. Naresh Goyal is the chairman of _ _ _ _ _ _
(a) Jet Airways
(b) Indigo Airlines
(c) Air India
(d) Go Indigo
Answer: (a)

80. S Narsing Rao has been appointed as the CMD of Coal India Limited. Which of the following statements related to Coal India Limited is wrong?
(a) Coal India Limited is an Indian state-controlled coal mining company
(b) It acquired the Maharatna status in April 2011
(c) Coal India Limited was formed in 1973 as Coal Mines Authority Limited
(d) All the statements are wrong
Answer: (d)

81. Volkswagen launched the new IPL edition of Vento and Polo. Volkswagen is a carmaker headquartered in_ _ _ _ __ _ _.
(a) South Korea
(b) Italy
(c) Japan
(d) Germany
Answer: (d)

82. Consider the following statements and using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1. He is the Chairman of Hindustan Zinc Limited
2. He also heads MALCO, Sterlite Iron and Steel Company Ltd and Sterlite Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd
3. He is the son of Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal
4. He has recently picked up 60 per cent stake in Chennai-based nascent Primex Healthcare
(a) Agnivesh Agarwal
(b) Ramesh Agarwal
(c) Brajesh Agarwal
(d) Ajay Agarwal
Answer: (b)

83. Which of the following Indian companies has announced to supply Cholera vaccines to the African nation Haiti?
(a) Ranbaxy
(b) Pfizer
(c) Glaxo
(d) Shantha Biotechnics.
Answer: (d)

84. Samsung, which announced to launch its new version of the 7-inch tablet in Indian market in early May this year, is headquartered in _ _ _ _ _ _.
(a) South Korea
(b) North Korea
(c) Taiwan
(d) Thailand
Answer: (a)

85. Which one of the following given statements is wrong?
(a) IDBI is a public sector bank
(b) It has recently launched a Swiss Franc (CHF) denominated bond for an amount of 620 crore Rupees
(c) RM Malla is presently the CMD of the bank
(d) The bank provides loan only to the government
Answer: (d)

86. Which one of the following personalities was appointed as the MD of Sun TV?
(a) K Vijay Kumar
(b) Dayanidhi Maran
(c) Vinod Goenka
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a)

87. Consider the following statements using the code given below identify the personality with whom these statements are associated
1. She is the chairman of Biotechnology company Biocon limited
2. She was awarded with the Economic Times Businesswoman of the Year award in 2004
3. Her company has announced a dividend of 5 rupees per share
4. She is also the founder of Biocon
(a) Naina lal Kidwai
(b) Sunita Narain
(c) Kiran Bedi
(d) Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Answer: (d)

88. Which one of the following statements is wrong
(a) NTPC has successfully completed the automation package for the Simhadri Stage-II
(b) It is NTPC's first coastal-based coal-fired thermal power project
(c) The super thermal power project located near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh
(d) NTPC is a private energy company, based in China
Answer: (d)

89. Telecom giant Vodafone on 23 April 2012 inked pact to acquire which of the following company?
(a) Motorola
(b) Stel
(c) CWW
(d) Docomo
Answer: (c)

90. Food major Nestle acquired Pfizer's infant nutrition business for 11.85 billion dollar, Nestle is a _ _ _ _ _ _ based company.
(a) USA
(b) Britain
(c) Switzerland
(d) Norway
Answer: (c)

Obama nominates Indian-American on US Court of Appeals

US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American, Srikanth Srinivasan to a key judiciary position and termed him as a trailblazer. 
 

Srinivasan has been nominated to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit along with Caitlin Halligan.

"Caitlin Halligan and Sri Srinivasan are dedicated public servants who will bring their tremendous experience, intellect, and integrity to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit," Obama said.

"This important court is often called the Nation's second-highest court, and it stands more than a quarter vacant. Srinivasan will be a trailblazer and, like Halligan, will serve the court with distinction and excellence," Obama added.

Born in Chandigarh and brought up in Kansas, Srinivasan is the Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the US.

"He is a highly-respected appellate advocate who has spent a distinguished career litigating before the US Supreme Court and the US Courts of Appeals, both on behalf of the United States and in private practice," the White House said.

Srinivasan began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for Judge J Harvie Wilkinson on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit from 1995 to 1996.

He then spent a year as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General before clerking for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor during the Supreme Court's 1997-98 term.

He was an associate at the law firm of OMelveny & Myers LLP in Washington, DC, from 1998 until 2002. In 2002, he returned to the Solicitor General's Office as an Assistant, representing the US in litigation before the Supreme Court.

In 2007, Srinivasan became a partner with OMelveny & Myers LLP. In 2011, he was named the Chair of the firms Appellate Practice Group. He was named as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General in August 2011.

13th IIFA AWARDS

The International Indian Film Academy Awards, also known as the IIFA Awards are presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi language film industry. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in different countries around the world every year. This award ceremony has been organised by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd – one of India’s premier event management and entertainment agencies - since its inception. The first awards were presented in 2000 at The Millennium Dome in London, United Kingdom. From then on the awards were held at locations around the world signifying the international success of Bollywood. The award ceremonies are held in various places around the world.

The 2012 IIFA Awards, officially the 13th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the International Indian Film Academy honoring the films of 2011 took place on June 9, 2012, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

List of Awards: 

Best Actor	Ranbir Kapoor (Rock Star)
Best Actress	Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture)
Best Movie	Zindagi Na Milegi Dobra
Best Director	Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobra)
Best Story	Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobra)
Best Supporting Actor	Farhan Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobra)
Best Music Director	AR Rahman (Rock Star)
Best Female Debutante
Best Supporting Actress	Parineeti Chopra (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl)
Best Male Deutante	Vidyut Jamwal (Force)
Best Negative Role Actor	Prakash Raj (Singham)
Best Comic Role Actor	Ritesh Deshmukh (Double Dhamaal)
Best Male Playback Singer	Mohit Chauhan (Naadan Parindey - Rockstar)
Best Lyrics	Irshad Kamil (Naadan Parindey-Rockstar)
Best Female Playback Singer	Shreya Ghosal (Teri Meri - Bodyguard)
LIV ULLMANN	Honoured for her outstanding contribution to international Cinema
REKHA	Honoured for her outstanding achievement in Indian Cinema
RAMESH SIPPY	Honoured for the outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema Award

Technical awards

Best Action: Jai Singh Nijjar for Singham
Best Special Effects: Red Chillies VFX for Ra.One
Best Choreography: Bosco-Caesar for Senorita from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Best Cinematography: Carlos Catalan for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Best Costume Design: Niharika Khan for The Dirty Picture
Best Dialogue: Rajat Aroraa for The Dirty Picture
Best Editing: Anand Subaya for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Best Makeup: Vikram Gaikwad for The Dirty Picture
Best Production Design: Sabu Cyril for Ra.One
Best Screenplay: Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar
Best Sound Re-Recording: Anuj Mathur and Baylon Fonseca for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Best Sound Recording: Resul Pookutty and Amrit Pritam Dutta for Ra.One

Sachin Tendulkar was presented the Wisden India Outstanding Achievement Award

India’s Batting great Sachin Tendulkar was conferred upon the Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award for completing a century of 100 international hundreds, in Dubai on 11 June 2012. The legendary batsman was presented a trophy at an event organised by FidelisWorld. The trophy was made from crystal, it resembles a cricket ball resting on the open pages of a book.
Tendulakar achieved the incredible feat while playing against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in March 2012. The batting genius has total 49 One-Day International centuries and 51 Test centuries to his credit.
Tendulkar, while receiving the award spoke on range of aspects of his career, like his favourite innings, the match-winning fourth innings hundred against England at Chennai in December 2008, balancing play and personal life, and the influence that his late father had in shaping his career.

Union Commerce Ministry unveiled New Trade Policy to boost India's Export

The Union Government of India on 5 June 2012 announced a new trade policy aimed at achieving 20 per cent increase in exports to 360 billion dollar in the fiscal year 2012-13. India's exports grew by 21 per cent and touched 303.7 billion dollar in 2011-12, while the trade deficit during the same period expanded to 185 billion dollar.
The government also announced to come out with new guidelines to restore Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and Export Oriented Unit (EOU) schemes to further boost the shipments.
As the part of the new trade policy, the Union Commerce Ministry had added seven new markets to the focus market scheme (FMS) and an equal number of new markets to the special FMS. Countries like Algeria, Aruba, Austria, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Netherland Antilles and Ukraine have been added to FMS; while countries including Belize, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Morocco and Uruguay have been added to special FMS. The FMS and SFMS scheme will help India to explore new markets and promote the product diversification.

The highlights of the new trade policy are as follows:
•    Government set the export target for 2012-13 at 20 per cent
•    2 per cent interest subsidy scheme extended till March 2013
•    Government to announce new guidelines to promote SEZs
•    Incentives for exports from north-eastern states
•    Shipments from Delhi, Mumbai through post, courier or e-commerce to get export benefits
•    Foreign Trade Policy document to be more user friendly
•    13 shows abroad to promote Brand India
•    Single revolving bank guarantee for different export deals
•    Seven new markets added to Focus Market Scheme
•    Market linked focus product scheme extended till March'13 for apparel export to USA and EU

Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain visited India

Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain visited India on 30-31 May 2012. During this visit, the following Agreement/ Memorandum of Understanding were signed: 
(i) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain for Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes.

(ii) Memorandum of Understanding between Government of the Republic of India and Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain on Cooperation in the Field Of Information and Communication Technology.

India and Bahrain agreed on the importance of maintaining high-level contacts and increase the frequency of interactions in order to broaden and deepen bilateral ties. India expressed its appreciation to Bahrain in ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Bahrain. Issues of mutual concern in the region were discussed and the importance attached by India to peace and stability in the entire region was emphasized. Both nations also underlined the need to resolve all differences through peaceful dialogue and without recourse to violence.

Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to claim his Seventh French Open Singles Title

Spaniard Rafael Nadal on 11 June 2012 defeated Serbian Novak Djokovic to clinch his seventh French Open Singles Title 2012. Second seeded Nadal beat top seed Djokovic in a final clash which lasted four sets. With this victory the Spaniard also surpassed the Legend Bjorn Borg’s 6 title feat. Earlier Nadal had defeated Daid Ferrer in the Semi Finals to make to the finals of the tournament; While Djokovic had overwhelmed Swiss Roger Federer. The French Open title marked his 11th Gand Slam in a career marked by 16 Grand Slam finals. Currently he is one short off Roy Emerson, three off Pete Sampras and five title away from the arch rival Roger Federer’s record 16 grand slam titles.
Earlier

Russian Tennis Player Maria Yuryevna Sharapova won French Open 2012

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova won French Open 2012 on 9 June 2012. She defeated Saria Erani from Italy by 6-3 and 6-2. Sharapova is a Russian Lawn Tennis Player.  She won French open for the first time in her career.

French open was held at Rolland Garros in Paris. The tournament was run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). French Open 2012 was a sixteen-day long tournament. The tournament consists of both men's and women's singles and doubles and as well as a mixed doubles events.

Moreover, Sharapova was the winner of Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.

Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath appointed New Chief Election Commissioner of India

President Pratibha Patil appointed senior-most Election Commissioner Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath as the 18th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. He replaced S.Y. Quraishi on the constitutional position, whose term as the CEC is coming to an end on 10 June 2012.
Born at Vellore in Tamil Nadu on 16 January 1950, VS Sampath joined the elite Indian Administrative Service in 1973 as the officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. He took over as Election Commissioner on 21 April 2009. He will carry out his term till 16 January 2015 — either for six years in the Commission or till the age of 65, whichever comes earlier. H.S. Brahma is the other Election Commissioner. The other Election Commissioner is yet to be appointed by the President.
Chief Election Commissioner is the head of the three-member election commission, which is a constitutional entity responsible for conducting free and fairs elections in the country. Article 324 of the Indian constitution provides for the institution of Election Commission of India. The commission was set up on 25 January 1950 with an aim to make electoral process in the world’s largest democracy more transparent and free from any external interference. Sukumar Sen was the first Election Commissioner of India.
The Election Commission was originally a one-member body when it started functioning but the number was later expanded to 3 on 16 October 1989. But the other two members in the body had a very short tenure as they left the office on 1 January 1990. Subsequently, on 1 October 1993 two additional Election Commissioners were appointed. The concept of multi-member Commission has been in operation since then, with decision making power by majority vote. The three-member body is headed by the Chief Election Commissioner who is appointed by the President of India.
The Chief Election Commissioner along with two other Election Commissioners enjoy the official status, salary and perks equivalent to judges of the Supreme Court of India. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only through impeachment by the Parliament. In order of precedence the Chief Election Commissioner stands at 9th position along with the judges of the Supreme Court of India, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Chief Election Commissioner of India , Chairman of Union Public Service Commission.