Mary Kom bagged Bronze in Women Flyweight Boxing at London Olympics 2012

In a bout fought on 8 August 2012 at the Excel Arena, star Indian female Boxer Mary Kom got India its fourth medal in the London Olympics 2012, giving the country its biggest medal haul in the history of modern Olympics. The ace pugilist, however, knocked out of the Olympic Games flyweight (51 kg) semi-finals after she suffered an 11-6 defeat in the hand of Britain’s Nicola Adams.
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom popularly called Mary Kom or Magnificent Mary got her place secured at London Olympics 2012 after winning 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship held in Qinhuangdao, China from 9 May to 22 May 2012. There too she had suffered a defeat to Nicola Adams in the quarter-finals.
Kicking off her Olympics campaign on 5 August 2012, Mary Kom had beat Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 19-14 in the in the first round. In the quarter-final, the following day, she defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia 15-6, securing one medal for the country. This was the first time when the women boxing event was introduced in the Olympic games.
Born on 1 March 1983 in Kangathei  in Manipur, India, Mary Kom turned professional boxer after her victory in the Manipur state women's boxing championship in 2000. Mary made her international debut at the first AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship held in the United States, where she bagged a silver medal in the 48 kg weight category. Subsequently she won a gold medal in the 45 kg class at the second AIBA Women's WorldBoxing Championship in Turkey in 2002. Kom has total 5 world boxing championship titles in his name.
The government of India had awarded her with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, country’s highest award given to sports persons, in 2009. Besides she was also given the Arjuna Award in 2003 and Padma Shree Award in 2006. She was also appointed the International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing in 2009.

Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt won Gold in Men’s 100 Meter Race, set Olympic Record

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won gold in men’s 100 meter race with 9.63 seconds, fastest in the history of Olympics. His compatriot Yohan Blake came second as he took 9.75 second to complete the race. US’ sprinter Justin Gatlin grabbed bronze with 9.79 seconds.
Bolt holds a world record of 9.58 second in 100 meter racing, the record he set at the Berlin World Championships in 2009. With it, he now has the three fastest 100 meters in history next to his name. He is only the second Olympic champion in the 100 meters to defend his title after United State's Carl Lewis.

Saina Nehwal clinched Bronze in Women’s Singles Badminton Event at London Olympics 2012

Indian shuttler Saina Nehawal won India its third medal at London Olympics 2012 after she clinched a bronze in women's singles badminton event played at Wembley Arena on 4 August 2012. Saina bagged the bronze after her Chinese opponent  Xin Wang conceded the match due to a knee injury. Xin Wang was one game point ahead of Saina when she decided to quit the game due to the unbearable pain. Chinese shuttlers Li Xuerui and Wang Yihan won the gold and silver medals respectively.
Saina’s bronze marked India’s third medal at London Olympics 2012 and twelfth individual medal in the history of modern oympics. The previous two medals came in shooting events. While Gagan Narang won India its first bronze in the London Olympics on 30 July 2012, Vijay Kumar clinched silver on 3 August 2012. With this victory, Saina became the second Indian woman after Karanam Malleshwari to win a medal in the history of olympics. Karnam Malleshwari had earned India a bronze in weight lifting event in 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Born in Hisar, Haryana on 17 March 1990, Saina Nehwal turned a professional shuttler in 2006. Year 2008 saw her winning the World Junior Badminton Championships. In 2008 Beijing Olympics she had reached the quarter-finals round becoming the first Indian woman to reach the quarter finals in the Olympic Games. In year 2009, she won the Indonesia Open Title, becoming the first Indian to win a BWF Super Series title. Saina’s career best ranking came in 2010 when she rose to world number two position.
Former Indonesian badminton great Atil Jauhari is the present coach of Saina while, national coach Pullela Gopichand is her mentor.
Saina was awarded with the Arjuna Award in 2009 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest award given to a sportsperson in the country, in year 2010. The government of India also conferred Padm Shree, the fourth highest civilian award in India, upon her in 2010.

Saina Nehwal’s Medal Tally
2008: BWF World Junior Championships (Gold)
2009: Indonesia Super Series (Gold)
2009: Indian Open Grand Prix (Gold)
2010: Badminton Asia Championships (Bronze)
2010: Indian Open Grand Prix (Gold)
2010: Singapore Open Super Series (Gold)
2010: Indonesia Open Super Series (Gold)
2010: Commonwealth Games (Gold)
2010: Hong Kong Super Series (Gold)
2011: Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold (Gold)
2011: Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold (Silver)
2011: Indonesia Open Super Series Premier (Silver)
2012: Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold (Gold)

Vijay Kumar bagged Silver in Olympics 25 Metre Rapid Fire Pistol Event

In a nerve-wracking battle for Olympic medal in the individual 25 metre rapid fire pistol event, Indian shooter Vijay Kumar clinched the silver on 3 August 2012. Kumar hit the target 30 times out of 40 attempts in the series comprising eight rounds of five shots each. Leuris Pupo of Cuba, whi clinced the gold clinched scored 34 out of 40. Chinese marksman Ding Feng bagged the bronze.
Born on 19 August 1985 in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh is presently a Subedar in the Indian Army’s 16th Dogra Regiment. He booked his place at the London Olympics when he won a silver medal at the shooting World Cup in Fort Benning, US in 2011. The persevering shooter has more than 20 international medals and 75 national medals to his credit. He had won 3 gold medals and one silver medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi. 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne saw him winning two gold medals in two separate shooting events. In one of the major achievements in 2009 ISSF World Cup held in Beijing he bagged Silver missing the gold by mere 0.1 point. Acknowledging his excellent track record and medal winning performances, the India government awarded him with the Arjuna Award in year 2007.

Gagan Narang won Bronze in the men's 10 meter air rifle event at London Olympics

Ace Indian Shooter won India its first medal in the London Olympics 2012 after he clinched the bronze medal in the men's 10 meter air rifle event on 30 July 2012. While Abhinav Bindra, who had won a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics 2008, failed to qualify for finals and finished sixteenth.
Romania’s shooter Alin George Moldoveanu claimed the gold medal with a total score of 702.1 while Italy's Niccolo Campriani clinched the silver with a score of 701.5. Narang came third with a total score of 701.1.
It was third time when Gagan Narang was participating in Olympics. In previous Athens and Beijing Olympic games he could not turn his performance into medal. This was India’s third medal in shooting events in the history of Olympics. Earlier Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore and Abhinav Bondra had won India silver and Gold medal respectively in 2004 and 2008 olympic games. Narang’s bronze also marked India’s tenth individual medal in the history of Olympic games.
Gagan Narang, who hails from Amritsar in Punjab was conferred with the Padma Shree Award in 2010. Considering his tremendous contribution to the field of sports, in year 2010, Gagan Narang was chosen for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest sports award in the country.

First Meeting of the India-CELAC Troika Foreign Ministers was held in New Delhi

First meeting of the India-CELAC Troika foreign ministers was held in New Delhi. The first meeting of the India-CELAC (The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Troika foreign ministers was held in New Delhi on 7 August 2012. The CELAC Troika was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile Alfredo Moreno Charme, the pro-tempore President of CELAC. The Foreign Minister of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and the Vice Foreign Minister of Cuba, Rogelio Sierra participated in the meeting as members of the Troika. The Indian delegation was led by the External Affairs Minister of India, SM Krishna.
The meeting was held with the objective of strengthening India-CELAC relationship.

Delhi High Court approved the Guidelines for Media Reporting on Children

Delhi High Court approved the guidelines for media reporting on children which stipulates various curbs including that the identity of kids be not revealed under any circumstances while covering stories of sexual offences, elopement and drug abuse.
A committee, appointed by the court in February 2012, had submitted the guidelines before a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw. The Committee set the guidelines that the media shall ensure that a child's identity is not revealed in any manner, including but not limited to, disclosure of personal information, photographs, school or locality and information of the family including their residential or official address.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India Registered 2.1 Percent growth in July 2012

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during the Month of July 2012 stood at 5.25 lakh as compared to 5.14 lakh in July 2011 and 4.67 lakh in July 2010. This translated into FTAs growth of 2.1 percent in July 2012 over July 2011 as compared to a growth of 10.1 percent registered in July 2011 over July 2010. FTAs during the period January-July 2012 were 37.62 lakh with a growth of 6.6 percent, as compared to the FTAs of 35.29 lakh with a growth of 10.7 percent during January-July 2011 over the corresponding period of 2010.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) in the month of July 2012 stood at 8389 crore rupees as compared to 7116 crore rupees in July 2011 and 5444 crore rupees in July 2010. The FEE recorded a 17.9 percent growth in July 2012 over July 2011. FEE from tourism in rupee terms during January-July 2012 stood at 52149 crore rupees with a growth of 23.3 percent, as compared to the FEE of 42279 crore rupees during January-July 2011.
Tourism Ministry presents estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from tourism every month on the basis of data received from major airports in the country.

India’s Industrial Output declined to 1.8 Percent in June 2012

India’s industrial output plunged to 1.8 per cent in June 2012 compared to 9.5 per cent growth registered during June 2011. For the first quarter, the index of industrial production (IIP) declined 0.1 per cent against 6.9 per cent growth in the same quarter of fiscal 2011-12. The figure released by the Central Statistics Office of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 9 August 2012.
Manufacturing sector at -3.2 per cent and mining sector at 0.6 per cent largely hurt the overall IIP growth in June 2012. Manufacturing sector had recorded 11.1 per cent growth and mining sector output declined by 1.4 per cent in June 2011.
The capital goods category recorded a decline of 27.9 per cent in output in June 2012, while, the category had seen a 38.9 percent growth in the same month in 2011.
Basic goods output grew 4.1 per cent in June against 7.8 per cent growth in the June 2011. Growth of Intermediate goods remained unchanged at 1.6 per cent.
Consumer durables witnessed a growth of 9.1 per cent. However, consumer non-durables declined 1 per cent in June against a growth of 4.3 per cent in the same month last year.
Power sector registered a marginal 8.8 per cent growth in June 2012, higher than 8 per cent growth recorded in the same month in 2011.
The weak number of IIP could force Reserve Bank of India to cut policy rates at the next mid-quarter monetary policy review meeting slated for mid-September. Thus far the central bank has been counting on tight monetary policy to keep inflation in check. RBI had left the key policy rates unchanged in its mid-quarterly monetary policy review in July 2012.

Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
(Index of Industrial Production IIP) is compiled using data received form 16 source agencies including Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP); Indian Bureau of Mines; Central Electricity Authority; Joint Plant Committee; Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas; Office of Textile Commissioner; Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals; Directorate of Sugar; Department of Fertilizers; Directorate of Vanaspati, Vegetable Oils & Fats; Tea Board; Office of Jute Commissioner; Office of Coal Controller; Railway Board; Office of Salt Commissioner and Coffee Board.

DR. Zaidi takes Over as New Election Commissioner

Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi On August 7 assumed the charge as Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India. He fills the vacancy in the Election Commission caused by the assumption of charge by Sh. V.S. Sampath as the 18th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) succeeding Dr. S.Y. Quraishi.

Dr. Zaidi superannuated as Civil Aviation Secretary on July 31. Dr. Zaidi had earlier worked as Director-General of Civil Aviation, and was India’s representative in the International Civil Aviation Organisation. He was also the Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, and Commissioner of Bareilly Development Authority.

Union Government approved Relaxation in Policies Related to Transfer of Government Land

The Union Government of India on 2 August 2012 approved relaxation in policies relating to transfer of government land. The objective of the policy is to speed up private-public partnership in the country and to fast-track pending infrastructure projects. The decision will ensure that infrastructure projects are not held up for procedural delays.
A ban was imposed in 2011 on transfer of government-owned land to any entity except in cases where land was to be transferred from one government department to another.This ban however excluded the cases where the land was to be transferred from one government department to another. The policy has also been relaxed for all land transfers from ministries to statutory authorities or PSUs (Public Sector Units).
Besides, the government allowed use and development of railway land by Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), as per the provisions of Railways Amendment Act, 2005.

SBI CLERKS GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs

1.  The limit of overseas investment in government bonds/securities has been raised
     from $15 billion to _________.  
     a) $20 billion
     b) $25 billion
     c) $30 billion
     d) $35 billion
     e) None of the above

2.  According to “World Investment Report 2012″, the total FDI inflow in India in
     2011 stood at ________.
     a) $67 billion
     b) $87 billion
     c) $52 billion
     d) $78 billion
     e) None of the above

3.  According to The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012, India ranks at ____.
     a) 42nd
     b) 36th
     c) 56th 
     d) 53rd
     e) 62nd

4.  Which country tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report
     2011-2012?
     a) Sweden
     b) Singapore
     c) Netherland
     d) Switzerland 
     e) None of the above

5. The World Bank Group have entered into an agreement with which among the
     following industrial bodies to establish the India Wildlife Business Council (IWBC)
     to promote tiger and biodiversity conservation for sustainable development?
     a) Industrial Development Bank of India
     b) Indian Industries Association
     c) Confederation of Indian Industry
     d) The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
     e) None of the above

6.  The country’s first indigenously designed microwave imaging satellite, Radar
      Imaging Satellite  (RISAT-1) was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation
      on April 26, 2012. Which of the following statments about RISAT-1 is/are correct?
      1. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV C-19 was used to launch RISAT-1.
      2. It has cloud penetrating capability and can imaging even without sunlight.
      3. The RISAT-1 is an advanced C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite
           working in 5.35 Giga Hertz frequency.
      4. It was launched from Sriharikota located in Rajasthan.
      a) 1 and 2 only
      b) 2 and 3 only
      c) 1, 2and 3 only
      d) 1, 3 and 4 only
      e) All 1, 2, 3 and 4

7.  Who among the following has been appointed as chairman of Expert Committee
     on GAAR for examining issues on General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR)?
     a) Sudhir Gupta
     b) C. Rangarajan
     c) N. Rangachary
     d) Parthasarathi Shome
     e) None of the above

8.  Which of the followings scheme(s) is/are launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj
     (MoPR)?
      1. Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF)
      2. Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY)
      3. Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan (PMEYSA)
    a) Only 1     a) Only 2     a) Only 3     a) 2 and 3 only     a) All 1, 2 and 3

9.  Name the person who took oath as the 25th Prime Minister of Pakistan recently?
     a) Yusuf Raza Gilani
     b) Makhdoom Shahbuddin
     c) Hina Rabbani Khar
     d) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
     e) None of the above

10. Which country became a major non-NATO ally of the United States recently?
      a) Japan
      b) Israel
      c) Pakistan
      d) Newzeland
      e) Afghanistan

11. Jim Yong Kim who assumed the World Bank presidency recently, is the _____
      president of the World Bank Group.
      a) 12th 
      b) 13th
      c) 14th
      d) 15th
      e) None of the above

12. A highly controversial book ‘Beyond the Lines’ is an autobiography written by 
      a) Aravind Adiga
      b) Salman Rushdie
      c) Kuldip Nayyar
      d) Khushwant Singh
      e) Taslima Nasreen

13. Which of the followings recommendations were made by National Commission for
      Women (NCW) in concern to the proposed amendments to the Dowry Prohibition
      Act, 1961?
      1. Amendment to definition of Dowry
      2. Provision for registration of lists of gifts received at the time of marriage.
      3. Penalties for non-maintenance of lists of gifts received at the time of the marriage.
      4. Protection officers appointed under the Protection of Women from Domestic
          Violence Act, 2005 to carry out the duties of the Dowry Prohibition Officers.
      a) 1, 2 and 3 only
      b) 2, 3 and 4 only
      c) 1, 2 and 4 only
      d) 1, 3 and 4 only
      e) All 1, 2, 3 and 4

14. An e-TDS return should be filed under ________ of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
      a) Section 206
      b) Section 205 
      c) Section 208
      d) Section 192
      e) None of the above

15. The e-TDS prepared by the deductor has to be submitted at
      a) TIN Facilitation Centres 
      b) TAN Facilitation Centres
      c) PIN Facilitation Centres
      d) PAN Facilitation Centres
      e) None of the above

16. Which is the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume/market value?
      a) Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE)
      b) London Stock Exchange (LSE)
      c) New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
      d) Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE)
      e) None of the above

17. FBI’s two-year investigation project called “Operation Ghost Click” was aimed
      to uncovered a network of
      a) Rogue DNS Servers
      b) Rogue FTP Servers
      c) Rogue Proxy Servers
      d) Rogue HTTP Servers
      e) None of the above

18. Internet’s phone book is :  
      a) ISP
      b) FTP
      c) TCP
      d) DNS
      e) Gopher

19. A collection of infected computers under the control of one or more attackers is:
      a) Bolnet
      b) Botnet
      c) Spybot
      d) Intranet
      e) Web spider

20. Which country ranks at the top in Bt.Cotton cultivation (Area wise)?
      a) USA
      b) Britain 
      c) Russia
      d) China
      e) India

21. According to the ILO, a worker under the following age is a child labourer:
      a) 14 years
      b) 15 years  
      c) 16 years
      d) 17 years
      e) None of the above

22. The largest share (nearly 60 percent) of child labourers is found in
      a) Mining Sector
      b) Service sector
      c) Industrial sector
      d) Agricultural sector 
      e) Construction and contracting sector

23. In which year, ILO establishes the International Programme on the Elimination of
      Child Labour (IPEC)?
      a) 1990 
      b) 1991
      c) 1992
      d) 1994
      e) None of the above

24. Alan Isaac has recently been elected as new President of
      a) ICC 
      b) WWF
      c) AITA
      d) FIFA
      e) FIDE

25. Which of the following terms is NOT associated with the game of Cricket?
      a) LBW
      b) DRS
      c) Duck
      d) Cow Corner
      e) None of above

26.  Which of the following banks removes minimum balance stipulations for Saving Bank
     accounts recently?
     a) SBI
     b) PNB
     c) OBC
     d) HDFC
     e) ICICI

27.  Which of the following statements correctly define the meaning of reverse repo rate?
     a) The rate at which apex bank RBI lends money to commercial banks.
     b) The rate at which the apex bank RBI borrows money from commercial banks.
     c) The amount of funds that the commercial banks have to keep with the RBI.
     d) The rate at which apex bank RBI allows finance to commercial banks.
     e) None of the above

28.  Which is the name of new air station opened by Indian Navy at Campbell bay recently,
      to keep an eagle eye on China’s strategic moves in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)?
     a) INS Baaz
     b) INS Eagle
     c) INS Garuda
     d) INS Prahar
     e) None of the above

29.  The government of India has decided to permit a citizen of Pakistan or any entity
     incorporated in Pakistan to make investments in India under government route.
     Pakistani citizens and companies will be allowed to invest in all sectors other than
     a) Space
     b) Defence
     c) Atomic Energy
     d) Both (a) & (c)
     e) All (a), (b) & (c)

30. According to the latest edition of Forbes magazine, which of the following oil and gas
      companies became the world’s most profitable company in 2011?
      a) ONGC
      b) Areva
      c) Aramco
      d) Gazprom
      e) ExxonMobil

31.  Which computing giant has recently posted its first ever loss since becoming a public
       company 26 years ago?
      a) IBM
      b) Apple
      c) Google
      d) Facebook
      e) Microsoft

32. Which city ranks at the top in India City Competitiveness Report-2012, compiled
      by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) recently?
      a) Delhi
      b) Mumbai
      c) Chennai
      d) Banglore
      e) Hyderabad

33. A Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr. Mihir Shah, Member,
      Planning Commission for suggesting revisions to
      a) SABLA Operational Guidelines
      b) MGNREGA Operational Guidelines
      c) JNNURM  Operational Guidelines
      d) Swavalamban Operational Guidelines
      e) None of the above
 
34. India’s first ever bio toilets developed by DRDO, has been launched in which of
      the following States?
     a) Bihar
     b) Kerala
     c) Gujarat
     d) Rajasthan
     e) Odisha

35. India’s largest industrial solar power plant became operational in
      a) Punjab 
      b) Gujarat
      c) Rajasthan
      d) Maharashtra
      e) None of the above

36. The Andmans and Nicobars are separated by
      e) Coco Channels
      b) Great Channles
      c) Ten Degree Channles
      d) Duncan Passage
      e) None of the above

37. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched by the Indian
      government in
      a) 2008
      b) 2009
      c) 2010
      d) 2011
      e) None of the above

38. Shri Pranab Mukherjee took oath as India’s ________ president.
      a) 13th
      b) 14th
      c) 15th
      d) 16th
      e) None of the above

39. Who administers the oath of office to the president of India?
      a) Prime Minister
      b) Lok Sabha Speaker
      c) Chairman of Rajya Sabha
      d) Chief Justice of India
      e) None of the above

40. Who won the first gold medal of the 2012 London Olympic Games?
      a) Yu Dan
      b) Yi Siling
      c) Katrina Emmons
      d) Sylwia Bogacka
      e) None of the above

41. India’s flag- bearer at opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games was
      a) Sushil Kumar
      b) Gagan Narang
      c) Leander Paes
      d) Saina Nehwal
      e) None of the above

42. Google Fibre, an ultra-high speed internet service offers
      a) 10Mbps download and upload speeds
      b) 100Mbps download and upload speeds
      c) 500Mbps download and upload speeds
      d) 1Gbps download and upload speeds
      e) None of the above

43. The annual Amarnath yatra to Holy Amarnath Cave is organized every year by the
      a) Tamilnadu State Government
      b) Jammu & Kashmir State Government
      c) Maharashtra State Government
      d) Karanatka State Government
      e) None of the above

44. Amarnath Yatra is a pride for Hindu devotees who have faith in
      e) Lord Vishnu
      b) Lord Krishna
      c) Lord Shiva
      d) Lord Brahma
      e) None of the above

45. Which of the following statements is/are correct about ‘Amarnath yatra’?
      1. A person cannot take Amarnath Yatra without taking the permission from
         Government of India.
      2. A prior Amarnath Yatra registration is must.
      3. Helicopter can be used to go Amarnath Cave.
      a) Only 1    
       b) Only 2    
      c) Only 3    
      d) 1 and 2 Only    
       e) All 1, 2 and 3

46.  Which is the projected target of power generation for the Twelfth Five Year Plan?
     a) 72,864 MW
     b) 75,785 MW
     c) 78,385 MW
     d) 76,765 MW
     e) None of the above

47.  The Working Group on Power constituted by Planning Commission for formulation
     of the 12th Five Year Plan has estimated total fund requirement of __________ for
     the power sector during the 12th Plan.
     a) Rs.15,35,765 Crore
     b) Rs.12,42,543 Crore
     c) Rs.13,72,580 Crore
     d) Rs.18,64,382 Crore
     e) None of the above

48.  To what percent of the country’s population, the National Food Security Bill, 2011
     confers a legal right to cheaper food grains?
     a) 63.5 per cent
     b) 65.0 per cent
     c) 70.5 per cent
     d) 75.0 per cent
     e) None of the above

49.  The contribution by the IT sector in India’s GDP has increased from 6.4% in the
     year 2008 to _______in year 2012.
     a) 6.8%
     b) 7.2%
     c) 7.5%
     d) 8.2%
     e) None of the above

50.  In the first quarter review of monetary policy of FY 2012-13, RBI cut the statutory
     liquidity ratio (SLR) by a percentage point to ease the flow of credit to industry.
     Consider the follwoing statements about SLR:
     1. SLR is the amount of deposits banks park in government bonds/securities.
     2. The maximum limit of SLR has been reduced from 24% to 23%.
     3. SLR ensures that banks do not provide all the deposits as loan.
     Which of the above statements is/are correct?
     a) Only 1
     b) Only 2
     c) 1 and 2 only
     d) 1 and 3 only
     e) All 1, 2 and 3

GENERAL AWARENESS QUESTIONS FOR ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS

1. Wrestler-actor who died recently at the age of 84 ?

"Rustam-E-Hind" Dara Singh   

2. How is Oscar Pistorius known in the sporting world?

An athlete who would compete in  London Olympics (individual 400 metres and 4 * 400relay)

3. Who will replace Mark Thompson as BBC director general in August 2012?

George Entwistle

4. Which  Indian PSU bank recently setup its Security Operation Centre?

United Bank of India

5. Harvard Business Review has featured which ho me appliances maker as  one of the 6th most successful sales and  marketing company in the world?

Eureka Forbes

6. Which country announced 16.7 billion in extra taxes on big business and rich to meet deficit targets and balance its budget by 2017?

France

7. Shadow of what has been clicked b y scientists with an effort lasting more than 5 years?

Single Atom

8. Name the movie shot by kannada director Arvind Kaushik in a record 2 hours.

Nam Areiali Innondhina

9. Which football team is set to file  IPO in New York Stock Exchange?

Manchester united

10. Where does India stand on global innovation index rank as it drops 2 positions from

existing one?

64th rank

11. Expand FTII. (Hint: Film)

Film and Television Institute of India

12. India will sign an audio-visual co-operation agreement with which country to increase cooperation in filmmaking, screening and student exchange programmes?

Poland

13. From which part of India does Srilanka-based Mihin Lanka Airlines will operate flights

to Colombo?

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

14. Which mobile network recently launched Flat 30p plan for its customers in India?

Sistema Shyam Teleservices  Ltd. which operates under MTS brand

15. Who is elected India's 13th President?

Pranab Mukherjee 

16. Name the project of Mozilla which is workin g on Mobile Operating System, firefox OS.

Boot to Gecko project

17. What quantity o f wheat would be exported to ease storage crunch in India?

2 million tonnes

18. Who is appointed as Chairman for Australian and New Zealand  operations by Mahindra

Satyam?

Edward Ted Pretty

19. Which PSU bank has waived off minimum balance criteria for savings b ank account?

State Bank of India

20. How many IPO's worth 50,500 crores were called off in 18 months?

55

21. Thomas Cook recently expanded its presence in which Indian state?

Bihar

22. Who will become the first Australian to compete at 7 Summer Olympics Games?

Andrew Hoy

23.  Bollywood's first superstar who dies recently at 69 ?

Superstar Rajesh Khanna 

24. Why is the Mohanlal star rer movie 'Spirit' exempted from tax?

Film creates awareness on social issues faced b y the society due to increase in liquor consumption

25. Where will the Under-19 World Cup 2012 be played and who will lead Indian team?

Australia, Unmukt Chand

26. Who is elected as President of the Indian Medical Association for  Bihar state for the year

2012 -13?

Paediatrician Dr.Arun Kumar

27. Who won the Irish Open 2012 title?

Welshman Jamie Donaldson

28. Who will become the first Indian woman and 5th sportsperson to be conferred with

Lt.Colonel rank?

MC Mary Kom

29. How do we know Bob Diamond with respect to b anking domain?

Ex-CEO of Barclays

30. Name the Chief Operating Officer of Barclays who quit recently.

Jerry del Missier

31. Who released comic book based -on chef mafias recently?

Anthon y Bourdain

32. Who was named player of Euro 2012?

Magisterial Iniesta

33. Which  Indian state will setup 200 hi-tech mini-dairy units to boost milk production?

Haryana

34. Which  Indian Union Territory has been included in Indian Science Congress

Association's chapter?

Puducherry

35. What is the length of world's longest cable-stayed bridge built by Russia?

1,104 meter link Valdivostok and Russk y Island

36. Who won against Usain Bolt in the 200 metres final event?

Yohan Blake

37. What is the budget estimates for Manipur state set for 2012 -2013?

Rs.3,500 crore

38. How man y listed companies on BSE and NSE will be facilitated with electronic voting

by their shareholders for all postal ballot resolutions?

Top 500 listed companies

39. Name the Barclays chairman who quit recently.

Marcus Agius

40. Which of  India's forest area has been added to list of world heritage sites by the United

Nations Organisation?

1,600km long Western Ghats

41. Australia is set to play  an ODI against which emerging cricket nation in Middle East in August 2012?

Afghanistan

42. Expand GGCL. (Hint: Gas)

Gujarat Gas Company Limited

43. Where is the National Electrical Summit 2012 scheduled in India?

Vadodara, Gujarat

44. Name the Baroda state's visionary ruler whose 150th birth anniversary would be celebrated by FGI Business Centre.

Sayajirao Gaekwad III

45. Who is the  Indian business person among 27 global leaders appointed b y the United Nations to eliminate malnutrition?

Vinita Bali

46. Which state boards in India are suggested b y State Bank of  India to be listed?

State Electricity Boards

47. Expand NDS-OM. (Hint: Order)

Negotiated Dealing System Order-Matching

48. Who won the Mexico presidency elections?

Enrique Pena Nieto

49. People earning over what value of income should now file income tax returns

electronically in India?

Rs.10 lakh and above

50. Travelguru will be acquired by which company?

Yatra.com

51. What value worth agreement did Egypt sign with Saudi-based Islamic Development

Bank to receive energy and food imports?

$1 billion

52. Who sworn in as the 27th Chief Minister of Karnataka?

Jagdish Shettar  

53. Who is sworn-in as Hong Kong leader by Chinese  President Hu Jintao?

Leung Chun-ying

54. Which state recently launched a financial aid scheme for HIV/AIDS patients poor family with the assistance of Rs.1,000 per month for medical treatment?

Delhi

55. Expand AIDWA. (Hint: Women)

All India Democratic Women's Association

56. Which state will observe July 2012 as anti-dengue month?

Punjab

57. Expand IIAS. (Hint: Arsenic)

International Institute of Arsenic Studies

58. Over what value of annual turnover will imp act private tuition providers to pay 12% tax out of the earnings?

Rs.10 lakh

59. Who won and retained European Championship title 2012?

Spain

60. Who won the Euro 2012 Golden Boot?

Fernando Torres

61. What percentage of growth did Nagaland register over 2011 -2012 annual plan?

27%

62. Name the concert held in Bangkok, Thailand on June 21st 2012 to celebrate World Music

Day.

Handshake Concert

63. Where was the global  agri-business meet 2012 held?

Shangai, China

64. List some of the new services which are under 12% service tax category.

Speed Posts, Express Parcels

1st class and air-conditioned travel b y railways

Travel and holiday
tickets bought from online portals

Taking GMAT and
GRE tests

Passport and Visa services

Currency exchange Mutual fund exit loads

Actors, Singers and Other performers

Entry fee for conference, seminars, workshops, sport and cultural events

Services of Fashion Designers, marriage bureaus, astrologers and numerologists

65. Which services from railways are exempted from service tax starting July 1st 2012?

Passenger fare and freight

66. What is the extra second added to UTC known as?

Zulu time

67. Who now owns a joint stake in Tata Group's  Life Insurance?

Hong Kong-based AIA Group, Tata AIA Life In surance

68. Which state's Driving License would now indicate the person as 'Organ Donor'?

Karnataka

69. Which newspaper launched its website in Chinese language?

The New York Times

70. Who has been appointed as UK government's Chief Scientific Advisor?

Prof Sir Mark Walport

71. What is the name of the weight-loss pill approved by US health regulators which can help people to lose on average of 5% of their body weight?

Belviq

72. Who has been appointed as United States first Ambassador to Burma in 22 years?

Derek Mitchell

Modification in the Guidelines of the scheme of National Projects

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the inclusion of Extension, Renovation & Modernization (ERM) projects envisaging restoration of lost potential of 2 lakh ha. or more under the category of National Projects. Under the scheme of National Projects, such projects would become eligible for 90% funding of the cost of works of the irrigation and drinking water components of the project from the Central Government.

At present, the eligible ERM projects are provided central assistance @25% of the cost ,of works for non special category States and @90% for DPAP/Tribal/Flood prone areas and special category States under AIBP.

The cost of restoration of irrigation potential through ERM projects is much less than that of creation of the same potential through new projects. During the XII Plan, considerable emphasis is being laid on improving the water use efficiency of irrigation projects. This is also one of the five goals of the National Water Mission. It is therefore proposed that for improvement in water use efficiency of the ongoing approved irrigation projects, ERM projects which can restore lost irrigation potential of 2 lakh ha. or more be included in the category of National Projects.

The scheme will be funded out of the allocations for AIBP during the Xllth Plan.

Inclusion of Saryu Nahar Pariyojana of Uttar Pradesh in the scheme of National Projects

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the inclusion of "Sarayu Nahar Pariyojana" of Uttar Pradesh in the scheme of National projects. Under the scheme of National Projects, this project would become eligible for 90% funding from the Central Government.

The Sarayu Nahar Pariyojana has been under execution by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh since 1977-78 but could not be completed because of lack of funds with th© State Government. Once completed, it would provide an ultimate irrigation potential benefit to 14.04 lakh hectare in the districts of Bahraich, Shrawasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Siddharth Nagar & Gorakhpur. The amount required for completion of the project is Rs, 3238 crore out of which Rs. 2915 crore would be provided by the Central Government. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2016.

The High Powered Steering Committee for National Projects constituted by the Ministry of Water Resources has cleared the Project in December 2011 for inclusion under the scheme of National Projects.

The total central liability on account of this project is approximately Rs.2915 crore.

9 physicists worldwide received the Fundamental Physics Prize

9 physicists worldwide were given the Fundamental Physics Prize on 31 July 2012. The prizes were given to the physicists for their remarkable contribution to the field of fundamental physics. Fundamental Physics Prize has been established by Russian Businessman Yuri Milner and the most money-spinning academic prize in the world.
Winners of the award include , Ashoke Sen, N J Nima, Arkani-Hamed, Juan Maldacena, Nathan Seiberg, Edward Witten, Andrei Linde, Alexei Kitaev, Maxim Kontsevich, Ashoke Sen

The winners will receive 3 million dollar as the prize amount. The Nobel Prize currently comes with an award of 1.2 million dollar, which is generally divided between two or three people.

Power Tripped in Northern, Eastern and North Eastern Grids: India’s Biggest Power Blackout

India witnessed its biggest ever power blackout on 31 July 2012. Post the collapse of the northern power grid twenty states in India were left with no electricity till late evening. This is the second time that the country saw a power failure of a huge margin, interestingly both the failures happened in a time frame of over twenty four hours.
The collapse happened  at around one o clock in the noon, when the northern grid tripped, which then immediately led to a similar effect on the eastern and north-eastern grids, as the two are connected as a common grid. The problem was compounded as several states had removed the under frequency relays that island their systems when grid disruptions occur.
Apparently, the failure of the three power grids despite a stable electricity supply was due to the mounting demand for electricity as monsoon rains remained deficient, outdated power transmission equipments and utter lack of discipline by state utilities in drawing power.
Among the states affected were Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Assam, meaning that the power trip covered more than half of the country’s population.
Amongst the worst hit were the two hundred coal miners trapped in West Bengal and Jharkhand as their shafts remained closed. Amongst the railways, almost three hundred trains remained stranded , also the Delhi Metro, which is a life line to many came to a stop leaving the traffic situation in the state a tizzy. During the peak hour the supply stood less than 40,000 MW against the demand of 130,000 MW.
The situation came back to control later by evening on 31 July 2012, forty percent of the system was operating normally again and power was eventually restored over the states. The first power cut of this kind happened just few hours back on the night of 30 July 2012.

One Thousand Nine Hundred Crore Rupees Allocated to Rain Deficient States

The union government announced a financial assistance of 1900 crore under various schemes for the rain deficient states. It also extended a diesel subsidy of fifty percent to farmers to save the standing crops through groundwater irrigation which would be shared between the centre and the states.
The decisions were taken at the meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM). The meeting was chaired by Agriculture Minsiter, Sharad Pawar.
Amongst the states facing the problems are Parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana. The overall kharif sowing is lower by 56.03 lakh hectares compared to the normal area, with a shortfall in the cultivation of rice, coarse cereals and pulses largely in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Apart from this, an interim assistance of Rs. Thirty eight crore for supply of drinking water would be given to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

India’s Exports slipped by 5.45 Percent in June 2012

According to the data released by the Commerce Ministry on 1 August 2012 India’s exports in June slipped by 5.45 per cent, year-on- year, to 25 billion dollar on account of sluggish global economy.
Imports dipped more sharply, by 13.46 per cent to 35.37 billion dollar during the month, compared to 40.8 billion dollar in June 2011, resulting in a narrower trade deficit of 10.3 billion dollar.
The data reveled that, exports during the April-June quarter of fiscal year 2012-13 dipped by 1.7 per cent to 75.2 billion dollar, from 76.5 billion dollar during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2011-12. Imports during the quarter also witnessed a slump as it dipped by 6.10 per cent to 115.25 billion dollar from 122.74 billion dollar in the same quarter of 2011-12.
Trade deficit during the April June quarter stood at 40 billion dollar, which was lower than the deficit of 46 billion dollar during April -June, 2011-12.
The decline in exports and imports is largely attributed to pessimistic economic environment world over. State of economic uncertainties in western economies has added to the woes of ailing world trade.

Anil Kumar was appointed as the new Director General for ESIC

Anil Kumar was appointed as the new Director General for Employee’s State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 27 July 2012. Employee’s State Insurance Corporation comes under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 

Anil Kumar was an IAS Officer from the 1981 batch. He was the former Additional Chief Secretary in Animal Resources Development Department, Government of West Bengal.

He had successfully completed his graduation and post graduation from IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore respectively. In addition, he had completed his Master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Columbia, United States.