General Knowledge Test Question Answers 1001 (Jan 2011)

General Knowledge Test Question Answers 1001 (Jan 2011 )

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Correct Answers are marked with a * (Star). Detailed Answers are given below each Question:

1. Who among the following is not an economist?

(a)  Ashima Goyal

(b) Bibek Debroy

(c)  Ajit Ranade

(d) Harsh Mariwala*

(e)  Dr. Omkar Goswami

Answer 1 :

Ashima Goyal – Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research

Bibek Debroy – Professor, Centre for Policy Research

Ajit Ranade – Chief Economist, Aditya Birla Group

Dr. Omkar Goswami – founder and chairperson of Corporate and Economic Research Group Advisory Ltd

Harsh Mariwala – Marico Chairman & Managing Director

2. Which of the following pairs of well known musicians and their expertise is not correctly matched?

(a)  Malabika Mitra – Kathak

(b) Phanjoubam Iboton Singh – Manipuri

(c)  Ratna Kumar – Kuchipudi

(d) Aruna Mohanty – Odissi

(e)  None of the above*

Answer 2:

Thirty-eight people from the fields of music, dance, theatre and puppetry were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2010 on January 19, 2011. These include nine artistes selected for achievements in dance. They are: Malabika Mitra (Kathak), Kalamandalam Kombil Govindan Nair (Kathakali), Phanjoubam Iboton Singh (Manipuri), Ratna Kumar (Kuchipudi), Aruna Mohanty (Odissi), Manik Borbayan (Sattriya), Uttara Asha Coorlawala (creative and experimental dance), Kalamandalam Painkulam Rama Chakyar (other major traditions of dance and dance theatre — Kutiyattam) and S. Rajeshwari (music for dance — Bharatanatyam).

3. Which Indian NGO is among the winners of MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions announced recently?

(a)  Centre for Justice and Peace

(b) Manav Seva Sansthan

(c)  Action Research & Training for Health*

(d) People’s Union for Civil Liberties

(e)  Self Employed Women’s Association

Answer 3:

Eleven organisations based in six countries, including one in India, will receive the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced in Chicago. These constitute grants of $350,000 to $1 million each. The organisations’ missions range from protecting biodiversity to fighting poverty, analysing how tax policy impacts people to improving maternal and child health among the impoverished. Action Research & Training for Health, based in Rajasthan, will get $350,000, or about Rs.1.59 crore at the current rate of exchange. It promotes sexual and reproductive health, neonatal and child health, and health systems and policy in rural Rajasthan.

4. Who among the following artistes is famous for achievements in a field other than theatre?

(a)  D. Vizai Bhaskar

(b) Veenapani Chawla

(c)  Manik Borbayan*

(d) Urmil Kumar Thapliyal

(e)  Dilip Prabhavalkar

Answer 4:

Thirty-eight people from the fields of music, dance, theatre and puppetry were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2010 on January 19, 2011. These include eight artistes selected for achievements in theatre. They are: D. Vizai Bhaskar (Telugu) and Atamjeet (Punjabi) for playwriting; Veenapani Chawla and Urmil Kumar Thapliyal for direction; and Dilip Prabhavalkar, Banwari Taneja, Maya Krishna Rao and Swatilekha Sengupta for acting. Manik Borbayan won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his achievements in Sattriya dance.

5. Which of the following is/are among the National Bravery Awards given to children on the eve of Republic Day every year?

I. Geeta Chopra Award

II. Sanjay Chopra Award

III. Bapu Gaidhani Award

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III*

Answer 5:

23 boys and girls received National Bravery Awards for 2010 from the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on January 25, 2011. The Geeta Chopra Award has been conferred on 13 year old Km. Jismi P.M. of Kerala who saved two children from drowning. The Sanjay Chopra Award has been given to 11 year old Master Priyanshu Joshi of Uttarakhand who saved his sister from a leopard. Master Vishnudas K.(17 years) of Kerala, Master Moonis Khan (15 years) of Madhya Pradesh and Km. Ipi Basar (16 years) of Arunachal Pradesh have been given the Bapu Gaidhani Awards. Master Vishnudas saved two children from drowning. Master Moonis Khan saved an old man from a railway accident while Km. Ipi Basar saved two lives in a fire incident. The other recipients are: Km. Kalpana Sonowal and Km. Rekhamoni Sonowal (Assam), Master Rahul Kurrey and Km. Parvati Amlesh (Chhattisgarh), Master Anoop. M. and Master Raj Narayanan (Kerala), Master Rohit Maruti Mulik (Maharashtra), Master Md. Nurul Huda (Manipur), Master Freedy Nongsiej and Master Lovelystar K. Sohphoh (Meghalaya), Km. Lalmawizuali (Mizoram), Master Gurjeevan Singh (Punjab), Late Km. Chhampa Kanwar and Master Shrawan Kumar (Rajasthan), Master Bibek Sharma (Sikkim), Master Uttam Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Late Km. Shruti Lodhi (Uttarakhand) and Km. Sunita Murmu (West Bengal).

6. Which of the following art forms and their descriptions is/are correctly matched?

I. Bhakha – Folk music of Jammu and Kashmir

II. Bharud – Folk theatre of Maharashtra

III. Tolu Bommalata – Puppetry from Andhra Pradesh

(a)  I and II only

(b) II only

(c)  II and III only

(d) III and I only

(e)  I, II and III*

Answer 6:

Thirty-eight people from the fields of music, dance, theatre and puppetry were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2010 on January 19, 2011. For their contribution to other forms of art, 10 artists have been selected. They are : Harbhajan Singh Namdhari for Gurbani Kirtan (Punjab); Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi (joint award) for qawwali (Andhra Pradesh); Dwijen Mukherjee for Rabindra Sangeet (West Bengal); T. Somasundaram for folk dance (Tamil Nadu); Krishna Kumari for folk music — Bhakha (Jammu and Kashmir); Chand Jagdish Tiwadi for folk theatre — Bharud (Maharashtra); K. Chinna Anjannamma for Tolu Bommalata or shadow puppetry (Andhra Pradesh); and K.V. Ramakrishnan and K.C. Ramakrishnan (joint award) for Pava Kathakali or glove puppetry (Kerala). Ashok D. Ranade will receive the Akademi Award 2010 for a scholarship in performing arts (music). Jaidev Taneja will be presented an award for overall contribution to performing arts (theatre).

7. Who among the following have been selected as the winners of the Moortidevi Award for 2008 and 2009 recently?

(a)  Satyavarat Shastri and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon

(b) Dr. K Satchidanandan and Kainikkara Padmanabha Pillai

(c)  Pratibha Ray and Vennikkulam Gopala Kurup

(d) Dr. Raghuvansh and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri*

(e)  Vrishabha Prasad Jain and M. T. Vasudevan Nair

Answer 7:

Raghuvansh, Nambbodiri win Moortidevi Award: The prestigious Moortidevi Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith for 2008 has gone to Hindi writer Dr. Raghuvansh. Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri will be the recipient of the 2009 award. The 22^nd and 23^rd Moortidevi Awards were decided on January 17, 2011 by the selection board headed by T. N. Chaturvedi. Raghuvansh has been given the Award for his work ‘‘Paschim Bhotik Sanskriti Ka Utthan Aur Patan’’. The 23^rd award has been given to Nambbodiri for his selected poems.

8. Who was selected for the Bharat Asmita Acharya Shreshta Award recently?

(a)  Prof. Chandrashekhar Khare

(b) Prof. Sandip Trivedi

(c)  Prof Pankaj Chandra*

(d) Prof. Chetan E. Chitnis

(e)  Prof. C. Radhakrishna Rao

Answer 8:

The Bharat Asmita National Awards 2011, instituted by the MIT Group of Institutions of the Maharashtra Academy of Engineering & Educational Research (MAEER), were announced on January 19, 2011 in Pune. Prof Pankaj Chandra, director of IIM, Bangalore, has won the Bharat Asmita Acharya Shreshta Award while the Bharat Asmita Jana Pratinidhi Shreshta Best Young Exponent of Parliamentary Practices Award has gone to MP of Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, Anurag Singh Thakur. The awards will be handed over on February 3 at a function on the MIT campus. Author Gurcharan Das, film director Ashutosh Gowarikar and danseuse Mallika Sarabhai will be honoured with the Bharat Asmita Jana Jagaran Shreshta for their contribution to society using their respective fields as the medium. Each award carries a cash component of Rs 1.25 lakh, a memento and a tamra patra (inscribed certificate of merit).

9. Who was conferred with the Indian Nuclear Society’s Homi Bhabha Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2009 recently?

(a)  M. R. Srinivasan

(b) Rajagopala Chidambaram

(c)  M. P. Parameswaran

(d) Anil Kakodkar*

(e)  P.K Iyengar

Answer 9:

The 21^st Annual Conference of Indian Nuclear Society on ‘Impact of Radiation Technology on human health and environment’ was organised at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai. Dr. Anil Kakodkar, former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission was awarded the Indian Nuclear Society’s Homi Bhabha Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2009, which carried a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakh. Department of Atomic Energy spokesperson and head of its Public Awareness Division Swapnesh Kumar Malhotra received the Indian Nuclear Society’s Science Communication Award for 2009, which carried a citation and a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh.

10. A.R. Rahman was in news recently for winning which of the following awards for his song “If I Rise” in the film ‘127 Hours’?

(a)  People’s Choice Awards

(b) American Film Institute Awards

(c)  Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

(d) Critics’ Choice Awards*

(e)  MTV Movie Awards

Answer 10:

Music composer A.R. Rahman won the best original song trophy at the 16^th Critics’ Choice Awards for his number “If I Rise” in Danny Boyle’s film ‘127 Hours’. Written by Rollo Armstrong and American artiste Dido, the song was performed by Rahman and Dido. ‘The Social Network’ won the honours for the best film, the best director and the best adapted screenplay. The Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, commonly called the Critics’ Choice Awards, are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement.

11. Recipients of the prestigious J.C. Bose National Fellowship 2011 were announced recently. Which of the following statements about the Fellowships is/are correct?

I. Scientists, engineers and doctors below the age of 60 years are eligible.

II. The value of the fellowship will be Rs. 25,000 per month in addition to regular income.

III. Only Indian nationals are eligible for the fellowship

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III*

Answer 11:

JC Bose National Fellowships of the Department of Science & Technology are meant to recognize active scientists and engineers for their outstanding performance and contributions. The fellowship is open to Indian Nationals residing in India who are below the age of 60 years. The applicant should possess a higher degree or equivalent: namely Ph.D. in Science/Engineering, Masters in Engineering or Technology/MD in Medicine, etc. and must have carried out several years of work in the specific area. The candidate must have a regular position in an Institute /Organization and should be engaged in research. The duration of the fellowship will be initially for five years. The value of the fellowship will be Rs. 25,000 per month in addition to regular income. In addition, each Fellow will receive a contingency of Rs. 10.00 lakh per annum for conferences and other expenses.

Four Scientists of Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) were on January 20, 2011 announced as recipients of the prestigious J.C. Bose National Fellowship-2011. Dr Ch. Mohan Rao, Director, Dr R. Nagaraj, Dr Veena K. Parnaik and Dr Ghanshyam Swarup, senior scientists at CCMB have been awarded the national fellowship. The fellowship, instituted by the Department of Science and Technology carries Rs 25,000 a month, a separate contingency of Rs 10 lakh a year towards conducting the scientific research and is for a five-year term initially.

12. Which of the following statements about the ‘Ramanujan Fellowships’ of the governemnt is/are correct?

I. Scientists, engineers and doctors below the age of 60 years are eligible.

II. Those opting for this fellowship will have to leave other fellowships/positions

III. Only Indian nationals are eligible for the fellowship

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only*

(c)  I and III only

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III

Answer 12:

‘Ramanujan Fellowships’ instituted by the Government of India are meant for brilliant scientists and engineers from all over the world to take up scientific research positions in India, especially those scientists who want to return to India from abroad. The fellowships are scientist-specific and very selective. The Ramanujan Fellows could work in any of the scientific institutions and universities in the country and they would be eligible for receiving regular research grants through the extramural funding schemes of various S&T agencies of the Government of India. The fellowship is open to brilliant scientists and engineers from all over the world who are below the age of 60 years. The applicant should possess a higher degree or equivalent, such as Ph.D. in Science/Engineering, Masters in Engineering or Technology/MD in Medicine, etc. and have adequate professional experience. The candidate has to opt for either this fellowship or his present position/fellowship, if any. The duration of the fellowship will be initially for five years. The value of the fellowship will be Rs. 75,000/- per month. Each Fellow will, in addition, receive a contingency of Rs. 5.00 lakh per annum for conferences and other expenses.

13. Davinder S. Brar is known for his achievements in which of the following industries?

(a)  Banking

(b) Mining & Metallurgy

(c)  Information Technology

(d) Shipping

(e)  Pharmaceuticals*

Answer 13:

Davinder S. Brar, chairman, GVK Biosciences Pvt. Ltd, and Roger L. Williams, CEO, United States Pharmacopeia (USP), were on January 18, 2011 selected for Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) Special Awards 2011. Brar joined GVK Biosciences as a Promoter Chairman in 2004. He has 30 years of experience in the Pharma/Life-sciences industry. He played a significant role in building Ranbaxy (India’s largest Pharma Company) into a globally recognized generics company with a pipeline of specialty and innovator (NCE) drugs.

14. The Malegam Committee on microfinance institutions (MFIs) submitted its report recently. Which of the following statements regarding its recommendations is/are correct?

I. It has specified the maximum interest rate that MFIs can charge

II. All loans should be without collateral

III. Loans to MFIs should be treated as priority sector lending

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III*

Answer 14:

The Malegam Committee on microfinance institutions (MFIs), set up by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), submitted its report on January 20, 2011. Its recommendations include the following:

The interest rate charged by MFIs should not exceed 24 per cent on individual loans and all loans should be without collateral. There should be an average margin cap of 10 per cent for MFIs with a loan portfolio of Rs 100 crore and of 12 per cent for smaller MFIs.

The Malegam Committee has called for the creation of a new category of non-banking finance companies – NBFC-MFI. The committee said that to qualify as an NBFC-MFI, an NBFC should provide financial services predominantly to low-income borrowers.

To promote financial inclusion, it has asked for lending to MFIs to be treated as priority-sector lending.

15. Portfolios of some Cabinet Ministers were changed in the recent ministerial reshuffle at the Centre. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

(a)  Virbhadra Singh – Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

(b) Kamal Nath – Corporate Affairs*

(c)  Subodh Kant Sahay – Tourism

(d) S. Jaipal Reddy – Petroleum and Natural Gas

(e)  None of the above

Answer 15:

Virbhadra Singh – Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

S. Jaipal Reddy – Petroleum and Natural Gas

Kamal Nath – Urban Development

Murli Deora – Corporate Affairs

Subodh Kant Sahay – Tourism

16. The Malegam Committee on microfinance institutions (MFIs) submitted its report recently. Which of the following statements regarding its recommendations is/are correct?

I. Families with an annual income above a certain limit will not be eligible to borrow from MFIs

II. The amount an individual can borrow from MFIs in a year will depend on his repayment record

III. An individual cannot borrow from more than two MFIs

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only

(d) II and III only*

17. Who among the following chaired the committee that proposed a four-fold fee hike for undergraduate programmes at the IITs recently?

(a)  Jayant Narlikar

(b) Samir Brahmachari

(c)  R A Mashelkar

(d) Anil Kakodkar*

(e)  Yash Pal

Answer 17:

The proposed four-fold fee hike for undergraduate programmes at the IITs as a way to ensure financial autonomy has been turned down by the IIT Council on January 21, 2011. HRD minister Kapil Sibal, who chairs the council, rejected the proposal and described it as a “deterrent” for large sections of students. The fee hike was proposed as part of the road map for autonomy prepared by a five-member committee headed by IIT Bombay chairman and former Atomic Energy Commission Chief Anil Kakodkar. The Kakodkar committee was to suggest a road map for the autonomy and future of IITs. The committee has suggested that IIT should be financially strong and not depend on government subsidies in order to achieve greater autonomy. For this, it recommended a substantial fee hike at undergraduate B.Tech level. This could have lead to an increase in fees from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2.2-2.5 lakh per student per year.

18. Which of the following pairs of persons and their organisations is/are correctly matched?

I. Stephen Elop – CEO, Nokia

II. Jack Welch – CEO, General Electric

III. Gerard Kleisterlee – Chairman, Vodafone

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only*

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III

Answer 18:

U.S. President Barack Obama on January 21, 2011, named Jeffrey Immelt, Chief Executive Officer of General Electric (GE), to chair a new economic advisory agency named Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Stephen Elop – CEO, Nokia; Jeffrey Immelt – CEO, General Electric; Gerard Kleisterlee is the new Chairman of Vodafone

19. The Malegam Committee on microfinance institutions (MFIs) submitted its report recently. Which of the following statements regarding its recommendations is/are correct?

I. MFIs should be exempted from the purview of state Money Lending Acts

II. MFIs will be not be allowed to levy processing fee and insurance charge

III. MFI managements will be liable if coercive methods are used by their employees in recovery of loans

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only*

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III

Answer 19:

The Malegam Committee on microfinance institutions (MFIs), set up by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), submitted its report on January 20, 2011. Its recommendations include the following:

It has called for exempting MFIs from state Money Lending Acts. If the recommendations of the committee are accepted, the need for the Andhra Pradesh Micro Finance Institutions (Regulation of Money Lending) Act will not survive. Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh government had passed legislation to bring down abusive practices adopted by MFIs operating in the state. The Malegam Committee has proposed setting up fast-track courts in every district for MFI-related issues.

MFIs will be allowed to levy only three charges: Processing fee, interest and insurance charge.

Primary responsibility will lie with an MFI and its management, so if coercive methods are used, managements should be severely penalised, the committee suggested.

20. Which of the following statements about indirect tax collections is/are correct?

I. Customs accounted for the highest share while Service tax had the lowest share during first nine months of 2010-11

II. Central Excise registered highest growth in revenue followed by Service tax and Customs during first nine months of 2010-11

III. The Budget target for revenue collection in the full fiscal 2010-11 is the highest for Central Excise and the lowest for Service tax

(a)  I only

(b) I and II only

(c)  I and III only*

(d) II and III only

(e)  I, II and III

Answer 20:

Revenue collection during first nine months of 2010-11
Head	Target for full fiscal 2010-11	Revenue collection during Apr- Dec		% growth during Apr- Dec
		2009-10	2010-11	2010-11
Customs	115000	59402	99830	68.1
Central Excise	130471	69747	93281	33.7
Service Tax	68000	36984	44081	19.2
Total	313471	166133	237192

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