GK and Current Affairs Question and Answers Test 2

1. Which of the following statements about the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) is/are correct?

I. Annual Meeting of APPF was organised at Ulan Bator recently

II. The APPF was founded by the former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone

III. India is not a member of APPF

(a) I only

(b) I and II only

(d) II and III only

(e) I, II and III*

Answer 1:

The 19^th Annual Meeting of Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), at Ulan Bator, Mongolia, ended with the signing of a joint declaration on January 26, 2011. The joint declaration touched upon political, economic and trade, and security issues, regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region as well as future work and reform of the APPF.

The APPF was established in Tokyo in 1993. The APPF is a loosely-structured and non-exclusive forum of national parliamentarians who participate either as delegates of their parliaments or in their personal capacities.

The APPF, which was founded by the former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, seeks to provide opportunities for national parliamentarians of the Asia Pacific region to identify and discuss matters of common concern and interest and to highlight them in a global context.

Member countries: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile, China, Colombia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, USA and Vietnam

2. Which of the following statements about Polavaram project is/are correct?

I. It is a mega project envisaging the construction of a dam across Krishna River

II. It seeks to link Krishna and Godavari Rivers

III. It has not been accorded national project status

(a) I and II only

(b) II and III only*

(d) III and I only

(e) I, II and III

Answer 2:

The Polavaram project, named Indira Sagar, is a mega project envisaging the construction of a dam across Godavari river, link Krishna and Godavari rivers, develop a vast irrigation system that would cover 15 out of 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh, and generate 960 MW power at a cost of Rs 13,500 crore. This ambitious project was first envisioned by the British administration in 1941. Former Congress MP Jagan Mohan Reddy undertook a three-day march beginning on February 7 to demand clearance of the project in West Godavari district. There has been a demand for according national status to the project and almost all major parties organised agitations over the issue.

3. Who among the following Nobel Laureate in Literature was in news for the launch his new book “The Naive and The Sentimental Novelist” recently?

(a) Elfriede Jelinek

(b) Günter Grass

(d) V. S. Naipaul*

(e) Orhan Pamuk

Answer 3:

Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk launch his new book “The Naive and The Sentimental Novelist”, published by Penguin India on January 28, 2011. Pamuk, the author of “Snow”, “My Name is Red”, “The Museum of Innocence” and other works was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. His latest book is a collection of literary essays from the Charles Eliot Norton lectures he delivered at Harvard in 2009.

4. ‘Hunar Se Rozgar’ is a programme for creation of employable skills amongst youth belonging to economically weaker sections of the society launched by _____________ in 2009-10.

(a) Ministry of Tourism*

(b) Ministry of Tourism Ministry of Rural Development

Answer 4:

The number of beneficiaries under the Hunar Se Rozgar programme of the Ministry of Tourism in January 2011 already exceeded the target set for 2010-11. The Ministry of Tourism launched this special programme in 2009-10, fully funded by it for creation of employable skills amongst youth belonging to economically weaker sections of the society. This initiative was taken to bridge the gap of skilled manpower in hospitality sector.

5. The decadal growth rate of India’s population exceeded _______ in Census 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001.

(a) 20%*

(b) 23%

(d) 29%

(e) 32%

Answer 5:

The growth of India’s population was likely to come down by over five per cent in Census 2011, Registrar General and Census Commissioner C Chandramouli said on February 4, 2011. In the upcoming Census 2011 (2001-2011), the growth of population is expected to come down to 16 per cent from 21.5 per cent growth witnessed in Census 2001 (1991-2001) said Chandramouli. The growth of country’s population had remained 25 per cent in census 1971 and 1981, 24 percent in 1991 and 21.5 per cent in 2001. It has grown from 439 million in Census 1961 to 1028 million in census of 2001.

6. Which of the following statements about the ‘Delhi Sustainable Development Summit’ organised recently is/are correct?

I. ‘Vision for a Sustainable Tomorrow: Business as a Game Changer’ was the theme of the Summit

II. It was organised for the first time

III. It was organised by The Energy and Resource Institute

(a) I only

(b) I and II only

(d) II and III only

(e) I, II and III

Answer 6:

The 11^th ‘Delhi Sustainable Development Summit’ (DSDS) was organised by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) from February 3 to 5, 2011 in New Delhi. ‘Tapping Local Initiatives and Tackling Global Inertia’ was the theme of the Summit.

7. Which of the following statements about the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) is/are correct?

I. It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Development

II. It facilitates cooperation between NGOs and private sector companies for development of rural areas

III. Mohammed Haleem Khan is the Director General of CAPART

(a) I only

(b) I and II only

(d) II and III only

(e) I, II and III

Answer 7:

The Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) was founded in 1986, as a nodal agency for catalysing and coordinating the emerging partnership between voluntary organisations and the Government for sustainable development of rural areas. CAPART was formed by amalgamating two agencies the ‘Council for Advancement of Rural Technology’ (CART) and People’s Action for Development India (PADI). CAPART is an autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, and is functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Today, this agency is a major promoter of rural development in India, assisting over 12,000 voluntary organizations across the country in implementing a wide range of development initiatives. Mohammed Haleem Khan is the Director General of CAPART.

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

I. Brijmohan Lall Munjal – Hero Honda Motors

II. Deep Kalra – Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip Ltd

III. Ajay Kaul – CEO, Jubilant Foodworks

(a) I only

(b) I and II only

(d) II and III only

(e) I, II and III*

Answer 8:

Brijmohan Lall Munjal – Hero Honda Motors, Ajay Kaul – CEO, Jubilant Foodworks, Deep Kalra – Founder and CEO, MakeMyTrip Ltd.

9. Which of the following statements about the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is/are correct?

I. India has signed but not ratified UNCAC

II. UNCAC is a legally binding anti-corruption instrument

III. UNCAC is yet to come into force

(a) I only

(b) I and II only*

(d) II and III only

(e) I, II and III

Answer 9:

The BJP in January 2011 demanded that the UPA government immediately ratify the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and enter into a dialogue with the countries where black-money has been stashed away to get it back. India signed the UNCAC in 2005 but has still not ratified it.

UNCAC is the first legally binding international anti-corruption instrument. In its 8 Chapters and 71 Articles, the UNCAC obliges its States Parties to implement a wide and detailed range of anti-corruption measures affecting their laws, institutions and practices. These measures aim to promote the prevention, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, technical assistance and information exchange, and mechanisms for implementation.

The UNCAC was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico, on 31 October 2003 by Resolution 58/4. The convention was signed by 140 countries. Ecuador became the thirtieth country to ratify the Convention on 15 September 2005 and it entered into force on 14 December 2005. As of 5 November 2010, the convention had been ratified, accepted, approved or acceded by 144 countries (which became thus States Parties to the convention).

10. Which of the following pairs of recent books and their authors is/are correctly matched?

I. ‘Kasab – The Face of 26/11’ – Rommel Rodrigues

II. ‘Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan’ – Saeed Naqvi

III. ‘Across the LoC – Inside Pakistan Administrated Jammu and Kashmir’ – Luv Puri

(a) I only

(b) I and II only

(d) II and III only

(e) I, II and III

Answer10:

‘Kasab – The Face of 26/11’ – Rommel Rodrigues; ‘Across the LoC – Inside Pakistan Administrated Jammu and Kashmir’ – Luv Puri; ‘Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan’ – M.J. Akbar

11. Which South American country has launched investigations into the death of its first socialist President Salvador Allende recently?

(a) Venezuela

(b) Peru

(d) Cuba

(e) Chile*

Answer 11:

Chile’s authorities (in January 2011) are launching the first ever inquiry into the death of socialist President Salvador Allende. His body was found in the presidential palace after it was attacked by troops and planes during the 1973 coup that brought Gen Augusto Pinochet to power. Salvador Allende came to power in 1970 as Chile’s first democratically-elected Marxist president. But his radical policies polarised Chile and angered the US, which backed a military coup against him. The coup ushered in 17 years of rule by Gen Pinochet, during which more than 3,000 political opponents were killed or disappeared by the military and thousands more were imprisoned and tortured. General Pinochet died of a heart attack in 2006 at the age of 91 while under investigation for corruption, torture and murder. The investigation will seek to establish whether Allende committed suicide or was killed by the military

12. The Indian Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) has been set up to focus on trade and investment in which of the following regions?

(a) Australia & New Zealand

(b) Europe and North America

(d) Middle East and North Africa*

(e) South Asia

Answer 12:

The Indian Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), which was formed recently under the aegis of the India Trade & Exhibition Centre (ITEC), Sharjah, has put in place a permanent secretariat to strengthen its activities. The IBLF on February 5, 2011 said it would soon form a consortium to focus on business opportunities in other markets such as the GCC and other MENA countries. IBLF President Sudesh Aggarwal said that the mission of IBLF will be to promote trade and investment with India and other GCC and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries and promote businesses.

13. Portfolios of some Cabinet Ministers were changed in the recent ministerial reshuffle at the Centre. Whose portfolio has not been changed?

(a) Virbhadra Singh

(b) S. M. Krishna*

(d) S. Jaipal Reddy

(e) All the above

Answer 13:

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reshuffled his Council of Ministers on January 19, 2011.

Cabinet Ministers whose portfolio remain unchanged: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna, Defence Minister A. K. Antony, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Law & Justice Minister M. Veerappa Moily, New and Renewable Energy Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran, Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, Labour & Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, Commerce & Industry Minister Anand Sharma , Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan, Social Justice & Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik, Tribal Affairs Minister Kantilal Bhuria and Chemicals & Fertilizers Minister M.K. Alagiri.

Cabinet Ministers whose portfolios have been changed/modified are: Sharad Pawar, Virbhadra Singh, Vilasrao Deshmukh, S. Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, Vayalar Ravi, Murli Deora, Kapil Sibal, B.K. Handique, C. P. Joshi, Selja, Subodh Kant Sahay, Dr. M.S. Gill and Pawan Kumar Bansal.

14. The government plans to introduce the National Geospatial Data Authority Bill in the Budget session. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) The Bill will provide a legal framework for sharing of royalties with the government on mining operations by foreign companies

(b) The Bill will facilitate joint ventures between public sector and private sector companies in launch of remote sensing satellites

(d) The Bill will provide a legal framework for utilising of data generated by remote sensing satellites*

(e) The Bill will provide a legal framework for Indian companies investing in satellite launch businesses overseas.

Answer 14:

The government plans to introduce and pass the National Geospatial Data Authority Bill in the Budget session. The geospatial sector in the country has been growing with the entry of private and international companies utilising data generated from space-based platforms like remote sensing and near-earth orbiting satellites about various features of natural resources and developing geographical information systems (GIS). The Bill sought to create a mechanism with an independent regulator overseeing licensing and distribution of geospatial information.

15. Who among the following has been rated as the best MP in terms of their performance in Parliament in the 14^th Lok Sabha by NGO National Social Watch (NSW) recently?

(a) Braja Kishore Tripathy

(b) C.K. Chandrappan*

(d) Mohan Singh

(e) Salarapatty Kuppusamy Kharventhan

Answer 15:

National Social Watch released its Citizens’ Report on Governance and Development 2010 on December 21, 2011. Highlights are:

For the first time in the Indian Parliamentary history, the National Social Watch in December 2010 rated the MP’s purely based on their performance in the House

CPI MP from Trichur constituency, C K Chandrappan, was the topmost parliamentarian in the 14th Lok Sabha, but was not elected to the 15^th Lok Sabha

Top 5 performers in the 14th Lok Sabha failed to get the nod of electorate in the elections to the 15th Lok Sabha

The number of bills passed witnessed a decline from 47 in 2008 to 41 in 2009

Both the houses of the parliament have spent less than one-fifth of total time on legislative business

The number of MP’s participating in the discussion on legislations have come down, from 11.5% in 2008 to just 8.8% in 2009

Increase of wealthy members in both houses. Dramatic increase in the wealth of MPs – 3023% increase in the wealth of Congress MP L. Rajgopal since 2004

25% of the strength of the Lok Sabha belongs to the industrialist/ trader / business person / builder category, potential of conflict of interest can never be undermined thereby increasing potential of conflict of interests in the membership of the standing committees

Need for strict rationalization of the committee systems especially in terms of their tenure, reduction in the number of members in the Standing Committees and the Financial Committees to 20

Lok Sabha spent over 95 hours discussing the budget, far better than in the previous year

For the first time in many years, the Lok Sabha witnessed the collapse of the question hour, leading to the adjournment of the House

19% of the questions were taken up on the floor of the House in 2009, while in 2008 this was only 17%.

16. Which of the following statements about the ‘Geospatial World Forum’ organised recently is/are correct?

I. It was earlier known as Map World Forum

II. It was organised in Hyderabad

III. Dr. K Kasturirangan was conferred Lifetime Achievement Award

(a) I and II only

(b) II only

(d) III and I only

(e) I, II and III*

Answer 16:

The four-day Geospatial World Forum was organised in Hyderabad from January 18-21, 2011. Geospatial World Forum (formerly known as Map World forum) is a conference driven by an objective to provide an appropriate representation of the geospatial industry and its relevance in tomorrow’s world. It is a medium of convergence of various stakeholders of the global geospatial community. It is a gathering of about 2000 professionals from all over the world who get together to discuss and deliberate on various aspects of geospatial industry. Geospatial World Forum is organized in partnership with many international professional societies. The Geospatial World Forum 2011 recognised the exemplary contributions made by organisations and professionals to the growth of geospatial technology and industry around the world. The following organisations/professionals received the GIS Development awards:

GIS Development awards	Winners
Premier Mapping Agency	Natural Resources Canada
Education / Capacity Building for geospatial technology	Department of Geography, Univ. Of California, (Dr. Val Noronah)
Geospatial Personality of Decade	Vanessa Lawrence CB, Director General and CEO, Ordnance Survey, UK
Leading Professional Society	International Cartographic Association (ICA)
World Leaders in Geospatial Technology	Rolta Group
Lifetime Achievement	Dr. K Kasturirangan

17. Which institution was in news for its report “Education of Health Professionals For the 21^stCentury” that recommends instructional and institutional innovations to nurture a new generation of health professionals recently?

(a) World Medical Association

(b) Lancet*

(d) Global Pulse

(e) Doctors without Borders

Answer 17:

Making out a strong case for instructional and institutional reforms in medical education, an independent global report by the Lancet Commission unveiled in January 2011 has recommended aligning national efforts through joint planning, especially in the education and health sectors, engaging all stakeholders in the reform process and developing global collaborative networks for mutual strengthening. The report on “Education of Heath Professionals For the 21^st Century” has suggested establishment of joint planning mechanisms in every country to engage key stakeholders, especially the Education and Health Ministries, professional associations and the academic community, to overcome fragmentation by assessment of national conditions, setting priorities, shaping policies, tracking change and harmonising supply and demand for health professionals in order to meet the health needs of the population. It calls for promotion of inter-professional and trans-professional education that will break down professional silos while enhancing collaborative and non-hierarchical relationships.

18. A scientific paper released recently has claimed that cosmic rays contribute 40% to global warming. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

I. The paper was commissioned by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

II. The research was conducted by former ISRO Chairman U. R. Rao

III. The paper’s findings confirm results of earlier research by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

(a) I and II only

(b) II only*

(d) III and I only

(e) I, II and III

Answer 18:

A scientific paper released by the Environment Ministry on January 17, 2011 has said that carbon emissions account for a much lesser share in global warming than currently believed. Physicist and the former ISRO chairman, U.R. Rao, has calculated that cosmic rays — which, unlike carbon emissions, cannot be controlled by human activity — have a much larger impact on climate change than the claims made by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In fact, the contribution of decreasing cosmic ray activity to climate change is almost 40 per cent, argues Dr. Rao in a paper which has been accepted for publication in the Indian science journal ‘Current Science’.

According to the latest report by the IPCC, all human activity, including carbon dioxide emissions, contribute 1.6 watts/sq.m to global warming, while other factors such as solar irradiance contribute just 0.12 watts/sq.m. However, Dr. Rao’s paper calculates that the effect of cosmic rays contributes 1.1 watts/sq.m, taking the total contribution of non-human activity factors to 1.22 watts/sq.m. This means that increased carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere are not as significant as the IPCC claims. Of the total observed global warming of 0.75 degrees Celsius, only 0.42 degrees would be caused by increased carbon dioxide. The rest would be caused by the long term decrease in primary cosmic ray intensity and its effect on low level cloud cover.

19. Who among the following is not involved in the Sukna land scam?

(a) Lt Gen P K Rath

(b) Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash

(d) Lt Gen Ramesh Halguly

(e) Both (c) and (d)

Answer 19:

An Army court martial on January 22, 2011 ordered a two-year seniority loss, 15 years of loss of service for pension and severe reprimand for Lt Gen P K Rath, after finding him guilty in Sukna land scam. He became the first serving Lt General-rank officer to be convicted for corruption. Rath, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff-designate, was found guilty of issuing a ‘No-Objection Certificate’ in the capacity of 33 Corps Commander to a private realtor for constructing educational institutions on a piece of land adjacent to the Sukna military station in West Bengal. He was also found guilty of signing an MoU with Geetanjali Trust for construction of the educational institute and for not informing the general officer in command of the Eastern Command about the proposed agreement. An Army Court of Inquiry had found Rath guilty of wrongdoing along with Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, the then Military Secretary to the Army Chief, Lt Gen Ramesh Halguly, the then 11 Corps Commander and Maj Gen P K Sen. Subsequently, the Court Martial was ordered against Rath and Prakash while administrative action was directed against the two other officers.

20. PM Manmohan Singh has set up an expert committee to review the Factories Act, 1948 recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

I. Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav is the Chairman of the committee

II. A premise with 10 or more workers and a manufacturing process carried on with the aid of electricity is defined as factory

III. A premise with 20 or more workers and a manufacturing process carried on without the aid of electricity is defined as factory

(a) I and II only

(b) II only

(d) III and I only

(e) I, II and III*

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