1. The International date line deviates from 1800 meridian in the North Pacific Ocean due to

                1              Aleutian Islands

                2              Samoa Islands

                3              Fuji Islands

                4              Cook Islands

                                Ans:1

                2. The world's highest hydel power project 'Rongtong' is located in

                1              Rangoon

                2              Kathmandu

                3              Himachal Pradesh

                4              Beijing

                                Ans:3

                3. Artesian wells are found in

                1              Sedimentary rocks

                2              Igneous rocks

                3              Metamorphic rocks

                4              None of these

                4. Which one of the following is the farthest from the centre of the earth?

                1              Equator

                2              Tropic of Capricorn

                3              Antarctic Circle

                4              South Pole

                                Ans:1

                5. The multipurpose Sardar Sarovar Project is being built across which river ?

                1              Tapti

                2              Narmada

                3              Sabarmati

                4              Godavari

                                Ans:2

                6. Which one of the following rivers orginates near Mahabaleshwar?

                1              Godavari

                2              Krishna

                3              Kaveri

                4              Tapi

                                Ans:2

7. Put in descending order of content of fixed carbon 1.Peat 2.Lignite 3.Bituminous Coal  4.Anthracite

                1              4, 2, 3, 1

                2              1, 2, 3, 4

                3              3, 4, 2, 1

                4              4, 3, 2, 1

                                Ans:4

                8. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? (Lake --- Location)

                1              Superior -- US-Canada

                2              Baikal -- Russia

                3              Great Bear -- Canada

                4              Great Slave -- Russia

                                Ans:4

                9. Which of the following has the minimum humus?

                1              Gray-desert soil

                2              Red-desert soil

                3              Chestnut soil

                4              Cher nozem

                                Ans:2

                10. Choose incorrect statement

                1              Capacity of air to hold moisture decreases with a rise in temperature of the air

                2              The air pressure decreases with an increase in temperature

                3              Absolute humidity is expressed in grams per cubic metre of air

                4              With an ascent of every 165 metres, the temperature is reduced by 10C

                                Ans:1

                11. Which of the following crops requires water logging?

                1              Tea

                2              Oil seeds

                3              Cotton

                4              Rice

                                Ans:1

                12. Coal is found in

                1              volcanic rocks

                2              metamorphic rocks

                3              igneous rocks

                4              sedimentary rocks

                                Ans:1

                13. Trade winds blow in the norhtern hemisphere from

                1              North to south

                2              South to north

                3              Northwest to southwest

                4              Northeast to southwest

                14. "Namibia" was earlier known as

                1              South- West Africa

                2              New Guinea

                3              British Guyana

                4              British Columbia

                                Ans:1

                15. Which one of the following gases is predominant in the atmosphere?

                1              Argon

                2              Nitrogen

                3              Carbon Dioxide

                4              Oxygen

                                Ans:2

                16. Osaka (japan) is known as the

                1              Queen of the Adriatic

                2              Manchaster of the Orient

                3              Land of Morning Calm

                4              Land of Cakes

                                Ans:2

                17. Most of the weather phenomena take place in the -

                1              Stratosphere

                2              Troposphere

                3              Tropopause

                4              Ionosphere

                                Ans:2

                18. `Sakshat' is

                1              A website

                2              A missile

                3              An artificial satellite

                4              A railway project

                                Ans:1

19. Which one of the following nations has recently pushed back its time and synchronised with the Indian Standard Time?

                1              Sri Lanka

                2              Bangladesh

                3              Bhutan

                4              Nepal

                                Ans:1

                20. The mainstream of river Ganga which flows beyond Farakka is known as

                1              Bhagirathi

                2              Hooghly

                3              Padma

                4              Subarnarekha

                                Ans:3

                21. The collective farms in the steppes of Eurasia are termed as

                1              Campos

                2              Estancias

                3              Kolkhoz

                4              Corals

                                Ans:3

                22. Duncan Pass is between

                1              India and Sri Lanka

                2              Andaman and Nicobar

                3              North and South Andaman

                4              North and East Andaman

                                Ans:3

                23. Which type of rain is caused by ascent of moisture laden air along a mountain?

                1              Convectional rainfall

                2              Orographic rainfall

                3              Cyclonic rainfall

                4              All of the above

                24. In India which of the following are the southernmost hills?

                1              Annamalai hills

                2              Cardamom hills

                3              Nilgiri hills

                4              Javadi hills

                                Ans:2

                25. Which of the following is known as "Island of precipitation" ?

                1              Fault Mountains

                2              Fold Mountains

                3              Dome Mountains

                4              Block Mountains

                                Ans:3

                26. A sudden fall in the barometric reading indicates

                1              rain

                2              storm

                3              fine weather

                4              extreme cold

                                Ans:2

                27. Winds and air currents differ in the aspect that

                1              air currents blow much faster than winds

                2              air currents are always moisture laden while winds are usually dry

                3              the winds blow on lands while air currents blow over seas and oceans

                4              winds are horizontal movements of air while air currents are the vertical movements of air

                                Ans:4

                28. The Chilka Lake region lies in between the deltas of

                1              Mahanadi and Godavari

                2              Krishna and Kaveri

                3              Godavari and Krishna

                4              Ganga and Mahanadi

                                Ans:1

                29. Black Soil is best suited for -

                1              Tea

                2              Rice

                3              Cotton

                4              Coffee

                                Ans:3

30. The controversial Perambikulam-Aliyar project (PAP) which is built on the river Aliyar serves mainly for irrigation purpose involves which two states

                1              Kerala & TN

                2              Kerala & Karnataka

                3              Kerala & Goa

                4              Kerala & Maharashtra

                                Ans:1

              

1.       The entry port for trade between the Indus trading centres and Mesopotamia was

Elam

Oman

Behrain

Afganistan

Ans:3

2.       Alam Khan, one of those who invited Babar to invade India was

An Uncle of Ibrahim Lodi and a pretender to the throne of Delhi

A cousine of Ibrahim Lodi who was ill-treated and expelled from the country

The father of Dilawar Khan to whom cruel treatment was meted out by Ibrahim Lodi

A high official in Punjab province who was very much discontented with Ibrahim Lodi's treatment to h

Ans:1

3.       Which language gained most by the patronage given to scholars by Krishna Deva Rai?

Tamil

Sanskrit

Telugu

Kannada

Ans:3

4.       Which one of the following newspaper was launched by Motilal Nehru?

Leader

The Independent

Hindustan Times

National Herald

Ans:2

5.       Who built the temple of Angkor Vat ?

Surya Varman II

Jaya Varman vII

Yaso Varman

Hari Varman

Ans:1

6.       Panini, the first Grammarian of Sanskrit language in India, lived during the:

2nd Century B. C.

6th -5th Century B. C.

2nd Century A. D.

5th-6th Century A. D.

Ans:2

7.       Which of the following was a saint of the Bhakti Movement in Bengal?

Tulshidas

Vivekananda

Chaitanya

Kabir

Ans:3

8.       King Akbar of the Mughal Dynasty was in power in the

18th century

12th century

16th century

14th century

Ans:3

9.       What situation gave an opportunity to Warren Hastings to intervene in Maratha politics?

Weakening Maratha power after the Third Battle of Panipat

Struggle among Deccan Kingdoms

Haider Ali - Maratha Struggle

Vaccum in Poona after Madhawa Rao's death

Ans:4

10.   The contemporary historians, Ziauddin Barni and Sham-i-Siraz Afif gave the same title to which of the following their books?

Tabkat-i-Nasiri

Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi

Fatwa-i-Jahandari

Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi

Ans:2

11.   Raja Rammohan Roy and David Hara were associated with the foundation of the

Ripon College

Hindu College

M.A.O College

Sanskrit College

Ans:1

12.   Which of the following was a saint of the Bhakti Movement in Bengal?

Tulshidas

Vivekananda

Chaitanya

Kabir

Ans:3

13.   Who were the signatories of the Treaty of Salbai?

Peshwa and the East India Company

Haider Ali, Peshwa and East India Company

Haider Ali and Peshwa

Mahadaji Sindhia and Warren Hastings

Ans:4

14.   Which ancient scared text influenced the Indian mind most?

Bhagavat Gita

Purans

Epics

Upanishads

Ans:4

15.   The Ministers during the Sultanate period were appointed and dismissed by

Ulema

The Caliph

The sultan

Wazir

Ans:3

16.   The seat of Central Government of British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in the year

1910

1909

1911

1912

Ans:3

17.   Which of the following is associated with Lord Wellesley, the Governor General of India from 1798 to 1805?

Doctrine of Lapse

Subsidiary Alliance

First Mysore War

Conquest of Rajputana

Ans:2

18.   Which Nawab established independent rule in Oudh?

Murshid Kuli Khan

Shujauddaulah

Sadaat Khan

Safdarjang

Ans:3

19.   Who were called the Kings of Wisdom?

The kings of China

The kings of India

Both

Neither

Ans:2

20.   The Colonial system of the Company was formalized by -

Battle of Plassey

Battle of Buxar

Battle of Panipat

Battle of Wandiwash

Ans:2

21.   'Tipu Sultan' had his capital at

Srirangapatnam

Mysore

Bangalore

Bhagyanagar

Ans:1

22.   Where did Aurangzeb die?

Agra

Asirgarh

Daultabad

Ahmadnagar

Ans:4

23.   Ashoka called the Third Buddhist Council at

Pataliputra

Magadha

Kalinga

Sarnath

Ans:2

24.   Who were the first teacher of the Buddha, after his great renunciation?

Alar and Udarka

Ananda and Ashvaghosh

Sariputra and Maudagalyayana

Alara and Kalam

Ans:1

25.   What was the commercial aim of the Potuguese is India?

Deprive Arabs and Persians from India's maritime trade

Capture pepper and other superior spices trade

Capture textiles and spice trades

Capture territories on the western coast

Ans:2

26.   The main historical source regarding the information about village government under the Cholas is the

Halmidi inscription

Jatwai inscription

Uttaramerur inscription

Chandravallo inscription

Ans:3

27.   To which dynasty did Ashoka belong?

Vardhana

Maurya

Kushan

Gupta

Ans:2

28.   How did Hiuen Tsang undertake journey from and to India?

He came by land route and also returned by land route

He came by land route but returned by sea route

He came by sea route and returned by land route

He came by sea route and also returned by sea route

Ans:1

29.   Who among the following was appointed by Ashoka to administer justice in his empire?

Shramana

Uparika

Rajuka

Kumaramatya

Ans:3

30.   Mention the most important social issue taken up by Ghandhiji for reforms -

Religion

Cast

Women's status

Orthodoxy in Hinduism

Ans:2

31.   Which of the following Shaka king reconstructed the Sudarshana lake?

Rudradaman

Manes

Chastana

Bhumaka

Ans:1

32.   Which ruler, for the first time issued gold coins on a large scale in ancient India?

Ashoka

Kanishka

Samudragupta

Harsha

Ans:2

33.   Who compared the Dandi March to Napoleon's March to Paris on his return from Elba ?

Dadabhai Naoroji

Lala Lajpat Rai

Subhash Chandra Bose

B.G. Tilak

Ans:3

34.   What was the type of marriage in the Vedic period in which, in place of the dowry, there was a token bride price of a cow and a bull -

Asura

Arsa

Gantharva

Rakshsa

Ans:1

35.   The disput of internal trade between which Nawab of Bengal and the East India Company brought about a war like situation?

Alivardi Khan

Mir Qasim

Mir Jafar

Sirajuddaula

Ans:2

36.   What was the commercial aim of the Potuguese is India?

Deprive Arabs and Persians from India's maritime trade

Capture pepper and other superior spices trade

Capture textiles and spice trades

Capture territories on the western coast

Ans:2

37.   The father of Asoka was:

Bimbisara

Bindusara

Mahendra

Namda

Ans:2

38. Who among the following British Governors-General shifted India's capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911?

                                Lord Louis Mountbatten

                                Warren Hastings

                                Lord Canning

                                Lord Hardinge

                                Ans:3

39. Who among the following, proved the spherical shape of the earth during his first voyage around the world?

                                Captain Cook

                                Ferdinand Magellan

                                Vasco da Gama

                                Columbus

                                Ans:2

                40. Who among the following was directly associated with the French Revolution?

                                Napolean Bonaparte

                                Voltaire

                                Louis XIV

                                Danton

                                Ans:1

Indira Gandhi 

Born: November 19, 1917
Died: October 31, 1984
Achievements: Became President of Indian National Congress in 1959; was Minister of Information and Broadcasting in Lal Bahadur Shastri's government; became Prime Minister in 1966; nationalized major banks in 1969; gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao during 1971 general elections; led India to a decisive war against Pakistan in 1971.

Indira Gandhi, one of the best-known women of the 20th century, was Prime Minister of India, and daughter of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Also known as Indira Nehru Gandhi, she was born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad. She was born in a family that was at the centre of Indian freedom movement. Her father Jawaharlal Nehru and grandfather Motilal Nehru were at the forefront of Indian freedom struggle. Her mother Kamla Nehru, although less involved politically, was subject to political arrest by the British. Indira Gandhi had a lonely childhood, with some of her most vivid remembrances being the entry into her home of British policemen. As her parents did not want to send her to any of the British schools in India, Indira Gandhi's education took place at a series of Indian schools and at non-British schools in Europe, with a number of private tutorials interspersed between periods at school.

Indira Gandhi married a Parsi named Feroze Gandhi in 1942. The marriage was opposed by orthodox Hindus because it was an intercommunal love marriage not arranged by her parents. Jawaharlal Nehru too opposed the marriage on grounds that the couple were somewhat incompatible because both possessed fiery tempers. Publicly, however, both Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi strenuously defended the marriage. Shortly after their marriage both Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi were arrested and jailed for nationalist activities. Indira Gandhi was released after eight months and Feroze Gandhi after an year. After the release Feroze Gandhi became editor of The National Herald, a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, and Mrs. Indira Gandhi became the principal confidant and assistant of her father during the period of Nehru's prime ministership (1947-1965). The couple separated for a number of years during the 1950s as Feroze Gandhi launched his own political career in Parliament and was often at odds with Jawaharlal Nehru's policies and style. In 1959 Indira Gandhi became President of the Indian National Congress and in 1964 she was elected to the parliament. Meanwhile, the death of Feroze Gandhi (from a heart attack) in 1960, and the subsequent death of her father in 1964, caused Indira Gandhi to withdraw into a shell and limit herself to her immediate family.

After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri became Prime Minister and Indira Gandhi was the minister of Information and Broadcasting in his government. After Lal Bahadur Shastri's untimely death in 1966, she was selected as prime minister by party bosses within the Congress Party as a compromise candidate. Her candidature was opposed by Morarji Desai, a veteran nationalist and prime ministerial aspirant himself. The Congress bosses were apparently looking for a leading figure acceptable to the masses, who could not only command general support during the next general election but who would also acquiesce to their guidance. In her initial days as Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi encountered numerous problems such as Mizo tribal uprisings in the northeast; famine, labour unrest,and misery among the poor in the wake of rupee devaluation; and agitation in Punjab for linguistic and religious separatism.

In the fourth general elections held in 1967, Congress suffered a major setback. Congress majority was greatly reduced in parliament and non-Congress ministries were established in Bihar, Kerala, Orissa, Madras, Punjab, and West Bengal. This forced Mrs. Indira Gandhi to become assertive and opt for a series of choices that pitted her directly against the Congress Party high command, which had previously been built up by her father. Seeking to eradicate poverty, Mrs. Gandhi pursued a vigorous policy in 1969 of land reform and placed a ceiling on personal income, private property, and corporate profits. She also nationalized the major banks, a bold step amidst a growing rift between herself and the party elders. The Congress expelled her for "indiscipline" on November 12, 1969, an action that split the party into two factions: the Congress (O)-for Organisation-led by Morarji Desai, and the Congress (I)--for Indira-led by Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi campaigned fiercely on the slogan of "Garibi Hatao" (eliminate poverty) during the fifth general elections in March 1971 and won an unprecedented two-third majority. Her leadership qualities came to the fore during India-Pakistan war in 1971 that resulted in liberation of Bangladesh. India achieved decisive victory over Pakistan in the face of diplomatic opposition from both China and the United States and a lack of international support from almost every other nation except the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc countries. Indian victory over Pakistan led to a great surge in Indira Gandhi's popularity and she was compared to Goddess Durga by ordinary Indians.

Expectations raised by the garibi hatao campaign and India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 led to great disappointment and political difficulties in the mid-1970s. Enormous economic cost of 1971 war, increase in world oil prices and, drop in industrial output added to the economic hardships. During this time J.P.Narayan initiated a civil disobedience movement against Indira Gandhi. In June 1975, amidst all this crises Allahabad High Court invalidated her 1971 election on the grounds of electoral malpractices. Instead of resigning, Indira Gandhi declared an Emergency in the country and jailed al her political opponents. The Emergency lasted till March 1977 and in the general election held afterwards she was defeated by a coalition of parties called Janta Morcha.

Factionalism among coalition partners led to the collapse of Janta government and Indira Gandhi came back to the power once again in 1980. But her second innings was beset with difficulties and personal tragedies. Her younger son Sanjay Gandhi died in an air crash. Her government was confronted with serious challenges to its ability to maintain law and order as conflicts between religious and ethnic groups broke out in different parts of the country. After the army had invaded the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the chief shrine of the Sikhs, which had been held as an armed camp by a group of militant Sikhs, she became the target for Sikh anger and on 31 October 1984 she was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguard.

Shobhana Bhartia

Born - 1957
Achievements - Daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. In the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award.

Born in the year 1957, the daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla and grand daughter of GD Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. This lady holds the credit of raising Rs 400 Crore via public equity launch of the HT Media group in the year 2005. Till the year 2004, the Birla family owned 75.36 per cent stake in HT Media.

Here's more information about the biography of Shobhana Bhartia, who graduated from the Calcutta University and later, wedded Shyam Sunder Bhartia. This particular gentleman is the chairman of the Rs 14 billion Jubilant Organosys Limited, a Pharma company. Shamit Bhartia, their son, is also a member in the HT Media group. At the same time, he operates lifestyle businesses like Domino's Pizza franchise in the country and a convenience store chain in Bangalore city.

At the time when Shobhana Bharatiya became a member of the Hindustan Times in the year 1986, she was the very first woman chief executive of a national newspaper and in all probability, also among the youngest. Shobhana Bhartia is regarded as one of the crucial people there who played a pivotal role in revamping the image of the Hindustan Times into a "bright and young paper". The life history of Shobhana Bhartia's career is full of achievements.

Shobhana was nominated the member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament i.e. the Rajya Sabha. Shobhana Bhartia was also handed the Global Leader of Tomorrow award by the World Economic Forum in the year 1996. Then again in the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award. The National Press India Award was given to Shobhana in the year 1992.

Naina Lal Kidwai

A prominent personality of the corporate world, she is the first woman to guide the functioning of a foreign bank in India. At present, she is working as the Group General Manager and Country Head of HSBC India. Well, we are talking about the corporate diva Naina Lal Kidwai. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Naina Lal Kidwai.

She was born in the year 1957. Raised in Mumbai and Delhi, she did her schooling from Simla. Alumna of Delhi University, she is the first Indian woman to have graduated from Harvard Business School. She is among the top business women of India, who have made it to the top with their constant hard work and sincerity. To know the complete life history of Naina Lal Kidwai, read on.

She began her career in the year 1982, when she joined the ANZ Grindlays Bank, which is now known as the Standard Chartered Bank. She took up a variety of banking assignments before moving to Morgan Stanley's India operation. She kept climbing the ladders of success. She played an important role in NYSE listing of Wipro. She was instrumental in facilitating the cellular phone services nationwide through a deal involving the Tatas and Birlas. Last November, she became the Managing Director of the HSBC bank.

In the year 2000, the Fortune magazine declared her as the third most powerful businesswoman in Asia. She is the mother of two children, who is maintaining a great balance between work and home. She is very fond of Indian classical as well as western music. She loves to go on trekking tours to the Himalayas. She is a nature lover, who has a keen interest in observing the wildlife. For her praiseworthy work, Naina Lal Kidwai has received many accolades. Her commendable work has been given due recognition by honoring her with the Padmashri award.

Mallika Srinivasan

Economic Times Businesswoman of the year 2006, she is a well known entrepreneur of India. She has always strived hard to reach for skies, but has deeply rooted her foot into the ground. She is a strong headed woman, who is leading the activities of a Company that is involved in macho business such as tractor manufacturing. She has been able to rise and stand out above all others and make a name for herself in the competitive business world of today. Well, we are talking about Mallika Srinivasan, director of the Rs 2500 crore Amalgamations Group Tafe. Mallika Srinivasan is one of the most successful women CEOs in India. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Mallika Srinivasan, so read on…

Life History

Born on November 19, 1959 as the eldest daughter of industrialist A Sivasailam, she is the pride of her parents. She was always brilliant in academics. She did her in MA (econometrics) from Madras University. Thereafter, she went abroad to pursue further studies. She did her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Married to Venu Srinivasan, the CMD of TVS Motor, she is living happily with their two children.

In the year 1986, she planned to join the family business. She was made the General Manager of Tafe (Tractors and Farm Equipment) Company. When she took over the responsibility of furthering the economic wealth and business, the turnover of the Company was Rs 85 cr. Under the expert guidance of her father and the whole hearted support of the team, she brought about a major transformation. She converted Tafe into a hi technology-oriented company, thereby becoming the initial choice of the farmers. There was a period, when the Company had to face a tough time, however; even then, the Company invested a huge amount of over Rs 70 crore in the designing and development of product.

At present, the Company is earning a business over Rs 1,200 cr. It has been a long journey for the Company, which has witnessed many ups and downs. But, it was the strong determination of this courageous woman that slowly and steadily made the firm climb the ladders of success. Today, the Company has not only found a niche for itself as the leading tractor manufacturer, but also expanded its area of operations. It has also entered into others businesses like engineering plastics, panel instruments, automotive batteries gears, hydraulic pumps, and farm implements.

The company has had a long alliance with Massey Ferguson, which is now a part of Agco. The company is looking forward to exporting fully constructed tractors to Agco. Presently, Agro has a stake of 24% in the company and the rest lies with Simpson & Co. Presently, Mallika Srinivasan is serving as the president of premier industrial bodies like Tractor Manufacturers Association and the Madras Management Association. She is the first lady to have assumed the role of a president of the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is also a prominent member of the governing board of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

1. Name this author who was banned by the BBC for nearly three decades because they considered him/her a “second-rater” and dismissed the books as “small beer.”
   a. Charles Dickens
   b. PG Woodhouse
   c. Enid Blyton
   d. Agatha Christie
   
   
2. Name the filmmaker for ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani’, already a box-office hit, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.
   a. Raj Kumar Santoshi
   b. Madhur Bhandarkar
   c. David Dhawan
   d. Karan Johar
   
   
3. Recently Somali pirates freed nine Indians and Bangladeshi seafarers who were dropped off in ….
   a. Dhaka
   b. Muscat
   c. Puntland
   d. Singapore
   
   
4. US President Barack Obama has called for an unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi. This came forward during his meeting with Mynmar Prime Minister …
   a. Hu Jintao
   b. Thein Sein
   c. Taro Aso
   d. Wen Jiabao
   
   
5. Last week saw several raids in Mumbai in relation to the probe in the David Coleman Headley links with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Home secretary … has refused clean chit to any one linked with the case.
   a. Shiv Shankar Menon
   b. Nirupama Rao
   c. Shivraj Patil
   d. GK Pillai
   
   
6. Which of these cricket players became the second Indian batsman and fifth in the world to score 11,000 Test runs on the first day of India-Sri Lanka Test in Ahmedabad that began on November 16?
   a. Rahul Dravid
   b. Sachin Tendulkar
   c. Yuvraj Singh
   d. MS Dhoni
   
   
7. Six babies died in a hospital incubator due to the malfunctioning of the machine. The tragedy happened in ….
   a. Hyderabad
   b. Vishakhapatnam
   c. Vijaywada
   d. Trivandrum
   
   
8. Name this popular actor who rejected a golden jubilee tribute to be paid to him at the International Film Festival of India in Goa.
   a. Kamal Haasan
   b. Amitabh Bachchan
   c. Om Puri
   d. Naseeruddin Shah
   
   
9. Which media house, in partnership with Aviva, collected over one lakh books during the “great wall of book” donation drive?
   a. ‘Times of India’
   b. ‘Hindustan Times’
   c. ‘Indian Express’
   d. ‘The Hindu’
   
   
10. Hockey India is supposed to hold elections by … as per the extended deadline by the International Federation.
    a. December 2009
    b. January 2010
    c. February 2010
    d. April 2010
    
    
11. A bill that was to be placed in the winter session of the Parliament witnessed protests from the farmers and opposition parties. Finally the controversial clause was dropped. The bill related to which crop?
    a. Wheat
    b. Sugarcane
    c. Oilseed
    d. Rice
    
    
12. US and China’s stand on climate change for the next month’s Copenhagen conference has revived hopes of many. What are they pitching for?
    a. A legally-binding agreement
    b. Signing of Kyoto protocol
    c. Providing technology free of cost to the developing nations
    d. Changing lifestyle in their countries
    
    
13. Prime Minister of which country showed confidence in safety of Indian nuclear installations and said that it had no reservations in negotiating a civilian nuclear deal with India?
    a. New Zealand
    b. Australia
    c. Russia
    d. Canada
    
    
14. Which Indian armed force has become the first to have inducted women into combat roles?
    a. Army
    b. Navy
    c. Air Force
    d. None of the above
    
    
15. Which University has collaborated with the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) to explore the Pattanam archaeological site?
    a. Oxford
    b. Sussex
    c. Cambridge
    d. Aston
    
    
16. Name the mouthpiece publication of Shiv Sena called in which Bal Thackarey attacked Sachin Tendulkar for calling himself an Indian before and then a Maharashtrian?
    a. ‘Organiser’
    b. ‘Kamal Sandesh’
    c. ‘Saamna’
    d. ‘Panchjanya’
    
    
17. Son of which filmmaker has been accused of links with 26/11 terror suspect David Headley?
    a. Sanjay Leela Bhansali
    b. Anurag Kashyap
    c. Vishal Bharadwaj
    d. Mahesh Bhatt
    
    
18. On his recent visit to China, US President Barack Obama spoke against ….
    a. Censorship
    b. Child marriage
    c. Two babies norm
    d. Cheap products
    
    
19. Russia has delayed launch of a nuclear reactor in Iran. Which is the place in question in Iran?
    a. Yazd
    b. Kerman
    c. Bushehr
    d. Hamadan
    
    
20. Who is the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)?
    a. Sarath Fonseka
    b. Ranasinghe Premadasa
    c. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
    d. Mahinda Rajapaksa
    
    
21. “If there’s a Nobel for dirt and filth we will win hands down. No competition on that.” Which political personality made this comment?
    a. Rahul Gandhi
    b. Salman Khurshid
    c. Jairam Ramesh
    d. Sheila Dikshit
    
    
22. This monument bore the maximum brunt of the farmer’s rally on the sugarcane pricing in New Delhi on November 19. Name it.
    a. India Gate
    b. Jantar Mantar
    c. Red Fort
    d. Old Fort
    
    
23. This personality took a jibe at judiciary by claiming there was pocket money at play in judiciary. Name him/her.
    a. Dalai Lama
    b. Arundhati Roy
    c. Aruna Roy
    d. NR Narayana Murthy
    
    
24. According to UNICEF, this country is the worst place to be born.
    a. Afghanistan
    b. Pakistan
    c. Iraq
    d. Iran
    
    
25. Which of the statements is incorrect?
    a. US has reopened Watergate probe after 35 years
    b. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to quit politics next year
    c. Barack Obama’s daughters are now planning to be hosts of a reality show
    d. The popular Oprah Winfrey show is coming to an end
    
    
26. Herman Van Rompuy, who has been named European Union’s President, is the Prime Minister of ….
    a. Czech Republic
    b. Belgium
    c. Sweden
    d. Austria
    
    
27. This place in England, the birthplace of William Wordsworth, suffered incessant rains and flood around November 20-21.
    a. Bradford
    b. Sheffield
    c. Cockermouth
    d. York
    
    
28. Clerics in this country are claiming that the movie ‘2012’ is “provocation against Islam”. Which country are we talking about?
    a. Iran
    b. Afghanistan
    c. India
    d. Indonesia
    
    
29. IPL will take cricket places, this person feels. Name him.
    a. Greg Chappell
    b. Ricky Ponting
    c. Wasim Akram
    d. MS Dhoni
    
    
30. There was increased tension between Egypt and this country after Egypt lost to it in a play-off match in soccer. Name it. 
    a. Sudan
    b. Kenya
    c. Algeria
    d. Uganda

Answers 1. c. Enid Blyton 2. a. Raj Kumar Santoshi 3. c. Puntland 4. b. Thein Sein 5. d. GK Pillai 6. a. Rahul Dravid 7. c. Vijaywada 8. a. Kamal Haasan 9. b. ‘Hindustan Times’ 10. c. February 2010 11. b. Sugarcane 12. a. A legally-binding agreement 13. d. Canada 14. b. Navy 15. a. Oxford 16. c. ‘Saamna’ 17. d. Mahesh Bhatt 18. a. censorship 19. c. Bushehr 20. d. Mahinda Rajapaksa 21 c. Jairam Ramesh 22. b. Jantar Mantar 23. a. Dalai Lama 24. a. Afghanistan 25. c. Barack Obama’s daughters are now planning to be hosts of a reality show 26. b. Belgium 27. c. Cockermouth 28. d. Indonesia 29. a. Greg Chappell 30. c. Algeria