General Studies & Current Affairs for Bank, SSC, CLAT, Civil Services and other Competitive Exams

(1) Prerna: - The ‘janasankhya sthirata kosh (national population stabilization fund) has to promote & under take activities aimed at a...

Important Govt. Programme And Policies and Committees


(1) Prerna:- The ‘janasankhya sthirata kosh (national population
stabilization fund) has to promote & under take activities aimed at achieving population stabilization at a level consistent with the needs of sustainable economic growth. Social development and environment protection by 2045
• Prerna is a responsible for parenthood strategy. It is monetary incentive strategy aimed at pushing up the age of marriage of girls and delay the birth of the first child.

(2) National Rural Health Mission:-Lunched in April 2005 the mission seeks to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care which is accountable and at the same time responsible to the needs of the people.
• It also aims to achieve the goals set out under the national policy and the millennium development goals during the mission period.

(3) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna:-Launched by ministry of labour & employment, govt of India to provide health insurance coverage for BPL families.
• Beneficiaries are entitled to hospitalization coverage up to Rs 30,000 for most of the disease that require hospitalization.

(4) National Food Security Mission:-Sponsored scheme launched in august 2007.
• Objective is to increased production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses.

(5) 15 Point Programme:-In Oct 2009 govt decided to include 3 more schemes in the Prime minister’s new 15 point programme for the welfare of minorities.
Those are: -
• National rural drinking water programme.
• Urban infrastructure developed scheme for small and medium town.
• Urban infrastructure and governance scheme.

(6) Bharat Nirman Yojna:- It is a time bound business plan for action in rural in infrastructure .Under Bharat nirman , action was proposed in the areas of:-
I. Irrigation.
II. Rural housing.
III. Rural water supply.
IV. Rural electrification.
V. Rural telecommunication connectivity.

(7) National Mission On Education:-It is a mission in which education is provide through information and communication technology. “SAKSHAT” one stop education portal was launched on Oct 30 2006 by the president of India.
• Head of National knowledge commission:-Sam Pitroda.

(8)Right To Education Act 2009:- Article 21-(A), as inserted by the constitution (86th Amendment Act) 2002, provides for free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years as a fundamental rights. Consequently the parliament has enacted this in April 2009.
Salient features:-
(a) Free and compulsory education 6 to 14 age group.
(b) Will apply to all India except J&K.
(c) Provide for 25% reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in admission in private school.
(d) A child who completes elementary education (up to class 8) shall be awarded a certificate.

(9) Female Literacy:-It is a scheme to provide education & related facilities to ST Students launched by ministry of trial affairs in dec 11, 2009.

(10) Anil Kalkaska Committee on reforms in IITS:-it will suggest reforms to make these elite institutions a global brand.

 (11) Yashpal Committee Report:- It was set up in 2008 for higher education and research.
• It has suggested the scrapping of all higher education regulatory /monitoring bodies and creation of a super regulation.
• It also recommended that the deemed university status be abandoned and that all deserving universities be either converted into full fledged universities or scrapped.

(12) National Rural Livelihood Mission:-Ministry of rural development and panchyati raj proposed to restructure the existing swarnjayanti gram swarojgar yojna into rural livelihood mission to have a focused approach to rural poverty eradication in a time bound manner.
• Objective is to reduce poverty among rural BPL by promoting diversified and gainful self employment and wage employment opportunities which would lead to an appreciable increase in sustainable basis.

(13) NREGA Renamed After Mahatma Gandhi:- On Oct 2, 2009.

(14) Chandra Sheker Panel:- on the recomandation of a committee headed by cabinet secretary K.M Chander shaker. Centre had increased the pension for retired service man.

(15) Rajiv Awas Yojna:-Ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation had launched the housing project called the Rajiv awas yojna for slum dwellers and the urban poor.
• Aimed at making India slum free in the next five years.

(16) Government Gave 50% Women’s Quota: - For women in urban local bodies from 33 % to 50 % by the 108th const. amendment act.

(17) B.K Chaturvedi panel to resolve the inter ministrial issues to speed up the ambitious national highways development project taken up by the road transport and highway ministry.

 (18) Librahan Commission:- It was set up in dec 16 ,1992 by the Narashima Rao govt. to probe the demolition of Babri Mosque. The commission was initially asked to give a report in three months, however it could do so only after over 16 years that saw 39 sitting and 48 extensions, finally on June 30 2009 it gave the report.

(19) S.D. Tendulkar Committee:-It is to estimate poverty in the country. It’s said that about 38% of the country’s population are living below poverty line. This figure is 10% higher than the present poverty estimate of 28.5 % by the planning commission.

(20) Moily Panel:- For administrative reform commission it is the 2nd administrative reform commission.

(21) Unique Identification Authority:- Chairman of UID is Nandan Nilekani. He revealed that the first set of 16 digit unique identification number for citizen of the country will roll out by the end of 2010.
• The UIAI is a part of the planning mission of India.
• AADHAR:-UIDAI now new name AADHAR and also a logo.
AADHAR or foundation through through which the citizen can claim his/her rights and establishment when assumed of equal opportunities as symbolized by the logo which has the halo of the sun in the imprint of a thumbs.

(22) M.S swami Nathan Panel:- It’s recommendation is on coasted management zone.

(23) G.T Nanavati-Akshay Mehta judical commission:- Probing the Godhra train carnage and post Godhra riots.

(24) Justice B.N Srikrishna is the head of the committee on Telangana issue. The committee is requested to submit its report by dec 31, 2010.
(25) Census 2011:-15th national census of India. President being first person to share her details. First census was conducted in 1872.

(26) D.P Wadhawa Committee On PDS:-Established by the Supreme Court to give recommendation on the reform of public distribution system.

(27) Rajiv Gandhi Grammeen LPG Vitarak Yojna:- Union petroleum and natural gas ministry inaugurated this scheme for providing liquefied petroleum gas to the rural house hold at Lachhman ghar in sikar district of Rajasthan .
• Under the scheme it is proposed to increase the number of connection to 16 crores with coverage of 75% of population by 2015.

(28) Punchhi Commission:-Commission on centre state relation. It was constituted in April 2007. It was ask to make recommendation to help address the emerging challenges faced by the nation regarding centre state relation.
Before this in mid 1980’s the SARKARI commission had undertaken a comprehensive review of the center state relation.

(29) National Integration Council:-The Govt. has reconstituted it which will be chaired by prime minister. Set up in the early 60’s by Nehru.

(30) E.R Rammohan Committee on Dantewada Massacre of CRPF personal.
(31) ICDS:-Integrated child development service launched on 2nd Oct 1975.
• It is the world largest programme for early child hood.
• The objective is to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group of 0-6 years.

(33) Green India Mission:- Ministry of environment and forests and the defense research and development organization have launched the mission.
• The aim is to bring a million heacter of high altitude, cold desert
ecosystem under cultivation by 2020.

(34) Pradhan Mantra Adarsh Gram Yojna:- It was launched in Rajasthan Sriganga nagar district.
• Aim at integrated development of 1,000 villages where a majority of the population belongs to the schedule caste.
• It is a replica of U.P’s Ambedkar village scheme.

(35) Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission:- Objective -Generation of 20000 mw of solar energy in three phases by 2022.
• Under this govt. aims to add at least 1000 mw solar power by the end of 2013.
• Power Finance Corporation and the rural electrification corporation had agreed to provide financial assistance.

(36) Certified command of state centre force in chattisgrah, orissa,Jharkhand, Bengal was mooted to counter naxal problem. Under this a IG rank officer or a retired major general on board should be headed the certified  command. In this:-
• Additional helicopters should be provided.
• 400 new police stations should be opened.
• 34 new battalions should be constituted.

(37) S. Irani committee:- Rajasthan Govt appointed this committee regarding the Issue of providing reservation to Gujjars.

(38) Pradhan committee:-
• Investigate Nov 26 2008 terror attack.


(39) Muzzafar Jan Commission:-
This committee had probed the gang rape of 17 years old Asiya and pregnant neelofar in shopiaon (J&K).

(40) Kasturi Rangan Committee:- Council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR) has set up this committee. To see the capability of the national aerospace laboratory (NAL) to build civil aircraft.

 (41) Goverdhan Mehta Committee:-To review the procedure of the intergovernmental panel on clime change.

(42) National Advisory Council:-
• A consultative body, chained by Sonia Gandhi.
• To serve as

Following are the highlights of the railway budget 2011-12 presented by railway minister Mamata Banerjee in Parliament  * No hike in passen...

Highlights of the Railway Budget 2011-12


Following are the highlights of the railway budget 2011-12 presented by railway minister Mamata Banerjee in Parliament 
* No hike in passenger fare and freight rates.
* Highest ever plan outlay of Rs57,630 crore proposed for railways.
* Rs9,583 crore provided for new lines.
* 1300km new lines, 867km doubling of lines and 1017km gauge conversion targeted in 2011-12.
* 56 new Express Trains, 3 new Shatabdis and 9 Duronto trains to be introduced.
* AC Double Decker services on Jaipur-Delhi and Ahmedabad-Mumbai routes.
* New Super AC Class to be introduced.
* A new portal for e-ticketing to be launched shortly.
* Booking charges will be cheaper with a charge of only Rs10 for AC classes and Rs5 for others.
* Pan-India multi-purpose smart card 'Go India' to be introduced.
* 236 more stations to be upgraded as Adarsh Stations.
* 47 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 50 new suburban services proposed for Kolkata.
* Two new passenger terminals in Kerala and one each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal proposed.
* Feasibility study to raise speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph to be undertaken.
* A special package of two new trains and two projects for the states managing trouble free run of trains through out the year.
* Anti Collision Devise (ACD) sanctioned to cover 8 zonal railways.
* GPS Based 'Fog Safe' device to be deployed.
* All unmanned level crossing up to 3000 to be eliminated.
* All India Security Help line on a single number set up.
* All state capitals in the Northeast except Sikkim to be connected by rail in next seven years.
* A bridge factory in Jammu and Kashmir and a state-of-art Institute for Tunnel and Bridge Engineering is proposed at Jammu.
* A Diesel Locomotive Centre will be set-up in Manipur.
* A Centre of Excellence in Software at Darjeeling proposed under the aegis of CRIS.
* Rail Industrial Parks at Jellingham and New Bongaigaon proposed.
* Additional mechanised laundry units to be set up at Nagpur, Chandigarh and Bhopal.
* 700 MW gas-based power plant to be set up at Thakurli in Maharashtra.
* 18,000 Wagons to be procured during 2011-12.
* A scheme for socially desirable projects, 'Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana' with non-lapsable fund proposed.
* 10,000 shelter units proposed for track side dwellers in Mumbai, Sealdah, Siliguri, Tiruchirapalli on pilot basis.
* Concession to physically handicapped persons to be extended on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.
* Concession of 50 per cent to press correspondents with family increased to twice a year.
* Senior citizens concession to be hiked from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.
* Medical facilities extended to dependent parents of the Railway employees.
* Scholarship for girl child of Group-D railway employees increased to Rs 1200 per month.
* 20 additional hostels for children of railway employees to be set up.
* Recruitment for 1.75 lakh vacancies of Group 'C' and 'D' including to fill up backlog of SC/STinitiated, 16,000 ex-servicemen to be inducted by March 2011.
* A separate sports cadre to be created.
* 2011-12 declared 'Year of Green Energy' for Railways.
* Freight loading of 993 MT and passenger growth of 6.4 per cent estimated for 2011-12.
* Gross traffic receipts at Rs1,06,239 crore, exceeding one lakh crore mark for the first time estimated.
* Ordinary working expenses assessed at Rs73,650 crore.

ICC Cricket World Cup TV Schedule Live @ ESPN (Indian Standard Time)

ICC Cricket World Cup TV Schedule Live @ ESPN
(Indian Standard Time)

CSAT 2011 Syllabus, Pattern, Age Limit, Format, Books, Notification

CSAT 2011 Syllabus, Pattern, Age Limit, Format, Books, Notification

Current Affairs for Bank PO & Clerical Exams: February 2011, Part 2 1. Dilma Rousseff is the President of ... a. Brazil b. Philip...

Current Affairs for Bank PO & Clerical Exams: February 2011, Part 2


Current Affairs for Bank PO & Clerical Exams: February 2011, Part 2

1. Dilma Rousseff is the President of ...
a. Brazil
b. Philippines
c. Singapore
d. None of these
2. Ram Sewak Sharma is associated with which of the following?
a. Army
b. Arts
c. Unique Identifi cation
 Authority of India
d. None of these
3. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act provides legal guarantee for ..................days of employment, every fi  -nancial year to members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage of 
a. 365 days
b. 200 days
c. 100 days
d. 30 days
4. In which Indian state was the AADHAAR program launched?
a. Jammu and Kashmir
b. Karnataka
c. Bihar
d. Maharashtra
5. Manu Joseph is associated with which magazine?
a. The Week
b. Outline
c. Outlook
d. Open
6. Identify the woman has recently been appointed as the governor of South Carolina.
a. Nikki Randhawa Haley
b. Shashi Jindal
c. Sheehan
d. None of these
7. Rajarajeswara temple is located in which state?
a. Kerala
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Karnataka
d. None of these
8. Anand Sharma is associated with …
a. RBI
b. SBI
c. IMF
d. None of these
9. Anil Agarwal is associated with which company?
a. Future Group
b. Maruti
c. Vedanta
d. None of these
10. Which of the following institutions grant the Nobel Prize in Literature?
a. Nobel Foundation
b. Swedish Academy
c. Norwegian Nobel
 Committee
d. Government of Sweden
11. Richard Fred Heck won a Nobel Prize in 2010 in which of the following subjects?
a. Physics
b. Chemistry
c. Biology
d. None of these
12. The Green House has been written by ...
a. Jitendra Lahiri
b. Khushwant Singh
c. John Miller
d. Mario Vargas Llosa
13. Who won the Stirling Prize for  2010?
a. Zaha Hadid
b. Allen John
c. Zubin
d. None of these
14. Who is the new Governor General of Canada?
a. David Lloyd Johnston
b. John Washington
c. Eric Milton
d. None of these
15. Brookside Bungalow is in which of the following Indian states?
a. Assam
b. West Bengal
c. Meghalaya
d. Bihar
16. The government organised first Pravasi Bhartiya Divas outside India in
a. New York
b. Durban
c. Hague
d. Singapore
17. How many countries have so far ratified the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
18. Year 2011 has been offi cially designated by the United Nations as ...
a. International Year of Biotechnology
b. International Year of Space Science
c. International Year of Chemistry
d. International Year of Physics
19. Marange Diamond fields are located in the country of … and it was recently allowed by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to sell the diamonds in the international markets agreeing that Marange is Conflict Free.
a. Angola
b. Liberia
c. Zimbabwe
d. Sierra Leone
20. Assam Rifles is headquartered in …
a. Delhi
b. Bangalore
c. Shillong
d. None of these
21. Who will be India's chief Guest at the Republic Day 2011?
a. Susilo Bambang  Yudhoyono
b. Rafiq Tarar
c. Dmitriy Medvedev
d. None of these
22. As on december 2009, what is India's Rank in World Uranium Production as per the latest data of World Nuclear Association?
a. 10th
b. 12th
c. 13th
d. 18th
23. Who is the Prime Minister of Poland?
a. Ian Roberts
b. Donald Tusk
c. John Huggs
d. None of these
24. Who is the Union Minister for Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Science and Technology?
a. Raj Babbar
b. Manmohan Singh
c. Kapil Sibal
d. Sripati Mishra
25. Which of the following is not a Maharatna company?
a. Indian Oil Corporation
b. NTPC Limited
c. Steel Authority of India  Limited
d. Bharat Electronics Limited
26. He Yaozu is associated with which of the companies?
a. Sony
b. LG Electronics
c. Samsung
d. Suzlon Energy
27. Damurey is a name of cyclone that stormed ...
a. South Korea
b. China
c. Japan
d. Indonesia
28. In the “March ceremony of 18th Commonwealth Games”, the Indian squad was led by …
a. Maj Rajyawardhan Singh  Rathore
b. P. T. Usha
c. Jaspal Rana
d. Kunjarani
29. Identify the cricketer who has bagged 1000 wickets in international cricket.
a. Dennis Lillie
b. Bishan Singh Bedi
c. Chaminda Vass
d. Muthaiya Murlitharan
30. Ranthambhore Wild Life Sanctuary is famous for which of the following animals?
a. Deer
b. Rhino
c. Elephant
d. Tiger
31. What do you mean by “Illegal Tender”?
a. Black money
b. Mutilated cheque
c. Dishonoured cheque
d. None of these
32. In which of the following years was ICICI Bank established?
a. 1991
b. 1992
c. 1993
d. 1994
33. What does Blue Revolution mean?
a. Fisheries
b. Space program
c. Agriculture program
d. None of these
34. Su-30 MK is a combat aircraft from …
a. USA
b. China
c. Germany
d. Russia
35. Which of the personalities said “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”?
a. Asimov
b. Grahm greene
c. George Orwell
d. Karl Marx
36. Who wrote “An Area of Darkness”?
a. Vinita Ketaki
b.  Piloo Modi
c. Kiran Desai
d. V.S. Naipual
37. Name the game that started from Manipur and later became popular internationally.
a. Volleyball
b.  Archery
c. Polo
d. Chess
38. Karim Masimov is the Prime Minister of which country?
a. Iran
b. Libya
c. Kazakhastan
d. Iraq
39. Who wrote “Future Shock”?
a. Bejan Daruwala
b.  Linda Goodman
c.  Maa Prem Usha
d.  None of these
40. “Saptashava”, a name in Hindu mythology is related to which of the following Gods?
a. Indra
b. Surya
c. Yama
d. Vishnu
41. Winner of the Noble Prize 2006 for literature, Orhan Pamak, is a native of …
a. USA
b. Russia
c. Turkey
d. Egypt
42. Which of the following is not a Raga?
a. Jai Jaiwanti
b. Megh Malhar
c. Bhairavi
d. All are Ragas
43. The name “Valentina Tereshkova” is associated ...
a. Astrology
b. Astronomy
c. Woodcraft
d. Witchcraft
44.  “Ramayan” is the work of …
a. Valmiki
b. Sant Tulsidas
c. Vedvyas
d. None of these
45. Which of the following is another name for Lie Detector?
a. Polydetect
b. Polygraph
c. Polyclue
d. Polybus
46. Benigno S. Aquino III is the President of ...
a. South Korea
b. Myanmar
c. Phillipines
d. None of these
47. Identify the person who is a former tennis champion and an actor too.
a. Anand Amritraj
b. Viay Amritraj
c. Roger Federer
d. Andre Aggasi
48. With which game would you associate Ronjan Sodhi?
a. Billiards
b. Swimming
c. Shooting
d. None of these
49. The CBI arrested …, the sacked treasurer of the CWG Organising Committee recently.
a. Ranjan Mullick
b. M. Jayachandran
c. Sushil Kumar
d. None of them
50. Who is the current central vigilance commissioner of India?
a. G.E. Vahanvati
b. P. J. Thomas
c. Ajay Mathur
d.  None of these

ANSWERS

1. a. Brazil
2. c. Unique Identifi cation Authority of India
3. c. 100 days
4. d. Maharashtra
5. d. Open
6. a. Nikki Randhawa Haley
7. a. Kerala
8. a. RBI
9. c. Vedanta
10. b. Swedish Academy
11. b. Chemistry
12. d. Mario Vargas Llosa
13. a. Zaha Hadid
14. a. David Lloyd Johnston
15. c. Meghalaya
16. a. New York
17. b. 4
18. c. International Year of Chemistry
19. c. Zimbabwe
20. c. Shillong
21. a. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
22. c. 13th
23. b. Donald Tusk
24. c. Kapil Sibal
25. d. Bharat Electronics Limited
26. d. Suzlon Energy
27. a. South Korea
28. a. Maj Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore
29. d. Muthaiya Murlitharan
30. d. Tiger
31. d. None of these
32. d. 1994
33. a. Fisheries
34. d. Russia
35. c. George Orwell
36. d. V.S. Naipual
37. c. Polo
38. c. Kazakhastan
39. d. None of these
40. b. Surya
41. c. Turkey
42. d. All are Ragas
43. b. Astronomy
44. a. Valmiki
45. b. Polygraph
46. c. Phillipines
47. b. Viay Amritraj
48. c. Shooting
49. b. M. Jayachandran
50. b. P.J. Thoma