Current Affairs 2012 Quiz : August 1-10, 2012

Current Affairs 2012 Quiz : August 1-10, 2012

1. Consider the following Statements:

1.Indian Navy has commissioned its new air station INS Baaz to counter China's moves in Indian Ocean.

2.INS Baaz is the southernmost air station of the Indian armed forces, and overlooks the crucial Malacca Strait.

Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

 [B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

2. Recently the RBI has slashed the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) from :

[A]25% to 23%

[B]25% to 24%

[C]24% to 22%

[D]24% to 23%

Description:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has kept the key indicative policy rates unchanged while it cut the gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for the current financial year from 7.3 per cent to 6.5 per cent and raised the inflation forecast from 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent. However, the RBI cut the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) by one percentage point from 24 per cent to 23 per cent which is expected to provide liquidity of around Rs.60,000 crore. The RBI kept the Repo rate unchanged at 8 per cent, and the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 4.75 per cent. Repo rate is the rate at which banks borrow money from the central bank. CRR is the portion of deposits banks have to keep with the central bank in cash.

3. In London Olympics 2012, swimming champion Michael Phelps has created history by claiming 19th Olympic medal beating Soviet gymnast ________'s record of 18 Olympic medals.

[A]Larisa Latynina

[B]Svetlana Khorkina

[C]Maria Paseka

[D]Olga Korbut

4. Consider the following Statements regarding the targets set under priority sector lending for domestic and foreign banks operating in India:

1.The local banks, both the public and private sectors have to lend 40 % of their net bank credit (NBC) to the priority sector as defined by RBI.

2. Foreign banks have to lend 32% of their NBC to the priority sector.

Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

5. Consider the following Statements regarding the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project:

1.It is an ambitious project aimed at developing an Industrial Zone spanning across six states in India.

2.It be will be funded through private-public partnership and foreign investment from Japan.

Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

Description:

The corridor would include six mega investment regions of 200 square kilometers each and will run through six states Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh, Southern Haryana, Eastern Rajasthan, Eastern Gujarat and Western Maharashtra.

The corridor, spread across 2,700 km with an additional 5,000 km of feeder lines connecting Mumbai to West Bengal.

6. Which among the following has/have been identified as the basin(s) of Shale Gas by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH)?

[A]Cauvery onshore

[B]KG onshore

[C]Indo-Gangetic basin

[D]All of the above

7. Which among the following Indian States has made unmarried daughters of retired government employees entitled to a share in the family pension?

[A]Rajasthan

[B]Gujarat

[C]Bihar

[D]Uttar Pradesh

Description:

Unmarried daughters of retired government employees in Rajasthan will be entitled to a share in the family pension even after attaining the age of 25. The Rajasthan Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1996, will be amended to facilitate this decision taken by the State Cabinet. According to the proposal, a government employee’s son or daughter suffering from any disorder or challenged mentally or physically and not able to earn a livelihood will be eligible for family pension beyond the age of 25 years. The monthly income limit for eligibility in such cases has also been increased from Rs.2,550 to Rs.6,000

8. Which country has developed the first bio-inspired water striding microbot (robot) which is capable of not just walking on water but jumping up and down on the water’s surface?  

[A]China

[B]US

[C]Japan

[D]India

9. Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of ______:

[A]Maldives

[B]Seychelles

[C]Israel

[D]Indonesia

 10. Consider the following African countries:

1.Somalia

2.Ethiopia

3.Eritrea

4.Djibouti

Which among the above form the 'Horn of Africa':

[A]1, 2 and 3

[B]1, 2 and 4

[C]1, 3 and 4

[D]1, 2, 3 and 4

11. Recently India has signed an agreement with which among the following countries for the modernisation of the Indian Railways to make some of the major railway stations in the country of global standards?

[A]Belgium

[B]Canada

[C]Finland

[D]Sweden

Description:

Belgian state run companies such as Euro Station and Euro Immostar have vast experience in developing stations. The companies have extensive expertise in transforming historical railway stations into the modern international terminals.

12. Recently India and Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for _________ :

[A]Collaborative Academic Research

Programme Agreement

[B]Cultural Cooperation

[C]Modernisation of power grid system

[D]Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

13. Consider the following Statements:

1.The Haqqani Network is a Islamic militant group which are fighting against the US-led NATO forces.

2.Recently US Senate has passed a Bill to label Haqqani Network as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

Description:

The Haqqani Network is a group of Islamic fanatics which have been fighting against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan to reacquire control over the trouble-torn nation.

14. Where are the headquarters of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) located ? [A]Vienna

[B]Berlin

[C]Brussels

[D]Helsinki

15. The 'Arab League' is a regional organisation of Arab states in:

[A]North Africa

[B]North East Africa

[C]South West Asia

[D]All of the above

16. Recently India has received its first investment through the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) route following the deal struck by ________ worth $5 million.

[A]HDFC Bank

[B]Kotak Mahindra Bank

[C]Yes Bank

[D]ICICI Bank

17. Aiming to boost Indian manufacturing sector, three more mega industrial zones would be notified by August end. With this the total number of National manufacturing and Investment Zones (NMIZ) will reach ____ :

[A]10

[B]11

[C]12

[D]15

Description:

One will be in Andhra Pradesh, and two in Karnataka.

18. Recently, India has signed ninth Tax Information Exchange

Agreement (TIEA) with _______:

[A]Tuvalu

[B]Monaco

[C]Liechtenstein

[D]Guernsey

Description:

India has signed Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with Monaco. It will allow the two countries to check tax evasion and money laundering. This was the ninth TIEA signed by India.

19. Recently the US space agency NASA has landed a huge new robot rover on Mars called ________.

[A]Propensity

[B]Curiosity

[C]Luminosity

[D]Viscosity

20. Recently, the World Bank has approved Rs.1100 crore loan as financial assistance for which among the following Indian States to promote green initiatives and sustainable development?

[A]Himachal Pradesh

[B]Uttarakhand

[C]Rajasthan

[D]Chattisgarh

21. Who among the following has won the Gold medal in the Men's 100 m Sprint in London Olympics-2012?

[A]Yohan Blake

[B]Justin Gatlin

[C]Usain Bolt

[D]Tyson Gay

22. Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam who passed away recently was an exponent of which among the following classical dance forms ?

[A]Kuchipudi

[B]Kathak

[C]Bharatanatyam

[D]Kathakali

23. Consider the following Statements regarding the 'Fundamental Physics Prize':

1.This prize is the most lucrative academic prize in the world.

2.Nine physicists worldwide including an Indian Physicist have been awarded this prize

also known as 'Russian Nobel'.

3.Indian Physicist Ashoke Sen has been awarded for his research on 'String Theory'.

Which among the following Statement(s) is/are correct?

[A]Only 3

[B]1 and 3

[C]2 and 3

[D]1, 2 and 3

Description:

The coveted prize of USD three million (about Rs 16.75 crore) is instituted by Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner.

24. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal of Department of Space to launch a satellite to Mars in _____ .

[A]2013

[B]2014

[C]2015

[D]2017

 25. Recently the Prime Minister has constituted a committee to review taxation of development centres and IT sector. It is headed by ________:

[A]Parthasarathi Shome

[B]Naresh Chandra

[C]Raghuram Rajan

[D]N. Rangachary

26. Recently India has allowed foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Pakistan. In this context, consider the following Statements:

1.FDI will be only through government route and not through the automatic route.

2.Except a few sectors-Defense, Space and Atomic Energy, Government has allowed all kinds of investments and that too without a cap.

Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

Description:

Earlier, no individual residing in Pakistan or a company based there was permitted to invest as FDI in India.Measures On, to aid greater export and imports of essential commodities b/w the two nations.Earlier Pakistan scrapped the positive list with India. The move unlocked its markets to a wide range of Indian goods. However, it brought in a negative list of 1,209 items it couldn’t import from India. India can now export more than 7,500 tariff lines to Pakistan.

27. Which among the following is the largest crude oil supplier to India?

[A]Saudi Arabia

[B]Iran

[C]Iraq

[D]Kuwait

Description:

The pressure of US sanctions on Iran is evident with Indian refiners shifting attention to other crude oil producing nations. Though India has been maintaining that it is not reducing imports from Iran, the import numbers for 2011-12 tell a different story.Supplies from Iraq and Kuwait have seen a significant increase, even as Saudi Arabia maintained its position as the largest supplier. Till now, Iran was India's second-biggest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, meeting about 12 per cent of the country's needs, but the position has been taken over by Iraq.

28. London Olympics-2012 is the ____ Olympic Event.

[A]29th

[B]30th

[C]32th

[D]35th

29. Which among the following has been ranked as world's largest bourse in terms of number of trades made in equity segment for the first 6 months of 2012?

[A]NYSE Euronext

[B]Nasdaq OMX                                                

[C]National Stock Exchange of India (NSE)

[D]London Stock Exchange

Description:

 The ranking is done by World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).As per WFE, NSE made a total of 7,35,474 trades in the equity segment during January-June 2012, making it the world's largest exchange on this scale.Rankings on the basis of No. of Trade in equity segment:1. NSE India 2. NYSE Euronext 3. Nasdaq OMX

30. Who among the following Indian athletes has won a Silver medal in London Olympics-2012?

[A]Gagan Narang - Men's 10 m Air Rifle

[B]Vijay Kumar - Men's 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol

[C]Mary Kom - Boxing

[D]Saina Nehwal - Badminton

31. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is a semi-autonomous administrative body for the Darjeeling hills in West Bengal. In this context, consider the following Statements: 1.GTA presently has three hill subdivisions Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong and some areas of Siliguri subdivision under its authority.

2.Recently, Bimal Gurung has been sworn in as the Head of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2          

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

32. Consider the following Statements regarding 'Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Puraskar':

1.It is awarded for outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national integration and peace.

2.Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Puraskar-2012 has been awarded to D.R. Mehta for popularising 'Jaipur Foot'.

Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are

correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

Description:

Dr. Mehta has been instrumental in promoting the unbelievably economic and equally effective and handy artificial limb among the people of poor nations. Dr. Mehta’s organisation has so far helped 1.3 million people in India and abroad. It provides artificial limbs and callipers and other walking aids and appliances to the poor free of cost.A major advantage of 'Jaipur Foot' is its affordability; at Rs.2,200, it is the cheapest artificial limb in the world. Jaipur Foot is also known for its lightness and mobility. Those who are equipped with it can run, climb a tree and pedal a bicycle. A similar prosthetic built in the West would cost anything between $10,000 and $12,000.

33. Which among the following is India's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine? [A]INS Arihant

[B]INS Sindhughosh

[C]INS Chakra

[D]INS Shishumar

34. Which among the following countries has recently devised a new nanodrome 'SQ-4 Recon' which weighs just 198 grams and is one of the smallest unmanned aerial vehicles in world?

[A]US

[B]China

[C]Israel

[D]UK

Description:

 A new 'nanodrone' weighing just 198 grams, one of the smallest unmanned aerial vehicles in world, has been devised in UK and is currently being examined by US military to take on the Taliban. It fits in the palm of a hand could become a potent new weapon for the forces in the fight against the Taliban.

35. Which of the following electronics manufacturer has announced to launch a special range of robots and tablets named after ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang?

[A]Milagrow HumanTech

[B]Kimball Electronics Group

[C]Celestica Inc.

[D]Sanmina-SCI

36. Which among the following State Governments has launched 'Sakala' scheme which aims to deliver services to the citizens in a stipulated time?

[A]Andhra Pradesh

[B]Karnataka

[C]Tamil Nadu

[D]Kerela

Description:

Sakala means ‘in time’ or ‘good time’ .The main aim behind the initiation of Sakala is to deliver services to the citizens in a stipulated time. This policy was applied to 57 government departments which will be servicing the common man.

37. 14th International Braille chess Association (IBCA) chess Olympiad 2012 will be held in: [A]Bangalore

[B]Hyderabad

[C]Bhubaneshwar

[D]Chennai

Description:

FIDE (Federation Internationale Des Echecs) is the apex body for chess amongst the sighted. Similarly the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) is the apex body of chess for the blind and is in turn affiliated to FIDE. The main purpose of IBCA is to promote chess for the visually challenged across the globe.

Now, it has grown to such an extent that it has over 71 member countries from all continents, starting from Europe to more recent South Africa, Latin America and Asia.

38. Consider the following Statements:

1.Recently a new species of spider was named after the British naturalist Charles Darwin. 2.The Spider is an endemic species of Horn Island in the Torres Strait in  Queensland, Australia.

Which  among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?

[A]Only 1

[B]Only 2

[C]Both 1 and 2

[D]Neither 1 nor 2

Description:

A new species of spider found only on one island in Queensland, Australia was named after the British naturalist and celebrated TV broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. The prethopalpus attenboroughi spider is just over one millimetre in length and exists only on Horn Island in the Torres Strait in Queensland.

Prethopalpus is commonly known as a goblin spider.It is not the first time a species has been named after Sir David as earlier a fossil of a fish that existed 380 million years ago was named Materpiscis attenboroughi.

39. Which among the following State Governments has recently launched 'Ladli Laxmi Scheme' which aims to prevent female foeticide in the State?

[A]Maharashtra

[B]Haryana

[C]Goa

[D]Madhya Pradesh

Description:

Under this scheme, girls who are 18 years and above would be provided with Rs. 1 Lakh for their marriage. This scheme is for those girls who lie between the age group of 18-40 years. This scheme is valid for those girls whose parents are living in Goa for the last 25 years. In addition, the girl should have been born and brought up in the state.

40. Recently, the Speaker has set up Lok Sabha’s Fellowship Committee headed by _________ to enable better understanding of the functioning of Parliament and to identify the changing nature and role of parliamentary institutions.

[A]Prem Das Rai

[B]L Hanumanthaiah

[C]B S Mangal Murty

[D]N Rangachary

41. Who among the following has recently taken charge as the new Chief Economic Advisor after the working period of Kaushik Basu concluded on 31st July, 2012 ?

[A]Raghuram Rajan

[B]Vijay Kelkar

[C]Subramanian Swamy

[D]Soumodip Sarkar

42. India's first 'financial Supermarket' aimed at cross-selling nonstandard banking products has opened in _______ :

[A]Mysore

[B]Jaipur

[C]Chandigarh

[D]Pune

Description:

The State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (SBBJ) has come up with a new concept — the first financial supermarket. The country’s first such branch in the banking sector was opened today in Jaipur. It will not be the typical bank branch vending traditional deposit and loan products, but a hub offering a basket of diversified products, says SBBJ.Customers will offered non-standard products such as insurance, both life and general, credit card and mutual fund.

43. Who among the following has authored 'Fifty Shades of Grey' which has recently become UK's largest selling book, outselling 'The Da Vinci code' and Harry Potter novels? [A]E L James

[B]Margaret Atwood

[C]Philip Roth

[D]Michael Chabon

Description:

Erika Leonard, better known by the pseudonym E. L. James is the British author of the bestselling erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. James initially wrote fanfiction under the pen name "Snowqueens Icedragon", with her most notable work being a Twilight fanfiction that eventually developed into 'Fifty Shades of Grey'.The other books in the trilogy, 'Fifty Shades Darker' and 'Fifty Shades Freed'.

44. Which among the following typhoons which have hit the east coast of China in less than a week ?

[A]Damrey

[B]Saola

 [C]Haikui

[D]All of the above

Description:

Typhoon Haikui slammed into the east coast of China on 8 August 2012. This is the third typhoon to hit China's east coast in less than a week. The other two typhoons which hit China were Damrey and Saola.

45. Which among the following awards is India's highest honour given for achievement in Sports?

[A]Dhyan Chand Award

[B]Arjuna Award

[C]Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

[D]None of the above           

Description:

The award was instituted in the year 1991–92 to supply the lack of a supreme national accolade in the field of sports. Predating the RGKR are the Arjuna awards that have always been given to outstanding sportspersons in each of many sporting disciplines every year. The Khel Ratna was devised to be an overarching honour, conferred for outstanding sporting performance, whether by an individual or a team, across all sporting disciplines in a given year.

46. Which among the following is not a permanent member of the Nordic Council? [A]Denmark

[B]Iceland

[C]Sweden

[D]Greenland     

Description:

 The Nordic Council is a geo-political, inter-parliamentary forum for cooperation between the Nordic countries-which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.

47. Recently 'Naresh Chandra Committee' has submitted its report on ________ to the Government.

[A]National Security

[B]Electoral reforms

[C]Parliamentary reforms

[D]Drought management in rain-deficient States

Description:

Naresh Chandra Committee, a 14-member task force on national security, submitted its report to the government on 8 August 2012. The committee was set up by the Union government on 21 June 2012 to suggest ways to revamp of defence management in the country.The main objective behind the constitution of the committee was to contemporarise the Kargil Review Committee’s  recommendations, which was tabled in the Parliament on 23 February 2000.

Besides, the task force was also asked to examine the state of country's border management and restructuring system.

48. Recently Guitar-maker Gibson has agreed to pay a hefty fine of $350,000 to avoid U.S. prosecution over allegations of illegal import of endangered Indian ______ :

[A]Teak wood

[B]Ebony

[C]Mirandi wood

[D]Sandal wood

49. In a major breakthrough, Scientists for the first time have found evidence of another oxidant named ___, which plays an important role in the formation of gaseous Sulphuric Acid in the atmosphere.

[A]Q

[B]X

[C]Y

[D]Z

Description:

Scientists for the first time found evidence of another oxidant named X, which plays an important role in the formation of gaseous sulphuric acid in the atmosphere. Until now there was a misconception that the combination of OH(hydroxyl radical) oxidant with sulphur dioxide was the reason behind the formation of gaseous sulphuric acid is formed in the atmosphere. The new oxidant is capable of oxidizing suphur dioxide. Experiments done by Scientists showed that the concentration of ‘X’ also does not remain constant during the day.

50. The Rajasthan Government will revamp the half-century-old 'Chambal Canal System' with assistance from:

[A]NABARD

[B]World Bank

[C]Ministry of Water Resources

[D]Ministry of Rural Development

Description:

The National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) will help the Rajasthan Government revamp the half-century-old Chambal canal system which caters to the irrigation needs of the Hadauti districts of Kota, Bundi and Baran.

The Hadauti region is known for its grain and cereal production including export quality Bundi rice, thanks to its comparatively better water availability. The funding for the revamp of the canal system forms part of a total loan assistance of Rs.1,833 crore from NABARD to Rajasthan under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF-XVIII) and the NABARD Development Assistance (NIDA) in the current financial year.