GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS ISSUE JULY 2014
GyanmCollege
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About This Presentation
GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS FREE FOR ALL
Slide Content
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 1
ROAD TO 16
th
LOK SABHA
Article 79 of the Constitution of India provides for
formation of Parliament with two houses – Council of States
(Rajya Sabha) and The House of the People (Lok Sabha). As
per article 83, Lok Sabha has a tenure of five years. After
which it has to be dissolved to elect a new Lok Sabha.
Article 324 of the Constitution of India confers the
relevant powers, duties and functions upon the Election
Commission of India. Accordingly, elections were
notified by Election Commission on March 5, 2014 to
elect the 16
th
Lok Sabha.
Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act,
1951 provides for conduct of the elections.
General Elections 2014 commence from April 7 to May
12, and take place in nine phases covering 543
constituencies
An estimated 81.4 Crore (814 Million) voters were
eligible to vote in this election, 10 Crore more than the
elections held in 2009.
Counting of votes took place on May 16, 2014 and
Election results were announced by Election
Commission on 18th May, 2014
PARTY POSITION IN 2014 LOK SABHA
Bharatiya Janata Party 282
Indian National Congress 44
AIADMK 37
Trinamool Congress 34
Biju Janata Dal 20
Shivsena 18
Telugu Desam 16
Telangana Rashtra Samithi 11
Others 81
Total 543
MARCH TOWARDS NEW LOK SABHA
May 17: Last meeting of cabinet of UPA II under Chairmanship of
Dr. Manmohan Singh recommended the dissolution of
15
th Lok Sabha.
May 18: Election results notified by Election Commission
15
th Lok Sabha Dissolved by the President
May 20: Mr. Narendra Modi elected as leader of BJP
Parliamentary Party
President invites Mr. Modi form the government
May 26: Mr. Modi sworn as 15
th Prime Minister of India
June 4: The first session of 16
th Lok Sabha: June 4 to June 11.
June 9: President Address to both Houses of Parliament
PROFILE OF 15
TH
PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
Name: Narendra Damodardas Modi
Born: September 17, 1950 (age 63), Vadnagar
Education: M.A. Pol. Sci., (Gujarat University)
Spouse: Jashodaben Modi (married 1968)
Parents: Heeraben, Damodardas Mulchand Modi
Siblings: Soma Modi, Pankaj Modi, Prahlad Modi
Swearing in ceremony was attended by following
leaders of the SAARC nations:
Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister
Nepal: Sushil Koirala, Prime Minister
Bhutan: Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister
Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapakse, President
Bangladesh: Shirin Chaudhury, Speaker
Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai, President
Maldives: Abdulla Yameen, President
Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam
also participated in the swearing in ceremony
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
LIST OF CABINET MINISTERS WITH PORTFOLIOS
NARENDRA MODI Prime Minister, Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions; Department
of Atomic Energy; Department of Space;
all important policy issues and all other
portfolios not allocated to any Minister
Rajnath Singh Home Affairs
Sushma Swaraj External Affairs, Overseas Indian
Affairs
Arun Jaitley Finance, Corporate Affairs, Defence
M. Venkaiah Naidu Urban Development, Housing and
Urban Poverty Alleviation,
Parliamentary Affairs
Nitin Jairam Gadkari Road Transport and Highways,
Shipping
D.V. Sadananda Gowda Railways
Uma Bharati Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation
Dr. Najma A. Heptulla Minority Affairs
Gopinathrao Munde Rural Development, Panchayati Raj,
Drinking Water and Sanitation
Ramvilas Paswan Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution
Kalraj Mishra Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi Women and Child Development
Ananthkumar Chemicals and Fertilizers
Ravi Shankar Prasad Communications and Information
Technology, Law and Justice
AG Raju Pusapati Civil Aviation
Anant Geete Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises
Harsimrat Kaur Badal Food Processing Industries
Narendra Singh Tomar Mines, Steel, Labour and Employment
Jual Oram Tribal Affairs
Radha Mohan Singh Agriculture
Thaawar Chand Gehlot Social Justice and Empowerment
Smriti Zubin Irani Human Resource Development
Dr. Harsh Vardhan Health and Family Welfare
23 other ministers of states were also sworn in
ROAD TO 16
th
LOK SABHA
Article 79 of the Constitution of India provides for
formation of Parliament with two houses – Council of States
(Rajya Sabha) and The House of the People (Lok Sabha). As
per article 83, Lok Sabha has a tenure of five years. After
which it has to be dissolved to elect a new Lok Sabha.
Article 324 of the Constitution of India confers the
relevant powers, duties and functions upon the Election
Commission of India. Accordingly, elections were
notified by Election Commission on March 5, 2014 to
elect the 16
th
Lok Sabha.
Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act,
1951 provides for conduct of the elections.
General Elections 2014 commence from April 7 to May
12, and take place in nine phases covering 543
constituencies
An estimated 81.4 Crore (814 Million) voters were
eligible to vote in this election, 10 Crore more than the
elections held in 2009.
Counting of votes took place on May 16, 2014 and
Election results were announced by Election
Commission on 18th May, 2014
PARTY POSITION IN 2014 LOK SABHA
Bharatiya Janata Party 282
Indian National Congress 44
AIADMK 37
Trinamool Congress 34
Biju Janata Dal 20
Shivsena 18
Telugu Desam 16
Telangana Rashtra Samithi 11
Others 81
Total 543
MARCH TOWARDS NEW LOK SABHA
May 17: Last meeting of cabinet of UPA II under Chairmanship of
Dr. Manmohan Singh recommended the dissolution of
15
th Lok Sabha.
May 18: Election results notified by Election Commission
15
th Lok Sabha Dissolved by the President
May 20: Mr. Narendra Modi elected as leader of BJP
Parliamentary Party
President invites Mr. Modi form the government
May 26: Mr. Modi sworn as 15
th Prime Minister of India
June 4: The first session of 16
th Lok Sabha: June 4 to June 11.
June 9: President Address to both Houses of Parliament
PROFILE OF 15
TH
PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
Name: Narendra Damodardas Modi
Born: September 17, 1950 (age 63), Vadnagar
Education: M.A. Pol. Sci., (Gujarat University)
Spouse: Jashodaben Modi (married 1968)
Parents: Heeraben, Damodardas Mulchand Modi
Siblings: Soma Modi, Pankaj Modi, Prahlad Modi
Swearing in ceremony was attended by following
leaders of the SAARC nations:
Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister
Nepal: Sushil Koirala, Prime Minister
Bhutan: Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister
Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapakse, President
Bangladesh: Shirin Chaudhury, Speaker
Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai, President
Maldives: Abdulla Yameen, President
Prime Minister of Mauritius Mr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam
also participated in the swearing in ceremony
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
LIST OF CABINET MINISTERS WITH PORTFOLIOS
NARENDRA MODI Prime Minister, Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions; Department
of Atomic Energy; Department of Space;
all important policy issues and all other
portfolios not allocated to any Minister
Rajnath Singh Home Affairs
Sushma Swaraj External Affairs, Overseas Indian
Affairs
Arun Jaitley Finance, Corporate Affairs, Defence
M. Venkaiah Naidu Urban Development, Housing and
Urban Poverty Alleviation,
Parliamentary Affairs
Nitin Jairam Gadkari Road Transport and Highways,
Shipping
D.V. Sadananda Gowda Railways
Uma Bharati Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation
Dr. Najma A. Heptulla Minority Affairs
Gopinathrao Munde Rural Development, Panchayati Raj,
Drinking Water and Sanitation
Ramvilas Paswan Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution
Kalraj Mishra Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi Women and Child Development
Ananthkumar Chemicals and Fertilizers
Ravi Shankar Prasad Communications and Information
Technology, Law and Justice
AG Raju Pusapati Civil Aviation
Anant Geete Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises
Harsimrat Kaur Badal Food Processing Industries
Narendra Singh Tomar Mines, Steel, Labour and Employment
Jual Oram Tribal Affairs
Radha Mohan Singh Agriculture
Thaawar Chand Gehlot Social Justice and Empowerment
Smriti Zubin Irani Human Resource Development
Dr. Harsh Vardhan Health and Family Welfare
23 other ministers of states were also sworn in
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 2
Dance of
Democracy
India is known for its ‘kumbh mela’, the epitome of faith
and devotion for millions of Indians observed every twelve
years. A much larger celebration is held every five years
“General Elections”- the biggest democratic exercise on the
earth involving a much larger number of Indians and 814.5
million this time. The whole country, without any distinction
in caste or creed, without any fear or greed and without any
hatred or despise visit the electoral booths like they enter
their places of worship with nothing to demand but with
determination to see that the democratic traditions of the
country are upheld. When the devotee ( elector) presses the
‘button’ making a choice, he knows that he is just not going
to select a candidate, but deciding the destiny of the
country, with which his own future is intertwined. And the
most beautiful part of the exercise is the grace with which
he accepts the results of the mandate without any rancour
and bitterness.
This we can say is the beauty of democracy. The people
have the ultimate power to decide who would rule them and
they have the right to change the rulers if they do not come
to their expectations. The power to rule in India does not
come by birth nor by force. The people can even choose a
person who once was a tea vendor! India this time has
voted for a change.
Beginning of Change: The elections to the sixteenth Lok
Sabha held during April and May 2014, have been
remarkable for their unexpectedness. Without any doubt, it
was a landslide. Even the winner, Bhartiya Janta Party had
not thought that it would win a clear majority in the
elections of its own and would not have to depend on any
outside support to form the government. No psephologist
had given the party the numbers it eventually got. A few
months back, the general expectation was that the party
would get, at the most, around 160-180 seats and would
emerge as the single largest party to get the invite from the
President to form the government. But even then it would
have had to depend on support from regional parties to win
the vote of confidence on the floor of the house. It is also
for the first time since 1984, that any party has got the
majority of its own in the Lok Sabha. Further, most of the
opinion polls had given the Grand Old Party, the Congress
around 120 seats and no one had imagined that the party
would face its worst defeat in its history of existence since
independence with just 44 seats and being reduced to a
rump of what it was a few days back.
Rise of Aspirational Class: One great change in these
elections is addition of more than ten crore new and young
voterssince last general elections held in 2009. They have
proved that they cannot be taken for granted and that they
are not a pocket borough of any one party. This new
generation of voters has pressed their hand against the
EVMs with their open minds. With mobile in their hands and
google in their reach, the hopes of this generation have
soared high. Infact, these elections are victory of
aspirational class over dynastic politics.
The greatest achievement of Mr. Modi was his ability to
connect with this class, who is looking past the ‘roti, sadak,
bijli, pani’ kind of politics. As rightly stated by a journalist,
“Mr. Modi tapped into the frustrations of a generation of
Indians who climbed out of poverty in the past decade, but
who have been prevented from joining the middle classes
by slowing growth and a lack of employment”
This new generation is looking for better life, which they
know cannot come without better governance. In this age
of communication, people will look for results and not
slogans.
Dawn of a New Era: The results of these elections are an
eye opener for all traditional parties as they have rejected
caste based parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi
Party, Janata Dal(U). However, some states have elected
regional parties like Trinamool Congress in West Bengal,
Biju Janta Dal in Odisha and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and
simultaneously in Kerala also supporting the UDF with
thumping majority. It may lead to concerns like those
witnessed in sixties when the Chief Ministers of Southern
states ( aka non-hindi states) had formed a syndicate to
stymie the efforts of the government in power at that time.
The Prime Minister of the country Mr. Narendra Modi has
single handedly changed the contours of Indian polity and
put at rest any doubt about his abilities. He also made a
great beginning by inviting all SAARC leaders at the
swearing ceremony which is likely to create more conducive
environment for better neighbourly relations. The future
beholds a tough time for him and he knows this when in his
acceptance speech, laying contours of his policy,he said:
“At the end of the day, for who is the government for? It is
for the poor. For rural areas, farmers, untouchables, the
weak and the pained; this government is for them. To meet
their aspirations and hopes, this is our priority, because our
weakest, our poorest have sent us here.”
We join all countrymen in wishing him good luck in
running the new government !!!
Dance of
Democracy
India is known for its ‘kumbh mela’, the epitome of faith
and devotion for millions of Indians observed every twelve
years. A much larger celebration is held every five years
“General Elections”- the biggest democratic exercise on the
earth involving a much larger number of Indians and 814.5
million this time. The whole country, without any distinction
in caste or creed, without any fear or greed and without any
hatred or despise visit the electoral booths like they enter
their places of worship with nothing to demand but with
determination to see that the democratic traditions of the
country are upheld. When the devotee ( elector) presses the
‘button’ making a choice, he knows that he is just not going
to select a candidate, but deciding the destiny of the
country, with which his own future is intertwined. And the
most beautiful part of the exercise is the grace with which
he accepts the results of the mandate without any rancour
and bitterness.
This we can say is the beauty of democracy. The people
have the ultimate power to decide who would rule them and
they have the right to change the rulers if they do not come
to their expectations. The power to rule in India does not
come by birth nor by force. The people can even choose a
person who once was a tea vendor! India this time has
voted for a change.
Beginning of Change: The elections to the sixteenth Lok
Sabha held during April and May 2014, have been
remarkable for their unexpectedness. Without any doubt, it
was a landslide. Even the winner, Bhartiya Janta Party had
not thought that it would win a clear majority in the
elections of its own and would not have to depend on any
outside support to form the government. No psephologist
had given the party the numbers it eventually got. A few
months back, the general expectation was that the party
would get, at the most, around 160-180 seats and would
emerge as the single largest party to get the invite from the
President to form the government. But even then it would
have had to depend on support from regional parties to win
the vote of confidence on the floor of the house. It is also
for the first time since 1984, that any party has got the
majority of its own in the Lok Sabha. Further, most of the
opinion polls had given the Grand Old Party, the Congress
around 120 seats and no one had imagined that the party
would face its worst defeat in its history of existence since
independence with just 44 seats and being reduced to a
rump of what it was a few days back.
Rise of Aspirational Class: One great change in these
elections is addition of more than ten crore new and young
voterssince last general elections held in 2009. They have
proved that they cannot be taken for granted and that they
are not a pocket borough of any one party. This new
generation of voters has pressed their hand against the
EVMs with their open minds. With mobile in their hands and
google in their reach, the hopes of this generation have
soared high. Infact, these elections are victory of
aspirational class over dynastic politics.
The greatest achievement of Mr. Modi was his ability to
connect with this class, who is looking past the ‘roti, sadak,
bijli, pani’ kind of politics. As rightly stated by a journalist,
“Mr. Modi tapped into the frustrations of a generation of
Indians who climbed out of poverty in the past decade, but
who have been prevented from joining the middle classes
by slowing growth and a lack of employment”
This new generation is looking for better life, which they
know cannot come without better governance. In this age
of communication, people will look for results and not
slogans.
Dawn of a New Era: The results of these elections are an
eye opener for all traditional parties as they have rejected
caste based parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi
Party, Janata Dal(U). However, some states have elected
regional parties like Trinamool Congress in West Bengal,
Biju Janta Dal in Odisha and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and
simultaneously in Kerala also supporting the UDF with
thumping majority. It may lead to concerns like those
witnessed in sixties when the Chief Ministers of Southern
states ( aka non-hindi states) had formed a syndicate to
stymie the efforts of the government in power at that time.
The Prime Minister of the country Mr. Narendra Modi has
single handedly changed the contours of Indian polity and
put at rest any doubt about his abilities. He also made a
great beginning by inviting all SAARC leaders at the
swearing ceremony which is likely to create more conducive
environment for better neighbourly relations. The future
beholds a tough time for him and he knows this when in his
acceptance speech, laying contours of his policy,he said:
“At the end of the day, for who is the government for? It is
for the poor. For rural areas, farmers, untouchables, the
weak and the pained; this government is for them. To meet
their aspirations and hopes, this is our priority, because our
weakest, our poorest have sent us here.”
We join all countrymen in wishing him good luck in
running the new government !!!
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 3
GENERAL AWARENESS
JULY 2014
Year: 2014 Vol. 3, Issue 01
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2
ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
CONTENTS
SECTION – A
CURRENT AFFAIRS
March to May 2014
1-18
SECTION – B
BULLET NEWS
DEC 2013 TO FEB 2014
19-30
SECTION – C
SBI PO MOCK TEST
MCQS FOR SBI
DESCRIPTIVE ENGLISH
31-49
50-63
64-72
SECTION – E
LATEST GK BYTES 73-95
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE 8.00%
REVERSE REPO RATE 7.00%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
9.00%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY
RATIO
23%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 9.00%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.80% –
10.25 %
INDIA’S RANK IN
Press Freedom Index 2014 78
th
Ease of Doing Business (World Bank) 134
th
Social Progress Index 102
nd
World Press Freedom Index 140
th
Environment Performance Index 155
th
Index for Nuclear Safety 23
rd
Index of Economic Freedom 120
th
Rank in Energy Usage 69
th
Ease of Doing Business (Forbes) 98
th
Corruption Perception Index 94
th
World Prosperity Index 106
th
Global Hunger Index 2013 63
rd
Human Capital Index 78
th
Global Gender Gap Index 101
st
Global Competitiveness Index 60
th
Corruption Risk Index 69
th
NATIONAL NEWS
MAY 2014
INDIA 2
nd
BEST IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
As per the Nielsen global survey, Consumer confidence level in India jumped to
121points in the first quarter of the current fiscal, the highest optimism level since
the fourth quarter of 2012. India retains its position as the second most-optimistic
country in the survey. Indonesia leads the global index with 124 points and the
Philippines is in third place with 116 points.
INDIA 3
rd
IN GDP SIZE
Data released by the international
comparison programme of the World
Bank group shows that in a matter of
six years, India has emerged as the
world's third largest economy (in
terms of PPP) in 2011, from being the
10th largest in 2005, moving ahead of
Japan, while the US remained the
largest economy closely followed by
China. The world produced goods and
services worth over $90 trillion in 2011
and almost half of this came from low
and middle-income countries.
GHNP FOR WORLD HERITAGE SITE
The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) of Himachal Pradesh has been nominated
for the prestigious UNESCO-approved World Heritage Site status by The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the advisory body to the UNESCO
Committee on Nature.
INDIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN CHINA
India started its biggest year-long cultural festival, “Glimpses of India” in China with
a performance of classical Indian dances in Shanghai by artists from Chennai-based
Kalakshetra cultural academy.
INDIA 134
TH
IN ‘EASE OF DOING BUSINESS’
World Bank and International Finance Corporation have released their annual report
for “Doing Business” as per which India ranks 134
th
among 189 nations when it
comes to ease of doing business. Singapore ranked first in the list.
INDIAN EVMs TO BE USED IN NAMIBIA
Namibia has imported 3400 India-made Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs) for use in their Presidential Election.
Namibia is the first African country to use such machines in
any of its Polls. These EVMs are manufactured by the public
sector unit, Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL) based in
Bangaluru.
‘TITLI’ SCREENED AT CANNES
Indian film Titli (butterfly), directed by Kanu Behl and produced by Aditya Chopra
was screened at Cannes Film Festival at Cannes, France. The film is about the
journey of a boy called ‘Titli’ who wants to escape from his oppressive brother.
GENERAL AWARENESS
JULY 2014
Year: 2014 Vol. 3, Issue 01
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2
ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
CONTENTS
SECTION – A
CURRENT AFFAIRS
March to May 2014
1-18
SECTION – B
BULLET NEWS
DEC 2013 TO FEB 2014
19-30
SECTION – C
SBI PO MOCK TEST
MCQS FOR SBI
DESCRIPTIVE ENGLISH
31-49
50-63
64-72
SECTION – E
LATEST GK BYTES 73-95
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE 8.00%
REVERSE REPO RATE 7.00%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
9.00%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY
RATIO
23%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 9.00%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.80% –
10.25 %
INDIA’S RANK IN
Press Freedom Index 2014 78
th
Ease of Doing Business (World Bank) 134
th
Social Progress Index 102
nd
World Press Freedom Index 140
th
Environment Performance Index 155
th
Index for Nuclear Safety 23
rd
Index of Economic Freedom 120
th
Rank in Energy Usage 69
th
Ease of Doing Business (Forbes) 98
th
Corruption Perception Index 94
th
World Prosperity Index 106
th
Global Hunger Index 2013 63
rd
Human Capital Index 78
th
Global Gender Gap Index 101
st
Global Competitiveness Index 60
th
Corruption Risk Index 69
th
NATIONAL NEWS
MAY 2014
INDIA 2
nd
BEST IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
As per the Nielsen global survey, Consumer confidence level in India jumped to
121points in the first quarter of the current fiscal, the highest optimism level since
the fourth quarter of 2012. India retains its position as the second most-optimistic
country in the survey. Indonesia leads the global index with 124 points and the
Philippines is in third place with 116 points.
INDIA 3
rd
IN GDP SIZE
Data released by the international
comparison programme of the World
Bank group shows that in a matter of
six years, India has emerged as the
world's third largest economy (in
terms of PPP) in 2011, from being the
10th largest in 2005, moving ahead of
Japan, while the US remained the
largest economy closely followed by
China. The world produced goods and
services worth over $90 trillion in 2011
and almost half of this came from low
and middle-income countries.
GHNP FOR WORLD HERITAGE SITE
The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) of Himachal Pradesh has been nominated
for the prestigious UNESCO-approved World Heritage Site status by The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the advisory body to the UNESCO
Committee on Nature.
INDIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN CHINA
India started its biggest year-long cultural festival, “Glimpses of India” in China with
a performance of classical Indian dances in Shanghai by artists from Chennai-based
Kalakshetra cultural academy.
INDIA 134
TH
IN ‘EASE OF DOING BUSINESS’
World Bank and International Finance Corporation have released their annual report
for “Doing Business” as per which India ranks 134
th
among 189 nations when it
comes to ease of doing business. Singapore ranked first in the list.
INDIAN EVMs TO BE USED IN NAMIBIA
Namibia has imported 3400 India-made Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs) for use in their Presidential Election.
Namibia is the first African country to use such machines in
any of its Polls. These EVMs are manufactured by the public
sector unit, Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL) based in
Bangaluru.
‘TITLI’ SCREENED AT CANNES
Indian film Titli (butterfly), directed by Kanu Behl and produced by Aditya Chopra
was screened at Cannes Film Festival at Cannes, France. The film is about the
journey of a boy called ‘Titli’ who wants to escape from his oppressive brother.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 4
INDIA 78
TH
IN PRESS FREEDOM
Latest Press Freedom Index 2014 has placed India at 78
th
place on the basis of freedom of media in the country.
Press freedom in India has deteriorated due to increased
"interference" by media owners ahead of the general
elections this year. Netherlands, Norway,
and Sweden topped the list, which included 197 countries.
W B AID FOR SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN – III
World Bank has agreed to provide $ 1billion assistance to
India to support its Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan – III, the largest
school education programme in the world. Funds will be
deployed by the HRD Ministry over a period of three years.
S C BANS BULLS USE IN ‘JALLIKATTU’
The Supreme Court has prohibited use of bulls in Tamil
Nadu’s ‘Jallikattu’ festivals, holding that use of bulls in such
events severely harmed the animals and constituted an
offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to the Animals Act.
INDIA TOPS IN ‘OPEN DEFECATION’
A UN report- ‘Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation,
2014 says that 82 per cent of the one billion people
practising open defecation in the world live in just 10
countries, topped by India having sixty per cent (597
million) of this population.
DELHI MOST POLLUTED CITY
WHO has stated that the quality of air in most cities
worldwide failed to meet the WHO standards for safe levels
of pollution. The release counted Delhi among one of the
most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality as it
has highest concentration of particulate matters less than
2.5 microns, which is considered most serious.
HIGHEST INFANT MORTALITY IN INDIA
More than seven lakh newborns die in India every year, the
highest number of such deaths globally, a new study has
claimed. Each year 5.5 million babies leave the world
without celebrating their first birth day.
SC NOD FOR PROBING SENIOR BUREAUCRATS
A three judge Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief
Justice of India has held as invalid the legal provision that
makes prior sanction mandatory for the Central Bureau of
Investigation to conduct a probe against senior bureaucrats
(joint secretary and above) in corruption cases under the
Prevention of Corruption Act as it violates the article 14
(equality before law) of the constitution.
APRIL 2014
KEJRIWAL, MODI IN TIME TOP 100
The Time has named the 100 most influential people in the
world without ranking them and four Indians have made it
to the list. The four are - Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind
Kejriwal (highest score), followed by BJP leader Narendra
Modi, noted author Arundhati Roy and Coimbatore-based
health activist Arunachalam Muruganantham.
‘AADHAAR’ NOT MANDATORY – S C
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to immediately
withdraw the instructions, if any, issued by it for making
Aadhaar card mandatory for citizens to avail government
services. The Court also said that biometric or any other
data should not be shared with any authorities unless the
accused gives consent in writing.
INDIA RANKS 83
RD
IN USE OF ICT
A World Economic Forum report
says that India has slid down to
83rd spot among 148 economies in
terms of leveraging information
and communications technologies
for growth and well being. In
2013, it ranked 68th out of 144
countries.
SMALL STATES TOP IN POLICY EFFECTIVENESS
The India Public Policy Report 2014, brought out by Jindal
School of Government and Public Policy at the Sonepat-
based O.P. Jindal Global University, in association with the
Oxford University Press, has ranked India’s smallest states
— Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa, Punjab and Delhi — best in policy
effectiveness, while Gujarat has slipped over the decades to
the 16th place and Kerala comes in at 21st slot.
INDIA RANKS 102
ND
IN SOCIAL PROGRESS
The Social Progress Index 2014 compiled by US-based non-
profit group Social Progress Imperative ranks India102nd
among the 132 countries. The index aims to measure
quality of life using measures of access to basic human
needs such as food and shelter and of equality of
opportunity such as education and personal freedom.
INDIA BHUTAN FOR JOINT HYDROPOWER
India and Bhutan have signed an agreement on
development of four hydropower projects for producing
2120 MW on a joint venture-model between public sector
undertakings of the two countries.
EUNUCHS RECOGNIZED AS ‘THIRD’ GENDER
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court has
recognised transgenders or eunuchs as third category of
gender and directed Centre and states to take steps to treat
them as socially and educationally backward classes and
extend reservation for admission in educational institutions
and for public appointments. The Court clarified that its
verdict pertains only to eunuchs and not other sections of
society like gay, lesbian and bisexuals who are also
considered under the umbrella term 'transgender'.
MARCH 2014
INDIA’S LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT
The largest Solar Power Plant of India, producing 130 MW
of power, was launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch,
Madhya Pradesh on 26 February 2014. The Welspun Solar
MP project has been constructed at a cost of Rs.1100 crore
on 305 hectares of land.
INDIA 78
TH
IN PRESS FREEDOM
Latest Press Freedom Index 2014 has placed India at 78
th
place on the basis of freedom of media in the country.
Press freedom in India has deteriorated due to increased
"interference" by media owners ahead of the general
elections this year. Netherlands, Norway,
and Sweden topped the list, which included 197 countries.
W B AID FOR SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN – III
World Bank has agreed to provide $ 1billion assistance to
India to support its Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan – III, the largest
school education programme in the world. Funds will be
deployed by the HRD Ministry over a period of three years.
S C BANS BULLS USE IN ‘JALLIKATTU’
The Supreme Court has prohibited use of bulls in Tamil
Nadu’s ‘Jallikattu’ festivals, holding that use of bulls in such
events severely harmed the animals and constituted an
offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to the Animals Act.
INDIA TOPS IN ‘OPEN DEFECATION’
A UN report- ‘Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation,
2014 says that 82 per cent of the one billion people
practising open defecation in the world live in just 10
countries, topped by India having sixty per cent (597
million) of this population.
DELHI MOST POLLUTED CITY
WHO has stated that the quality of air in most cities
worldwide failed to meet the WHO standards for safe levels
of pollution. The release counted Delhi among one of the
most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality as it
has highest concentration of particulate matters less than
2.5 microns, which is considered most serious.
HIGHEST INFANT MORTALITY IN INDIA
More than seven lakh newborns die in India every year, the
highest number of such deaths globally, a new study has
claimed. Each year 5.5 million babies leave the world
without celebrating their first birth day.
SC NOD FOR PROBING SENIOR BUREAUCRATS
A three judge Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief
Justice of India has held as invalid the legal provision that
makes prior sanction mandatory for the Central Bureau of
Investigation to conduct a probe against senior bureaucrats
(joint secretary and above) in corruption cases under the
Prevention of Corruption Act as it violates the article 14
(equality before law) of the constitution.
APRIL 2014
KEJRIWAL, MODI IN TIME TOP 100
The Time has named the 100 most influential people in the
world without ranking them and four Indians have made it
to the list. The four are - Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind
Kejriwal (highest score), followed by BJP leader Narendra
Modi, noted author Arundhati Roy and Coimbatore-based
health activist Arunachalam Muruganantham.
‘AADHAAR’ NOT MANDATORY – S C
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to immediately
withdraw the instructions, if any, issued by it for making
Aadhaar card mandatory for citizens to avail government
services. The Court also said that biometric or any other
data should not be shared with any authorities unless the
accused gives consent in writing.
INDIA RANKS 83
RD
IN USE OF ICT
A World Economic Forum report
says that India has slid down to
83rd spot among 148 economies in
terms of leveraging information
and communications technologies
for growth and well being. In
2013, it ranked 68th out of 144
countries.
SMALL STATES TOP IN POLICY EFFECTIVENESS
The India Public Policy Report 2014, brought out by Jindal
School of Government and Public Policy at the Sonepat-
based O.P. Jindal Global University, in association with the
Oxford University Press, has ranked India’s smallest states
— Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa, Punjab and Delhi — best in policy
effectiveness, while Gujarat has slipped over the decades to
the 16th place and Kerala comes in at 21st slot.
INDIA RANKS 102
ND
IN SOCIAL PROGRESS
The Social Progress Index 2014 compiled by US-based non-
profit group Social Progress Imperative ranks India102nd
among the 132 countries. The index aims to measure
quality of life using measures of access to basic human
needs such as food and shelter and of equality of
opportunity such as education and personal freedom.
INDIA BHUTAN FOR JOINT HYDROPOWER
India and Bhutan have signed an agreement on
development of four hydropower projects for producing
2120 MW on a joint venture-model between public sector
undertakings of the two countries.
EUNUCHS RECOGNIZED AS ‘THIRD’ GENDER
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court has
recognised transgenders or eunuchs as third category of
gender and directed Centre and states to take steps to treat
them as socially and educationally backward classes and
extend reservation for admission in educational institutions
and for public appointments. The Court clarified that its
verdict pertains only to eunuchs and not other sections of
society like gay, lesbian and bisexuals who are also
considered under the umbrella term 'transgender'.
MARCH 2014
INDIA’S LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT
The largest Solar Power Plant of India, producing 130 MW
of power, was launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch,
Madhya Pradesh on 26 February 2014. The Welspun Solar
MP project has been constructed at a cost of Rs.1100 crore
on 305 hectares of land.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 5
INDIA OFFERS $1 BN LOAN TO BANGLADESH
India has offered Bangladesh a $1 billion soft loan for
infrastructure development. This is the biggest loan
amount India offered to any foreign country at 1.75 per
cent interest rate with a repayment period 20 years,
including a grace period 5 years.
MANDATORY OPV FOR SEVEN COUNTRIES
India-bound travellers from seven countries where polio
cases are still being reported, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria,
Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria and Pakistan will have to receive
mandatory oral polio vaccine (OPV) six weeks before coming
to India. Indians headed for these countries will also be
administered the vaccine.
INDIA LARGEST IMPORTER OF ARMS
The report published by as Swedish Think Tank, Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has claimed
that India continues to be the largest buyer of arms in the
world, much ahead of China and Pakistan.
Home Ministry has advised that Telangana, the
country's 29th state, will come into exsistence on June
2 to start functioning as a separate state.
A commemorative postage stamp released in the
honour of freedom fighter “Maulana Hasrat Mohani” .
Global Ayurveda Festival held at Kochi, Kerala.
NEWS FROM STATES
MAY 2014
VIDHAN SABHA ELECTIONS IN 5 STATES
Along with the general elections, five states also elected
their new MLAs (member of legislative assembly). Following
were elected as the new Chief Ministers:
Naveen Patnaik (Biju Janata Dal) – Odisha, 4
th
time
Pawan Chamling (Sikkim Democratic Fund) – Sikkim, 5
th
time, becoming the longest serving C M in India.
Chandrababu Naidu (Telugu Desam Party)—Andhra
Pradesh
K Chandrasekhara Rao (Telangana Rastra Samithi) –
Telangana
Nabam Tuki (Congress) -- Arunachal Pradesh
Some other Chief Ministers were also changed:
Anandiben Patel (BJP): Elected as Chief Minister of
Gujarat in place of Narendra Modi.
Jitan Ram Manjhi became new Chief Minister of Bihar as
present CM Nitish Kumar resigned owing the responsibility
for poor performance of his party in general elections.
T R Zeliang (Naga People's Front): Elected as the new
Chief Minister of Nagaland following the resignation of
current C M Neiphiu Rio as he got elected as M P.
A four-year ban which barred short messaging service
(SMS) on prepaid mobile phones in Jammu and Kashmir
has been lifted by the state government.
Rajasthan has decided to open 325 Ma Bari centres in
tribal areas of the four districts to provide education to
the children of 6 to 12 age where there are no schools.
APRIL 2014
ARUNACHAL GETS CONNECTED BY RAIL
The Arunachal Pradesh was put
on the country’s railway map on
April 7 with the first passenger
train of about 400 commuters
arriving at Naharlagun, near
state capital Itanagar, starting
from Dekargaon, Assam.
MAHARASHTRA TOPS IN INVESTMENT
According to an Assocham report, Maharashtra has emerged
as the number one investment destination in the country
replacing Gujarat, attracting cumulative investment
proposals of Rs 14,73,466 crore as on December 2013,
while Gujarat drew proposals worth Rs. 13,98,347 crore
only.
Asia’s largest Tulip garden - Indira Gandhi Memorial
Tulip garden is located on the banks of Dal Lake, Srinagar,
J&K. Spread on 15-hectares, it has over 1.5 million tulips.
India’s first double-decker flyover opened in Mumbai
on 18
th
April connecting the eastern suburbs with western
suburb via the Santa Cruz-Chembur link road.
MARCH 2014
MAHA LAUNCHES PHASE - I OF DMIC
The Maharashtra government launched the first phase of
the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project that
aims at generating industrial output of Rs 20 lakh crore by
2042. First phase includes development of Shendre-Bidkin
industrial city and an exhibition-cum-convention centre in
Aurangabad, alongwith multi-modal logistics park at Karmad
and water supply scheme for Shendre.
Nagaland and Assam became the first two states to
be issued with Plastic Photo Identity Card for elections
in India.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
MAY 2014
SIT FOR PROBING BLACK MONEY
The Supreme Court has reconstituted a Special Investigation
Team (SIT) under the chairmanship of retired judge MB
Shah to monitor the probe into the black money cases, both
inside and outside the country. Incidentally, this is also the
first major decision taken by the Union Cabinet lead by Mr.
Modi.
INDIA OFFERS $1 BN LOAN TO BANGLADESH
India has offered Bangladesh a $1 billion soft loan for
infrastructure development. This is the biggest loan
amount India offered to any foreign country at 1.75 per
cent interest rate with a repayment period 20 years,
including a grace period 5 years.
MANDATORY OPV FOR SEVEN COUNTRIES
India-bound travellers from seven countries where polio
cases are still being reported, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria,
Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria and Pakistan will have to receive
mandatory oral polio vaccine (OPV) six weeks before coming
to India. Indians headed for these countries will also be
administered the vaccine.
INDIA LARGEST IMPORTER OF ARMS
The report published by as Swedish Think Tank, Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has claimed
that India continues to be the largest buyer of arms in the
world, much ahead of China and Pakistan.
Home Ministry has advised that Telangana, the
country's 29th state, will come into exsistence on June
2 to start functioning as a separate state.
A commemorative postage stamp released in the
honour of freedom fighter “Maulana Hasrat Mohani” .
Global Ayurveda Festival held at Kochi, Kerala.
NEWS FROM STATES
MAY 2014
VIDHAN SABHA ELECTIONS IN 5 STATES
Along with the general elections, five states also elected
their new MLAs (member of legislative assembly). Following
were elected as the new Chief Ministers:
Naveen Patnaik (Biju Janata Dal) – Odisha, 4
th
time
Pawan Chamling (Sikkim Democratic Fund) – Sikkim, 5
th
time, becoming the longest serving C M in India.
Chandrababu Naidu (Telugu Desam Party)—Andhra
Pradesh
K Chandrasekhara Rao (Telangana Rastra Samithi) –
Telangana
Nabam Tuki (Congress) -- Arunachal Pradesh
Some other Chief Ministers were also changed:
Anandiben Patel (BJP): Elected as Chief Minister of
Gujarat in place of Narendra Modi.
Jitan Ram Manjhi became new Chief Minister of Bihar as
present CM Nitish Kumar resigned owing the responsibility
for poor performance of his party in general elections.
T R Zeliang (Naga People's Front): Elected as the new
Chief Minister of Nagaland following the resignation of
current C M Neiphiu Rio as he got elected as M P.
A four-year ban which barred short messaging service
(SMS) on prepaid mobile phones in Jammu and Kashmir
has been lifted by the state government.
Rajasthan has decided to open 325 Ma Bari centres in
tribal areas of the four districts to provide education to
the children of 6 to 12 age where there are no schools.
APRIL 2014
ARUNACHAL GETS CONNECTED BY RAIL
The Arunachal Pradesh was put
on the country’s railway map on
April 7 with the first passenger
train of about 400 commuters
arriving at Naharlagun, near
state capital Itanagar, starting
from Dekargaon, Assam.
MAHARASHTRA TOPS IN INVESTMENT
According to an Assocham report, Maharashtra has emerged
as the number one investment destination in the country
replacing Gujarat, attracting cumulative investment
proposals of Rs 14,73,466 crore as on December 2013,
while Gujarat drew proposals worth Rs. 13,98,347 crore
only.
Asia’s largest Tulip garden - Indira Gandhi Memorial
Tulip garden is located on the banks of Dal Lake, Srinagar,
J&K. Spread on 15-hectares, it has over 1.5 million tulips.
India’s first double-decker flyover opened in Mumbai
on 18
th
April connecting the eastern suburbs with western
suburb via the Santa Cruz-Chembur link road.
MARCH 2014
MAHA LAUNCHES PHASE - I OF DMIC
The Maharashtra government launched the first phase of
the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project that
aims at generating industrial output of Rs 20 lakh crore by
2042. First phase includes development of Shendre-Bidkin
industrial city and an exhibition-cum-convention centre in
Aurangabad, alongwith multi-modal logistics park at Karmad
and water supply scheme for Shendre.
Nagaland and Assam became the first two states to
be issued with Plastic Photo Identity Card for elections
in India.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
MAY 2014
SIT FOR PROBING BLACK MONEY
The Supreme Court has reconstituted a Special Investigation
Team (SIT) under the chairmanship of retired judge MB
Shah to monitor the probe into the black money cases, both
inside and outside the country. Incidentally, this is also the
first major decision taken by the Union Cabinet lead by Mr.
Modi.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 6
SECURITY PACT SIGNED WITH MYANMAR
India and Myanmar have inked a pact to enhance security
cooperation in combating the key issues of insurgency, arms
smuggling and human trafficking. The agreement was
signed at Nay Pyi Taw, capital of Myanmar.
In a move that signals changed priorities, the ministry
of environment and forests has been renamed as the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
APRIL 2014
FREE SALE OF 5KG LPG CYLINDERS
Indian Oil Corporation has introduced the sale of market-
priced 5-kg Free Trade LPG (FTL) cylinders through kirana
stores and supermarkets for the first time in India. To begin
with, these have been launched in Bangalore, Chennai,
Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Aligarh.
MARCH 2014
FREE CHECK-UPS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS
Govt has launched the 'Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme' for
minority students in the age group of 5-14 years, enrolled in
institutions aided by the Maulana Azad Education
Foundation, to provide them free health check-ups twice a
year at the place where they are studying.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
MAY 2014
UN PUTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 5%
According to the UN World Economic Situation and
Prospects (WESP) 2014 report, Indian economy will grow 5
per cent in 2014 and record a slightly higher expansion of
5.5 per cent next year riding on stronger consumption and
investment.
ECONOMY TO GROW BY 4.9% - OECD
Latest economic outlook by the Paris-based think-tank-
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) says that India's economy is expected to grow up to
4.9% in calendar year 2014 from 4.5% a year earlier,
helped by a rebound in capital investments as well as a
pick-up in private consumption, but rising bad loans at its
banks threaten to choke the recovery.
IIP SHRINKS BY 0.5% IN MARCH
The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contacted 0.5% in
March, compared with a 1.8% decline in February this year.
This shows the economy is still not showing signs of
recovery from tepid below-5% growth in 2013-14
CORE SECTOR GROWTH DOWN TO 2.5%
The core sector growth slowed to 2.5 per cent in March
from 7 per cent in the same month a year ago as the output
of crude oil, natural gas and fertilisers declined. The eight
industries forming the core sector - fertiliser, cement, steel,
electricity, crude oil, coal, petroleum refinery products and
natural gas, have a combined weight of about 38 per cent in
the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
CAD SHRINKS TO 1.7% OF GDP
India’s CAD (Current Account Deficit) - a measure of the
inflow and outflow of foreign currency sharply narrowed to
1.7 per cent of the GDP or USD 32.4 billion in 2013-14 from
a record high of 4.7 per cent ($87.8 billion) in FY’13. The
position improved mainly due to sharp decline in imports led
by a steep fall in gold imports
TRADE DEFICIT DOWN BY $ 48 BILLION
India's exports grew to $318.6 in 2013-14, $ 12 billion more
than previous year, while imports shrinked to $ 466.2
billlion, $36 billion less than previous year, bringing down
the trade deficit to $147.6 billion, compared with $195.7
billion in last year.
Foreign exchange reserves rose by $1.093 billion to
$314.92 billion in the week ended May 16, on account
of increase in currency assets.
APRIL 2014
LOW GROWTH DUE TO INTERNAL FACTORS
World Economic Outlook report by the International
Monetary Fund has attributed India's declining economic
growth, which has touched a decade's low of 4.5 per cent in
2012-13, to mainly internal factors. India's economic
growth, which touched 8.9 per cent in 2010-11 declined to
6.7 per cent in the following year and touched a decade's
low of 4.5 per cent in 2012-13. As for the 2013-14, the
Central Statistics Office (CSO) has pegged it at 4.9 per
cent. However as per the projection of ADB and RBI, the
growth in the current fiscal is likely to increase to 5.5 %..
GDP GROWTH MAY IMPROVE - IMF
According to the
International Monetary
Fund (IMF), growth of
India’s GDP could recover
to 5.4 per cent in the
current fiscal year (2014-
15) from 4.4 per cent
expected in 2013-14. It
may further increase by
one percentage point to 6.4 per cent in the year 2015-16
due to stronger global growth, an improvement in export
competitiveness and implementation of the recently-
approved investment projects.
WORLD BANK PUTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 5.7%
The World Bank has projected an economic growth rate of
5.7 per cent in fiscal year 2014 for India on the back of a
more competitive exchange rate and many large
investments going forward.
ADB PUTS GROWTH RATE AT 5.5%
The Asian Development Bank has cut India's growth
projection for 2014-15 to 5.5% against 5.7% estimated
earlier, on account of weaker than expected industrial
growth. The Bank pointed out that government needed to
clear projects quickly and boost manufacturing, besides
carrying out structural reforms.
SECURITY PACT SIGNED WITH MYANMAR
India and Myanmar have inked a pact to enhance security
cooperation in combating the key issues of insurgency, arms
smuggling and human trafficking. The agreement was
signed at Nay Pyi Taw, capital of Myanmar.
In a move that signals changed priorities, the ministry
of environment and forests has been renamed as the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
APRIL 2014
FREE SALE OF 5KG LPG CYLINDERS
Indian Oil Corporation has introduced the sale of market-
priced 5-kg Free Trade LPG (FTL) cylinders through kirana
stores and supermarkets for the first time in India. To begin
with, these have been launched in Bangalore, Chennai,
Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Aligarh.
MARCH 2014
FREE CHECK-UPS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS
Govt has launched the 'Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme' for
minority students in the age group of 5-14 years, enrolled in
institutions aided by the Maulana Azad Education
Foundation, to provide them free health check-ups twice a
year at the place where they are studying.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
MAY 2014
UN PUTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 5%
According to the UN World Economic Situation and
Prospects (WESP) 2014 report, Indian economy will grow 5
per cent in 2014 and record a slightly higher expansion of
5.5 per cent next year riding on stronger consumption and
investment.
ECONOMY TO GROW BY 4.9% - OECD
Latest economic outlook by the Paris-based think-tank-
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) says that India's economy is expected to grow up to
4.9% in calendar year 2014 from 4.5% a year earlier,
helped by a rebound in capital investments as well as a
pick-up in private consumption, but rising bad loans at its
banks threaten to choke the recovery.
IIP SHRINKS BY 0.5% IN MARCH
The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contacted 0.5% in
March, compared with a 1.8% decline in February this year.
This shows the economy is still not showing signs of
recovery from tepid below-5% growth in 2013-14
CORE SECTOR GROWTH DOWN TO 2.5%
The core sector growth slowed to 2.5 per cent in March
from 7 per cent in the same month a year ago as the output
of crude oil, natural gas and fertilisers declined. The eight
industries forming the core sector - fertiliser, cement, steel,
electricity, crude oil, coal, petroleum refinery products and
natural gas, have a combined weight of about 38 per cent in
the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
CAD SHRINKS TO 1.7% OF GDP
India’s CAD (Current Account Deficit) - a measure of the
inflow and outflow of foreign currency sharply narrowed to
1.7 per cent of the GDP or USD 32.4 billion in 2013-14 from
a record high of 4.7 per cent ($87.8 billion) in FY’13. The
position improved mainly due to sharp decline in imports led
by a steep fall in gold imports
TRADE DEFICIT DOWN BY $ 48 BILLION
India's exports grew to $318.6 in 2013-14, $ 12 billion more
than previous year, while imports shrinked to $ 466.2
billlion, $36 billion less than previous year, bringing down
the trade deficit to $147.6 billion, compared with $195.7
billion in last year.
Foreign exchange reserves rose by $1.093 billion to
$314.92 billion in the week ended May 16, on account
of increase in currency assets.
APRIL 2014
LOW GROWTH DUE TO INTERNAL FACTORS
World Economic Outlook report by the International
Monetary Fund has attributed India's declining economic
growth, which has touched a decade's low of 4.5 per cent in
2012-13, to mainly internal factors. India's economic
growth, which touched 8.9 per cent in 2010-11 declined to
6.7 per cent in the following year and touched a decade's
low of 4.5 per cent in 2012-13. As for the 2013-14, the
Central Statistics Office (CSO) has pegged it at 4.9 per
cent. However as per the projection of ADB and RBI, the
growth in the current fiscal is likely to increase to 5.5 %..
GDP GROWTH MAY IMPROVE - IMF
According to the
International Monetary
Fund (IMF), growth of
India’s GDP could recover
to 5.4 per cent in the
current fiscal year (2014-
15) from 4.4 per cent
expected in 2013-14. It
may further increase by
one percentage point to 6.4 per cent in the year 2015-16
due to stronger global growth, an improvement in export
competitiveness and implementation of the recently-
approved investment projects.
WORLD BANK PUTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 5.7%
The World Bank has projected an economic growth rate of
5.7 per cent in fiscal year 2014 for India on the back of a
more competitive exchange rate and many large
investments going forward.
ADB PUTS GROWTH RATE AT 5.5%
The Asian Development Bank has cut India's growth
projection for 2014-15 to 5.5% against 5.7% estimated
earlier, on account of weaker than expected industrial
growth. The Bank pointed out that government needed to
clear projects quickly and boost manufacturing, besides
carrying out structural reforms.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 7
MARCH 2014
FITCH PUTS ECONOMY GROWTH @ 4.7%
Global rating agency Fitch expects that India's economy
may grow 4.7 per cent in the current year, lower than the
official estimate of 4.9 per cent. The agency expects the
economy to pick up in the next two financial years.
Latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
shows that the total number of telecom subscribers in the
country rose marginally to 92.20 crore in January, 2014
from 91.51 crore at the end of December 2013.
MAY 2014
AGRI PRODUCTION TO CROSS 264 MN TON
The 3rd Advance Estimates of crop production in the 2013-
14 crop year (July-June) released by the Agriculture
Ministry says that India is likely to produce 264.38 million
tonnes of foodgrains during 2013-14 compared to 257.13
million tonnes last year, supported by higher production of
wheat and rice. The Agriculture Ministry comes out with
four estimates on foodgrains production at different stages
of crop harvesting.
INDIA IS CHEAPEST MAJOR ECONOMY
A report from German banking giant - Deutsche Bank says
that a weaker Indian rupee has allowed India to remain the
cheapest major economy in the world despite persistently
suffering the highest inflation rate. Australia is overall the
most expensive major economy, while the United States is
the cheapest developed country and Brazil most expensive
developing country.
TELECOM BASE TOUCHES 933 MILLIONS
India’s telecom industry added over one million users in
March, taking the total number of subscribers to 933 million,
as per latest data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India (Trai). Rural India is growing faster claiming 377.73
million subscribers.
Exim Bank has extended $ 100 million in line of credit
to Nigeria for building energy projects that will
eventually help boost Indian exports.
FDI inflows from Singapore added up to nearly $6
billion in 2013-14, making it largest source of FDI in
India, followed by Mauritius at $4.9 billion.
APRIL 2014
INDIA TOPS IN INWARD REMITANCES
As per a World Bank report, India ranked first in receiving
global remittances in the year 2013 with a whopping $70
billion in its kitty, of which $65 billion were earned from the
country's flagship software services exports.
STEEL EXPORTS EXCEED IMPORTS
India became net steel exporter in 2013-14 after a gap of
six years and is likely to maintain the momentum in 2014-
15. Total steel exports by India during the last fiscal stood
at 5.59 million tonnes (MT), as against imports of 5.44 MT.
India is the world's fourth largest steel maker.
JICA TO FUND FOREST PROJECT IN U’KHAND
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has
approved a loan of about Rs 674 crore for a forest project in
Uttarakhand. The project will support implementation of
disaster reconstruction and prevention measures in the
forest area of Uttarakhand where heavy rains caused
devastating floods and landslides in June 2013.
MORE WOMEN DIRECTORS IN COMPANIES
Under the rules notified by the
Corporate Affairs Ministry, every
listed company and those public
firms having paid up share
capital of Rs 100 crore or more
should have at least one woman
director on their board. It will be
also applicable to entities with a
minimum turnover of Rs 300 cr.
SC ALLOWS IRON ORE MINING IN GOA
The Supreme Court has allowed mining of iron ore in Goa
after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half year when it was
banned. However, the court has fixed an annual cap of 20
million tonnes of iron ore that can be extracted in Goa.
SUN PHARMA BUYS OUT RANBAXY
In the biggest deal in two years, Sun Pharmaceutical
Industries announced to fully acquire rival Ranbaxy
Laboratories in an all-stock transaction valued at USD 3.2
billion to become the largest pharmaceutical company in
India, with estimated combined revenue of USD 4.2 billion,
and 5
th
largest speciality Generics Company in the world.
CADBURY COMPANY CHANGES ITS NAME
Cadbury India has changed its name to Mondelez India
Foods Limited to fall in line with its parent company -
Mondelez International. The change in name will have no
impact on the names or packaging of its products such as
Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Gems, Perk, Bournvita, Tang and Oreo.
MARCH 2014
INFLATION TARGET FOR RBI
In a stern message to RBI, the Finance Minister has
stressed that economic stability should include both price
stability and growth and so the Parliament could also set a
target for the RBI to rein in inflation.
CSR RULES NOTIFIED
Govt has notified that ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR)
rules will take effect from April 1, 2014 as part of the new
Companies Act-2013. They will apply to companies with at
least Rs 5 crore net profit, or Rs.1,000 crore turnover or
Rs.500 crore net worth. Such companies will need to spend
2 per cent of their three-year average annual net profit on
CSR activities in each financial year, beginning 2014-15.
MARCH 2014
FITCH PUTS ECONOMY GROWTH @ 4.7%
Global rating agency Fitch expects that India's economy
may grow 4.7 per cent in the current year, lower than the
official estimate of 4.9 per cent. The agency expects the
economy to pick up in the next two financial years.
Latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
shows that the total number of telecom subscribers in the
country rose marginally to 92.20 crore in January, 2014
from 91.51 crore at the end of December 2013.
MAY 2014
AGRI PRODUCTION TO CROSS 264 MN TON
The 3rd Advance Estimates of crop production in the 2013-
14 crop year (July-June) released by the Agriculture
Ministry says that India is likely to produce 264.38 million
tonnes of foodgrains during 2013-14 compared to 257.13
million tonnes last year, supported by higher production of
wheat and rice. The Agriculture Ministry comes out with
four estimates on foodgrains production at different stages
of crop harvesting.
INDIA IS CHEAPEST MAJOR ECONOMY
A report from German banking giant - Deutsche Bank says
that a weaker Indian rupee has allowed India to remain the
cheapest major economy in the world despite persistently
suffering the highest inflation rate. Australia is overall the
most expensive major economy, while the United States is
the cheapest developed country and Brazil most expensive
developing country.
TELECOM BASE TOUCHES 933 MILLIONS
India’s telecom industry added over one million users in
March, taking the total number of subscribers to 933 million,
as per latest data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India (Trai). Rural India is growing faster claiming 377.73
million subscribers.
Exim Bank has extended $ 100 million in line of credit
to Nigeria for building energy projects that will
eventually help boost Indian exports.
FDI inflows from Singapore added up to nearly $6
billion in 2013-14, making it largest source of FDI in
India, followed by Mauritius at $4.9 billion.
APRIL 2014
INDIA TOPS IN INWARD REMITANCES
As per a World Bank report, India ranked first in receiving
global remittances in the year 2013 with a whopping $70
billion in its kitty, of which $65 billion were earned from the
country's flagship software services exports.
STEEL EXPORTS EXCEED IMPORTS
India became net steel exporter in 2013-14 after a gap of
six years and is likely to maintain the momentum in 2014-
15. Total steel exports by India during the last fiscal stood
at 5.59 million tonnes (MT), as against imports of 5.44 MT.
India is the world's fourth largest steel maker.
JICA TO FUND FOREST PROJECT IN U’KHAND
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has
approved a loan of about Rs 674 crore for a forest project in
Uttarakhand. The project will support implementation of
disaster reconstruction and prevention measures in the
forest area of Uttarakhand where heavy rains caused
devastating floods and landslides in June 2013.
MORE WOMEN DIRECTORS IN COMPANIES
Under the rules notified by the
Corporate Affairs Ministry, every
listed company and those public
firms having paid up share
capital of Rs 100 crore or more
should have at least one woman
director on their board. It will be
also applicable to entities with a
minimum turnover of Rs 300 cr.
SC ALLOWS IRON ORE MINING IN GOA
The Supreme Court has allowed mining of iron ore in Goa
after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half year when it was
banned. However, the court has fixed an annual cap of 20
million tonnes of iron ore that can be extracted in Goa.
SUN PHARMA BUYS OUT RANBAXY
In the biggest deal in two years, Sun Pharmaceutical
Industries announced to fully acquire rival Ranbaxy
Laboratories in an all-stock transaction valued at USD 3.2
billion to become the largest pharmaceutical company in
India, with estimated combined revenue of USD 4.2 billion,
and 5
th
largest speciality Generics Company in the world.
CADBURY COMPANY CHANGES ITS NAME
Cadbury India has changed its name to Mondelez India
Foods Limited to fall in line with its parent company -
Mondelez International. The change in name will have no
impact on the names or packaging of its products such as
Dairy Milk, 5 Star, Gems, Perk, Bournvita, Tang and Oreo.
MARCH 2014
INFLATION TARGET FOR RBI
In a stern message to RBI, the Finance Minister has
stressed that economic stability should include both price
stability and growth and so the Parliament could also set a
target for the RBI to rein in inflation.
CSR RULES NOTIFIED
Govt has notified that ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR)
rules will take effect from April 1, 2014 as part of the new
Companies Act-2013. They will apply to companies with at
least Rs 5 crore net profit, or Rs.1,000 crore turnover or
Rs.500 crore net worth. Such companies will need to spend
2 per cent of their three-year average annual net profit on
CSR activities in each financial year, beginning 2014-15.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 8
ETF LAUNCHED FOR PSEs
The government has launched an exchange-traded fund of
central public sector enterprises, to raise 3,000 crore rupees
for its disinvestment plan. This is an open ended scheme,
comprising of shares of 10 central PSEs including ONGC,
GAIL India and COAL India. It tracks an index fund, but
trades like a stock on the exchange.
INTEREST HIKED ON PO DEPOSITS
Govt has decided to hike interest rates on fixed deposit
schemes offered by post offices by up to 0.2 per cent, to 8.4
per cent, w.e.f. April 1, 2014. The interest rate on PPF
(public provident fund) has, however, been kept unchanged
at 8.7 per cent.
BANKING & FINANCE
MAY 2014
NAYAK COMMITTEE SUBMIT ITS REPORT
P J Nayak Committee appointed by the RBI to review
Governance of Boards of Banks in India has recommended
that the government should cut its stake in public sector
banks to below 50 percent. All banks be incorporated under
the Companies Act and a Bank Investment Company (BIC)
be constituted to which the Government transfers its
holdings in banks. It has also said that RBI — and not the
finance ministry — should have the last word on regulation
of public sector banks which command 70% of the market
share.
NO PENALTY FOR TERM LOAN PREPAYMENT
RBI has asked banks to consider allowing their borrowers
the facility of prepaying all floating rate term loans without
any penalty. Earlier this facility was available on house loans
only. Some banks are charging pre-payment penalty of up
to 2 per cent of the outstanding loans.
NO PENALTY IN INOPERAT IVE ACCOUNTS
RBI has asked banks not to levy penalties on customers
who don’t maintain a minimum balance in any inoperative
account, as part of a consumer protection initiative.
Already, Banks are not allowed to charge customers for
non-operation or activation of Basic Savings Bank deposit
accounts. However, Banks are permitted to recover charges
for non maintenance of minimum balance in normal savings
accounts.
INDEPENDENT SB ACCOUNTS FOR MINORS
RBI has advised that banks are
allowed to open only savings
bank account in the name of
minors of age above 10 years,
independently, without the
name of their guardians.
However, it has been left to the
banks to decide various terms
and conditions, including
amount of withdrawal, issuance
of cheque book / debit cards.
RUPAY CARD LAUNCHED BY THE PRESIDENT
President of India formally launched India’s first indigenous
payment gateway, RuPay, to counter rival networks such as
Visa and Mastercard to work on ATMs and merchant outlets
and help in reducing cash transactions. Developed by the
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), it is the
seventh such payment gateway in the world.
LOK ADALATS FOR CHEQUE BOUNCE CASES
The Law ministry is working on amendments to the Legal
Services Authority Act that would allow leading banks to set
up permanent Lok Adalats on their premises for settlement
of all disputes related to cheque bouncing. Retired district
judges or additional district judges may be appointed as
chairpersons of such Lok Adalats.
CRYSTALLIZE INOPERATIVE FC ACCOUNTS -RBI
The Reserve Bank has directed banks to convert credit
balances in any inoperative foreign currency (FC)
denominated deposit into Indian rupee if the former
remains not in use for three years from the date of maturity
of deposit.
BANKS TO TRANSFER UNCLAIMED ACCOUNTS
The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to remit amount
lying in deposit accounts classified as unclaimed to the
Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF) by 30th of
June. An unclaimed deposit account is one in which there
are no transactions for 10 years or more.
BANKS TO HAVE TALKING / BRAILLE ATMs
RBI has directed that all new ATMs to be installed by
commercial banks from July 2014 onwards would provide
audible instructions and Braille keypads to customers.
Later, all existing ATMs should also be converted as talking
ATMs with Braille keypads. RBI also asked banks to
provide the facilities of magnifying glasses at all bank
branches for the use of persons with low vision.
10 YEAR TERM LOANS FOR EXPORTERS
The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to provide long-term
loans of up to a maximum tenor of 10 years to exporters to
be utilised for execution of long-term supply contracts for
export of goods. Existing norms allow banks to give loans
for up to one year only.
BMB DECLARED AS SCHEDULED BANK
Bharatiya Mahila Bank, the country's first all-women lender,
has been included in the second schedule to the RBI Act.
This means that now it is eligible for loans from RBI on bank
rate and to acquire membership of clearing houses.
RBI TO LAUNCH PLASTIC CURRENCY
RBI has advised that one billion plastic notes of Rs.10
denomination will be introduced in a field trial to be
launched in the latter half of 2014 in five cities selected for
their geographical and climatic diversity. The selected cities
are Shimla, Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar. Plastic
notes have an average life span of about five years and are
difficult to imitate.
ETF LAUNCHED FOR PSEs
The government has launched an exchange-traded fund of
central public sector enterprises, to raise 3,000 crore rupees
for its disinvestment plan. This is an open ended scheme,
comprising of shares of 10 central PSEs including ONGC,
GAIL India and COAL India. It tracks an index fund, but
trades like a stock on the exchange.
INTEREST HIKED ON PO DEPOSITS
Govt has decided to hike interest rates on fixed deposit
schemes offered by post offices by up to 0.2 per cent, to 8.4
per cent, w.e.f. April 1, 2014. The interest rate on PPF
(public provident fund) has, however, been kept unchanged
at 8.7 per cent.
BANKING & FINANCE
MAY 2014
NAYAK COMMITTEE SUBMIT ITS REPORT
P J Nayak Committee appointed by the RBI to review
Governance of Boards of Banks in India has recommended
that the government should cut its stake in public sector
banks to below 50 percent. All banks be incorporated under
the Companies Act and a Bank Investment Company (BIC)
be constituted to which the Government transfers its
holdings in banks. It has also said that RBI — and not the
finance ministry — should have the last word on regulation
of public sector banks which command 70% of the market
share.
NO PENALTY FOR TERM LOAN PREPAYMENT
RBI has asked banks to consider allowing their borrowers
the facility of prepaying all floating rate term loans without
any penalty. Earlier this facility was available on house loans
only. Some banks are charging pre-payment penalty of up
to 2 per cent of the outstanding loans.
NO PENALTY IN INOPERAT IVE ACCOUNTS
RBI has asked banks not to levy penalties on customers
who don’t maintain a minimum balance in any inoperative
account, as part of a consumer protection initiative.
Already, Banks are not allowed to charge customers for
non-operation or activation of Basic Savings Bank deposit
accounts. However, Banks are permitted to recover charges
for non maintenance of minimum balance in normal savings
accounts.
INDEPENDENT SB ACCOUNTS FOR MINORS
RBI has advised that banks are
allowed to open only savings
bank account in the name of
minors of age above 10 years,
independently, without the
name of their guardians.
However, it has been left to the
banks to decide various terms
and conditions, including
amount of withdrawal, issuance
of cheque book / debit cards.
RUPAY CARD LAUNCHED BY THE PRESIDENT
President of India formally launched India’s first indigenous
payment gateway, RuPay, to counter rival networks such as
Visa and Mastercard to work on ATMs and merchant outlets
and help in reducing cash transactions. Developed by the
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), it is the
seventh such payment gateway in the world.
LOK ADALATS FOR CHEQUE BOUNCE CASES
The Law ministry is working on amendments to the Legal
Services Authority Act that would allow leading banks to set
up permanent Lok Adalats on their premises for settlement
of all disputes related to cheque bouncing. Retired district
judges or additional district judges may be appointed as
chairpersons of such Lok Adalats.
CRYSTALLIZE INOPERATIVE FC ACCOUNTS -RBI
The Reserve Bank has directed banks to convert credit
balances in any inoperative foreign currency (FC)
denominated deposit into Indian rupee if the former
remains not in use for three years from the date of maturity
of deposit.
BANKS TO TRANSFER UNCLAIMED ACCOUNTS
The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to remit amount
lying in deposit accounts classified as unclaimed to the
Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF) by 30th of
June. An unclaimed deposit account is one in which there
are no transactions for 10 years or more.
BANKS TO HAVE TALKING / BRAILLE ATMs
RBI has directed that all new ATMs to be installed by
commercial banks from July 2014 onwards would provide
audible instructions and Braille keypads to customers.
Later, all existing ATMs should also be converted as talking
ATMs with Braille keypads. RBI also asked banks to
provide the facilities of magnifying glasses at all bank
branches for the use of persons with low vision.
10 YEAR TERM LOANS FOR EXPORTERS
The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to provide long-term
loans of up to a maximum tenor of 10 years to exporters to
be utilised for execution of long-term supply contracts for
export of goods. Existing norms allow banks to give loans
for up to one year only.
BMB DECLARED AS SCHEDULED BANK
Bharatiya Mahila Bank, the country's first all-women lender,
has been included in the second schedule to the RBI Act.
This means that now it is eligible for loans from RBI on bank
rate and to acquire membership of clearing houses.
RBI TO LAUNCH PLASTIC CURRENCY
RBI has advised that one billion plastic notes of Rs.10
denomination will be introduced in a field trial to be
launched in the latter half of 2014 in five cities selected for
their geographical and climatic diversity. The selected cities
are Shimla, Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar. Plastic
notes have an average life span of about five years and are
difficult to imitate.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 9
RBI DEFERS BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION
RBI has put on hold its order requiring all future credit card
swipe machines and ATMs to be capable of biometric
authentication. Instead, a pilot project will be launched
where issuers of prepaid cards will be allowed cash
withdrawals on the basis of biometric authentication.
APRIL 2014
BANK LICENCE FOR IDFC AND BANDHAN
The Reserve Bank of India has granted "in-principle" bank
licences to only two applicants - Infrastructure Development
Finance Company and microfinance lender Bandhan
Financial Services Ltd. The in-principle approval is valid for
18 months. The announcement took time as there was a
debate over whether corporate houses and entities with
exposure to real estate should be given licences or not and
finally they lost the race.
RBI TO MEASURE INFLATION BY CPI
The Reserve Bank has adopted the new Consumer Price
Index (combined) as the key measure of inflation. Earlier,
RBI had given more weightage to Wholesale Price Index
(WPI) than CPI as the key measure of inflation for all policy
purposes. This has been done on recommendations of Urjit
R. Patel panel.
NO CHARGES ON MIN BALANCE VIOLATION
The Reserve Bank has asked banks not to levy penal
charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance in
ordinary savings bank account and inoperative accounts.
Instead, banks could curtail the services accorded to those
accounts until the balance is restored.
DOUBLE PASSWORD FOR ONLINE BANKING
The RBI report on 'Enabling Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
in Payment System Applications’ has suggested that banks
should introduce two-stage authentication to ensure security
of online transactions. It also said that banks should also
inform customers about risks associated with different types
of online banking transaction.
RBI TO LAUNCH MSS FOR 50,000 CRORE
The Reserve Bank has fixed the quantum of intervention
through Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) at Rs 50,000
crore to manage liquidity. The government launched MSS in
consultation with RBI in 2004 with the objective to absorb
excess liquidity, arising out of significant foreign exchange
inflows, by issuing treasury bills or dated securities.
SBI JOINS TWITTER COMMUNITY
State Bank of India has taken one more step on the social
media front by launching a twitter handle. The Twitter
handle for SBI is https:// twitter.com/ The Official SBI". The
bank expects this Twitter handle to connect better with the
tech-savvy young generation.
PRE PAID CARD LIMIT FIXED AT Rs 50,000/ -
The Reserve Bank has fixed the upper limit to Rs. 50,000 for
issuance of pre-paid payment instruments to make all
issuers comply with the strict money laundering laws and all
the relevant KYC norms. No card can be issued without
verifying the KYC of the issued party.
FIMMDA/FEDAI TO ADMINISTER BENCHMARKS
Accepting the recommendations of the Vijaya Bhaskar
committee, the Reserve Bank has asked the Fixed Income
Money Market and Derivatives Association of India
(FIMMDA) and the Foreign Exchange Dealers’ Association of
India (FEDAI) to act as administrators of the
Indian rupee interest rate and foreign exchange
benchmarks.
GOVERNMENT INTERNAL REVENUE ORDER
The panel set up by RBI under chairmanship of Umesh
Bellur to suggest modalities for setting up a system for
GIRO - Government Internal Revenue Order has suggested
a mechanism for centralised bills payment system in the
country, primarily by setting up two organisations - Bharat
Bill Payment Services or BBPS and the Bharat Bill Payment
Operating Units or BBPOUs. The BBPS will function as a
'not-for-profit' organisation which has necessary experience
in the payment systems while the BBPOUs may be operated
on commercial lines.
The Reserve Bank has directed banks offering gold
metal loans (GML) to strengthen their credit
appraisal process in the wake of frauds committed by
certain jewelers.
MARCH 2014
RBI EXTENDS TIME FOR BASEL III NORMS
The Reserve Bank has extended the timeline for full
implementation of the Basel III capital regulations by a year
to March 31, 2019, instead of as on March 31, 2018. This
breather comes in the wake of industry-wide concerns about
the potential stresses (of the implementation of the
regulations) on the asset quality and consequential impact
on the performance/profitability of banks.
BANK DEPOSITS MOVE UPWARDS
Bank deposits continued to
outpace credit growth,
growing by 15.55 per cent
year-on-year to Rs 7,692,309
crore as on March 7,
according to RBI. Meanwhile,
credit grew at 14.65 per cent
year-on-year to Rs 5,937,249
crore during the same period.
SBI LAUNCHES ITS OWN PAYMENT GATEWAY
State Bank of India has launched a payment intermediary
christened as 'SBI ePay', which will facilitate e-commerce or
m-commerce transactions among merchants, customers and
various financial institutions for all kinds of payments with
electronic connectivity. SBI is the first bank in India to start
its own online aggregator services.
RBI DEFERS BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION
RBI has put on hold its order requiring all future credit card
swipe machines and ATMs to be capable of biometric
authentication. Instead, a pilot project will be launched
where issuers of prepaid cards will be allowed cash
withdrawals on the basis of biometric authentication.
APRIL 2014
BANK LICENCE FOR IDFC AND BANDHAN
The Reserve Bank of India has granted "in-principle" bank
licences to only two applicants - Infrastructure Development
Finance Company and microfinance lender Bandhan
Financial Services Ltd. The in-principle approval is valid for
18 months. The announcement took time as there was a
debate over whether corporate houses and entities with
exposure to real estate should be given licences or not and
finally they lost the race.
RBI TO MEASURE INFLATION BY CPI
The Reserve Bank has adopted the new Consumer Price
Index (combined) as the key measure of inflation. Earlier,
RBI had given more weightage to Wholesale Price Index
(WPI) than CPI as the key measure of inflation for all policy
purposes. This has been done on recommendations of Urjit
R. Patel panel.
NO CHARGES ON MIN BALANCE VIOLATION
The Reserve Bank has asked banks not to levy penal
charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance in
ordinary savings bank account and inoperative accounts.
Instead, banks could curtail the services accorded to those
accounts until the balance is restored.
DOUBLE PASSWORD FOR ONLINE BANKING
The RBI report on 'Enabling Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
in Payment System Applications’ has suggested that banks
should introduce two-stage authentication to ensure security
of online transactions. It also said that banks should also
inform customers about risks associated with different types
of online banking transaction.
RBI TO LAUNCH MSS FOR 50,000 CRORE
The Reserve Bank has fixed the quantum of intervention
through Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) at Rs 50,000
crore to manage liquidity. The government launched MSS in
consultation with RBI in 2004 with the objective to absorb
excess liquidity, arising out of significant foreign exchange
inflows, by issuing treasury bills or dated securities.
SBI JOINS TWITTER COMMUNITY
State Bank of India has taken one more step on the social
media front by launching a twitter handle. The Twitter
handle for SBI is https:// twitter.com/ The Official SBI". The
bank expects this Twitter handle to connect better with the
tech-savvy young generation.
PRE PAID CARD LIMIT FIXED AT Rs 50,000/ -
The Reserve Bank has fixed the upper limit to Rs. 50,000 for
issuance of pre-paid payment instruments to make all
issuers comply with the strict money laundering laws and all
the relevant KYC norms. No card can be issued without
verifying the KYC of the issued party.
FIMMDA/FEDAI TO ADMINISTER BENCHMARKS
Accepting the recommendations of the Vijaya Bhaskar
committee, the Reserve Bank has asked the Fixed Income
Money Market and Derivatives Association of India
(FIMMDA) and the Foreign Exchange Dealers’ Association of
India (FEDAI) to act as administrators of the
Indian rupee interest rate and foreign exchange
benchmarks.
GOVERNMENT INTERNAL REVENUE ORDER
The panel set up by RBI under chairmanship of Umesh
Bellur to suggest modalities for setting up a system for
GIRO - Government Internal Revenue Order has suggested
a mechanism for centralised bills payment system in the
country, primarily by setting up two organisations - Bharat
Bill Payment Services or BBPS and the Bharat Bill Payment
Operating Units or BBPOUs. The BBPS will function as a
'not-for-profit' organisation which has necessary experience
in the payment systems while the BBPOUs may be operated
on commercial lines.
The Reserve Bank has directed banks offering gold
metal loans (GML) to strengthen their credit
appraisal process in the wake of frauds committed by
certain jewelers.
MARCH 2014
RBI EXTENDS TIME FOR BASEL III NORMS
The Reserve Bank has extended the timeline for full
implementation of the Basel III capital regulations by a year
to March 31, 2019, instead of as on March 31, 2018. This
breather comes in the wake of industry-wide concerns about
the potential stresses (of the implementation of the
regulations) on the asset quality and consequential impact
on the performance/profitability of banks.
BANK DEPOSITS MOVE UPWARDS
Bank deposits continued to
outpace credit growth,
growing by 15.55 per cent
year-on-year to Rs 7,692,309
crore as on March 7,
according to RBI. Meanwhile,
credit grew at 14.65 per cent
year-on-year to Rs 5,937,249
crore during the same period.
SBI LAUNCHES ITS OWN PAYMENT GATEWAY
State Bank of India has launched a payment intermediary
christened as 'SBI ePay', which will facilitate e-commerce or
m-commerce transactions among merchants, customers and
various financial institutions for all kinds of payments with
electronic connectivity. SBI is the first bank in India to start
its own online aggregator services.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 10
SWIFT TO START OPERATIONS IN INDIA
SWIFT India, the domestic arm of the Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication has tied up with
nine domestic banks to provide its electronic channel for
financial messaging on transactions between banks and
other financial institutions. So far, they provided services to
banks for overseas transactions only, now, they will develop
the same platform for domestic operations by end 2014.
JOINT LENDERS’ FORUM FOR NPAs
RBI has issued guidelines for revitalising high value
distressed assets (loans gone bad) by forming Joint Lenders’
Forum (JLF) and adoption of Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
for operationalising the framework. The Indian Banks’
Association (IBA) would prepare a master JLF agreement
and operational guidelines for JLF which could be adopted
by all lenders.
Reserve Bank has extended the date for exchanging the
pre-2005 banknotes to January 01, 2015.
Axis Bank has become first private sector bank to
introduce the "Kisan Card" through which a farmer can
withdraw up to Rs 1 lakh per day from ATMs.
RBI has announced to conduct review of the Monetary
Policy at bi-monthly intervals from 1
st
April, 2014
onwards, instead of quarterly and mid quarterly at
present.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
MAY 2014
NANO FINGERPRINTS FOR CURRENCY / CARDS
Scientists have developed
invisible nano 'finger-
prints' that could be
embedded into gadgets,
banknotes and credit
cards, making it
impossible to counterfeit
the objects. Unique
patterns made from tiny,
randomly scattered silver
nanowires have been created in an attempt to authenticate
goods and tackle the growing problem of counterfeiting.
NEW ANTIBIOTICS DISCOVERED
In a breakthrough, scientists have discovered a new class of
antibiotics to fight deadly bacteria such as methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-
resistant bacteria that threaten public health.
The new class, called oxadiazoles, was discovered by
University of Notre Dame, USA.
UN WARNS AGAINST ‘EL NINO’ EFFECT
The UN weather agency-World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO) has warned that there is strong possibility of an "El
Nino" climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean this year,
bringing droughts and heavy rainfall to the rest of the
world, including India.
The El Nino phenomenon occurs every two to seven years,
when the prevailing trade winds that circulate surface water
in the tropical Pacific start to weaken.
JOINT NAVAL DRILL WITH SINGAPORE
Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise - SIMBEX 14,
the 2014 series of annual bilateral naval exercises between
the Indian Navy and Singapore Navy was conducted in the
Andaman Sea from 22 May to 28 May 14 to enhance inter-
operability and mutual understanding between the two
navies.
ARMY HOLDS WAR PRACTICE IN RAJASTHAN
Indian Army conducted the “Sarvada Vijay” exercise in West
Rajasthan as part of regular training with a large army
formation for practising and honing war fighting skills in
tough desert conditions.
‘NABHRATNA’ TO TEST RADAR SYSTEMS
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered a
Dornier light-weight aircraft named Nabhratna to the
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
to carry out testing of its under-development airborne radar
systems.
ASTRA MISSILE TEST FIRED
India’s first indigenously developed beyond visual range
(BVR) air to air missile successfully test fired from a
Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet. It has a range of
60 kilometers.
SINO INDIA JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE
India and China have decided to conduct a joint military
exercise at Bathinda, Punjab, less than 100 kms from
Pakistan. Bathinda is the base of the Indian Army’s 10 Corps
and has a big airbase also.
The DRDO has successfully test-fired the surface to air
Akash air defence missiles off the coast of Balasore in
Odisha.
Pakistan successfully test-fired its surface-to-surface
ballistic missile Hataf-III Ghaznavi capable of
carrying nuclear weapons up to 290 kilometers.
APRIL 2014
IRNSS 1B LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY
India successfully launched its second navigational satellite
IRNSS 1B onboard PSLV-C24 from Sriharikota on Andhra
coast. The 1,432 kg satellite will form part of the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), an equivalent
to GPS of the USA, comprising of seven satellites.
MICROSOFT SAYS GOODBYE TO WINDOWS XP
From April 8, Microsoft has stopped technical support for its
most popular operating system (OS) Windows XP globally.
The OS launched in October 2001, is three generations
behind the latest Windows 8 that hit markets in Oct. 2012.
SWIFT TO START OPERATIONS IN INDIA
SWIFT India, the domestic arm of the Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication has tied up with
nine domestic banks to provide its electronic channel for
financial messaging on transactions between banks and
other financial institutions. So far, they provided services to
banks for overseas transactions only, now, they will develop
the same platform for domestic operations by end 2014.
JOINT LENDERS’ FORUM FOR NPAs
RBI has issued guidelines for revitalising high value
distressed assets (loans gone bad) by forming Joint Lenders’
Forum (JLF) and adoption of Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
for operationalising the framework. The Indian Banks’
Association (IBA) would prepare a master JLF agreement
and operational guidelines for JLF which could be adopted
by all lenders.
Reserve Bank has extended the date for exchanging the
pre-2005 banknotes to January 01, 2015.
Axis Bank has become first private sector bank to
introduce the "Kisan Card" through which a farmer can
withdraw up to Rs 1 lakh per day from ATMs.
RBI has announced to conduct review of the Monetary
Policy at bi-monthly intervals from 1
st
April, 2014
onwards, instead of quarterly and mid quarterly at
present.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
MAY 2014
NANO FINGERPRINTS FOR CURRENCY / CARDS
Scientists have developed
invisible nano 'finger-
prints' that could be
embedded into gadgets,
banknotes and credit
cards, making it
impossible to counterfeit
the objects. Unique
patterns made from tiny,
randomly scattered silver
nanowires have been created in an attempt to authenticate
goods and tackle the growing problem of counterfeiting.
NEW ANTIBIOTICS DISCOVERED
In a breakthrough, scientists have discovered a new class of
antibiotics to fight deadly bacteria such as methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-
resistant bacteria that threaten public health.
The new class, called oxadiazoles, was discovered by
University of Notre Dame, USA.
UN WARNS AGAINST ‘EL NINO’ EFFECT
The UN weather agency-World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO) has warned that there is strong possibility of an "El
Nino" climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean this year,
bringing droughts and heavy rainfall to the rest of the
world, including India.
The El Nino phenomenon occurs every two to seven years,
when the prevailing trade winds that circulate surface water
in the tropical Pacific start to weaken.
JOINT NAVAL DRILL WITH SINGAPORE
Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise - SIMBEX 14,
the 2014 series of annual bilateral naval exercises between
the Indian Navy and Singapore Navy was conducted in the
Andaman Sea from 22 May to 28 May 14 to enhance inter-
operability and mutual understanding between the two
navies.
ARMY HOLDS WAR PRACTICE IN RAJASTHAN
Indian Army conducted the “Sarvada Vijay” exercise in West
Rajasthan as part of regular training with a large army
formation for practising and honing war fighting skills in
tough desert conditions.
‘NABHRATNA’ TO TEST RADAR SYSTEMS
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered a
Dornier light-weight aircraft named Nabhratna to the
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
to carry out testing of its under-development airborne radar
systems.
ASTRA MISSILE TEST FIRED
India’s first indigenously developed beyond visual range
(BVR) air to air missile successfully test fired from a
Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet. It has a range of
60 kilometers.
SINO INDIA JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE
India and China have decided to conduct a joint military
exercise at Bathinda, Punjab, less than 100 kms from
Pakistan. Bathinda is the base of the Indian Army’s 10 Corps
and has a big airbase also.
The DRDO has successfully test-fired the surface to air
Akash air defence missiles off the coast of Balasore in
Odisha.
Pakistan successfully test-fired its surface-to-surface
ballistic missile Hataf-III Ghaznavi capable of
carrying nuclear weapons up to 290 kilometers.
APRIL 2014
IRNSS 1B LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY
India successfully launched its second navigational satellite
IRNSS 1B onboard PSLV-C24 from Sriharikota on Andhra
coast. The 1,432 kg satellite will form part of the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), an equivalent
to GPS of the USA, comprising of seven satellites.
MICROSOFT SAYS GOODBYE TO WINDOWS XP
From April 8, Microsoft has stopped technical support for its
most popular operating system (OS) Windows XP globally.
The OS launched in October 2001, is three generations
behind the latest Windows 8 that hit markets in Oct. 2012.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 11
NAVY SELLS OFF ITS FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER
The Navy has sold the iconic air craft carrier INS Vikrant to a
ship-breaking company for Rs. 63.2 crore. The ship
decommissioned in 1997 played a major role in 1971 war.
INS Vikrant (formerly HMS Hercules) was purchased by
India from the United Kingdom in 1957. It was operated
from 1961 to 1997. (The present INS Vikrant is the
indigenously built aircraft carrier which was launched in
2013 will be commissioned around 2018.)
NEW INTERCEPTOR MISSILE TESTED
In a significant milestone in the direction of developing a
two-layered ballistic missile defence system, India
successfully tested its maiden Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV)
for engaging targets (incoming missiles) at more than 120
km altitude.
JOINT INDO FRENCH AIR EXCERCISE
From June 3, India and France will start a 10-day joint Air
exercise 'Garuda-5 in Rajasthan's Jodhpur airbase, aimed at
training the pilots and crew of Indian and French fighters in
air superiority operations.
WOMEN TO BECOME COMBAT OFFICERS
The government has approved recruitment of young women
as 'combat officers' in Sashastra Seema Bal. Young women
up to the age of 25 years will be recruited as direct entry
officers in the rank of Assistant Commandants.
AGNI -I TESTED IN NIGHT TIME
India successfully
conducted maiden night
test of its indigenously
developed nuclear-capable
surface to surface ballistic
missile – Agni-I, with strike
range of 700 km from the
Integrated Test Range
(ITR) at Wheeler Island,
off Odisha coast.
INS SHIVALIK: The advanced Indian missile frigate
visited Qingdao - the eastern port city of China, to take part
in exercises to mark the Chinese Navy’s 65th anniversary.
The Army successfully test fired an advanced version of
290-km range supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos, at
the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.
DRDO team successfully tested its indigenously
developed surface-to-air missile Aakash from the
Integrated Test Range near Chandipur, District Balasore
in Odisha.
MARCH 2014
LARGEST YELLOW STAR
Astronomers have spotted the largest yellow star ever
observed in our galaxy that is 1,300 times larger and one
million times brighter than the sun. Despite its great
distance of nearly 12,000 light-years from earth, the star
named HR 5171 can be seen with the naked eye.
WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT
Britain has unveiled the world’s largest aircraft—a 300 feet
long monster which is part plane, airship and helicopter,
capable of flying non-stop for 3 weeks without refuelling.
BRAIGO: Name of the low-cost Braille printer developed
by 12 years old Indian-origin boy Shubham Banerjee in USA
by using toy construction Lego pieces.
VENOM GT: World’s fastest car developed by the US car
manufacturer Hennessey, with a top speed of an incredible
435 km/hr.
JUMBO LOSS TO AIR FORCE
A recent and most modern acquisition of the Indian Air
Force from the United States, the C-130J Super Hercules
military transport aircraft, crashed on Friday near Gwalior
(MP), killing all five IAF personnel on board.
Ex-Surya Kiran Drills VI: Joint Indian and Nepal army
military exercise at Saljhandi in Rupandehi district, Nepal.
Prithvi-II: India successfully test-fired it’s indigenously
developed nuclear-capable missile having a strike range
of 350 km, from a test range in Odisha.
INTERNATIONAL
MAY 2014
RUSSIA, CHINA VETO AGAINST SYRIA
Russia and China on 22 May 2014 exercised their veto
power in UN Security Council against a draft resolution
which was intended to refer the Syrian civil war to the
International Criminal Court (ICC). Of the total 15 votes in
Security Council, the resolution received 13 votes in favour
but was double vetoed by the Russia and China for the
fourth time.
VIETNAM PROTESTS AGAINST CHINA
Widespread violent protests against China spread in
Vietnam over the South China Sea dispute as thousands of
angry Vietnamese torched several Chinese projects to
protest attempts by a Chinese oil rig to drill in the disputed
waters.
US TROOPS TO STAY IN AFGHANISTAN
USA has said that America will withdraw its troops from
Afghanistan completely by 2016. The current 32,000-strong
US deployment in Afghanistan will be reduced to around
9,800 by the start of 2015 and to bare minimal by end of
2016.
OVER 200 GIRLS ABDUCTED BY BOK O HARAM
Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants abducted more
than 200 school girls aged between 12 and 15 from north-
eastern Nigeria to pressurize Nigerian government for
release of their ally militants. USA and several other
countries have condemned this ghastly act and offered all
possible help to Nigeria for locating the girls. Boko Haram
literally means ‘Western education is forbidden’.
NAVY SELLS OFF ITS FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER
The Navy has sold the iconic air craft carrier INS Vikrant to a
ship-breaking company for Rs. 63.2 crore. The ship
decommissioned in 1997 played a major role in 1971 war.
INS Vikrant (formerly HMS Hercules) was purchased by
India from the United Kingdom in 1957. It was operated
from 1961 to 1997. (The present INS Vikrant is the
indigenously built aircraft carrier which was launched in
2013 will be commissioned around 2018.)
NEW INTERCEPTOR MISSILE TESTED
In a significant milestone in the direction of developing a
two-layered ballistic missile defence system, India
successfully tested its maiden Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV)
for engaging targets (incoming missiles) at more than 120
km altitude.
JOINT INDO FRENCH AIR EXCERCISE
From June 3, India and France will start a 10-day joint Air
exercise 'Garuda-5 in Rajasthan's Jodhpur airbase, aimed at
training the pilots and crew of Indian and French fighters in
air superiority operations.
WOMEN TO BECOME COMBAT OFFICERS
The government has approved recruitment of young women
as 'combat officers' in Sashastra Seema Bal. Young women
up to the age of 25 years will be recruited as direct entry
officers in the rank of Assistant Commandants.
AGNI -I TESTED IN NIGHT TIME
India successfully
conducted maiden night
test of its indigenously
developed nuclear-capable
surface to surface ballistic
missile – Agni-I, with strike
range of 700 km from the
Integrated Test Range
(ITR) at Wheeler Island,
off Odisha coast.
INS SHIVALIK: The advanced Indian missile frigate
visited Qingdao - the eastern port city of China, to take part
in exercises to mark the Chinese Navy’s 65th anniversary.
The Army successfully test fired an advanced version of
290-km range supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos, at
the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.
DRDO team successfully tested its indigenously
developed surface-to-air missile Aakash from the
Integrated Test Range near Chandipur, District Balasore
in Odisha.
MARCH 2014
LARGEST YELLOW STAR
Astronomers have spotted the largest yellow star ever
observed in our galaxy that is 1,300 times larger and one
million times brighter than the sun. Despite its great
distance of nearly 12,000 light-years from earth, the star
named HR 5171 can be seen with the naked eye.
WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT
Britain has unveiled the world’s largest aircraft—a 300 feet
long monster which is part plane, airship and helicopter,
capable of flying non-stop for 3 weeks without refuelling.
BRAIGO: Name of the low-cost Braille printer developed
by 12 years old Indian-origin boy Shubham Banerjee in USA
by using toy construction Lego pieces.
VENOM GT: World’s fastest car developed by the US car
manufacturer Hennessey, with a top speed of an incredible
435 km/hr.
JUMBO LOSS TO AIR FORCE
A recent and most modern acquisition of the Indian Air
Force from the United States, the C-130J Super Hercules
military transport aircraft, crashed on Friday near Gwalior
(MP), killing all five IAF personnel on board.
Ex-Surya Kiran Drills VI: Joint Indian and Nepal army
military exercise at Saljhandi in Rupandehi district, Nepal.
Prithvi-II: India successfully test-fired it’s indigenously
developed nuclear-capable missile having a strike range
of 350 km, from a test range in Odisha.
INTERNATIONAL
MAY 2014
RUSSIA, CHINA VETO AGAINST SYRIA
Russia and China on 22 May 2014 exercised their veto
power in UN Security Council against a draft resolution
which was intended to refer the Syrian civil war to the
International Criminal Court (ICC). Of the total 15 votes in
Security Council, the resolution received 13 votes in favour
but was double vetoed by the Russia and China for the
fourth time.
VIETNAM PROTESTS AGAINST CHINA
Widespread violent protests against China spread in
Vietnam over the South China Sea dispute as thousands of
angry Vietnamese torched several Chinese projects to
protest attempts by a Chinese oil rig to drill in the disputed
waters.
US TROOPS TO STAY IN AFGHANISTAN
USA has said that America will withdraw its troops from
Afghanistan completely by 2016. The current 32,000-strong
US deployment in Afghanistan will be reduced to around
9,800 by the start of 2015 and to bare minimal by end of
2016.
OVER 200 GIRLS ABDUCTED BY BOK O HARAM
Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants abducted more
than 200 school girls aged between 12 and 15 from north-
eastern Nigeria to pressurize Nigerian government for
release of their ally militants. USA and several other
countries have condemned this ghastly act and offered all
possible help to Nigeria for locating the girls. Boko Haram
literally means ‘Western education is forbidden’.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 12
E E S FORMED LED BY RUSSIA
The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus have signed
a treaty in Astana on the creation of a Russian-led Eurasian
Economic Union (EES) to create a territory for unified
customs tariffs beginning on January 1, 2015.
WORLD ECONOMY TO GROW BY 2.8% - U N
The United Nations has lowered its forecasts for global
economic growth in 2014 and 2015 to 2.8 per cent and 3.2
percent respectively, for reasons such as the exceptionally
cold winter in the United States, the escalating political crisis
in Ukraine, and financial turbulence earlier this year.
WHO WARNS AGAINST POLIO
The World Health Organisation has warned that polio has
reemerged as public health emergency, as new cases of this
crippling disease have been noticed in countries like Syria
and Pakistan.
UNO AND IOC TO PROMOTE SPORTS
The United Nations and the International Olympic
Committee have signed a historic agreement to use the
power of sports to promote peace and economic
development, a move that strengthens collaboration
between two of the world's major organizations.
TRAIN TUNNEL AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3.6 KMS
The world's highest tunnel for high-speed trains became
operational in northwest China on May 1 passing through
the Qilian Mountains at an altitude of 3,607.4 metres (11835
feet). The 16.3-km-long tunnel links the Gansu and Xinjiang
provinces.
MOLDOVA AND GEORGIA JOIN HAND WITH E U
Two former Soviet republic countries-Moldova and Georgia
have signed the European Union (EU) Association
Agreement to strengthen their trade and political ties with
EU. The accord will also help them defend from threats by
Russia which opposes the EU's eastward expansion.
ISLAMIC BANKING IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan's Central Bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) has
signed an agreement with a non -profit independent
organization 'Harkat' for implementing the Sharia compliant
banking system in the country. The Islamic banking or
Sharia compliant banking is a system based on the
principles of Islam which prohibit payment/charging of
interest on deposit/loans, respectively.
Bhutan is likely to become the first country in the world
to go wholly organic in its food production, totally
avoiding usage of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Royal Navy Submarine Service of United Kingdom for
the first time in its 110-year history has appointed
female submariners.
Spain has suspended the 12th bull fight festival (called
San Isidro festival in Spain) after matadors got injured
by bulls.
Brazil released two postage stamps to pay tribute to the
100 years of Indian cinema.
Saudi Arabia has decided to ban the import of Indian
chilies due to presence of high pesticide residues.
APRIL 2014
G-20 FMs MEET AT WASHINGTON
Finance Ministers and business leaders from G20 nations
met at Washington, USA, to discuss ways to boost
investment in infrastructure to boost world GDP by more
than $2 trillion over the coming five years.
E U BANS IMPORT OF MANGOES FROM INDIA
The European Union has decided to temporarily ban the
import of Alphonso mangoes and four other vegetables from
India from May 1 due to the alleged presence of pests in
them. The trading community pegs the loss because of the
ban at more than Rs100 crore as India is the leading
exporter of mangoes in the world. India accounts for more
than half of the total Mango production in the world.
WORLD TRADE TO GROW BY 4.7%
Latest WTO report projects global trade to recover and grow
by 4.7% in 2014, more than double of what was achieved in
2013. The growth is projected to be slightly faster at 5.3%
in 2015, which is also the 20-year average growth rate. For
the past two years, global trade growth averaged 2.2%.
MARCH 2014
CRIMEA BREAKS AWAY FROM UKRAINE
Crimea's Parliament voted to join Russia, breaking away
from Ukraine. Crimea has now become a province of Russia,
despite strong protests from USA and its European allies.
The UN General Assembly has not approved this merger.
RUSSIA EXPELLED FROM G -8
The United States and its closest
allies in the Group of 8
industrialized democracies
expelled Russia from the G-8
Group to punish President
Vladimir V. Putin for his
lightning annexation of Crimea.
The Group has threatened
further tougher sanctions if Russia escalates aggression
against Ukraine.
The Group also cancelled its proposed meet at Sochi,
Russia. The meet now will be held at Brussels, Belgium.
MH 370 BOEING 777 MISSING
Investigating authorities from over 10 countries have failed
to locate the Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 flight MH370 of
Malaysia Airlines, having 239 passengers aboard that went
missing mysteriously over the South China Sea on March 7.
GATES IS BACK AS TOP BILLIONAIRE
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has regained the title of the
world's richest man with $ 76 billion, in the Forbes
magazine's annual billionaire list that includes 56 India
based billionaires led by RIL Chairman Mukesh
Ambani. Gates is back at the top spot after a four-year gap
when Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu was at top.
E E S FORMED LED BY RUSSIA
The leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus have signed
a treaty in Astana on the creation of a Russian-led Eurasian
Economic Union (EES) to create a territory for unified
customs tariffs beginning on January 1, 2015.
WORLD ECONOMY TO GROW BY 2.8% - U N
The United Nations has lowered its forecasts for global
economic growth in 2014 and 2015 to 2.8 per cent and 3.2
percent respectively, for reasons such as the exceptionally
cold winter in the United States, the escalating political crisis
in Ukraine, and financial turbulence earlier this year.
WHO WARNS AGAINST POLIO
The World Health Organisation has warned that polio has
reemerged as public health emergency, as new cases of this
crippling disease have been noticed in countries like Syria
and Pakistan.
UNO AND IOC TO PROMOTE SPORTS
The United Nations and the International Olympic
Committee have signed a historic agreement to use the
power of sports to promote peace and economic
development, a move that strengthens collaboration
between two of the world's major organizations.
TRAIN TUNNEL AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3.6 KMS
The world's highest tunnel for high-speed trains became
operational in northwest China on May 1 passing through
the Qilian Mountains at an altitude of 3,607.4 metres (11835
feet). The 16.3-km-long tunnel links the Gansu and Xinjiang
provinces.
MOLDOVA AND GEORGIA JOIN HAND WITH E U
Two former Soviet republic countries-Moldova and Georgia
have signed the European Union (EU) Association
Agreement to strengthen their trade and political ties with
EU. The accord will also help them defend from threats by
Russia which opposes the EU's eastward expansion.
ISLAMIC BANKING IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan's Central Bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) has
signed an agreement with a non -profit independent
organization 'Harkat' for implementing the Sharia compliant
banking system in the country. The Islamic banking or
Sharia compliant banking is a system based on the
principles of Islam which prohibit payment/charging of
interest on deposit/loans, respectively.
Bhutan is likely to become the first country in the world
to go wholly organic in its food production, totally
avoiding usage of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Royal Navy Submarine Service of United Kingdom for
the first time in its 110-year history has appointed
female submariners.
Spain has suspended the 12th bull fight festival (called
San Isidro festival in Spain) after matadors got injured
by bulls.
Brazil released two postage stamps to pay tribute to the
100 years of Indian cinema.
Saudi Arabia has decided to ban the import of Indian
chilies due to presence of high pesticide residues.
APRIL 2014
G-20 FMs MEET AT WASHINGTON
Finance Ministers and business leaders from G20 nations
met at Washington, USA, to discuss ways to boost
investment in infrastructure to boost world GDP by more
than $2 trillion over the coming five years.
E U BANS IMPORT OF MANGOES FROM INDIA
The European Union has decided to temporarily ban the
import of Alphonso mangoes and four other vegetables from
India from May 1 due to the alleged presence of pests in
them. The trading community pegs the loss because of the
ban at more than Rs100 crore as India is the leading
exporter of mangoes in the world. India accounts for more
than half of the total Mango production in the world.
WORLD TRADE TO GROW BY 4.7%
Latest WTO report projects global trade to recover and grow
by 4.7% in 2014, more than double of what was achieved in
2013. The growth is projected to be slightly faster at 5.3%
in 2015, which is also the 20-year average growth rate. For
the past two years, global trade growth averaged 2.2%.
MARCH 2014
CRIMEA BREAKS AWAY FROM UKRAINE
Crimea's Parliament voted to join Russia, breaking away
from Ukraine. Crimea has now become a province of Russia,
despite strong protests from USA and its European allies.
The UN General Assembly has not approved this merger.
RUSSIA EXPELLED FROM G -8
The United States and its closest
allies in the Group of 8
industrialized democracies
expelled Russia from the G-8
Group to punish President
Vladimir V. Putin for his
lightning annexation of Crimea.
The Group has threatened
further tougher sanctions if Russia escalates aggression
against Ukraine.
The Group also cancelled its proposed meet at Sochi,
Russia. The meet now will be held at Brussels, Belgium.
MH 370 BOEING 777 MISSING
Investigating authorities from over 10 countries have failed
to locate the Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 flight MH370 of
Malaysia Airlines, having 239 passengers aboard that went
missing mysteriously over the South China Sea on March 7.
GATES IS BACK AS TOP BILLIONAIRE
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has regained the title of the
world's richest man with $ 76 billion, in the Forbes
magazine's annual billionaire list that includes 56 India
based billionaires led by RIL Chairman Mukesh
Ambani. Gates is back at the top spot after a four-year gap
when Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu was at top.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 13
AIR POLLUTION CLAIMS 7 MN LIVES
From taxi tailpipes in
Paris to dung -fired
stoves in New Delhi, air
pollution claimed seven
million lives around the
world in 2012, according
to figures released by
the World Health
Organization. More than
one-third of those deaths, the organization said, occurred in
fast-developing nations of Asia, where rates of
cardiovascular and pulmonary disease have been soaring.
The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) 2014 held at The
Hague, Netherlands.
Changi Airport, Singapore: Declared as world’s best
airport
PERSONS IN NEWS
MAY 2014
YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA: Prime Minister of Thailand
was removed from office by a Constitutional Court as she
was found guilty of abusing her power when she transferred
a civil servant to another post more than three years ago.
The court ordered her to step down immediately along with
all members of her cabinet who were in office at that time.
Later the army imposed martial law in the country.
RAMARNI WILFRED : An 11-year-old boy in the UK has
achieved the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ
test, making him brainier than physicist Albert Einstein.
ALENKA BRATUSEK: First lady Prime Minister of Slovenia
submitted her resignation as she lost the majority in her
own party.
APRIL 2014
CHUNG HONG -WON: South Korea’s
Prime Minister resigned taking moral
responsibility for the sinking of a
passenger ferry that left 300 people
dead or missing. He apologized for
having been unable to prevent the
accident from happening and unable
to properly respond to it afterwards.
SERIK AKHMETOV: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Central
Asia's largest economy, was in news as he resigned from his
post, along with his entire cabinet.
JEAN-MARC AYRAULT: Prime Minister of France was in
news as he was sacked by his President after a stinging
defeat of his (Jean’s) group in local elections.
NANCY POWELL: The U.S. ambassador to India has
resigned following a row over the arrest of a junior Indian
diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York and her
subsequent strip search that pushed relations between the
world's biggest democracies to their lowest ebb in more
than a decade.
MARCH 2014
NANDAN NILEKANI : He was in news as he resigned from
the Chairmanship of the Unique Identification Authority of
India (UIDAI) on 13 March 2014 to contest Lok Sabha
election from the Bangalore South on congress ticket.
K. C. CHAKRABARTY: Deputy Governor of the Reserve
Bank of India was in news as he resigned three months
ahead of the completion of his term.
ARJUN KAPOOR: Bollywood actor was in news as he
became the national ambassador of the Earth Hour 2014
that was observed on March 29. Under the Earth Hour
initiative, citizens are asked to switch off electricity for an
hour from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. This year’s theme is “I
Will If You Will”
ALI ZEIDAN: Prime Minister of Libya was in news as he
was ousted by his country’s parliament, after passing a no-
confidence motion against him.
APPOINTMENTS
MAY 2014
MUKUL ROHATGI: 14th Attorney-General of India
RAJIV MATHUR: Chief Information Commissioner
Lt Gen D S SUHAG: Chief of Army Staff (28th)
RAJEEV SURI: President and CEO of Finnish tele-
communications equipment maker Nokia.
AHMED MAITEEQ: Prime Minister of Libya
DALIA GRYBAUSKAITE: President of Lithuania, popular
as ‘Iron Lady’ of Lithuania
PETRO POROSHENKO: President of Ukraine
JACOB ZUMA: President of South Africa, from African
National Congress party
LUIS GUILLERMO SOLIS : President of Costa Rica
APRIL 2014
RAJENDRA MAL LODHA: Chief Justice of India (41st),
appointed by President of India
ILA PATNAIK: Noted economist has been appointed
Principal Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance.
Admiral Rabinder Kumar Dhowan: New Chief (22nd) of
Indian Navy
ARVIND MAYARAM: Union Finance Secretary.
R. CHANDRASEKARAN: Chairman, National Association of
Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)
R. GANDHI: Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
VIKTOR ORBÁN: Prime Minister of Hungary
KARIM MASSIMOV: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA: President of Algeria
MANUEL VALLS: Prime Minister of France
AIR POLLUTION CLAIMS 7 MN LIVES
From taxi tailpipes in
Paris to dung -fired
stoves in New Delhi, air
pollution claimed seven
million lives around the
world in 2012, according
to figures released by
the World Health
Organization. More than
one-third of those deaths, the organization said, occurred in
fast-developing nations of Asia, where rates of
cardiovascular and pulmonary disease have been soaring.
The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) 2014 held at The
Hague, Netherlands.
Changi Airport, Singapore: Declared as world’s best
airport
PERSONS IN NEWS
MAY 2014
YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA: Prime Minister of Thailand
was removed from office by a Constitutional Court as she
was found guilty of abusing her power when she transferred
a civil servant to another post more than three years ago.
The court ordered her to step down immediately along with
all members of her cabinet who were in office at that time.
Later the army imposed martial law in the country.
RAMARNI WILFRED : An 11-year-old boy in the UK has
achieved the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ
test, making him brainier than physicist Albert Einstein.
ALENKA BRATUSEK: First lady Prime Minister of Slovenia
submitted her resignation as she lost the majority in her
own party.
APRIL 2014
CHUNG HONG -WON: South Korea’s
Prime Minister resigned taking moral
responsibility for the sinking of a
passenger ferry that left 300 people
dead or missing. He apologized for
having been unable to prevent the
accident from happening and unable
to properly respond to it afterwards.
SERIK AKHMETOV: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Central
Asia's largest economy, was in news as he resigned from his
post, along with his entire cabinet.
JEAN-MARC AYRAULT: Prime Minister of France was in
news as he was sacked by his President after a stinging
defeat of his (Jean’s) group in local elections.
NANCY POWELL: The U.S. ambassador to India has
resigned following a row over the arrest of a junior Indian
diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York and her
subsequent strip search that pushed relations between the
world's biggest democracies to their lowest ebb in more
than a decade.
MARCH 2014
NANDAN NILEKANI : He was in news as he resigned from
the Chairmanship of the Unique Identification Authority of
India (UIDAI) on 13 March 2014 to contest Lok Sabha
election from the Bangalore South on congress ticket.
K. C. CHAKRABARTY: Deputy Governor of the Reserve
Bank of India was in news as he resigned three months
ahead of the completion of his term.
ARJUN KAPOOR: Bollywood actor was in news as he
became the national ambassador of the Earth Hour 2014
that was observed on March 29. Under the Earth Hour
initiative, citizens are asked to switch off electricity for an
hour from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. This year’s theme is “I
Will If You Will”
ALI ZEIDAN: Prime Minister of Libya was in news as he
was ousted by his country’s parliament, after passing a no-
confidence motion against him.
APPOINTMENTS
MAY 2014
MUKUL ROHATGI: 14th Attorney-General of India
RAJIV MATHUR: Chief Information Commissioner
Lt Gen D S SUHAG: Chief of Army Staff (28th)
RAJEEV SURI: President and CEO of Finnish tele-
communications equipment maker Nokia.
AHMED MAITEEQ: Prime Minister of Libya
DALIA GRYBAUSKAITE: President of Lithuania, popular
as ‘Iron Lady’ of Lithuania
PETRO POROSHENKO: President of Ukraine
JACOB ZUMA: President of South Africa, from African
National Congress party
LUIS GUILLERMO SOLIS : President of Costa Rica
APRIL 2014
RAJENDRA MAL LODHA: Chief Justice of India (41st),
appointed by President of India
ILA PATNAIK: Noted economist has been appointed
Principal Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance.
Admiral Rabinder Kumar Dhowan: New Chief (22nd) of
Indian Navy
ARVIND MAYARAM: Union Finance Secretary.
R. CHANDRASEKARAN: Chairman, National Association of
Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)
R. GANDHI: Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
VIKTOR ORBÁN: Prime Minister of Hungary
KARIM MASSIMOV: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA: President of Algeria
MANUEL VALLS: Prime Minister of France
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 14
MARCH 2014
JUSTICE R.M. LODHA: 41st Chief Justice of India
RAJIV TAKRU: Finance Secretary, Govt. of India
SHEILA DIKSHIT: Governor of Kerala
RAKESH SETHI: Chairman and Managing Director of
Allahabad Bank.
JUSTICE B N SRIKRISHNA : Chairman of Financial
Planning Standards Board India
AJAY SHRIRAM: President CII (Confederation of Indian
Industries)
AAMIR KHAN: National Icon of The Election Commission
to spread awareness about the importance of voting and to
urge people to cast their votes.
ARJUN BAHADUR THAPA: Secretary General of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
SANCHEZ CEREN: President of El Salvador
MICHELLE BACHELET: First women President of Chile
AWARDS & HONOURS
MAY 2014
GOLD MEDAL FOR INDIAN DOCUMENTARY
“Silent Screams — India’s Fight Against Rape” a
documentary film directed by Pria Somiah won a Gold World
Medal for ‘Best Investigative Report’ as well as Bronze
Medals each in the ‘Current Affairs’ and ‘Human Concerns’
sections respectively at the 2014 New York Festivals
International TV and Film Awards.
NEW FRONTIERS AWARD 2014 FOR INDIA
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) awarded this award to India
for its outstanding contribution to rebuild physical
infrastructure and its rural tourism economy in the wake of
the June 2013 floods, landslides in the northern state of
Uttarakhand and the devastation wreaked by tropical
Cyclone Phailin.
Palme d’Or: The top prize for best picture at the Cannes
Film Festival Turkey’s Winter Sleep by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
National Florence Nightingale Awards 2014 conferred
on 35 nursing personnel by President of India for their
meritorious services.
APRIL 2014
THE IIFA 2014 AWARDS
Held at Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
Best Picture: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Actor: Farhan Akhtar for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Actress: Deepika Padukone for Chennai Express
Best Director: Rakeysh Om Mehra for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shatrughan Sinha
Best Entertainer of the Year: Deepika Padukone
61ST NATIONAL FILM AWARDS – 2013
NAME OF AWARD NAME OF THE WINNER
Best Feature Film
Ship of Theseus (English-Hindi) by
Anand Gandhi
Best Popular Film
Providing Wholesome
Entertainment
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Hindi) by
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Best Hindi Film Jolly LLB by Subhash Kapoor
Nargis Dutt Award for
Best Feature Film on
National Integration
Thalaimuraigal(Tamil) by Balu
Mahendra
Best Direction Hansal Mehta for Shahid (Hindi)
Best Actor Raj Kumar
For Shahid (Hindi) & Suraj
Venjaramoodu for
Perariyathavar(Malayalam)
Best Actress Geetanjali Thapa for Liar’s Dice
(Hindi)
FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2014 (KOYAL RANA)
1st Runner Up Jhataleka Malhotra
2nd Runner Up Gail Nicole Da Silva
Femina Miss India Asia Lopamudra Raut
Pacific 2014
GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE: Indian
environment activist Ramesh Agrawal has won the
prestigious award ‘Green Nobel’ that honours heroic
grassroot environmentalists around the world for their
achievements. Agrawal founded Jan Chetana, a grassroots
movement to protect people and the environment from
rampant industrialisation. The award is given to six persons
across the world annually by Goldman Environmental
Foundation based in San Francisco, USA.
PULITZER PRIZE (public service): American
journalism’s highest honour awarded to the leading US
newspapers The Washington Post and The Guardian for
revealing the massive U.S. government surveillance effort.
PULITZER PRIZE (POETRY): India-born poet Vijay
Seshadri, for his witty and philosophical collection of poems
– ‘3 sections’.
MARCH 2014
JUSTICE R.M. LODHA: 41st Chief Justice of India
RAJIV TAKRU: Finance Secretary, Govt. of India
SHEILA DIKSHIT: Governor of Kerala
RAKESH SETHI: Chairman and Managing Director of
Allahabad Bank.
JUSTICE B N SRIKRISHNA : Chairman of Financial
Planning Standards Board India
AJAY SHRIRAM: President CII (Confederation of Indian
Industries)
AAMIR KHAN: National Icon of The Election Commission
to spread awareness about the importance of voting and to
urge people to cast their votes.
ARJUN BAHADUR THAPA: Secretary General of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
SANCHEZ CEREN: President of El Salvador
MICHELLE BACHELET: First women President of Chile
AWARDS & HONOURS
MAY 2014
GOLD MEDAL FOR INDIAN DOCUMENTARY
“Silent Screams — India’s Fight Against Rape” a
documentary film directed by Pria Somiah won a Gold World
Medal for ‘Best Investigative Report’ as well as Bronze
Medals each in the ‘Current Affairs’ and ‘Human Concerns’
sections respectively at the 2014 New York Festivals
International TV and Film Awards.
NEW FRONTIERS AWARD 2014 FOR INDIA
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) awarded this award to India
for its outstanding contribution to rebuild physical
infrastructure and its rural tourism economy in the wake of
the June 2013 floods, landslides in the northern state of
Uttarakhand and the devastation wreaked by tropical
Cyclone Phailin.
Palme d’Or: The top prize for best picture at the Cannes
Film Festival Turkey’s Winter Sleep by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
National Florence Nightingale Awards 2014 conferred
on 35 nursing personnel by President of India for their
meritorious services.
APRIL 2014
THE IIFA 2014 AWARDS
Held at Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
Best Picture: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Actor: Farhan Akhtar for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Actress: Deepika Padukone for Chennai Express
Best Director: Rakeysh Om Mehra for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shatrughan Sinha
Best Entertainer of the Year: Deepika Padukone
61ST NATIONAL FILM AWARDS – 2013
NAME OF AWARD NAME OF THE WINNER
Best Feature Film
Ship of Theseus (English-Hindi) by
Anand Gandhi
Best Popular Film
Providing Wholesome
Entertainment
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Hindi) by
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Best Hindi Film Jolly LLB by Subhash Kapoor
Nargis Dutt Award for
Best Feature Film on
National Integration
Thalaimuraigal(Tamil) by Balu
Mahendra
Best Direction Hansal Mehta for Shahid (Hindi)
Best Actor Raj Kumar
For Shahid (Hindi) & Suraj
Venjaramoodu for
Perariyathavar(Malayalam)
Best Actress Geetanjali Thapa for Liar’s Dice
(Hindi)
FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2014 (KOYAL RANA)
1st Runner Up Jhataleka Malhotra
2nd Runner Up Gail Nicole Da Silva
Femina Miss India Asia Lopamudra Raut
Pacific 2014
GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE: Indian
environment activist Ramesh Agrawal has won the
prestigious award ‘Green Nobel’ that honours heroic
grassroot environmentalists around the world for their
achievements. Agrawal founded Jan Chetana, a grassroots
movement to protect people and the environment from
rampant industrialisation. The award is given to six persons
across the world annually by Goldman Environmental
Foundation based in San Francisco, USA.
PULITZER PRIZE (public service): American
journalism’s highest honour awarded to the leading US
newspapers The Washington Post and The Guardian for
revealing the massive U.S. government surveillance effort.
PULITZER PRIZE (POETRY): India-born poet Vijay
Seshadri, for his witty and philosophical collection of poems
– ‘3 sections’.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 15
MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY PRIZE: Stuart Parkin,
British-American physicist has won the 1 million-Euro prize
for discoveries leading to a thousand-fold increase in digital
data storage on magnetic disks. His discoveries enabled
cloud services and the online distribution of social networks,
music and film.
THE KNIGHT GRAND CROSS: Tata Group chairman
emeritus Ratan Tata has been decorated with the British
government’s highest civilian honour in recognition for the
work his group is doing in England.
45
th
DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD – 2013: Gulzar,
veteran poet and film lyricist. His real name is Sampooran
Singh Kalra. It is the highest honour from the govt side to
recognize a person’s contribution in promoting Indian
cinema.
MARCH 2014
GANDHI PEACE PRIZE - 2013: Chandi Prasad Bhatt,
Eminent Gandhian and environmentalist, founder of ‘Chipko
Movement’ to save forests. The award, given by Govt. of
India, carries a cash reward of Rs one crore.
SARASWATI SAMMAN 2013: Noted writer Govind Mishra
for his Hindi novel, Dhool Paudhon Par. The award carries a
cash reward of Rs. 10 lac.
Protein Science Young Investigator Award: Dr. M.
Madan Babu, Indian-born scientist won the award at
Cambridge University, UK.
International Women of Courage Award:
Won by Indian acid attack victim, Ms. Laxmi for successfully
leading the campaign against acid attacks on women in
India.
86th ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS)
LOS ANGELES, USA
Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueen
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity,
Best Actor: McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
TEMPLETON PRIZE - 2014: Tomas Halik, Czech priest
and intellectual has been awarded £1.1 million prize for his
“exceptional contribution to life’s spiritual dimension.”
THE PRITZKER Architecture Prize: Shigeru Ban (Japan)
for his simple low cost designs.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
MAY 2014
Post Haste: Quintessential India by B.G. Verghese
Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton
India Junction – A Window to the Nation brought out
by Public Relations Directorate, Railway Board.
A Stamp is Born by C. R. Pakrashi
Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut
Capital in The Twenty First Century by Thomas Piketty
My Years with Rajiv and Sonia by R.D.Pradhan
Shivaji, the Real Hero: A pictorial book by the artist
Brijesh Mogre, released in Parliament of UK.
APRIL 2014
‘An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great
Indian Election’ by S. Y. Quraishi
Story of A Death Foretold by Oscar Guardiola-Rivera
Good Governance: Never On India's Radar by Madhav
Godbole
MARCH 2014
The Hindus: An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger
India at Risk by Jaswant Singh
My Way by Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha member
In Pursuit of a Lesser Offence by Sujata Parashar
Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer
The Country Without a Post Office by Agha Shahid Ali
Dhool Paudho Par by Govind Mishra
The Political Economy of Energy and Growth by
Najeeb Jung, Lt. Governor of Delhi.
The Triple Package: What Really Determines Success
by Jed Rubenfeld, Amy Chua
OBITUARY
MAY 2014
RUSSY MODI: Noted corporate personality, Ex Chairman
and Managing Director of Tata Steel
MADHAV MANTRI: India's oldest Test cricketer, maternal
uncle of the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar
GARY BECKER: Nobel Laureate economist from Chicago,
USA
APRIL 2014
V K MURTHY: Renowned cinematographer and Dada
Saheb Phalke awardee, known for capturing breathtaking
images in Guru Dutt's classics like Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur
Ghulam and Kagaz Ke Phool.
GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ: The Nobel laureate, most
popular veteran Spanish-language story writer and novelist
from Colombia. His famous works include ‘One Hundred
Years of Solitude’ and ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’.
MARCH 2014
KHUSHWANT SINGH: Writer, historian, novelist, humorist
and columnist. Known for his popular column ‘with malice
towards one and all’. His famous novels include ‘Train to
Pakistan’, ‘Delhi: A Novel’, ‘The Company of Women’ and
‘Sunset Club’
NANDA: Veteran film actress of Hindi Cinema
MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY PRIZE: Stuart Parkin,
British-American physicist has won the 1 million-Euro prize
for discoveries leading to a thousand-fold increase in digital
data storage on magnetic disks. His discoveries enabled
cloud services and the online distribution of social networks,
music and film.
THE KNIGHT GRAND CROSS: Tata Group chairman
emeritus Ratan Tata has been decorated with the British
government’s highest civilian honour in recognition for the
work his group is doing in England.
45
th
DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD – 2013: Gulzar,
veteran poet and film lyricist. His real name is Sampooran
Singh Kalra. It is the highest honour from the govt side to
recognize a person’s contribution in promoting Indian
cinema.
MARCH 2014
GANDHI PEACE PRIZE - 2013: Chandi Prasad Bhatt,
Eminent Gandhian and environmentalist, founder of ‘Chipko
Movement’ to save forests. The award, given by Govt. of
India, carries a cash reward of Rs one crore.
SARASWATI SAMMAN 2013: Noted writer Govind Mishra
for his Hindi novel, Dhool Paudhon Par. The award carries a
cash reward of Rs. 10 lac.
Protein Science Young Investigator Award: Dr. M.
Madan Babu, Indian-born scientist won the award at
Cambridge University, UK.
International Women of Courage Award:
Won by Indian acid attack victim, Ms. Laxmi for successfully
leading the campaign against acid attacks on women in
India.
86th ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS)
LOS ANGELES, USA
Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueen
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity,
Best Actor: McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
TEMPLETON PRIZE - 2014: Tomas Halik, Czech priest
and intellectual has been awarded £1.1 million prize for his
“exceptional contribution to life’s spiritual dimension.”
THE PRITZKER Architecture Prize: Shigeru Ban (Japan)
for his simple low cost designs.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
MAY 2014
Post Haste: Quintessential India by B.G. Verghese
Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton
India Junction – A Window to the Nation brought out
by Public Relations Directorate, Railway Board.
A Stamp is Born by C. R. Pakrashi
Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut
Capital in The Twenty First Century by Thomas Piketty
My Years with Rajiv and Sonia by R.D.Pradhan
Shivaji, the Real Hero: A pictorial book by the artist
Brijesh Mogre, released in Parliament of UK.
APRIL 2014
‘An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great
Indian Election’ by S. Y. Quraishi
Story of A Death Foretold by Oscar Guardiola-Rivera
Good Governance: Never On India's Radar by Madhav
Godbole
MARCH 2014
The Hindus: An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger
India at Risk by Jaswant Singh
My Way by Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha member
In Pursuit of a Lesser Offence by Sujata Parashar
Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer
The Country Without a Post Office by Agha Shahid Ali
Dhool Paudho Par by Govind Mishra
The Political Economy of Energy and Growth by
Najeeb Jung, Lt. Governor of Delhi.
The Triple Package: What Really Determines Success
by Jed Rubenfeld, Amy Chua
OBITUARY
MAY 2014
RUSSY MODI: Noted corporate personality, Ex Chairman
and Managing Director of Tata Steel
MADHAV MANTRI: India's oldest Test cricketer, maternal
uncle of the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar
GARY BECKER: Nobel Laureate economist from Chicago,
USA
APRIL 2014
V K MURTHY: Renowned cinematographer and Dada
Saheb Phalke awardee, known for capturing breathtaking
images in Guru Dutt's classics like Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur
Ghulam and Kagaz Ke Phool.
GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ: The Nobel laureate, most
popular veteran Spanish-language story writer and novelist
from Colombia. His famous works include ‘One Hundred
Years of Solitude’ and ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’.
MARCH 2014
KHUSHWANT SINGH: Writer, historian, novelist, humorist
and columnist. Known for his popular column ‘with malice
towards one and all’. His famous novels include ‘Train to
Pakistan’, ‘Delhi: A Novel’, ‘The Company of Women’ and
‘Sunset Club’
NANDA: Veteran film actress of Hindi Cinema
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 16
PLACES IN NEWS
MAY 2014
HERAT: City in Afghanistan was in news as militants armed
with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades attacked
the Indian Consulate. The Indian diplomatic staff escaped
unharmed, while all four attackers were killed. The attack is
believed to be the handiwork of elements operating from
Pakistan.
MANISA: place in the western Turkey was in news as
over 300 people were killed and hundreds more remained
trapped underground after an explosion and fire in a coal
mine took place.
AAB BAREEK: a village in Badakhshan province of
Afghanistan was in news as several hundreds of persons
were killed when their village was swept away due to a
heavy mud slide.
APRIL 2014
THE EBOLA (GUINEA): A deadly disease, outbreak of
which in West Africa has claimed more than 145 lives so far.
More than 240 people, mostly in Guinea, are suspected of
having caught the illness. There is no vaccine, no treatment
and the disease is almost always fatal.
MARCH 2014
RAKHIGARHI: Place in Hissar district, Haryana, was in
news as the discovery of two more mounds at this
Harappan site has led archaeologists establishing it as the
biggest Harappan civilisation site. Until now, Mohenjo-daro
in Pakistan was regarded as the largest among the 2,000
Harappan sites known to exist in India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
BHAGWANPUR: Site of the 130-MW solar power plant,
largest in India, set up at a cost of Rs. 1,100 crore on 305
hectares of land in district Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh.
AJNALA: City in Amritsar district was in news as the
remains of at least 282 persons who were executed by the
British for participating in the First War of Independence in
1857, were exhumed from a well at the local Gurdwara
Shaheedganj, during a digging of the well which was
popularly known as “Kalianwalia Khuh”.
KUNMING: Capital city of Yunnan province in China was in
news as a terrorist attack by knife wielding Islamic Uighur
fanatics killed over 30 civilians and injured 140 others in
city’s main Railway Station on March 1.
SPORTS WORLD
MAY 2014
Uber Cup for women’s badminton: China beats Japan in
the final played at New Delhi. Indian team lead by Saina
Nehwal won the bronze medal for the first time in Uber Cup.
Thomas Cup: (men’s badminton) Japan beats Malaysia to
lift their maiden trophy in the final played at New Delhi.
National Football Championship (women’s): Manipur
beats Odisha to clinch the title at Golaghat, Assam.
Virat Kohli was ranked no 1 in the latest ICC list of One
Day International (ODI) rankings.
Malavath Purna: The 13 year old school girl from
Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh created history by
becoming the youngest female to scale the Mount Everest.
Ronnie O'Sullivan: Snooker player from UK named World
Snooker's ‘player of the year’
World Snooker Championship 2014: won by Mark
Selby of England at Sheffield, England, beating the
defending champion Ronnie O Sullivan.
EUROPEAN CUP (football): Real Madrid won the cup
beating Atletico Madrid in the finals played at Lisbon, Spain
WTA Portugal Open 2014: Sania Mirza of India and Cara
Black of Zimbabwe won women’s doubles title held in
Oeiras, Portugal.
ATP World Tour Masters Tennis: Men’s title won by
Rafael Nadal (Spain) at Mutua Madrid, Spain. Women’s
title was won by Maria Sharapova of Russia.
FIFA WORLD CUP TO USE ‘BRAZUCA’ BALLS
In the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June 2014,
technology will get a new meaning as the ‘Brazuca’ balls to
be used in the mega event will come with six in-built
HD cameras capturing 360 degree view of the on-field
action. These footballs have been specially manufactured by
the global sports company Adidas. The word Brazuca
meaning the Brazilian way of life was chosen by over one
million football fans.
Barcelona club has agreed to retained Football player
Lionel Messi on net annual salary of 20 million Euros ($27.4
million) making him world’s highest paid player
India has slid down two places to the 147th spot in the
latest FIFA Rankings of Football playing countries.
APRIL 2014
Manavjit Singh Sandhu: won the men's trap gold medal
at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tucson, USA.
Saurav Ghosal: India's numero uno squash player has
been awarded the Dato Alex Lee Award for the 'Outstanding
Asian Men's Player of the Year 2013'.
PLACES IN NEWS
MAY 2014
HERAT: City in Afghanistan was in news as militants armed
with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades attacked
the Indian Consulate. The Indian diplomatic staff escaped
unharmed, while all four attackers were killed. The attack is
believed to be the handiwork of elements operating from
Pakistan.
MANISA: place in the western Turkey was in news as
over 300 people were killed and hundreds more remained
trapped underground after an explosion and fire in a coal
mine took place.
AAB BAREEK: a village in Badakhshan province of
Afghanistan was in news as several hundreds of persons
were killed when their village was swept away due to a
heavy mud slide.
APRIL 2014
THE EBOLA (GUINEA): A deadly disease, outbreak of
which in West Africa has claimed more than 145 lives so far.
More than 240 people, mostly in Guinea, are suspected of
having caught the illness. There is no vaccine, no treatment
and the disease is almost always fatal.
MARCH 2014
RAKHIGARHI: Place in Hissar district, Haryana, was in
news as the discovery of two more mounds at this
Harappan site has led archaeologists establishing it as the
biggest Harappan civilisation site. Until now, Mohenjo-daro
in Pakistan was regarded as the largest among the 2,000
Harappan sites known to exist in India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
BHAGWANPUR: Site of the 130-MW solar power plant,
largest in India, set up at a cost of Rs. 1,100 crore on 305
hectares of land in district Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh.
AJNALA: City in Amritsar district was in news as the
remains of at least 282 persons who were executed by the
British for participating in the First War of Independence in
1857, were exhumed from a well at the local Gurdwara
Shaheedganj, during a digging of the well which was
popularly known as “Kalianwalia Khuh”.
KUNMING: Capital city of Yunnan province in China was in
news as a terrorist attack by knife wielding Islamic Uighur
fanatics killed over 30 civilians and injured 140 others in
city’s main Railway Station on March 1.
SPORTS WORLD
MAY 2014
Uber Cup for women’s badminton: China beats Japan in
the final played at New Delhi. Indian team lead by Saina
Nehwal won the bronze medal for the first time in Uber Cup.
Thomas Cup: (men’s badminton) Japan beats Malaysia to
lift their maiden trophy in the final played at New Delhi.
National Football Championship (women’s): Manipur
beats Odisha to clinch the title at Golaghat, Assam.
Virat Kohli was ranked no 1 in the latest ICC list of One
Day International (ODI) rankings.
Malavath Purna: The 13 year old school girl from
Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh created history by
becoming the youngest female to scale the Mount Everest.
Ronnie O'Sullivan: Snooker player from UK named World
Snooker's ‘player of the year’
World Snooker Championship 2014: won by Mark
Selby of England at Sheffield, England, beating the
defending champion Ronnie O Sullivan.
EUROPEAN CUP (football): Real Madrid won the cup
beating Atletico Madrid in the finals played at Lisbon, Spain
WTA Portugal Open 2014: Sania Mirza of India and Cara
Black of Zimbabwe won women’s doubles title held in
Oeiras, Portugal.
ATP World Tour Masters Tennis: Men’s title won by
Rafael Nadal (Spain) at Mutua Madrid, Spain. Women’s
title was won by Maria Sharapova of Russia.
FIFA WORLD CUP TO USE ‘BRAZUCA’ BALLS
In the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June 2014,
technology will get a new meaning as the ‘Brazuca’ balls to
be used in the mega event will come with six in-built
HD cameras capturing 360 degree view of the on-field
action. These footballs have been specially manufactured by
the global sports company Adidas. The word Brazuca
meaning the Brazilian way of life was chosen by over one
million football fans.
Barcelona club has agreed to retained Football player
Lionel Messi on net annual salary of 20 million Euros ($27.4
million) making him world’s highest paid player
India has slid down two places to the 147th spot in the
latest FIFA Rankings of Football playing countries.
APRIL 2014
Manavjit Singh Sandhu: won the men's trap gold medal
at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tucson, USA.
Saurav Ghosal: India's numero uno squash player has
been awarded the Dato Alex Lee Award for the 'Outstanding
Asian Men's Player of the Year 2013'.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 17
Heena Sidhu has been ranked world No.1 in the 10 meters
air pistol event by the International Shooting Sport
Federation.
Chitra Magimairaj: won the senior’s title in World
Snooker Championships held in Leeds,UK.
7
th
South Asia Judo Championships : Indian judokas
won 10 gold, one silver and one bronze medal at
Kathmandu, Nepal.
USA Open Karate Championship: Indian players won
eight medals comprising two gold and six bronze in held at
Las Vegas, USA.
Sri Lanka lifts ICC World T20 trophy after beating
India in the final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Australia beats England to lift the ICC Women’s World
Twenty20 trophy at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Stanislas Wawrinka won the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters
Tennis Cup beating Roger Federer at Monte Carlo, Monaco.
2019 Asian Games: Vietnam has decided to quit as hosts
due to lack of preparedness and concerns that holding the
multi-sport event would not be financially viable.
MARCH 2014
RECENT SPORTS EVENTS
Event Venue Winner Looser
Vijay Hazare
Trophy – Cricket
Eden Gardens,
Kolkata
Karnataka Railways
Deodhar Trophy –
Cricket
Vishakhaptnam West Zone North Zone
Santosh Trophy -
National Football
Championship
Siliguri, West
Bengal
Mizoram Railways
Federation Cup –
Volleyball (Men’s)
Kerala Tamil Nadu Services
Federation Cup –
Volleyball
(Women’s)
Kerala Railways Kerala
Hockey India
Senior Men
National
Championship
Lucknow Air India CAG India
Hockey India
Senior Women
National
Championship
Bhopal, MP Railway Haryana
Manisha National
Snooker
Championship
(Men’s)
Lucknow, UP Pankaj
Advani
Kamal
Chawla
Manisha National
Snooker
Championship
(Women’s)
Lucknow, UP Vidya Pillai Arantxa
Sanchis
64th National
Basketball
Championship
New Delhi Tamil Nadu Punjab
(Men’s)
64th National
Basketball
Championship
(Women’s)
New Delhi Chhattisgarh Railways
BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells
Tennis (Men’s)
California, USA Novak
Djokovic
Roger
Federer
BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells
Tennis (Women’s)
California, USA Flavia
Pennetta
Agnieszka
Radwanska
Candidates
Tournament –
Chess
Khanty
Mansiysk,
Russia
Viswanathan
Anand
Peter
Svidler
Malaysian Grand
Prix – F1
Sepang,
Malaysia
Lewis
Hamilton
Nico
Rosberg
7th Asian Air Gun Championship in Kuwait:
Chain Singh and Ms Heena Sidhu clinched gold medal
Arvind Bhat won the Grand Prix Gold beating Hans-
Kristian Vittinghus of Denmark at German Open Badminton
Championship at Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
Sachin Tendulkar voted Cricketer of the Generation
by a 50-member international jury.
R V Rahul won two gold and one silver in the boys’ 77kg
weight category in the 16th Asian Youth Weightlifting
Championships at Bangsaen, Thailand
LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS - 2014
Men - Sebastian Vettel: Formula 1 world champion from
Germany
Women - Missy Franklin: American Olympic swimmer,
winner of 6 golds.
ICC World T20 tournament for men and women to be
held in Bangladesh from March 22 to April 6, 2014.
ICC U-19 World Cup: South Africa won the cricket trophy
defeating Pakistan in final played at Dubai, UAE.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship: Roger Federer
beats Tomas Berdych to lift the cup.
1st Asian Grand Prix Archery Championships held at
Bangkok, Thailand.
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES
A Child Without
Education ,is like a Bird
Without Wings
Heena Sidhu has been ranked world No.1 in the 10 meters
air pistol event by the International Shooting Sport
Federation.
Chitra Magimairaj: won the senior’s title in World
Snooker Championships held in Leeds,UK.
7
th
South Asia Judo Championships : Indian judokas
won 10 gold, one silver and one bronze medal at
Kathmandu, Nepal.
USA Open Karate Championship: Indian players won
eight medals comprising two gold and six bronze in held at
Las Vegas, USA.
Sri Lanka lifts ICC World T20 trophy after beating
India in the final at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Australia beats England to lift the ICC Women’s World
Twenty20 trophy at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Stanislas Wawrinka won the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters
Tennis Cup beating Roger Federer at Monte Carlo, Monaco.
2019 Asian Games: Vietnam has decided to quit as hosts
due to lack of preparedness and concerns that holding the
multi-sport event would not be financially viable.
MARCH 2014
RECENT SPORTS EVENTS
Event Venue Winner Looser
Vijay Hazare
Trophy – Cricket
Eden Gardens,
Kolkata
Karnataka Railways
Deodhar Trophy –
Cricket
Vishakhaptnam West Zone North Zone
Santosh Trophy -
National Football
Championship
Siliguri, West
Bengal
Mizoram Railways
Federation Cup –
Volleyball (Men’s)
Kerala Tamil Nadu Services
Federation Cup –
Volleyball
(Women’s)
Kerala Railways Kerala
Hockey India
Senior Men
National
Championship
Lucknow Air India CAG India
Hockey India
Senior Women
National
Championship
Bhopal, MP Railway Haryana
Manisha National
Snooker
Championship
(Men’s)
Lucknow, UP Pankaj
Advani
Kamal
Chawla
Manisha National
Snooker
Championship
(Women’s)
Lucknow, UP Vidya Pillai Arantxa
Sanchis
64th National
Basketball
Championship
New Delhi Tamil Nadu Punjab
(Men’s)
64th National
Basketball
Championship
(Women’s)
New Delhi Chhattisgarh Railways
BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells
Tennis (Men’s)
California, USA Novak
Djokovic
Roger
Federer
BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells
Tennis (Women’s)
California, USA Flavia
Pennetta
Agnieszka
Radwanska
Candidates
Tournament –
Chess
Khanty
Mansiysk,
Russia
Viswanathan
Anand
Peter
Svidler
Malaysian Grand
Prix – F1
Sepang,
Malaysia
Lewis
Hamilton
Nico
Rosberg
7th Asian Air Gun Championship in Kuwait:
Chain Singh and Ms Heena Sidhu clinched gold medal
Arvind Bhat won the Grand Prix Gold beating Hans-
Kristian Vittinghus of Denmark at German Open Badminton
Championship at Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
Sachin Tendulkar voted Cricketer of the Generation
by a 50-member international jury.
R V Rahul won two gold and one silver in the boys’ 77kg
weight category in the 16th Asian Youth Weightlifting
Championships at Bangsaen, Thailand
LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS - 2014
Men - Sebastian Vettel: Formula 1 world champion from
Germany
Women - Missy Franklin: American Olympic swimmer,
winner of 6 golds.
ICC World T20 tournament for men and women to be
held in Bangladesh from March 22 to April 6, 2014.
ICC U-19 World Cup: South Africa won the cricket trophy
defeating Pakistan in final played at Dubai, UAE.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship: Roger Federer
beats Tomas Berdych to lift the cup.
1st Asian Grand Prix Archery Championships held at
Bangkok, Thailand.
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES
A Child Without
Education ,is like a Bird
Without Wings
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 18
DAYS & DATES
JULY
Architecture day
Doctor’s day
International jokes day
July 01
World Sports Journalists Day July 02
Free 4
th
of July July 04
World Zonnosis Day July 06
International day of Co-Operatives July 07
World Population Day July 11
Man Walks on the Moon July 20
Kargil Vijay Divas July 26
JUNE
International Children’s Day June 01
World Naturist Day June 03
World Environment Day June 05
Father’s Day June 16
Hugging Day June 21
International Olympic Day Rath Yatra June 23
International Anti-Drugs day June 26
World Diabetes Day June 27
MAY
World Labour Day, Maharashtra Day May 01
International Energy Day, World Asthma Day May 03
Coal Minor's Day May 04
World Midwives Day May 05
World Red Cross and Red Cresent Day May 08
World Migratory Bird Day, This year’s theme
is - Destination Flyways: Migratory Birds and
Tourism”
May 10-11
National Technology Day May 11
Mother’s Day (Second Sunday of May) May 11
International Nurses’ Day May 12
International Family Day May 15
World Telecom Day May 17
National Anti Terrorism Day May 21
World Turtle Day May 23
NOW ALSO AT
SECTOR
1 5
CHANDIGARH
Exam Oriented Study Material
Emphasis on Shortcuts
Full Day Batch / 5 Hour Classes
Exclusive Mock Tests For Punjab Exams
SCF 22, 1
ST
FLOOR,
OPP. POLICE POST,
SECTOR 15–C,
9646-15-9977
DAYS & DATES
JULY
Architecture day
Doctor’s day
International jokes day
July 01
World Sports Journalists Day July 02
Free 4
th
of July July 04
World Zonnosis Day July 06
International day of Co-Operatives July 07
World Population Day July 11
Man Walks on the Moon July 20
Kargil Vijay Divas July 26
JUNE
International Children’s Day June 01
World Naturist Day June 03
World Environment Day June 05
Father’s Day June 16
Hugging Day June 21
International Olympic Day Rath Yatra June 23
International Anti-Drugs day June 26
World Diabetes Day June 27
MAY
World Labour Day, Maharashtra Day May 01
International Energy Day, World Asthma Day May 03
Coal Minor's Day May 04
World Midwives Day May 05
World Red Cross and Red Cresent Day May 08
World Migratory Bird Day, This year’s theme
is - Destination Flyways: Migratory Birds and
Tourism”
May 10-11
National Technology Day May 11
Mother’s Day (Second Sunday of May) May 11
International Nurses’ Day May 12
International Family Day May 15
World Telecom Day May 17
National Anti Terrorism Day May 21
World Turtle Day May 23
NOW ALSO AT
SECTOR
1 5
CHANDIGARH
Exam Oriented Study Material
Emphasis on Shortcuts
Full Day Batch / 5 Hour Classes
Exclusive Mock Tests For Punjab Exams
SCF 22, 1
ST
FLOOR,
OPP. POLICE POST,
SECTOR 15–C,
9646-15-9977
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 19
(December 2013 – February 2014)
For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
FEBRUARY 2014
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy
resigned from his seat and the state was put under
President’s rule.
For the first time in its history, President’s Rule was
imposed in Delhi following the resignation by the Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The ceiling on poll expenditure for Lok Sabha seat has
been raised to Rs. 70 lac per candidate from Rs. 40 lac
at present and to Rs. 28 lac from Rs. 16 lac for
assembly seat.
Joachim Gauck, President of Germany visits India.
India’s electorate for the general election 2014 will be
81.5 crore,
Prime Minister attended the BIMSTEC-Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation Summit at Nay Pyi Taw, capital of
Myanmar.
India ranked 8
th
among 10 countries in their use of
"digital government".
As per World Press Freedom Index, India has been
ranked 140
th
in the list of 180 countries in terms of
freedom of press.
Govt has directed that Companies should use words
such as 'Bank', 'Stock Exchange' and ‘Exchange’ only
after receiving no-objection from the concerned
regulator.
Government has decided to give two additional
attempts to all categories of candidates of the
prestigious exam conducted by Union Public Service
Commission.
Indian to construct the 450 kms long Haramain High
Speed Railway project in Saudi Arabia to link two of
Islam’s holiest cities, Makkah and Medina.
Purushottam Express, a super-fast train running
between Delhi and Puri will become the first train in
India to be attached with a Braille-embedded AC coach.
The National Green Tribunal has banned the burning of
tyres at public places and also during protests by
political and religious groups as it is likely to cause
health hazard.
India and China have agreed to celebrate 2014 as the
'Year of Friendly Exchanges'.
India has signed a Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement (DTAA) with Fiji.
India signs three security agreements with Israel.
57.62 crore Aadhaar cards issued till January 31, 2014.
People not having document based identity and address
proof can avail of introducer-based enrolment.
India currently has the largest population of illiterate
adults in the world at 287 million. 37 per cent of the
global total.
India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for cooperation in the field of defence
manufacturing.
World Islamic Tamil Conference held at Kumbakonam,
Tamil Nadu from 14 to 16 February.
101st Indian Science Congress held at the University of
Jammu, J&K, 3-7 February.
A commemorative stamp released in honour of noted
ghazal singer Jagjit Singh
DAVID JOHNSTON: Governor General of Canada
visits India.
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar visited
India.
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Baharin visited
India.
JANUARY 2014
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, passed by the
President. It has come in to force from 16
th
Jan. 2014.
Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister was the Chief
Guest at the Republic Day Parade of 2014.
The 12th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
Convention was held from 7-9 January, 2014 at Vigyan
Bhawan New Delhi
Malaysian Minister for Natural Resources and
Environment, G Palanivel, who is president of the
Malaysian Indian Congress, was the chief guest at this
year’s PBD.
Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea, the country’s
first woman president, visited India on a four-day state
tour.
India has completed three years without reporting any
case of polio.
(December 2013 – February 2014)
For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
FEBRUARY 2014
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy
resigned from his seat and the state was put under
President’s rule.
For the first time in its history, President’s Rule was
imposed in Delhi following the resignation by the Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The ceiling on poll expenditure for Lok Sabha seat has
been raised to Rs. 70 lac per candidate from Rs. 40 lac
at present and to Rs. 28 lac from Rs. 16 lac for
assembly seat.
Joachim Gauck, President of Germany visits India.
India’s electorate for the general election 2014 will be
81.5 crore,
Prime Minister attended the BIMSTEC-Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation Summit at Nay Pyi Taw, capital of
Myanmar.
India ranked 8
th
among 10 countries in their use of
"digital government".
As per World Press Freedom Index, India has been
ranked 140
th
in the list of 180 countries in terms of
freedom of press.
Govt has directed that Companies should use words
such as 'Bank', 'Stock Exchange' and ‘Exchange’ only
after receiving no-objection from the concerned
regulator.
Government has decided to give two additional
attempts to all categories of candidates of the
prestigious exam conducted by Union Public Service
Commission.
Indian to construct the 450 kms long Haramain High
Speed Railway project in Saudi Arabia to link two of
Islam’s holiest cities, Makkah and Medina.
Purushottam Express, a super-fast train running
between Delhi and Puri will become the first train in
India to be attached with a Braille-embedded AC coach.
The National Green Tribunal has banned the burning of
tyres at public places and also during protests by
political and religious groups as it is likely to cause
health hazard.
India and China have agreed to celebrate 2014 as the
'Year of Friendly Exchanges'.
India has signed a Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement (DTAA) with Fiji.
India signs three security agreements with Israel.
57.62 crore Aadhaar cards issued till January 31, 2014.
People not having document based identity and address
proof can avail of introducer-based enrolment.
India currently has the largest population of illiterate
adults in the world at 287 million. 37 per cent of the
global total.
India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for cooperation in the field of defence
manufacturing.
World Islamic Tamil Conference held at Kumbakonam,
Tamil Nadu from 14 to 16 February.
101st Indian Science Congress held at the University of
Jammu, J&K, 3-7 February.
A commemorative stamp released in honour of noted
ghazal singer Jagjit Singh
DAVID JOHNSTON: Governor General of Canada
visits India.
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar visited
India.
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Baharin visited
India.
JANUARY 2014
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, passed by the
President. It has come in to force from 16
th
Jan. 2014.
Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister was the Chief
Guest at the Republic Day Parade of 2014.
The 12th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
Convention was held from 7-9 January, 2014 at Vigyan
Bhawan New Delhi
Malaysian Minister for Natural Resources and
Environment, G Palanivel, who is president of the
Malaysian Indian Congress, was the chief guest at this
year’s PBD.
Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea, the country’s
first woman president, visited India on a four-day state
tour.
India has completed three years without reporting any
case of polio.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 20
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, President of Maldives
visited India.
Export-Import Bank has agreed to provide a Line of
Credit of $ 19.50 million to Vietnam
Govt. has allowed super jumbo A-380 aircraft to fly into
India.
Jeevan Raksha Padak awarded to 37 people for their
meritorious act of bravery in saving human lives.
The 18th National Youth Festival held in Ludhiana from
Jan 12 to 16. 12
th
January is birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda, observed as the National Youth Day.
After Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis,
now the Jains have been accorded minority status by
the central government.
A newly built railway platform at Gorakhpur has been
declared as the longest railway platform in the world,
spanning 1,355.40 metre.
In the Nuclear Materials Security Index 2014 released
by the US-based think-tank Nuclear Threat Initiative,
India has been ranked at 23
rd
place.
Finance Minister presented the vote-on-account for
2014-15 on February 17 in the Lok Sabha in place of
regular budget.
The Index of Economic Freedom-2014 ranks India
120th globally as India continues to suffer from low,
but improving levels of economic freedom.
Indian Ordnance Factory has come out with “Nirbheek”,
a .32 bore light-weight (500gram) revolver designed
especially for women to defend themselves.
Global Intellectual Property Cente, USA has placed
India last in list of 25 countries in terms of protection
and enforcement of intellectual property practices.
India has been ranked at a low 155th position in a list
of 178 countries compiled by the 2014 Environmental
Performance Index.
The seventh edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival
started on 17
th
January in Jaipur with a keynote speech
by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
The National Capital Region Planning Board has
approved the inclusion of Jind and Karnal districts of
Haryana in the National Capital Region, NCR.
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to celebrate 50
years of its existence (Feb.1964)
India’s first Mono Rail starts operation in Mumbai
India signs labour cooperation agreement with Saudi
Arabia to cover about a quarter of the 28 lakh Indian
expatriates working there.
Asia’s biggest botanical garden will come up on 153
hectares of area near the Khandwa reservoir, in Naya
Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
India and Israel have agreed to set up a $40 million
joint fund to support technological ventures for
consolidating and strengthening economic ties.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his
wife Queen Jetsun Pema were in India on a five-day
official visit.
Foundation stone laid for Global Centre for Nuclear
Energy at Jassaur Kheri in district Jhajjar, Haryana.
UGC- University Grants Commission celebrates its
Diamond Jubilee on completion of its 60 years.
DECEMBER 2013
9th Ministerial Conference of WTO held in Bali,
Indonesia agreed to allow countries to provide subsidy
on staple food crops.
The International Court of Arbitration (ICA) has upheld
India’s right to divert water from the Kishenganga river
for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited
India.
The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) — number of
women who die of pregnancy-related causes per one
lac live births — has come down to 178 in 2010-12
National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) report
says that number of slum dwellings has come down to
88 lakh, compared to 1.3 crore households in 2011.
Number of homeless people across the country has
come down by 8.8%, from about 19.4 lakh in 2001 to
17.7 lakh in 2011, says latest Census 2011 data.
The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index
Report-2014 has placed India at 69th position in terms
of their ability to deliver secure and sustainable energy.
India has been ranked 98th in the Forbes list of world's
best countries for doing business.
India has been ranked among the world's highly corrupt
nations at the 94th spot in a global list of 177 countries
compiled by Transparency International.
The Labour Ministry report has revealed that
unemployment rate in the country during 2012-13 was
estimated to be 13.3 per cent for the age group 15-29.
Film 'Liar's Dice, directed by Geetu Mohandas, selected
in the competition category at the prestigious Sundance
Film Festival in USA.
The Sankirtana — ritual singing, drumming and dancing
of Manipur has been added to UNESCO's list of
"intangible heritage".
India and San Marino, a tiny country within Italy,
signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA)
for exchange of banking and ownership information
Govt has cleared a services and investment deal with
10-member Asean group as part of Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement-DTAA signed
with Macedonia, a small country north of Greece.
NEWS FROM STATES
FEBRUARY 2014
The Union Cabinet has approved Odia as the sixth
classical language of India. The other five classical
languages are - Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and
Malayalam.
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, President of Maldives
visited India.
Export-Import Bank has agreed to provide a Line of
Credit of $ 19.50 million to Vietnam
Govt. has allowed super jumbo A-380 aircraft to fly into
India.
Jeevan Raksha Padak awarded to 37 people for their
meritorious act of bravery in saving human lives.
The 18th National Youth Festival held in Ludhiana from
Jan 12 to 16. 12
th
January is birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda, observed as the National Youth Day.
After Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis,
now the Jains have been accorded minority status by
the central government.
A newly built railway platform at Gorakhpur has been
declared as the longest railway platform in the world,
spanning 1,355.40 metre.
In the Nuclear Materials Security Index 2014 released
by the US-based think-tank Nuclear Threat Initiative,
India has been ranked at 23
rd
place.
Finance Minister presented the vote-on-account for
2014-15 on February 17 in the Lok Sabha in place of
regular budget.
The Index of Economic Freedom-2014 ranks India
120th globally as India continues to suffer from low,
but improving levels of economic freedom.
Indian Ordnance Factory has come out with “Nirbheek”,
a .32 bore light-weight (500gram) revolver designed
especially for women to defend themselves.
Global Intellectual Property Cente, USA has placed
India last in list of 25 countries in terms of protection
and enforcement of intellectual property practices.
India has been ranked at a low 155th position in a list
of 178 countries compiled by the 2014 Environmental
Performance Index.
The seventh edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival
started on 17
th
January in Jaipur with a keynote speech
by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
The National Capital Region Planning Board has
approved the inclusion of Jind and Karnal districts of
Haryana in the National Capital Region, NCR.
Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to celebrate 50
years of its existence (Feb.1964)
India’s first Mono Rail starts operation in Mumbai
India signs labour cooperation agreement with Saudi
Arabia to cover about a quarter of the 28 lakh Indian
expatriates working there.
Asia’s biggest botanical garden will come up on 153
hectares of area near the Khandwa reservoir, in Naya
Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
India and Israel have agreed to set up a $40 million
joint fund to support technological ventures for
consolidating and strengthening economic ties.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his
wife Queen Jetsun Pema were in India on a five-day
official visit.
Foundation stone laid for Global Centre for Nuclear
Energy at Jassaur Kheri in district Jhajjar, Haryana.
UGC- University Grants Commission celebrates its
Diamond Jubilee on completion of its 60 years.
DECEMBER 2013
9th Ministerial Conference of WTO held in Bali,
Indonesia agreed to allow countries to provide subsidy
on staple food crops.
The International Court of Arbitration (ICA) has upheld
India’s right to divert water from the Kishenganga river
for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited
India.
The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) — number of
women who die of pregnancy-related causes per one
lac live births — has come down to 178 in 2010-12
National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) report
says that number of slum dwellings has come down to
88 lakh, compared to 1.3 crore households in 2011.
Number of homeless people across the country has
come down by 8.8%, from about 19.4 lakh in 2001 to
17.7 lakh in 2011, says latest Census 2011 data.
The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index
Report-2014 has placed India at 69th position in terms
of their ability to deliver secure and sustainable energy.
India has been ranked 98th in the Forbes list of world's
best countries for doing business.
India has been ranked among the world's highly corrupt
nations at the 94th spot in a global list of 177 countries
compiled by Transparency International.
The Labour Ministry report has revealed that
unemployment rate in the country during 2012-13 was
estimated to be 13.3 per cent for the age group 15-29.
Film 'Liar's Dice, directed by Geetu Mohandas, selected
in the competition category at the prestigious Sundance
Film Festival in USA.
The Sankirtana — ritual singing, drumming and dancing
of Manipur has been added to UNESCO's list of
"intangible heritage".
India and San Marino, a tiny country within Italy,
signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA)
for exchange of banking and ownership information
Govt has cleared a services and investment deal with
10-member Asean group as part of Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement-DTAA signed
with Macedonia, a small country north of Greece.
NEWS FROM STATES
FEBRUARY 2014
The Union Cabinet has approved Odia as the sixth
classical language of India. The other five classical
languages are - Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and
Malayalam.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 21
Sikkim has become first state to achieve more than
100 percent sanitation in rural and urban households
and other public sanitary centers.
The Union Ministry of Tourism declares Sikkim as the
best State in implementation of rural tourism projects.
Taj Mahotsav 2014 held at Agra, U P with the theme
- Paigham-e Mohabbat - the message of love.
West Bengal and United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) launched a campaign about safe drinking
water and safe sanitation practices.
Central Govt. to develop the 37 km stretch between
Sholinganallur to Kalpakkam in South Buckingham
Canal, Tamil Nadu as the National Waterway-4 (NW-4).
JANUARY 2014
Karnataka has topped the first ever ranking of state
governments on the basis of their performance and
implementation of the midday meal scheme
Odisha is the Best State for providing self employment
to urban poor under SJSRY (Swarna Jayanti Shahari
Rojgar Yojana) during 2012-13.
Kerala won the ‘UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation
in Public Policy and Governance’ for the world
renowned backwater resort of Kumarakom.
Odisha has launched 'Ama Jangal Yojana' (AJY) to
enhance forest cover in the state jointly by govt. and
forest dependent communities.
Uttarakhand became the first State to adopt the
provisions of the recently passed Lokpal Act by passing
the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill-2014.
Jonbeel Mela held in Assam to promote harmony
between people of Assam and Meghalaya
Bihar has announced a bonus of Rs 250 per quintal on
procurement of paddy, pushing the MSP to Rs 1560 a
quintal, highest in the country.
DECEMBER 2013
ARUNACHAL PRADESH : is fast turning into a producer of
large cardamom, a sought-after spice.
5 NEW CHEIF MINISTERS
Vasundhara Raje: Rajasthan
Arvind Kejriwal New Delhi
Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Madhya Pradesh
Dr. Raman Singh: Chattisgarh
Pu Lalthanhawla: Mizoram
GOVT INITIATIVES
FEBRUARY 2014
Govt has accepted the long pending demand of ex-
servicemen for ‘one rank, one pension’.
A Bill that provides for the protection of livelihoods
rights, social security of street vendors and regulation
of urban street vending has been passed by the
parliament.
A Bill to set up a regular mechanism to encourage and
protect persons to disclose information on corruption or
wilful misuse of power by public servants has been
passed.
Quota of subsidized LPG cylinders has been raised from
nine to 12 in a year
A committee led by M. P. Bezbaruah, has been formed
to examine the cause for violence and discrimination
against people from the northeast
The government has extended Rashtriya Swasthya
Bima Yojna to auto and taxi drivers by committing to
pay half of the premium amount and other half by state
govt.
The Planning Commission has introduced an annual
rating system for states to enable them improve on
their business climate.
India will extend visa-on arrival to tourists of 180
nations as against 11 at present, to boost tourism.
In order to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud
Computing, Government of India has launched the ‘GI
Cloud’ named as ‘MeghRaj’.
The Union government has launched an ambitious
project titled ‘Green Mission’ to increase forest cover
by 50 million hectares in the next 10 years
India plans a multi-nation and multi-modal transport
corridor between India and Central Asia - Russia.
JANUARY 2014
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram launched to
cover health needs of the nearly 243 million children in
the age group of 10 to 19 years.
On recommendations of the Sachchar Committee, Govt
has set up the National Waqf Development Corporation
Limited for the development of Waqf properties.
Govt. has launched the India Inclusive Innovation Fund
(IIIF), with the initial corpus of Rs 500 crore to invest in
innovative, sustainable and profitable ventures.
PAN card applicants will now have to submit Proof of
Address also.
Govt. has decided to include works relating to rural
sanitation also in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) launched in
Bangalore to provide adequate and efficient urban
public health delivery system for the urban poor
The Union Cabinet has approved a new framework for
release of TRPs (Television Rating Points), fixing a
sample size of not less than 50,000 households.
Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to constitute a
Rail Tariff Authority, RTA to advise the Railway Ministry
on fares.
Govt. has launched the Housing Start Up Index (HSUI)
to measure level of house construction activity. The
HSUI is a joint initiative of the National Building
Organisation and RBI.
Sikkim has become first state to achieve more than
100 percent sanitation in rural and urban households
and other public sanitary centers.
The Union Ministry of Tourism declares Sikkim as the
best State in implementation of rural tourism projects.
Taj Mahotsav 2014 held at Agra, U P with the theme
- Paigham-e Mohabbat - the message of love.
West Bengal and United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) launched a campaign about safe drinking
water and safe sanitation practices.
Central Govt. to develop the 37 km stretch between
Sholinganallur to Kalpakkam in South Buckingham
Canal, Tamil Nadu as the National Waterway-4 (NW-4).
JANUARY 2014
Karnataka has topped the first ever ranking of state
governments on the basis of their performance and
implementation of the midday meal scheme
Odisha is the Best State for providing self employment
to urban poor under SJSRY (Swarna Jayanti Shahari
Rojgar Yojana) during 2012-13.
Kerala won the ‘UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation
in Public Policy and Governance’ for the world
renowned backwater resort of Kumarakom.
Odisha has launched 'Ama Jangal Yojana' (AJY) to
enhance forest cover in the state jointly by govt. and
forest dependent communities.
Uttarakhand became the first State to adopt the
provisions of the recently passed Lokpal Act by passing
the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill-2014.
Jonbeel Mela held in Assam to promote harmony
between people of Assam and Meghalaya
Bihar has announced a bonus of Rs 250 per quintal on
procurement of paddy, pushing the MSP to Rs 1560 a
quintal, highest in the country.
DECEMBER 2013
ARUNACHAL PRADESH : is fast turning into a producer of
large cardamom, a sought-after spice.
5 NEW CHEIF MINISTERS
Vasundhara Raje: Rajasthan
Arvind Kejriwal New Delhi
Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Madhya Pradesh
Dr. Raman Singh: Chattisgarh
Pu Lalthanhawla: Mizoram
GOVT INITIATIVES
FEBRUARY 2014
Govt has accepted the long pending demand of ex-
servicemen for ‘one rank, one pension’.
A Bill that provides for the protection of livelihoods
rights, social security of street vendors and regulation
of urban street vending has been passed by the
parliament.
A Bill to set up a regular mechanism to encourage and
protect persons to disclose information on corruption or
wilful misuse of power by public servants has been
passed.
Quota of subsidized LPG cylinders has been raised from
nine to 12 in a year
A committee led by M. P. Bezbaruah, has been formed
to examine the cause for violence and discrimination
against people from the northeast
The government has extended Rashtriya Swasthya
Bima Yojna to auto and taxi drivers by committing to
pay half of the premium amount and other half by state
govt.
The Planning Commission has introduced an annual
rating system for states to enable them improve on
their business climate.
India will extend visa-on arrival to tourists of 180
nations as against 11 at present, to boost tourism.
In order to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud
Computing, Government of India has launched the ‘GI
Cloud’ named as ‘MeghRaj’.
The Union government has launched an ambitious
project titled ‘Green Mission’ to increase forest cover
by 50 million hectares in the next 10 years
India plans a multi-nation and multi-modal transport
corridor between India and Central Asia - Russia.
JANUARY 2014
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram launched to
cover health needs of the nearly 243 million children in
the age group of 10 to 19 years.
On recommendations of the Sachchar Committee, Govt
has set up the National Waqf Development Corporation
Limited for the development of Waqf properties.
Govt. has launched the India Inclusive Innovation Fund
(IIIF), with the initial corpus of Rs 500 crore to invest in
innovative, sustainable and profitable ventures.
PAN card applicants will now have to submit Proof of
Address also.
Govt. has decided to include works relating to rural
sanitation also in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) launched in
Bangalore to provide adequate and efficient urban
public health delivery system for the urban poor
The Union Cabinet has approved a new framework for
release of TRPs (Television Rating Points), fixing a
sample size of not less than 50,000 households.
Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to constitute a
Rail Tariff Authority, RTA to advise the Railway Ministry
on fares.
Govt. has launched the Housing Start Up Index (HSUI)
to measure level of house construction activity. The
HSUI is a joint initiative of the National Building
Organisation and RBI.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 22
Scheduled Tribes (ST) households living in forest areas
who have received land rights under the Forest Rights
Act, 2006 will get 150 days employment under mgnrega
scheme.
The government has approved a proposal to pay formal
sector workers a minimum monthly pension of Rs
1,000, benefiting over 27 lakh pensioners.
Govt has adopted the new National Youth Policy (NYP-
2014) to improve their participation in priority areas of
education, skill development and entrepreneurship.
The Centre has approved the rollout of the Multi-
sectoral Nutrition Programme to address the problems
of maternal and child under-nutrition in the country.
To encourage school children to explore scientific
discoveries, 100 innovation hubs will be set up by the
National Innovation Council in the country by 2017.
DECEMBER 2013
Govt has agreed to grant constitutional status to the
proposed Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) for
appointment and transfer of judges
The Centre has cleared a proposal for setting up of
National Cancer Institute at Badhsa village in Jhajjar of
Haryana at a cost of Rs 2035 crore.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities Bill, raising the reservation for Persons
with Disabilities (PWD) from three at present to 5%.
Every NREGA job cardholder who plans to build a toilet
in his house will get Rs 10,000 from NREGA funds.
Govt has launched e-inclusion project to make people
e-literate, aiming to make at least one individual in
every household e-literate.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
FEBRUARY 2014
India’s GDP growth during October-December 2013 was
at 4.7 per cent
Due to subdued performance in agriculture, mining and
manufacturing in 2012-13, govt has revised growth rate
for the year to 4.5 per cent, from earlier 5 per cent.
Per Capita Income in India at ‘current prices’ for the
year 2013-14 will be Rs.74920
India has recorded an average annual economic growth
rate of 8 per cent during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-
12) compared to targeted 9 per cent.
JANUARY 2014
The Reserve Bank says that growth of GDP is expected
to fall below 5 per cent in 2013-14 in absence of pick-
up in manufacturing sector.
Moody's Analytics says that India’s GDP growth will be
in the 5 to 5.5 per cent range through 2014, before
heading north of 6 per cent in 2015.
UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2014
(WESP) report projected India’s growth rate at less
than 5.3 per cent for this year.
DECEMBER 2013
The economy grew at a faster pace of 4.8 per cent in
the second quarter (ending September 30th), primarily
due to improved performance of agriculture
ECONOMY
FEBRUARY 2014
INTERIM BUDGET FOR 2014 – 15
HIGHLIGHTS
Income tax rates kept unchanged;
10 pc surcharge on 'super-rich' having annual income
above Rs. 1 Crore to continue;
5 pc surcharge on corporates with turnover of Rs 10 cr.
Defence allocation increased by 10 per cent to Rs 2.24
lakh crore;
Moratorium on interest on student loans taken before
March 31, 2009; to benefit 9 lakh borrowers
Rs 11,200 cr. to be infused as capital in PSU banks in
2014-15.
Target for banks for credit to farm sector during 2014-
15 fixed at Rs. 8 Lakh Crore
Disinvestment target for FY2014-15 fixed at Rs. 36,925
Cr; plus Rs. 3000 Crore by residual stake sale.
Allocates Rs 1,000 Cr more to Nirbhaya Fund;
Rs. 2,46,397 Crore for food, fertiliser and fuel subsidy.
KEY BUDGET FIGURES – 2014-15
BUDGET HEAD Rs in Cr
1 Revenue Receipts (2+3) 1167131
2 Tax Revenue (net to centre) 986417
3 Non-Tax Revenue 180714
4 Capital Receipts (5+6+7) 596083
5 Recoveries of Loans 10527
6 Other Receipts 56925
7 Borrowings and other liabilities 528631
8 Total Receipts (1+4)
$
1763214
9 Non-Plan Expenditure (10+12) 1207892
10 On Revenue Account - of which, 1107781
11 Interest Payments 427011
12 On Capital Account 100111
13 Plan Expenditure (14+15) 555322
14 On Revenue Account 442273
15 On Capital Account 113049
16 Total Expenditure (9+13)(Budget Size) 1763214
17 Revenue Expenditure (10+14) 1550054
18 Of Which, Grants for creation of
Capital Assets
146581
19 Capital Expenditure (12+15) 213160
Scheduled Tribes (ST) households living in forest areas
who have received land rights under the Forest Rights
Act, 2006 will get 150 days employment under mgnrega
scheme.
The government has approved a proposal to pay formal
sector workers a minimum monthly pension of Rs
1,000, benefiting over 27 lakh pensioners.
Govt has adopted the new National Youth Policy (NYP-
2014) to improve their participation in priority areas of
education, skill development and entrepreneurship.
The Centre has approved the rollout of the Multi-
sectoral Nutrition Programme to address the problems
of maternal and child under-nutrition in the country.
To encourage school children to explore scientific
discoveries, 100 innovation hubs will be set up by the
National Innovation Council in the country by 2017.
DECEMBER 2013
Govt has agreed to grant constitutional status to the
proposed Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) for
appointment and transfer of judges
The Centre has cleared a proposal for setting up of
National Cancer Institute at Badhsa village in Jhajjar of
Haryana at a cost of Rs 2035 crore.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities Bill, raising the reservation for Persons
with Disabilities (PWD) from three at present to 5%.
Every NREGA job cardholder who plans to build a toilet
in his house will get Rs 10,000 from NREGA funds.
Govt has launched e-inclusion project to make people
e-literate, aiming to make at least one individual in
every household e-literate.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
FEBRUARY 2014
India’s GDP growth during October-December 2013 was
at 4.7 per cent
Due to subdued performance in agriculture, mining and
manufacturing in 2012-13, govt has revised growth rate
for the year to 4.5 per cent, from earlier 5 per cent.
Per Capita Income in India at ‘current prices’ for the
year 2013-14 will be Rs.74920
India has recorded an average annual economic growth
rate of 8 per cent during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-
12) compared to targeted 9 per cent.
JANUARY 2014
The Reserve Bank says that growth of GDP is expected
to fall below 5 per cent in 2013-14 in absence of pick-
up in manufacturing sector.
Moody's Analytics says that India’s GDP growth will be
in the 5 to 5.5 per cent range through 2014, before
heading north of 6 per cent in 2015.
UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2014
(WESP) report projected India’s growth rate at less
than 5.3 per cent for this year.
DECEMBER 2013
The economy grew at a faster pace of 4.8 per cent in
the second quarter (ending September 30th), primarily
due to improved performance of agriculture
ECONOMY
FEBRUARY 2014
INTERIM BUDGET FOR 2014 – 15
HIGHLIGHTS
Income tax rates kept unchanged;
10 pc surcharge on 'super-rich' having annual income
above Rs. 1 Crore to continue;
5 pc surcharge on corporates with turnover of Rs 10 cr.
Defence allocation increased by 10 per cent to Rs 2.24
lakh crore;
Moratorium on interest on student loans taken before
March 31, 2009; to benefit 9 lakh borrowers
Rs 11,200 cr. to be infused as capital in PSU banks in
2014-15.
Target for banks for credit to farm sector during 2014-
15 fixed at Rs. 8 Lakh Crore
Disinvestment target for FY2014-15 fixed at Rs. 36,925
Cr; plus Rs. 3000 Crore by residual stake sale.
Allocates Rs 1,000 Cr more to Nirbhaya Fund;
Rs. 2,46,397 Crore for food, fertiliser and fuel subsidy.
KEY BUDGET FIGURES – 2014-15
BUDGET HEAD Rs in Cr
1 Revenue Receipts (2+3) 1167131
2 Tax Revenue (net to centre) 986417
3 Non-Tax Revenue 180714
4 Capital Receipts (5+6+7) 596083
5 Recoveries of Loans 10527
6 Other Receipts 56925
7 Borrowings and other liabilities 528631
8 Total Receipts (1+4)
$
1763214
9 Non-Plan Expenditure (10+12) 1207892
10 On Revenue Account - of which, 1107781
11 Interest Payments 427011
12 On Capital Account 100111
13 Plan Expenditure (14+15) 555322
14 On Revenue Account 442273
15 On Capital Account 113049
16 Total Expenditure (9+13)(Budget Size) 1763214
17 Revenue Expenditure (10+14) 1550054
18 Of Which, Grants for creation of
Capital Assets
146581
19 Capital Expenditure (12+15) 213160
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 23
20 Revenue Deficit (17-1) 3.3% of GDP 382923
21 Effective Revenue Deficit (20-18) 1.8% of
GDP
236342
22 Fiscal Deficit {16-(1+5+6)} 4.8% of
GDP*
528631
23 Primary Deficit (22-11) 1.5% of GDP* 101620
*–GDP for 2014-2015 has been projected at `12839952
crore (Rs. 128.39 trillion)
GOVT HOUSE KEEPING (In %)
Rupee Comes From Rupee Goes To
Borrowings 25 Central Plan Outlay 10
Corporate Tax 21 Plan Asst. to State / UTs 16
Income Tax 14
Non Plan expenditure
State/UTs
03
Custom Duty 09 Non-Plan Expenditure 11
Excise Duty 10 States Share of Taxes 18
Service Tax 10 Interest Payments 20
Non-Tax Revenue 10 Defence 10
Non Debt Capital
Receipts
01 Subsidies 12
Total 100 Total 100
ADB to give $ 605.2 million loan for road development
in the N E region, power distribution in Madhya Pradesh
and improvement of railways services in the country.
India and Namibia have agreed for early conclusion of a
preferential trade agreement between New Delhi and
Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
Govt plans to roll out electronic toll collection on all
national highways by December to streamline the toll
collection and reduce commuter hassle.
The government has set a deadline for public transport
vehicles running in major cities with a population of
over 10 lakh to install GPS devices by Feb. 20, 2014.
Government mopped up around Rs 61,141 crore from
the auction of 2G spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1,800
MHz bands of radio waves.
Asian Development Bank to give a $300 million loan to
improve road connectivity along key corridors in
Chhattisgarh state.
JANUARY 2014
Govt has approved setting up of the Amritsar-Kolkata
Industrial Corridor (AKIC) and formation of the AKIC
Development Corporation (AKICDC).
India, Bangladesh, China and Myanmarwill to develop a
joint trade corridor from Kunming in China to Kolkata,
via Mandalay (Myanmar), Dhaka and Chittagong.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board has approved
UK-based Tesco Plc's proposal to enter the multi-brand
retail segment in jointly with a Tata Group company.
After a 16-month gap, India and Pakistan resumed their
trade talks by announcing a series of steps, including
24x7 trade activity at the Attari-Wagah border.
EPFO has decided to increase the rate of interest on
provident fund deposits from 8.5% at present to 8.75%
for 2013-14.
South Korean steel giant Posco has won environmental
clearance to build Rs 52,000 crore steel plant in Odisha,
involving the largest-ever FDI in India.
RBI to include 'Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul’
(MRO) of aircrafts as part of airport infrastructure for
the purpose of external commercial borrowings (ECB).
The World Bank to give $500 million loan for the Rural
Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income
States (Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh).
The ADB to provide $700 million loan under the
Accelerating Infrastructure Investment Facility in India
(AIIFI) to accelerate infrastructure growth.
ADB to provide $100 million loan for the project --
Supporting Human Capital Development in Meghalaya
for vocational and educational training to youth.
As per a UN report, India received $ 28 billion as FDI,
ranking 16th among the top 20 global economies
receiving the most FDI in 2013.
DECEMBER 2013
According to a study by global research firm Ipsos, has
ranked India as the seventh most economically
confident country in the world.
The Asian Development Bank has agreed to lend $176
million to extend the first metro train line in Jaipur.
BANKING
FEBRUARY 2014
RBI has allowed four companies for setting up and
operating White-Label ATMs (ATMs allowed to NBFCs).
The country's first Post Office ATM was inaugurated at
Thiyagaraya Nagar Head Post Office (HPO), Chennai
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) has tied with New India
Assurance Company to launch health insurance
products - BMB Sakhee, BMB-Nirbhaya and BMB-Parivar
Suraksha.
NABARD has developed the concept called Joint Liability
Group (JLG) to provide institutional credit to small
farmers
RBI has formed G Gopalakrishna committee to look into
capacity building and skill requirements at various levels
of banking and financial services
The Reserve Bank has withdrawn from April 1, 2014,
the ceiling of 26% on the maximum interest rate that
the micro finance institutions (MFIs)
The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to refinance
existing infrastructure project loans through take-out
financing agreements with any financial institution.
IBA has cautioned banks to ensure business continuity
after Microsoft ends support for its Windows XP
operating system on April 8, 2014.
HDFC Bank has launched its six basic banking
transactions through toll-free numbers.
RBI has directed banks to provide credit data in a
revised format for all loan accounts of Rs. 5 crore or
20 Revenue Deficit (17-1) 3.3% of GDP 382923
21 Effective Revenue Deficit (20-18) 1.8% of
GDP
236342
22 Fiscal Deficit {16-(1+5+6)} 4.8% of
GDP*
528631
23 Primary Deficit (22-11) 1.5% of GDP* 101620
*–GDP for 2014-2015 has been projected at `12839952
crore (Rs. 128.39 trillion)
GOVT HOUSE KEEPING (In %)
Rupee Comes From Rupee Goes To
Borrowings 25 Central Plan Outlay 10
Corporate Tax 21 Plan Asst. to State / UTs 16
Income Tax 14
Non Plan expenditure
State/UTs
03
Custom Duty 09 Non-Plan Expenditure 11
Excise Duty 10 States Share of Taxes 18
Service Tax 10 Interest Payments 20
Non-Tax Revenue 10 Defence 10
Non Debt Capital
Receipts
01 Subsidies 12
Total 100 Total 100
ADB to give $ 605.2 million loan for road development
in the N E region, power distribution in Madhya Pradesh
and improvement of railways services in the country.
India and Namibia have agreed for early conclusion of a
preferential trade agreement between New Delhi and
Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
Govt plans to roll out electronic toll collection on all
national highways by December to streamline the toll
collection and reduce commuter hassle.
The government has set a deadline for public transport
vehicles running in major cities with a population of
over 10 lakh to install GPS devices by Feb. 20, 2014.
Government mopped up around Rs 61,141 crore from
the auction of 2G spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1,800
MHz bands of radio waves.
Asian Development Bank to give a $300 million loan to
improve road connectivity along key corridors in
Chhattisgarh state.
JANUARY 2014
Govt has approved setting up of the Amritsar-Kolkata
Industrial Corridor (AKIC) and formation of the AKIC
Development Corporation (AKICDC).
India, Bangladesh, China and Myanmarwill to develop a
joint trade corridor from Kunming in China to Kolkata,
via Mandalay (Myanmar), Dhaka and Chittagong.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board has approved
UK-based Tesco Plc's proposal to enter the multi-brand
retail segment in jointly with a Tata Group company.
After a 16-month gap, India and Pakistan resumed their
trade talks by announcing a series of steps, including
24x7 trade activity at the Attari-Wagah border.
EPFO has decided to increase the rate of interest on
provident fund deposits from 8.5% at present to 8.75%
for 2013-14.
South Korean steel giant Posco has won environmental
clearance to build Rs 52,000 crore steel plant in Odisha,
involving the largest-ever FDI in India.
RBI to include 'Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul’
(MRO) of aircrafts as part of airport infrastructure for
the purpose of external commercial borrowings (ECB).
The World Bank to give $500 million loan for the Rural
Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income
States (Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh).
The ADB to provide $700 million loan under the
Accelerating Infrastructure Investment Facility in India
(AIIFI) to accelerate infrastructure growth.
ADB to provide $100 million loan for the project --
Supporting Human Capital Development in Meghalaya
for vocational and educational training to youth.
As per a UN report, India received $ 28 billion as FDI,
ranking 16th among the top 20 global economies
receiving the most FDI in 2013.
DECEMBER 2013
According to a study by global research firm Ipsos, has
ranked India as the seventh most economically
confident country in the world.
The Asian Development Bank has agreed to lend $176
million to extend the first metro train line in Jaipur.
BANKING
FEBRUARY 2014
RBI has allowed four companies for setting up and
operating White-Label ATMs (ATMs allowed to NBFCs).
The country's first Post Office ATM was inaugurated at
Thiyagaraya Nagar Head Post Office (HPO), Chennai
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) has tied with New India
Assurance Company to launch health insurance
products - BMB Sakhee, BMB-Nirbhaya and BMB-Parivar
Suraksha.
NABARD has developed the concept called Joint Liability
Group (JLG) to provide institutional credit to small
farmers
RBI has formed G Gopalakrishna committee to look into
capacity building and skill requirements at various levels
of banking and financial services
The Reserve Bank has withdrawn from April 1, 2014,
the ceiling of 26% on the maximum interest rate that
the micro finance institutions (MFIs)
The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to refinance
existing infrastructure project loans through take-out
financing agreements with any financial institution.
IBA has cautioned banks to ensure business continuity
after Microsoft ends support for its Windows XP
operating system on April 8, 2014.
HDFC Bank has launched its six basic banking
transactions through toll-free numbers.
RBI has directed banks to provide credit data in a
revised format for all loan accounts of Rs. 5 crore or
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 24
more to the Central Repository of Information on Large
Credits-CRILC.
Finance Minister has proposed to infuse Rs.11,200 crore
in public sector banks in the next financial year – 2014-
15 to enhance their capital.
In a bonanza for farmers, the government has set an
agriculture credit target of Rs 8 lakh crore for the banks
for 2014-15.
Govt. has advised that every old bank branch should
have ATM facility by March 31, 2014.
JANUARY 2014
The Reserve Bank hiked the repo rate to 8% from
7.75% per annum w.e.f. 28
th
Jan.
RBI has advised that all banknotes issued prior to 2005
will be withdrawn after Jan 1, 2015 as they have lesser
security features compared to notes issued thereafter.
Dr. Nachiket Mor Committee on Comprehensive
Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low Income
Households submitted its final report on December 31.
The Mor committee set up by the RBI has called for
establishing differentiated lenders, including one for
small businesses and low-income households.
RBI has advised banks that amount of loans sanctioned
by them against pledge of gold jewellery should not
exceed 75 per cent of the value of the gold.
Reserve Bank has allowed payments from abroad in
Indian rupees to utility service providers, tax payments
in India to promote cross-border inward remittances.
Reserve bank has announced issuance of Inflation
Indexed National Savings Certificates (IINSC) to offer
an inflation savvy investment option.
The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to permit bullet
payment of gold loans of up to Rs.1 lakh provided the
period of the loan does not exceeds 12 months.
The Reserve Bank has decided to establish ‘Depositor
Education and Awareness Fund’ by taking over amount
lying in unclaimed deposit accounts.
State Bank of India has strengthened its social media
presence with the launch of its channel on popular
video sharing website Youtube.
Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI)
has asked banks to compensate bank customers who
have been victims of electronic / online fraud.
RBI has allowed Banks collection of account payee
cheques drawn for an amount not exceeding Rs 50,000
in the accounts of co-operative credit societies
RBI has constituted an expert committee under the
chairmanship of P. J. Nayak (former Chairman of Axis
Bank) to review governance of boards of banks.
Govt. has revised its target upwards for opening new
bank branches to 10,000 a year, from 7000 a year at
present.
Axis Bank has become the first domestic private sector
bank to have a branch in China.
Prizm Payment Services has launched ‘Money Spot’, a
chain of 10, 000 white label ATMs, under licence from
the RBI.
DECEMBER 2013
Nepal and India have agreed to allow circulation of
Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 denomination Indian notes within
Nepalese territory, ending over 10 years of ban.
Doha Bank became the first Qatari bank to get the
license from RBI to start operations in India, with first
branch in Mumbai.
Govt approved the enhancement of the bilateral
currency swap arrangement between the RBI and Bank
of Japan to $ 50 billion, up from $ 15 billion at present.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 2014
Two naval officers died and seven Indian others were
injured after smoke filled a compartment in the Russia
made INS Sindhuratna submarine
TROPEX (Theatre level readiness and operational
exercise): Indian Navy’s major annual exercise held in
Indian Ocean
Indian Navy has started high tech Shore Based Test
Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Panaji, Goa.
The SBTF is primarily used for flight testing of naval
aircrafts that operate from aircraft carriers
JANUARY 2014
'MILAN 2014', the biennial international naval exercise
conducted by the Indian Navy held in Andaman &
Nicobar Islands between February 5 and 9.
Indian Coast Guard Ship Abhinav, a Fast Patrol Vessel
inducted in to service at Kochi base of Indian Coast
Guard.
India’s first indigenously built nuclear-powered
submarine, INS Arihant is now ready for sea trials.
Sahayog - Kaijin 2014’: Joint exercise held by the
Indian Coast Guard and its Japanese counterpart, off
the Kochi coast, Kerala.
The Mountain Strike Corps, aimed at countering
China, raised at Ranchi - its headquarters in Jharkhand.
Agni-IV: India successfully test-fired its nuclear-
capable strategic missile, with a strike range of about
4,000 km, from a test range off the Odisha coast.
ISRO launched the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle-D5 (GSLV-D5), carrying 1,982 kg
communication satellite GSAT-14, from Sriharikota,
Andhra Pradesh.
Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) has launched India's high performance
computing system 'Dhruva-3’.
SUPERCOMPUTER PARAM YUVA -II developed by the
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-
DAC) rated 1st in India and 44th in the world.
more to the Central Repository of Information on Large
Credits-CRILC.
Finance Minister has proposed to infuse Rs.11,200 crore
in public sector banks in the next financial year – 2014-
15 to enhance their capital.
In a bonanza for farmers, the government has set an
agriculture credit target of Rs 8 lakh crore for the banks
for 2014-15.
Govt. has advised that every old bank branch should
have ATM facility by March 31, 2014.
JANUARY 2014
The Reserve Bank hiked the repo rate to 8% from
7.75% per annum w.e.f. 28
th
Jan.
RBI has advised that all banknotes issued prior to 2005
will be withdrawn after Jan 1, 2015 as they have lesser
security features compared to notes issued thereafter.
Dr. Nachiket Mor Committee on Comprehensive
Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low Income
Households submitted its final report on December 31.
The Mor committee set up by the RBI has called for
establishing differentiated lenders, including one for
small businesses and low-income households.
RBI has advised banks that amount of loans sanctioned
by them against pledge of gold jewellery should not
exceed 75 per cent of the value of the gold.
Reserve Bank has allowed payments from abroad in
Indian rupees to utility service providers, tax payments
in India to promote cross-border inward remittances.
Reserve bank has announced issuance of Inflation
Indexed National Savings Certificates (IINSC) to offer
an inflation savvy investment option.
The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to permit bullet
payment of gold loans of up to Rs.1 lakh provided the
period of the loan does not exceeds 12 months.
The Reserve Bank has decided to establish ‘Depositor
Education and Awareness Fund’ by taking over amount
lying in unclaimed deposit accounts.
State Bank of India has strengthened its social media
presence with the launch of its channel on popular
video sharing website Youtube.
Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI)
has asked banks to compensate bank customers who
have been victims of electronic / online fraud.
RBI has allowed Banks collection of account payee
cheques drawn for an amount not exceeding Rs 50,000
in the accounts of co-operative credit societies
RBI has constituted an expert committee under the
chairmanship of P. J. Nayak (former Chairman of Axis
Bank) to review governance of boards of banks.
Govt. has revised its target upwards for opening new
bank branches to 10,000 a year, from 7000 a year at
present.
Axis Bank has become the first domestic private sector
bank to have a branch in China.
Prizm Payment Services has launched ‘Money Spot’, a
chain of 10, 000 white label ATMs, under licence from
the RBI.
DECEMBER 2013
Nepal and India have agreed to allow circulation of
Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 denomination Indian notes within
Nepalese territory, ending over 10 years of ban.
Doha Bank became the first Qatari bank to get the
license from RBI to start operations in India, with first
branch in Mumbai.
Govt approved the enhancement of the bilateral
currency swap arrangement between the RBI and Bank
of Japan to $ 50 billion, up from $ 15 billion at present.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 2014
Two naval officers died and seven Indian others were
injured after smoke filled a compartment in the Russia
made INS Sindhuratna submarine
TROPEX (Theatre level readiness and operational
exercise): Indian Navy’s major annual exercise held in
Indian Ocean
Indian Navy has started high tech Shore Based Test
Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Panaji, Goa.
The SBTF is primarily used for flight testing of naval
aircrafts that operate from aircraft carriers
JANUARY 2014
'MILAN 2014', the biennial international naval exercise
conducted by the Indian Navy held in Andaman &
Nicobar Islands between February 5 and 9.
Indian Coast Guard Ship Abhinav, a Fast Patrol Vessel
inducted in to service at Kochi base of Indian Coast
Guard.
India’s first indigenously built nuclear-powered
submarine, INS Arihant is now ready for sea trials.
Sahayog - Kaijin 2014’: Joint exercise held by the
Indian Coast Guard and its Japanese counterpart, off
the Kochi coast, Kerala.
The Mountain Strike Corps, aimed at countering
China, raised at Ranchi - its headquarters in Jharkhand.
Agni-IV: India successfully test-fired its nuclear-
capable strategic missile, with a strike range of about
4,000 km, from a test range off the Odisha coast.
ISRO launched the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle-D5 (GSLV-D5), carrying 1,982 kg
communication satellite GSAT-14, from Sriharikota,
Andhra Pradesh.
Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) has launched India's high performance
computing system 'Dhruva-3’.
SUPERCOMPUTER PARAM YUVA -II developed by the
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-
DAC) rated 1st in India and 44th in the world.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 25
British Scientists have achieved the fastest ever
broadband speeds of 1.4 terabits per second that can
transmit 44HD movies at once on existing fibre network
Indian Council for Medical Research has developed two
low cost glucose (sugar) monitoring devices and testing
strips, Suchek and Quickcheq for diabetic patients.
DECEMBER 2013
India’s indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft Tejas
inducted into the Indian Air Force on December 20.
India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic
missile with a strike range of over 3,000 km from
Odisha coast
Indian Air Force has bid farewell to MiG-21 FL – its first
supersonic combat jet aircraft that served it for over
five decades.
India has signed a mega contract of $1.01 billion with
USA for six more C-130J "Super Hercules" jumbo
military cargo aircrafts.
India offers to train Sri Lankan Navy officers.
China’s lunar probe Chang'e-3 landed on the Moon,
carrying the “Jade Rabbit” or Yu Tu rover.
A US space agency rover rambling on the dry surface of
Mars has for the first time discovered evidence of what
used to be a freshwater lake.
INTERNATIONAL
FEBRUARY 2014
Facebook has acquired mobile messaging company
WhatsApp for 19 billion dollars in a cash and stock deal.
Latest official data shows that the U.S. economy grew
at a 3.2 per cent annual rate in the October-December
quarter
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has approved domestic
trading in the Indian Rupee and some other foreign
currencies.
China has emerged as the largest buyer of gold in the
world in 2013 having bought 1,066 tonnes (up32 per
cent), surpassing India as the largest gold consumer.
North and South Korea have agreed to hold a reunion
for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the
first such event since 2010.
BiblioTech: First Paperless public Library of the world
opened in Bexar County, Texas, USA. It has only e-
books to read.
35th meeting of SAARC Council of Minister meeting
held in Bandos Island Resort in Maldives.
Theme of this year’s World Cancer Day, observed on
Feb. 4, is 'Debunk the myths'.
JANUARY 2014
The coldest, most dangerous blast of polar air in
decades-‘polar vortex’ gripped the US Midwest and
adjoining East and South eastern Canada.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced tapering of its
massive asset purchase programme, widely known as
quantitative easing (QE), starting from January, 2014.
44th annual meeting of World Economic Forum – WEF
held at Davos, Switzerland was attended by over 2,500
participants from almost 100 countrie.
The GDP growth rate for the quarter ending December
31, 2013 was pegged at 7.7%, lower than 7.8% in the
previous quarter.
China has formally abolished its controversial labour
camps and relaxed family planning restrictions from
‘one’ child norm to ‘two’ child norm.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to make
military service compulsory for all adult males aged
between 18 and 30, but kept it optional for women.
Latvia has become 18
th
country to adopt Euro as its
currency. Its earlier currency was ‘Latvian Lats’.
Greece takes over the Presidency of the European
Union Council. (not the presidentship)
DECEMBER 2013
Jordan has been elected as a non-permanent member
of the UN Security Council for filling a seat that fell
vacant after Saudi Arabia declined to join the Council
China’s currency Yuan, also called Renminbi has
replaced the Euro to become the second-most used
currency in trade and finance in world, claiming 8.66%.
A remote region in East Antarctica has set a new record
for the coldest place on earth, with temperatures
dipping to a bone-chilling minus 93.2 degrees Celsius.
PERSONS IN NEWS
FEBRUARY 2014
K.T. THOMAS: The former Supreme Court judge has been
appointed head of the eight-member search committee to
select the persons for various posts of Lokpal.
LAKSHMI SWAMINATHAN: Lady from Chennai has
become the first Indian to be elected as the President of the
Administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development Bank.
SANJEEV KULKARNI: A noted Professor of electrical
engineering in USA has been appointed as the next dean of
the Princeton University Graduate School in the Princeton
University, USA.
VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH: President of Ukraine was in news
as he fled from his country to an unknown destination
following the public revolt against him. The Parliament
impeached the absconding President and he has been put
on the international list of wanted persons.
MARK ZUCKERBERG: Facebook founder and chief
executive and his wife Priscilla Chan were the largest
philanthropic donors in the United States in 2013, donating
nearly 1 billion dollars to charity, according to the annual list
published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
British Scientists have achieved the fastest ever
broadband speeds of 1.4 terabits per second that can
transmit 44HD movies at once on existing fibre network
Indian Council for Medical Research has developed two
low cost glucose (sugar) monitoring devices and testing
strips, Suchek and Quickcheq for diabetic patients.
DECEMBER 2013
India’s indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft Tejas
inducted into the Indian Air Force on December 20.
India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic
missile with a strike range of over 3,000 km from
Odisha coast
Indian Air Force has bid farewell to MiG-21 FL – its first
supersonic combat jet aircraft that served it for over
five decades.
India has signed a mega contract of $1.01 billion with
USA for six more C-130J "Super Hercules" jumbo
military cargo aircrafts.
India offers to train Sri Lankan Navy officers.
China’s lunar probe Chang'e-3 landed on the Moon,
carrying the “Jade Rabbit” or Yu Tu rover.
A US space agency rover rambling on the dry surface of
Mars has for the first time discovered evidence of what
used to be a freshwater lake.
INTERNATIONAL
FEBRUARY 2014
Facebook has acquired mobile messaging company
WhatsApp for 19 billion dollars in a cash and stock deal.
Latest official data shows that the U.S. economy grew
at a 3.2 per cent annual rate in the October-December
quarter
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has approved domestic
trading in the Indian Rupee and some other foreign
currencies.
China has emerged as the largest buyer of gold in the
world in 2013 having bought 1,066 tonnes (up32 per
cent), surpassing India as the largest gold consumer.
North and South Korea have agreed to hold a reunion
for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the
first such event since 2010.
BiblioTech: First Paperless public Library of the world
opened in Bexar County, Texas, USA. It has only e-
books to read.
35th meeting of SAARC Council of Minister meeting
held in Bandos Island Resort in Maldives.
Theme of this year’s World Cancer Day, observed on
Feb. 4, is 'Debunk the myths'.
JANUARY 2014
The coldest, most dangerous blast of polar air in
decades-‘polar vortex’ gripped the US Midwest and
adjoining East and South eastern Canada.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced tapering of its
massive asset purchase programme, widely known as
quantitative easing (QE), starting from January, 2014.
44th annual meeting of World Economic Forum – WEF
held at Davos, Switzerland was attended by over 2,500
participants from almost 100 countrie.
The GDP growth rate for the quarter ending December
31, 2013 was pegged at 7.7%, lower than 7.8% in the
previous quarter.
China has formally abolished its controversial labour
camps and relaxed family planning restrictions from
‘one’ child norm to ‘two’ child norm.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to make
military service compulsory for all adult males aged
between 18 and 30, but kept it optional for women.
Latvia has become 18
th
country to adopt Euro as its
currency. Its earlier currency was ‘Latvian Lats’.
Greece takes over the Presidency of the European
Union Council. (not the presidentship)
DECEMBER 2013
Jordan has been elected as a non-permanent member
of the UN Security Council for filling a seat that fell
vacant after Saudi Arabia declined to join the Council
China’s currency Yuan, also called Renminbi has
replaced the Euro to become the second-most used
currency in trade and finance in world, claiming 8.66%.
A remote region in East Antarctica has set a new record
for the coldest place on earth, with temperatures
dipping to a bone-chilling minus 93.2 degrees Celsius.
PERSONS IN NEWS
FEBRUARY 2014
K.T. THOMAS: The former Supreme Court judge has been
appointed head of the eight-member search committee to
select the persons for various posts of Lokpal.
LAKSHMI SWAMINATHAN: Lady from Chennai has
become the first Indian to be elected as the President of the
Administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development Bank.
SANJEEV KULKARNI: A noted Professor of electrical
engineering in USA has been appointed as the next dean of
the Princeton University Graduate School in the Princeton
University, USA.
VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH: President of Ukraine was in news
as he fled from his country to an unknown destination
following the public revolt against him. The Parliament
impeached the absconding President and he has been put
on the international list of wanted persons.
MARK ZUCKERBERG: Facebook founder and chief
executive and his wife Priscilla Chan were the largest
philanthropic donors in the United States in 2013, donating
nearly 1 billion dollars to charity, according to the annual list
published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 26
JANUARY 2014
ANAND SINHA: Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India
was in news as he retired from the service. He was looking
after the new bank license process.
ANEES SALIM: Kerala-based writer won The Hindu Prize
for Best Fiction 2013 for his novel Vanity Bagh for consistent
writing and humour and imagination. The Prize recognises
the contribution of Indian writers to literary culture.
CYRUS MISTRY: Mumbai-based author-journalist won the
prestigious $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian literature,
given at the Jaipur Literature Festival for his book Chronicle
of a Corpse Bearer narrating the painful lives of members of
the small Zoroastrian community of corpse carriers.
SACHIN TENDULKAR: Legendary cricketer was placed
fifth on a list of 30 most admired persons on the planet
compiled by by YouGov for The Times by surveying almost
14,000 people. The list was topped by Microsoft founder
Bill Gates.
MEERA CHANDRASEKHAR: An Indian-American
university professor of physics and astronomy has been
honoured with the top US teaching award “Baylor
University's 2014 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great
Teaching”. The award carries the single largest monetary
reward of $250,000.
GEN. BIKRAM SINGH: Indian Army Chief took over as the
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), a body of
three service chiefs with the senior-most among them
heading it.
ASHA KHEMKA: A Bihar born eminent educationist has
been awarded one of Britain's highest civilian award-Dame
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE),
making her the first from the community to earn the honour
in past 83 years. The Damehood is in recognition of her
services to the deprived areas of the West Midlands as
Principal of West Nottinghamshire College for last 8 years.
A. JOSEPH PAULRAJ: Indian origin Professor of
technology at Stanford University, USA, has been awarded
the 2014 Marconi Prize, a Nobel equivalent for technology
pioneers, for his work that is at the heart of the current high
speed Wi-Fi and 4G mobile systems.
RAKESH KHURANA: Indian-American professor of
Sociology has been appointed Dean of the prestigious
Harvard College, at Harvard University, USA.
AITIZAZ HASAN: A 15-year-old school boy who died while
trying to defend his school in Pakistan’s troubled Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa district from a suicide bomber has been hailed
as a hero for saving the lives of many of his classmates. He
has been decorated with the Sitara-e-Shujaat — a
high civilian award for bravery.
ALI LARAYEDH: Tunisia’s Islamist Prime Minister was in
news as he resigned as part of a plan to end months of
political deadlock. His resignation sees the departure of
Tunisia’s first democratically elected government, which
came to power after veteran strongman Zine El Abidine Ben
Ali was overthrown in the first of the Arab Spring uprisings
almost three years ago.
MYKOLA AZAROV: Ukrainian Prime Minister was in news
as he resigned to counter widespread political protests in
the country against harsh anti protest laws.
MARGARET THATCHER: The ‘Iron Lady’ of Britain was
voted the most successful post-war British Prime Minister.
She passed away on April 8, 2013.
DECEMBER 2013
DEVYANI KHOBRAGADE: Deputy Consul General in
Indian consulate in New York was in news as she was
arrested on visa fraud charges and humiliated unreasonably
by hand cuffing and conducting body search, violating
provisions of Vienna convention providing diplomatic
immunity to diplomats.
JAYANT DASGUPTA: India’s Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the WTO in Geneva.
POPE FRANCIS: Supreme Head of Roman Catholics has
been named "Person of the Year" by the Time magazine for
the speed with which he succeeded in establishing the
church as servant and comforter of hurt people in an often
harsh world.
MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Designer of iconic AK-47
automatic rifle, died on Dec. 23 in Russia. The name AK-47
stands for "Kalashnikov's Automatic" and the year it was
designed, 1947. Also called the "Kalashnikov", the rifle and
its variants are the weapons of choice for dozens of armies
and guerrilla/terrorists groups around the world.
A P P O I N T M E N T S
FEBRUARY 2014
R K TIWARI: Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes
RAJESH KR. AGRAWAL: Judge, Supreme Court
N V RAMANA: Judge, Supreme Court
HARISH RAWAT: New Chief Minister of Uttrakhand
KTS TULSI: Nominated by the President as Member of
Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons. Justice
Tulsi is a leading legal luminary.
JATINDER BIR SINGH: Chairman and Managing Director
of Punjab & Sindh Bank
ASHOK KUMAR MATHUR: Chairman, 7
th
Central Pay
Commission
SATYA NADELLA: CEO of Microsoft Inc., USA
SUSHIL KOIRALA: Prime Minister of Nepal
ABDUL BASIT: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India
MATTEO RENZI: Prime Minister of Italy
MEHDI JOMAA: Prime Minister of Tunisia
IBRAHIM MAHLAB: Prime Minister, Egypt
OLEKSANDR TURCHYNOV : Acting President of Ukraine
ARSENIY YATSENYUK : Prime Minister of Ukraine
JANUARY 2014
ANAND SINHA: Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India
was in news as he retired from the service. He was looking
after the new bank license process.
ANEES SALIM: Kerala-based writer won The Hindu Prize
for Best Fiction 2013 for his novel Vanity Bagh for consistent
writing and humour and imagination. The Prize recognises
the contribution of Indian writers to literary culture.
CYRUS MISTRY: Mumbai-based author-journalist won the
prestigious $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian literature,
given at the Jaipur Literature Festival for his book Chronicle
of a Corpse Bearer narrating the painful lives of members of
the small Zoroastrian community of corpse carriers.
SACHIN TENDULKAR: Legendary cricketer was placed
fifth on a list of 30 most admired persons on the planet
compiled by by YouGov for The Times by surveying almost
14,000 people. The list was topped by Microsoft founder
Bill Gates.
MEERA CHANDRASEKHAR: An Indian-American
university professor of physics and astronomy has been
honoured with the top US teaching award “Baylor
University's 2014 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great
Teaching”. The award carries the single largest monetary
reward of $250,000.
GEN. BIKRAM SINGH: Indian Army Chief took over as the
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), a body of
three service chiefs with the senior-most among them
heading it.
ASHA KHEMKA: A Bihar born eminent educationist has
been awarded one of Britain's highest civilian award-Dame
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE),
making her the first from the community to earn the honour
in past 83 years. The Damehood is in recognition of her
services to the deprived areas of the West Midlands as
Principal of West Nottinghamshire College for last 8 years.
A. JOSEPH PAULRAJ: Indian origin Professor of
technology at Stanford University, USA, has been awarded
the 2014 Marconi Prize, a Nobel equivalent for technology
pioneers, for his work that is at the heart of the current high
speed Wi-Fi and 4G mobile systems.
RAKESH KHURANA: Indian-American professor of
Sociology has been appointed Dean of the prestigious
Harvard College, at Harvard University, USA.
AITIZAZ HASAN: A 15-year-old school boy who died while
trying to defend his school in Pakistan’s troubled Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa district from a suicide bomber has been hailed
as a hero for saving the lives of many of his classmates. He
has been decorated with the Sitara-e-Shujaat — a
high civilian award for bravery.
ALI LARAYEDH: Tunisia’s Islamist Prime Minister was in
news as he resigned as part of a plan to end months of
political deadlock. His resignation sees the departure of
Tunisia’s first democratically elected government, which
came to power after veteran strongman Zine El Abidine Ben
Ali was overthrown in the first of the Arab Spring uprisings
almost three years ago.
MYKOLA AZAROV: Ukrainian Prime Minister was in news
as he resigned to counter widespread political protests in
the country against harsh anti protest laws.
MARGARET THATCHER: The ‘Iron Lady’ of Britain was
voted the most successful post-war British Prime Minister.
She passed away on April 8, 2013.
DECEMBER 2013
DEVYANI KHOBRAGADE: Deputy Consul General in
Indian consulate in New York was in news as she was
arrested on visa fraud charges and humiliated unreasonably
by hand cuffing and conducting body search, violating
provisions of Vienna convention providing diplomatic
immunity to diplomats.
JAYANT DASGUPTA: India’s Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the WTO in Geneva.
POPE FRANCIS: Supreme Head of Roman Catholics has
been named "Person of the Year" by the Time magazine for
the speed with which he succeeded in establishing the
church as servant and comforter of hurt people in an often
harsh world.
MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV Designer of iconic AK-47
automatic rifle, died on Dec. 23 in Russia. The name AK-47
stands for "Kalashnikov's Automatic" and the year it was
designed, 1947. Also called the "Kalashnikov", the rifle and
its variants are the weapons of choice for dozens of armies
and guerrilla/terrorists groups around the world.
A P P O I N T M E N T S
FEBRUARY 2014
R K TIWARI: Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes
RAJESH KR. AGRAWAL: Judge, Supreme Court
N V RAMANA: Judge, Supreme Court
HARISH RAWAT: New Chief Minister of Uttrakhand
KTS TULSI: Nominated by the President as Member of
Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons. Justice
Tulsi is a leading legal luminary.
JATINDER BIR SINGH: Chairman and Managing Director
of Punjab & Sindh Bank
ASHOK KUMAR MATHUR: Chairman, 7
th
Central Pay
Commission
SATYA NADELLA: CEO of Microsoft Inc., USA
SUSHIL KOIRALA: Prime Minister of Nepal
ABDUL BASIT: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India
MATTEO RENZI: Prime Minister of Italy
MEHDI JOMAA: Prime Minister of Tunisia
IBRAHIM MAHLAB: Prime Minister, Egypt
OLEKSANDR TURCHYNOV : Acting President of Ukraine
ARSENIY YATSENYUK : Prime Minister of Ukraine
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 27
JANUARY 2014
SUBODH AGGARWAL: President of the South Asian
Federation of Accountants.
R. CHANDRASHEKHAR: President of NASSCOM
ARUP RAHA: Air Chief Marshal, Indian Air Force
VINOD KUMAR DUGGAL: Governor of Manipur
JANET YELLEN– First lady Governor of the US Federal
Reserve (US equivalent of RBI)
SHEIKH HASINA: Awami League leader of Bangladesh
who was sworn-in as Prime Minister for the third time.
LAIMDOTA STRAUJUMA: 1
st
woman PM of Latvia
HERY RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA: President of
Madagascar
DECEMBER 2013
J N CHOUDHURY: Director General, National Security
Guard (NSG)
ARVIND RANJAN: Director General, Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF).
SUSHMA SINGH: Chief Information Commissioner at
Central Information Commission
SUMIT BOSE: Union Finance Secretary
S. JAISHANKAR: India’s new Ambassador to USA
VK DUGGAL: Governor of Manipur
C. V. R. RAJENDRAN: Chairman and Managing Director,
Andhra Bank
MOHAN V TANKSALE: Chief Executive, Indian Banks'
Association (IBA)
5 NEW CHIEF MINISTERS
ARVIND KEJRIWAL : New Delhi
VASUNDHARA RAJE: Rajasthan
SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN: Madhya Pradesh
DR. RAMAN SINGH: Chhattisgarh
PU LALTHANHAWLA: Mizoram
AWARDS & HONOURS
FEBRUARY 2014
VYAS SAMMAN 2013: Vishwanath Tripathi, noted Hindi
writer for his memoir ‘Vyomkesh
RAMANUJAN MATHEMATICS AWARD : Anand Kumar,
founder of Super 30 classes in Patna.
E&Y ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2013: Uday Kotak,
executive vice-chairman, Kotak Mahindra Bank
E&Y LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Dr Yusuf K
Hamied, Chairman, Cipla.
AMAZING INDIAN AWARD: Arunima Sinha for scaling
Mount Everest despite being physically challenged. She lost
her right leg in 2011 after being thrown off a moving train.
Zayed's international prize in environment won by
Indian environment expert Ashok Khosla, awarded by UAE
with prize money of $300,000 for scientific achievement.
67
TH
BAFTA AWARDS
Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave by Steve McQueen
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Best Actress: Kate Blanchet, Blue Jasmine
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron for ‘Gravity’
CRYSTAL BEAR AWARD: won by Marathi film 'Killa',
directed by Avinash Arun at the 64th Berlin International
Film Festival.
INTERNATIONAL GANDHI AWARD -2013: Dr. Vijay
Kumar Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang for making
outstanding contributions in the field of leprosy treatment.
'ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP' - a prestigious civil award of
Russia, conferred on A Sivathanu Pillai, Chief of BrahMos
Aerospace, an Indo-Russia joint venture to produce
supersonic BrahMos missiles.
JANUARY 2014
PADMA AWARDS - 2014
PADMA VIBHUSHAN – 2 Only
Name Field State
Dr. Raghunath A
Mashelkar
Science &
Engineering
Maharashtra
B. K. S Iyengar Yoga Maharashtra
PADMA BHUSHAN – TOTAL 24
Kamala Haasan, Art-Cinema, Tamil Nadu
Justice Dalveer
Bhandari
Public Affairs, Judge in
ICJ
Delhi
Anita Desai Literature and
Education, Novelist
Delhi
Ruskin Bond Literature and
Education, Novelist
Uttarakhand
Pullela Gopichand Sports-Badminton Andhra
Pradesh
Leander Paes Sports-Tennis Maharashtra
Late Justice J S
Verma
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh
Prof Anisuzzaman Literature and
Education, writer
Bangladesh
Prof Lloyd I
Rudolph
Literature and
Education
USA
Prof Susanne H
Rudolph
Literature and
Education
USA
PADMA SHRI - TOTAL 101
Yuvraj Singh Sports, Cricketer Haryana
Bansi Kaul Art-Theatre J & K
Sudarsan Pattnaik Art-Sand artist Odisha
Paresh Rawal Art-Cinema Maharashtra
Santosh Sivan Art- Cinema Tamil Nadu
Vidya Balan Art-Cinema Maharashtra
Ashok Chakradhar Lit. and Education Delhi
Anjum Chopra Sports- Cricket Delhi
Sunil Dabas Sports- Kabbadi Haryana
Mamta Sodha Sports-
Mountaineering
Haryana
JANUARY 2014
SUBODH AGGARWAL: President of the South Asian
Federation of Accountants.
R. CHANDRASHEKHAR: President of NASSCOM
ARUP RAHA: Air Chief Marshal, Indian Air Force
VINOD KUMAR DUGGAL: Governor of Manipur
JANET YELLEN– First lady Governor of the US Federal
Reserve (US equivalent of RBI)
SHEIKH HASINA: Awami League leader of Bangladesh
who was sworn-in as Prime Minister for the third time.
LAIMDOTA STRAUJUMA: 1
st
woman PM of Latvia
HERY RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA: President of
Madagascar
DECEMBER 2013
J N CHOUDHURY: Director General, National Security
Guard (NSG)
ARVIND RANJAN: Director General, Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF).
SUSHMA SINGH: Chief Information Commissioner at
Central Information Commission
SUMIT BOSE: Union Finance Secretary
S. JAISHANKAR: India’s new Ambassador to USA
VK DUGGAL: Governor of Manipur
C. V. R. RAJENDRAN: Chairman and Managing Director,
Andhra Bank
MOHAN V TANKSALE: Chief Executive, Indian Banks'
Association (IBA)
5 NEW CHIEF MINISTERS
ARVIND KEJRIWAL : New Delhi
VASUNDHARA RAJE: Rajasthan
SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN: Madhya Pradesh
DR. RAMAN SINGH: Chhattisgarh
PU LALTHANHAWLA: Mizoram
AWARDS & HONOURS
FEBRUARY 2014
VYAS SAMMAN 2013: Vishwanath Tripathi, noted Hindi
writer for his memoir ‘Vyomkesh
RAMANUJAN MATHEMATICS AWARD : Anand Kumar,
founder of Super 30 classes in Patna.
E&Y ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2013: Uday Kotak,
executive vice-chairman, Kotak Mahindra Bank
E&Y LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Dr Yusuf K
Hamied, Chairman, Cipla.
AMAZING INDIAN AWARD: Arunima Sinha for scaling
Mount Everest despite being physically challenged. She lost
her right leg in 2011 after being thrown off a moving train.
Zayed's international prize in environment won by
Indian environment expert Ashok Khosla, awarded by UAE
with prize money of $300,000 for scientific achievement.
67
TH
BAFTA AWARDS
Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave by Steve McQueen
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave
Best Actress: Kate Blanchet, Blue Jasmine
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron for ‘Gravity’
CRYSTAL BEAR AWARD: won by Marathi film 'Killa',
directed by Avinash Arun at the 64th Berlin International
Film Festival.
INTERNATIONAL GANDHI AWARD -2013: Dr. Vijay
Kumar Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang for making
outstanding contributions in the field of leprosy treatment.
'ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP' - a prestigious civil award of
Russia, conferred on A Sivathanu Pillai, Chief of BrahMos
Aerospace, an Indo-Russia joint venture to produce
supersonic BrahMos missiles.
JANUARY 2014
PADMA AWARDS - 2014
PADMA VIBHUSHAN – 2 Only
Name Field State
Dr. Raghunath A
Mashelkar
Science &
Engineering
Maharashtra
B. K. S Iyengar Yoga Maharashtra
PADMA BHUSHAN – TOTAL 24
Kamala Haasan, Art-Cinema, Tamil Nadu
Justice Dalveer
Bhandari
Public Affairs, Judge in
ICJ
Delhi
Anita Desai Literature and
Education, Novelist
Delhi
Ruskin Bond Literature and
Education, Novelist
Uttarakhand
Pullela Gopichand Sports-Badminton Andhra
Pradesh
Leander Paes Sports-Tennis Maharashtra
Late Justice J S
Verma
Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh
Prof Anisuzzaman Literature and
Education, writer
Bangladesh
Prof Lloyd I
Rudolph
Literature and
Education
USA
Prof Susanne H
Rudolph
Literature and
Education
USA
PADMA SHRI - TOTAL 101
Yuvraj Singh Sports, Cricketer Haryana
Bansi Kaul Art-Theatre J & K
Sudarsan Pattnaik Art-Sand artist Odisha
Paresh Rawal Art-Cinema Maharashtra
Santosh Sivan Art- Cinema Tamil Nadu
Vidya Balan Art-Cinema Maharashtra
Ashok Chakradhar Lit. and Education Delhi
Anjum Chopra Sports- Cricket Delhi
Sunil Dabas Sports- Kabbadi Haryana
Mamta Sodha Sports-
Mountaineering
Haryana
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 28
59
th FILMFARE AWARDS 2014
Best Actor: Farhan Akhtar for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Actress: Deepika Padukone (Goliyon Ki Raslila Ram
Leela)
Best Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag)
Best Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
THE HINDU PRIZE for Best Fiction 2013: Anees Salim for
his novel Vanity Bagh
DSC PRIZE for South Asian literature-2014: Cyrus Mistry
for his book Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer
71ST GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
These awards are given annually by Hollywood Foreign
Press Association (HFPA) in California, USA for recognizing
the excellence in the field of cinema and TV.
Best film-Drama: 12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueen
Best Comedy Film: American Hustle by David O. Russell
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico) for his spectacular
3D space drama – Gravity.
56
TH GRAMMY AWARDS -2014
(At Los Angeles, California, USA)
Record of the Year: Get Lucky by French musical
group-Daft Punk featuring singer Pharrell Williams
Album of the Year: Random Access Memories by Daft
Punk
Song of the Year: Royals by Joel Little and Lorde
Best Pop Solo Performance: Royals by Lorde
Best World Music Album: shared by - Live: Singing for
Peace Around the World by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and
Savor Flamenco by Gypsy Kings.
MARCONI PRIZE -2014: A. Joseph Paulraj, USA, for his
work in developing high speed WiFi and 4G mobile systems.
FIFA Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (best
footballer of the year in world)
DECEMBER 2013
BANKER OF THE YEAR -2013: Aditya Puri, Managing
Director, HDFC Bank. The award is given by the financial
daily Business Standard
Dayawati Modi Stree Shakti Samman: Rashmi Singh,
Executive Director of the National Mission for Empowerment
of Women
Stree Shakti Science Samman: Jata S Tyagi, professor
at AIIMS
MISS INTERNATIONAL 2013: Bea Rose Santiago, of
Philippines, in Tokyo
MISS EARTH 2013: Alyz Henrich of Venezuela in
Muntinlupa, Philippines
OBITUARY
FEBRUARY 2014
AMAR KANT: Noted Hindi writer, Jnanpith Award winner
BALU MAHENDRA: Noted Tamil film director and
cinematographer
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN : A popular Oscar winner U
S cinema actor
JANUARY 2014
SUCHITRA SEN: Legendary Bengali actor, Padmashri
awardee, known for her outstanding performances in
several Bengali and a few Hindi films like ‘Aandhi’, ‘Devdas’.
Known as ‘Greta Garbo’ of Indian Cinema.
Dr. SYEDNA MOHAMMED BURHANUDDIN : 52nd Dai al-
Mutlaq (spiritual head) of the world wide Dawoodi Bohra
community, a sub group within the Mustaali, Ismaili Shia
branch of Islam.
AKKINENI NAGESWARA RAO: Veteran actor of Telugu
cinema, popular as ‘ANR’, Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner,
the 91-year-old acted in more than 250 Telugu films,
including a few in Tamil.
SUNANDA PUSHKAR: High profile socialite and wife of
Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development
Shashi Tharoor
KARL SLYM: Managing Director of Tata Motors Ltd, died
after falling from a high floor of a hotel in Bangkok,
Thailand.
ARIEL SHARON: Former Israeli Prime Minister, one of the
most influential figures in Israel’s history, a military
commander and political leader.
PAUL TORDAY: British novelist, famous for his debut novel
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"
DECEMBER 2013
NELSON MANDELA: South Africa’s first elected African
president (1994-99) and a global anti-apartheid icon who
got South Africa freed from the clutches of its European
(white) rulers in 1994 through a public election. He served
over 27 years (1962-1990) in prison. Was honoured with
‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1990 for espousing Gandhian values and
with Noble Peace Prize in 1994.
FAROOQ SHEIKH: Veteran actor of Hindi Cinema
SIS RAM OLA: Union Labour and Employment Minister
PLACES IN NEWS
FEBRUARY 2014
CHANDOLI: village in Alwar district of Rajasthan was
declared as India’s first Minority Cyber Gram (village).
JANUARY 2014
GORAKHPUR: village in Fatehabad district of Haryana was
in news as foundation stone was laid there for a 2,800
megawatt nuclear power plant- Gorakhpur Haryana Anu
Vidyut Pariyojna.
59
th FILMFARE AWARDS 2014
Best Actor: Farhan Akhtar for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Best Actress: Deepika Padukone (Goliyon Ki Raslila Ram
Leela)
Best Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag)
Best Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
THE HINDU PRIZE for Best Fiction 2013: Anees Salim for
his novel Vanity Bagh
DSC PRIZE for South Asian literature-2014: Cyrus Mistry
for his book Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer
71ST GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
These awards are given annually by Hollywood Foreign
Press Association (HFPA) in California, USA for recognizing
the excellence in the field of cinema and TV.
Best film-Drama: 12 Years a Slave by Steve McQueen
Best Comedy Film: American Hustle by David O. Russell
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico) for his spectacular
3D space drama – Gravity.
56
TH GRAMMY AWARDS -2014
(At Los Angeles, California, USA)
Record of the Year: Get Lucky by French musical
group-Daft Punk featuring singer Pharrell Williams
Album of the Year: Random Access Memories by Daft
Punk
Song of the Year: Royals by Joel Little and Lorde
Best Pop Solo Performance: Royals by Lorde
Best World Music Album: shared by - Live: Singing for
Peace Around the World by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and
Savor Flamenco by Gypsy Kings.
MARCONI PRIZE -2014: A. Joseph Paulraj, USA, for his
work in developing high speed WiFi and 4G mobile systems.
FIFA Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (best
footballer of the year in world)
DECEMBER 2013
BANKER OF THE YEAR -2013: Aditya Puri, Managing
Director, HDFC Bank. The award is given by the financial
daily Business Standard
Dayawati Modi Stree Shakti Samman: Rashmi Singh,
Executive Director of the National Mission for Empowerment
of Women
Stree Shakti Science Samman: Jata S Tyagi, professor
at AIIMS
MISS INTERNATIONAL 2013: Bea Rose Santiago, of
Philippines, in Tokyo
MISS EARTH 2013: Alyz Henrich of Venezuela in
Muntinlupa, Philippines
OBITUARY
FEBRUARY 2014
AMAR KANT: Noted Hindi writer, Jnanpith Award winner
BALU MAHENDRA: Noted Tamil film director and
cinematographer
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN : A popular Oscar winner U
S cinema actor
JANUARY 2014
SUCHITRA SEN: Legendary Bengali actor, Padmashri
awardee, known for her outstanding performances in
several Bengali and a few Hindi films like ‘Aandhi’, ‘Devdas’.
Known as ‘Greta Garbo’ of Indian Cinema.
Dr. SYEDNA MOHAMMED BURHANUDDIN : 52nd Dai al-
Mutlaq (spiritual head) of the world wide Dawoodi Bohra
community, a sub group within the Mustaali, Ismaili Shia
branch of Islam.
AKKINENI NAGESWARA RAO: Veteran actor of Telugu
cinema, popular as ‘ANR’, Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner,
the 91-year-old acted in more than 250 Telugu films,
including a few in Tamil.
SUNANDA PUSHKAR: High profile socialite and wife of
Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development
Shashi Tharoor
KARL SLYM: Managing Director of Tata Motors Ltd, died
after falling from a high floor of a hotel in Bangkok,
Thailand.
ARIEL SHARON: Former Israeli Prime Minister, one of the
most influential figures in Israel’s history, a military
commander and political leader.
PAUL TORDAY: British novelist, famous for his debut novel
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"
DECEMBER 2013
NELSON MANDELA: South Africa’s first elected African
president (1994-99) and a global anti-apartheid icon who
got South Africa freed from the clutches of its European
(white) rulers in 1994 through a public election. He served
over 27 years (1962-1990) in prison. Was honoured with
‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1990 for espousing Gandhian values and
with Noble Peace Prize in 1994.
FAROOQ SHEIKH: Veteran actor of Hindi Cinema
SIS RAM OLA: Union Labour and Employment Minister
PLACES IN NEWS
FEBRUARY 2014
CHANDOLI: village in Alwar district of Rajasthan was
declared as India’s first Minority Cyber Gram (village).
JANUARY 2014
GORAKHPUR: village in Fatehabad district of Haryana was
in news as foundation stone was laid there for a 2,800
megawatt nuclear power plant- Gorakhpur Haryana Anu
Vidyut Pariyojna.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 29
KARBI ANGLONG: A hilly district in Central Assam was in
news as it witnessed widespread violent clashes between
the ethnic insurgent Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (KPLT)
and the Rengma Naga Hills Protection Force (RNHPF). As a
result thousands of Karbi and Rengma tribals were forced to
leave their homes and take shelter in local refugee camps.
SOUTH SUDAN: The country has been hit by unrest since
Dec. 15, when fighting among loyal and rebel presidential
guards in the capital city Juba later spiraled across the
country. Anti govt forces are being led by the former Vice-
President Riek Machar and his men from Nuer tribe.
Currently, battle is on for control of Bor - a major town in
eastern Sudan.
VOLGOGRAD: the Russian city was in news as it
witnessed two ghastly terror attacks by suicide bombers,
killing over thirty persons and seriously wounding several
others. The surge in terror attacks comes a little over a
month ahead of Winter Olympic Games to be held in Sochi
in Russia.
DECEMBER 2013
ENGLAND: Gales and rain caused heavy damage in UK and
disruption to transport and the power network. More than
6,000 UK homes remain without electricity - with some of
those who have been cut off since Christmas Eve expressing
anger at the situation.
SP O R T S W O R L D
FEBRUARY 2014
SOCHI OLYMPICS – 2014
The 22nd Winter Olympic games 2014 were held at Sochi in
Russia. The official mascots for these games were named -
the Leopard, the Polar Bear and the Hare. Motto of this
year’s games was “Hot-Cool-Yours” Sochi. Of the 88
countries who took part in 98 events, Russia secured
highest number of medals winning 13 gold, 11 silver and 9
bronze medals.
2014 Paralympic winter games to be held at Sochi,
Russia from 7
th
to 16
th
March, 2014.
Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championship
title at Lucknow, beating Alok Kumar.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted the
suspension of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) after
approving the new elections of office bearers of the IOA.
N. RAMACHANDRAN: President, Indian Olympic
Association
N. SRINIVASAN elected as Chairman, International Cricket
Council
Irani cup: Karantaka defeats Rest of India to lift
prestigious cricket trophy at Bangalore
Mithali Raj will lead the Indian women’s cricket team in
the ICC Women's World Twenty20 to be held from March 16
in Bangladesh.
35th National Masters Athletic Championship held at
Coimbatore, Kerala.
Ranji Trophy: Karnataka won their seventh title after
beating Maharashtra in finals held at Hyderabad.
Sakshi Malik won gold at the 2014 Dave Schultz
International Wrestling Tournament in Colorado Springs,
USA.
Kathy Cross: First woman to be inducted in the
International Cricket Council‘s (ICC’s) umpires’ panel. She is
from New Zealand.
JANUARY 2014
75th Senior National table tennis championships:
Sanil Shetty and Ankita Das bagged the men’s and women’s
titles respectively at Patna.
62nd Senior National Volleyball Championship :
Tamil Nadu and Railways bagged the men's and women's
titles respectively, at Moradabad, UP.
Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold
badminton championship held at Lucknow, UP. Results:
Men’s singles: Xue Song of China; Women’s singles: Saina
Nehwal, India
6th All India Inter-university Fencing Championship:
won by the Punjabi University, Patiala, at Patiala, Punjab.
The 61st Senior National Kabaddi Championship held
at Patna, Bihar.
Evans Ruto of Kenya won the 11th Standard Chartered
Mumbai Marathon. Dinknesh Mekash of Ethiopia won the
women’s race.
Lusofonia Games-2014 was held at Goa from Jan. 18 to
29. It is a multinational multi sports event where
sportspersons from Portuguese speaking countries
participate.
Aditya Joshi: Young shuttler (17) from Madhya Pradesh
has become the first male junior badminton player from
India to be ranked top in the world by the World Badminton
Federation (WBF).
Shiva Keshavan won the silver in the 16th Luge Asia Cup,
held in Nagano, Japan. A Luge is a small one- or two-
person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-
first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the
calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to
the seat.
M S Dhoni became the first Indian wicketkeeper and the
fourth in world to effect 300 dismissals in One Day
Internationals when he caught a Ross Taylor nick in the
opening ODI against New Zealand in Napier, New Zealand.
TAX EXEMPTION TO SPORTSPERSONS
Central Board of Direct Taxes-CBDT has announced that
Indian sportspersons who win medals at Olympics,
Commonwealth and Asian Games will be exempted from
paying Income Tax on cash or other rewards given by the
government.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN Tennis Cup, Melbourne, Australia
Men: Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland defeated Rafa
Nadal of Spain
Women: Li Na of China defeated Dominika Cibulkova of
Slovakia; the oldest woman (31) ever to win the title.
KARBI ANGLONG: A hilly district in Central Assam was in
news as it witnessed widespread violent clashes between
the ethnic insurgent Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (KPLT)
and the Rengma Naga Hills Protection Force (RNHPF). As a
result thousands of Karbi and Rengma tribals were forced to
leave their homes and take shelter in local refugee camps.
SOUTH SUDAN: The country has been hit by unrest since
Dec. 15, when fighting among loyal and rebel presidential
guards in the capital city Juba later spiraled across the
country. Anti govt forces are being led by the former Vice-
President Riek Machar and his men from Nuer tribe.
Currently, battle is on for control of Bor - a major town in
eastern Sudan.
VOLGOGRAD: the Russian city was in news as it
witnessed two ghastly terror attacks by suicide bombers,
killing over thirty persons and seriously wounding several
others. The surge in terror attacks comes a little over a
month ahead of Winter Olympic Games to be held in Sochi
in Russia.
DECEMBER 2013
ENGLAND: Gales and rain caused heavy damage in UK and
disruption to transport and the power network. More than
6,000 UK homes remain without electricity - with some of
those who have been cut off since Christmas Eve expressing
anger at the situation.
SP O R T S W O R L D
FEBRUARY 2014
SOCHI OLYMPICS – 2014
The 22nd Winter Olympic games 2014 were held at Sochi in
Russia. The official mascots for these games were named -
the Leopard, the Polar Bear and the Hare. Motto of this
year’s games was “Hot-Cool-Yours” Sochi. Of the 88
countries who took part in 98 events, Russia secured
highest number of medals winning 13 gold, 11 silver and 9
bronze medals.
2014 Paralympic winter games to be held at Sochi,
Russia from 7
th
to 16
th
March, 2014.
Sourav Kothari won the National Billiard Championship
title at Lucknow, beating Alok Kumar.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted the
suspension of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) after
approving the new elections of office bearers of the IOA.
N. RAMACHANDRAN: President, Indian Olympic
Association
N. SRINIVASAN elected as Chairman, International Cricket
Council
Irani cup: Karantaka defeats Rest of India to lift
prestigious cricket trophy at Bangalore
Mithali Raj will lead the Indian women’s cricket team in
the ICC Women's World Twenty20 to be held from March 16
in Bangladesh.
35th National Masters Athletic Championship held at
Coimbatore, Kerala.
Ranji Trophy: Karnataka won their seventh title after
beating Maharashtra in finals held at Hyderabad.
Sakshi Malik won gold at the 2014 Dave Schultz
International Wrestling Tournament in Colorado Springs,
USA.
Kathy Cross: First woman to be inducted in the
International Cricket Council‘s (ICC’s) umpires’ panel. She is
from New Zealand.
JANUARY 2014
75th Senior National table tennis championships:
Sanil Shetty and Ankita Das bagged the men’s and women’s
titles respectively at Patna.
62nd Senior National Volleyball Championship :
Tamil Nadu and Railways bagged the men's and women's
titles respectively, at Moradabad, UP.
Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold
badminton championship held at Lucknow, UP. Results:
Men’s singles: Xue Song of China; Women’s singles: Saina
Nehwal, India
6th All India Inter-university Fencing Championship:
won by the Punjabi University, Patiala, at Patiala, Punjab.
The 61st Senior National Kabaddi Championship held
at Patna, Bihar.
Evans Ruto of Kenya won the 11th Standard Chartered
Mumbai Marathon. Dinknesh Mekash of Ethiopia won the
women’s race.
Lusofonia Games-2014 was held at Goa from Jan. 18 to
29. It is a multinational multi sports event where
sportspersons from Portuguese speaking countries
participate.
Aditya Joshi: Young shuttler (17) from Madhya Pradesh
has become the first male junior badminton player from
India to be ranked top in the world by the World Badminton
Federation (WBF).
Shiva Keshavan won the silver in the 16th Luge Asia Cup,
held in Nagano, Japan. A Luge is a small one- or two-
person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-
first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the
calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to
the seat.
M S Dhoni became the first Indian wicketkeeper and the
fourth in world to effect 300 dismissals in One Day
Internationals when he caught a Ross Taylor nick in the
opening ODI against New Zealand in Napier, New Zealand.
TAX EXEMPTION TO SPORTSPERSONS
Central Board of Direct Taxes-CBDT has announced that
Indian sportspersons who win medals at Olympics,
Commonwealth and Asian Games will be exempted from
paying Income Tax on cash or other rewards given by the
government.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN Tennis Cup, Melbourne, Australia
Men: Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland defeated Rafa
Nadal of Spain
Women: Li Na of China defeated Dominika Cibulkova of
Slovakia; the oldest woman (31) ever to win the title.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 30
ATP Chennai Open Tennis : Stanislas Wawrinka of
Switzerland won the title beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin of
France.
Malaysian Open 2014(badminton): Lee Chong Wei of
Malaysia won the men’s title in, beating Tommy Sugiarto of
Indonesia. Women’s title was lifted by China's Li Xuerui
beating teammate Wang Shixian.
Hero Hockey World League: Netherlands beats New
Zealand to win the championship held at New Delhi.
Corey Anderson: New Zealand all-rounder scored the
quickest century ever in international cricket, taking just 36
balls against West Indies at Queenstown, New Zealand to
break the record of Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (in 1996).
Fuleco-the Armadillo, name of the official mascot of the
2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil in June, 2014.
DECEMBER 2013
The Indian Kabaddi players beat Pakistan to win the
fourth edition of the World Cup Kabaddi tournament at the
Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana. In Women’s category too,
Indian team lifted the cup beating New Zealand
Mahesh Mangaonkar became the first Indian squash
player to win the IMET Open, the PSA World Tour
Challenger 5 event, in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia.
Tarundeep Rai and Atanu Das, Indian archers won the
silver and bronze medal respectively, in the men's recurve
section at the Indoor Archery World Cup in Singapore.
P V Sindhu, Indian ace shuttler won the Macau Open
Grand Prix Gold title beating Canada's Michelle Li in Macau.
Gaganjeet Bhullar lifted the $750,000 Indonesia Open
Golf Cup held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Hosting rights for FIFA World Cup-2017 (Under-17)
have been awarded to India.
TOUR de INDIA LISTED BY UCI
The Tour de India 2013, the world's biggest cycling event,
has been listed in the international calendar of the UCI
(Union Cycliste Internationale). The races took place on Dec
15, 17 and 22 in Mumbai, Jaipur and Delhi, respectively.
The event was won by Mohd. Nor Umardi of Malayasia
KERALA: emerges as champion in 29th Junior National
Athletics Championships held in Bangalore.
57th National Shooting Championship held at New
Delhi. Olympic silver medalist Vijay Kumar of Army won
gold in men's 25m rapid fire pistol event. Man Singh of
Punjab won the gold in the men's skeet event while Andhra
Pradesh shooter Rashmi Rathore topped in women's skeet
event. Samresh Jung won the ‘Champion of Champions’
title in pistol event.
Deepika Kumar and Tarundeep Rai were the top
recurve archers in women and men category at the 34th
Senior National Archery championship held at Jamshedpur,
Jharkhand.
PV Sindhu and K Srikanth clinched the women's and
men's titles respectively at the 78th Senior National
Badminton Championships held at New Delhi.
Kapil Dev selected for the Col C.K. Nayudu Lifetime
Achievement award for the year 2013 by BCCI.
Ravichandran Ashwin: Indian spinner to receive the
Polly Umrigar Award from the BCCI for being India’s best
international cricketer of the year 2012-13.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the ICC LG People's Choice
Award – 2013 for the best cricketer.
Jacques Kallis: South African all-rounder has announced
his retirement from test and first-class cricket after the
second Test against India in Durban, South Africa.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
BOOK AUTHOR
Water, Peace and War –
Confronting the Global Water
Crisis
Brahma Chellaney
Public Issues Before
Parliament
Vijay Darda
From Ghalib’s Dilli to Lutyens’
New Delhi
Mushirul Hasan and
Dinyaar Patel
The Islamist Challenge in
West Asia
Talmiz Ahmed
Vyomkesh Darvesh Vishwanath Tripathi
India at Turning Point: The
Road to Good Governance
T.S.R. Subramanian
Vanity Bagh Anees Salim
Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer Cyrus Mistry
Insurgent Veronica Roth
Wheat Belly William Davis
Prophet of Love by Farrukh Dhondy
From a Minister’s Journal F S Aijazuddin
India’s Military Conflicts and
Diplomacy
VP Malik
Doctor Sleep Stephen King
India at Risk: Mistakes,
Misconception and
Misadventures of Security
Policy
Jaswant Singh
Barons of Banking: Glimpses
of Indian Banking History
Bakhtiyar K Dadabhoy
Goat Days Benyamin
Book of Destruction Anand (P. Sachidanandan)
The Good Lord Bird James Mc Bride, Winner of
the National Book Award –
2013 USA
The Wildings Nilanjana Roy
The Shadow of the Crescent
Moon
Fatima Bhutto
ATP Chennai Open Tennis : Stanislas Wawrinka of
Switzerland won the title beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin of
France.
Malaysian Open 2014(badminton): Lee Chong Wei of
Malaysia won the men’s title in, beating Tommy Sugiarto of
Indonesia. Women’s title was lifted by China's Li Xuerui
beating teammate Wang Shixian.
Hero Hockey World League: Netherlands beats New
Zealand to win the championship held at New Delhi.
Corey Anderson: New Zealand all-rounder scored the
quickest century ever in international cricket, taking just 36
balls against West Indies at Queenstown, New Zealand to
break the record of Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (in 1996).
Fuleco-the Armadillo, name of the official mascot of the
2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil in June, 2014.
DECEMBER 2013
The Indian Kabaddi players beat Pakistan to win the
fourth edition of the World Cup Kabaddi tournament at the
Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana. In Women’s category too,
Indian team lifted the cup beating New Zealand
Mahesh Mangaonkar became the first Indian squash
player to win the IMET Open, the PSA World Tour
Challenger 5 event, in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia.
Tarundeep Rai and Atanu Das, Indian archers won the
silver and bronze medal respectively, in the men's recurve
section at the Indoor Archery World Cup in Singapore.
P V Sindhu, Indian ace shuttler won the Macau Open
Grand Prix Gold title beating Canada's Michelle Li in Macau.
Gaganjeet Bhullar lifted the $750,000 Indonesia Open
Golf Cup held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Hosting rights for FIFA World Cup-2017 (Under-17)
have been awarded to India.
TOUR de INDIA LISTED BY UCI
The Tour de India 2013, the world's biggest cycling event,
has been listed in the international calendar of the UCI
(Union Cycliste Internationale). The races took place on Dec
15, 17 and 22 in Mumbai, Jaipur and Delhi, respectively.
The event was won by Mohd. Nor Umardi of Malayasia
KERALA: emerges as champion in 29th Junior National
Athletics Championships held in Bangalore.
57th National Shooting Championship held at New
Delhi. Olympic silver medalist Vijay Kumar of Army won
gold in men's 25m rapid fire pistol event. Man Singh of
Punjab won the gold in the men's skeet event while Andhra
Pradesh shooter Rashmi Rathore topped in women's skeet
event. Samresh Jung won the ‘Champion of Champions’
title in pistol event.
Deepika Kumar and Tarundeep Rai were the top
recurve archers in women and men category at the 34th
Senior National Archery championship held at Jamshedpur,
Jharkhand.
PV Sindhu and K Srikanth clinched the women's and
men's titles respectively at the 78th Senior National
Badminton Championships held at New Delhi.
Kapil Dev selected for the Col C.K. Nayudu Lifetime
Achievement award for the year 2013 by BCCI.
Ravichandran Ashwin: Indian spinner to receive the
Polly Umrigar Award from the BCCI for being India’s best
international cricketer of the year 2012-13.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the ICC LG People's Choice
Award – 2013 for the best cricketer.
Jacques Kallis: South African all-rounder has announced
his retirement from test and first-class cricket after the
second Test against India in Durban, South Africa.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
BOOK AUTHOR
Water, Peace and War –
Confronting the Global Water
Crisis
Brahma Chellaney
Public Issues Before
Parliament
Vijay Darda
From Ghalib’s Dilli to Lutyens’
New Delhi
Mushirul Hasan and
Dinyaar Patel
The Islamist Challenge in
West Asia
Talmiz Ahmed
Vyomkesh Darvesh Vishwanath Tripathi
India at Turning Point: The
Road to Good Governance
T.S.R. Subramanian
Vanity Bagh Anees Salim
Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer Cyrus Mistry
Insurgent Veronica Roth
Wheat Belly William Davis
Prophet of Love by Farrukh Dhondy
From a Minister’s Journal F S Aijazuddin
India’s Military Conflicts and
Diplomacy
VP Malik
Doctor Sleep Stephen King
India at Risk: Mistakes,
Misconception and
Misadventures of Security
Policy
Jaswant Singh
Barons of Banking: Glimpses
of Indian Banking History
Bakhtiyar K Dadabhoy
Goat Days Benyamin
Book of Destruction Anand (P. Sachidanandan)
The Good Lord Bird James Mc Bride, Winner of
the National Book Award –
2013 USA
The Wildings Nilanjana Roy
The Shadow of the Crescent
Moon
Fatima Bhutto
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 31
STATE BANK OF INDIA
PO - MODEL TEST PAPER
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Directions (Q. 1-10): Read the passage carefully and
answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.
The Employees, State Insurance Act, 1948 is a social
security legislation that provides complete medical care and
cash benefits in the contingencies of sickness, maternity
disablement, death due to employment injury, and
unemployment to beneficiaries who come from the
organised sector working-class families in the lower wage
bracket of the society. The Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation (ESIC) runs a unique social security scheme
which has the features of an insurance organisation as well
as of a service provider for health-related needs of the
insured persons under the scheme.
The ESIC Scheme offers comprehensive medical
care and cash benefits which cannot be matched by any
private insurance company. This is the only scheme where
there is no upper limit on medical expenditure of the
beneficiaries. The corporation strives to improve the scale
of benefits being provided to the beneficiaries both in
quantitative terms as well as qualitative. The corporation
also provides unemployment allowance under Rajiv Gandhi
Sharmik Kalyan Yojana to the workers who go out of
employment involuntarily for up to one year. The ESIC is
also providing financial assistance in upgrading their skills
with a view to getting reemployment for the unemployed
workers. For overcoming the shortage of medical manpower
and improving the medical services in ESI hospitals, ESIC
has decided to setup medical colleges, nursing colleges,
dental colleges and training schools for other para-medical
staff in ESIC/ESI Hospitals.
Under the dynamic leadership of AK Agarwal,
Director General, ESIC has made its significant presence felt
at the international forum of the International Social
Security Association (ISSA) by winning awards in “ISSA
Good Practice Award, ASIA and Pacific Competition-2012”
held at Seoul, Republic of Korea.
1) With regard to the benefits provided by the
ESI Scheme find the incorrect statement.
1) There is no upper limit on the medical expenditure
of the beneficiaries.
2) The corporation provides unemployment
allowance to workers who voluntarily go out of
employment for up to one year.
3) The ESIC is providing financial assistance so that
the employees could be made more skilled.
4) The corporation strives to improve the standard of
benefits being provided in terms of quality as well as
quantity.
5) All the above are correct.
2) Which of the following is/are the chief
characteristics of ESIC?
a) ESIC has the characteristic of an insurance
organisation because it insures the employees
against the happening of any contingency mentioned
in the ACT.
b) It has the characteristics of a health service
provider.
c) It acts as a state government agency regulated by
IRDA.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) All (A), (B) and (C) 4) Both (A) and (B)
5) Both (B) and (C)
3) Which of the following is/are true on the basis
of the given passage?
1) There is a shortage of medical manpower.
2) There is need to improve the medical services in
ESI hospitals.
3) As per the ESIC decision, medical colleges,
nursing colleges, dental colleges etc will be set up.
4) The director general, ESIC, has made its presence
felt at the international forum of ISSA.
5) All the above
4) Which of the following is/are correct about
the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948?
1) It is a social security legislation which provides
complete medical care and cash benefits in case of
any contingency mentioned in the scheme.
2) The ESI Act covers the people coming from the
lower wage bracket of the society.
3) The legislation covers the employees coming from
unorganised sector working class families.
4) 1) and 2) 5) 1) and 3)
5) Which of the following is correct about private
insurance companies? Give your answer in the
context of the passage.
1) Private insurance companies are providing better
services then the nationalised insurance companies.
2) The offers of ESIC are much better than those of
private insurance companies.
3) The ESIC covers only a limited number of people
whereas the private insurers cover every person.
4) Private insurance companies provide insurance
cover upto Rs 10 lakh whereas ESIC covers up to Rs.
25 lakh.
5) All the above
6) Which of the following is true regarding
Rajeev Gandhi Sharmik Kalyan Yojana?
STATE BANK OF INDIA
PO - MODEL TEST PAPER
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Directions (Q. 1-10): Read the passage carefully and
answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.
The Employees, State Insurance Act, 1948 is a social
security legislation that provides complete medical care and
cash benefits in the contingencies of sickness, maternity
disablement, death due to employment injury, and
unemployment to beneficiaries who come from the
organised sector working-class families in the lower wage
bracket of the society. The Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation (ESIC) runs a unique social security scheme
which has the features of an insurance organisation as well
as of a service provider for health-related needs of the
insured persons under the scheme.
The ESIC Scheme offers comprehensive medical
care and cash benefits which cannot be matched by any
private insurance company. This is the only scheme where
there is no upper limit on medical expenditure of the
beneficiaries. The corporation strives to improve the scale
of benefits being provided to the beneficiaries both in
quantitative terms as well as qualitative. The corporation
also provides unemployment allowance under Rajiv Gandhi
Sharmik Kalyan Yojana to the workers who go out of
employment involuntarily for up to one year. The ESIC is
also providing financial assistance in upgrading their skills
with a view to getting reemployment for the unemployed
workers. For overcoming the shortage of medical manpower
and improving the medical services in ESI hospitals, ESIC
has decided to setup medical colleges, nursing colleges,
dental colleges and training schools for other para-medical
staff in ESIC/ESI Hospitals.
Under the dynamic leadership of AK Agarwal,
Director General, ESIC has made its significant presence felt
at the international forum of the International Social
Security Association (ISSA) by winning awards in “ISSA
Good Practice Award, ASIA and Pacific Competition-2012”
held at Seoul, Republic of Korea.
1) With regard to the benefits provided by the
ESI Scheme find the incorrect statement.
1) There is no upper limit on the medical expenditure
of the beneficiaries.
2) The corporation provides unemployment
allowance to workers who voluntarily go out of
employment for up to one year.
3) The ESIC is providing financial assistance so that
the employees could be made more skilled.
4) The corporation strives to improve the standard of
benefits being provided in terms of quality as well as
quantity.
5) All the above are correct.
2) Which of the following is/are the chief
characteristics of ESIC?
a) ESIC has the characteristic of an insurance
organisation because it insures the employees
against the happening of any contingency mentioned
in the ACT.
b) It has the characteristics of a health service
provider.
c) It acts as a state government agency regulated by
IRDA.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) All (A), (B) and (C) 4) Both (A) and (B)
5) Both (B) and (C)
3) Which of the following is/are true on the basis
of the given passage?
1) There is a shortage of medical manpower.
2) There is need to improve the medical services in
ESI hospitals.
3) As per the ESIC decision, medical colleges,
nursing colleges, dental colleges etc will be set up.
4) The director general, ESIC, has made its presence
felt at the international forum of ISSA.
5) All the above
4) Which of the following is/are correct about
the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948?
1) It is a social security legislation which provides
complete medical care and cash benefits in case of
any contingency mentioned in the scheme.
2) The ESI Act covers the people coming from the
lower wage bracket of the society.
3) The legislation covers the employees coming from
unorganised sector working class families.
4) 1) and 2) 5) 1) and 3)
5) Which of the following is correct about private
insurance companies? Give your answer in the
context of the passage.
1) Private insurance companies are providing better
services then the nationalised insurance companies.
2) The offers of ESIC are much better than those of
private insurance companies.
3) The ESIC covers only a limited number of people
whereas the private insurers cover every person.
4) Private insurance companies provide insurance
cover upto Rs 10 lakh whereas ESIC covers up to Rs.
25 lakh.
5) All the above
6) Which of the following is true regarding
Rajeev Gandhi Sharmik Kalyan Yojana?
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 32
a) It is meant to help the workers coming especially
from the unorganised sector.
b) This Yojana is attached with ESIC and their
common aim is to provide cash as well as medical
assistance to unskilled employees.
c) This Yojana lays emphasis on providing job
opportunities to rural workers.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) Both (A) and (C) 4) Both (A) and (B)
5) All the above are false
7) The usage of the phrase ‘with a view to’ in the
passage can possibly mean
1) supervision 2) in accordance with
3) in order to 4) as per
5) according to
8) Which of the following is most similar in
meaning to the word ‘strive’ as used in the
passage?
1) impress 2) divest
3) extend 4) endeavour
5) disseminate
9) Which of the following is most similar in
meaning to the word ‘contingencies’ as used in
the passage?
1) possibility 2) continuity
3) prolongation 4) controversy
5) meeting
10) Which of the following is most opposite in
meaning of the word ‘comprehensive’ as used
in the passage?
1) detailed 2) few
3) none 4) excluding
5) covering
Directions (Q. 11-15): Which of the phrases 1), 2), 3)
and 4) given below each sentence replace the phrase
printed in bold in the sentence to make it
grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as
it is given and no correction is required mark 5) as
the answer.
11) Ramesh believes in above and board open
discussion on every point before taking final decision.
1) above and open-board
2) open and above-board
3) board open and above
4) open-board and above
5) No correction required
12) The lathicharge on Lala Lajpat Rai proved the nail
of last coffin of British rule in India.
1) the last nail of the coffin
2) the last coffin of the nail
3) the last nail in the coffin
4) the coffin made of nails
5) No correction required
13) Rajesh moved earth as well as heaven to pass the
exam but he could not.
1) earth and heaven
2) both earth and heaven
3) heaven and earth
4) not only heaven but also earth
5) No correction required
14) You really have to toil and moil to get a hundred
per cent marks in XII exam.
1) toil or moil 2) moil or toil
3) toil moil 4) moil toil
5) No correction required
15) Our experience says that there are many slips
between the lips and the cups.
1) many who slips between cups and lips
2) many cups and lips before slips
3) many slips before the cups and the lips
4) many slips between the cup and the lips
5) No correction required
Directions (Q. 16-20): Each question below has two
blanks, each blank indicating that something has
been omitted. Find out which option can be used to
fill up the blanks in the sentence in the same
sequence to make it meaningfully complete.
16) Healthy scepticism, a vital ______ for any
journalist, has given _______ to credulity, or
worse, naivete.
1) factor, up 2) role, them
3) attribute, way 4) thing, away
5) task, chance
17) Kejriwal’s ____ about all kinds of pe ople
became more and more ______ and even if
there was a grain of truth in any of them,
there was just no evidence.
1) statements, attacking 2) ideas, scathing
3) pronouncements, outdated
4) allegations, outlandish 5) defamations, severe
18) Every time Vidya Balan went about repeating
“Entertainment, entertainment,
entertainment!” audiences at awards nights
went into _____ as if Voltaire had ___ from
his grave.
1) raptures, quipped 2) dark, came
3) silence, grown 4) hallucination, risen
5) enjoy, awaken
19) Whether one believes it or not, there are still
some people ____ us who could have become
powerful _________ in strength and in
financial means.
1) about, either 2) surrounding, neither
3) above, here 4) over, there
5) around, both
20) When politicians become ______ and the
bureaucracy ______ it is to the media that
people turn for some guidance.
1) corrupt, helpful 2) venal, unresponsive
3) dishonest, strong 4) careless, dictator
5) powerful, autocrat
Directions (Q. 21-35): Read the passage carefully
and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.
With government budgets under strain the world
over and the widening wealth gap becoming a hot topic of
debate, the rich form an increasingly tempting target for the
tax collector.
In France, the government wants to tax the super-
rich at a 75% rate and the US just passed a law raising
taxes on those earning more than $400000 a year. In India,
a) It is meant to help the workers coming especially
from the unorganised sector.
b) This Yojana is attached with ESIC and their
common aim is to provide cash as well as medical
assistance to unskilled employees.
c) This Yojana lays emphasis on providing job
opportunities to rural workers.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) Both (A) and (C) 4) Both (A) and (B)
5) All the above are false
7) The usage of the phrase ‘with a view to’ in the
passage can possibly mean
1) supervision 2) in accordance with
3) in order to 4) as per
5) according to
8) Which of the following is most similar in
meaning to the word ‘strive’ as used in the
passage?
1) impress 2) divest
3) extend 4) endeavour
5) disseminate
9) Which of the following is most similar in
meaning to the word ‘contingencies’ as used in
the passage?
1) possibility 2) continuity
3) prolongation 4) controversy
5) meeting
10) Which of the following is most opposite in
meaning of the word ‘comprehensive’ as used
in the passage?
1) detailed 2) few
3) none 4) excluding
5) covering
Directions (Q. 11-15): Which of the phrases 1), 2), 3)
and 4) given below each sentence replace the phrase
printed in bold in the sentence to make it
grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as
it is given and no correction is required mark 5) as
the answer.
11) Ramesh believes in above and board open
discussion on every point before taking final decision.
1) above and open-board
2) open and above-board
3) board open and above
4) open-board and above
5) No correction required
12) The lathicharge on Lala Lajpat Rai proved the nail
of last coffin of British rule in India.
1) the last nail of the coffin
2) the last coffin of the nail
3) the last nail in the coffin
4) the coffin made of nails
5) No correction required
13) Rajesh moved earth as well as heaven to pass the
exam but he could not.
1) earth and heaven
2) both earth and heaven
3) heaven and earth
4) not only heaven but also earth
5) No correction required
14) You really have to toil and moil to get a hundred
per cent marks in XII exam.
1) toil or moil 2) moil or toil
3) toil moil 4) moil toil
5) No correction required
15) Our experience says that there are many slips
between the lips and the cups.
1) many who slips between cups and lips
2) many cups and lips before slips
3) many slips before the cups and the lips
4) many slips between the cup and the lips
5) No correction required
Directions (Q. 16-20): Each question below has two
blanks, each blank indicating that something has
been omitted. Find out which option can be used to
fill up the blanks in the sentence in the same
sequence to make it meaningfully complete.
16) Healthy scepticism, a vital ______ for any
journalist, has given _______ to credulity, or
worse, naivete.
1) factor, up 2) role, them
3) attribute, way 4) thing, away
5) task, chance
17) Kejriwal’s ____ about all kinds of pe ople
became more and more ______ and even if
there was a grain of truth in any of them,
there was just no evidence.
1) statements, attacking 2) ideas, scathing
3) pronouncements, outdated
4) allegations, outlandish 5) defamations, severe
18) Every time Vidya Balan went about repeating
“Entertainment, entertainment,
entertainment!” audiences at awards nights
went into _____ as if Voltaire had ___ from
his grave.
1) raptures, quipped 2) dark, came
3) silence, grown 4) hallucination, risen
5) enjoy, awaken
19) Whether one believes it or not, there are still
some people ____ us who could have become
powerful _________ in strength and in
financial means.
1) about, either 2) surrounding, neither
3) above, here 4) over, there
5) around, both
20) When politicians become ______ and the
bureaucracy ______ it is to the media that
people turn for some guidance.
1) corrupt, helpful 2) venal, unresponsive
3) dishonest, strong 4) careless, dictator
5) powerful, autocrat
Directions (Q. 21-35): Read the passage carefully
and answer the questions given below it. Certain
words/phrases are given in bold to help you locate
them while answering some of the questions.
With government budgets under strain the world
over and the widening wealth gap becoming a hot topic of
debate, the rich form an increasingly tempting target for the
tax collector.
In France, the government wants to tax the super-
rich at a 75% rate and the US just passed a law raising
taxes on those earning more than $400000 a year. In India,
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 33
too, influential voices are asking if the wealthy must be
asked to cough up more.
Two proposals are being debated now in the run-up
to the Budget. One is to have an inheritance tax and the
other a higher tax rate for the super-rich. Both are unsound.
Remember, estate duty flopped in India. Introduced
in 1953, the law was complex and riddled with exemptions.
It was scraped in 1985. Curiously, the government recently
offered reasons for its abolition, in response to a question in
Parliament. One, the levy yielded small change despite a
progressive rate schedule. Two, administrative and
compliance costs were high. Three, wealth tax and estate
duty were imposed on the same property: one was levied
before the owner’s death and the other, after. Naturally,
taxpayers were unhappy with the huge burden.
Nevertheless, a few months ago, finance minister P
Chidambaram called for debate on inheritance tax. Its pros
and cons are well-chronicled. Votaries say estate tax brings
about inter-generational equity – so that children of the rich
enjoy attenuated advantage in life compared to their peers
who are not so privileged. But it penalises savings and
investment and discourages capital formation. Worse, it
encourages tax avoidance through the creation of trusts and
shell companies to which the assets can be transferred.
Studies in the US showed that inheritance tax was not only
an inefficient levy, but also created a large wasteful estate
planning and avoidance industry. We should not let the
same happen in India.
On the contrary, it is quite possible that India can, if
it stays clear of estate duty, attract tax tourists from high-
estate-tax countries provided the government fixes many
things like the creaky infrastructure and makes the legal
framework sound. That’s another story.
Alternatively, can’t the government raise the tax rate
for the super-rich? “Why can’t we think of having a rate of
tax higher than the current peak of 30% on substantially
higher incomes?” C Rangarajan, Chairman of the Prime
Minister’s Advisory Council, asked. Technically, it is possible
to have a new slab or a surcharge on incomes above a
certain level. But multiple tax rates distort the tax structure.
It goes against the grain of reform. In the past, many
wealthy Indian are said to have stashed their undisclosed
wealth in Swiss banks and other tax havens to escape high
taxes here. Clearly, we should not fuel the black economy
by increasing tax rates.
High income-tax rates on the wealthy can also
discourage work and investment. Recently, French actor
Gerard Depardieu took up citizenship in Russia to escape
high taxes in his homeland. It would be imprudent for
India to take a page from France or the US.
Also, how do we define the super-rich? In the US, it
covers individuals earning more than $400,000 and couples
earning more than $450,000 a year. That’s 2% of the
wealthiest Americans, Contrast this with India. Less than
3% of population filed income-tax returns last year. Only
14.6 lakh people declared income over Rs 10 lakh a year.
That’s appealing Clearly, announcing a special tax rate for
the super-rich will not make more of them comply with the
tax.
Burdening honest taxpayers more is both unjust and
undesirable. The point is to use the tax information network
(TIN) properly to increase compliance so that all those who
should be paying tax actually do.
The government must expand the tax base to raise
tax revenue as a proportion of GDP. An ideal tax system,
also an important piece of reform to fight to fight black
money, is the goods and services tax (GST). Implementing
GST would give the government a handle to raise more
direct tax revenues. How is this possible? Well, there is
built-in incentive with GST to pay tax because only then
producers can get credit for the taxes they pay on inputs. It
will generate and automatic audit trail of value addition and
income across the production chain, creating a unified base
of tax potential that can be tapped. GST will widen the tax
base and improve compliance.
21) What has been the experience of the USA
regarding the inheritance tax?
1) The inheritance tax could help collect a huge
amount of money, which in turn helped build a
prosperous America.
2) This tax created avoidance industry and useless
estate planning.
3) This tax could not prove as efficient as perceived.
4) Only 2) and 3) 5) Only 1) and 2)
22) Which of the following facts is incorrect with
respects to estate duty in India?
1) It was introduced in 1953.
2) This tax law was full of confusing and complex
exemptions.
3) This law could not last long and was finally
abrogated in 1985.
4) Despite some ambiguous clauses, estate duty was
a huge success.
5) All the above are correct.
23) What alternative has been suggested by the
author if India wants to stay clear of estate
duty?
1) It should impose a uniform lenient tax on small
traders retail shopkeepers and vendors.
2) It should attract tax tourists from high-estate tax
countries by providing them attractive offers.
3) It should strengthen the income-tax department
by providing it some more teeth.
4) It should make provisions for stringent action
against those who stash away black money in foreign
bank accounts.
5) None of these.
24) What different opinions emerged during the
debate on inheritance tax?
A) As estate tax brings about inter-generational
equity, the children of poor will enjoy more
advantages in life compared to their rich counterpart.
B) It discourages capital formation, savings and
investment.
C) It discourages tax avoidance.
1) Only (A) 2) Both (A) and (C)
3) Both (A) and (B) 4) Only (B)
5) All (A), (B) and (C)
25) What were the reasons for the abrogation of
estate duty in India?
1) Despite a progressive rate schedule, the levy
yielded small change.
2) Estate duty and wealth tax were imposed on the
same property.
3) Compliance and administrative costs were high.
too, influential voices are asking if the wealthy must be
asked to cough up more.
Two proposals are being debated now in the run-up
to the Budget. One is to have an inheritance tax and the
other a higher tax rate for the super-rich. Both are unsound.
Remember, estate duty flopped in India. Introduced
in 1953, the law was complex and riddled with exemptions.
It was scraped in 1985. Curiously, the government recently
offered reasons for its abolition, in response to a question in
Parliament. One, the levy yielded small change despite a
progressive rate schedule. Two, administrative and
compliance costs were high. Three, wealth tax and estate
duty were imposed on the same property: one was levied
before the owner’s death and the other, after. Naturally,
taxpayers were unhappy with the huge burden.
Nevertheless, a few months ago, finance minister P
Chidambaram called for debate on inheritance tax. Its pros
and cons are well-chronicled. Votaries say estate tax brings
about inter-generational equity – so that children of the rich
enjoy attenuated advantage in life compared to their peers
who are not so privileged. But it penalises savings and
investment and discourages capital formation. Worse, it
encourages tax avoidance through the creation of trusts and
shell companies to which the assets can be transferred.
Studies in the US showed that inheritance tax was not only
an inefficient levy, but also created a large wasteful estate
planning and avoidance industry. We should not let the
same happen in India.
On the contrary, it is quite possible that India can, if
it stays clear of estate duty, attract tax tourists from high-
estate-tax countries provided the government fixes many
things like the creaky infrastructure and makes the legal
framework sound. That’s another story.
Alternatively, can’t the government raise the tax rate
for the super-rich? “Why can’t we think of having a rate of
tax higher than the current peak of 30% on substantially
higher incomes?” C Rangarajan, Chairman of the Prime
Minister’s Advisory Council, asked. Technically, it is possible
to have a new slab or a surcharge on incomes above a
certain level. But multiple tax rates distort the tax structure.
It goes against the grain of reform. In the past, many
wealthy Indian are said to have stashed their undisclosed
wealth in Swiss banks and other tax havens to escape high
taxes here. Clearly, we should not fuel the black economy
by increasing tax rates.
High income-tax rates on the wealthy can also
discourage work and investment. Recently, French actor
Gerard Depardieu took up citizenship in Russia to escape
high taxes in his homeland. It would be imprudent for
India to take a page from France or the US.
Also, how do we define the super-rich? In the US, it
covers individuals earning more than $400,000 and couples
earning more than $450,000 a year. That’s 2% of the
wealthiest Americans, Contrast this with India. Less than
3% of population filed income-tax returns last year. Only
14.6 lakh people declared income over Rs 10 lakh a year.
That’s appealing Clearly, announcing a special tax rate for
the super-rich will not make more of them comply with the
tax.
Burdening honest taxpayers more is both unjust and
undesirable. The point is to use the tax information network
(TIN) properly to increase compliance so that all those who
should be paying tax actually do.
The government must expand the tax base to raise
tax revenue as a proportion of GDP. An ideal tax system,
also an important piece of reform to fight to fight black
money, is the goods and services tax (GST). Implementing
GST would give the government a handle to raise more
direct tax revenues. How is this possible? Well, there is
built-in incentive with GST to pay tax because only then
producers can get credit for the taxes they pay on inputs. It
will generate and automatic audit trail of value addition and
income across the production chain, creating a unified base
of tax potential that can be tapped. GST will widen the tax
base and improve compliance.
21) What has been the experience of the USA
regarding the inheritance tax?
1) The inheritance tax could help collect a huge
amount of money, which in turn helped build a
prosperous America.
2) This tax created avoidance industry and useless
estate planning.
3) This tax could not prove as efficient as perceived.
4) Only 2) and 3) 5) Only 1) and 2)
22) Which of the following facts is incorrect with
respects to estate duty in India?
1) It was introduced in 1953.
2) This tax law was full of confusing and complex
exemptions.
3) This law could not last long and was finally
abrogated in 1985.
4) Despite some ambiguous clauses, estate duty was
a huge success.
5) All the above are correct.
23) What alternative has been suggested by the
author if India wants to stay clear of estate
duty?
1) It should impose a uniform lenient tax on small
traders retail shopkeepers and vendors.
2) It should attract tax tourists from high-estate tax
countries by providing them attractive offers.
3) It should strengthen the income-tax department
by providing it some more teeth.
4) It should make provisions for stringent action
against those who stash away black money in foreign
bank accounts.
5) None of these.
24) What different opinions emerged during the
debate on inheritance tax?
A) As estate tax brings about inter-generational
equity, the children of poor will enjoy more
advantages in life compared to their rich counterpart.
B) It discourages capital formation, savings and
investment.
C) It discourages tax avoidance.
1) Only (A) 2) Both (A) and (C)
3) Both (A) and (B) 4) Only (B)
5) All (A), (B) and (C)
25) What were the reasons for the abrogation of
estate duty in India?
1) Despite a progressive rate schedule, the levy
yielded small change.
2) Estate duty and wealth tax were imposed on the
same property.
3) Compliance and administrative costs were high.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 34
4) Wealth tax was levied during the life-time of the
owners and estate duty was imposed after their
deaths.
5) All the above
26) Which of the following proposals regarding
imposition of tax, in the run-up to the Budget,
is the most viable?
A) Inheritance tax should be introduced.
B) There should be higher tax rate for the super-rich.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) Either (A) or (B) 4) Neither (A) nor (B)
5) Both (A) and (B)
27) Why is the author against raising the current
peak of 30% tax for the super-rich?
1) He fears that the super-rich will start stashing
their black money in Swiss banks and other tax
heavens to escape high tax in India.
2) Multiple tax rates give birth to a complex and
troublesome tax structure.
3) If the government raises the tax rate it will defeat
the very purpose of tax reforms.
4) The tax for the super-rich will fuel the black
economy.
5) All the above
28) Which of the following is incorrect in the
context of the passage?
A) In the US just two per cent of the wealthiest
Americans are considered as super-rich.
B) Approximately fifteen lakh people in India
declared their annual income more than rupees ten
lakh.
C) The govt data shows that at least three per cent
of the population filed income-tax returns last year.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) Only (C) 4) Both (A) and (B)
5) Both (B) and (C)
29) According to the author, which of the
following is correct?
1) The govt should use tax information network
properly to increase tax compliance.
2) Taking into consideration the downgrading Indian
economy, it is just and desirable to burden even
honest tax payers.
3) The govt should not burden those who earn very
little.
4) The govt must expand the tax base to raise tax
revenues by fixing a certain percentage of income to
all and sundry.
5) None of these
30) Which of the following is correct about Goods
and Services Tax (GST)?
1) If implemented, GST will help the govt. raise more
direct tax revenues.
2) GST can solve the problem of black money.
3) GST will widen the tax base.
4) Only (2) and (3) 5) All (1), (2) and (3)
Directions (Q.31-33): Choose the word/group of
words which is MOST SIMILAR in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the
passage.
31) Cough up
1) to make a sudden unpleasant noise
2) to spit here and there
3) to give money unwillingly
4) an act or a harsh sound of coughing
5) an illness or infection that makes you cough often
32) Pros and Cons
1) ins and outs 2) for and against
3) prima facie 4) cross-check
5) topsy-turvy
33) Imprudent
1) unwise 2) impulsive
3) discourteous 4) perfect
5) proper
Directions (Q. 34-35): Choose the word/group of
words which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the
passage.
34) Attenuated
1) ineffective 2) little
3) a few 4) more
5) mitigated
35) Comply
1) follow 2) admit
3) accept 4) exempt
5) evade
Directions (Q.36-40): Rearrange the following six
sentence (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in the proper
sequence to form a meaningful paragraph and then
answer the questions given below.
(A) Knowledge has given him enough power
(B) Man is a rational animal.
(C) Due to their knowledge philosophers and religious
preachers have exercised tremendous influence on
the minds of gullible people.
(D) He has the power of reasoning, critical judgement
and analysis.
(E) Thus, in spite of being physically weak, he has
succeeded in establishing his supremacy over the
animal kingdom.
(F) In fact, knowledge helps a man vanquish even a
physically stronger being who is ignorant.
36) Which of the following should be the FIRST
sentence after rearrangement?
1) A 2) F
3) E 4) D
5) B
37) Which of the following should be the THIRD
sentence after rearrangement?
1) B 2) A
3) D 4) E
5) C
38) Which of the following should be the SECOND
sentence after rearrangement?
1) C 2) B
3) A 4) F
5) D
39) Which of the following should be the FIFTH
sentence after rearrangement?
1) A 2) F
3) B 4) C
5) E
4) Wealth tax was levied during the life-time of the
owners and estate duty was imposed after their
deaths.
5) All the above
26) Which of the following proposals regarding
imposition of tax, in the run-up to the Budget,
is the most viable?
A) Inheritance tax should be introduced.
B) There should be higher tax rate for the super-rich.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) Either (A) or (B) 4) Neither (A) nor (B)
5) Both (A) and (B)
27) Why is the author against raising the current
peak of 30% tax for the super-rich?
1) He fears that the super-rich will start stashing
their black money in Swiss banks and other tax
heavens to escape high tax in India.
2) Multiple tax rates give birth to a complex and
troublesome tax structure.
3) If the government raises the tax rate it will defeat
the very purpose of tax reforms.
4) The tax for the super-rich will fuel the black
economy.
5) All the above
28) Which of the following is incorrect in the
context of the passage?
A) In the US just two per cent of the wealthiest
Americans are considered as super-rich.
B) Approximately fifteen lakh people in India
declared their annual income more than rupees ten
lakh.
C) The govt data shows that at least three per cent
of the population filed income-tax returns last year.
1) Only (A) 2) Only (B)
3) Only (C) 4) Both (A) and (B)
5) Both (B) and (C)
29) According to the author, which of the
following is correct?
1) The govt should use tax information network
properly to increase tax compliance.
2) Taking into consideration the downgrading Indian
economy, it is just and desirable to burden even
honest tax payers.
3) The govt should not burden those who earn very
little.
4) The govt must expand the tax base to raise tax
revenues by fixing a certain percentage of income to
all and sundry.
5) None of these
30) Which of the following is correct about Goods
and Services Tax (GST)?
1) If implemented, GST will help the govt. raise more
direct tax revenues.
2) GST can solve the problem of black money.
3) GST will widen the tax base.
4) Only (2) and (3) 5) All (1), (2) and (3)
Directions (Q.31-33): Choose the word/group of
words which is MOST SIMILAR in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the
passage.
31) Cough up
1) to make a sudden unpleasant noise
2) to spit here and there
3) to give money unwillingly
4) an act or a harsh sound of coughing
5) an illness or infection that makes you cough often
32) Pros and Cons
1) ins and outs 2) for and against
3) prima facie 4) cross-check
5) topsy-turvy
33) Imprudent
1) unwise 2) impulsive
3) discourteous 4) perfect
5) proper
Directions (Q. 34-35): Choose the word/group of
words which is MOST OPPOSITE in meaning to the
word/group of words printed in bold as used in the
passage.
34) Attenuated
1) ineffective 2) little
3) a few 4) more
5) mitigated
35) Comply
1) follow 2) admit
3) accept 4) exempt
5) evade
Directions (Q.36-40): Rearrange the following six
sentence (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) in the proper
sequence to form a meaningful paragraph and then
answer the questions given below.
(A) Knowledge has given him enough power
(B) Man is a rational animal.
(C) Due to their knowledge philosophers and religious
preachers have exercised tremendous influence on
the minds of gullible people.
(D) He has the power of reasoning, critical judgement
and analysis.
(E) Thus, in spite of being physically weak, he has
succeeded in establishing his supremacy over the
animal kingdom.
(F) In fact, knowledge helps a man vanquish even a
physically stronger being who is ignorant.
36) Which of the following should be the FIRST
sentence after rearrangement?
1) A 2) F
3) E 4) D
5) B
37) Which of the following should be the THIRD
sentence after rearrangement?
1) B 2) A
3) D 4) E
5) C
38) Which of the following should be the SECOND
sentence after rearrangement?
1) C 2) B
3) A 4) F
5) D
39) Which of the following should be the FIFTH
sentence after rearrangement?
1) A 2) F
3) B 4) C
5) E
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 35
40) Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST)
sentence after rearrangement?
1) E 2) D
3) C 4) B
5) A
Directions (Q. 41 – 50): Find out the appropriate
words for the blanks in the paragraph.
Although John Wisdom’s writings in philosophy show
clearly the influence of Wittgenstein, they nevertheless also
display a …(41)… originality. Despite the …(42)… and
difficulty of his style, a careful reading of Wisdom is seldom
…(43)… . He is a unique kind of genius in philosophy.
This essay is an excellent example of Wisdom’s
repeated attempts to …(44)… the ultimate bases of
philosophical perplexity. A great deal of the time Wisdom is
…(45)… interested in finding out why metaphysicians feel
…(46)… to utter such strange sentences. (e.g. “Time is
unreal”; “There are no material things”, etc.) According to
Wisdom such sentences are both false (and perhaps
meaningless) and yet …(47)… . Even more than
Wittgenstein, Wisdom has stressed the ‘therapeutic’
conception of philosophy, a view that comes out clearly in
this essay where he emphasises the analogy between
philosophical and neurotic distress …(48)… them with other
kinds of problems.
The reader who is interested in gaining a
fuller…(49)… with Wisdom’s thought is referred to his
famous article “Gods” in philosophy and Psycho-analysis.
Other Minds is Wisdom’s most …(50)… discussion of a single
topic and in many ways his finest work.
41) 1) concise 2) virtual
3) marked 4) limited
5) relative
42) 1) individuality 2) novelty
3) originality 4) complexity
5) creativity
43) 1) unprofitable 2) useful
3) advantageous 4) unreliable
5) durable
44. 1) jettison 2) delimit
3) augment 4) fortify
5) explore
45. 1) admirably 2) primarily
3) advertently 4) reluctantly
5) happily
46. 1) depressed 2) confined
3) alluded 4) compelled
5) adapted
47. 1) illuminating 2) damaging
3) confusing 4) critical
5) unreliable
48. 1) compelling 2) associating
3) contrasting 4) describing
5) advocating
49. 1) comparison 2) analysis
3) agreement 4) elaboration
5) acquaintance
50. 1) projected 2) sustained
3) prolonged 4) prolific
5) attributed
DATA ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
Directions (Q.51-55): The following table shows the
population of six different cities, ratio of males to
females among them, percentage of adult males and
adult females (population is given in lakh):
City Population
(in lakh)
Males:
Females
% adult
Males
% adult
Females
A 7.8 7 : 6 62% 65%
B 3.6 5 : 4 70% 72%
C 4.5 2 : 3 68% 64%
D 6.8 9 : 8 72% 70%
E 7.2 4 : 5 65% 72%
F 5.4 2 : 1 75% 64%
51) What is the difference between total adult
males and total adult females in City A?
1) 22500 2) 24800
3) 25200 4) 26400
5) 27900
52) What is the average number of adult males
taking all six cities together?
1) 1.88 lakh 2) 2.1 lakh
3) 2.32 lakh 4) 2.69 lakh
5) 3.1 lakh
53) The total number of minor females in City C is
approximately what percentage more or less
than the total number of minor males in City
F?
1) 8% 2) 9%
3) 10% 4) 11%
5) 12%
54) The total number of minor males in City E is
approximately what percentage of the total
number of adult males in City B?
1) 60% 2) 70%
3) 80% 4) 90%
5) 110%
55) What is the difference between adult females
and minor males in City C?
1) 1.124 lakh 2) 1.228 lakh
3) 1.152 lakh 4) 1.682 lakh
5) None of these
A Child Without
Education, is Like a
Bird Without Wings!!
40) Which of the following should be the SIXTH (LAST)
sentence after rearrangement?
1) E 2) D
3) C 4) B
5) A
Directions (Q. 41 – 50): Find out the appropriate
words for the blanks in the paragraph.
Although John Wisdom’s writings in philosophy show
clearly the influence of Wittgenstein, they nevertheless also
display a …(41)… originality. Despite the …(42)… and
difficulty of his style, a careful reading of Wisdom is seldom
…(43)… . He is a unique kind of genius in philosophy.
This essay is an excellent example of Wisdom’s
repeated attempts to …(44)… the ultimate bases of
philosophical perplexity. A great deal of the time Wisdom is
…(45)… interested in finding out why metaphysicians feel
…(46)… to utter such strange sentences. (e.g. “Time is
unreal”; “There are no material things”, etc.) According to
Wisdom such sentences are both false (and perhaps
meaningless) and yet …(47)… . Even more than
Wittgenstein, Wisdom has stressed the ‘therapeutic’
conception of philosophy, a view that comes out clearly in
this essay where he emphasises the analogy between
philosophical and neurotic distress …(48)… them with other
kinds of problems.
The reader who is interested in gaining a
fuller…(49)… with Wisdom’s thought is referred to his
famous article “Gods” in philosophy and Psycho-analysis.
Other Minds is Wisdom’s most …(50)… discussion of a single
topic and in many ways his finest work.
41) 1) concise 2) virtual
3) marked 4) limited
5) relative
42) 1) individuality 2) novelty
3) originality 4) complexity
5) creativity
43) 1) unprofitable 2) useful
3) advantageous 4) unreliable
5) durable
44. 1) jettison 2) delimit
3) augment 4) fortify
5) explore
45. 1) admirably 2) primarily
3) advertently 4) reluctantly
5) happily
46. 1) depressed 2) confined
3) alluded 4) compelled
5) adapted
47. 1) illuminating 2) damaging
3) confusing 4) critical
5) unreliable
48. 1) compelling 2) associating
3) contrasting 4) describing
5) advocating
49. 1) comparison 2) analysis
3) agreement 4) elaboration
5) acquaintance
50. 1) projected 2) sustained
3) prolonged 4) prolific
5) attributed
DATA ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
Directions (Q.51-55): The following table shows the
population of six different cities, ratio of males to
females among them, percentage of adult males and
adult females (population is given in lakh):
City Population
(in lakh)
Males:
Females
% adult
Males
% adult
Females
A 7.8 7 : 6 62% 65%
B 3.6 5 : 4 70% 72%
C 4.5 2 : 3 68% 64%
D 6.8 9 : 8 72% 70%
E 7.2 4 : 5 65% 72%
F 5.4 2 : 1 75% 64%
51) What is the difference between total adult
males and total adult females in City A?
1) 22500 2) 24800
3) 25200 4) 26400
5) 27900
52) What is the average number of adult males
taking all six cities together?
1) 1.88 lakh 2) 2.1 lakh
3) 2.32 lakh 4) 2.69 lakh
5) 3.1 lakh
53) The total number of minor females in City C is
approximately what percentage more or less
than the total number of minor males in City
F?
1) 8% 2) 9%
3) 10% 4) 11%
5) 12%
54) The total number of minor males in City E is
approximately what percentage of the total
number of adult males in City B?
1) 60% 2) 70%
3) 80% 4) 90%
5) 110%
55) What is the difference between adult females
and minor males in City C?
1) 1.124 lakh 2) 1.228 lakh
3) 1.152 lakh 4) 1.682 lakh
5) None of these
A Child Without
Education, is Like a
Bird Without Wings!!
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 36
Directions (Q.56-60): The following graph shows the
percentage profit by two companies A and B during
2007-2012.
56) If the expenditure of Company A in the year
2009 was Rs. 77.5 lakh what was its income
(in Rs) in that year?
1) 98 lakh 2) 104.4 lakh
3) 108.5 lakh 4) 114.5 lakh
5) None of these
57) If the income of Company B in the year 2012
was Rs 125.4 lakh what was its expenditure
(in Rs.) in that year?
1) 98 lakh 2) 102 lakh
3) 106 lakh 4) 114 lakh
5) 118 lakh
58) If the expenditure of Company A in the year
2008 and the income of Company B in the year
2011 were equal to 85 lakh what was the
difference between the profits of Company A
in the year 2008 and the profit of Company B
in the year 2011?
1) 10.2 lakh 2) 12.4 lakh
3) 12.8 lakh 4) 9 lakh
5) 16.5 lakh
59) If the incomes of two Companies in the year
2010 were equal what was the ratio of their
expenditure?
1) 5 : 4 2) 5 : 6
3) 5 : 3 4) 5 :2
5) None of these
60) If the income of Company A in the year 2010
and the expenditure of Company B in the year
2012 were equal and they were Rs. 1 71 lakh
each, what was the difference between the
income of Company B in the year 2012 and the
expenditure of Company A in the year 2010?
1) 41.4 lakh 2) 42.6 lakh
3) 43.8 lakh 4) 44.3 lakh
5) 45.6 lakh
Directions (Q. 61-65): A total of 39 thousand
students appeared in an entrance examination from
six cities, in which the number of boys was 12000.
The following pie-charts show the distribution of the
total students and of the total boys from these cities
who appeared in the exam.
Total Students = 39000
A, 17%
B, 13.50%
C, 15%
D, 20%
E, 8.50%
F, 26%
Values in degree, Boys = 12000
A, 82.8
B, 72
C, 61.2
D, 36
E, 75.6
F, 32.4
61) What is the total number of girls who
appeared from City A?
1) 3310 2) 3840
3) 3550 4) 3870
5) 3100
62) What is the difference between the total
number of boys and the total number of girls
who appeared in the exam from City E?
1) 1725 2) 1745
3) 1765 4) 1795
5) 1815
63) The total number of girls who appeared from
City C is approximately what percent of the
total number of students who appeared from
City D?
1) 47% 2) 49%
3) 51% 4) 53%
5) 59%
64) What is the difference between the total
numbers of boys who appeared from City A
and that from City B?
1) 310 2) 320
3) 350 4) 380
5) 360
65) The number of girls who appeared from City F
is approximately what percent of the total
number of girls who appeared from all six
cities together?
1) 31.5% 2) 32.5%
3) 33.5% 4) 34.5%
5) 35.5%
Directions (Q. 66-70): Following line graph shows
the ratio of import to export of three companies over
the period of 2007-2012.
25
32
40
20
35
30
40
45
30
50
25
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
% profit
Year
Company A Company B
Directions (Q.56-60): The following graph shows the
percentage profit by two companies A and B during
2007-2012.
56) If the expenditure of Company A in the year
2009 was Rs. 77.5 lakh what was its income
(in Rs) in that year?
1) 98 lakh 2) 104.4 lakh
3) 108.5 lakh 4) 114.5 lakh
5) None of these
57) If the income of Company B in the year 2012
was Rs 125.4 lakh what was its expenditure
(in Rs.) in that year?
1) 98 lakh 2) 102 lakh
3) 106 lakh 4) 114 lakh
5) 118 lakh
58) If the expenditure of Company A in the year
2008 and the income of Company B in the year
2011 were equal to 85 lakh what was the
difference between the profits of Company A
in the year 2008 and the profit of Company B
in the year 2011?
1) 10.2 lakh 2) 12.4 lakh
3) 12.8 lakh 4) 9 lakh
5) 16.5 lakh
59) If the incomes of two Companies in the year
2010 were equal what was the ratio of their
expenditure?
1) 5 : 4 2) 5 : 6
3) 5 : 3 4) 5 :2
5) None of these
60) If the income of Company A in the year 2010
and the expenditure of Company B in the year
2012 were equal and they were Rs. 1 71 lakh
each, what was the difference between the
income of Company B in the year 2012 and the
expenditure of Company A in the year 2010?
1) 41.4 lakh 2) 42.6 lakh
3) 43.8 lakh 4) 44.3 lakh
5) 45.6 lakh
Directions (Q. 61-65): A total of 39 thousand
students appeared in an entrance examination from
six cities, in which the number of boys was 12000.
The following pie-charts show the distribution of the
total students and of the total boys from these cities
who appeared in the exam.
Total Students = 39000
A, 17%
B, 13.50%
C, 15%
D, 20%
E, 8.50%
F, 26%
Values in degree, Boys = 12000
A, 82.8
B, 72
C, 61.2
D, 36
E, 75.6
F, 32.4
61) What is the total number of girls who
appeared from City A?
1) 3310 2) 3840
3) 3550 4) 3870
5) 3100
62) What is the difference between the total
number of boys and the total number of girls
who appeared in the exam from City E?
1) 1725 2) 1745
3) 1765 4) 1795
5) 1815
63) The total number of girls who appeared from
City C is approximately what percent of the
total number of students who appeared from
City D?
1) 47% 2) 49%
3) 51% 4) 53%
5) 59%
64) What is the difference between the total
numbers of boys who appeared from City A
and that from City B?
1) 310 2) 320
3) 350 4) 380
5) 360
65) The number of girls who appeared from City F
is approximately what percent of the total
number of girls who appeared from all six
cities together?
1) 31.5% 2) 32.5%
3) 33.5% 4) 34.5%
5) 35.5%
Directions (Q. 66-70): Following line graph shows
the ratio of import to export of three companies over
the period of 2007-2012.
25
32
40
20
35
30
40
45
30
50
25
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
% profit
Year
Company A Company B
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 37
66) If the import of Company A in the year 2007
was Rs23.58 lakh what was its export (in Rs)
in that year?
1) 70.74 lakh 2) 78.24 lakh
3) 70.8 lakh 4) 78.60 lakh
5) 86.5 lakh
67) The ratio of import to export of Company A in
the year 2012 is approximately what per cent
of the ratio of import to export of Company C
in the year 2011?
1) 49.5% 2) 59%
3) 62.5% 4) 71.2%
5) 140%
68) If the export of Company A in the year 2012
and the import of Company C in the year 2009
were equal to Rs 64 lakh each then the import
of Company A in the year 2012 was
approximately what per cent of the export of
Company C in the year 2009?
1) 30% 2) 45%
3) 60% 4) 75%
5) 90%
69) If the import of Company A and Company B in
the year 2009 were Rs 36 lakh and Rs 27 lakh
respectively what was the ratio of their
exports in that year?
1) 1 : 3 2) 2 : 3
3) 7: 9 4) 8 : 9
5) 7 : 2
70) If the imports of Company C in year 2008 and
2012 were equal then the export of Company
C in year 2008 was approximately what per
cent of its export in year 2012?
1) 80% 2) 90%
3) 100% 4) 110%
5) 120%
Directions (Q. 71-75): The following bar graph shows
the productions of cycle (in thousand) by two
companies A and B over the period 2008 -2012 and
the line-graph shows the percentage sale of these
companies.
71) What is the total sale (in thousand) of
Company A during 2008-2012?
1) 185 2) 192
3) 197 4) 202
5) 217
72) The sale of Company B in year 2010 is
approximately what per cent of the sale of
Company B in the year 2008?
1) 85% 2) 95%
3) 110% 4) 117%
5) 173%
73) What is the average number of sale of
Company B over the period 2008-2012?
1) 31400 2) 32200
3) 36070 4) 32500
5) 33000
74) In which of the following years, the
percentage rise/fall in the production of
Company B is the highest on comparison to its
previous year?
1) 2008 2) 2009
3) 2010 4) 2011
5) 2012
75) The sale of Company A in the year 2009 is
approximately what per cent more or less than
the sale of Company B in the year 2011?
1) 20% 2) 30%
3) 33.33% 4) 40%
5) 50%
Directions (Q. 76-80): The following table shows the
percentage of marks scored by six students in six
different subjects.
Stud-
ents
Physics
(80)
Chemis-
try
(80)
Biology
(80)
Hindi
(100)
Eng-
lish
(120)
Maths
(150)
A 58.75% 55% 62.5% 67% 55% 84%
B 77.5% 60% 60% 72% 60% 72%
C 80% 71.25% 81.25% 65% 75% 66%
D 68.75% 78.75% 72.5% 55% 80% 60%
E 75% 70% 65% 48% 65% 78%
F 67.5% 87.5% 50% 75% 50% 70%
76) What is the total marks scored by Student D in
all six subjects together?
1) 411 2) 413
3) 415 4) 417
5) 419
0.3
0.8
0.5
0.6
0.4
0.75
0.5
0.7
0.25
0.9
0.6
0.4
0.75
0.5
0.8
1
1.2
0.6
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Import/Export
Company A Company B Company C
56
60
80
70
96
72
48
75
90
5050
25
60
40
70
45
40
75
50
55
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Production of Company A Production of Company B
% Sale of Company A % Sale of Company B
66) If the import of Company A in the year 2007
was Rs23.58 lakh what was its export (in Rs)
in that year?
1) 70.74 lakh 2) 78.24 lakh
3) 70.8 lakh 4) 78.60 lakh
5) 86.5 lakh
67) The ratio of import to export of Company A in
the year 2012 is approximately what per cent
of the ratio of import to export of Company C
in the year 2011?
1) 49.5% 2) 59%
3) 62.5% 4) 71.2%
5) 140%
68) If the export of Company A in the year 2012
and the import of Company C in the year 2009
were equal to Rs 64 lakh each then the import
of Company A in the year 2012 was
approximately what per cent of the export of
Company C in the year 2009?
1) 30% 2) 45%
3) 60% 4) 75%
5) 90%
69) If the import of Company A and Company B in
the year 2009 were Rs 36 lakh and Rs 27 lakh
respectively what was the ratio of their
exports in that year?
1) 1 : 3 2) 2 : 3
3) 7: 9 4) 8 : 9
5) 7 : 2
70) If the imports of Company C in year 2008 and
2012 were equal then the export of Company
C in year 2008 was approximately what per
cent of its export in year 2012?
1) 80% 2) 90%
3) 100% 4) 110%
5) 120%
Directions (Q. 71-75): The following bar graph shows
the productions of cycle (in thousand) by two
companies A and B over the period 2008 -2012 and
the line-graph shows the percentage sale of these
companies.
71) What is the total sale (in thousand) of
Company A during 2008-2012?
1) 185 2) 192
3) 197 4) 202
5) 217
72) The sale of Company B in year 2010 is
approximately what per cent of the sale of
Company B in the year 2008?
1) 85% 2) 95%
3) 110% 4) 117%
5) 173%
73) What is the average number of sale of
Company B over the period 2008-2012?
1) 31400 2) 32200
3) 36070 4) 32500
5) 33000
74) In which of the following years, the
percentage rise/fall in the production of
Company B is the highest on comparison to its
previous year?
1) 2008 2) 2009
3) 2010 4) 2011
5) 2012
75) The sale of Company A in the year 2009 is
approximately what per cent more or less than
the sale of Company B in the year 2011?
1) 20% 2) 30%
3) 33.33% 4) 40%
5) 50%
Directions (Q. 76-80): The following table shows the
percentage of marks scored by six students in six
different subjects.
Stud-
ents
Physics
(80)
Chemis-
try
(80)
Biology
(80)
Hindi
(100)
Eng-
lish
(120)
Maths
(150)
A 58.75% 55% 62.5% 67% 55% 84%
B 77.5% 60% 60% 72% 60% 72%
C 80% 71.25% 81.25% 65% 75% 66%
D 68.75% 78.75% 72.5% 55% 80% 60%
E 75% 70% 65% 48% 65% 78%
F 67.5% 87.5% 50% 75% 50% 70%
76) What is the total marks scored by Student D in
all six subjects together?
1) 411 2) 413
3) 415 4) 417
5) 419
0.3
0.8
0.5
0.6
0.4
0.75
0.5
0.7
0.25
0.9
0.6
0.4
0.75
0.5
0.8
1
1.2
0.6
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Import/Export
Company A Company B Company C
56
60
80
70
96
72
48
75
90
5050
25
60
40
70
45
40
75
50
55
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Production of Company A Production of Company B
% Sale of Company A % Sale of Company B
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 38
77) What is the average marks scored by Students
in Physics?
1) 51 2) 54
3) 57 4) 60
5) 63
78) The marks scored by Student B in Maths is
approximately what per cent of marks scored
by Student E in Physics?
1) 55.55% 2) 80%
3) 120% 4) 150%
5) 180%
79) What is the ratio of marks scored by Student B
in English to marks scored by Student A in
Maths?
1) 3 : 5 2) 4 : 7
3) 5 : 9 4) 3 : 4
5) 4 : 5
80) The marks scored by Student F in Maths is
approximately what per cent more or less than
the marks scored by Student E in Chemistry?
1) 75% 2) 77.5%
3) 82.5% 4) 85%
5) 87.5%
Directions (Q.181-183): What will come in place of
question mark (?) in the following number series?
81) 53 74 123 100 145 ?
1) 196 2) 172
3) 136 4) 96
5) 78
82) 145 180 395 444 813 ?
1) 900 2) 948
3) 975 4) 1015
5) 1125
83) 12 24 84 112 220 ?
1) 248 2) 264
3) 278 4) 284
5) 296
Directions (Q. 84-85): What should come in place of
question mark (?) in the following questions?
84)
?6561219710648
3
1
3
4
1
3
1
1) 484 2) 676
3) 576 4) 324
5) 784
85) {980114641} ?25.72 6
1) 3681 2) 4131
3) 4335 4) 4563
5) None of these
86) A box contains 3 red, 4 black and 5 green
balls. If 3 balls are drawn at random, then
what is the probability that they are of the
same colour?
1)
41
3
2)
41
38
3)
44
3
4)
44
41
5) None of these
87) In how many different ways can the letters of
the word DISPLAY be arranged so that the
vowels always come together?
1) 1440 2) 720
3) 5040 4) 2520
5) None of these
88) A man can row 8 kmh
-1
in still water. If the
river is running at 6 kmh
-1
it takes 30 hours
more to go upstream than to go downstream
for the distance. What is the distance?
1) 35 km 2) 50 km
3) 64 km 4) 70 km
5) 80 km
89) A person sold
3
1
of a commodity at 20%
profit,
5
1
at 30% profit and the rest at 10%
profit. If the total profit earned by him is Rs
156 then find the cost price of the commodity.
1) Rs. 750 2) Rs. 810
3) Rs. 850 4) Rs. 900
5) Rs. 940
90) There is sufficient food for 360 men for 38
days. After 8 days, 90 men left the place. For
how many days will the remaining food last for
the rest of the men?
1) 36 days 2) 40 days
3) 45 days 4) 48 days
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 91 -95): Study the following
information carefully and answer the questions
given below.
From a school 500 students appeared in all in an
examination consisting of three papers P1, P2 and P3, 52.6%
students passed in P1, 57% in P2 and 50.4% in P3. 18% of
students passed only in P1 and P2, 10.2% passed only in p1
and P3 and 8.4% passed in all three papers. The number of
girls passed in Paper P1 only is 60% of the number of boys
who passed only in paper P1. The ratio of the number of
boys to the number of girls who passed only in Paper P2 is
7:6. The number of girls who passed in Paper P3 only is 6%
of the total number of students who appeared in the
examination.
Answer the following questions based on the above
information.
91) How many students are there who passed in
Paper P2 and P3, but failed in P1?
1) 65 2) 75
3) 85 4) 90
5) 125
92) What is the difference between the number of
boys and the number of girls who passed in
Paper P1 only?
1) 10 2) 20
3) 30 4) 40
5) 50
93) What percentage of students passed only in
Paper P2?
1) 14.2% 2) 15%
3) 15.6% 4) 17%
5) 18.4%
94) What is the ratio of the number of students
who passed only in Paper P 1 and P2 to the
number of boys who passed only in Paper P3?
1) 5 : 2 2) 7 : 3
3) 15 : 14 4) 9 :4
5) 8 : 5
77) What is the average marks scored by Students
in Physics?
1) 51 2) 54
3) 57 4) 60
5) 63
78) The marks scored by Student B in Maths is
approximately what per cent of marks scored
by Student E in Physics?
1) 55.55% 2) 80%
3) 120% 4) 150%
5) 180%
79) What is the ratio of marks scored by Student B
in English to marks scored by Student A in
Maths?
1) 3 : 5 2) 4 : 7
3) 5 : 9 4) 3 : 4
5) 4 : 5
80) The marks scored by Student F in Maths is
approximately what per cent more or less than
the marks scored by Student E in Chemistry?
1) 75% 2) 77.5%
3) 82.5% 4) 85%
5) 87.5%
Directions (Q.181-183): What will come in place of
question mark (?) in the following number series?
81) 53 74 123 100 145 ?
1) 196 2) 172
3) 136 4) 96
5) 78
82) 145 180 395 444 813 ?
1) 900 2) 948
3) 975 4) 1015
5) 1125
83) 12 24 84 112 220 ?
1) 248 2) 264
3) 278 4) 284
5) 296
Directions (Q. 84-85): What should come in place of
question mark (?) in the following questions?
84)
?6561219710648
3
1
3
4
1
3
1
1) 484 2) 676
3) 576 4) 324
5) 784
85) {980114641} ?25.72 6
1) 3681 2) 4131
3) 4335 4) 4563
5) None of these
86) A box contains 3 red, 4 black and 5 green
balls. If 3 balls are drawn at random, then
what is the probability that they are of the
same colour?
1)
41
3
2)
41
38
3)
44
3
4)
44
41
5) None of these
87) In how many different ways can the letters of
the word DISPLAY be arranged so that the
vowels always come together?
1) 1440 2) 720
3) 5040 4) 2520
5) None of these
88) A man can row 8 kmh
-1
in still water. If the
river is running at 6 kmh
-1
it takes 30 hours
more to go upstream than to go downstream
for the distance. What is the distance?
1) 35 km 2) 50 km
3) 64 km 4) 70 km
5) 80 km
89) A person sold
3
1
of a commodity at 20%
profit,
5
1
at 30% profit and the rest at 10%
profit. If the total profit earned by him is Rs
156 then find the cost price of the commodity.
1) Rs. 750 2) Rs. 810
3) Rs. 850 4) Rs. 900
5) Rs. 940
90) There is sufficient food for 360 men for 38
days. After 8 days, 90 men left the place. For
how many days will the remaining food last for
the rest of the men?
1) 36 days 2) 40 days
3) 45 days 4) 48 days
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 91 -95): Study the following
information carefully and answer the questions
given below.
From a school 500 students appeared in all in an
examination consisting of three papers P1, P2 and P3, 52.6%
students passed in P1, 57% in P2 and 50.4% in P3. 18% of
students passed only in P1 and P2, 10.2% passed only in p1
and P3 and 8.4% passed in all three papers. The number of
girls passed in Paper P1 only is 60% of the number of boys
who passed only in paper P1. The ratio of the number of
boys to the number of girls who passed only in Paper P2 is
7:6. The number of girls who passed in Paper P3 only is 6%
of the total number of students who appeared in the
examination.
Answer the following questions based on the above
information.
91) How many students are there who passed in
Paper P2 and P3, but failed in P1?
1) 65 2) 75
3) 85 4) 90
5) 125
92) What is the difference between the number of
boys and the number of girls who passed in
Paper P1 only?
1) 10 2) 20
3) 30 4) 40
5) 50
93) What percentage of students passed only in
Paper P2?
1) 14.2% 2) 15%
3) 15.6% 4) 17%
5) 18.4%
94) What is the ratio of the number of students
who passed only in Paper P 1 and P2 to the
number of boys who passed only in Paper P3?
1) 5 : 2 2) 7 : 3
3) 15 : 14 4) 9 :4
5) 8 : 5
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 39
95) What is the percentage of students who failed
in any two papers?
1) 48.4% 2) 51.6%
3) 53% 4) 54.5%
5) 59%
Directions (Q. 96-100): Total population of six
countries (A, B, C, D, E and F) together is 90 crore.
The following pie-chart shows the parentage
distribution of population among these countries and
the table shows the percentage of population who
are below poverty line.
Country % Below Poverty Line
A 64%
B 70%
C 60%
D 72%
E 50%
F 56%
96) What is the population of Country A above
poverty line?
1) 4.856 crore 2) 5.994 crore
3) 6.145 crore 4) 6.834 crore
5) None of these
97) What is the difference between the population
of country D, below poverty line and that
above poverty line?
1) 7.15 crore 2) 6.45 crore
3) 6.05 crore 4) 5.45 crore
5) 4.95 crore
98) What is the total population of all six countries
together below poverty line. (Answer in crore)
1) 48.712 2) 50.64
3) 52.312 4) 54.162
5) 56.864
99) What is the ratio of the population of Country
C above poverty line to the population of
Country D below poverty line?
1) 4 : 5 2) 3 : 4
3) 2 : 3 4) 1 : 2
5) 3 : 5
100) The population of Country B above the poverty
line is approximately what percentage of the
population of Country E below the poverty
line?
1) 28% 2) 30%
3) 32% 4) 34%
5) 35%
REASONING ABILITY
101) In a certain code language, ‘TULIP’ is written
as ‘WVORK’. How will ‘LOTUS’ be written in
that code language?
1) QNGUW 2) QNSUW
3) QUSUW 4) WUGNQ
5) NQAUW
102) How many meaningful, English words can be
formed by using the letters E, D, R and A
exactly once? If only word can be formed,
mark P as your answer. If no such word can
be formed, mark Q as your answer. If only
two such words can be formed mark R as
your answer. If only three such words can be
formed, mark S as your answer. And if more
than three such words can be formed, mark
T as your answer.
1) P 2) Q
3) R 4) S
5) T
103) Rashmi started from her home and went
50m towards north and then took a left turn
and went 20m. Then she took a right turn
and travelled another 10m to reach Rajni’s
home. What is the distance between Rajni’s
and Rashmi’s home?
1) m102
2) 80 m
3) m1020
4) m220
5) None of these
104) In a certain code language, ‘FRANCE’ is
coded as ‘*%$@’ and ‘ROME’ is coded as
‘+&’. How will ‘MANNER’ be written in
that code language?
1) &%$$ 2) &%$$
3) %&$$ 4) $&%$$
5) &$$%
105) How many pairs of letters are there in the
word ‘BANKING’, each of which has as many
letters between them as in the English
alphabet? (if counted in both forward and
backward direction)
1) One 2) Two
3) Three 4) Four
5) None of these
106) If ‘+’ means ‘x’, ‘’ means ‘+’, ‘x’ means ‘’
and ‘’ means ‘’, then what will be the value
of 15 + 5 – 4 x 2 10
1) 12 2) 65
3) 67 4) Zero
5) 10
107) In a row of boys, Anil is fifteenth from the
left end and his brother Sunil is eighteenth
from the right end. If both of them
interchange their places, Anil becomes
twenty-ninth from the left end. How many
boys are there in the row?
1) 47 2) 48
3) 46 4) None of these
5) Can’t be determined
A, 18.5%
B, 8.0%
C, 15.0%
D, 12.5%
E, 17.0%
F, 29.0%
95) What is the percentage of students who failed
in any two papers?
1) 48.4% 2) 51.6%
3) 53% 4) 54.5%
5) 59%
Directions (Q. 96-100): Total population of six
countries (A, B, C, D, E and F) together is 90 crore.
The following pie-chart shows the parentage
distribution of population among these countries and
the table shows the percentage of population who
are below poverty line.
Country % Below Poverty Line
A 64%
B 70%
C 60%
D 72%
E 50%
F 56%
96) What is the population of Country A above
poverty line?
1) 4.856 crore 2) 5.994 crore
3) 6.145 crore 4) 6.834 crore
5) None of these
97) What is the difference between the population
of country D, below poverty line and that
above poverty line?
1) 7.15 crore 2) 6.45 crore
3) 6.05 crore 4) 5.45 crore
5) 4.95 crore
98) What is the total population of all six countries
together below poverty line. (Answer in crore)
1) 48.712 2) 50.64
3) 52.312 4) 54.162
5) 56.864
99) What is the ratio of the population of Country
C above poverty line to the population of
Country D below poverty line?
1) 4 : 5 2) 3 : 4
3) 2 : 3 4) 1 : 2
5) 3 : 5
100) The population of Country B above the poverty
line is approximately what percentage of the
population of Country E below the poverty
line?
1) 28% 2) 30%
3) 32% 4) 34%
5) 35%
REASONING ABILITY
101) In a certain code language, ‘TULIP’ is written
as ‘WVORK’. How will ‘LOTUS’ be written in
that code language?
1) QNGUW 2) QNSUW
3) QUSUW 4) WUGNQ
5) NQAUW
102) How many meaningful, English words can be
formed by using the letters E, D, R and A
exactly once? If only word can be formed,
mark P as your answer. If no such word can
be formed, mark Q as your answer. If only
two such words can be formed mark R as
your answer. If only three such words can be
formed, mark S as your answer. And if more
than three such words can be formed, mark
T as your answer.
1) P 2) Q
3) R 4) S
5) T
103) Rashmi started from her home and went
50m towards north and then took a left turn
and went 20m. Then she took a right turn
and travelled another 10m to reach Rajni’s
home. What is the distance between Rajni’s
and Rashmi’s home?
1) m102
2) 80 m
3) m1020
4) m220
5) None of these
104) In a certain code language, ‘FRANCE’ is
coded as ‘*%$@’ and ‘ROME’ is coded as
‘+&’. How will ‘MANNER’ be written in
that code language?
1) &%$$ 2) &%$$
3) %&$$ 4) $&%$$
5) &$$%
105) How many pairs of letters are there in the
word ‘BANKING’, each of which has as many
letters between them as in the English
alphabet? (if counted in both forward and
backward direction)
1) One 2) Two
3) Three 4) Four
5) None of these
106) If ‘+’ means ‘x’, ‘’ means ‘+’, ‘x’ means ‘’
and ‘’ means ‘’, then what will be the value
of 15 + 5 – 4 x 2 10
1) 12 2) 65
3) 67 4) Zero
5) 10
107) In a row of boys, Anil is fifteenth from the
left end and his brother Sunil is eighteenth
from the right end. If both of them
interchange their places, Anil becomes
twenty-ninth from the left end. How many
boys are there in the row?
1) 47 2) 48
3) 46 4) None of these
5) Can’t be determined
A, 18.5%
B, 8.0%
C, 15.0%
D, 12.5%
E, 17.0%
F, 29.0%
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 40
108) If the given expression ‘A > B = C D < E <
F = G’ is true, which of the following
expressions is/are definitely false?
1) A > D 2) B D
3) G > E 4) All are false
5) None of these
109) Four of the following five are alike in a
certain way and hence form a group. Which
is the one that does not belong to that
group?
1) Book 2) Newspaper
3) Scribe 4) Article
5) Journal
110) Consider the following expression:
‘P < Q ? R > S > T ? V’
Which of the following symbols can be put in place
of question mark in order to make ‘P < R ‘ and ‘V <
S’ definitely true?
1) 2)
30 > 4) <
5) =
Directions (Q. 111-116): In each question below are
given two/three statements followed by two
conclusions numbered I and II. You have to take the
given statements to be true even if they seem to be
at variance with commonly known facts. Read all the
conclusions and then decide which of the given
conclusion logically follows from the given
statements, disregarding commonly known facts.
Give answer
1) If only conclusion I follows
2) If only conclusion II follows
3) If either conclusion I or II follows
4) If neither conclusion I nor II follows
5) If both conclusions I and II follow
(111-116)
111)
Statements: All boats are berries.
No brake is a belt.
All belts are boats.
Conclusions: I. No brake is a boat.
II. Some berries are belts.
112)
Conclusions: I. All berries being belts is a
possibility.
II. All boats being brakes is a
possibility.
113)
Statements: Some teas are tasty.
Some toasters are toys.
Some tables are not toys.
Conclusions: I. Some toasters are tables.
II. All tea being toasters is a
possibility.
114)
Statements: All coffee is cold.
Some cold are cups.
Conclusions: I. Some cups being coffee is a
possibility.
II. All cups being cold is a
possibility.
115)
Statements: No rack is a rod.
Some rats are red.
All red are racks.
Conclusions: I. Some red are not rods.
II. All rats are racks.
116)
Statements: Some parrots are pigeons.
Some pigeons are penguins.
No parrot is pink.
Conclusions: I. No pigeon is pink.
II. Some pink are pigeons.
Directions (Q. 117-120): Read the following
information carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
There are seven friends – Anita, Binod, Chandni, David,
Ejaj, Fazal and Gauri. All of them are working in an
organisation and have different mobile phones – Nokia,
Samsung, Spice, Blackberry, Motorola, Micromax and
Videocon – but not necessarily in the same order. Moreover,
they are also using the services of different service
providers – Aircel, Vodafone, Reliance, Idea, Tata, Uninor
and Airtel.
Further, some more information is also given.
David, a spice user, does not use Aircel. The one
who uses Micromax is a subscriber to Tata.
Anita does not use Vodafone while Binod, who is a
Samsung user, is a subscriber to Idea. Ejaj and
Fajal do not use Micromax.
Ejaj, a Reliance user, has Videocon mobile, while
the person who uses Blackberry is subscribed to
Vodafone.
Chandni is a Uninor subscriber, while Gauri, who
does not use Nokia,is an Aircel user.
117) Who among the following uses Blackberry?
1) Gauri 2) Fazal
3) Chandni 4) Ejaj
5) None of these
118) Which of the following services is used by
Anita?
1) Airtel 2) Aircel
3) Reliance 4) Tata
5) None of these
119) Which of the following statements is/are
definitely false with respect to the above
information?
1) Fazal uses Videocon mobile.
2) Anita is an Airtel subscriber.
3) David is a Reliance subscriber.
4) All are true. 5) None of these
120) Who among the following uses Motorola
mobile phones?
1) Anita 2) Gauri
3) Ejaj 4) Fazal
5) Chandni
Directions (Q. 121-124): A word and number
arrangement machine when given an input line of
words and numbers rearranges them following a
particular rule in each step. The following is an
illustration of input and rearrangement. (All the
numbers are two-digit numbers.)
108) If the given expression ‘A > B = C D < E <
F = G’ is true, which of the following
expressions is/are definitely false?
1) A > D 2) B D
3) G > E 4) All are false
5) None of these
109) Four of the following five are alike in a
certain way and hence form a group. Which
is the one that does not belong to that
group?
1) Book 2) Newspaper
3) Scribe 4) Article
5) Journal
110) Consider the following expression:
‘P < Q ? R > S > T ? V’
Which of the following symbols can be put in place
of question mark in order to make ‘P < R ‘ and ‘V <
S’ definitely true?
1) 2)
30 > 4) <
5) =
Directions (Q. 111-116): In each question below are
given two/three statements followed by two
conclusions numbered I and II. You have to take the
given statements to be true even if they seem to be
at variance with commonly known facts. Read all the
conclusions and then decide which of the given
conclusion logically follows from the given
statements, disregarding commonly known facts.
Give answer
1) If only conclusion I follows
2) If only conclusion II follows
3) If either conclusion I or II follows
4) If neither conclusion I nor II follows
5) If both conclusions I and II follow
(111-116)
111)
Statements: All boats are berries.
No brake is a belt.
All belts are boats.
Conclusions: I. No brake is a boat.
II. Some berries are belts.
112)
Conclusions: I. All berries being belts is a
possibility.
II. All boats being brakes is a
possibility.
113)
Statements: Some teas are tasty.
Some toasters are toys.
Some tables are not toys.
Conclusions: I. Some toasters are tables.
II. All tea being toasters is a
possibility.
114)
Statements: All coffee is cold.
Some cold are cups.
Conclusions: I. Some cups being coffee is a
possibility.
II. All cups being cold is a
possibility.
115)
Statements: No rack is a rod.
Some rats are red.
All red are racks.
Conclusions: I. Some red are not rods.
II. All rats are racks.
116)
Statements: Some parrots are pigeons.
Some pigeons are penguins.
No parrot is pink.
Conclusions: I. No pigeon is pink.
II. Some pink are pigeons.
Directions (Q. 117-120): Read the following
information carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
There are seven friends – Anita, Binod, Chandni, David,
Ejaj, Fazal and Gauri. All of them are working in an
organisation and have different mobile phones – Nokia,
Samsung, Spice, Blackberry, Motorola, Micromax and
Videocon – but not necessarily in the same order. Moreover,
they are also using the services of different service
providers – Aircel, Vodafone, Reliance, Idea, Tata, Uninor
and Airtel.
Further, some more information is also given.
David, a spice user, does not use Aircel. The one
who uses Micromax is a subscriber to Tata.
Anita does not use Vodafone while Binod, who is a
Samsung user, is a subscriber to Idea. Ejaj and
Fajal do not use Micromax.
Ejaj, a Reliance user, has Videocon mobile, while
the person who uses Blackberry is subscribed to
Vodafone.
Chandni is a Uninor subscriber, while Gauri, who
does not use Nokia,is an Aircel user.
117) Who among the following uses Blackberry?
1) Gauri 2) Fazal
3) Chandni 4) Ejaj
5) None of these
118) Which of the following services is used by
Anita?
1) Airtel 2) Aircel
3) Reliance 4) Tata
5) None of these
119) Which of the following statements is/are
definitely false with respect to the above
information?
1) Fazal uses Videocon mobile.
2) Anita is an Airtel subscriber.
3) David is a Reliance subscriber.
4) All are true. 5) None of these
120) Who among the following uses Motorola
mobile phones?
1) Anita 2) Gauri
3) Ejaj 4) Fazal
5) Chandni
Directions (Q. 121-124): A word and number
arrangement machine when given an input line of
words and numbers rearranges them following a
particular rule in each step. The following is an
illustration of input and rearrangement. (All the
numbers are two-digit numbers.)
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 41
Input:
36 always fine 47 below 83 ever shall 56 13 ice 74
Step I:
always 36 fine 47 below 83 ever shall 56 ice 74 13
Step II:
always ever 36 fine below 83 shall 56 ice 74 13 47
Step III:
always ever ice 36 fine below shall 56 74 13 47 83
Step IV:
always ever ice below fine shall 56 74 13 47 83 36
Step V:
always ever ice below fine shall 74 13 47 83 36 56
Step VI:
always ever ice below fine shall 13 47 83 36 56 74
Step VI is the last step of the above input. As per the rules
followed in the above steps, find out in each of the following
questions the steps for the input given below.
Input:
98 above 87 plant new 19 78 of 12 grapes attack 55
121) Which of the following will be the last step of
the rearrangement?
1) IV 2) V
3) VI 4) VII
5) None of these
122) Which of the following elements will be the 7
th
element from right in step V?
1) plant 2) 19
3) new 4) 98
5) None of these
123) Which step number would be the following
output?
Above attack of 98 plant new 78 12 grapes 19 55 87
1) II 2) III
3) IV 4) V
5) There will be no such step
124) In step V of rearrangement, if ‘attack’ is
related to ‘grapes’ in a certain way and ‘98’ is
related to ‘19’ in the same way, which of the
following would ‘above’ be related to following
the same way?
1) attack 2) of
3) grapes 4) 12
5) 78
Directions (Q. 125-127): Read the following
information carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
There are five friends – A, B, C, D and E – living on
five different floors of an apartment with the lowermost
floor as floor 1 and so on. Further, some more information
is also given:
C cannot live on an odd-numbered floor and B cannot
live on an even-numbered floor.
E lives on the floor which if immediately above the floor
on which D lives.
There is only one person who lives on the floor
between D’s and A’s floor. A lives neither at the bottom
nor on the top floor.
125) Who among the following lives on the fifth
floor?
1) A 2) E
3) D 4) B
5) Can’t be determined
126) A lives on which of the following floors?
1) Second 2) Third
3) Fourth 4) Fifth
5) None of these
127) How many floors are there between the floor
on which B and E live?
1) Four 2) Three
3) Two 4) One
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 128-133): Read the following
information carefully and answer the questions that
follow:
There are eight members of a family – A, B, C, D, E,
F, G and H. All of them are sitting around a circular table
facing the centre. They belong to three different
generations and there are three married couples among
them. Also, four of them are males and four of them are of
the opposite gender (though not necessarily in the same
order.) Further, some more information is also given.
The son-in-law and grandson of H are immediate
neighbours. G cannot be an immediate neighbour of
her sister-in-law.
B, a spinster, is sitting two places to the right of her
grandfather E. A and his sibling D can’t sit together.
There are only three persons sitting between B an her
aunt D. C, a married male, cannot be an immediate
neighbour of either E or B.
F and B are not siblings. There is only one person
sitting between C and his brother-in-law.
128) What is the relationship of C with E?
1) Father-in-law 2) Son
3) Son-in-law 4) Brother-in-law
5) Can’t be determined
129) What is the position of H with respect to her
granddaughter?
1) Second to the left 2) Third to the left
3) Fourth to the right 4) Third to the right
5) None of these
130) Who among the following is definitely the
group of females?
1) H G F B 2) G D B A
3) B H D C 4) G D B H
5) G D C H
131) Who among the following is sitting exactly
between G’s daughter and C’s son?
1) A’s father 2) D’s son
3) H’s husband 4) B’s father
5) Can’t be determined
132) How many persons are sitting between G and
her brother-in-law?
1) One 2) Two
3) Three 4) Four
5) Can’t be determined
133) If all the eight persons are seated in the
English alphabetical order starting with A, the
position of how many of them will remain
Input:
36 always fine 47 below 83 ever shall 56 13 ice 74
Step I:
always 36 fine 47 below 83 ever shall 56 ice 74 13
Step II:
always ever 36 fine below 83 shall 56 ice 74 13 47
Step III:
always ever ice 36 fine below shall 56 74 13 47 83
Step IV:
always ever ice below fine shall 56 74 13 47 83 36
Step V:
always ever ice below fine shall 74 13 47 83 36 56
Step VI:
always ever ice below fine shall 13 47 83 36 56 74
Step VI is the last step of the above input. As per the rules
followed in the above steps, find out in each of the following
questions the steps for the input given below.
Input:
98 above 87 plant new 19 78 of 12 grapes attack 55
121) Which of the following will be the last step of
the rearrangement?
1) IV 2) V
3) VI 4) VII
5) None of these
122) Which of the following elements will be the 7
th
element from right in step V?
1) plant 2) 19
3) new 4) 98
5) None of these
123) Which step number would be the following
output?
Above attack of 98 plant new 78 12 grapes 19 55 87
1) II 2) III
3) IV 4) V
5) There will be no such step
124) In step V of rearrangement, if ‘attack’ is
related to ‘grapes’ in a certain way and ‘98’ is
related to ‘19’ in the same way, which of the
following would ‘above’ be related to following
the same way?
1) attack 2) of
3) grapes 4) 12
5) 78
Directions (Q. 125-127): Read the following
information carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
There are five friends – A, B, C, D and E – living on
five different floors of an apartment with the lowermost
floor as floor 1 and so on. Further, some more information
is also given:
C cannot live on an odd-numbered floor and B cannot
live on an even-numbered floor.
E lives on the floor which if immediately above the floor
on which D lives.
There is only one person who lives on the floor
between D’s and A’s floor. A lives neither at the bottom
nor on the top floor.
125) Who among the following lives on the fifth
floor?
1) A 2) E
3) D 4) B
5) Can’t be determined
126) A lives on which of the following floors?
1) Second 2) Third
3) Fourth 4) Fifth
5) None of these
127) How many floors are there between the floor
on which B and E live?
1) Four 2) Three
3) Two 4) One
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 128-133): Read the following
information carefully and answer the questions that
follow:
There are eight members of a family – A, B, C, D, E,
F, G and H. All of them are sitting around a circular table
facing the centre. They belong to three different
generations and there are three married couples among
them. Also, four of them are males and four of them are of
the opposite gender (though not necessarily in the same
order.) Further, some more information is also given.
The son-in-law and grandson of H are immediate
neighbours. G cannot be an immediate neighbour of
her sister-in-law.
B, a spinster, is sitting two places to the right of her
grandfather E. A and his sibling D can’t sit together.
There are only three persons sitting between B an her
aunt D. C, a married male, cannot be an immediate
neighbour of either E or B.
F and B are not siblings. There is only one person
sitting between C and his brother-in-law.
128) What is the relationship of C with E?
1) Father-in-law 2) Son
3) Son-in-law 4) Brother-in-law
5) Can’t be determined
129) What is the position of H with respect to her
granddaughter?
1) Second to the left 2) Third to the left
3) Fourth to the right 4) Third to the right
5) None of these
130) Who among the following is definitely the
group of females?
1) H G F B 2) G D B A
3) B H D C 4) G D B H
5) G D C H
131) Who among the following is sitting exactly
between G’s daughter and C’s son?
1) A’s father 2) D’s son
3) H’s husband 4) B’s father
5) Can’t be determined
132) How many persons are sitting between G and
her brother-in-law?
1) One 2) Two
3) Three 4) Four
5) Can’t be determined
133) If all the eight persons are seated in the
English alphabetical order starting with A, the
position of how many of them will remain
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 42
unchanged (excluding A), if counted in
anticlockwise direction starting from A?
1) One 2) Two
3) Three 4) Four
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 134-138): Study the following
information carefully to answer the questions given
below. Following are the conditions for selecting
Probationary Officers – Scale II in a bank.
The candidate must
(i) be a graduate with at least 60 per cent marks.
(ii) have a work experience of at least two years after
completion of graduation.
(iii) not be more than 35 years of age as on 01.02.2013.
(iv) have scored at least 40 per cent marks in the
personal interview.
(v) have scored at least 55 per cent marks in the written
examination.
In the case of a candidate who satisfies all the above
conditions except.
(a) (ii) above, but has a work experience of at least one
year, his/her case is to be referred to the Chairman –
Recruitment.
(b) (iii) above, but is less than 40 years of age, his/her
case is to be referred to the President – Recruitment.
In each of the questions below are given the details
of each candidate. You have to take one of the following
courses of action based on the information provided and the
conditions and sub-conditions given above and mark the
number of that course of action as your answer.
You are not supposed to assume anything other than
the information provided in each question. All these cases
are given to you as on 01.02.2013.
Mark answer
1) If the candidate is to be selected
2) If the candidate is not to be selected
3) If the data provided are inadequate to take a decision.
4) If the case is to be referred to the Chairman -Recruitment
5) If the case is to be referred to the President –
Recruitment.
134) Nilesh Wadekar, who completed his graduation
with 63% marks, has been working for last 3
years. He got 57% marks in the written
examination and 43% marks in the interview.
135) Abhijit Sharma, a Computer Science graduate, has
scored 74% marks in both graduation and written
examination. His date of birth is 7
th
August 1988.
He scored only 45% marks in the interview and
has been working for last eighteen months.
136) Sweta Sinha, whose date of birth is 15
th
January
1983, is B Tech (Mechanical) with 61% marks. She
has been working for last 3 years. She got 61
marks in the interview and 56% marks in the
written examination.
137) Priya Rai, a commerce graduate with 62% marks,
has been working for last 5 years. She was born on
31
st
March 1986. She scored 81% marks in the
written examination and 35% marks in the
interview.
138) Vijay Chauhan was born on 8
th
February 1990. He
got 68% and 51% in the written examination and
the interview respectively. He has been working for
last twenty five months and is a first-class
graduate.
Directions (Q. 139-141): In each questions given
below is a statement Followed by three courses of
action numbered I, II and III. A course of action is a
step or administrative action is regard to the
problem, policy etc. On the basis of information
given in the statement, you have to assume
everything in the statement to be true, then decide
which of the suggested courses of action logically
follow(s) for pursuing.
139) Statement: There has been a considerable increase
in the number of persons affected by water-borne
diseases during monsoon period.
Courses of action:
I. The question should be raised in the legislative
assembly.
II. All the hospitals in the city should be equipped
properly for the treatment of patients during
monsoon period.
III. The government should provide adequate
information to the people about water-borne
diseases and how to prevent them.
1) Only I follows 2) Only II follows
3) Both II and III follows 4) Both I and III follows
5) None of these
140) Statement: Besides looks and appearances, it is
also important to develop oneself from within.
Courses of action:
I. One should not pay attention to fashion.
II. One should pay attention to fashion.
III. Self-development programmes should be
initiated.
1) Only I follows 2) Only II follows
3) Only I and III follows 4) Only III follows
5) All I, II and III follows
141) Statement: The meteorological department has
reported that a severe storm is likely to the hit the
city during the next forty-eight hours.
Courses of action:
I. The administration should advise all the business
and educational establishments to close down for
two days.
II. The administration should not make the
information public as it could create panic among the
residents of the city.
III. The administration should activate its disaster
management programme to tackle any possible
emergency situation.
1) Only I and II follows 2) Only III follows
3) Only II and III follow 4) Only I and III follow
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 142-145): Read the following
paragraph carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
After rising for several months, gold prices are likely
to see a gradual decline in the short term on the back of
strong global cues. With the US economy showing signs of
unchanged (excluding A), if counted in
anticlockwise direction starting from A?
1) One 2) Two
3) Three 4) Four
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 134-138): Study the following
information carefully to answer the questions given
below. Following are the conditions for selecting
Probationary Officers – Scale II in a bank.
The candidate must
(i) be a graduate with at least 60 per cent marks.
(ii) have a work experience of at least two years after
completion of graduation.
(iii) not be more than 35 years of age as on 01.02.2013.
(iv) have scored at least 40 per cent marks in the
personal interview.
(v) have scored at least 55 per cent marks in the written
examination.
In the case of a candidate who satisfies all the above
conditions except.
(a) (ii) above, but has a work experience of at least one
year, his/her case is to be referred to the Chairman –
Recruitment.
(b) (iii) above, but is less than 40 years of age, his/her
case is to be referred to the President – Recruitment.
In each of the questions below are given the details
of each candidate. You have to take one of the following
courses of action based on the information provided and the
conditions and sub-conditions given above and mark the
number of that course of action as your answer.
You are not supposed to assume anything other than
the information provided in each question. All these cases
are given to you as on 01.02.2013.
Mark answer
1) If the candidate is to be selected
2) If the candidate is not to be selected
3) If the data provided are inadequate to take a decision.
4) If the case is to be referred to the Chairman -Recruitment
5) If the case is to be referred to the President –
Recruitment.
134) Nilesh Wadekar, who completed his graduation
with 63% marks, has been working for last 3
years. He got 57% marks in the written
examination and 43% marks in the interview.
135) Abhijit Sharma, a Computer Science graduate, has
scored 74% marks in both graduation and written
examination. His date of birth is 7
th
August 1988.
He scored only 45% marks in the interview and
has been working for last eighteen months.
136) Sweta Sinha, whose date of birth is 15
th
January
1983, is B Tech (Mechanical) with 61% marks. She
has been working for last 3 years. She got 61
marks in the interview and 56% marks in the
written examination.
137) Priya Rai, a commerce graduate with 62% marks,
has been working for last 5 years. She was born on
31
st
March 1986. She scored 81% marks in the
written examination and 35% marks in the
interview.
138) Vijay Chauhan was born on 8
th
February 1990. He
got 68% and 51% in the written examination and
the interview respectively. He has been working for
last twenty five months and is a first-class
graduate.
Directions (Q. 139-141): In each questions given
below is a statement Followed by three courses of
action numbered I, II and III. A course of action is a
step or administrative action is regard to the
problem, policy etc. On the basis of information
given in the statement, you have to assume
everything in the statement to be true, then decide
which of the suggested courses of action logically
follow(s) for pursuing.
139) Statement: There has been a considerable increase
in the number of persons affected by water-borne
diseases during monsoon period.
Courses of action:
I. The question should be raised in the legislative
assembly.
II. All the hospitals in the city should be equipped
properly for the treatment of patients during
monsoon period.
III. The government should provide adequate
information to the people about water-borne
diseases and how to prevent them.
1) Only I follows 2) Only II follows
3) Both II and III follows 4) Both I and III follows
5) None of these
140) Statement: Besides looks and appearances, it is
also important to develop oneself from within.
Courses of action:
I. One should not pay attention to fashion.
II. One should pay attention to fashion.
III. Self-development programmes should be
initiated.
1) Only I follows 2) Only II follows
3) Only I and III follows 4) Only III follows
5) All I, II and III follows
141) Statement: The meteorological department has
reported that a severe storm is likely to the hit the
city during the next forty-eight hours.
Courses of action:
I. The administration should advise all the business
and educational establishments to close down for
two days.
II. The administration should not make the
information public as it could create panic among the
residents of the city.
III. The administration should activate its disaster
management programme to tackle any possible
emergency situation.
1) Only I and II follows 2) Only III follows
3) Only II and III follow 4) Only I and III follow
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 142-145): Read the following
paragraph carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
After rising for several months, gold prices are likely
to see a gradual decline in the short term on the back of
strong global cues. With the US economy showing signs of
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 43
recovery, domestic gold prices are expected to settle at
under Rs. 30000 per 10 grams by March, although the
decline may not be as steep as international prices.
(A). Gold prices are determined by international market
prices.
(B) Prices of gold in local market are on a continuous
decline.
(C) Soaring price of gold is not a positive sign for an
economy.
(D) The US economy is very speculative.
(E) There are strong signs of decline in the price as it was in
the case of petroleum and crude oil five years ago. Later,
the market did decline.
142) Which of the following statements (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) can be a conclusion from the above
paragraph?
1) Only A 2) Only B
3) Both A and B 4) Both C and D
5) None of these
143) Which of the following statements (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) would weaken the argument of the author?
1) Only A 2) Only B
3) Only D 4) Both B and C
5) Both A and E
144) Which of the following can be an assumption in the
above paragraph?
1) Only B 2) Only C
3) Only D 4) Both A and D
5) None of these
145) Which of the following, if true, would strengthen
the argument of the author?
1) Only C 2) Only E
3) Both A and C 4) Both B and C
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 146-150): Each of the questions below
consists of questions and two statements numbered
I and II given below it. You have to decide whether
the data provided in the statements are sufficient to
answer the question. Read both the statements and
Give answer (1): If the data is statements I alone are
sufficient to answer the questions, while the data in
statement II alone are not sufficient to answer the question.
Give answer (2): If the data in statement II alone are
sufficient to answer the question, while the data in
statement I alone are not sufficient to answer the question.
Give answer (3): If the data either in statement I alone or
in statement II alone are sufficient II alone are sufficient to
answer the question.
Give answer (4): If the data given in both the statements
I and II together are not sufficient to answer the question;
and
Give answer (5): If the data in both the statements I and
II together are necessary to answer the question.
146) Who among M, N, P, T and R is the youngest?
I) N and T are younger than P.
II) M is older than R and P.
147) How many children are there in the row?
I) Manoj is twelfth from the left end and fourth to
the left of Hari in that row.
II) Hari is eighth from the left and right end of that
row.
148) How is ‘red’ written in a code language?
I) ‘red and blue’ is written as ‘ho po da’ in that code
language.
II) ‘spread red carpet’ is written as ‘na da ka’ in that
code language.
149) Village R is towards which direction of Village
M?
I) Village M is to the West of Village T, which is to
the South of Village R.
II) Village M is to South of Village B, which is to the
West of Village R.
150) How many sisters does D have?
I) D’s mother has four children.
II) K and T are brothers of E.
GK / COMPUTER /
MARKETING
151) Reserve Bank of India has proposed an
electronic GIRO based bill payment system in
India. What is the full form of GIRO?
1) Government Interlinked Recurring Order
2) Government Internal Revenue Order
3) General Internal Revenue Order
4) General Instant Recurring Order
5) None of these
152) Which is the Shariah Compliant Index
launched by Bombay Stock Exchange?
1) Islamic Shariah Index
2) BSE TASIS Shariah Index
3) BSE Islamic Index
4) BSE Nijamudin Index
5) None of these
153) Which film was given the best picture award
at the international Indian film academy
(IIFA) awards 2014?
1) Jolly LLB 2) Ship of Theseus
3) Bhag Milkha Bhag 4) Chennai Express
5) None of these
154) The book title ‘Water’ Peace and War:
Confronting the Global Water Crisis’ has been
authored by who among the following?
1) G. Parthasarthy 2) Brahma Challany
3) K R Kamath 4) Sudha Murty
5) None of these
155) Name the surface to air missile indigenously
developed by DRDO as part of integrated
guided missile development programme?
1) Prithvi – I 2) Agni – VI
3) Akash 4) Trishul
5) None of these
156) What is the name of pilot less target aircraft
developed by India?
1) Nirbhay 2) Dhruv
3) Lakshya 4) Trishul
5) None of these
157) Mr. Anil Kumar Browne has been appointed as
the India’s next ambassador to Norway. Which
position did he hold in the Indian services
previously?
1) He was chief of Army
recovery, domestic gold prices are expected to settle at
under Rs. 30000 per 10 grams by March, although the
decline may not be as steep as international prices.
(A). Gold prices are determined by international market
prices.
(B) Prices of gold in local market are on a continuous
decline.
(C) Soaring price of gold is not a positive sign for an
economy.
(D) The US economy is very speculative.
(E) There are strong signs of decline in the price as it was in
the case of petroleum and crude oil five years ago. Later,
the market did decline.
142) Which of the following statements (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) can be a conclusion from the above
paragraph?
1) Only A 2) Only B
3) Both A and B 4) Both C and D
5) None of these
143) Which of the following statements (A), (B), (C), (D)
and (E) would weaken the argument of the author?
1) Only A 2) Only B
3) Only D 4) Both B and C
5) Both A and E
144) Which of the following can be an assumption in the
above paragraph?
1) Only B 2) Only C
3) Only D 4) Both A and D
5) None of these
145) Which of the following, if true, would strengthen
the argument of the author?
1) Only C 2) Only E
3) Both A and C 4) Both B and C
5) None of these
Directions (Q. 146-150): Each of the questions below
consists of questions and two statements numbered
I and II given below it. You have to decide whether
the data provided in the statements are sufficient to
answer the question. Read both the statements and
Give answer (1): If the data is statements I alone are
sufficient to answer the questions, while the data in
statement II alone are not sufficient to answer the question.
Give answer (2): If the data in statement II alone are
sufficient to answer the question, while the data in
statement I alone are not sufficient to answer the question.
Give answer (3): If the data either in statement I alone or
in statement II alone are sufficient II alone are sufficient to
answer the question.
Give answer (4): If the data given in both the statements
I and II together are not sufficient to answer the question;
and
Give answer (5): If the data in both the statements I and
II together are necessary to answer the question.
146) Who among M, N, P, T and R is the youngest?
I) N and T are younger than P.
II) M is older than R and P.
147) How many children are there in the row?
I) Manoj is twelfth from the left end and fourth to
the left of Hari in that row.
II) Hari is eighth from the left and right end of that
row.
148) How is ‘red’ written in a code language?
I) ‘red and blue’ is written as ‘ho po da’ in that code
language.
II) ‘spread red carpet’ is written as ‘na da ka’ in that
code language.
149) Village R is towards which direction of Village
M?
I) Village M is to the West of Village T, which is to
the South of Village R.
II) Village M is to South of Village B, which is to the
West of Village R.
150) How many sisters does D have?
I) D’s mother has four children.
II) K and T are brothers of E.
GK / COMPUTER /
MARKETING
151) Reserve Bank of India has proposed an
electronic GIRO based bill payment system in
India. What is the full form of GIRO?
1) Government Interlinked Recurring Order
2) Government Internal Revenue Order
3) General Internal Revenue Order
4) General Instant Recurring Order
5) None of these
152) Which is the Shariah Compliant Index
launched by Bombay Stock Exchange?
1) Islamic Shariah Index
2) BSE TASIS Shariah Index
3) BSE Islamic Index
4) BSE Nijamudin Index
5) None of these
153) Which film was given the best picture award
at the international Indian film academy
(IIFA) awards 2014?
1) Jolly LLB 2) Ship of Theseus
3) Bhag Milkha Bhag 4) Chennai Express
5) None of these
154) The book title ‘Water’ Peace and War:
Confronting the Global Water Crisis’ has been
authored by who among the following?
1) G. Parthasarthy 2) Brahma Challany
3) K R Kamath 4) Sudha Murty
5) None of these
155) Name the surface to air missile indigenously
developed by DRDO as part of integrated
guided missile development programme?
1) Prithvi – I 2) Agni – VI
3) Akash 4) Trishul
5) None of these
156) What is the name of pilot less target aircraft
developed by India?
1) Nirbhay 2) Dhruv
3) Lakshya 4) Trishul
5) None of these
157) Mr. Anil Kumar Browne has been appointed as
the India’s next ambassador to Norway. Which
position did he hold in the Indian services
previously?
1) He was chief of Army
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 44
2) He was chief of Air Staff
3) He was Chief Secretary in Ministry of Defence
4) He was a Cabinet Secretary
5) None of these
158) Nabam Tuki was sworn in as the Chief Minister
of which of the following states?
1) Tripura 2) Mizoram
3) Arunachal Pradesh 4) Sikkim
5) None of these
159) With which game is Manavjit Singh Sandhu an
Indian player associated with
1) Cricket 2) Squash
3) Shooting 4) Athletics
5) None of these
160) Which women player from India has won the
Senior Title in World Snooker Championship?
1) Chitra Magimairaj 2) Saina Nehwal
3) P.V. Sindhu 4) Mithali Raj
5) None of these
161) Which country has decided not to host 18
th
Asian Games to be held in the year 2019 due
to lake of preparedness and concerns that
holding the event would not be financially
viable?
1) Vietnam 2) Turkey
3) Philippines 4) South Korea
5) None of these
162) Sebastian Vettel the winner of Men’s Laureus
World Sports Award for the year 2014
associated with which game?
1) Car Racing 2) Football
3) Swimming 4) MotoGP
5) None of these
163) Some Indian companies are said to be in the
process of issuing FCCB to raise foreign
currency funds. What is the full form of FCCB?
1) Foreign Currency Convertible Bond
2) Foreign Currency Creditable Bond
3) Foreign Convertible Cashless Bond
4) Fixed Currency Convertible Bond
5) None of these
164) BSE Sensex is a barometer Indian capital
markets issued by Bombay Stock Exchange
representing basket of large, liquid and
representative companies. How many
companies are represented in S & P BSE
Sensex?
1) 30 2) 35
3) 40 4) 50
5) None of these
165) Which of the following companies are
authorized to issue Initial Public Offer or
Follow on public offer?
1) Private Ltd. Company 2) Public Ltd. Company
3) Limited Liability Partnership
4) Both 1 and 2 5) None of these
166) Which law governance the functioning of stock
exchanges?
1) Indian Contract Act
2) Forward Contract Act
3) Securities Contract Regulation Act
4) Stock Exchange Regulation Act
5) None of these
167) Normally become across the term capital
market. Which of the following st atement
about capital market is true?
1) These are financial markets for buying and selling
of long term debt and or shares
2) Sale and purchase of shares through Bombay
Stock Exchange or National Stock Exchange
3) Issue of shares by the company for the first time
4) Sale of shares by a govt. owned company
5) None of these
168) The term Banking is defined in which Act:
1) Banking Regulation Act
2) RBI Act
3) Negotiable Instrument Act
4) Indian Contract Act
5) None of these
169) Capital of Reserve Banks of India is held by:
1) Central Government
2) Central and State Government Jointly
3) Ministry of Finance
4) By all the commercial banks jointly
5) None of these
170) Shares of a public limited company are
required to be listed on the stock exchange.
What is the meaning of listing?
1) Listing implies that the shares are now available
for trading in the secondary market
2) It means that SEBI has granted permission to the
company to issue shares to the public
3) Listing means that the shares are included either
in SENSEX or NIFTY
4) That the shares are being traded at the face value
5) None of these
171) Which Film has been selected four national
award for best Hindi film?
1) Bhag Milkha Bhag 2) Jolly LLB
3) Chennai Express 4) Aashiqui 2
5) None of these
172) The book title ‘An Undocumented Wonder: The
Making of the Great Indian Election’ has been
authored by who among the following?
1) Amy Chua 2) Dinyaar Patel
3) Vishwanath Tripathi 4) Brahama Challany
5) S. Y. Quraishi
173) What is the range of Brahmos missile
developed by India in collaboration with
Russia?
1) 1000 km 2) 300-500 km
3) 2000 km 4) 3000-5000 km
5) None of these
174) The book title ‘Story of A Death Foretold’ has
been authored by who among the following?
1) Oscar Guardiolo-Rivera 2) Wendy Donger
3) Amy Chua 4) Govind Mishra
5) None of these
175) The book title ‘An Undocumented Wonder: The
Making of the Great Indian Election’ has been
authored by who among the following?
1) Amy Chua 2) Dinyaar Patel
3) Vishwanath Tripathi 4) Brahama Challany
5) S. Y. Quraishi
176) The primarily take(s) care of the behind-the-
scenes details and manage(s) the hardware.
2) He was chief of Air Staff
3) He was Chief Secretary in Ministry of Defence
4) He was a Cabinet Secretary
5) None of these
158) Nabam Tuki was sworn in as the Chief Minister
of which of the following states?
1) Tripura 2) Mizoram
3) Arunachal Pradesh 4) Sikkim
5) None of these
159) With which game is Manavjit Singh Sandhu an
Indian player associated with
1) Cricket 2) Squash
3) Shooting 4) Athletics
5) None of these
160) Which women player from India has won the
Senior Title in World Snooker Championship?
1) Chitra Magimairaj 2) Saina Nehwal
3) P.V. Sindhu 4) Mithali Raj
5) None of these
161) Which country has decided not to host 18
th
Asian Games to be held in the year 2019 due
to lake of preparedness and concerns that
holding the event would not be financially
viable?
1) Vietnam 2) Turkey
3) Philippines 4) South Korea
5) None of these
162) Sebastian Vettel the winner of Men’s Laureus
World Sports Award for the year 2014
associated with which game?
1) Car Racing 2) Football
3) Swimming 4) MotoGP
5) None of these
163) Some Indian companies are said to be in the
process of issuing FCCB to raise foreign
currency funds. What is the full form of FCCB?
1) Foreign Currency Convertible Bond
2) Foreign Currency Creditable Bond
3) Foreign Convertible Cashless Bond
4) Fixed Currency Convertible Bond
5) None of these
164) BSE Sensex is a barometer Indian capital
markets issued by Bombay Stock Exchange
representing basket of large, liquid and
representative companies. How many
companies are represented in S & P BSE
Sensex?
1) 30 2) 35
3) 40 4) 50
5) None of these
165) Which of the following companies are
authorized to issue Initial Public Offer or
Follow on public offer?
1) Private Ltd. Company 2) Public Ltd. Company
3) Limited Liability Partnership
4) Both 1 and 2 5) None of these
166) Which law governance the functioning of stock
exchanges?
1) Indian Contract Act
2) Forward Contract Act
3) Securities Contract Regulation Act
4) Stock Exchange Regulation Act
5) None of these
167) Normally become across the term capital
market. Which of the following st atement
about capital market is true?
1) These are financial markets for buying and selling
of long term debt and or shares
2) Sale and purchase of shares through Bombay
Stock Exchange or National Stock Exchange
3) Issue of shares by the company for the first time
4) Sale of shares by a govt. owned company
5) None of these
168) The term Banking is defined in which Act:
1) Banking Regulation Act
2) RBI Act
3) Negotiable Instrument Act
4) Indian Contract Act
5) None of these
169) Capital of Reserve Banks of India is held by:
1) Central Government
2) Central and State Government Jointly
3) Ministry of Finance
4) By all the commercial banks jointly
5) None of these
170) Shares of a public limited company are
required to be listed on the stock exchange.
What is the meaning of listing?
1) Listing implies that the shares are now available
for trading in the secondary market
2) It means that SEBI has granted permission to the
company to issue shares to the public
3) Listing means that the shares are included either
in SENSEX or NIFTY
4) That the shares are being traded at the face value
5) None of these
171) Which Film has been selected four national
award for best Hindi film?
1) Bhag Milkha Bhag 2) Jolly LLB
3) Chennai Express 4) Aashiqui 2
5) None of these
172) The book title ‘An Undocumented Wonder: The
Making of the Great Indian Election’ has been
authored by who among the following?
1) Amy Chua 2) Dinyaar Patel
3) Vishwanath Tripathi 4) Brahama Challany
5) S. Y. Quraishi
173) What is the range of Brahmos missile
developed by India in collaboration with
Russia?
1) 1000 km 2) 300-500 km
3) 2000 km 4) 3000-5000 km
5) None of these
174) The book title ‘Story of A Death Foretold’ has
been authored by who among the following?
1) Oscar Guardiolo-Rivera 2) Wendy Donger
3) Amy Chua 4) Govind Mishra
5) None of these
175) The book title ‘An Undocumented Wonder: The
Making of the Great Indian Election’ has been
authored by who among the following?
1) Amy Chua 2) Dinyaar Patel
3) Vishwanath Tripathi 4) Brahama Challany
5) S. Y. Quraishi
176) The primarily take(s) care of the behind-the-
scenes details and manage(s) the hardware.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 45
1) operating system 2) application software
3) peripheral devices 4) hard disk
5) None of these
177) A _____ is a professionally designed ‘empty’
document that can be adapted to the user’s
needs
1) file 2) guide
3) template 4) user guide file
5) None of these
178) A group of 8 bits is known as a –
1) byte 2) kilobyte
3) binary digit 4) megabit
5) None of these
179) The hardware device commonly referred to as
the “brain” of the computer is the –
1) RAM Chip 2) data input
3) CPU 4) secondary storage
5) None of these
180) What is the intersection of a column and a row
on a worksheet called?
1) Column 2) Value
3) Address 4) Cell
5) None of these
181) _____ are often delivered to a PC through an
email attachment and are often designed to do
harm.
1) Viruses 2) Value
3) Address 4) Cell
5) None of these
182) What is the storage area for email messages
called?
1) A folder 2) A directory
3) A mailbox 4) The hard disk
5) None of these
183) A desktop computer is also known as a –
1) Palm Pilot 2) PC
3) Laptop 4) mainframe
5) None of these
184) When a file contains instructions that can be
carried out by the computer, it is often called
a(n) _____ file.
1) data 2) information
3) executable 4) application
5) None of these
185) Documents converted to _____ can e
published to the Web.
1) a .doc file 2) http
3) Machine Language 4) HTML
5) None of these
186) If a user needs information instantly available
to the CPU, it should be stored –
1) on a CD 2) in secondary storage
3) in the CPU 4) in RAM
5) None of these
187) To what temporary area can you store text
and other data, and later paste them to
another location?
1) The clipboard 2) ROM
3) CD-ROM 4) The hard disk
5) None of these
188) In a spreadsheet, a ____ is a number you will
use in a calculation.
1) label 2) cell
3) field 4) value
5) None of these
189) Click _____ check box of transition in a slide
group of an animation tab if you want to move
a slide automatically after stipulated time.
1) Transition timer 2) Automatically after
3) Transition after 4) Automatic timer
5) None of these
190) All of the following are included in removable
media Except –
1) CD-ROMs 2) Diskette
3) DVDs 4) Hard Disk Drive
5) None of these
191) Efficiency in selling skills is determined by –
1) Number of leads generated
2) Number of prospects met
3) Number of conversions made
4) All of these 5) None of these
192) Push style of selling is effective because –
1) Push is the only style of selling
2) It motivates the sales person
3) It pushes the customers to buy the products
4) It helps in quicker conversion
5) Push style can never be effective
193) Sales forecasting involves study of –
1) Sales planning
2) Proper selling price
3) Distribution outlets
4) Consumer needs and demands
5) All of these
194) Benchmark connotes –
1) Bank counters 2) ATMs
3) Standard value for comparison
4) Evaluation 5) All of these
195) USP in marketing language means –
1) Unique selling plan
2) Unique selling proposition
3) Unique selling person
4) Unique selling procedure
5) None of these
196) The USP of a savings bank account is :
1) Low EMI 2) Low rate of interest
3) Liquidity 4) High yield
5) There is no USP for SB ‘accounts
197) The USP of a current deposit account is –
1) Flexi operations 2) High rate of interest
3) Liquidity 4) Restricted balances
5) None of these
198) The USP of a personal loan is –
1) Available only to businessmen
2) Available only to salaried persons
3) Available to all professions
4) Easy EMIs 5) None of these
199) Marketing channels means –
1) Delivery time 2) Delivery Place
3) Delivery period 4) Purchase Outlets
5) None of these
200) Marketing channels for banks are –
1) Bank branches and ATMs
2) Bank branches and back office set ups
3) ATMs and back –office set ups
4) Only A and B 5) Only A and
1) operating system 2) application software
3) peripheral devices 4) hard disk
5) None of these
177) A _____ is a professionally designed ‘empty’
document that can be adapted to the user’s
needs
1) file 2) guide
3) template 4) user guide file
5) None of these
178) A group of 8 bits is known as a –
1) byte 2) kilobyte
3) binary digit 4) megabit
5) None of these
179) The hardware device commonly referred to as
the “brain” of the computer is the –
1) RAM Chip 2) data input
3) CPU 4) secondary storage
5) None of these
180) What is the intersection of a column and a row
on a worksheet called?
1) Column 2) Value
3) Address 4) Cell
5) None of these
181) _____ are often delivered to a PC through an
email attachment and are often designed to do
harm.
1) Viruses 2) Value
3) Address 4) Cell
5) None of these
182) What is the storage area for email messages
called?
1) A folder 2) A directory
3) A mailbox 4) The hard disk
5) None of these
183) A desktop computer is also known as a –
1) Palm Pilot 2) PC
3) Laptop 4) mainframe
5) None of these
184) When a file contains instructions that can be
carried out by the computer, it is often called
a(n) _____ file.
1) data 2) information
3) executable 4) application
5) None of these
185) Documents converted to _____ can e
published to the Web.
1) a .doc file 2) http
3) Machine Language 4) HTML
5) None of these
186) If a user needs information instantly available
to the CPU, it should be stored –
1) on a CD 2) in secondary storage
3) in the CPU 4) in RAM
5) None of these
187) To what temporary area can you store text
and other data, and later paste them to
another location?
1) The clipboard 2) ROM
3) CD-ROM 4) The hard disk
5) None of these
188) In a spreadsheet, a ____ is a number you will
use in a calculation.
1) label 2) cell
3) field 4) value
5) None of these
189) Click _____ check box of transition in a slide
group of an animation tab if you want to move
a slide automatically after stipulated time.
1) Transition timer 2) Automatically after
3) Transition after 4) Automatic timer
5) None of these
190) All of the following are included in removable
media Except –
1) CD-ROMs 2) Diskette
3) DVDs 4) Hard Disk Drive
5) None of these
191) Efficiency in selling skills is determined by –
1) Number of leads generated
2) Number of prospects met
3) Number of conversions made
4) All of these 5) None of these
192) Push style of selling is effective because –
1) Push is the only style of selling
2) It motivates the sales person
3) It pushes the customers to buy the products
4) It helps in quicker conversion
5) Push style can never be effective
193) Sales forecasting involves study of –
1) Sales planning
2) Proper selling price
3) Distribution outlets
4) Consumer needs and demands
5) All of these
194) Benchmark connotes –
1) Bank counters 2) ATMs
3) Standard value for comparison
4) Evaluation 5) All of these
195) USP in marketing language means –
1) Unique selling plan
2) Unique selling proposition
3) Unique selling person
4) Unique selling procedure
5) None of these
196) The USP of a savings bank account is :
1) Low EMI 2) Low rate of interest
3) Liquidity 4) High yield
5) There is no USP for SB ‘accounts
197) The USP of a current deposit account is –
1) Flexi operations 2) High rate of interest
3) Liquidity 4) Restricted balances
5) None of these
198) The USP of a personal loan is –
1) Available only to businessmen
2) Available only to salaried persons
3) Available to all professions
4) Easy EMIs 5) None of these
199) Marketing channels means –
1) Delivery time 2) Delivery Place
3) Delivery period 4) Purchase Outlets
5) None of these
200) Marketing channels for banks are –
1) Bank branches and ATMs
2) Bank branches and back office set ups
3) ATMs and back –office set ups
4) Only A and B 5) Only A and
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 46
ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 2 2 4 3 5 4 4 5 2
6 5 7 3 8 4 9 1 10 2
11 2 12 3 13 3 14 5 15 4
16 3 17 4 18 1 19 5 20 2
21 4 22 4 23 2 24 3 25 5
26 4 27 5 28 3 29 1 30 5
31 3 32 2 33 1 34 4 35 5
36 5 37 2 38 5 39 2 40 1
41 4 42 4 43 5 44 1 45 2
46 2 47 5 48 4 49 1 50 2
51 4 52 2 53 1 54 3 55 3
56 3 57 4 58 1 59 1 60 5
61 4 62 1 63 2 64 5 65 3
66 4 67 3 68 3 69 2 70 5
71 3 72 5 73 3 74 3 75 3
76 4 77 3 78 5 79 2 80 5
81 5 82 1 83 2 84 1 85 2
86 3 87 1 88 4 89 4 90 2
91 2 92 2 93 3 94 3 95 1
96 2 97 5 98 4 99 3 100 1
101 1 102 4 103 3 104 2 105 2
106 3 107 3 108 5 109 3 110 5
111 2 112 1 113 2 114 5 115 1
116 3 117 2 118 4 119 5 120 2
121 3 122 4 123 2 124 2 125 4
126 2 127 3 128 3 129 2 130 4
131 4 132 3 133 3 134 3 135 4
136 1 137 2 138 1 139 3 140 4
141 4 142 1 143 3 144 5 145 2
146 4 147 2 148 5 149 3 150 4
151 2 152 2 153 3 154 2 155 3
156 3 157 2 158 3 159 3 160 1
161 1 162 1 163 1 164 1 165 2
166 3 167 1 168 1 169 1 170 1
171 2 172 5 173 2 174 1 175 5
176 1 177 3 178 1 179 3 180 4
181 1 182 3 183 2 184 3 185 4
186 2 187 1 188 4 189 2 190 4
191 4 192 3 193 1 194 3 195 2
196 3 197 1 198 4 199 5 200 2
EXPLANATIONS
51) 26400
100
65
13
6
100
62
13
7
780000
52) 260400
100
62
13
7
780000
140000
100
70
9
5
36000
122400
100
68
5
2
450000
259200
100
72
17
9
680000
270000
100
75
3
2
54000
5
270000259200122400140000260400
= 210400
53) Minor females = 97200
100
36
5
3
450000
Minor male = 90000
100
25
3
2
540000
%8100
90000
9000097200
54) %80100
100
70
9
5
360000
100
36
9
4
720000
55) lac152.1
100
32
5
2
100
64
5
3
450000
56) E = I – P
Or
I = E + P
E = 100%
Expenditure = 100% = 77.5 lac
% income = 100% + 40 = 140%
Income = lac5.108140
100
5.77
57) Income = 100% + 10 = 110%
110% = 1125.4
Expenditure = 114100
110
4.125
lakh
58) A’s expenditure (2008) B expenditure (2011)
100% = 100% = 85 lakh
P = 32% 25% (difference = 71%)
lakh95.5
100
7
85
ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 2 2 4 3 5 4 4 5 2
6 5 7 3 8 4 9 1 10 2
11 2 12 3 13 3 14 5 15 4
16 3 17 4 18 1 19 5 20 2
21 4 22 4 23 2 24 3 25 5
26 4 27 5 28 3 29 1 30 5
31 3 32 2 33 1 34 4 35 5
36 5 37 2 38 5 39 2 40 1
41 4 42 4 43 5 44 1 45 2
46 2 47 5 48 4 49 1 50 2
51 4 52 2 53 1 54 3 55 3
56 3 57 4 58 1 59 1 60 5
61 4 62 1 63 2 64 5 65 3
66 4 67 3 68 3 69 2 70 5
71 3 72 5 73 3 74 3 75 3
76 4 77 3 78 5 79 2 80 5
81 5 82 1 83 2 84 1 85 2
86 3 87 1 88 4 89 4 90 2
91 2 92 2 93 3 94 3 95 1
96 2 97 5 98 4 99 3 100 1
101 1 102 4 103 3 104 2 105 2
106 3 107 3 108 5 109 3 110 5
111 2 112 1 113 2 114 5 115 1
116 3 117 2 118 4 119 5 120 2
121 3 122 4 123 2 124 2 125 4
126 2 127 3 128 3 129 2 130 4
131 4 132 3 133 3 134 3 135 4
136 1 137 2 138 1 139 3 140 4
141 4 142 1 143 3 144 5 145 2
146 4 147 2 148 5 149 3 150 4
151 2 152 2 153 3 154 2 155 3
156 3 157 2 158 3 159 3 160 1
161 1 162 1 163 1 164 1 165 2
166 3 167 1 168 1 169 1 170 1
171 2 172 5 173 2 174 1 175 5
176 1 177 3 178 1 179 3 180 4
181 1 182 3 183 2 184 3 185 4
186 2 187 1 188 4 189 2 190 4
191 4 192 3 193 1 194 3 195 2
196 3 197 1 198 4 199 5 200 2
EXPLANATIONS
51) 26400
100
65
13
6
100
62
13
7
780000
52) 260400
100
62
13
7
780000
140000
100
70
9
5
36000
122400
100
68
5
2
450000
259200
100
72
17
9
680000
270000
100
75
3
2
54000
5
270000259200122400140000260400
= 210400
53) Minor females = 97200
100
36
5
3
450000
Minor male = 90000
100
25
3
2
540000
%8100
90000
9000097200
54) %80100
100
70
9
5
360000
100
36
9
4
720000
55) lac152.1
100
32
5
2
100
64
5
3
450000
56) E = I – P
Or
I = E + P
E = 100%
Expenditure = 100% = 77.5 lac
% income = 100% + 40 = 140%
Income = lac5.108140
100
5.77
57) Income = 100% + 10 = 110%
110% = 1125.4
Expenditure = 114100
110
4.125
lakh
58) A’s expenditure (2008) B expenditure (2011)
100% = 100% = 85 lakh
P = 32% 25% (difference = 71%)
lakh95.5
100
7
85
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 47
59) A’s income = B’s income
120% = 150%
Ratio = 5 : 4
60) A’s income (2010) = B’s expenditure (2012)
120% = 100% = 171
lakh6.45100
120
171
110
100
171
61) 3870
360
8.82
12000
100
17
39000
62) Girls = 795
360
6.75
12000
100
85
39000
Boys = 2520
360
6.75
12000
2520 – 795 = 1725
63) %47100
100
20
39000
360
2.61
12000
100
15
39000
64) 360
360
728.82
12000
65) %5.33100
1200039000
360
4.32
12000
100
26
39000
66) I : E (company A)
3 : 10
lakh60.7810
3
58.23
67) 5.62100
5.1
75.0
68) Export of A (2012) = Import of C (2009) = 64 lakh
I : E I : E
3 : 4 4 : 5
lakh483
4
64
lakh805
4
64
69) Company A Company B
I : E I : E
1 : 2 1 : 4
)E(Lakh722
1
36
)E(1084
1
27
72 : 108 2 : 3
71)
100
70
96
100
40
70
100
60
80
100
25
60
100
50
56
= 197
72) %173
100
45
72
100
75
75
73)
100
55
50
100
50
90
100
75
75
100
40
48
100
4572
= 36070
74) from the graph it is can be c
seen the max % age rise in 2010
75) B = 45000
100
50
90
A = 15000
100
25
60
%200100
15
1545
76)
100
50.72
80
100
75.78
80
100
75.68
80
417
100
60
150
100
80
120
100
55
100
77) 57
6
100
5.677575.68805.7775.58
80
78) %180100
100
75
80
100
72
150
79) B (English) A (Maths)
100
60
120 :
100
84
150
4 : 7
80) (Maths) F = 105
100
70
150
5.82
56
5605.1
(Chem) E = 56
86)
44
3
C
CCC
3
12
1
5
1
4
1
3
87) DISPLAY = 6! X 2!
88) Boat speed in still water = 8 km/hr
Water speed = 6 km/hr
US = 8 – 6 = 2 km/hr
DS = 8 + 6 = 14 km/hr
Distance = x
x / 2 – x / 14 = 30 hrs
59) A’s income = B’s income
120% = 150%
Ratio = 5 : 4
60) A’s income (2010) = B’s expenditure (2012)
120% = 100% = 171
lakh6.45100
120
171
110
100
171
61) 3870
360
8.82
12000
100
17
39000
62) Girls = 795
360
6.75
12000
100
85
39000
Boys = 2520
360
6.75
12000
2520 – 795 = 1725
63) %47100
100
20
39000
360
2.61
12000
100
15
39000
64) 360
360
728.82
12000
65) %5.33100
1200039000
360
4.32
12000
100
26
39000
66) I : E (company A)
3 : 10
lakh60.7810
3
58.23
67) 5.62100
5.1
75.0
68) Export of A (2012) = Import of C (2009) = 64 lakh
I : E I : E
3 : 4 4 : 5
lakh483
4
64
lakh805
4
64
69) Company A Company B
I : E I : E
1 : 2 1 : 4
)E(Lakh722
1
36
)E(1084
1
27
72 : 108 2 : 3
71)
100
70
96
100
40
70
100
60
80
100
25
60
100
50
56
= 197
72) %173
100
45
72
100
75
75
73)
100
55
50
100
50
90
100
75
75
100
40
48
100
4572
= 36070
74) from the graph it is can be c
seen the max % age rise in 2010
75) B = 45000
100
50
90
A = 15000
100
25
60
%200100
15
1545
76)
100
50.72
80
100
75.78
80
100
75.68
80
417
100
60
150
100
80
120
100
55
100
77) 57
6
100
5.677575.68805.7775.58
80
78) %180100
100
75
80
100
72
150
79) B (English) A (Maths)
100
60
120 :
100
84
150
4 : 7
80) (Maths) F = 105
100
70
150
5.82
56
5605.1
(Chem) E = 56
86)
44
3
C
CCC
3
12
1
5
1
4
1
3
87) DISPLAY = 6! X 2!
88) Boat speed in still water = 8 km/hr
Water speed = 6 km/hr
US = 8 – 6 = 2 km/hr
DS = 8 + 6 = 14 km/hr
Distance = x
x / 2 – x / 14 = 30 hrs
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 48
x = 70 (Distance)
89)
100
10
x
5
1
3
1
1
100
30
x
5
1
100
20
x
3
1
= 156
100% = 900
90) days40x)90360(8360
1
38360
91-95)
96) cr994.5
100
36
100
5.18
90
97) 95.4
100
28
100
72
100
5.12
90
98)
..............
100
70
8
100
645.18
90
= 54.162
99)
100
72
100
5.12
90:
100
40
100
15
90
2 : 3
100) )approx(%28
100
50
100
17
90
100
30
100
8
90
101) T U L I P
+2 +2 +2 +2
W V O R K
Middle letter is opposite to each other
L O T U S
+2 +2 +2 +2
Q N G U W
Middle letter is opposite to each other
102) DARE READ DEAR ADER
103)
X
2
= 60
2
+20
2
X = 4000
X = 2010
105) B A N K I N G
2 1 14 11 9 14 7
106) 15 x 5 + 4 ÷ 2 – 10
75 + 2 – 10
67
107) 15L 18R
A S
S A (29L)
18 + 29 – 1 = 46
111)
X
i) false ii) true
112) i) true ii) false
113)
N
S
E W
40
20
10
50
Berriers
Boats
Be
Break
Teas
Tasty
Toaster
Toys
Table
x = 70 (Distance)
89)
100
10
x
5
1
3
1
1
100
30
x
5
1
100
20
x
3
1
= 156
100% = 900
90) days40x)90360(8360
1
38360
91-95)
96) cr994.5
100
36
100
5.18
90
97) 95.4
100
28
100
72
100
5.12
90
98)
..............
100
70
8
100
645.18
90
= 54.162
99)
100
72
100
5.12
90:
100
40
100
15
90
2 : 3
100) )approx(%28
100
50
100
17
90
100
30
100
8
90
101) T U L I P
+2 +2 +2 +2
W V O R K
Middle letter is opposite to each other
L O T U S
+2 +2 +2 +2
Q N G U W
Middle letter is opposite to each other
102) DARE READ DEAR ADER
103)
X
2
= 60
2
+20
2
X = 4000
X = 2010
105) B A N K I N G
2 1 14 11 9 14 7
106) 15 x 5 + 4 ÷ 2 – 10
75 + 2 – 10
67
107) 15L 18R
A S
S A (29L)
18 + 29 – 1 = 46
111)
X
i) false ii) true
112) i) true ii) false
113)
N
S
E W
40
20
10
50
Berriers
Boats
Be
Break
Teas
Tasty
Toaster
Toys
Table
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 49
i) False ii) True
114)
i) True ii) True
115)
i) True ii) False
116)
i) False ii) False
117-120)
MOBILE SERVICE
Anita Micromax Tata
Binod Samsung Idea
Chandini Nokia Uninor
David Spice Airtel
Ejaj Videocon Reliance
Fazal Blackberry Vodafone
Gauri Motorola Aircel
121-124)
98 above 87 plant new 19 73 of 12 grapes attack 55
i) above 98 87 plant new 19 73 of grapes attack 55 12
ii) above attack 98 87 plant new 73 of grapes 55 12 19
iii) above attack of 98 87 plant new 73 grapes 12 19 55
iv) above attack of grapes 98 87 plant new 12 19 55 73
v) above attack of grapes new 98 plant 12 19 55 73 87
vi) above attack of grapes new plant 12 19 55 73 87 98
125-127)
5 B
4 C
3 A
2 E
1 D
128-133)
H (–) = E (+)
G (–) A (+) D (+) = C (–)
B (–) F(+)
146-150)
P > N, T
M > R, P
148) Red and Blue ho po da
Spread Red Carpet na do ka
For complete advertisement visit:
www.sbi.co.in
FOR EXCELLENT CLASSROOM
COACHING CONTACT:
Cup
Cold
Coffee
Rat
Red Rack
Rod
X
P Pig Pen
EXAM DATE: JULY/AUGUST, 2014 LAST DATE: 14-06-14
ELIGIBILITY: GRADUATION AGE: 20-28
SEC 34 A: 9257211740 SANGRUR: 9041934134
SEC 15 C: 9646159977 BARNALA: 9646988377
SEC 17D: 9878222772 SOLAN: 9418073535
i) False ii) True
114)
i) True ii) True
115)
i) True ii) False
116)
i) False ii) False
117-120)
MOBILE SERVICE
Anita Micromax Tata
Binod Samsung Idea
Chandini Nokia Uninor
David Spice Airtel
Ejaj Videocon Reliance
Fazal Blackberry Vodafone
Gauri Motorola Aircel
121-124)
98 above 87 plant new 19 73 of 12 grapes attack 55
i) above 98 87 plant new 19 73 of grapes attack 55 12
ii) above attack 98 87 plant new 73 of grapes 55 12 19
iii) above attack of 98 87 plant new 73 grapes 12 19 55
iv) above attack of grapes 98 87 plant new 12 19 55 73
v) above attack of grapes new 98 plant 12 19 55 73 87
vi) above attack of grapes new plant 12 19 55 73 87 98
125-127)
5 B
4 C
3 A
2 E
1 D
128-133)
H (–) = E (+)
G (–) A (+) D (+) = C (–)
B (–) F(+)
146-150)
P > N, T
M > R, P
148) Red and Blue ho po da
Spread Red Carpet na do ka
For complete advertisement visit:
www.sbi.co.in
FOR EXCELLENT CLASSROOM
COACHING CONTACT:
Cup
Cold
Coffee
Rat
Red Rack
Rod
X
P Pig Pen
EXAM DATE: JULY/AUGUST, 2014 LAST DATE: 14-06-14
ELIGIBILITY: GRADUATION AGE: 20-28
SEC 34 A: 9257211740 SANGRUR: 9041934134
SEC 15 C: 9646159977 BARNALA: 9646988377
SEC 17D: 9878222772 SOLAN: 9418073535
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 50
Multiple Choice Questions on
BANKING – MARKETING – COMPUTER
BANKING
1) Reserve Bank of India has proposed an
electronic GIRO based bill payment system in
India. What is the full form of GIRO?
1) Government Interlinked Recurring Order
2) Government Internal Revenue Order
3) General Internal Revenue Order
4) General Instant Recurring Order
5) None of these
2) Name the committee setup by Reserve Bank of
India to study the feasibility of
implementation of GIRO based payment
system in India.
1) G Padmanabhan Committee
2) HR Khan Committee
3) KC Chakrabarty Committee
4) Anand Sinha Committee
5) None of these
3) Which of the following is not recommendation
of the G Padmanabhan Committee with
respect to implementation of GIRO based
payment system in India?
1) Development of electronic bill payment system for
payment of dues of essential services
2) Payment of insurance premium
3) Payment of Taxes
4) University fees, examinations fees, School fees
etc.
5) None of these
4) Reserve Bank of India constituted an advisory
group to look into the GIRO based mechanism
and structure of nationwide bill payment
service. Who was appointed as the chairman
of the GIRO Advisory Group?
1) Prof. Umesh Bellur 2) Raghuram Ranjan
3) Anand Sinha 4) P Chidambaram
5) None of these
5) The GIRO Based Advisory Gro up has
recommended setting up of a body called
BBPS to handle bill payment system. What is
full form of BBPS?
1) Bharat Bijli Payment System
2) Bharat Bill Payment System
3) Bharat Bill Payment Structure
4) Bhartiya Bijli-pani Payment Service
5) None of these
6) Which is the Shariah Compliant Index
launched by Bombay Stock Exchange?
1) Islamic Shariah Index
2) BSE TASIS Shariah Index
3) BSE Islamic Index
4) BSE Nijamudin Index
5) None of these
7) Which is the dollar linked version of S&P BSE
Sensex?
1) S&P Bombay Dollar Index-50
2) S&P BSE Dollex-30
3) S&P American Dollar Index-45
4) S&P Indian Rupee Index-50
5) None of these
8) The sensitive price index of National Stock
Exchange (NSE) is known as CNX Nifty. The
value of NIFTY is calculated on the basis of
market price of large, liquid stocks of how
many companies?
1) 50 2) 40
3) 30 4) 35
5) None of these
9) Issuance of shares to the public for the first
time by the any company is known as:
1) Initial Public Offer
2) Intermediate Public Offering
3) International Public Offer
4) Indian Public Offer
5) None of these
10) If a company goes for a issue of shares to the
public a second time, such an offer is known
as:
1) Follow on Public Offer
2) Funded Public Offer
3) Funded Placement Offer
4) Follow on Placement Offer
5) None of these
11) Some Indian companies are said to be in the
process of issuing FCCB to raise foreign
currency funds. What is the full form of FCCB?
1) Foreign Currency Convertible Bond
2) Foreign Currency Credit Bond
3) Foreign Convertible Cashless Bond
4) Fixed Currency Convertible Bond
5) None of these
12) Some Indian companies are said to be in the
process of issuing Foreign Currency
Convertible Bond (FCCB) to raise foreign
currency funds. What is FCCB?
1) It is a type of convertible bond issued in a
currency different from the Indian currency
2) It is a bond issued to a foreign investor in Indian
currency
3) It is a share issued in Indian currency to a foreign
investor
4) It is a share issued in foreign currency to a Indian
investor
5) None of these
13) Indian companies like Infosys Ltd. Are said to
have issued ADR. What is the full form of ADR?
1) American Depository Receipt
2) American Demand Receipt
3) Associated Demand Receipt
Multiple Choice Questions on
BANKING – MARKETING – COMPUTER
BANKING
1) Reserve Bank of India has proposed an
electronic GIRO based bill payment system in
India. What is the full form of GIRO?
1) Government Interlinked Recurring Order
2) Government Internal Revenue Order
3) General Internal Revenue Order
4) General Instant Recurring Order
5) None of these
2) Name the committee setup by Reserve Bank of
India to study the feasibility of
implementation of GIRO based payment
system in India.
1) G Padmanabhan Committee
2) HR Khan Committee
3) KC Chakrabarty Committee
4) Anand Sinha Committee
5) None of these
3) Which of the following is not recommendation
of the G Padmanabhan Committee with
respect to implementation of GIRO based
payment system in India?
1) Development of electronic bill payment system for
payment of dues of essential services
2) Payment of insurance premium
3) Payment of Taxes
4) University fees, examinations fees, School fees
etc.
5) None of these
4) Reserve Bank of India constituted an advisory
group to look into the GIRO based mechanism
and structure of nationwide bill payment
service. Who was appointed as the chairman
of the GIRO Advisory Group?
1) Prof. Umesh Bellur 2) Raghuram Ranjan
3) Anand Sinha 4) P Chidambaram
5) None of these
5) The GIRO Based Advisory Gro up has
recommended setting up of a body called
BBPS to handle bill payment system. What is
full form of BBPS?
1) Bharat Bijli Payment System
2) Bharat Bill Payment System
3) Bharat Bill Payment Structure
4) Bhartiya Bijli-pani Payment Service
5) None of these
6) Which is the Shariah Compliant Index
launched by Bombay Stock Exchange?
1) Islamic Shariah Index
2) BSE TASIS Shariah Index
3) BSE Islamic Index
4) BSE Nijamudin Index
5) None of these
7) Which is the dollar linked version of S&P BSE
Sensex?
1) S&P Bombay Dollar Index-50
2) S&P BSE Dollex-30
3) S&P American Dollar Index-45
4) S&P Indian Rupee Index-50
5) None of these
8) The sensitive price index of National Stock
Exchange (NSE) is known as CNX Nifty. The
value of NIFTY is calculated on the basis of
market price of large, liquid stocks of how
many companies?
1) 50 2) 40
3) 30 4) 35
5) None of these
9) Issuance of shares to the public for the first
time by the any company is known as:
1) Initial Public Offer
2) Intermediate Public Offering
3) International Public Offer
4) Indian Public Offer
5) None of these
10) If a company goes for a issue of shares to the
public a second time, such an offer is known
as:
1) Follow on Public Offer
2) Funded Public Offer
3) Funded Placement Offer
4) Follow on Placement Offer
5) None of these
11) Some Indian companies are said to be in the
process of issuing FCCB to raise foreign
currency funds. What is the full form of FCCB?
1) Foreign Currency Convertible Bond
2) Foreign Currency Credit Bond
3) Foreign Convertible Cashless Bond
4) Fixed Currency Convertible Bond
5) None of these
12) Some Indian companies are said to be in the
process of issuing Foreign Currency
Convertible Bond (FCCB) to raise foreign
currency funds. What is FCCB?
1) It is a type of convertible bond issued in a
currency different from the Indian currency
2) It is a bond issued to a foreign investor in Indian
currency
3) It is a share issued in Indian currency to a foreign
investor
4) It is a share issued in foreign currency to a Indian
investor
5) None of these
13) Indian companies like Infosys Ltd. Are said to
have issued ADR. What is the full form of ADR?
1) American Depository Receipt
2) American Demand Receipt
3) Associated Demand Receipt
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 51
4) Average Deposit Receipt
5) None of these
14) Indian companies like Infosys Ltd. are said to
have issued ADR at which stock exchange are
these ADR listed?
1) New York Stock Exchange
2) Singapore Stock Exchange
3) Bombay Stock Exchange
4) FTSE
5) None of these
15) Depositary Receipts which are negotiable
certificates and represent ownership of shares
in companies of foreign countries are known
as ________________.
1) American Depositary Receipt (ADR)
2) Global Depositary Receipt (GDR)
3) Indian Depositary Receipt (IDR)
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
16) BSE Sensex is a barometer Indian capital
markets issued by Bombay Stock Exchange
representing basket of large, liquid and
representative com panies. How many
companies are represented in S & P BSE
Sensex?
1) 30 2) 35
3) 40 4) 50
5) None of these
17) S&P BSE Sensex is said to be the barometer of
Indian capital markets and is issued by
Bombay Stock Exchange. What does S&P
stands for?
1) Standard & Poor 2) Secure & Profitable
3) Systems & Procedures
4) Standard & Perfect 5) None of these
18) What is the base year of S&P BSE Sensex?
1) 1966-67 2) 1978-79
3) 1986-87 4) 1997-98
5) None of these
19) What is the date of launch of S&P BSE Sensex?
1) 1
st
Jan 1986 2) 1
st
Jan 1993
3) 1
st
Feb 1986 4) 1
st
March 1993
5) None of these
20) What is the base index value of S&P BSE
Sensex?
1) 150 2) 50
3) 100 4) 175
5) None of these
21) Which of the following companies are
authorized to issue Initial Public Offer or
Follow on public offer?
1) Private Ltd. Company
2) Public Ltd. Company
3) Limited Liability Partnership
4) Both 1 and 2
5) None of these
22) All companies register under companies Act
are required to use the word “Limited” in their
name. What is the meaning of word Limited in
the context of Indian Companies Act?
1) The company can raise “Limited” capital for its
business
2) The company can undertake only “Limited”
activities mentioned in the companies Act
3) The liability of the shareholders is “Limited” to the
extent of their investment
4) The promoters have a “Limited” interest in the
running of the business
5) None of these
23) SEBI has prescribed that the share of public in
a public limited company should not be less
than 25% of the issued capital. What are the
reasons for these directions?
1) To ensure liquidity in the market for discovery of
fair price of the share
2) To ensure availability of sufficient floating stock
3) To control the market price of the shares
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
24) The promoters of a company are required to
register their company under which Act?
1) Indian Company Act 2) Registration Act
3) Indian Partnership Act 4) Both 1 and 2
5) 1, 2 and 3
25) The maximum amount that a company can
raise for its business is known as
1) Paid Up Capital 2) Issued Capital
3) Subscribed Capital 4) Authorised Capital
5) None of these
26) Which law governs the functioning of stock
exchanges?
1) Indian Contract Act 2) Forward Contract Act
3) Securities Contract Regulation Act
4) Stock Exchange Regulation Act
5) None of these
27) Which body has been constituted in law to
protect the interest of bank depositors?
1) Reserve Bank of India
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
4) Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority
5) None of these
28) Which body has been constituted in law to
protect the interest of stock investors?
1) Reserve Bank of India
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
4) Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority
5) None of these
29) Which body has been constituted in law to
protect the interest of Insured?
1) Reserve Bank of India
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
4) Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority
5) None of these
30) Which body has been constituted to
coordinate the activities of various financial
regulators?
1) Finance Stability and Development Council
2) Reserve Bank of India
3) Securities Exchange Board of India
4) Financial Action Task Force
5) None of these
4) Average Deposit Receipt
5) None of these
14) Indian companies like Infosys Ltd. are said to
have issued ADR at which stock exchange are
these ADR listed?
1) New York Stock Exchange
2) Singapore Stock Exchange
3) Bombay Stock Exchange
4) FTSE
5) None of these
15) Depositary Receipts which are negotiable
certificates and represent ownership of shares
in companies of foreign countries are known
as ________________.
1) American Depositary Receipt (ADR)
2) Global Depositary Receipt (GDR)
3) Indian Depositary Receipt (IDR)
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
16) BSE Sensex is a barometer Indian capital
markets issued by Bombay Stock Exchange
representing basket of large, liquid and
representative com panies. How many
companies are represented in S & P BSE
Sensex?
1) 30 2) 35
3) 40 4) 50
5) None of these
17) S&P BSE Sensex is said to be the barometer of
Indian capital markets and is issued by
Bombay Stock Exchange. What does S&P
stands for?
1) Standard & Poor 2) Secure & Profitable
3) Systems & Procedures
4) Standard & Perfect 5) None of these
18) What is the base year of S&P BSE Sensex?
1) 1966-67 2) 1978-79
3) 1986-87 4) 1997-98
5) None of these
19) What is the date of launch of S&P BSE Sensex?
1) 1
st
Jan 1986 2) 1
st
Jan 1993
3) 1
st
Feb 1986 4) 1
st
March 1993
5) None of these
20) What is the base index value of S&P BSE
Sensex?
1) 150 2) 50
3) 100 4) 175
5) None of these
21) Which of the following companies are
authorized to issue Initial Public Offer or
Follow on public offer?
1) Private Ltd. Company
2) Public Ltd. Company
3) Limited Liability Partnership
4) Both 1 and 2
5) None of these
22) All companies register under companies Act
are required to use the word “Limited” in their
name. What is the meaning of word Limited in
the context of Indian Companies Act?
1) The company can raise “Limited” capital for its
business
2) The company can undertake only “Limited”
activities mentioned in the companies Act
3) The liability of the shareholders is “Limited” to the
extent of their investment
4) The promoters have a “Limited” interest in the
running of the business
5) None of these
23) SEBI has prescribed that the share of public in
a public limited company should not be less
than 25% of the issued capital. What are the
reasons for these directions?
1) To ensure liquidity in the market for discovery of
fair price of the share
2) To ensure availability of sufficient floating stock
3) To control the market price of the shares
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
24) The promoters of a company are required to
register their company under which Act?
1) Indian Company Act 2) Registration Act
3) Indian Partnership Act 4) Both 1 and 2
5) 1, 2 and 3
25) The maximum amount that a company can
raise for its business is known as
1) Paid Up Capital 2) Issued Capital
3) Subscribed Capital 4) Authorised Capital
5) None of these
26) Which law governs the functioning of stock
exchanges?
1) Indian Contract Act 2) Forward Contract Act
3) Securities Contract Regulation Act
4) Stock Exchange Regulation Act
5) None of these
27) Which body has been constituted in law to
protect the interest of bank depositors?
1) Reserve Bank of India
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
4) Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority
5) None of these
28) Which body has been constituted in law to
protect the interest of stock investors?
1) Reserve Bank of India
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
4) Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority
5) None of these
29) Which body has been constituted in law to
protect the interest of Insured?
1) Reserve Bank of India
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Insurance Regulatory Development Authority
4) Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority
5) None of these
30) Which body has been constituted to
coordinate the activities of various financial
regulators?
1) Finance Stability and Development Council
2) Reserve Bank of India
3) Securities Exchange Board of India
4) Financial Action Task Force
5) None of these
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 52
31) Normally we come across the term capital
market. Which of the following statement
about capital market is true?
1) These are financial markets for buying and selling
of long term debt and or shares
2) Sale and purchase of shares at Bombay Stock
Exchange or National Stock Exchange only
3) Issue of shares by the company for the first time
4) Sale of shares by a govt. owned company
5) None of these
32) Generally, we come across the term capital
market. Which of the following statement
about capital market is true?
1) Both primary market and secondary market
constitute capital market
2) Only secondary market constitute capital market
3) Only primary market constitute capital market
4) Only money market
5) None of these
33) If a company intends to issue shares to the
public, it will require prior permission from
which of the following organizations?
1) Forward Market Commission
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Shares Issue Authority of India
4) Ministry of Finance
5) None of these
34) The functioning of commodities market is
regulated by _________?
1) Govt. of India
2) Forward Market Commission
3) Securities Exchange Board of India
4) Commodities market of India
5) None of these
35) Which of the following statement regarding
commodity market is true?
1) They trade in primary products like wheat, sugar
2) They trade in mine products like gold and silver
3) They trade in shares of public limited companies
4) Only 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
36) The term Banking is defined in which Act:
1) Banking Regulation Act
2) RBI Act
3) Negotiable Instrument Act
4) Indian Contract Act
5) None of these
37) As per Banking Regulation Act, 1949,
important functions of a bank are:
1) Discounting of bills
2) Collection of cheques and bills
3) Remittances
4) Safe custody of articles
5) All of these
38) The main activity of commercial banks is
1) Acceptance of deposits
2) Lending money
3) Making Investments
4) All of these
5) Only 1 & 2
39) Some of the ‘other activities’ undertaken by
the central banks are
1) Lending of money for infrastructure
2) Creation of currency chests at various places
3) Maintaining electronic funds transfer systems
4) Only 2 and 3 5) Only 1 and 2
40) Which of the following statement regarding
commercial banking is true?
1) The commercial banks do not grant loan for
infrastructure purposes
2) One commercial bank can give loan to other
commercial bank
3) They can give term loans only
4) They can accept demand deposits only
5) They under take remittance of funds
41) Capital of Reserve Banks of India is held by:
1) Central Government
2) Central and State Government Jointly
3) Ministry of Finance
4) By all the commercial banks jointly
5) None of these
42) Reserve Bank can issue notes of different
denominations from:
1) Rs. 1 to Rs. 5000 2) Rs. 2 to Rs. 5000
3) Rs. 2 to Rs. 10,000 4) Rs 1 to Rs.1000
5) None of these
43) Reserve Bank is the banker to:
1) Central Government, State Governments and
Commercial Banks
2) Central Government State Government only
3) Commercial Bank only
4) Central Government, State Government and Public
Sector Enterprises only
5) None of these
44) Which of the following currency is not issued
by Reserve Bank of India?
1) Rs. 1 2) Rs. 5
3) Rs. 10 4) Rs. 20
5) None of these
45) Under whose signature is Rs. 1 currency note
issued?
1) Finance Secretary
2) Prime Minister of India
3) President of India
4) Governor Reserve Bank of India
5) Any one of these
46) In newspapers sometimes we come across a
term ‘bridge loans’. What is the meaning of
bridge loan?
1) Loan given by commercial banks to construct a
bridge
2) Loan given by Govt. of India through Reserve
Bank of India
3) A short term loan given to the company until it
secures permanent financing
4) Advance granted by World Bank to meet and
bridge the balance of payment requirement of the
country
5) None of these
47) Shares of a public limited company are
required to be listed on the stock exchange.
What is the meaning of listing?
1) Listing implies that the shares are now available
for trading in the secondary market
2) It means that SEBI has granted permission to the
company to issue shares to the public
31) Normally we come across the term capital
market. Which of the following statement
about capital market is true?
1) These are financial markets for buying and selling
of long term debt and or shares
2) Sale and purchase of shares at Bombay Stock
Exchange or National Stock Exchange only
3) Issue of shares by the company for the first time
4) Sale of shares by a govt. owned company
5) None of these
32) Generally, we come across the term capital
market. Which of the following statement
about capital market is true?
1) Both primary market and secondary market
constitute capital market
2) Only secondary market constitute capital market
3) Only primary market constitute capital market
4) Only money market
5) None of these
33) If a company intends to issue shares to the
public, it will require prior permission from
which of the following organizations?
1) Forward Market Commission
2) Securities Exchange Board of India
3) Shares Issue Authority of India
4) Ministry of Finance
5) None of these
34) The functioning of commodities market is
regulated by _________?
1) Govt. of India
2) Forward Market Commission
3) Securities Exchange Board of India
4) Commodities market of India
5) None of these
35) Which of the following statement regarding
commodity market is true?
1) They trade in primary products like wheat, sugar
2) They trade in mine products like gold and silver
3) They trade in shares of public limited companies
4) Only 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
36) The term Banking is defined in which Act:
1) Banking Regulation Act
2) RBI Act
3) Negotiable Instrument Act
4) Indian Contract Act
5) None of these
37) As per Banking Regulation Act, 1949,
important functions of a bank are:
1) Discounting of bills
2) Collection of cheques and bills
3) Remittances
4) Safe custody of articles
5) All of these
38) The main activity of commercial banks is
1) Acceptance of deposits
2) Lending money
3) Making Investments
4) All of these
5) Only 1 & 2
39) Some of the ‘other activities’ undertaken by
the central banks are
1) Lending of money for infrastructure
2) Creation of currency chests at various places
3) Maintaining electronic funds transfer systems
4) Only 2 and 3 5) Only 1 and 2
40) Which of the following statement regarding
commercial banking is true?
1) The commercial banks do not grant loan for
infrastructure purposes
2) One commercial bank can give loan to other
commercial bank
3) They can give term loans only
4) They can accept demand deposits only
5) They under take remittance of funds
41) Capital of Reserve Banks of India is held by:
1) Central Government
2) Central and State Government Jointly
3) Ministry of Finance
4) By all the commercial banks jointly
5) None of these
42) Reserve Bank can issue notes of different
denominations from:
1) Rs. 1 to Rs. 5000 2) Rs. 2 to Rs. 5000
3) Rs. 2 to Rs. 10,000 4) Rs 1 to Rs.1000
5) None of these
43) Reserve Bank is the banker to:
1) Central Government, State Governments and
Commercial Banks
2) Central Government State Government only
3) Commercial Bank only
4) Central Government, State Government and Public
Sector Enterprises only
5) None of these
44) Which of the following currency is not issued
by Reserve Bank of India?
1) Rs. 1 2) Rs. 5
3) Rs. 10 4) Rs. 20
5) None of these
45) Under whose signature is Rs. 1 currency note
issued?
1) Finance Secretary
2) Prime Minister of India
3) President of India
4) Governor Reserve Bank of India
5) Any one of these
46) In newspapers sometimes we come across a
term ‘bridge loans’. What is the meaning of
bridge loan?
1) Loan given by commercial banks to construct a
bridge
2) Loan given by Govt. of India through Reserve
Bank of India
3) A short term loan given to the company until it
secures permanent financing
4) Advance granted by World Bank to meet and
bridge the balance of payment requirement of the
country
5) None of these
47) Shares of a public limited company are
required to be listed on the stock exchange.
What is the meaning of listing?
1) Listing implies that the shares are now available
for trading in the secondary market
2) It means that SEBI has granted permission to the
company to issue shares to the public
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 53
3) Listing means that the shares are included either
in SENSEX or NIFTY
4) That the shares are being traded at the face value
5) None of these
48) After how many days of finalization of a public
issue the process of listing has to be
completed?
1) 12 days 2) 7 days
3) 21 days 4) 9 days
5) None of these
49) Promoters of a company generally enter into
an agreement with ‘underwriters’, which is
known by the name of underwriting. What is
underwriting?
1) Underwriting is the process by which the
underwriters assist the promoters of a company to
list shares on the stock market
2) Underwriters undertake to maintain the price of
share at the stock market at a minimum prescribed
rate
3) Underwriters enter into an agreement with
company issuing shares to buy that part of shares
which are not subscribed to by the public thus
reducing the risk of the promoters
4) Underwriters enter into an agreement with the
company to buy shares of the company at the
specific price
5) None of these
50) In capital market we come across the term
BEARS and BULLS. Which of the following
statement regarding BEARS and BULLS is
true?
a) BEARS are those persons who think that the share
prices will rise in near future
b) BEARS are those persons who think that the share
prices are likely to fall in near future
c) BULLS are those persons who think that the share
prices will rise in near future
d) BULLS are those persons who think that the share
prices are likely to fall in near future
1) Only a and c 2) Only b and c
3) Only a and d 4) Only b and d
5) None of these
51) As per companies act which of the following
business entities are authorized to raise
money from public for investment in their
business?
1) Private Ltd Companies
2) Public Ltd Companies
3) Sole Proprietorship Concerns
4) Partnership Firms
5) Limited Liability Partnerships
52) Generally we come across in the newspaper
that the company intends to raise money by
issuing shares. It is part of __________?
1) Secondary market 2) Money market
3) Primary market 4) Share market
5) None of these
53) Generally we come across in the newspaper
that the company intends to raise money by
issuing shares. What do you mean by “Share”?
1) It is a unit into which capital is equally divided
2) It is share of the investor in the business concern
3) Share is a unit of Mutual fund
4) Share represents the amount of loan given by the
bank to the company
5) None of these
54) Which of the following statement regarding
“shares” issued by a public limited company is
true?
1) These can be freely sold and purchased in the
primary market
2) These can be freely sold and purchased in the
secondary market
3) These can be sold and purchased in the money
market
4) These can be sold and purchased with prior
permission from SEBI
5) None of these
55) Which of the following statement regarding
equity shares holders in public limited
companies is true?
1) They do not have voting rights but are entitled to
get dividend
2) They have the voting rights but are not entitled to
the dividend
3) They have neither voting rights nor are entitled to
dividend but are entitled to the bonus shares
4) Equity share holders are not entitled to bonus
shares
5) None of these
56) Which of the following is considered as the
most risk prone advance?
1) Housing Loan 2) Education Loan
3) Loan against Property 4) Clean Loan
5) None of these
57) Which of the following is considered as the
most risk prone advance?
1) Conveyance Loan
2) Loan against Machinery
3) Cash Credit 4) Credit Card
5) None of these
58) Which of the following statement regarding
advances is true?
a) The advances given by banks are part of their
assets
b) The advances are part of liability of the banks
c) The advances are also called risk weighted assets
d) The advances are always fully secure
1) Only a and c 2) Only a, c and d
3) Only b, c and d 4) Only b and d
5) None of these
59) The advances granted by the banks can be
broadly categorized into performing advances
and non performing advances. Which is the
first stage of non performing advances?
1) Doubtful 2) Substandard
3) Non Profitable Advances 4) Likely bad advances
5) None of these
60) After how many days of non receipt of
installment in a term loan account is an
advance categorized as Non Performing
Account (NPA)?
1) 90 days 2) 30 days
3) 60 days 4) 120 days
5) None of these
3) Listing means that the shares are included either
in SENSEX or NIFTY
4) That the shares are being traded at the face value
5) None of these
48) After how many days of finalization of a public
issue the process of listing has to be
completed?
1) 12 days 2) 7 days
3) 21 days 4) 9 days
5) None of these
49) Promoters of a company generally enter into
an agreement with ‘underwriters’, which is
known by the name of underwriting. What is
underwriting?
1) Underwriting is the process by which the
underwriters assist the promoters of a company to
list shares on the stock market
2) Underwriters undertake to maintain the price of
share at the stock market at a minimum prescribed
rate
3) Underwriters enter into an agreement with
company issuing shares to buy that part of shares
which are not subscribed to by the public thus
reducing the risk of the promoters
4) Underwriters enter into an agreement with the
company to buy shares of the company at the
specific price
5) None of these
50) In capital market we come across the term
BEARS and BULLS. Which of the following
statement regarding BEARS and BULLS is
true?
a) BEARS are those persons who think that the share
prices will rise in near future
b) BEARS are those persons who think that the share
prices are likely to fall in near future
c) BULLS are those persons who think that the share
prices will rise in near future
d) BULLS are those persons who think that the share
prices are likely to fall in near future
1) Only a and c 2) Only b and c
3) Only a and d 4) Only b and d
5) None of these
51) As per companies act which of the following
business entities are authorized to raise
money from public for investment in their
business?
1) Private Ltd Companies
2) Public Ltd Companies
3) Sole Proprietorship Concerns
4) Partnership Firms
5) Limited Liability Partnerships
52) Generally we come across in the newspaper
that the company intends to raise money by
issuing shares. It is part of __________?
1) Secondary market 2) Money market
3) Primary market 4) Share market
5) None of these
53) Generally we come across in the newspaper
that the company intends to raise money by
issuing shares. What do you mean by “Share”?
1) It is a unit into which capital is equally divided
2) It is share of the investor in the business concern
3) Share is a unit of Mutual fund
4) Share represents the amount of loan given by the
bank to the company
5) None of these
54) Which of the following statement regarding
“shares” issued by a public limited company is
true?
1) These can be freely sold and purchased in the
primary market
2) These can be freely sold and purchased in the
secondary market
3) These can be sold and purchased in the money
market
4) These can be sold and purchased with prior
permission from SEBI
5) None of these
55) Which of the following statement regarding
equity shares holders in public limited
companies is true?
1) They do not have voting rights but are entitled to
get dividend
2) They have the voting rights but are not entitled to
the dividend
3) They have neither voting rights nor are entitled to
dividend but are entitled to the bonus shares
4) Equity share holders are not entitled to bonus
shares
5) None of these
56) Which of the following is considered as the
most risk prone advance?
1) Housing Loan 2) Education Loan
3) Loan against Property 4) Clean Loan
5) None of these
57) Which of the following is considered as the
most risk prone advance?
1) Conveyance Loan
2) Loan against Machinery
3) Cash Credit 4) Credit Card
5) None of these
58) Which of the following statement regarding
advances is true?
a) The advances given by banks are part of their
assets
b) The advances are part of liability of the banks
c) The advances are also called risk weighted assets
d) The advances are always fully secure
1) Only a and c 2) Only a, c and d
3) Only b, c and d 4) Only b and d
5) None of these
59) The advances granted by the banks can be
broadly categorized into performing advances
and non performing advances. Which is the
first stage of non performing advances?
1) Doubtful 2) Substandard
3) Non Profitable Advances 4) Likely bad advances
5) None of these
60) After how many days of non receipt of
installment in a term loan account is an
advance categorized as Non Performing
Account (NPA)?
1) 90 days 2) 30 days
3) 60 days 4) 120 days
5) None of these
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 54
61) Ways and Means advances are provided by
Reserve Bank only to:
1) Central Government 2) State Government
3) Commercial Banks 4) Both 1 and 2
5) None of these
62) What is ‘Ways and Means advances’ provided
by Reserve Bank?
1) They are temporary advances to government to
meet immediate needs of the Governments
2) They are long term advances to Governments for
building infrastructure.
3) They are short term advances to Commercial
banks
4) Both 1 and 2 5) None of these
63) Which of the following is NOT the function of
Reserve Bank of India?
1) Providing credit facility to big industries
2) Banker to the central/state governments
3) Manage Foreign Exchange Reserve of the country
4) Frame Monetary and Credit Policy
5) All are RBI’s functions
64) Which of the following statement regarding
open market operations undertaken by
Reserve Bank of India is true?
1) Reserve Bank of India sells foreign exchange in
the open market to stabilize the value of Indian
Currency
2) Open market operations refer to sale and
purchase of govt. securities with the objective to
maintain adequate rupee liquidity in the market
3) OMO is facility extended by RBI to scheduled
commercial banks to avail liquidity in case of
requirements or to park excess fund with RBI on an
overnight basis
4) OMOs refer to providing the central govt. with
temporary advances to meet their immediate needs
5) None of these
65) Which of the following statement regarding
Reserve Bank of India is false?
1) Reserve Bank of India is Banker to the Central and
State Govt.
2) Reserve Bank of India is the custodian of foreign
exchange reserves of the country
3) Reserve Bank of India represents India at World
Bank and IMF
4) Reserve Bank of India represents India at World
Trade Organization Summits
5) None of these
66) Recently a new type of instrument called
STRIPS have been introduced. What is the full
form of STRIPS?
1) Secure Trading of Registered Interest and
Principal of Securities
2) Separate Trading of Registered Interest and
Principal of Securities
3) Secure Trading of Registered Investment and
Purchase of Securities
4) Substantial Trading Registered Investment and
Purchase of Securities
5) None of these
67) Which of the following statement regarding
money market is true?
a) It provides investment revenues of short term
tenor upto one year
b) Money market is classified into overnight market,
notice money market and term money market
c) It caters to invest with a long term investment
horizon
1) Only a and b
2) Only a and c
3) Only a
4) Only b
5) All of these
68) In each repo / reverse repo transaction there
is an agreement to borrow / land funds by
selling / buying securities to repurchase the
same at a mutually agreed future date. This
duration is known as
1) Call Period 2) Notice Period
3) Repo Period 4) LAF period
5) None of these
69) The difference between the repo rate and the
reverse repo rate is also known as
1) LAF corridor 2) Repo corridor
3) LAF rate 4) Bank rate
5) None of these
70) Money market in India is regulated by which
organization?
1) Securities Exchange Board of India
2) Ministry of finance
3) Reserve Bank of India
4) Financial Stability & Development Council
5) None of these
71) Which of the following statement regarding
Call Money Market is not true?
1) It is market for uncollateralized (unsecured)
borrowing and lending of funds by scheduled
commercial banks
2) It is market for collateralized (unsecured)
borrowing and lending of funds by scheduled
commercial banks
3) This market is involves overnight borrowing /
lending of funds
4) Only scheduled commercial banks and primary
dealers can participate in call money market
5) None of these
72) What is liquidity adjustment facility?
a) The facility extended by Reserve Bank of India to
scheduled commercial banks to avail liquidity in case
of requirement
b) The facility extended by Reserve Bank of India to
scheduled commercial banks to park excess funds
with RBI
c) It refers to sale and purchase of govt. securities
by Reserve Bank of India from the market
d) It refers to grant of loan by Reserve Bank of India
to commercial banks against collateral of Govt.
securities
1) Only a, b and d 2) Only a, b and c
3) Only a and b 4) All of the above
5) None of these
73) The stance of RBI’s monetary policy is:
1) inflation control with adequate liquidity for growth
2) improving credit quality of Banks
3) strengthening Bank managements
61) Ways and Means advances are provided by
Reserve Bank only to:
1) Central Government 2) State Government
3) Commercial Banks 4) Both 1 and 2
5) None of these
62) What is ‘Ways and Means advances’ provided
by Reserve Bank?
1) They are temporary advances to government to
meet immediate needs of the Governments
2) They are long term advances to Governments for
building infrastructure.
3) They are short term advances to Commercial
banks
4) Both 1 and 2 5) None of these
63) Which of the following is NOT the function of
Reserve Bank of India?
1) Providing credit facility to big industries
2) Banker to the central/state governments
3) Manage Foreign Exchange Reserve of the country
4) Frame Monetary and Credit Policy
5) All are RBI’s functions
64) Which of the following statement regarding
open market operations undertaken by
Reserve Bank of India is true?
1) Reserve Bank of India sells foreign exchange in
the open market to stabilize the value of Indian
Currency
2) Open market operations refer to sale and
purchase of govt. securities with the objective to
maintain adequate rupee liquidity in the market
3) OMO is facility extended by RBI to scheduled
commercial banks to avail liquidity in case of
requirements or to park excess fund with RBI on an
overnight basis
4) OMOs refer to providing the central govt. with
temporary advances to meet their immediate needs
5) None of these
65) Which of the following statement regarding
Reserve Bank of India is false?
1) Reserve Bank of India is Banker to the Central and
State Govt.
2) Reserve Bank of India is the custodian of foreign
exchange reserves of the country
3) Reserve Bank of India represents India at World
Bank and IMF
4) Reserve Bank of India represents India at World
Trade Organization Summits
5) None of these
66) Recently a new type of instrument called
STRIPS have been introduced. What is the full
form of STRIPS?
1) Secure Trading of Registered Interest and
Principal of Securities
2) Separate Trading of Registered Interest and
Principal of Securities
3) Secure Trading of Registered Investment and
Purchase of Securities
4) Substantial Trading Registered Investment and
Purchase of Securities
5) None of these
67) Which of the following statement regarding
money market is true?
a) It provides investment revenues of short term
tenor upto one year
b) Money market is classified into overnight market,
notice money market and term money market
c) It caters to invest with a long term investment
horizon
1) Only a and b
2) Only a and c
3) Only a
4) Only b
5) All of these
68) In each repo / reverse repo transaction there
is an agreement to borrow / land funds by
selling / buying securities to repurchase the
same at a mutually agreed future date. This
duration is known as
1) Call Period 2) Notice Period
3) Repo Period 4) LAF period
5) None of these
69) The difference between the repo rate and the
reverse repo rate is also known as
1) LAF corridor 2) Repo corridor
3) LAF rate 4) Bank rate
5) None of these
70) Money market in India is regulated by which
organization?
1) Securities Exchange Board of India
2) Ministry of finance
3) Reserve Bank of India
4) Financial Stability & Development Council
5) None of these
71) Which of the following statement regarding
Call Money Market is not true?
1) It is market for uncollateralized (unsecured)
borrowing and lending of funds by scheduled
commercial banks
2) It is market for collateralized (unsecured)
borrowing and lending of funds by scheduled
commercial banks
3) This market is involves overnight borrowing /
lending of funds
4) Only scheduled commercial banks and primary
dealers can participate in call money market
5) None of these
72) What is liquidity adjustment facility?
a) The facility extended by Reserve Bank of India to
scheduled commercial banks to avail liquidity in case
of requirement
b) The facility extended by Reserve Bank of India to
scheduled commercial banks to park excess funds
with RBI
c) It refers to sale and purchase of govt. securities
by Reserve Bank of India from the market
d) It refers to grant of loan by Reserve Bank of India
to commercial banks against collateral of Govt.
securities
1) Only a, b and d 2) Only a, b and c
3) Only a and b 4) All of the above
5) None of these
73) The stance of RBI’s monetary policy is:
1) inflation control with adequate liquidity for growth
2) improving credit quality of Banks
3) strengthening Bank managements
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 55
4) supporting government policies
5) None of these
74) Which of the following is /are the measure(s)
taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to
ease the liquidity crunch in the country?
1. Cut in Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory
Liquidity Ratio (SLR)
2. Issue of more currency
3. Sale of govt. securities in the open market
operations
1) Only 1 2) Only 2
3) Only 3 4) All 1, 2 and 3
5) None of these
75) What is Repo Rate?
1) It is a rate at which RBI sells Government
securities to public
2) It is a rate at which RBI provides short term
liquidity to banks against government securities
3) It is a rate at which RBI allows small loans to
commercial banks
4) It is a rate which is offered by banks to their most
valued customers or prime customers
5) None of these
76) Which of the following organizations has the
privilege of issuing Bank-Notes (Currency) in
India?
1) State Bank of India
2) Reserve Bank of India
3) Govt. of India
4) Note Printing Press in India
5) None of these
77) Who amongst the following appoints Banking
Ombudsman?
1) Governor of RBI in consultation with the Prime
Minister of India
2) Registrar of Companies
3) The President of India
4) The Reserve Bank of India 5) None of these
78) The Foreign Exchange reserves of India are
kept in the custody of:
1) World Bank 2) Ministry of Finance
3) Reserve Bank of India
4) Central Govt. Treasury 5) None of these
79) Which of the following is considered an
informal method of getting credit / finance?
1) Internet Banking 2) Commercial Bank
3) Telebanking 4) Moneylenders
5) All of these
80) Which of the following statement regarding
basic saving bank account is true?
a) KYC guidelines are required to be complied
b) Maximum withdrawals are restricted to four per
month
c) Maximum balance in the account can be Rs.
50,000/-at any point of time
d) Maximum withdrawals per month is restricted to
Rs. 10,000 per month
1) Only a and b 2) Only b
3) Only a and c 4) All of these true
5) None of these
81) Mrs. Sujata is a house wife and she says some
amount regularly every month. What type of
deposit account she should open with a bank?
1) Savings Bank Account
2) Small Account
3) Recurring Deposit Account
4) Basic Savings Account
5) Regular Deposit Account
82) The term Plastic Money applies to:
1) Aadhar Based Payment Card
2) Currency notes impregnated with plastic thread
3) Currency notes printed on plastic coated paper
4) Credit / Debit cards issued by the banks
5) None of these
83) RBI has laid stress on the need for financial
inclusion of the under-privileged sections
through Opening of ‘Small Account’ by banks.
Which of the following statement regarding
Small Account is true?
a) Maximum balance in the account can be Rs. 1 lac.
b) The maximum amount that can be deposited in
this account in one year is one lac only.
c) The number of withdrawals in the account is
limited to four in a month.
d) Only Ten thousand rupees can be withdrawn from
the account in a month
1) Only a and d 2) Only a and c
3) Only a, b and c 4) Only b and d
5) All of these
84) Which of the following benefits are available
to credit card customers?
a) They need not carry cash or cheque and can use
the card in a large number of approved outlets for
purchases.
b) Interest-free credit between 15 days to 51 days is
available.
c) They get discounts on the purchases made
through credit cards
d) Cash can be drawn from the bank branches/ATMs
up to a specified limit
1) Only a and d 2) Only a and c
3) Only a, b and d 4) Only b and d
5) Only a and d
85) According to Reserve Bank of India, banks can
open a Savings Bank Account in the name of a
minor to be operated by him independently.
What is the minimum age prescribed for
opening of such accounts?
1) 8 years 2) 16
3) 12 years 4) 10 years
5) None of these
86) Which of the following accounts can be
opened and operated by minors
independently?
a) Savings Bank Account
b) Fixed Deposit Accounts
c) Recurring Deposit Accounts
d) Current Accounts
1) Only a and b 2) Only a
3) Only b & c 4) All of these
5) Only a & d
87) Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines
regarding loan accounts.
Which of the following statement regarding
these instructions is true?
4) supporting government policies
5) None of these
74) Which of the following is /are the measure(s)
taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to
ease the liquidity crunch in the country?
1. Cut in Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory
Liquidity Ratio (SLR)
2. Issue of more currency
3. Sale of govt. securities in the open market
operations
1) Only 1 2) Only 2
3) Only 3 4) All 1, 2 and 3
5) None of these
75) What is Repo Rate?
1) It is a rate at which RBI sells Government
securities to public
2) It is a rate at which RBI provides short term
liquidity to banks against government securities
3) It is a rate at which RBI allows small loans to
commercial banks
4) It is a rate which is offered by banks to their most
valued customers or prime customers
5) None of these
76) Which of the following organizations has the
privilege of issuing Bank-Notes (Currency) in
India?
1) State Bank of India
2) Reserve Bank of India
3) Govt. of India
4) Note Printing Press in India
5) None of these
77) Who amongst the following appoints Banking
Ombudsman?
1) Governor of RBI in consultation with the Prime
Minister of India
2) Registrar of Companies
3) The President of India
4) The Reserve Bank of India 5) None of these
78) The Foreign Exchange reserves of India are
kept in the custody of:
1) World Bank 2) Ministry of Finance
3) Reserve Bank of India
4) Central Govt. Treasury 5) None of these
79) Which of the following is considered an
informal method of getting credit / finance?
1) Internet Banking 2) Commercial Bank
3) Telebanking 4) Moneylenders
5) All of these
80) Which of the following statement regarding
basic saving bank account is true?
a) KYC guidelines are required to be complied
b) Maximum withdrawals are restricted to four per
month
c) Maximum balance in the account can be Rs.
50,000/-at any point of time
d) Maximum withdrawals per month is restricted to
Rs. 10,000 per month
1) Only a and b 2) Only b
3) Only a and c 4) All of these true
5) None of these
81) Mrs. Sujata is a house wife and she says some
amount regularly every month. What type of
deposit account she should open with a bank?
1) Savings Bank Account
2) Small Account
3) Recurring Deposit Account
4) Basic Savings Account
5) Regular Deposit Account
82) The term Plastic Money applies to:
1) Aadhar Based Payment Card
2) Currency notes impregnated with plastic thread
3) Currency notes printed on plastic coated paper
4) Credit / Debit cards issued by the banks
5) None of these
83) RBI has laid stress on the need for financial
inclusion of the under-privileged sections
through Opening of ‘Small Account’ by banks.
Which of the following statement regarding
Small Account is true?
a) Maximum balance in the account can be Rs. 1 lac.
b) The maximum amount that can be deposited in
this account in one year is one lac only.
c) The number of withdrawals in the account is
limited to four in a month.
d) Only Ten thousand rupees can be withdrawn from
the account in a month
1) Only a and d 2) Only a and c
3) Only a, b and c 4) Only b and d
5) All of these
84) Which of the following benefits are available
to credit card customers?
a) They need not carry cash or cheque and can use
the card in a large number of approved outlets for
purchases.
b) Interest-free credit between 15 days to 51 days is
available.
c) They get discounts on the purchases made
through credit cards
d) Cash can be drawn from the bank branches/ATMs
up to a specified limit
1) Only a and d 2) Only a and c
3) Only a, b and d 4) Only b and d
5) Only a and d
85) According to Reserve Bank of India, banks can
open a Savings Bank Account in the name of a
minor to be operated by him independently.
What is the minimum age prescribed for
opening of such accounts?
1) 8 years 2) 16
3) 12 years 4) 10 years
5) None of these
86) Which of the following accounts can be
opened and operated by minors
independently?
a) Savings Bank Account
b) Fixed Deposit Accounts
c) Recurring Deposit Accounts
d) Current Accounts
1) Only a and b 2) Only a
3) Only b & c 4) All of these
5) Only a & d
87) Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines
regarding loan accounts.
Which of the following statement regarding
these instructions is true?
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 56
1) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all floating rate
term loans sanctioned to individual borrowers.
2) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all floating rate
term loans sanctioned to commercial borrowers.
3) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all fixed rate term
loans sanctioned to individual borrowers.
4) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all fixed rate term
loans sanctioned to commercial borrowers.
5) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all loans whether
sanctioned to individual borrowers or commercial
borrowers
88) To facilitate the distribution of banknotes and
rupee coins, the Reserve Bank has authorised
select branches of scheduled banks to
establish actually storehouses where
banknotes and rupee coins are stocked on
behalf of the Reserve Bank. These storehouses
are known as :
1) Note Chest
2) Currency Storehouses
3) Coins and Currency Stores
4) RBI Centres for Currency Distribution
5) Currency Chest
89) Issue of currency notes of denomination upto
_____ amount has been stopped by Reserve
Bank of India?
1) Rs.2 2) Rs.10
3) Rs.5 4) Rs. 1
5) All of these
90) Which of the following are the objectives of
establishing Currency Chest?
a) The currency chest branches are expected to
distribute banknotes and rupee coins to other bank
branches in their area of operation.
b) These are storehouses of bank notes on behalf of
Government of India.
c) These are actually storehouses where banknotes
and rupee coins are stocked on behalf of the Reserve
Bank.
d) The amount of currency held by currency chest is
property of the concerned bank maintaining the
same.
1) Only a 2) Only b
3) Only a and c 4) Only a, b and c
5) Only b, c and d
91) A Current Account can be opened in the name
of:
1) Company 2) Individual
3) Partnership firm 4) All of these
5) None of these
92) Bank deposits that can be withdrawn without
prior notice are called:
1) Account payee deposits 2) Fixed deposits
3) Variable deposits 4) Demand deposits
5) None of these
93) Which of the following is an international
forum to discuss and implement supervisory
norms for banks of the world?
1) Basel Committee
2) UN Charter on Commercial Laws
3) World Trade Organisation
4) International Board of Banks and Finance
5) None of these
94) As per Section 45ZA of the Banking Regulation
Act, bank depositors can nominate a person as
his nominee to receive the amount after his
death. Which of the following statement is
true in respect of nominee?
1) Nominee will have to approach the court to
receive the payment in the account after the death
of the depositor
2) Nominee is authorized to receive the amount
without intervention of court after the death of the
depositor
3) Nominee is the right full owner of the amount
4) Legal heirs of the depositor do not have any claim
on the amount in case of nomination
5) Nominee can withdraw money even before death
of the account holder
95) As per Reserve Bank of India, the amount
lying in unclaimed accounts for a period more
than 10 years is required to be transferred to
an account called
1) Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
2) Public Education Fund
3) Banker Awareness Fund
4) Depositors Information Fund
5) Bank Customers Information Fund
96) What is the full form of CRAR?
1) Capital Risk Area Reduction
2) Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio
3) Current Ratio Asset Recognition
4) Currency Risk Asset Ratio 5) None of these
97) Format of the cheque has been given in which
of the following Acts:
1) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
2) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
3) Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
4) CTS 2010 sstandard
5) Right to Information Act 2005
98) If any change is made in the amount, date of
the cheque or the name of the beneficiary,
such a change in the cheque is known as
1) Material Alteration
2) Special Alteration
3) Inadvertent Alteration
4) Technical Alteration
5) None of these
99) The repayment of a term loan is fixed through
EMI. What is the full form of EMI?
1) Equated Monthly Installment
2) Equal Monthly Installment
3) Equity Monthly Installment
4) Ensured Monthly Installment
5) None of these
100) The reverse mortgage scheme is launched to
give benefit to which of the following section
of society?
1) Govt. Employees 2) Married People
3) Senior Citizen 4) Businessman
5) None of these
1) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all floating rate
term loans sanctioned to individual borrowers.
2) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all floating rate
term loans sanctioned to commercial borrowers.
3) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all fixed rate term
loans sanctioned to individual borrowers.
4) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all fixed rate term
loans sanctioned to commercial borrowers.
5) banks will not be permitted to charge foreclosure
charges/ pre-payment penalties on all loans whether
sanctioned to individual borrowers or commercial
borrowers
88) To facilitate the distribution of banknotes and
rupee coins, the Reserve Bank has authorised
select branches of scheduled banks to
establish actually storehouses where
banknotes and rupee coins are stocked on
behalf of the Reserve Bank. These storehouses
are known as :
1) Note Chest
2) Currency Storehouses
3) Coins and Currency Stores
4) RBI Centres for Currency Distribution
5) Currency Chest
89) Issue of currency notes of denomination upto
_____ amount has been stopped by Reserve
Bank of India?
1) Rs.2 2) Rs.10
3) Rs.5 4) Rs. 1
5) All of these
90) Which of the following are the objectives of
establishing Currency Chest?
a) The currency chest branches are expected to
distribute banknotes and rupee coins to other bank
branches in their area of operation.
b) These are storehouses of bank notes on behalf of
Government of India.
c) These are actually storehouses where banknotes
and rupee coins are stocked on behalf of the Reserve
Bank.
d) The amount of currency held by currency chest is
property of the concerned bank maintaining the
same.
1) Only a 2) Only b
3) Only a and c 4) Only a, b and c
5) Only b, c and d
91) A Current Account can be opened in the name
of:
1) Company 2) Individual
3) Partnership firm 4) All of these
5) None of these
92) Bank deposits that can be withdrawn without
prior notice are called:
1) Account payee deposits 2) Fixed deposits
3) Variable deposits 4) Demand deposits
5) None of these
93) Which of the following is an international
forum to discuss and implement supervisory
norms for banks of the world?
1) Basel Committee
2) UN Charter on Commercial Laws
3) World Trade Organisation
4) International Board of Banks and Finance
5) None of these
94) As per Section 45ZA of the Banking Regulation
Act, bank depositors can nominate a person as
his nominee to receive the amount after his
death. Which of the following statement is
true in respect of nominee?
1) Nominee will have to approach the court to
receive the payment in the account after the death
of the depositor
2) Nominee is authorized to receive the amount
without intervention of court after the death of the
depositor
3) Nominee is the right full owner of the amount
4) Legal heirs of the depositor do not have any claim
on the amount in case of nomination
5) Nominee can withdraw money even before death
of the account holder
95) As per Reserve Bank of India, the amount
lying in unclaimed accounts for a period more
than 10 years is required to be transferred to
an account called
1) Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
2) Public Education Fund
3) Banker Awareness Fund
4) Depositors Information Fund
5) Bank Customers Information Fund
96) What is the full form of CRAR?
1) Capital Risk Area Reduction
2) Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio
3) Current Ratio Asset Recognition
4) Currency Risk Asset Ratio 5) None of these
97) Format of the cheque has been given in which
of the following Acts:
1) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
2) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
3) Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
4) CTS 2010 sstandard
5) Right to Information Act 2005
98) If any change is made in the amount, date of
the cheque or the name of the beneficiary,
such a change in the cheque is known as
1) Material Alteration
2) Special Alteration
3) Inadvertent Alteration
4) Technical Alteration
5) None of these
99) The repayment of a term loan is fixed through
EMI. What is the full form of EMI?
1) Equated Monthly Installment
2) Equal Monthly Installment
3) Equity Monthly Installment
4) Ensured Monthly Installment
5) None of these
100) The reverse mortgage scheme is launched to
give benefit to which of the following section
of society?
1) Govt. Employees 2) Married People
3) Senior Citizen 4) Businessman
5) None of these
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 57
MARKETING
1) A prospect means
1) any customer who walks into the bank
2) an employee of the bank
3) a customer who is likely to be interested in bank's
product or service
4) a depositor of the bank'
5) a borrower of the bank
2) A lead means
1) a prospect who is more likely to avail of the
Bank's product
2) a political leader 3) a religious leader
4) a bank chairman 5) None of these
3) Innovation means
1) Compensation
2) inspiration
3) additional perquisites
4) implementing new ideas or new methods
5) None of these
4) A Call means
1) calling on friends
2) calling on bank employees
3) calling on prospective customers
4) to make telephone calls
5) calling on relatives
5) In a Selling Process in today's world?
1) Only standard products are sold
2) No customization required
3) The seller need not have product knowledge
4) The seller should aim at customer satisfaction
5) Only quantum of sales matters
6) Cross Selling means
1) Identifying customer needs
2) matching the products to customer needs
3) Selling another product to an existing customer
4) responding to questions and objections of
customers
5) all of these
7) Product differentiation is an important
characterstic of
1) perfect market
2) imperfect market
3) monopolysitc competition
8) A market is a group of ___
1) Sellers 2) Buyers
3) Sellers and buyers 4) Person
5) Machine
9) Sampling is based on the ___
1) Law of statistical regularity
2) Law of contract
3) Law of deviation
4) Law of average
5) None of these
10) The marketing environment consists __
1) Social Scenario 2) Economic Scenario
3) Legal Scenario 4) All of these
5) None of these
11) The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Approach
includes__
1) Question Marks 2) Stars
3) Cash Cows 4) Dogs
5) All of these
12) New Product Development includes ---
1) Sales promotion 2) Idea screening
3) Costing based activity 4) Business
5) All of these
13) OTC stands for __
1) Over the Counter 2) On-the Counter
3) On-the Cost 4) On-the Costing
5) None of these
14) Marketing mix involves –
1) Product mix 2) Promotional mix
3) Service mix 4) All of these
5) None of these
15) TQM stands for ___
1) Test Quantity Money 2) Total Quality Money
3)Total Quality Management
4) Total Quantity Management
5) None of these
16) Bancassurance is a relationship between—
1) Bank and Insurance Company
2) Bank and Government
3) Bank and RBI 4) RBI and Bank
5) None of these
17) CRM may be used for ---
1) Target Marketing 2) Costing
3) Support 4) Technical Problem
5) Pricing
18) Who is the prime target customer of a Bank?
1)Student 2) Housewife
3)Businessmen 4)Company
5)None of these
19) Which techniques may be used for studying
buyer behavior?
1) Projective techniques
2)Interview techniques
3)Questionnaire techniques
4)Experience technique
5) All of these
20) Which of the following activities involve under
physical distribution?
1) Outward transportation 2)Packaging
3) Distribution planning 4) All of these
5) None of these
21) A DSA helps in ---
1) Boosting Direct Sales 2) Costing
3) Pricing 4) Production
5) Finance
22) The USP of a Current Account is _______
1) High minimum balance
2) No restrictions on transactions
3) No interest payable
4) Restricted deposits
5) Any number of accounts
23) Market share means -
1) Share market
2) Sensex
3) Market price of shares
4) Market fluctuations
5) Share of business among peers
24) The USP of a personal loan is –
1) Available only to businessmen
2) Available only to salaried persons
3) Available to all professions
MARKETING
1) A prospect means
1) any customer who walks into the bank
2) an employee of the bank
3) a customer who is likely to be interested in bank's
product or service
4) a depositor of the bank'
5) a borrower of the bank
2) A lead means
1) a prospect who is more likely to avail of the
Bank's product
2) a political leader 3) a religious leader
4) a bank chairman 5) None of these
3) Innovation means
1) Compensation
2) inspiration
3) additional perquisites
4) implementing new ideas or new methods
5) None of these
4) A Call means
1) calling on friends
2) calling on bank employees
3) calling on prospective customers
4) to make telephone calls
5) calling on relatives
5) In a Selling Process in today's world?
1) Only standard products are sold
2) No customization required
3) The seller need not have product knowledge
4) The seller should aim at customer satisfaction
5) Only quantum of sales matters
6) Cross Selling means
1) Identifying customer needs
2) matching the products to customer needs
3) Selling another product to an existing customer
4) responding to questions and objections of
customers
5) all of these
7) Product differentiation is an important
characterstic of
1) perfect market
2) imperfect market
3) monopolysitc competition
8) A market is a group of ___
1) Sellers 2) Buyers
3) Sellers and buyers 4) Person
5) Machine
9) Sampling is based on the ___
1) Law of statistical regularity
2) Law of contract
3) Law of deviation
4) Law of average
5) None of these
10) The marketing environment consists __
1) Social Scenario 2) Economic Scenario
3) Legal Scenario 4) All of these
5) None of these
11) The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Approach
includes__
1) Question Marks 2) Stars
3) Cash Cows 4) Dogs
5) All of these
12) New Product Development includes ---
1) Sales promotion 2) Idea screening
3) Costing based activity 4) Business
5) All of these
13) OTC stands for __
1) Over the Counter 2) On-the Counter
3) On-the Cost 4) On-the Costing
5) None of these
14) Marketing mix involves –
1) Product mix 2) Promotional mix
3) Service mix 4) All of these
5) None of these
15) TQM stands for ___
1) Test Quantity Money 2) Total Quality Money
3)Total Quality Management
4) Total Quantity Management
5) None of these
16) Bancassurance is a relationship between—
1) Bank and Insurance Company
2) Bank and Government
3) Bank and RBI 4) RBI and Bank
5) None of these
17) CRM may be used for ---
1) Target Marketing 2) Costing
3) Support 4) Technical Problem
5) Pricing
18) Who is the prime target customer of a Bank?
1)Student 2) Housewife
3)Businessmen 4)Company
5)None of these
19) Which techniques may be used for studying
buyer behavior?
1) Projective techniques
2)Interview techniques
3)Questionnaire techniques
4)Experience technique
5) All of these
20) Which of the following activities involve under
physical distribution?
1) Outward transportation 2)Packaging
3) Distribution planning 4) All of these
5) None of these
21) A DSA helps in ---
1) Boosting Direct Sales 2) Costing
3) Pricing 4) Production
5) Finance
22) The USP of a Current Account is _______
1) High minimum balance
2) No restrictions on transactions
3) No interest payable
4) Restricted deposits
5) Any number of accounts
23) Market share means -
1) Share market
2) Sensex
3) Market price of shares
4) Market fluctuations
5) Share of business among peers
24) The USP of a personal loan is –
1) Available only to businessmen
2) Available only to salaried persons
3) Available to all professions
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 58
4) Easy EMIs
5) None of these
25) Good customer service helps to boost –
1) Customer retention
2) Better image
3) Consumer loyalty
4) Higher sales
5) All of these
26) The additional P’s of marketing are —
1) People, Physical evidence, Package
2) People, Physical evidence, Process
3) People, Process, Packaging
4) Physical evidence, Process, Packaging
27) Pricing is one of the essential components of
—
1) Promotion mix 2) Marketing mix
3) Product mix 4) STP strategy
28) All activities involved in selling goods or
services for the purpose of resale or business
use is termed as —
1) Wholesaling 2) Retailing
3) Direct marketing 4) Direct sale
29) The accurate meaning of “International
Marketing” is -
1) Marketing goods to developed countries
2) Marketing products worldwide
3) Selling global products in domestic market
4) Marketing using World Wide Web
30) Which of the following indicates a sales
territory?
1) particular retail outlet
2) particular geographical location
3) specific market segment
4) specific sales journey
31) The marketing technique that uses social
networking sites on the internet for promotion
or advertising is called as ___________.
1) Networking 2) Viral Marketing
3) Online marketing 4) Internet advertising
32) Advertising is a part of ________ function —
1) Distribution 2) Selling
3) Promotion 4) Pricing
33) Example for an augmented product —
1) Exchange offers 2) Guarantee period
3) Maintenance checks 4) Quality standards
34) The 4 P’s of Marketing represent one of the
following —
1) 4 phases 2) 4 personalities
3) 4 components 4) 4 philosophies
35) The most traditional method used in direct
marketing is ______________.
1) Catalogue marketing 2) Direct mail
3) Online marketing 4) Viral marketing
36) The process of dividing the potential market
into sub-markets with common needs and
features is called —
1) Segmentation 2) Target marketing
3) Positioning 4) Market coverage
37) Following is a Macro environmental force
EXCEPT—
1) Monetary policies
2) Organisational culture
3) Inflation 4) Demographics
38) The objective of Test marketing is to —
1) Test the market with consumers
2) Introduce product in open market
3) Predict product’s performance and its future
4) Test consumers with the product
39) One of the disadvantages of branding is —
1) It is negative 2) It is competitive
3) It is costly 4) It is risky
40) A marketing philosophy summarized by the
phrase 'a stronger focus on social and ethical
concerns in marketing' is characteristic of the
_________ period.
1) production 2) sales
3) marketing 4) societal marketing
41) In relationship marketing firms focus on
__________ relationships with __________.
1) short-term; customers and suppliers
2) long-term; customers and suppliers
3) short-term; customers
4) long-term; customers
42) Which of the following is not an element of the
marketing mix?
1) Distribution 2) Product
3) Target market 4) Pricing
43) The quadrant of the Boston Consulting Group
(BCG) matrix that represents both a high
market share and a high rate of market
growth includes the:
1) cash cows 2) question marks
3) stars 4) dogs
44) Which of the following is not one of the
service processes?
1) People processing
2) Possession processing
3) Information processing
4) Physical evidence
45) This is a term used to refer to the process
when a successful brand is used to launch a
new product into a new market:
1) Brand leader
2) Brand follower
3) Brand equity
4) Brand extension
46) This is the process by which two established
brands work together, either on one product
or service:
1) Brand awareness 2) Co-branding
3) Parent brand 4) Child-brand
47) A process by which manufacturers and
retailers help customers to differentiate
between various offerings in a market. This is
called:
1) diffusion 2) innovation
3) market testing 4) branding
48) This is a hierarchy of effects or sequential
model used to explain how advertising works:
1) ADD 2) AIDA
3) PESTLE 4) SWOT
49) AIDA stands for awareness, ________, desire
and _________.
1) interest; action 2) intensity; appeal
3) involvement; action 4) Involvement; appeal
4) Easy EMIs
5) None of these
25) Good customer service helps to boost –
1) Customer retention
2) Better image
3) Consumer loyalty
4) Higher sales
5) All of these
26) The additional P’s of marketing are —
1) People, Physical evidence, Package
2) People, Physical evidence, Process
3) People, Process, Packaging
4) Physical evidence, Process, Packaging
27) Pricing is one of the essential components of
—
1) Promotion mix 2) Marketing mix
3) Product mix 4) STP strategy
28) All activities involved in selling goods or
services for the purpose of resale or business
use is termed as —
1) Wholesaling 2) Retailing
3) Direct marketing 4) Direct sale
29) The accurate meaning of “International
Marketing” is -
1) Marketing goods to developed countries
2) Marketing products worldwide
3) Selling global products in domestic market
4) Marketing using World Wide Web
30) Which of the following indicates a sales
territory?
1) particular retail outlet
2) particular geographical location
3) specific market segment
4) specific sales journey
31) The marketing technique that uses social
networking sites on the internet for promotion
or advertising is called as ___________.
1) Networking 2) Viral Marketing
3) Online marketing 4) Internet advertising
32) Advertising is a part of ________ function —
1) Distribution 2) Selling
3) Promotion 4) Pricing
33) Example for an augmented product —
1) Exchange offers 2) Guarantee period
3) Maintenance checks 4) Quality standards
34) The 4 P’s of Marketing represent one of the
following —
1) 4 phases 2) 4 personalities
3) 4 components 4) 4 philosophies
35) The most traditional method used in direct
marketing is ______________.
1) Catalogue marketing 2) Direct mail
3) Online marketing 4) Viral marketing
36) The process of dividing the potential market
into sub-markets with common needs and
features is called —
1) Segmentation 2) Target marketing
3) Positioning 4) Market coverage
37) Following is a Macro environmental force
EXCEPT—
1) Monetary policies
2) Organisational culture
3) Inflation 4) Demographics
38) The objective of Test marketing is to —
1) Test the market with consumers
2) Introduce product in open market
3) Predict product’s performance and its future
4) Test consumers with the product
39) One of the disadvantages of branding is —
1) It is negative 2) It is competitive
3) It is costly 4) It is risky
40) A marketing philosophy summarized by the
phrase 'a stronger focus on social and ethical
concerns in marketing' is characteristic of the
_________ period.
1) production 2) sales
3) marketing 4) societal marketing
41) In relationship marketing firms focus on
__________ relationships with __________.
1) short-term; customers and suppliers
2) long-term; customers and suppliers
3) short-term; customers
4) long-term; customers
42) Which of the following is not an element of the
marketing mix?
1) Distribution 2) Product
3) Target market 4) Pricing
43) The quadrant of the Boston Consulting Group
(BCG) matrix that represents both a high
market share and a high rate of market
growth includes the:
1) cash cows 2) question marks
3) stars 4) dogs
44) Which of the following is not one of the
service processes?
1) People processing
2) Possession processing
3) Information processing
4) Physical evidence
45) This is a term used to refer to the process
when a successful brand is used to launch a
new product into a new market:
1) Brand leader
2) Brand follower
3) Brand equity
4) Brand extension
46) This is the process by which two established
brands work together, either on one product
or service:
1) Brand awareness 2) Co-branding
3) Parent brand 4) Child-brand
47) A process by which manufacturers and
retailers help customers to differentiate
between various offerings in a market. This is
called:
1) diffusion 2) innovation
3) market testing 4) branding
48) This is a hierarchy of effects or sequential
model used to explain how advertising works:
1) ADD 2) AIDA
3) PESTLE 4) SWOT
49) AIDA stands for awareness, ________, desire
and _________.
1) interest; action 2) intensity; appeal
3) involvement; action 4) Involvement; appeal
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 59
50) This is part of the communication process and
refers to the responses offered by receivers:
1) Encoding 2) Decoding
3) Transfer 4) Feedback
51) McDonald's and KFC are good examples of:
1) Distributors 2) Franchising
3) Merchant 4) Retailers
COMPUTER
1) When you save to this, your data will remain
intact even when the computer is turned off-
1) RAM 2) Motherboard
3) Secondary storage device
4) Primary storage device
5) None of these
2) A central computer that holds collections of
data and programs for many PCs,
workstations, and other computers is a (n)-
1) supercomputer 2) minicomputer
3) laptop 4) server
5) None of these
3) Grouping and processing all of a firm's
transactions at one time is called-
1) a database management system
2) batch processing
3) a real-time system
4) an on-line system
5) None of these
4) The _____ enables you to simultaneously keep
multiple Web pages open in one browser
window.
1) tab box 2) pop-up helper
3) tab row 4) address bar
5) Esc key
5) What displays the contents of the active cell in
Excel?
1) Name box 2) Row Headings
3) Formula bar 4) Task pane
5) None of these
6) The piece of hardware that converts your
computer's digital signal to an analog signal
that can travel over telephone lines is called a-
1) red wire 2) blue cord
3) tower 4) modem
5) None of these
7) Computer uses the _____ number system to
store data and perform calculations.
1) binary 2) octal
3) decimal 4) hexadecimal
5) None of these
8) A disk's content that is recorded at the time of
manufacture and that cannot be changed or
erased by the user is-
1) Memory-only 2) Write-only
3) Once-only 4) Run-only
5) Read-only
9) Which of the following can be used to select
the entire document?
1) CTRL+A 2) ALT+F5
3) SHIFT +A 4) CTRL+K
5) CTRL+H
10) _____ are attempts by individuals to obtain
confidential information from you by falsifying
their identity.
1) Phishing 2) Computer viruses
3) Spyware scams 4) Viruses
5) None of the above
11) A Web site's main page is called its-
1) Home Page 2) Browser Page
3) Search Page 4) Bookmark
5) None of these
12) The simultaneous processing of two or more
programs by multiple processors is-
1) multiprogramming
2) multitasking
3) time-sharing 4) multiprocessing
5) None of these
13) Codes consisting of lines of varying widths or
lengths that are computer-readable are known
as-
1) an ASCII code 2) a magnetic tape
3) an OCR scanner 4) a bar code
5) None of these
14) To instruct Word to fit the width of a column
to the contents of a table automatically, click
the _____ button and then point to AutoFit
Contents.
1) Fit to Form 2) Format
3) Autosize 4) Contents
5) AutoFit
15) Hackers
1) all have the same motive
2) are people who maintain computers
3) may legally break into computers as long as they
do not do any damage
4) are people who are allergic to computers
5) break into other people's computers
16) Junk e-mail is also called
1) spam 2) spoof
3) cookie crumb 4) sniffer script
5) spill
17) What is MP3?
1) A Mouse 2) A Printer
3) A Sound format 4) A Scanner
5) A Mobile Phone
18) One megabyte equals approximately
1) 1,000 bits 2) 1,000 bytes
3) 1 million bytes 4) 1 million bits
5) 2,000 bytes
19) Data going into the computer is called?
1) Output 2) Algorithm
3) Input 4) Calculations
5) Flowchart
20) When you are working on a document on PC,
where is the document temporarily stored?
1) RAM 2) ROM
3) The CPU 4) Flash memory
5) The CD-Rom
21) Information travels between components on
the mother board through-
1) Flash memory 2) CMOS
3) Bays 4) Buses
5) Peripherals
22) Which of the following is true?
50) This is part of the communication process and
refers to the responses offered by receivers:
1) Encoding 2) Decoding
3) Transfer 4) Feedback
51) McDonald's and KFC are good examples of:
1) Distributors 2) Franchising
3) Merchant 4) Retailers
COMPUTER
1) When you save to this, your data will remain
intact even when the computer is turned off-
1) RAM 2) Motherboard
3) Secondary storage device
4) Primary storage device
5) None of these
2) A central computer that holds collections of
data and programs for many PCs,
workstations, and other computers is a (n)-
1) supercomputer 2) minicomputer
3) laptop 4) server
5) None of these
3) Grouping and processing all of a firm's
transactions at one time is called-
1) a database management system
2) batch processing
3) a real-time system
4) an on-line system
5) None of these
4) The _____ enables you to simultaneously keep
multiple Web pages open in one browser
window.
1) tab box 2) pop-up helper
3) tab row 4) address bar
5) Esc key
5) What displays the contents of the active cell in
Excel?
1) Name box 2) Row Headings
3) Formula bar 4) Task pane
5) None of these
6) The piece of hardware that converts your
computer's digital signal to an analog signal
that can travel over telephone lines is called a-
1) red wire 2) blue cord
3) tower 4) modem
5) None of these
7) Computer uses the _____ number system to
store data and perform calculations.
1) binary 2) octal
3) decimal 4) hexadecimal
5) None of these
8) A disk's content that is recorded at the time of
manufacture and that cannot be changed or
erased by the user is-
1) Memory-only 2) Write-only
3) Once-only 4) Run-only
5) Read-only
9) Which of the following can be used to select
the entire document?
1) CTRL+A 2) ALT+F5
3) SHIFT +A 4) CTRL+K
5) CTRL+H
10) _____ are attempts by individuals to obtain
confidential information from you by falsifying
their identity.
1) Phishing 2) Computer viruses
3) Spyware scams 4) Viruses
5) None of the above
11) A Web site's main page is called its-
1) Home Page 2) Browser Page
3) Search Page 4) Bookmark
5) None of these
12) The simultaneous processing of two or more
programs by multiple processors is-
1) multiprogramming
2) multitasking
3) time-sharing 4) multiprocessing
5) None of these
13) Codes consisting of lines of varying widths or
lengths that are computer-readable are known
as-
1) an ASCII code 2) a magnetic tape
3) an OCR scanner 4) a bar code
5) None of these
14) To instruct Word to fit the width of a column
to the contents of a table automatically, click
the _____ button and then point to AutoFit
Contents.
1) Fit to Form 2) Format
3) Autosize 4) Contents
5) AutoFit
15) Hackers
1) all have the same motive
2) are people who maintain computers
3) may legally break into computers as long as they
do not do any damage
4) are people who are allergic to computers
5) break into other people's computers
16) Junk e-mail is also called
1) spam 2) spoof
3) cookie crumb 4) sniffer script
5) spill
17) What is MP3?
1) A Mouse 2) A Printer
3) A Sound format 4) A Scanner
5) A Mobile Phone
18) One megabyte equals approximately
1) 1,000 bits 2) 1,000 bytes
3) 1 million bytes 4) 1 million bits
5) 2,000 bytes
19) Data going into the computer is called?
1) Output 2) Algorithm
3) Input 4) Calculations
5) Flowchart
20) When you are working on a document on PC,
where is the document temporarily stored?
1) RAM 2) ROM
3) The CPU 4) Flash memory
5) The CD-Rom
21) Information travels between components on
the mother board through-
1) Flash memory 2) CMOS
3) Bays 4) Buses
5) Peripherals
22) Which of the following is true?
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 60
1) Byte is a single digit in a binary number
2) Bit represents a grouping of digital numbers
3) Eight-digit binary number is called a byte
4) Eight-digit binary number is called a bit
5) None of these
23) .....is collection of web pages and ......is the
very first page that we see on opening of a
web-site
1) Home-page, Web-page
2) Web-site, Home-page
3) Web-page, Home-page
4) Web-page, Web-site
5) None of these
24) When the pointer is positioned on a _____ it is
shaped like a hand.
1) Grammar error 2) Hyperlink
3) Screen tip 4) Spelling error
5) Formatting error
25) The _____ of a system includes the programs
or instructions.
1) Hardware 2) Icon
3) Information 4) Software
5) None of these
26) The most important or powerful computer in a
typical network is _____
1) Desktop 2) Network client
3) Network server 4) Network station
5) None of these
27) Which of the following is an example of
connectivity?
1) Internet 2) Floppy disk
3) Power cord 4) Data
5) None of these
28) The ability to find an individual item in a file
immediately _____ is used.
1) File allocation table
2) Directory 3) Sequential access
4) Direct access
5) None of these
29) The primary purpose of software is to turn
data into _____
1) Web sites 2) Information
3) Programs 4) Objects
5) None of these
30) To what temporary area can you store text
and other data, and later paste them to
another location?
1) The clipboard 2) ROM
3) CD-ROM 4) The hard disk
5) None of these
31) _____is the science that attempts to produce
machines that display the same type of
intelligence that humans do.
1) Nano science 2) Nanotechnology
3) Simulation
4) Artificial intelligence (AI) 5) None of these
32) Changing an existing document is called
_____ the document.
1) Creating 2) Editing
3) Modifying 4) Adjusting
5) None of these
33) Which of the following is the largest unit of
storage?
1) GB 2) KB
3) MB 4) TB
5) None of these
34) Computers process data into information by
working exclusively with:
1) multimedia 2) words
3) characters 4) numbers
5) None of these
35) The purpose of the primary key in a database
is to :
1) unlock the database
2) provide a map of the data
3) uniquely identify a record
4) establish constraints on database operations
5) None of these
36) The design of the network is called the
network
1) architecture 2) server
3) transmission 4) type
5) None of these
37) Personal logs or journal entries posted on the
Web are known as:
1) list serves 2) Webcasts
3) blogs 4) subject directories
5) None of these
38) Linux is a(n) ........ operating system
1) open-source 2) Microsoft
3) Windows 4) Mac2
5) None of these
39) The errors that can be pointed out by the
compiler are :
1) Syntax error 2) Semantic error
3) Logical error 4) Internal error
5) None of these
40) The move to the bottom of a document, press
........
1) Auto summarize 2) Home key
3) Ctrl + Home key 4) End key
5) Ctrl + End key
41) By default, your documents print in ..... mode
1) Landscape 2) Portrait
3) Page setup 4) Print preview
5) None of these
42) Select the odd one out :
1) Interpreter 2) Operating system
3) Compiler 4) Assembler
5) Programmer
43) For viewing video CDs, you would use ......
1) CD Player
2) Windows Media Player
3) WIndows Video Player
4) WIndows Movie Player
5) None of these
44) What's the name for the program or service
that lets you view e-mail messages?
1) Web browser 2) E-mail clients
3) E-mail ID 4) Internet
5) None of these
45) What does the SMTP in an SMTP server stand
for?
1) Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
2) Serve Message Text Process
3) Short Messaging Text Process
1) Byte is a single digit in a binary number
2) Bit represents a grouping of digital numbers
3) Eight-digit binary number is called a byte
4) Eight-digit binary number is called a bit
5) None of these
23) .....is collection of web pages and ......is the
very first page that we see on opening of a
web-site
1) Home-page, Web-page
2) Web-site, Home-page
3) Web-page, Home-page
4) Web-page, Web-site
5) None of these
24) When the pointer is positioned on a _____ it is
shaped like a hand.
1) Grammar error 2) Hyperlink
3) Screen tip 4) Spelling error
5) Formatting error
25) The _____ of a system includes the programs
or instructions.
1) Hardware 2) Icon
3) Information 4) Software
5) None of these
26) The most important or powerful computer in a
typical network is _____
1) Desktop 2) Network client
3) Network server 4) Network station
5) None of these
27) Which of the following is an example of
connectivity?
1) Internet 2) Floppy disk
3) Power cord 4) Data
5) None of these
28) The ability to find an individual item in a file
immediately _____ is used.
1) File allocation table
2) Directory 3) Sequential access
4) Direct access
5) None of these
29) The primary purpose of software is to turn
data into _____
1) Web sites 2) Information
3) Programs 4) Objects
5) None of these
30) To what temporary area can you store text
and other data, and later paste them to
another location?
1) The clipboard 2) ROM
3) CD-ROM 4) The hard disk
5) None of these
31) _____is the science that attempts to produce
machines that display the same type of
intelligence that humans do.
1) Nano science 2) Nanotechnology
3) Simulation
4) Artificial intelligence (AI) 5) None of these
32) Changing an existing document is called
_____ the document.
1) Creating 2) Editing
3) Modifying 4) Adjusting
5) None of these
33) Which of the following is the largest unit of
storage?
1) GB 2) KB
3) MB 4) TB
5) None of these
34) Computers process data into information by
working exclusively with:
1) multimedia 2) words
3) characters 4) numbers
5) None of these
35) The purpose of the primary key in a database
is to :
1) unlock the database
2) provide a map of the data
3) uniquely identify a record
4) establish constraints on database operations
5) None of these
36) The design of the network is called the
network
1) architecture 2) server
3) transmission 4) type
5) None of these
37) Personal logs or journal entries posted on the
Web are known as:
1) list serves 2) Webcasts
3) blogs 4) subject directories
5) None of these
38) Linux is a(n) ........ operating system
1) open-source 2) Microsoft
3) Windows 4) Mac2
5) None of these
39) The errors that can be pointed out by the
compiler are :
1) Syntax error 2) Semantic error
3) Logical error 4) Internal error
5) None of these
40) The move to the bottom of a document, press
........
1) Auto summarize 2) Home key
3) Ctrl + Home key 4) End key
5) Ctrl + End key
41) By default, your documents print in ..... mode
1) Landscape 2) Portrait
3) Page setup 4) Print preview
5) None of these
42) Select the odd one out :
1) Interpreter 2) Operating system
3) Compiler 4) Assembler
5) Programmer
43) For viewing video CDs, you would use ......
1) CD Player
2) Windows Media Player
3) WIndows Video Player
4) WIndows Movie Player
5) None of these
44) What's the name for the program or service
that lets you view e-mail messages?
1) Web browser 2) E-mail clients
3) E-mail ID 4) Internet
5) None of these
45) What does the SMTP in an SMTP server stand
for?
1) Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
2) Serve Message Text Process
3) Short Messaging Text Process
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 61
4) Short Messaging Transfer Protocol
5) None of these
46) What's considered the 'backbone' of the World
Wide Web?
1) Uniform resource locator (URL)
2) Hypertext mark-up language (HTML)
3) Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)
4) File transfer protocol (FTP)
5) None of these
47) A complete electronic circuit with transistors
and other electronic components on a small
silicon chip is called a(n)......
1) Workstation 2) CPU
3) Magnetic disk 4) Integrated circuit
5) None of these
48) A saved document is referred to as a.....
1) File 2) word
3) folder 4) project
5) None of these
49) What is output?
1) What the processor takes from the user
2) What the user gives to the processor
3) What the processor gets from the user
4) What the processor gives to the user
5) None of these
50) When you turn on the computer, the boot
routine will perform this test........
1) RAM test 2) Disk drive test
3) Memory test 4) Power - on self-test
5) None of these
51) Which of the following storage media provides
sequential access only?
1) Floppy disk 2) Magnetic disk
3) Magnetic tape 4) Optical disk
5) None of these
52) The quickest and easiest way in Word, to
locate a particular word or phrase in a
document is to use the ....... command
1) Replace 2) Find
3) Lookup 4) Search
5) None of these
53) The term 'user interface' refers to ............
1) What the user sees on the screen and how they
can interact with it
2) How the operating system responds to user
commands
3) The means by which the user interacts with the
peripheral devices on the computer
4) The monitor that is available for the computer
5) None of these
54) For creating a document, you use........
Command at File Menu.
1) Open 2) Close
3) New 4) Save
5) None of these
55) The..............becomes different shapes
depending on the task you are performing
1) Active tab 2) Insertion point
3) Mouse pointer 4) Ribbon
5) None of these
56) Firewalls are used to protect against.......
1) unauthorized Attacks 2) virus Attacks
3) Data Driven Attacks 4) Fire Attacks
5) None of these
57) The software tools that enable a user to
interact with a computer for specific purposes
are known as.......
1) Hardware 2) Networked Software
3) Shareware 4) Applications
5) None of these
58) Which of the following mode we use to deliver
e-mail
1) Postal 2) Courier
3) Computer 4) Fax
59) VIRUS stands for
1) Vital Information Recourse Under Siege
2) Vital Information Reason Under Siege
3) Vital Information Recourse Under System
4) Virus Information Recourse Under Siege
60) ------ Is known as unauthorized access into
others system
1) Hacking 2) Encryption
3) Decryption 4) None of the above
61) Which combination of keys needs to be
pressed to make a percent sign?
1) Shift+2 2) Shift+3
3) Shift+4 4) Shift+5
62) Difference Engine invented by
1) Charles Babbage 2) John McCarthy
3) Pascal 4) Newton
63) First generation computer systems used
1) Transistors 2) Vacuum Tubes
3) Both 1) and 2) 4) None of the above
64) Which one of the following is NOT a computer
language?
1) MS-Excel 2) BASIC
3) COBOL 4) C++
65) Which of the following Command is required
to reboot the computer
1) CTRL+ALT+DEL 2) CTRL+ALT+TAB
3) CTRL+ALT+SHIFT 4) CTRL+SHIFT+DEL
66) Select the ODD one
1) Operating system 2) Interpreter
3) Compiler 4) Assembler
67) Integrated Circuits (I3) chips used in
computers are made with
1) Gold 2) Silver
3) Silicon 4) Copper
68) What is the Super Computer developed in
India
1) CRAY 2) PARAM
3) Both 1) and 2) 4) None of the above
69) CPU capacity can be measured in
1) BPS 2) MIPS
3) MHz 4) MPI
70) MPIS stands for
1) Million Instructions Per Second
2) Million Instructions Per Season
3) Monthly Instructions Per Second
4) Million Inputs Per Second
71) LAN speeds are measured in
1) BPS 2) KBPS
3) MBPS 4) MIPS
72) Modem speeds are measured in
1) BPS 2) KBPS
3) MBPS 4) MIPS
4) Short Messaging Transfer Protocol
5) None of these
46) What's considered the 'backbone' of the World
Wide Web?
1) Uniform resource locator (URL)
2) Hypertext mark-up language (HTML)
3) Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)
4) File transfer protocol (FTP)
5) None of these
47) A complete electronic circuit with transistors
and other electronic components on a small
silicon chip is called a(n)......
1) Workstation 2) CPU
3) Magnetic disk 4) Integrated circuit
5) None of these
48) A saved document is referred to as a.....
1) File 2) word
3) folder 4) project
5) None of these
49) What is output?
1) What the processor takes from the user
2) What the user gives to the processor
3) What the processor gets from the user
4) What the processor gives to the user
5) None of these
50) When you turn on the computer, the boot
routine will perform this test........
1) RAM test 2) Disk drive test
3) Memory test 4) Power - on self-test
5) None of these
51) Which of the following storage media provides
sequential access only?
1) Floppy disk 2) Magnetic disk
3) Magnetic tape 4) Optical disk
5) None of these
52) The quickest and easiest way in Word, to
locate a particular word or phrase in a
document is to use the ....... command
1) Replace 2) Find
3) Lookup 4) Search
5) None of these
53) The term 'user interface' refers to ............
1) What the user sees on the screen and how they
can interact with it
2) How the operating system responds to user
commands
3) The means by which the user interacts with the
peripheral devices on the computer
4) The monitor that is available for the computer
5) None of these
54) For creating a document, you use........
Command at File Menu.
1) Open 2) Close
3) New 4) Save
5) None of these
55) The..............becomes different shapes
depending on the task you are performing
1) Active tab 2) Insertion point
3) Mouse pointer 4) Ribbon
5) None of these
56) Firewalls are used to protect against.......
1) unauthorized Attacks 2) virus Attacks
3) Data Driven Attacks 4) Fire Attacks
5) None of these
57) The software tools that enable a user to
interact with a computer for specific purposes
are known as.......
1) Hardware 2) Networked Software
3) Shareware 4) Applications
5) None of these
58) Which of the following mode we use to deliver
1) Postal 2) Courier
3) Computer 4) Fax
59) VIRUS stands for
1) Vital Information Recourse Under Siege
2) Vital Information Reason Under Siege
3) Vital Information Recourse Under System
4) Virus Information Recourse Under Siege
60) ------ Is known as unauthorized access into
others system
1) Hacking 2) Encryption
3) Decryption 4) None of the above
61) Which combination of keys needs to be
pressed to make a percent sign?
1) Shift+2 2) Shift+3
3) Shift+4 4) Shift+5
62) Difference Engine invented by
1) Charles Babbage 2) John McCarthy
3) Pascal 4) Newton
63) First generation computer systems used
1) Transistors 2) Vacuum Tubes
3) Both 1) and 2) 4) None of the above
64) Which one of the following is NOT a computer
language?
1) MS-Excel 2) BASIC
3) COBOL 4) C++
65) Which of the following Command is required
to reboot the computer
1) CTRL+ALT+DEL 2) CTRL+ALT+TAB
3) CTRL+ALT+SHIFT 4) CTRL+SHIFT+DEL
66) Select the ODD one
1) Operating system 2) Interpreter
3) Compiler 4) Assembler
67) Integrated Circuits (I3) chips used in
computers are made with
1) Gold 2) Silver
3) Silicon 4) Copper
68) What is the Super Computer developed in
India
1) CRAY 2) PARAM
3) Both 1) and 2) 4) None of the above
69) CPU capacity can be measured in
1) BPS 2) MIPS
3) MHz 4) MPI
70) MPIS stands for
1) Million Instructions Per Second
2) Million Instructions Per Season
3) Monthly Instructions Per Second
4) Million Inputs Per Second
71) LAN speeds are measured in
1) BPS 2) KBPS
3) MBPS 4) MIPS
72) Modem speeds are measured in
1) BPS 2) KBPS
3) MBPS 4) MIPS
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 62
73) BPS stands for
1) Bits Per Second 2) Bits Per Season
3) Bytes Per Second 4) Bits Per System
74) In processing cheques which of the following
I/O techniques have banks traditionally
followed?
1) OCR 2) MICR
3) Barcode 4) VRT
75) The ability of an operating system to control
the activities of multiple programs at the same
time is called
1) multitasking 2) multi-processing
3) multi-operating 4) multi-paging
5) None of these
76) The MS-DOS operating system is a
1) graphical user interface, single-tasking operating
system
2) graphical user interface, multi-tasking operating
system
3) command-driven interface, single-tasking
operating system
4) command-driven interface, multi-tasking
operating system
5) None of these
77) The category of operating system that you
most likely have running on your PDA
computer is a ____________ operating
system.
1) real-time
2) single-user, single-task
3) single-user, multi-task
4) multi-user, multi-task
5) None of these
78) The barcode which is used on all types of
items, is read by a scanning device directly
into the computer. What is the name of this
scanning device?
1) Laser scanner 2) Wand
3) OCR 4) MICR
5) none of these
79) Which of the following is a database
administrator's function?
1) database design
2) backing up the database
3) performance monitoring
4) user coordination
5) All of the above
80) A database management system
1) allows simultaneous access to multiple files
2) can do more than a record management system
3) is a collection of programs for managing data in a
single file
4) both 1) and 2)
5) None of the above
81) Frames from one LAN can be transmitted to
another LAN via a device called?
1) Router 2) Bridge
3) Repeater 4) Modem
82) Which of the following is used for modulation
and demodulation?
1) Modem 2) Protocols
3) Gateway 4) Multiplexer
5) None of the above
83) The term 'duplex' refers to the ability of the
data receiving stations to echo back a
confirming message to the sender. In full
duplex data transmission, both the sender and
the receiver
1) cannot talk at once
2) can receive and send data simultaneously
3) can send or receive data one at a time
4) can do one way data transmission only
5) None of the above
84) Which of the following TCP/IP protocol is used
for transferring electronic mail messages from
one machine to another?
1) FTP 2) SNMP
3) SMTP 4) RPC
5) None of the above
85) The slowest transmission speeds are those of
1) twisted-pair wire 2) coaxial cable
3) fiber-optic cable 4) microwaves
86) A hard disk is divided into tracks which are
further subdivided into:
1) clusters 2) sectors
3) vectors 4) heads
5) None of the above
87) Which of the following computer language is
used for artificial intelligence?
1) FORTRAN 2) PROLOG
3) C 4) COBOL
5) None of the above
88) A computer program that converts assembly
language to machine language is
1) Compiler 2) Interpreter
3) Assembler 4) Comparator
5) None of the above
89) Which computer has been designed to be as
compact as possible?
1) Mini computer 2) Super computer
3) Micro computer 4) Mainframe computer
90) Which output device is used for translating
information from a computer in to pictorial
form on paper.
1) Mouse 2) Plotter
3) Touch panel 4) Card punch
5) None of the above
91) The symbols used in an assembly language are
1) Codes 2) Mnemonics
3) Assembler 4) All of the above
5) None of the above
92) A technique used by codes to convert an
analog signal into a digital bit stream is known
as
1) Pulse code modulation 2) Pulse stretcher
3) Query processing 4) Queue management
5) None of the above
93) An optical input device that interprets pencil
marks on paper media is
1) O.M.R 2) Punch card reader
3) Optical scanners 4) Magnetic tape
5) None of the above
94) A program that converts computer data into
some code system other than the normal one
is known as
1) Encoder 2) Simulation
73) BPS stands for
1) Bits Per Second 2) Bits Per Season
3) Bytes Per Second 4) Bits Per System
74) In processing cheques which of the following
I/O techniques have banks traditionally
followed?
1) OCR 2) MICR
3) Barcode 4) VRT
75) The ability of an operating system to control
the activities of multiple programs at the same
time is called
1) multitasking 2) multi-processing
3) multi-operating 4) multi-paging
5) None of these
76) The MS-DOS operating system is a
1) graphical user interface, single-tasking operating
system
2) graphical user interface, multi-tasking operating
system
3) command-driven interface, single-tasking
operating system
4) command-driven interface, multi-tasking
operating system
5) None of these
77) The category of operating system that you
most likely have running on your PDA
computer is a ____________ operating
system.
1) real-time
2) single-user, single-task
3) single-user, multi-task
4) multi-user, multi-task
5) None of these
78) The barcode which is used on all types of
items, is read by a scanning device directly
into the computer. What is the name of this
scanning device?
1) Laser scanner 2) Wand
3) OCR 4) MICR
5) none of these
79) Which of the following is a database
administrator's function?
1) database design
2) backing up the database
3) performance monitoring
4) user coordination
5) All of the above
80) A database management system
1) allows simultaneous access to multiple files
2) can do more than a record management system
3) is a collection of programs for managing data in a
single file
4) both 1) and 2)
5) None of the above
81) Frames from one LAN can be transmitted to
another LAN via a device called?
1) Router 2) Bridge
3) Repeater 4) Modem
82) Which of the following is used for modulation
and demodulation?
1) Modem 2) Protocols
3) Gateway 4) Multiplexer
5) None of the above
83) The term 'duplex' refers to the ability of the
data receiving stations to echo back a
confirming message to the sender. In full
duplex data transmission, both the sender and
the receiver
1) cannot talk at once
2) can receive and send data simultaneously
3) can send or receive data one at a time
4) can do one way data transmission only
5) None of the above
84) Which of the following TCP/IP protocol is used
for transferring electronic mail messages from
one machine to another?
1) FTP 2) SNMP
3) SMTP 4) RPC
5) None of the above
85) The slowest transmission speeds are those of
1) twisted-pair wire 2) coaxial cable
3) fiber-optic cable 4) microwaves
86) A hard disk is divided into tracks which are
further subdivided into:
1) clusters 2) sectors
3) vectors 4) heads
5) None of the above
87) Which of the following computer language is
used for artificial intelligence?
1) FORTRAN 2) PROLOG
3) C 4) COBOL
5) None of the above
88) A computer program that converts assembly
language to machine language is
1) Compiler 2) Interpreter
3) Assembler 4) Comparator
5) None of the above
89) Which computer has been designed to be as
compact as possible?
1) Mini computer 2) Super computer
3) Micro computer 4) Mainframe computer
90) Which output device is used for translating
information from a computer in to pictorial
form on paper.
1) Mouse 2) Plotter
3) Touch panel 4) Card punch
5) None of the above
91) The symbols used in an assembly language are
1) Codes 2) Mnemonics
3) Assembler 4) All of the above
5) None of the above
92) A technique used by codes to convert an
analog signal into a digital bit stream is known
as
1) Pulse code modulation 2) Pulse stretcher
3) Query processing 4) Queue management
5) None of the above
93) An optical input device that interprets pencil
marks on paper media is
1) O.M.R 2) Punch card reader
3) Optical scanners 4) Magnetic tape
5) None of the above
94) A program that converts computer data into
some code system other than the normal one
is known as
1) Encoder 2) Simulation
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 63
3) Emulator 4) Coding
5) None of the above
95) Compilers and interpreters are themselves
1) High-level language 2) Codes
3) Programs 4) Mnemonics
5) None of the above
96) A pen shaped device which can sense light,
and is used to point at spots on a video screen.
1) Mouse 2) Light pen
3) Joystick 4) Plotter
5) None of the above
97) A stand-alone system which produces one
page of printed output at a time is
1) Page printer 2) Line printer
3) Laser printer 4) Dot matrix printer
5) None of the above
98) Which printer uses a combin ation of laser-
beam & electro photographic techniques?
1) Laser printers 2) Dot-Matrix
3) Line printer 4) Daisy wheel
5) None of the above
99) Human beings are referred to as Homosapiens,
Which device is called Silico sapiens?
1) Monitor 2) Hardware
3) Robot 4) Computer
5) None of the above
100) Time during which a job is processed by the
computer is
1) Delay time 2) Real time
3) Execution time 4) Down time
5) None of the above
BANKING ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 2 2 1 3 4 4 1 5 2
6 2 7 2 8 1 9 1 10 1
11 1 12 1 13 1 14 1 15 4
16 1 17 1 18 2 19 1 20 3
21 2 22 3 23 4 24 1 25 4
26 3 27 1 28 2 29 3 30 1
31 1 32 1 33 2 34 2 35 4
36 1 37 5 38 4 39 4 40 5
41 1 42 3 43 1 44 1 45 1
46 3 47 1 48 2 49 3 50 2
51 2 52 3 53 1 54 2 55 5
56 4 57 4 58 1 59 2 60 1
61 4 62 1 63 1 64 2 65 4
66 2 67 1 68 3 69 1 70 3
71 2 72 1 73 1 74 1 75 2
76 1 77 4 78 3 79 4 80 1
81 3 82 4 83 4 84 3 85 4
86 2 87 1 88 5 89 3 90 4
91 4 92 4 93 1 94 2 95 1
96 2 97 4 98 1 99 1 100 3
MARKETING ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 3 2 1 3 4 4 3 5 4
6 3 7 2 8 2 9 1 10 4
11 5 12 2 13 1 14 4 15 3
16 1 17 1 18 3 19 5 20 4
21 1 22 2 23 5 24 3 25 5
26 2 27 2 28 1 29 2 30 2
31 2 32 3 33 3 34 3 35 2
36 1 37 2 38 3 39 3 40 4
41 2 42 3 43 3 44 3 45 4
46 2 47 4 48 2 49 1 50 4
COMPUTER ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 5 1
6 4 7 1 8 5 9 1 10 1
11 1 12 4 13 4 14 5 15 5
16 1 17 3 18 3 19 3 20 1
21 4 22 3 23 2 24 2 25 4
26 3 27 1 28 1 29 2 30 1
31 4 32 2 33 4 34 4 35 3
36 1 37 3 38 1 39 1 40 5
41 2 42 2 43 2 44 2 45 1
46 3 47 4 48 1 49 4 50 2
51 2 52 2 53 1 54 3 55 3
56 1 57 4 58 3 59 1 60 1
61 1 62 2 63 1 64 1 65 1
66 1 67 3 68 2 69 2 70 1
71 3 72 1 73 1 74 2 75 1
76 3 77 2 78 1 79 5 80 4
81 2 82 1 83 2 84 3 85 1
86 2 87 2 88 3 89 3 90 2
91 2 92 1 93 1 94 1 95 3
96 2 97 1 98 1 99 4 100 3
3) Emulator 4) Coding
5) None of the above
95) Compilers and interpreters are themselves
1) High-level language 2) Codes
3) Programs 4) Mnemonics
5) None of the above
96) A pen shaped device which can sense light,
and is used to point at spots on a video screen.
1) Mouse 2) Light pen
3) Joystick 4) Plotter
5) None of the above
97) A stand-alone system which produces one
page of printed output at a time is
1) Page printer 2) Line printer
3) Laser printer 4) Dot matrix printer
5) None of the above
98) Which printer uses a combin ation of laser-
beam & electro photographic techniques?
1) Laser printers 2) Dot-Matrix
3) Line printer 4) Daisy wheel
5) None of the above
99) Human beings are referred to as Homosapiens,
Which device is called Silico sapiens?
1) Monitor 2) Hardware
3) Robot 4) Computer
5) None of the above
100) Time during which a job is processed by the
computer is
1) Delay time 2) Real time
3) Execution time 4) Down time
5) None of the above
BANKING ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 2 2 1 3 4 4 1 5 2
6 2 7 2 8 1 9 1 10 1
11 1 12 1 13 1 14 1 15 4
16 1 17 1 18 2 19 1 20 3
21 2 22 3 23 4 24 1 25 4
26 3 27 1 28 2 29 3 30 1
31 1 32 1 33 2 34 2 35 4
36 1 37 5 38 4 39 4 40 5
41 1 42 3 43 1 44 1 45 1
46 3 47 1 48 2 49 3 50 2
51 2 52 3 53 1 54 2 55 5
56 4 57 4 58 1 59 2 60 1
61 4 62 1 63 1 64 2 65 4
66 2 67 1 68 3 69 1 70 3
71 2 72 1 73 1 74 1 75 2
76 1 77 4 78 3 79 4 80 1
81 3 82 4 83 4 84 3 85 4
86 2 87 1 88 5 89 3 90 4
91 4 92 4 93 1 94 2 95 1
96 2 97 4 98 1 99 1 100 3
MARKETING ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 3 2 1 3 4 4 3 5 4
6 3 7 2 8 2 9 1 10 4
11 5 12 2 13 1 14 4 15 3
16 1 17 1 18 3 19 5 20 4
21 1 22 2 23 5 24 3 25 5
26 2 27 2 28 1 29 2 30 2
31 2 32 3 33 3 34 3 35 2
36 1 37 2 38 3 39 3 40 4
41 2 42 3 43 3 44 3 45 4
46 2 47 4 48 2 49 1 50 4
COMPUTER ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 5 1
6 4 7 1 8 5 9 1 10 1
11 1 12 4 13 4 14 5 15 5
16 1 17 3 18 3 19 3 20 1
21 4 22 3 23 2 24 2 25 4
26 3 27 1 28 1 29 2 30 1
31 4 32 2 33 4 34 4 35 3
36 1 37 3 38 1 39 1 40 5
41 2 42 2 43 2 44 2 45 1
46 3 47 4 48 1 49 4 50 2
51 2 52 2 53 1 54 3 55 3
56 1 57 4 58 3 59 1 60 1
61 1 62 2 63 1 64 1 65 1
66 1 67 3 68 2 69 2 70 1
71 3 72 1 73 1 74 2 75 1
76 3 77 2 78 1 79 5 80 4
81 2 82 1 83 2 84 3 85 1
86 2 87 2 88 3 89 3 90 2
91 2 92 1 93 1 94 1 95 3
96 2 97 1 98 1 99 4 100 3
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 64
DESCRIPTIVE ENGLISH FOR SBI PO
SBI PO Examination consists of Objective Test of
200 marks and Descriptive Test of 50 marks.
The Objective Test will be online. Immediately after the
online Objective Test, Descriptive Test will be administered.
Candidates will have to answer Descriptive Test on
paper/Pen mode.
(i) The Objective Test of English Language will be of
Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension etc.
(ii) The Descriptive Test with 1 hour duration (50marks)
will be of “Test of English Language (comprehension,
short précis, letter writing & essay)”.
The candidates are required to qualify in the Descriptive
Test by securing passing marks, to be decided by the Bank.
Descriptive Test paper of only those candidates will
be evaluated who have scored qualifying marks in
the Objective Tests and are placed adequately high
as per total marks in objective test.
ESSAY
1) WHAT IS AN ESSAY?
- Any literary composition, usually in prose, that
expresses the ideas of its writer is an essay. Essay
means “to attempt”. The writer attempts to write
down his view points in a logical order on any given
topic. An essay is an exercise in composition on
various subjects divided mainly under the following
headings.
(a) Personal (b) Descriptive
(c) Narrative (d) Reflective
(e) Biographical (f) Expository
A narrative essay is the one in which the writer
only narrates or tells about some event or
incident. It can encompass the topics like
historical events, social events, natural calamities
or description of a journey.
A descriptive essay is the one which deals with
only the description of a place or a thing. It can
encompass the topics like describe a historical
building, a city, a zoo or an exhibition etc.
An expository essay is the one in which the
writer explains a subject mostly in a sequence. It
can encompass the topics like expositions of a
scientific process, a biological phenomenon or a
literary phrase.
A reflective essay is one in which the writer
reflects upon a given subject. It contains
arguments debate and discussion in an abstract
manner. It can encompass the topics like social
or political problems, philosophical or theological
issues, thought provoking subjects.
2) HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY?
To write an essay one must make a rough draft in
which one writes down a few important points that
one will use in the essay. For this, one must read the
topic carefully and then, from the sphere of one’s
knowledge, write the related points down. A writer
can write an impressive essay if he has a good
general knowledge. An essay has three parts.
I) INTRODUCTION OF THE ESSAY
A good introduction can be written if the writer is
clear about the subject. The introduction is a most
part of the essay as it is a reflection of whole part.
The writer describe the topic given in a general
sense mentioning the various points that he will
dwell upon in the body of the essay. An introduction
mostly contains a quotation and an overview of the
subject, subtly touching the important points.
II) BODY OF THE ESSAY
The function of the essay's body is to fully develop
the argument outlined in the introduction. Each
paragraph within the body elaborates on one major
point in the development of the overall argument.
The writer uses a certain set of connective words
that serve to establish relations between the various
parts of the essay. They are an important element in
developing an argument that is cohesive and flows
logically through your essay. The body should be
written as if the writer is ‘talking’ to the examiner
and is logically presenting the ideas and describing it
with examples.
III) CONCLUSION OF THE ESSAY
The conclusion of the essay is written to satisfy the
readers with regards to the body written above.
Ending an essay abruptly gives a bitter taste to the
reader/examiner. One must have a conclusion that
gracefully wraps up or summarizes the ideas,
perhaps by using the ending words like ‘in the
end…’, ‘finally…’, etc. The conclusion should be
succinct and not elaborate the ideas.
The writer is not done writing the essay until he has
polished his language by correcting the grammar,
incorporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the
formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making
other required edits. He should reread it until it reads
just how he intends it to sound. Since writing an
essay can be tedious, one must be very careful
regarding the repetition of points, using sloppy
language, and the wrong use of grammar.
3) WHAT TO EXPECT?
The descriptive paper, generally, is an assessment of
the knowledge of the writer in current, social,
technical, social or scientific field. The topics that the
banking sector focuses on are mostly from the
banking background, or are from the current or
social issues. To be able to attempt a topic asking for
specific information, and use examples adeptly, one
is required to have gone the books of general
DESCRIPTIVE ENGLISH FOR SBI PO
SBI PO Examination consists of Objective Test of
200 marks and Descriptive Test of 50 marks.
The Objective Test will be online. Immediately after the
online Objective Test, Descriptive Test will be administered.
Candidates will have to answer Descriptive Test on
paper/Pen mode.
(i) The Objective Test of English Language will be of
Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension etc.
(ii) The Descriptive Test with 1 hour duration (50marks)
will be of “Test of English Language (comprehension,
short précis, letter writing & essay)”.
The candidates are required to qualify in the Descriptive
Test by securing passing marks, to be decided by the Bank.
Descriptive Test paper of only those candidates will
be evaluated who have scored qualifying marks in
the Objective Tests and are placed adequately high
as per total marks in objective test.
ESSAY
1) WHAT IS AN ESSAY?
- Any literary composition, usually in prose, that
expresses the ideas of its writer is an essay. Essay
means “to attempt”. The writer attempts to write
down his view points in a logical order on any given
topic. An essay is an exercise in composition on
various subjects divided mainly under the following
headings.
(a) Personal (b) Descriptive
(c) Narrative (d) Reflective
(e) Biographical (f) Expository
A narrative essay is the one in which the writer
only narrates or tells about some event or
incident. It can encompass the topics like
historical events, social events, natural calamities
or description of a journey.
A descriptive essay is the one which deals with
only the description of a place or a thing. It can
encompass the topics like describe a historical
building, a city, a zoo or an exhibition etc.
An expository essay is the one in which the
writer explains a subject mostly in a sequence. It
can encompass the topics like expositions of a
scientific process, a biological phenomenon or a
literary phrase.
A reflective essay is one in which the writer
reflects upon a given subject. It contains
arguments debate and discussion in an abstract
manner. It can encompass the topics like social
or political problems, philosophical or theological
issues, thought provoking subjects.
2) HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY?
To write an essay one must make a rough draft in
which one writes down a few important points that
one will use in the essay. For this, one must read the
topic carefully and then, from the sphere of one’s
knowledge, write the related points down. A writer
can write an impressive essay if he has a good
general knowledge. An essay has three parts.
I) INTRODUCTION OF THE ESSAY
A good introduction can be written if the writer is
clear about the subject. The introduction is a most
part of the essay as it is a reflection of whole part.
The writer describe the topic given in a general
sense mentioning the various points that he will
dwell upon in the body of the essay. An introduction
mostly contains a quotation and an overview of the
subject, subtly touching the important points.
II) BODY OF THE ESSAY
The function of the essay's body is to fully develop
the argument outlined in the introduction. Each
paragraph within the body elaborates on one major
point in the development of the overall argument.
The writer uses a certain set of connective words
that serve to establish relations between the various
parts of the essay. They are an important element in
developing an argument that is cohesive and flows
logically through your essay. The body should be
written as if the writer is ‘talking’ to the examiner
and is logically presenting the ideas and describing it
with examples.
III) CONCLUSION OF THE ESSAY
The conclusion of the essay is written to satisfy the
readers with regards to the body written above.
Ending an essay abruptly gives a bitter taste to the
reader/examiner. One must have a conclusion that
gracefully wraps up or summarizes the ideas,
perhaps by using the ending words like ‘in the
end…’, ‘finally…’, etc. The conclusion should be
succinct and not elaborate the ideas.
The writer is not done writing the essay until he has
polished his language by correcting the grammar,
incorporating rhythm, emphasis, adjusting the
formality, giving it a level-headed tone, and making
other required edits. He should reread it until it reads
just how he intends it to sound. Since writing an
essay can be tedious, one must be very careful
regarding the repetition of points, using sloppy
language, and the wrong use of grammar.
3) WHAT TO EXPECT?
The descriptive paper, generally, is an assessment of
the knowledge of the writer in current, social,
technical, social or scientific field. The topics that the
banking sector focuses on are mostly from the
banking background, or are from the current or
social issues. To be able to attempt a topic asking for
specific information, and use examples adeptly, one
is required to have gone the books of general
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 65
knowledge, and be up to date with the issues taking
place in the recent times. One must also be aware of
the recurrent issues that have always been a moot
point with regards to society. If one is a good
reader, only then can one be a good writer.
EXAMPLES
I) THREAT TO SECURITY OF WOMEN: WHAT
SHOULD BE DONE FOR THEIR SAFETY?
Women in India-a better half of Indian society,
today, are becoming the most vulnerable section as
far as their safety and security is concerned. When
we turn the pages of a newspaper, we come across
many headlines reporting cases of sexual assault,
molestation, sexual harassment, rapes, trafficking, ill
treatment of women in houses, violence against
women in remote areas etc. What does this indicate?
This certainly implies that there has been an
increasing trend of such sexual overdrives in present
generation. Our supreme law of land i.e. our Indian
Constitution has envisaged a dream of true social,
economic and political democracy which guarantees
the rich and moral principles of equality (of status,
opportunity, law) for our citizens but this has not yet
been fully realized. Still the better halves are unsafe
and unsecure towards the realization of freedom and
liberty. It's unbearable to imagine the plight of
women who are sufferers of such crimes. It's a jolt
on the confidence of the women, of society and on
our judicial system. Besides it has much of cascading
effects which affects her life.
But do we think who is responsible for this? Is it only
the lapse in legal system of our country or the police
or the public where such incidence occurs or the
Indian society as a whole? We generally use to play
the blame game for any such incidence and hence
have not succeeded to reach to the root of the
problem. For a better understanding we can say that
any problem has definitely two approaches of
solution, the first is short term or immediate solution
and the second one is long term solution. These may
be visualized as preventive or curative in nature.
Firstly, let us approach towards certain short term
and preventive solutions. This would mean to have a
multipronged strategy with the participation of multi-
stakeholders of society. As good citizens, we have a
fundamental duty to contribute towards bringing an
order to ensure dignity and respect for women so
that she can also enjoy her human rights and
fundamental rights with sense of pride, freedom and
confidence. To ensure this at every level the society
must work together to give an edge to the solution.
For e.g. women may be provided with such devices
which could provide her location using GPS
technology to a central control room of police or
send messages of her address to nearby locations.
But this requires a lot of work relating to scaling the
enrollment of women bio data showing her
photographs and her permanent or temporary
address into a national database system.
Other area of interest would be reform in police
system. Allocation of women police in every area and
their continuous monitoring which also requires
participatory attitudes of govt. Such interventions
can also be a preventive solution. This also requires
installation of CCTV cameras at strategic places,
beefing up the police security systems and closely
monitoring them. Also reforms in our legal system is
required such as stringent punishment which are non
bailable in nature. This could act as friction to those
who perpetrate crime.
Even though these suggestions are urgently required
as proactive measures but since they require
rigorous effort for implementation it may be not be
practically realized. So we must have remedial or
curative measures such as fast track courts
especially dedicated to deal only with these offences
and crimes. These can be made responsible to clear
the cases on day to day basis with fair trial as its
core principle. There must be allocation of woman
personnel who should be dedicated to alleviate the
trauma of the victimized women. As we have already
discussed that these women victims not only
undergo physical but also mental trauma as their
confidence in the system and society is jolted up.
Hence trained personnel are needed to boost up the
victims confidence.
All the above measures and interventions are
supportive in nature i.e. they act as supportive
infrastructure to ensure and protect women from
being victimized. But let us also look to the other
face of the coin. Since only ensuring a strict legal
system may also prove to be sometime oppressive as
the agencies enforcing the acts in strict sense may
violate tenets of human rights, which is also not
acceptable. Hence a balance is required to be kept
with while implementation also.
So far we have dealt with the requirement of stringer
laws, legal and administrative system to deal with
such sexual overdrive. But it requires further
delving into the matter. We all know that India has
been a land following various social customs,
traditions and certain sets of religious beliefs. These
customs has a deep rooted place in the core of our
minds and hearts of every people of India which has
defined our lifestyle, our thoughts, our expressions
and our beliefs be it man or a woman. This has given
to the males, the feeling of masculinity in every
aspect of their acts and thoughts. Indian males have
thus perceived themselves as physically, mentally
superior than their counterparts. Indian women also
have accepted to treat their males as superior. This
can be seen as women still perform the rituals of
Karwa Chauthh where they signify men as god.
Other instance can be seen in parents preferring
male child over female. In every aspect of the life,
women are denied or given less preference over
male whether it is for giving education or access to
health care. They are always required to be within
their limitations and the male counterparts have
freedom in this regard. This system thus gives a
feeling in male that they are superior and hence
dominate over women. This instills in male a sense
of hatred against women if they see a woman
crossing their limitations.
knowledge, and be up to date with the issues taking
place in the recent times. One must also be aware of
the recurrent issues that have always been a moot
point with regards to society. If one is a good
reader, only then can one be a good writer.
EXAMPLES
I) THREAT TO SECURITY OF WOMEN: WHAT
SHOULD BE DONE FOR THEIR SAFETY?
Women in India-a better half of Indian society,
today, are becoming the most vulnerable section as
far as their safety and security is concerned. When
we turn the pages of a newspaper, we come across
many headlines reporting cases of sexual assault,
molestation, sexual harassment, rapes, trafficking, ill
treatment of women in houses, violence against
women in remote areas etc. What does this indicate?
This certainly implies that there has been an
increasing trend of such sexual overdrives in present
generation. Our supreme law of land i.e. our Indian
Constitution has envisaged a dream of true social,
economic and political democracy which guarantees
the rich and moral principles of equality (of status,
opportunity, law) for our citizens but this has not yet
been fully realized. Still the better halves are unsafe
and unsecure towards the realization of freedom and
liberty. It's unbearable to imagine the plight of
women who are sufferers of such crimes. It's a jolt
on the confidence of the women, of society and on
our judicial system. Besides it has much of cascading
effects which affects her life.
But do we think who is responsible for this? Is it only
the lapse in legal system of our country or the police
or the public where such incidence occurs or the
Indian society as a whole? We generally use to play
the blame game for any such incidence and hence
have not succeeded to reach to the root of the
problem. For a better understanding we can say that
any problem has definitely two approaches of
solution, the first is short term or immediate solution
and the second one is long term solution. These may
be visualized as preventive or curative in nature.
Firstly, let us approach towards certain short term
and preventive solutions. This would mean to have a
multipronged strategy with the participation of multi-
stakeholders of society. As good citizens, we have a
fundamental duty to contribute towards bringing an
order to ensure dignity and respect for women so
that she can also enjoy her human rights and
fundamental rights with sense of pride, freedom and
confidence. To ensure this at every level the society
must work together to give an edge to the solution.
For e.g. women may be provided with such devices
which could provide her location using GPS
technology to a central control room of police or
send messages of her address to nearby locations.
But this requires a lot of work relating to scaling the
enrollment of women bio data showing her
photographs and her permanent or temporary
address into a national database system.
Other area of interest would be reform in police
system. Allocation of women police in every area and
their continuous monitoring which also requires
participatory attitudes of govt. Such interventions
can also be a preventive solution. This also requires
installation of CCTV cameras at strategic places,
beefing up the police security systems and closely
monitoring them. Also reforms in our legal system is
required such as stringent punishment which are non
bailable in nature. This could act as friction to those
who perpetrate crime.
Even though these suggestions are urgently required
as proactive measures but since they require
rigorous effort for implementation it may be not be
practically realized. So we must have remedial or
curative measures such as fast track courts
especially dedicated to deal only with these offences
and crimes. These can be made responsible to clear
the cases on day to day basis with fair trial as its
core principle. There must be allocation of woman
personnel who should be dedicated to alleviate the
trauma of the victimized women. As we have already
discussed that these women victims not only
undergo physical but also mental trauma as their
confidence in the system and society is jolted up.
Hence trained personnel are needed to boost up the
victims confidence.
All the above measures and interventions are
supportive in nature i.e. they act as supportive
infrastructure to ensure and protect women from
being victimized. But let us also look to the other
face of the coin. Since only ensuring a strict legal
system may also prove to be sometime oppressive as
the agencies enforcing the acts in strict sense may
violate tenets of human rights, which is also not
acceptable. Hence a balance is required to be kept
with while implementation also.
So far we have dealt with the requirement of stringer
laws, legal and administrative system to deal with
such sexual overdrive. But it requires further
delving into the matter. We all know that India has
been a land following various social customs,
traditions and certain sets of religious beliefs. These
customs has a deep rooted place in the core of our
minds and hearts of every people of India which has
defined our lifestyle, our thoughts, our expressions
and our beliefs be it man or a woman. This has given
to the males, the feeling of masculinity in every
aspect of their acts and thoughts. Indian males have
thus perceived themselves as physically, mentally
superior than their counterparts. Indian women also
have accepted to treat their males as superior. This
can be seen as women still perform the rituals of
Karwa Chauthh where they signify men as god.
Other instance can be seen in parents preferring
male child over female. In every aspect of the life,
women are denied or given less preference over
male whether it is for giving education or access to
health care. They are always required to be within
their limitations and the male counterparts have
freedom in this regard. This system thus gives a
feeling in male that they are superior and hence
dominate over women. This instills in male a sense
of hatred against women if they see a woman
crossing their limitations.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 66
So the problem is just not the case of one or two
factors, but a sum total of a large number of factors.
For this we need to plan more integrative approach
to arrive at a solution. This requires a large scale and
an integrated social reform whereby we need to
channelize the potential of woman into the stream of
development. This can be brought through measures
such as real education emphasizing on the quality of
education, through enhanced moral and spiritual
teachings so that the seed of enmity which is sown
through these customs and traditions gets deeply
uprooted. Moral and spiritual inclination of education
will impart impetus to curb the sexual desires of men
and women and would not let them indulge in
committing such heinous crimes. This solution is an
ideal solution which would need a more
comprehensive support of all the stakeholders of
societies.
Henceforth, to see India as a more flourished nation
as envisaged in our Constitution, it is time we need
to realize what is right and what is wrong and act in
an integrated manner so that women can be
channelized into mainstream of development and
thus contribute to socio-economic prosperity of the
nation. In other words, we need to take action not
by force but by will to make our country more secure
and safe for the better halves and bring up reforms
in the desired direction so that women can also
enjoy their freedom and rights, and feel more
empowered and fearless, as entrusted by the
Supreme law of the land.
II) REALITY SHOWS AND THEIR IMPACT
ON CHILDREN
Reality shows have gained increasing and enormous
popularity in India now-a-days. Such shows have
already started taking their toll. Viewers have
witnessed participants, crying inconsolably and
collapsing on the sets, judges bickering among
themselves and abandoning shows, hysterical
families complaining about decisions. The most to
suffer are young children who, unaware of the ways
of the world join the race.
Be it a reality show like ‘Big Boss’ or an adventurous
reality television show like ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’, they
influence children. Shows like Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa
create a fierce sense of competition in the
participants and this is not healthy as children should
understand that competition is meant to only be
healthy otherwise it’s not like a competition it’s like a
feud.
Children seeing this do not necessarily read the
disclaimer or notice that comes before the show. Nor
in India do you have a concept of rating t shows as
PG-13 or A or U. this makes it incredibly sensitive for
kids to view this show. If they do, what is the
guarantee that they are not going to try stunts at
home? What is the guarantee that they are not going
to start bottle up live cockroaches like participants do
in Khatron Ke Khiladi?
This is why the t shows have to be viewed with
discretion and if children watch a show like this, then
they have to be properly explained as to how these
stunts simply cannot be tried out anywhere by them
and this explanation might have to be repeated
several time by an adult.
PRÉCIS
WHAT IS A PRÉCIS?
The literal meaning of Précis is summarizing. You are given
a passage of which you are asked to shorten the word limit
without altering the sense of the passage. In a précis, one
makes an intelligent summary of the given passage, but one
must not confuse précis with summary. The latter is just a
briefing up of needless details not arranged in a logical
order, whereas the former is an intelligent summary which
requires efforts in finding out the important points and
arranging them in a logical order. This section checks the
reading ability of the writer as to how much he understands
in a passage and how efficient he is in stating these points
in his own words.
HOW TO MAKE A PRÉCIS?
Writing a précis is a task that needs unwavering attention,
and full concentration. Therefore one must keep the
following points in mind while writing a précis.
Read the passage carefully. One must be able to
decipher the essence of the given passage. One should try
to understand what the passage is about and what it is
trying to say. For that one must not be an avid reader, but
should at least have a practice of reading. In the process,
one must keep marking the important points which one will
use in the précis.
Make a rough sketch/ draft. After reading the passage
and marking the important points, make a rough sketch. On
that sketch, note down all the ideas as pointers, which can
be in a random order.
Selection and arrangement of ideas. After having noted
the ideas, read these pointers and select them in order.
Choose the point which you want to start your précis with.
Your précis need not be written in the same order as the
passage, but it should not omit any important idea
mentioned therein. After choosing the sequence of the
points, make an outline of these ideas in the order you want
your précis to be written in.
Shorten the sentences. While making an outline, try to
use one word as substitutes in place of long sentences. This
exercise saves time, shortens the sentences and expresses
the whole idea in just a word. For example:
He is so dull that he cannot understand even a
single thing.
He is too dull to understand even a thing.
The officer was found guilty of using an undue
influence to place his own relatives on lucrative
posts, and was, therefore, removed from the
service.
The officer was found guilty of nepotism, and was,
therefore, sacked.
To shorten the sentences you can also use one word
for the idioms or phrases if used in the passage. For
example:
She greased his palms to get her work done.
She bribed him to get her work done.
So the problem is just not the case of one or two
factors, but a sum total of a large number of factors.
For this we need to plan more integrative approach
to arrive at a solution. This requires a large scale and
an integrated social reform whereby we need to
channelize the potential of woman into the stream of
development. This can be brought through measures
such as real education emphasizing on the quality of
education, through enhanced moral and spiritual
teachings so that the seed of enmity which is sown
through these customs and traditions gets deeply
uprooted. Moral and spiritual inclination of education
will impart impetus to curb the sexual desires of men
and women and would not let them indulge in
committing such heinous crimes. This solution is an
ideal solution which would need a more
comprehensive support of all the stakeholders of
societies.
Henceforth, to see India as a more flourished nation
as envisaged in our Constitution, it is time we need
to realize what is right and what is wrong and act in
an integrated manner so that women can be
channelized into mainstream of development and
thus contribute to socio-economic prosperity of the
nation. In other words, we need to take action not
by force but by will to make our country more secure
and safe for the better halves and bring up reforms
in the desired direction so that women can also
enjoy their freedom and rights, and feel more
empowered and fearless, as entrusted by the
Supreme law of the land.
II) REALITY SHOWS AND THEIR IMPACT
ON CHILDREN
Reality shows have gained increasing and enormous
popularity in India now-a-days. Such shows have
already started taking their toll. Viewers have
witnessed participants, crying inconsolably and
collapsing on the sets, judges bickering among
themselves and abandoning shows, hysterical
families complaining about decisions. The most to
suffer are young children who, unaware of the ways
of the world join the race.
Be it a reality show like ‘Big Boss’ or an adventurous
reality television show like ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’, they
influence children. Shows like Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa
create a fierce sense of competition in the
participants and this is not healthy as children should
understand that competition is meant to only be
healthy otherwise it’s not like a competition it’s like a
feud.
Children seeing this do not necessarily read the
disclaimer or notice that comes before the show. Nor
in India do you have a concept of rating t shows as
PG-13 or A or U. this makes it incredibly sensitive for
kids to view this show. If they do, what is the
guarantee that they are not going to try stunts at
home? What is the guarantee that they are not going
to start bottle up live cockroaches like participants do
in Khatron Ke Khiladi?
This is why the t shows have to be viewed with
discretion and if children watch a show like this, then
they have to be properly explained as to how these
stunts simply cannot be tried out anywhere by them
and this explanation might have to be repeated
several time by an adult.
PRÉCIS
WHAT IS A PRÉCIS?
The literal meaning of Précis is summarizing. You are given
a passage of which you are asked to shorten the word limit
without altering the sense of the passage. In a précis, one
makes an intelligent summary of the given passage, but one
must not confuse précis with summary. The latter is just a
briefing up of needless details not arranged in a logical
order, whereas the former is an intelligent summary which
requires efforts in finding out the important points and
arranging them in a logical order. This section checks the
reading ability of the writer as to how much he understands
in a passage and how efficient he is in stating these points
in his own words.
HOW TO MAKE A PRÉCIS?
Writing a précis is a task that needs unwavering attention,
and full concentration. Therefore one must keep the
following points in mind while writing a précis.
Read the passage carefully. One must be able to
decipher the essence of the given passage. One should try
to understand what the passage is about and what it is
trying to say. For that one must not be an avid reader, but
should at least have a practice of reading. In the process,
one must keep marking the important points which one will
use in the précis.
Make a rough sketch/ draft. After reading the passage
and marking the important points, make a rough sketch. On
that sketch, note down all the ideas as pointers, which can
be in a random order.
Selection and arrangement of ideas. After having noted
the ideas, read these pointers and select them in order.
Choose the point which you want to start your précis with.
Your précis need not be written in the same order as the
passage, but it should not omit any important idea
mentioned therein. After choosing the sequence of the
points, make an outline of these ideas in the order you want
your précis to be written in.
Shorten the sentences. While making an outline, try to
use one word as substitutes in place of long sentences. This
exercise saves time, shortens the sentences and expresses
the whole idea in just a word. For example:
He is so dull that he cannot understand even a
single thing.
He is too dull to understand even a thing.
The officer was found guilty of using an undue
influence to place his own relatives on lucrative
posts, and was, therefore, removed from the
service.
The officer was found guilty of nepotism, and was,
therefore, sacked.
To shorten the sentences you can also use one word
for the idioms or phrases if used in the passage. For
example:
She greased his palms to get her work done.
She bribed him to get her work done.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 67
Omit the examples, illustrations, details and
repetitive sentences in the passage. Brevity is the soul
of précis-writing. Précis is only stating the important points,
and need not incorporate the details or examples given in
the passage. You can select the main idea for which the
details or examples are provided, and do away with the
unnecessary or verbose illustrations or explanations.
Adjust the word limit to one-third of the passage.
Mostly, the limit to which the précis should be written is
mentioned. If not, then you must try to set the word limit to
approximately one-third of the length of the passage.
Therefore, you must endeavor to be succinct and to the
point. For example if a passage comprises 300 words, the
précis should be of words ranging between 95 and 110.
Use your own language. It is one important point to
follow that the précis must not be written in the same
language, or word for word, as the passage. The writer
must understand the ideas and write them down in his own
words as if he is trying to talk to the reader. Therefore, each
idea must be so placed that it follows the previous
statement in a logical order.
Always use reported speech in third person. Even if
the given passage is written in first person and uses a direct
speech, the précis is always written from a third person
point of view. So the précis will always be in the reported
(indirect) speech that uses a third person voice and a past
tense.
Select a suitable title. Choosing the title is an important
exercise which involves a great deal of attention. The title
must not be of an imaginative kind, which means that the
writer cannot write a title as he wishes. Instead the title is
formed in such a way that it reflects the ideas in the précis.
Therefore, the title must revolve around the main and
recurrent ideas in the passage.
You can write about 2-3 titles in the rough draft which you
think that express the ideas. Out of these, choose the one
that best expresses the idea of the précis.
Compression of Words
a) By vocabulary:
(i) He is one of those persons who treat people
suffering from certain diseases by the manipulation
of bones and muscles.
He is an osteopath.
;
b) By ellipsis (leaving out words)
(i) I shall buy a car if it is necessary for me to do so.
I shall buy a car if necessary.
(ii)You must continue typing, however tired you
maybe.
However tired, you must continue typing.
c) By shorter construction:
(i) As we had been exhausted by the work, we had a
short rest.
Exhausted by the work we had a short rest.
Compression of Ideas
a) By generalization:
(i) Germans, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Scandinavians,
the Dutch and the Swiss usually know at least one
foreign language.
Most Europeans usually know at least one foreign
language.
b) By selection and rejection:
(i)The wanted man, who wore a silk necktie and gold
rimmed spectacles, disappeared from view.
The wanted man disappeared from view.
PRÉCIS EXAMPLES
PASSAGE- I
It is physically impossible for a well-educated or brave man
to make money the chief object of his thoughts, just as it is
for him to make his dinner the principal object of them. All
healthy people like their dinners, but their dinner is not the
main object of their lives. So all healthy minded people like
making money—ought to like it and enjoy the sensation of
winning it; it is something better than money. A good
soldier, for instance, mainly wishes to do his fighting well.
He is glad of his pay—very properly so, and justly grumbles
when you keep him ten years without it—still his main
notion of life is to win battles, not to be paid for winning
them. So of clergyman’s object is essentially to baptize and
preach, not to be paid for preaching. So of doctors, they
like fees no doubt, -- out to like them; yet If they are b rave
and well educated, the entire object of their lives is a not
fee. They, on the whole, desire to cure the sick, and, if they
are good doctors and the choice were fairly put to them,
would rather cure their patient and lose their fee than kill
him and get it. And so with all the other brave and rightly
trained men; their work is first, their fee second – very
important always, but still second.
(Total Words: 233)
Vocabulary
Grumble : Show dissatisfaction
Notion : Idea, belief, opinion
Clergyman : A Christian priest
Baptize : To perform the Christian religious
ceremony
Preach : To make known (a particular religion
and/or its teachings) by speaking in
public)
POINTS FOR PRÉCIS MAKING
1. Money making is not the chief object of the well-
educated, Intellectual, or brave men.
2. A noble soldier fights bravely; to him pay is of
secondary importance.
3. A clergyman cares more for the welfare of the
humanity Than for his pay.
4. A sincere doctor desires to cure his patient far more
than to get his fee.
5. Thus for all cultured people, their duty comes first,
their fees second.
Précis:
Moneymaking is not the sole object of the well-educated,
intellectual, or brave men. A brave soldier’s main notion of
life is to fight to win battles, not to be paid for winning
them. A noble clergyman is concerned more with the
welfare of the humanity than his pay. A good doctor desires
far more to cure his patient than to get his fee. Thus, for all
cultured people, their duty comes first, then their fee.
(Total Words: 75)
Omit the examples, illustrations, details and
repetitive sentences in the passage. Brevity is the soul
of précis-writing. Précis is only stating the important points,
and need not incorporate the details or examples given in
the passage. You can select the main idea for which the
details or examples are provided, and do away with the
unnecessary or verbose illustrations or explanations.
Adjust the word limit to one-third of the passage.
Mostly, the limit to which the précis should be written is
mentioned. If not, then you must try to set the word limit to
approximately one-third of the length of the passage.
Therefore, you must endeavor to be succinct and to the
point. For example if a passage comprises 300 words, the
précis should be of words ranging between 95 and 110.
Use your own language. It is one important point to
follow that the précis must not be written in the same
language, or word for word, as the passage. The writer
must understand the ideas and write them down in his own
words as if he is trying to talk to the reader. Therefore, each
idea must be so placed that it follows the previous
statement in a logical order.
Always use reported speech in third person. Even if
the given passage is written in first person and uses a direct
speech, the précis is always written from a third person
point of view. So the précis will always be in the reported
(indirect) speech that uses a third person voice and a past
tense.
Select a suitable title. Choosing the title is an important
exercise which involves a great deal of attention. The title
must not be of an imaginative kind, which means that the
writer cannot write a title as he wishes. Instead the title is
formed in such a way that it reflects the ideas in the précis.
Therefore, the title must revolve around the main and
recurrent ideas in the passage.
You can write about 2-3 titles in the rough draft which you
think that express the ideas. Out of these, choose the one
that best expresses the idea of the précis.
Compression of Words
a) By vocabulary:
(i) He is one of those persons who treat people
suffering from certain diseases by the manipulation
of bones and muscles.
He is an osteopath.
;
b) By ellipsis (leaving out words)
(i) I shall buy a car if it is necessary for me to do so.
I shall buy a car if necessary.
(ii)You must continue typing, however tired you
maybe.
However tired, you must continue typing.
c) By shorter construction:
(i) As we had been exhausted by the work, we had a
short rest.
Exhausted by the work we had a short rest.
Compression of Ideas
a) By generalization:
(i) Germans, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Scandinavians,
the Dutch and the Swiss usually know at least one
foreign language.
Most Europeans usually know at least one foreign
language.
b) By selection and rejection:
(i)The wanted man, who wore a silk necktie and gold
rimmed spectacles, disappeared from view.
The wanted man disappeared from view.
PRÉCIS EXAMPLES
PASSAGE- I
It is physically impossible for a well-educated or brave man
to make money the chief object of his thoughts, just as it is
for him to make his dinner the principal object of them. All
healthy people like their dinners, but their dinner is not the
main object of their lives. So all healthy minded people like
making money—ought to like it and enjoy the sensation of
winning it; it is something better than money. A good
soldier, for instance, mainly wishes to do his fighting well.
He is glad of his pay—very properly so, and justly grumbles
when you keep him ten years without it—still his main
notion of life is to win battles, not to be paid for winning
them. So of clergyman’s object is essentially to baptize and
preach, not to be paid for preaching. So of doctors, they
like fees no doubt, -- out to like them; yet If they are b rave
and well educated, the entire object of their lives is a not
fee. They, on the whole, desire to cure the sick, and, if they
are good doctors and the choice were fairly put to them,
would rather cure their patient and lose their fee than kill
him and get it. And so with all the other brave and rightly
trained men; their work is first, their fee second – very
important always, but still second.
(Total Words: 233)
Vocabulary
Grumble : Show dissatisfaction
Notion : Idea, belief, opinion
Clergyman : A Christian priest
Baptize : To perform the Christian religious
ceremony
Preach : To make known (a particular religion
and/or its teachings) by speaking in
public)
POINTS FOR PRÉCIS MAKING
1. Money making is not the chief object of the well-
educated, Intellectual, or brave men.
2. A noble soldier fights bravely; to him pay is of
secondary importance.
3. A clergyman cares more for the welfare of the
humanity Than for his pay.
4. A sincere doctor desires to cure his patient far more
than to get his fee.
5. Thus for all cultured people, their duty comes first,
their fees second.
Précis:
Moneymaking is not the sole object of the well-educated,
intellectual, or brave men. A brave soldier’s main notion of
life is to fight to win battles, not to be paid for winning
them. A noble clergyman is concerned more with the
welfare of the humanity than his pay. A good doctor desires
far more to cure his patient than to get his fee. Thus, for all
cultured people, their duty comes first, then their fee.
(Total Words: 75)
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 68
Title Suggestions:
1. Duty First, Fee after wards
2. Role of Money
PASSAGE II
When I go into a stranger’s library, I wander round the
book-shelves to learn what sort of a person the stranger is,
and when he comes in I feel that I know the key to his mind
and the range of the interests. A house without books is a
characterless house, no matter how rich the Persian rugs,
and how elegant the settees and the ornaments. The
Persian rugs only tell you whether he has got money, but
the books tell you whether he has got a mind. It is not the
question of money that we don’t buy books. I repeat that
books are the cheapest as well as the best part of the
equipment of a house. You can form your library with the
expenditure of a couple of shillings. Nearly, all the best
literature in the world is at your command at two shillings a
volume. For five pounds you can make a library of fifty
books. Even if you don’t read them yourself, they are a
priceless investment for your children. What delight is there
like the revelation of book, the sudden impact of a master
spirit, the sense of window flung wide open to the universe?
It is the adventures of the mind, the joy of which does not
pass away, that gives the adventure of life itself, beauty and
fragrance.
(Total Words: 228)
Précis:
Title: The Importance of Books
A man is known by the books he reads. Books are an index
to the mind and the interests of a person. A person who has
no library of his own is poor, no matter how rich his
furniture may be. Books are so cheap nowadays that one
can have a moderate library within the small sum of five
pounds. The money spent on books is never wasted. Even if
the owner does not avail himself of his books, his children
will read them with profit. There is no pleasure like the
pleasure of enjoying good books; and what is more, one
always gains in knowledge and wisdom by studying the
works of great writers.
(Total words: 115)
LETTER
A letter is a written information or message sent by a
person to someone on a piece of paper. A letter could be a
formal one or an informal one, or one writes a letter to the
editor of the newspaper.
PARTS OF LETTERS
A letter comprises several parts that are given below.
1. The heading consisting of writer’s address and the
date.
2. The address of the addressee to whom the letter
is being written.
3. The subject stating a brief idea of what the letter is
about.
4. The courteous greeting or salutation.
5. The communication or message – the body of the
letter.
6. The subscription, or courteous leave taking, or
conclusion.
7. The signature.
8. The superscription on the envelope.
TYPES OF LETTERS
Mainly letters are of four types:
a) Personal or private letters: These are written to
brothers, sisters, friends, relatives etc. These include
letters of invitations as well, written formally or
informally.
b) Business letters: These letters are written to
business houses, companies, newspapers etc. on
purely business matters.
c) Official letters: These letters are written to
officials. Applications of jobs fall under this category.
d) Letters to the editor: These are usually written to
the editors of the newspapers concerning local
problems, generally official in nature or concerning
public interest.
Below are given the formats of the letter-conventional and
current. Some points to remember are:-
USE OF HEADINGS:
It is often regarded as a mark of unfriendliness and
coldness to use heading in letters written to individuals.
However, they are perfectly justified and even desirable in
correspondence between and within firms, especially if it is
lengthy. But remember that it is not proper to use the Latin
word Re (meaning ’about the matter’) before the headings.
DEAR SIR OR DEAR SIRS?
Dear sir or Dear Madam is used when the address is just
one person (for example, Mr. Sharma, The Personnel
Manager, Life Insurance Corporation; The secretary, Rotary
club, New Delhi).
Dear Sirs is used when the addressee is the whole firm or
any other group of people.
But in case of letters to editors, sir alone is often used.
The use of first names is best avoided in business letters,
except perhaps who are very informal and of equal status.
It is, however, not uncommon to address people by name
(for example Dear Mr. Sharma, Dear Miss Nayyar),
especially when the writer and receiver already know to
each other and when they want to strike a friendly and
polite note.
YOURS SINCERELY OR YOURS FAITHFULLY
When the salutation is Dear Sir(s) or Dear Madam the
subscription is: Yours faithfully. Yours sincerely is used
when someone is addressed by name for example, Dear Mr.
Sharma, Dear Miss Nayyar.
MRS., MISS, MS.?
If the writer is a lady the signature cannot merely be her
name (for example Madhu, Rani, etc.) Mrs., Miss or Ms. (Ms.
Is the title for a woman who does not wish to call herself
either Mrs. or Miss) should be mentioned before or after the
name so that the replies are appropriately addressed.
Title Suggestions:
1. Duty First, Fee after wards
2. Role of Money
PASSAGE II
When I go into a stranger’s library, I wander round the
book-shelves to learn what sort of a person the stranger is,
and when he comes in I feel that I know the key to his mind
and the range of the interests. A house without books is a
characterless house, no matter how rich the Persian rugs,
and how elegant the settees and the ornaments. The
Persian rugs only tell you whether he has got money, but
the books tell you whether he has got a mind. It is not the
question of money that we don’t buy books. I repeat that
books are the cheapest as well as the best part of the
equipment of a house. You can form your library with the
expenditure of a couple of shillings. Nearly, all the best
literature in the world is at your command at two shillings a
volume. For five pounds you can make a library of fifty
books. Even if you don’t read them yourself, they are a
priceless investment for your children. What delight is there
like the revelation of book, the sudden impact of a master
spirit, the sense of window flung wide open to the universe?
It is the adventures of the mind, the joy of which does not
pass away, that gives the adventure of life itself, beauty and
fragrance.
(Total Words: 228)
Précis:
Title: The Importance of Books
A man is known by the books he reads. Books are an index
to the mind and the interests of a person. A person who has
no library of his own is poor, no matter how rich his
furniture may be. Books are so cheap nowadays that one
can have a moderate library within the small sum of five
pounds. The money spent on books is never wasted. Even if
the owner does not avail himself of his books, his children
will read them with profit. There is no pleasure like the
pleasure of enjoying good books; and what is more, one
always gains in knowledge and wisdom by studying the
works of great writers.
(Total words: 115)
LETTER
A letter is a written information or message sent by a
person to someone on a piece of paper. A letter could be a
formal one or an informal one, or one writes a letter to the
editor of the newspaper.
PARTS OF LETTERS
A letter comprises several parts that are given below.
1. The heading consisting of writer’s address and the
date.
2. The address of the addressee to whom the letter
is being written.
3. The subject stating a brief idea of what the letter is
about.
4. The courteous greeting or salutation.
5. The communication or message – the body of the
letter.
6. The subscription, or courteous leave taking, or
conclusion.
7. The signature.
8. The superscription on the envelope.
TYPES OF LETTERS
Mainly letters are of four types:
a) Personal or private letters: These are written to
brothers, sisters, friends, relatives etc. These include
letters of invitations as well, written formally or
informally.
b) Business letters: These letters are written to
business houses, companies, newspapers etc. on
purely business matters.
c) Official letters: These letters are written to
officials. Applications of jobs fall under this category.
d) Letters to the editor: These are usually written to
the editors of the newspapers concerning local
problems, generally official in nature or concerning
public interest.
Below are given the formats of the letter-conventional and
current. Some points to remember are:-
USE OF HEADINGS:
It is often regarded as a mark of unfriendliness and
coldness to use heading in letters written to individuals.
However, they are perfectly justified and even desirable in
correspondence between and within firms, especially if it is
lengthy. But remember that it is not proper to use the Latin
word Re (meaning ’about the matter’) before the headings.
DEAR SIR OR DEAR SIRS?
Dear sir or Dear Madam is used when the address is just
one person (for example, Mr. Sharma, The Personnel
Manager, Life Insurance Corporation; The secretary, Rotary
club, New Delhi).
Dear Sirs is used when the addressee is the whole firm or
any other group of people.
But in case of letters to editors, sir alone is often used.
The use of first names is best avoided in business letters,
except perhaps who are very informal and of equal status.
It is, however, not uncommon to address people by name
(for example Dear Mr. Sharma, Dear Miss Nayyar),
especially when the writer and receiver already know to
each other and when they want to strike a friendly and
polite note.
YOURS SINCERELY OR YOURS FAITHFULLY
When the salutation is Dear Sir(s) or Dear Madam the
subscription is: Yours faithfully. Yours sincerely is used
when someone is addressed by name for example, Dear Mr.
Sharma, Dear Miss Nayyar.
MRS., MISS, MS.?
If the writer is a lady the signature cannot merely be her
name (for example Madhu, Rani, etc.) Mrs., Miss or Ms. (Ms.
Is the title for a woman who does not wish to call herself
either Mrs. or Miss) should be mentioned before or after the
name so that the replies are appropriately addressed.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 69
RULES FOR WRITING FORMAL LETTERS
With the introduction of email, it is becoming less and less
common to write letters, but the few letters that one will
write will probably be very important ones. These are letters
for job applications, covering letters for questionnaires or
surveys which are part of your research, or letters of
complaint to your bank manager or a letter to an editor of a
well known newspaper.
There are a number of conventions that should be
used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore,
one tries to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and
not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember
not to use informal language like contractions or slang
words in short forms.
It is very important, therefore, that your letters have
the desired effect on the reader. In order to achieve this,
they should be:
in the correct format
short, succinct and to the point
relevant to the topic and not deviating
free of any grammatical or spelling mistakes
polite and respectful, even if you’re complaining
well presented
NEW FORMAT
Self /Address
Date
Address of the
addressee
Subject
Salutation
Body
Subscription/Ending
Signature/Your
name
ADDRESSES
1) Your Address:
The return address should be written in the top left-
hand corner of the letter.
2) Date:
Write the date on the left side of the letter after your
address. Write the month as a word.
3) The Address of the person you are writing to:
The inside address or the address of the person you
are writing to should be written on the left, below
the address.
4) Salutation or greeting:
a) Dear Sir or Madam,
If you do not know the name of the person you are
writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to
find out a name.
b) Dear Mr. Sharma,
If you know the name, use the title (Mr., Mrs., Miss
or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are
writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs.
or Miss, you can use Ms., which is for married and
single woman.
5) Subject of the letter:
After the salutation, mention the subject briefly in a
line. It should state the content of the letter,
reflecting upon the content of the letter.
6) Body or the content of the letter:
The first paragraph should be short and state the
purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain,
request something, etc.
The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle of the
letter should contain the relevant information behind
the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are
not very long, so keep the information to the
essentials and concentrate on organizing it in a clear
and logical manner rather than expanding too much.
The last paragraph of a formal letter should state
what action you expect the recipient to take- to
refund, send you information, etc.
7) Ending a letter:
a) Yours faithfully
If you do not know the name of the person,
end the letter this way.
b) Yours sincerely
If you know the name of the person, end the
letter this way.
8) Your signature:
You are given a name in the questionnaire which you
are to use as your name. Be careful about using that
given name. You must write that name under the
subscription.
RULES FOR WRITING FORMAL LETTERS
With the introduction of email, it is becoming less and less
common to write letters, but the few letters that one will
write will probably be very important ones. These are letters
for job applications, covering letters for questionnaires or
surveys which are part of your research, or letters of
complaint to your bank manager or a letter to an editor of a
well known newspaper.
There are a number of conventions that should be
used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore,
one tries to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and
not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember
not to use informal language like contractions or slang
words in short forms.
It is very important, therefore, that your letters have
the desired effect on the reader. In order to achieve this,
they should be:
in the correct format
short, succinct and to the point
relevant to the topic and not deviating
free of any grammatical or spelling mistakes
polite and respectful, even if you’re complaining
well presented
NEW FORMAT
Self /Address
Date
Address of the
addressee
Subject
Salutation
Body
Subscription/Ending
Signature/Your
name
ADDRESSES
1) Your Address:
The return address should be written in the top left-
hand corner of the letter.
2) Date:
Write the date on the left side of the letter after your
address. Write the month as a word.
3) The Address of the person you are writing to:
The inside address or the address of the person you
are writing to should be written on the left, below
the address.
4) Salutation or greeting:
a) Dear Sir or Madam,
If you do not know the name of the person you are
writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to
find out a name.
b) Dear Mr. Sharma,
If you know the name, use the title (Mr., Mrs., Miss
or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are
writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs.
or Miss, you can use Ms., which is for married and
single woman.
5) Subject of the letter:
After the salutation, mention the subject briefly in a
line. It should state the content of the letter,
reflecting upon the content of the letter.
6) Body or the content of the letter:
The first paragraph should be short and state the
purpose of the letter- to make an enquiry, complain,
request something, etc.
The paragraph or paragraphs in the middle of the
letter should contain the relevant information behind
the writing of the letter. Most letters in English are
not very long, so keep the information to the
essentials and concentrate on organizing it in a clear
and logical manner rather than expanding too much.
The last paragraph of a formal letter should state
what action you expect the recipient to take- to
refund, send you information, etc.
7) Ending a letter:
a) Yours faithfully
If you do not know the name of the person,
end the letter this way.
b) Yours sincerely
If you know the name of the person, end the
letter this way.
8) Your signature:
You are given a name in the questionnaire which you
are to use as your name. Be careful about using that
given name. You must write that name under the
subscription.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 70
EXAMPLES
A) FORMAL LETTER
T-15, Shivanji Colony
Vadodra
15 January, 20 XX
The Health officer
Municipal Corporation
Vadodra
SUBJECT: ____________________________________
Dear Sir,
We, the following signatories, wish to draw your kind
attention to the pathetic insanitary condition of Shivaji
Colony and its neighborhood. The domestic refuse thrown in
the open presents an ugly look. One can see mounds of
garbage all round the area. The garbage rots and it is an
invitation to flies and mosquitoes. These breed and buzz on
these mounds. Stray pigs make up deficiency, if any to
make the whole scene a sore both to the eyes and the ears.
There is a putrid smell coming from the place. Hardly
anyone can cross the place without putting cloth on his
nose. The stagnated water, dark green in colour, also emits
a foul and pungent smell. It is feared that some serious
epidemic is likely to break out.
The attention of the sanitary inspector has been drawn to
the deplorable condition of this colony, but the response has
been poor.
We, therefore, request you to take immediate steps and
issue instructions to the concerned persons to remove the
grievances of the people living in the colony.
Yours faithfully,
XYZ
B) LETTER TO EDITORS
House No. 1105
Sector 18-C
Chandigarh
28
th
May, 2014
The Editor
Times of India
Chandigarh
SUBJECT: ____________________________________
Dear Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I would
like to bring to the notice of all the environmental groups,
the total disregard shown by the industries situated near the
river towards environmental pollution.
A whole range of industries from tanneries, chemicals,
electronics and heavy machinery are discharge their
effluents into the river water. They are ignoring the
guidelines set by the local pollution control regarding the
discharge of the liquid and solid waste into the river.
As a concerned citizen, I visited the local effluent treatment
plant. I was shocked to discover that it was shut down due
to the lack of working capital. At present discharge of liquid
and solid waste into the river is killing all the fishes and
other life forms. It is also turning the river into a large
sewer. Perhaps these industries do not realize that a clean
river will bring them goodwill and health for one and all.
If some urgent steps are not taken, there is a fear of a
disease epidemic breaking out.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
(Your Name)
C) PERSONAL LETTER
Write a letter to your friend about the future of
terrorism in India.
New Delhi
January 10, 2001
My dear Raju,
I have received your letter two days ago. I perfectly agree
to your view as expressed in your recent letter about the
state of terrorism in our country. It appears that the roots of
terrorism in our country have gone very deep. The terrorists
are not confined only to the state of Punjab; they can rather
strike any place in Haryana and Delhi at their will. They
have developed new hideouts in the tarai region of the state
of U.P. As in Punjab, so in Kashmir, there are several groups
of terrorists demanding a separate land for the Kashmiri
Muslims. Similarly, in Assam, the ULFA has raised a demand
for a separate State.
Judging from the trends, I can say with a sense of
confidence that terrorism in India will never come to an end.
Terrorist activities of the Tamil in Tamil Nadu are a very
recent development. Thus the activities of terrorists are
increasing day by day and there is no end to these activities
in sight because these things are promoted and financed by
foreign agencies.
Hoping to see you next month.
Yours ever,
XYZ
EXAMPLES
A) FORMAL LETTER
T-15, Shivanji Colony
Vadodra
15 January, 20 XX
The Health officer
Municipal Corporation
Vadodra
SUBJECT: ____________________________________
Dear Sir,
We, the following signatories, wish to draw your kind
attention to the pathetic insanitary condition of Shivaji
Colony and its neighborhood. The domestic refuse thrown in
the open presents an ugly look. One can see mounds of
garbage all round the area. The garbage rots and it is an
invitation to flies and mosquitoes. These breed and buzz on
these mounds. Stray pigs make up deficiency, if any to
make the whole scene a sore both to the eyes and the ears.
There is a putrid smell coming from the place. Hardly
anyone can cross the place without putting cloth on his
nose. The stagnated water, dark green in colour, also emits
a foul and pungent smell. It is feared that some serious
epidemic is likely to break out.
The attention of the sanitary inspector has been drawn to
the deplorable condition of this colony, but the response has
been poor.
We, therefore, request you to take immediate steps and
issue instructions to the concerned persons to remove the
grievances of the people living in the colony.
Yours faithfully,
XYZ
B) LETTER TO EDITORS
House No. 1105
Sector 18-C
Chandigarh
28
th
May, 2014
The Editor
Times of India
Chandigarh
SUBJECT: ____________________________________
Dear Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I would
like to bring to the notice of all the environmental groups,
the total disregard shown by the industries situated near the
river towards environmental pollution.
A whole range of industries from tanneries, chemicals,
electronics and heavy machinery are discharge their
effluents into the river water. They are ignoring the
guidelines set by the local pollution control regarding the
discharge of the liquid and solid waste into the river.
As a concerned citizen, I visited the local effluent treatment
plant. I was shocked to discover that it was shut down due
to the lack of working capital. At present discharge of liquid
and solid waste into the river is killing all the fishes and
other life forms. It is also turning the river into a large
sewer. Perhaps these industries do not realize that a clean
river will bring them goodwill and health for one and all.
If some urgent steps are not taken, there is a fear of a
disease epidemic breaking out.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
(Your Name)
C) PERSONAL LETTER
Write a letter to your friend about the future of
terrorism in India.
New Delhi
January 10, 2001
My dear Raju,
I have received your letter two days ago. I perfectly agree
to your view as expressed in your recent letter about the
state of terrorism in our country. It appears that the roots of
terrorism in our country have gone very deep. The terrorists
are not confined only to the state of Punjab; they can rather
strike any place in Haryana and Delhi at their will. They
have developed new hideouts in the tarai region of the state
of U.P. As in Punjab, so in Kashmir, there are several groups
of terrorists demanding a separate land for the Kashmiri
Muslims. Similarly, in Assam, the ULFA has raised a demand
for a separate State.
Judging from the trends, I can say with a sense of
confidence that terrorism in India will never come to an end.
Terrorist activities of the Tamil in Tamil Nadu are a very
recent development. Thus the activities of terrorists are
increasing day by day and there is no end to these activities
in sight because these things are promoted and financed by
foreign agencies.
Hoping to see you next month.
Yours ever,
XYZ
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 71
COMPREHENSIONS
PASSAGE – 1
On April 4, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) marked its 25th consecutive successful mission by
lofting the second spacecraft required for the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The IRNSS
will function much like America’s widely-used Global
Positioning System (GPS), albeit on a regional scale. The
GPS is based on a constellation of 24 satellites that
transmit signals, which suitably equipped receivers pick up
and utilise to establish their position with a great level of
accuracy. Originally intended for the U.S. armed forces,
the use of unencrypted GPS signals have spawned a
wide range of civilian applications. Vehicles, aircraft and
ships increasingly rely on equipment with satellite navigation
capability. Smartphones and other mobile devices providing
map and location-based services too take the aid of GPS
signals. Russia has a similar satellite system in place, called
GLONASS. Europe is in the process of establishing a
navigation satellite system of its own, named Galileo.
China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System began offering
regional services in December 2012 and is expected to
achieve global coverage by around 2020. Japan wants to
create a satellite system to improve GPS coverage over that
country.
The IRNSS, being wholly under Indian control,
serves an important security requirement — making sure
that so critical a service is available at all times. Military
operations have come to rely on satellite navigation and
there is no guarantee that another country’s system will be
accessible during a crisis situation. To keep costs down, the
Indian Space Research Organisation has opted for a
constellation of just seven satellites to provide accurate
navigation signals over India and up to 1,500 km from its
borders. The first of those satellites, IRNSS-1A, was
launched in July last year. The performance of that satellite
has been extensively analysed and found to be very
satisfactory. The second satellite, IRNSS-1B, has now been
put into orbit, and two more will follow later this year.
Once the four IRNSS satellites are up and functioning, it will
be possible to ascertain whether the system’s signals
provide the required positional accuracy. The remaining
three satellites are to be launched by the middle of next
year. The option exists to extend the coverage area by
adding four more satellites. ISRO is working with industry so
that receivers that utilise the IRNSS signals become
available. Some of these receivers will be capable of taking
signals from other navigation satellite systems as well, like
the GPS. The use of IRNSS must extend well beyond India’s
security services, and ISRO will need to take the lead in
promoting the widespread utilisation of the system.
1) What according to you makes the use of GPS so
popular?
2) What significance does IRNSS has over the widely
used GPS?
3) On the basis of the comprehension, give an account
of the contrasts between GPS & IRNSS.
4) Give an account on the popularity gained by the
navigation satellite systems in today’s world.
5) What role does IRNSS play in the technological
advancement of India?
6) What role does ISO play in the development of IRNSS?
PASSAGE – 2
Incredible though it may seem, while the percentage of
literacy in India has been going up, the number of illiterates
has also been increasing. Thus, according to the 1966
figures, there were 353 million illiterate in the country – 20
million more than in 1961. During the same period the
percentage of literacy went up from 24 to 29 per cent. The
explanation for this paradox lies in the rapid growth of
population which has outpaced whatever little progress has
been achieved in literacy. For instance, from 1951 to 1961,
literacy increased at an annual average rate of 0.7 per cent
while the country’s population grew by 2.15 per cent every
year. But the population explosion is not entirely responsible
for the growing number of illiterate s. the apathy of most
States in failing to tackle the problem of adult literacy is also
partly to blame. Till now, they have shown little awareness
of the magnitude of the problem. Moreover, follow-up
measures to prevent neo-literates from relapsing into
illiteracy are just as important as the initial adult literacy
campaigns. Here too, the State Education authorities have
been negligent. Not sufficient provision has been made for
‘continued education’. His can be done by setting up more
rural libraries, adult schools and correspondence courses.
1) What is the paradox referred to in the passage?
2) How does the passage explain the paradox?
3) What is meant by “neo-literate”?
4) According to the passage, what does “continued
education” mean?
5) The passage is mostly likely an extract from
PASSAGE – 3
Power and possession have been the central pursuits of
modern civilization for a long time. They blocked out or
disorted other features of the western renaissance (revival)
which promised to much for humanity. What people have
been and are still being taught to prize are money, success,
control over the lives of others, acquisition of more and
more objects. Modern social, political and economic
systems, whether capitalist, fascist or communist, reject in
their working the basic principle that the free and creative
unfoldment of every man, woman and child is the true
measure of the worth of any society. Such unfoldment
requires understanding and imagination, integrity and
compassion, cooperation among people, and harmony
between the human species and the rest of nature.
Acquisitiveness and the pursuit of power have made the
modern man an aggressor against everything that is non-
human, an exploiter and oppressor of those who are poor,
meek and unorganized, a pathological type which hates and
distrusts the world and suffers from both acute loneliness
and false pride.
The need for a new renaissance is deeply felt by those
sensitive and conscientious men and women who not only
perceive the dimensions of the crisis of our age but who
also realize that only through conscious and cooperative
human effort may this crisis be met and probably even
overcome.
COMPREHENSIONS
PASSAGE – 1
On April 4, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) marked its 25th consecutive successful mission by
lofting the second spacecraft required for the Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The IRNSS
will function much like America’s widely-used Global
Positioning System (GPS), albeit on a regional scale. The
GPS is based on a constellation of 24 satellites that
transmit signals, which suitably equipped receivers pick up
and utilise to establish their position with a great level of
accuracy. Originally intended for the U.S. armed forces,
the use of unencrypted GPS signals have spawned a
wide range of civilian applications. Vehicles, aircraft and
ships increasingly rely on equipment with satellite navigation
capability. Smartphones and other mobile devices providing
map and location-based services too take the aid of GPS
signals. Russia has a similar satellite system in place, called
GLONASS. Europe is in the process of establishing a
navigation satellite system of its own, named Galileo.
China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System began offering
regional services in December 2012 and is expected to
achieve global coverage by around 2020. Japan wants to
create a satellite system to improve GPS coverage over that
country.
The IRNSS, being wholly under Indian control,
serves an important security requirement — making sure
that so critical a service is available at all times. Military
operations have come to rely on satellite navigation and
there is no guarantee that another country’s system will be
accessible during a crisis situation. To keep costs down, the
Indian Space Research Organisation has opted for a
constellation of just seven satellites to provide accurate
navigation signals over India and up to 1,500 km from its
borders. The first of those satellites, IRNSS-1A, was
launched in July last year. The performance of that satellite
has been extensively analysed and found to be very
satisfactory. The second satellite, IRNSS-1B, has now been
put into orbit, and two more will follow later this year.
Once the four IRNSS satellites are up and functioning, it will
be possible to ascertain whether the system’s signals
provide the required positional accuracy. The remaining
three satellites are to be launched by the middle of next
year. The option exists to extend the coverage area by
adding four more satellites. ISRO is working with industry so
that receivers that utilise the IRNSS signals become
available. Some of these receivers will be capable of taking
signals from other navigation satellite systems as well, like
the GPS. The use of IRNSS must extend well beyond India’s
security services, and ISRO will need to take the lead in
promoting the widespread utilisation of the system.
1) What according to you makes the use of GPS so
popular?
2) What significance does IRNSS has over the widely
used GPS?
3) On the basis of the comprehension, give an account
of the contrasts between GPS & IRNSS.
4) Give an account on the popularity gained by the
navigation satellite systems in today’s world.
5) What role does IRNSS play in the technological
advancement of India?
6) What role does ISO play in the development of IRNSS?
PASSAGE – 2
Incredible though it may seem, while the percentage of
literacy in India has been going up, the number of illiterates
has also been increasing. Thus, according to the 1966
figures, there were 353 million illiterate in the country – 20
million more than in 1961. During the same period the
percentage of literacy went up from 24 to 29 per cent. The
explanation for this paradox lies in the rapid growth of
population which has outpaced whatever little progress has
been achieved in literacy. For instance, from 1951 to 1961,
literacy increased at an annual average rate of 0.7 per cent
while the country’s population grew by 2.15 per cent every
year. But the population explosion is not entirely responsible
for the growing number of illiterate s. the apathy of most
States in failing to tackle the problem of adult literacy is also
partly to blame. Till now, they have shown little awareness
of the magnitude of the problem. Moreover, follow-up
measures to prevent neo-literates from relapsing into
illiteracy are just as important as the initial adult literacy
campaigns. Here too, the State Education authorities have
been negligent. Not sufficient provision has been made for
‘continued education’. His can be done by setting up more
rural libraries, adult schools and correspondence courses.
1) What is the paradox referred to in the passage?
2) How does the passage explain the paradox?
3) What is meant by “neo-literate”?
4) According to the passage, what does “continued
education” mean?
5) The passage is mostly likely an extract from
PASSAGE – 3
Power and possession have been the central pursuits of
modern civilization for a long time. They blocked out or
disorted other features of the western renaissance (revival)
which promised to much for humanity. What people have
been and are still being taught to prize are money, success,
control over the lives of others, acquisition of more and
more objects. Modern social, political and economic
systems, whether capitalist, fascist or communist, reject in
their working the basic principle that the free and creative
unfoldment of every man, woman and child is the true
measure of the worth of any society. Such unfoldment
requires understanding and imagination, integrity and
compassion, cooperation among people, and harmony
between the human species and the rest of nature.
Acquisitiveness and the pursuit of power have made the
modern man an aggressor against everything that is non-
human, an exploiter and oppressor of those who are poor,
meek and unorganized, a pathological type which hates and
distrusts the world and suffers from both acute loneliness
and false pride.
The need for a new renaissance is deeply felt by those
sensitive and conscientious men and women who not only
perceive the dimensions of the crisis of our age but who
also realize that only through conscious and cooperative
human effort may this crisis be met and probably even
overcome.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 72
1) According to the passage, why has modern man
turned out as an enemy of everything that is non-
human?
2) How can the real attainment of any society can be
adjudged?
3) According to the author, how can the present crisis
be should?
4) Why could not the western renaissance make total
impact on today’s humanity?
5) The author appears to be advocating which of the
following approaches to be adopted by the society?
SOME DESCRIPTIVE TOPICS
OF PREVIOUS EXAMS
PUNJAB & SIND BANK (PO) 20 11, 16
TH
JAN
I) Letter (15 Marks) choices:
1) Write a letter to the manager of bank for asking
the higher authorities to extend the bank timings
from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm for the convenience of
the public.
2) Write a letter to your uncle who is pushing his
son for better results in studies and stopping his
son to participate in extracurricular activities and
sports in which he is performing very well.
3) Your friend is preparing for Bank’s Probationary
Officer Examination; write a letters for
complimenting on the decision and give advices
how the preparation can be done to attain
success.
4) Your insurance policy on maturity gives Rs.
65000 and the insurance company receipt shows
Rs. 56000 citing two ‘gaps’ on write a letter to
the insurers, giving necessary proofs to prove
that you paid the required amount through ERS
and there are no such gaps.
II) Essay (250 words) Choices: 20 Marks
1) Impact of globalization on the Banking Sector.
2) Giving priority to the soft skills over the higher
percentages for jobs.
3) Should CRM be implemented in the Banking
Services?
4) Social responsibility of corporate houses.
III) Précis writing (Topic content was Indian
Economy & Globalization) (15 marks)
1) In the last decade apart from technological
advancement, there have been changes in family
system. Give your views. What are the reasons
that joint families are breaking into nuclear
families. Advantages and disadvantages.
2) Congestion is increasing in metropolitan cities
and roads cannot be made due to lack of space.
Give your suggestions to reduce congestion in
metor-cities.
3) Contract farming is a latest concept / is the most
heard concept when we talk about increasing
productivity with small and medium farmers. Give
your views. Write in its favour and against as
well.
4) No frills account for poor people is of no use
without credit accessibility. Give your views.
5) How NBFCs can act as a small bank in order to
achieve financial inclusion?
BANK OF INDIA (30.10.10)
1) Should income of farmers be taxed or not. Give your
views and points for it and against it?
2) Do you think there should be a legislation for
acquisition of land and rehabilitation of agricultural
land.
3) Many people have a view that builders who create
filthy sites resulting in malaria and other diseases
should be punished.
4) Effect of terrorism on Indian economy.
5) Rain water harvesting.
6) Religious policies and communal tensions have
became prominent in past decade what are your
views.
7) Do you think there is a need to make plan to tap
agricultural business?
TOPIC FROM OBC EXAM HELD ON 26.12.2010
1) Boom cities as distinguished from megacities are
emerging as the fountain heads of the economy in our
country. Bring out 3-4 major issues that make them
the future cities to watch?
2) Vocational Education must be made compulsory from
primary schooling. Do you agree?
3) Farmers are not able to produce a good amount of
earnings from their lands, especially farmer those
having small and marginal lands. Experts think that
there farmers should give/sell away their lands to the
larger corporate. So that they can use them for the
development of the economy. Justify your views?
4) Whatever the condition of BPL/APL in the country, the
government should distribute the food grains to BPL.
Do you agree? Effects on Government of India
5) Impacts of reality shows on kids. Whether they should
be banned for broadcasting on prime time. Give your
suggestion for and against.
6) BSNL has given the scheme to its customer free local
calls from fixed landline to landline. What is its effect?
7) How corruption and bribery can be removed from
public and private sector. Give your suggestions.
8) To avoid Acquisitions modern farming and other ways
should be opted. Give your suggestions.
9) India is a developing Economy. What are the features
of it. Which should be implemented by planning
commission for development of economy.
10) What is the impact of increasing population on
Economy? Give your views to control it.
1) According to the passage, why has modern man
turned out as an enemy of everything that is non-
human?
2) How can the real attainment of any society can be
adjudged?
3) According to the author, how can the present crisis
be should?
4) Why could not the western renaissance make total
impact on today’s humanity?
5) The author appears to be advocating which of the
following approaches to be adopted by the society?
SOME DESCRIPTIVE TOPICS
OF PREVIOUS EXAMS
PUNJAB & SIND BANK (PO) 20 11, 16
TH
JAN
I) Letter (15 Marks) choices:
1) Write a letter to the manager of bank for asking
the higher authorities to extend the bank timings
from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm for the convenience of
the public.
2) Write a letter to your uncle who is pushing his
son for better results in studies and stopping his
son to participate in extracurricular activities and
sports in which he is performing very well.
3) Your friend is preparing for Bank’s Probationary
Officer Examination; write a letters for
complimenting on the decision and give advices
how the preparation can be done to attain
success.
4) Your insurance policy on maturity gives Rs.
65000 and the insurance company receipt shows
Rs. 56000 citing two ‘gaps’ on write a letter to
the insurers, giving necessary proofs to prove
that you paid the required amount through ERS
and there are no such gaps.
II) Essay (250 words) Choices: 20 Marks
1) Impact of globalization on the Banking Sector.
2) Giving priority to the soft skills over the higher
percentages for jobs.
3) Should CRM be implemented in the Banking
Services?
4) Social responsibility of corporate houses.
III) Précis writing (Topic content was Indian
Economy & Globalization) (15 marks)
1) In the last decade apart from technological
advancement, there have been changes in family
system. Give your views. What are the reasons
that joint families are breaking into nuclear
families. Advantages and disadvantages.
2) Congestion is increasing in metropolitan cities
and roads cannot be made due to lack of space.
Give your suggestions to reduce congestion in
metor-cities.
3) Contract farming is a latest concept / is the most
heard concept when we talk about increasing
productivity with small and medium farmers. Give
your views. Write in its favour and against as
well.
4) No frills account for poor people is of no use
without credit accessibility. Give your views.
5) How NBFCs can act as a small bank in order to
achieve financial inclusion?
BANK OF INDIA (30.10.10)
1) Should income of farmers be taxed or not. Give your
views and points for it and against it?
2) Do you think there should be a legislation for
acquisition of land and rehabilitation of agricultural
land.
3) Many people have a view that builders who create
filthy sites resulting in malaria and other diseases
should be punished.
4) Effect of terrorism on Indian economy.
5) Rain water harvesting.
6) Religious policies and communal tensions have
became prominent in past decade what are your
views.
7) Do you think there is a need to make plan to tap
agricultural business?
TOPIC FROM OBC EXAM HELD ON 26.12.2010
1) Boom cities as distinguished from megacities are
emerging as the fountain heads of the economy in our
country. Bring out 3-4 major issues that make them
the future cities to watch?
2) Vocational Education must be made compulsory from
primary schooling. Do you agree?
3) Farmers are not able to produce a good amount of
earnings from their lands, especially farmer those
having small and marginal lands. Experts think that
there farmers should give/sell away their lands to the
larger corporate. So that they can use them for the
development of the economy. Justify your views?
4) Whatever the condition of BPL/APL in the country, the
government should distribute the food grains to BPL.
Do you agree? Effects on Government of India
5) Impacts of reality shows on kids. Whether they should
be banned for broadcasting on prime time. Give your
suggestion for and against.
6) BSNL has given the scheme to its customer free local
calls from fixed landline to landline. What is its effect?
7) How corruption and bribery can be removed from
public and private sector. Give your suggestions.
8) To avoid Acquisitions modern farming and other ways
should be opted. Give your suggestions.
9) India is a developing Economy. What are the features
of it. Which should be implemented by planning
commission for development of economy.
10) What is the impact of increasing population on
Economy? Give your views to control it.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 73
Latest G.K .Bytes
MAY – 2014
1) As per are recently World Bank report, India
emerged as the world's _________largest economy
in 2011, from being the 10th largest in 2005: Third
2) Which country has the largest economy in the
world: USA
3) India and China have decided to conduct a joint
military exercise at which place in India: Bathinda,
Punjab
4) World’s highest train tunnel at an altitude of 3,067.4
metres in China passes through which mountain:
Qilian Mountain
5) World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has
warned that there is strong possibility of an "El
Nino" climate phenomenon this year. It occurs at
which place in the world: Tropical Pacific Ocean
6) For what banking purpose govt. is considering
establishment of exclusive Lok Adalats: For cheque
bouncing cases
7) Aab Bareek, a village in Badakhshan province of
Afghanistan was in news for what reasons: Its
suffered a devastating mud slide
8) Which state has lifted the four years ban on SMS on
prepaid mobile phones: Jammu & Kashmir
9) Ahmed Maiteeq has been elected as Prime Minister
of which country: Libya
10) What is the recent guideline from RBI in contest of
prepayment of all floating rate term loans: Banks
not to charge penalty for prepayment
11) RBI has asked banks not to levy penalties on
customers who don’t maintain a minimum balance
in which type of accents: Any inoperative
account
12) Prime Minister of which country was removed from
office by a Constitutional Court: Thailand
13) Which country has decided to introduce Islamic
banking: Afghanistan
14) United Nations has signed an agreement with which
international body to use power of supports to
promote piece and economic development:
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
15) What is the brand name of the football that will be
used in the Brazil FIFA World Cup: Brazuca
16) What is the name of the India’s first indigenously
developed beyond visual range (BVR) air to air
missile successfully test fired from a Russian-built
Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet: Astra
17) What is the range of India’s air to air Astra missile:
60 kms
18) What is the recent Supreme Court ruling in contest
of investigation against senior bureaucrats in
corruption cases: Prior permission not required
for investigation
19) Name the Pakistan’s surface-to-surface ballistic
missile test fired recently: Hataf-III
20) India has been given New Frontiers Award 2014 for
what achievement: for fast development of
infrastructure after the June 2013 floods,
landslides in Uttarakhand
21) WHO has identified which Indian city having worst
air quality in the world: Delhi
22) What is the name of the recent book released by
Hillary Clinton: Hard Choices
23) Arctic Summer novel has been written by which
author: Damon Galgut
24) The book My Years with Rajiv and Sonia has been
written by which author: R. D. Pradhan
25) In which country’s parliament a pictorial book on
India’s war hero Shivaji, was released: UK
26) In which country Islamist militant group Boko
Haram abducted more than 200 school girls:
Nigeria
27) Gary Backer who passed away recently was a Noble
Laureate in which field: Economics
28) In which country females have been allowed entry
in their navy, for the first time in its 110 year
history: United Kingdom
29) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited developed
“Nabhratna” to carry out testing of its under-
development airborne radar systems. What type of
equipment it is: Light-weight Aircraft
30) As per Press Freedom Index 2014, India has been
placed at _____ place on the basis of freedom of
media in the country: 78
th
31) The Supreme Court has reconstituted a SIT under
the chairmanship of retired judge MB Shah. What is
full form of SIT: Special Investigation Team
Latest G.K .Bytes
MAY – 2014
1) As per are recently World Bank report, India
emerged as the world's _________largest economy
in 2011, from being the 10th largest in 2005: Third
2) Which country has the largest economy in the
world: USA
3) India and China have decided to conduct a joint
military exercise at which place in India: Bathinda,
Punjab
4) World’s highest train tunnel at an altitude of 3,067.4
metres in China passes through which mountain:
Qilian Mountain
5) World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has
warned that there is strong possibility of an "El
Nino" climate phenomenon this year. It occurs at
which place in the world: Tropical Pacific Ocean
6) For what banking purpose govt. is considering
establishment of exclusive Lok Adalats: For cheque
bouncing cases
7) Aab Bareek, a village in Badakhshan province of
Afghanistan was in news for what reasons: Its
suffered a devastating mud slide
8) Which state has lifted the four years ban on SMS on
prepaid mobile phones: Jammu & Kashmir
9) Ahmed Maiteeq has been elected as Prime Minister
of which country: Libya
10) What is the recent guideline from RBI in contest of
prepayment of all floating rate term loans: Banks
not to charge penalty for prepayment
11) RBI has asked banks not to levy penalties on
customers who don’t maintain a minimum balance
in which type of accents: Any inoperative
account
12) Prime Minister of which country was removed from
office by a Constitutional Court: Thailand
13) Which country has decided to introduce Islamic
banking: Afghanistan
14) United Nations has signed an agreement with which
international body to use power of supports to
promote piece and economic development:
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
15) What is the brand name of the football that will be
used in the Brazil FIFA World Cup: Brazuca
16) What is the name of the India’s first indigenously
developed beyond visual range (BVR) air to air
missile successfully test fired from a Russian-built
Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet: Astra
17) What is the range of India’s air to air Astra missile:
60 kms
18) What is the recent Supreme Court ruling in contest
of investigation against senior bureaucrats in
corruption cases: Prior permission not required
for investigation
19) Name the Pakistan’s surface-to-surface ballistic
missile test fired recently: Hataf-III
20) India has been given New Frontiers Award 2014 for
what achievement: for fast development of
infrastructure after the June 2013 floods,
landslides in Uttarakhand
21) WHO has identified which Indian city having worst
air quality in the world: Delhi
22) What is the name of the recent book released by
Hillary Clinton: Hard Choices
23) Arctic Summer novel has been written by which
author: Damon Galgut
24) The book My Years with Rajiv and Sonia has been
written by which author: R. D. Pradhan
25) In which country’s parliament a pictorial book on
India’s war hero Shivaji, was released: UK
26) In which country Islamist militant group Boko
Haram abducted more than 200 school girls:
Nigeria
27) Gary Backer who passed away recently was a Noble
Laureate in which field: Economics
28) In which country females have been allowed entry
in their navy, for the first time in its 110 year
history: United Kingdom
29) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited developed
“Nabhratna” to carry out testing of its under-
development airborne radar systems. What type of
equipment it is: Light-weight Aircraft
30) As per Press Freedom Index 2014, India has been
placed at _____ place on the basis of freedom of
media in the country: 78
th
31) The Supreme Court has reconstituted a SIT under
the chairmanship of retired judge MB Shah. What is
full form of SIT: Special Investigation Team
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 74
32) The Supreme Court has reconstituted a SIT under
the chairmanship of retired judge MB Shah for what
purpose: To monitor the probe into the black
money cases
33) Which country has imported 3400 India-made
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for use in their
Presidential Election: Namibia
34) Name the public sector undertaking that is
responsible for manufacturing EVMs in India:
Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL)
35) Name the Cricket player was ranked no 1 in the
latest ICC list of One Day International (ODI)
rankings: Virat Kohli
36) Noted cueist Mark Selby of England recently won
world championship in which game: Snooker
37) Sania Mirza of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe
won women’s doubles tennis title in which
tournament: Portugal Open 2014
38) In terms of consumer confidence India has been
ranked _______ most optimistic country: 2
nd
39) Saudi Arabia has decided to ban the import of
Indian ____ due to presence of high pesticide
residues: Chilies
40) India and ________ have inked a pact to enhance
security cooperation in combating the key issues of
insurgency, arms smuggling and human trafficking:
Myanmar
41) Name the Indian who has been appointed President
and CEO of Finnish tele- communications equipment
maker Nokia: Rajeev Suri
42) The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) has
been nominated for the prestigious UNESCO -
approved World Heritage Site status. It is in which
state: Himachal Pradesh
43) Name the Indian documentary film that won gold
medal and two other medals at the 2014 New York
Festivals International TV and Film Awards: Silent
Screams — India’s Fight Against Rape
44) Who has been named as the world snookers ‘player
of the year’: Ronnie O’Sullivan
45) The Supreme Court has prohibited use of ______in
Tamil Nadu’s ‘Jallikattu’ festivals as it harmed the
animals and constituted an offence under the
Prevention of Cruelty to the Animals Act: Bulls
46) In which country over 300 miners were killed in a
coal mine blast: Turkey
47) Which country has decided to go wholly organic in
its food production, totally avoiding usage of
chemical fertilisers and pesticides: Bhutan
48) P J Nayak Committee appointed by the RBI has
submitted its report recently. What was the task of
this committee: To review Governance of
Boards of Banks in India
49) A major recommendation of PJ Nayak Committee
has been objected to by bank employees unions. It
is about what: Government should cut its stake
in public sector banks to below 50 percent
50) Nayak committee has recommended that a
__________ should be constituted to which the
Government transfers its holdings in banks: Bank
Investment Company
51) RBI has decided to conduct a field trial for one
billion Rs. ___________ denomination plastic notes:
Ten
52) The field trial for Rs. 10 plastic notes will be
conducted in how many cities: 5
53) Russy Modi who passed away recently was a noted
corporate figure. He was associated with which
company: Tata Steel
54) Along with General Election 2014, how many states
also elected their new MLAs: Five
55) Name the five states that also held state elections
along with General Election 2014: Odisha, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana
56) Name the Chief Minister of Sikkim state who has
been elected for the record 5
th
time: Pawan
Chamlilng
57) Who has been elected as new Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh: Chandrababu Naidu
58) Who has been elected as new Chief Minister of
Telangana: K Chandrasekhara Rao
59) Nabam Tuki has been elected as Chief Minister of
which state: Arunachal Pradesh
60) Name the new Chief Minister of Nagaland: TR
Zeliang
61) Why a new Chief Minister has been placed in Bihar
when there was no state election: Current CM
Nitish Kumar resigned on moral grounds for
poor performance of his party
62) Who has replaced Narendra Modi as Chief Minister
of Gujarat: Anandiben Patel
63) A World Bank report on ‘Ease of Doing Business’
placed India at ______ rank among 189 nations:
134
th
64) Which country was put under martial law recently
when months of deadly anti-government protests
caused political paralysis: Thailand
65) A study by UNO has forecasted global economic
growth rate to be at _____ per cent in 2014: 2.8
66) In a study by Deutsche Bank, which major country
has been ranked as cheapest economy in the world:
India
67) Which bank has recently been declared as a
‘Scheduled Bank’ by the RBI: Bhartiya Mahila
32) The Supreme Court has reconstituted a SIT under
the chairmanship of retired judge MB Shah for what
purpose: To monitor the probe into the black
money cases
33) Which country has imported 3400 India-made
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for use in their
Presidential Election: Namibia
34) Name the public sector undertaking that is
responsible for manufacturing EVMs in India:
Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL)
35) Name the Cricket player was ranked no 1 in the
latest ICC list of One Day International (ODI)
rankings: Virat Kohli
36) Noted cueist Mark Selby of England recently won
world championship in which game: Snooker
37) Sania Mirza of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe
won women’s doubles tennis title in which
tournament: Portugal Open 2014
38) In terms of consumer confidence India has been
ranked _______ most optimistic country: 2
nd
39) Saudi Arabia has decided to ban the import of
Indian ____ due to presence of high pesticide
residues: Chilies
40) India and ________ have inked a pact to enhance
security cooperation in combating the key issues of
insurgency, arms smuggling and human trafficking:
Myanmar
41) Name the Indian who has been appointed President
and CEO of Finnish tele- communications equipment
maker Nokia: Rajeev Suri
42) The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) has
been nominated for the prestigious UNESCO -
approved World Heritage Site status. It is in which
state: Himachal Pradesh
43) Name the Indian documentary film that won gold
medal and two other medals at the 2014 New York
Festivals International TV and Film Awards: Silent
Screams — India’s Fight Against Rape
44) Who has been named as the world snookers ‘player
of the year’: Ronnie O’Sullivan
45) The Supreme Court has prohibited use of ______in
Tamil Nadu’s ‘Jallikattu’ festivals as it harmed the
animals and constituted an offence under the
Prevention of Cruelty to the Animals Act: Bulls
46) In which country over 300 miners were killed in a
coal mine blast: Turkey
47) Which country has decided to go wholly organic in
its food production, totally avoiding usage of
chemical fertilisers and pesticides: Bhutan
48) P J Nayak Committee appointed by the RBI has
submitted its report recently. What was the task of
this committee: To review Governance of
Boards of Banks in India
49) A major recommendation of PJ Nayak Committee
has been objected to by bank employees unions. It
is about what: Government should cut its stake
in public sector banks to below 50 percent
50) Nayak committee has recommended that a
__________ should be constituted to which the
Government transfers its holdings in banks: Bank
Investment Company
51) RBI has decided to conduct a field trial for one
billion Rs. ___________ denomination plastic notes:
Ten
52) The field trial for Rs. 10 plastic notes will be
conducted in how many cities: 5
53) Russy Modi who passed away recently was a noted
corporate figure. He was associated with which
company: Tata Steel
54) Along with General Election 2014, how many states
also elected their new MLAs: Five
55) Name the five states that also held state elections
along with General Election 2014: Odisha, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana
56) Name the Chief Minister of Sikkim state who has
been elected for the record 5
th
time: Pawan
Chamlilng
57) Who has been elected as new Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh: Chandrababu Naidu
58) Who has been elected as new Chief Minister of
Telangana: K Chandrasekhara Rao
59) Nabam Tuki has been elected as Chief Minister of
which state: Arunachal Pradesh
60) Name the new Chief Minister of Nagaland: TR
Zeliang
61) Why a new Chief Minister has been placed in Bihar
when there was no state election: Current CM
Nitish Kumar resigned on moral grounds for
poor performance of his party
62) Who has replaced Narendra Modi as Chief Minister
of Gujarat: Anandiben Patel
63) A World Bank report on ‘Ease of Doing Business’
placed India at ______ rank among 189 nations:
134
th
64) Which country was put under martial law recently
when months of deadly anti-government protests
caused political paralysis: Thailand
65) A study by UNO has forecasted global economic
growth rate to be at _____ per cent in 2014: 2.8
66) In a study by Deutsche Bank, which major country
has been ranked as cheapest economy in the world:
India
67) Which bank has recently been declared as a
‘Scheduled Bank’ by the RBI: Bhartiya Mahila
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 75
Bank
68) Which banks are called scheduled bank: whose
name appears in the 2
nd
schedule of the RBI
Act, 1934
69) By becoming scheduled bank, a bank is entitled to
avail which facility from RBI: Taking Loans
70) The 3rd Advance Estimates of crop production in the
2013-14 crop year (July-June) by the Agriculture
Ministry has estimated India’s agriculture
production at _______ million tonnes: 264
71) RBI has directed that all new ATMs to be installed
by commercial banks from July 2014 onwards
should provide __________ instructions and
________ enabled key pads: Audio, Braille
72) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to provide
long-term loans of up to a maximum tenor of _____
years to exporters to be utilised for execution of
long-term supply contracts for export of goods: 10
73) Name the recently held war exercise by Indian Army
in West Rajasthan: Sarvada Vijay
74) Name the international badminton championship for
Men and Women held recently in New Delhi:
Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, respectively
75) India started its biggest year-long cultural festival,
“Glimpses of India” in which country: China
76) India’s first indigenous payment gateway, RuPay
has been launched to counter rival networks such as
___________. : Visa and Mastercard
77) India’s first indigenous payment gateway, RuPay
has been launched by which financial institution:
National Payments Corpo-ration of India
78) Jacobzuma has been re-elected as President of
which major South African Country: South Africa
79) Name the India’s oldest test cricketer who passed
away recently: Madhav Mantri
80) Mr. Rajiv Mathur has been appointed as new ____
____ Commissioner of India: Chief Information
81) Who has been appointed as 28
th
Chief of Army
Staff: Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag
82) The women’s title in National Football Championship
2014 has been which team: Manipur
83) Which football player, reportedly, is the highest paid
in the world: Lionel Messi
84) In which country violent protest were held against
China to protest against China’s oil exploration in
South China Sea: Vietnam
85) Which country in the world suffers highest number
of death of newborns: India
86) At which place office of Indian Consulate was
attacked by militants: Herat, Afghanistan
87) Malavath Purna, the 13 year old school girl from
Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh was in news
for what reasons: Youngest female to scale the
Mount Everest
88) Which country has released two postage stamps to
pay tribute to the 100 years of Indian cinema:
Brazil
89) Name the country that lifted Uber Cup for women’s
badminton championship: China
90) Thomas Cup (Men’s) badminton championship was
won for the first time this year by which country:
Japan
91) The honour ‘Palme d’Or’ is given for which
achievement: Best film
92) The honour ‘Palme d’Or’ is given for Best film at
which international film festival: Cannes
93) Name the film that won Palme d’Or at Cannes Film
Festival: Winter Sleep
94) The prestigious European Cup 2014 that was won
by Real Madrid is for which sports: Football
95) Petro Poroshenko has been elected as President of
which country: Ukraine
96) Exim Bank has extended $ 100 million in line of
credit to which country: Nigeria
97) Through which country India receives its largest
inflow of FDI: Singapore
98) USA has declared that by ________ it will withdraw
its troops completely from Afghanistan: 2016
99) The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to remit
amount lying in deposit accounts classified as
unclaimed to which account: Depositor Education
and Awareness Fund (DEAF)
100) Which deposit accounts are classified as unclaimed
account: Accounts in which there are no
transactions for 10 years or more
101) Which financial Act provides the definition of an
unclaimed deposit account: Banking Regulation
Act
102) National Florence Nightingale Awards are
given in which field: Excellence in Nursing
103) Which two countries exercised their veto power in
UN Security Council against a draft resolution which
was intended to refer the Syrian civil war to the
International Criminal Court (ICC): China and
Russia
104) World Turtle Day is observed on 23
rd
May. What is a
turtle: An reptile similar to tortoise
105) SIMBEX 14 is the name of the joint naval exercise
conducted by India with which country: Singapore
106) International Nurses’ Day is celebrated on which
date: 12
th
May
107) Which two countries have signed association
Bank
68) Which banks are called scheduled bank: whose
name appears in the 2
nd
schedule of the RBI
Act, 1934
69) By becoming scheduled bank, a bank is entitled to
avail which facility from RBI: Taking Loans
70) The 3rd Advance Estimates of crop production in the
2013-14 crop year (July-June) by the Agriculture
Ministry has estimated India’s agriculture
production at _______ million tonnes: 264
71) RBI has directed that all new ATMs to be installed
by commercial banks from July 2014 onwards
should provide __________ instructions and
________ enabled key pads: Audio, Braille
72) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to provide
long-term loans of up to a maximum tenor of _____
years to exporters to be utilised for execution of
long-term supply contracts for export of goods: 10
73) Name the recently held war exercise by Indian Army
in West Rajasthan: Sarvada Vijay
74) Name the international badminton championship for
Men and Women held recently in New Delhi:
Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, respectively
75) India started its biggest year-long cultural festival,
“Glimpses of India” in which country: China
76) India’s first indigenous payment gateway, RuPay
has been launched to counter rival networks such as
___________. : Visa and Mastercard
77) India’s first indigenous payment gateway, RuPay
has been launched by which financial institution:
National Payments Corpo-ration of India
78) Jacobzuma has been re-elected as President of
which major South African Country: South Africa
79) Name the India’s oldest test cricketer who passed
away recently: Madhav Mantri
80) Mr. Rajiv Mathur has been appointed as new ____
____ Commissioner of India: Chief Information
81) Who has been appointed as 28
th
Chief of Army
Staff: Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag
82) The women’s title in National Football Championship
2014 has been which team: Manipur
83) Which football player, reportedly, is the highest paid
in the world: Lionel Messi
84) In which country violent protest were held against
China to protest against China’s oil exploration in
South China Sea: Vietnam
85) Which country in the world suffers highest number
of death of newborns: India
86) At which place office of Indian Consulate was
attacked by militants: Herat, Afghanistan
87) Malavath Purna, the 13 year old school girl from
Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh was in news
for what reasons: Youngest female to scale the
Mount Everest
88) Which country has released two postage stamps to
pay tribute to the 100 years of Indian cinema:
Brazil
89) Name the country that lifted Uber Cup for women’s
badminton championship: China
90) Thomas Cup (Men’s) badminton championship was
won for the first time this year by which country:
Japan
91) The honour ‘Palme d’Or’ is given for which
achievement: Best film
92) The honour ‘Palme d’Or’ is given for Best film at
which international film festival: Cannes
93) Name the film that won Palme d’Or at Cannes Film
Festival: Winter Sleep
94) The prestigious European Cup 2014 that was won
by Real Madrid is for which sports: Football
95) Petro Poroshenko has been elected as President of
which country: Ukraine
96) Exim Bank has extended $ 100 million in line of
credit to which country: Nigeria
97) Through which country India receives its largest
inflow of FDI: Singapore
98) USA has declared that by ________ it will withdraw
its troops completely from Afghanistan: 2016
99) The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to remit
amount lying in deposit accounts classified as
unclaimed to which account: Depositor Education
and Awareness Fund (DEAF)
100) Which deposit accounts are classified as unclaimed
account: Accounts in which there are no
transactions for 10 years or more
101) Which financial Act provides the definition of an
unclaimed deposit account: Banking Regulation
Act
102) National Florence Nightingale Awards are
given in which field: Excellence in Nursing
103) Which two countries exercised their veto power in
UN Security Council against a draft resolution which
was intended to refer the Syrian civil war to the
International Criminal Court (ICC): China and
Russia
104) World Turtle Day is observed on 23
rd
May. What is a
turtle: An reptile similar to tortoise
105) SIMBEX 14 is the name of the joint naval exercise
conducted by India with which country: Singapore
106) International Nurses’ Day is celebrated on which
date: 12
th
May
107) Which two countries have signed association
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 76
agreement with European union: Moldova and
Georgia
108) Men’s title in ATP World Tour Masters Tennis was
won by which player: Rafael Nadal
109) Women’s title in ATP World Tour Masters Tennis
was won by which player: Maria Sharapova
110) Who is the author of the book ‘Post Haste:
Quintessential India’: B.G. Verghese
APRIL – 2014
111) The Social Progress Index 2014 compiled by US-
based non-profit group Social Progress Imperative
ranks India _______among the 132 countries:
102nd
112) Who is Nancy Powell who resigned recently: U.S.
ambassador to India
113) Viktor Orban has been elected as Prime Minister of
which country: Hungary
114) Global monetary agency International Monetary
Fund (IMF) has projected India’s GDP growth to
reach ________ per cent in the current fiscal year:
5.4
115) The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has pegged
India’s GDP growth rate during 2013-14 at _____
per cent: 4.9
116) RBI has issued new licences for banks to how many
applicants: Two
117) Name the two applicants who have been granted
licences to open new bank: Infrastructure
Development Finance Company and Bandhan
Financial Services Ltd.
118) As per rules notified by the Corporate Affairs
Ministry, every listed company and those public
firms having paid up share capital of Rs 100 crore or
more should have at least ______ woman director
on their board: One
119) According to an Assocham report, ______has
emerged as the number one state in the country
replacing Gujarat, attracting cumulative investment
proposals of Rs 14,73,466 crore as on December
2013: Maharashtra
120) The Reserve Bank has fixed the upper limit to Rs.
______for issuance of pre -paid payment
instruments to make all issuers comply with the
strict money laundering laws: 50,000
121) Name the India’s top shooter who won the men's
trap gold medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in
Tucson, USA: Manavjit Singh Sandhu
122) Name the bank that recently started rendering its
services from the social site Twitter: SBI
123) The Reserve Bank has directed banks offering GMLs
to strengthen their credit appraisal process in the
wake of frauds committed by certain unscrupulous
jewelers. What is the full form of GMLs: Gold Metal
Loans
124) Guljar, the veteran poet and film lyricist has been
awarded 45
th
Dada Saheb Phalke Award for which
field: No film, it is life time achievement award
125) What is the real name of the Phalke award winner
Gulzar: Sampooran Singh Kalra
126) Name the Indian state that has recently witnessed
its first rail line: Arunachal Pradesh
127) The pharmaceutical major Ranbaxy laboratories of
India has been bought out by which Indian pharma
company: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
128) The Millennium Technology Prize is given every two
years for what purpose: To recognize
technological innovation for improving human
life
129) Name the winner of 2014 Millennium Technology
Prize: Stuart Parkin
130) What is the strike range of nuclear-capable surface
to surface ballistic missile – Agni-I: 700 kms
131) As per a World Bank report, which country ranked
first in receiving global remittances in the year 2013
to the tune of 70 billion US dollar: India
132) What is the full name of the New Chief Justice of
India: Rajendra Mal Lodha
133) Justice R M Lodha is the _______ Chief Justice of
India: 41
st
134) The RBI has decided to adopt which tool as the key
measure of inflation: Consumer Price Index
135) Who has been appointed as Deputy Governor of
Reserve Bank of India: R. Gandhi
136) Where in India we have Asia’s largest tulip garden -
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden: Srinagar,
J&K
137) V K Murthy, winner of Dada Saheb Phalke Awrad
passed away recently. He was from which field of
Cinema: Cinematographer
138) Who has been elected as New Chairman of National
Association of Software and Services Companies
(Nasscom): R. Chandrasekaran
139) Name the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy
that has been sold off as scrap: INS Vikrant
140) Name the India-born poet who has been awarded
Pulitzer Prize for his witty and philosophical
collection of poems: Vijay Seshadri
141) What is the name of the Pulitzer Prize winning book
written by Vijay Seshadri: 3 sections
142) Arvind Mayaram has been appointed as new Union
________ Secretary: Finance
agreement with European union: Moldova and
Georgia
108) Men’s title in ATP World Tour Masters Tennis was
won by which player: Rafael Nadal
109) Women’s title in ATP World Tour Masters Tennis
was won by which player: Maria Sharapova
110) Who is the author of the book ‘Post Haste:
Quintessential India’: B.G. Verghese
APRIL – 2014
111) The Social Progress Index 2014 compiled by US-
based non-profit group Social Progress Imperative
ranks India _______among the 132 countries:
102nd
112) Who is Nancy Powell who resigned recently: U.S.
ambassador to India
113) Viktor Orban has been elected as Prime Minister of
which country: Hungary
114) Global monetary agency International Monetary
Fund (IMF) has projected India’s GDP growth to
reach ________ per cent in the current fiscal year:
5.4
115) The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has pegged
India’s GDP growth rate during 2013-14 at _____
per cent: 4.9
116) RBI has issued new licences for banks to how many
applicants: Two
117) Name the two applicants who have been granted
licences to open new bank: Infrastructure
Development Finance Company and Bandhan
Financial Services Ltd.
118) As per rules notified by the Corporate Affairs
Ministry, every listed company and those public
firms having paid up share capital of Rs 100 crore or
more should have at least ______ woman director
on their board: One
119) According to an Assocham report, ______has
emerged as the number one state in the country
replacing Gujarat, attracting cumulative investment
proposals of Rs 14,73,466 crore as on December
2013: Maharashtra
120) The Reserve Bank has fixed the upper limit to Rs.
______for issuance of pre -paid payment
instruments to make all issuers comply with the
strict money laundering laws: 50,000
121) Name the India’s top shooter who won the men's
trap gold medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in
Tucson, USA: Manavjit Singh Sandhu
122) Name the bank that recently started rendering its
services from the social site Twitter: SBI
123) The Reserve Bank has directed banks offering GMLs
to strengthen their credit appraisal process in the
wake of frauds committed by certain unscrupulous
jewelers. What is the full form of GMLs: Gold Metal
Loans
124) Guljar, the veteran poet and film lyricist has been
awarded 45
th
Dada Saheb Phalke Award for which
field: No film, it is life time achievement award
125) What is the real name of the Phalke award winner
Gulzar: Sampooran Singh Kalra
126) Name the Indian state that has recently witnessed
its first rail line: Arunachal Pradesh
127) The pharmaceutical major Ranbaxy laboratories of
India has been bought out by which Indian pharma
company: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
128) The Millennium Technology Prize is given every two
years for what purpose: To recognize
technological innovation for improving human
life
129) Name the winner of 2014 Millennium Technology
Prize: Stuart Parkin
130) What is the strike range of nuclear-capable surface
to surface ballistic missile – Agni-I: 700 kms
131) As per a World Bank report, which country ranked
first in receiving global remittances in the year 2013
to the tune of 70 billion US dollar: India
132) What is the full name of the New Chief Justice of
India: Rajendra Mal Lodha
133) Justice R M Lodha is the _______ Chief Justice of
India: 41
st
134) The RBI has decided to adopt which tool as the key
measure of inflation: Consumer Price Index
135) Who has been appointed as Deputy Governor of
Reserve Bank of India: R. Gandhi
136) Where in India we have Asia’s largest tulip garden -
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden: Srinagar,
J&K
137) V K Murthy, winner of Dada Saheb Phalke Awrad
passed away recently. He was from which field of
Cinema: Cinematographer
138) Who has been elected as New Chairman of National
Association of Software and Services Companies
(Nasscom): R. Chandrasekaran
139) Name the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy
that has been sold off as scrap: INS Vikrant
140) Name the India-born poet who has been awarded
Pulitzer Prize for his witty and philosophical
collection of poems: Vijay Seshadri
141) What is the name of the Pulitzer Prize winning book
written by Vijay Seshadri: 3 sections
142) Arvind Mayaram has been appointed as new Union
________ Secretary: Finance
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 77
143) The seventh South Asia Judo Championships were
held at which place: Kathmandu, Nepal
144) Who has been appointed as the New Chief of the
Indian Navy: Admiral Rabinder Kumar Dhowan
145) The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
has approved a loan of about Rs 674 crore for a
forest project in which State: Uttarakhand
146) Recently declared National Film Awards were _____
in the series: 61
st
147) Name the film that won the national award for best
feature film: Ship of Theseus
148) Name the film that won the national award for best
Popular Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
149) Which film has been selected for National Award for
best Hindi Film: Jolly LLB
150) Who has been selected as Femina Miss India World
2014: Koyal Rana
151) Gabriel Garcia Marquez who passed away recently
was a noted story writer and novelist of which
language: Spanish
152) Which country has decided to quit as hosts of the
2019 Asian Games due to lack of preparedness and
concerns that holding the multi-sport event would
not be financially viable: Vietnam
153) Prime Minister of which country recently resigned
from his post, along with his entire cabinet:
Kazakhstan
154) Prime Minister of which country was recently sacked
by his President after a stinging defeat of his (PM’s)
group in local elections: France
155) Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been elected as President
of which African country: Algeria
156) India successfully launched its second navigational
satellite IRNSS 1B recently. What is the full form of
IRNSS: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System
157) Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System is also
known as _____ of India: GPS
158) In which city we have India’s 1
st
double-decker
flyover: Mumbai
159) Tata Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata has been
decorated with the British government’s highest
civilian honour. Name this award: The Knight
Grand Cross
160) Name the stadium in Dhaka in which final match of
ICC T20 World Cup was played: Sher-e-Bangla
National Cricket Stadium
161) The recently played ICC T20 world-cup was _____
in the series: 5
th
162) ICC Women’s World Twenty20 trophy was won by
which country: Australia
163) What is the name of the supersonic cruise missile
recently tested by Indian Army: BrahMos
164) The 290-km range supersonic cruise missile,
BrahMos was test a recently at which place:
Pokhran, Rajasthan
165) Name the operating system launched in October
2001 for which Microsoft has stopped the technical
support: Windows XP
166) Sports person Heena Sidhu has been ranked world
No.1 in which game: Air Pistol Shooting
167) The government has approved recruitment of young
women as 'combat officers' in which paramilitary
force: Sashastra Seema Bal
168) The Supreme Court has allowed mining of
_______in Goa after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half
year when it was banned: Iron Ore
169) With which country India has signed an agreement
on development of four hydropower projects for
producing 2120 MW on a joint venture basis:
Bhutan
170) RBI has appointed Umesh Bellur panel to suggest
modalities for setting up a system for GIRO. What is
the full form of GIRO: Government Internal
Revenue Order
171) RBI has asked banks to introduce two-stage
authentication to ensure security of which type of
transactions: Online Transactions
172) India has slid down to ______ spot among 148
economies in terms of leveraging information and
communications technologies for growth and well
being: 83
rd
173) Ila Patnaik, a noted economist has been appointed
to which key central government post: Principal
Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance
174) The Reserve Bank has fixed the quantum of
intervention through MSS at Rs 50,000 crore to
manage liquidity. What is the full form of MSS:
Market Stabilisation Scheme
175) What is the name of the 10 days joint air exercise
conducted jointly by India and France: Garuda-5
176) Indian and French pilots conducted joint air exercise
Garuda-5 from which air base: Jodhpur,
Rajasthan
177) Saurav Ghosal, India's numero uno (No. 1) _______
player has been awarded the Dato Alex Lee Award
for the 'Outstanding Asian Men's Player of the Year
2013': Squash
178) Chitra Magimairaj won the senior’s title at
international level in which game: Snooker
179) The DRDO team recently tested its Akash Missile
from Chandipur near Odisha. It is what type of
missile: Surface to Air
143) The seventh South Asia Judo Championships were
held at which place: Kathmandu, Nepal
144) Who has been appointed as the New Chief of the
Indian Navy: Admiral Rabinder Kumar Dhowan
145) The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
has approved a loan of about Rs 674 crore for a
forest project in which State: Uttarakhand
146) Recently declared National Film Awards were _____
in the series: 61
st
147) Name the film that won the national award for best
feature film: Ship of Theseus
148) Name the film that won the national award for best
Popular Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
149) Which film has been selected for National Award for
best Hindi Film: Jolly LLB
150) Who has been selected as Femina Miss India World
2014: Koyal Rana
151) Gabriel Garcia Marquez who passed away recently
was a noted story writer and novelist of which
language: Spanish
152) Which country has decided to quit as hosts of the
2019 Asian Games due to lack of preparedness and
concerns that holding the multi-sport event would
not be financially viable: Vietnam
153) Prime Minister of which country recently resigned
from his post, along with his entire cabinet:
Kazakhstan
154) Prime Minister of which country was recently sacked
by his President after a stinging defeat of his (PM’s)
group in local elections: France
155) Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been elected as President
of which African country: Algeria
156) India successfully launched its second navigational
satellite IRNSS 1B recently. What is the full form of
IRNSS: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System
157) Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System is also
known as _____ of India: GPS
158) In which city we have India’s 1
st
double-decker
flyover: Mumbai
159) Tata Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata has been
decorated with the British government’s highest
civilian honour. Name this award: The Knight
Grand Cross
160) Name the stadium in Dhaka in which final match of
ICC T20 World Cup was played: Sher-e-Bangla
National Cricket Stadium
161) The recently played ICC T20 world-cup was _____
in the series: 5
th
162) ICC Women’s World Twenty20 trophy was won by
which country: Australia
163) What is the name of the supersonic cruise missile
recently tested by Indian Army: BrahMos
164) The 290-km range supersonic cruise missile,
BrahMos was test a recently at which place:
Pokhran, Rajasthan
165) Name the operating system launched in October
2001 for which Microsoft has stopped the technical
support: Windows XP
166) Sports person Heena Sidhu has been ranked world
No.1 in which game: Air Pistol Shooting
167) The government has approved recruitment of young
women as 'combat officers' in which paramilitary
force: Sashastra Seema Bal
168) The Supreme Court has allowed mining of
_______in Goa after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half
year when it was banned: Iron Ore
169) With which country India has signed an agreement
on development of four hydropower projects for
producing 2120 MW on a joint venture basis:
Bhutan
170) RBI has appointed Umesh Bellur panel to suggest
modalities for setting up a system for GIRO. What is
the full form of GIRO: Government Internal
Revenue Order
171) RBI has asked banks to introduce two-stage
authentication to ensure security of which type of
transactions: Online Transactions
172) India has slid down to ______ spot among 148
economies in terms of leveraging information and
communications technologies for growth and well
being: 83
rd
173) Ila Patnaik, a noted economist has been appointed
to which key central government post: Principal
Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Finance
174) The Reserve Bank has fixed the quantum of
intervention through MSS at Rs 50,000 crore to
manage liquidity. What is the full form of MSS:
Market Stabilisation Scheme
175) What is the name of the 10 days joint air exercise
conducted jointly by India and France: Garuda-5
176) Indian and French pilots conducted joint air exercise
Garuda-5 from which air base: Jodhpur,
Rajasthan
177) Saurav Ghosal, India's numero uno (No. 1) _______
player has been awarded the Dato Alex Lee Award
for the 'Outstanding Asian Men's Player of the Year
2013': Squash
178) Chitra Magimairaj won the senior’s title at
international level in which game: Snooker
179) The DRDO team recently tested its Akash Missile
from Chandipur near Odisha. It is what type of
missile: Surface to Air
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 78
180) Name the South Korea’s Prime Minister who
resigned taking moral responsibility for the sinking
of a passenger ferry that left 300 people dead or
missing: Chung Hong-Won
181) Name the advanced Indian missile frigate which
visited Qingdao - the eastern port city of China, to
take part in exercises to mark the Chinese Navy’s
65th anniversary: INS Shivalik
182) Name the new interceptor missile system recently
successfully tested by India: Prithvi Defence
Vehicle (PDV)
183) The IIFA Awards 2014 were held at which place:
Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
184) Name the artist who won IIFA 2014 best entertainer
of the year award: Deepika Padukone
MARCH – 2014
185) Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme has been launched for
what purpose: For free health check-ups twice
a year for the students
186) Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme is meant for which age
group of students: 5-14 years
187) Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme has been formulated
for students belonging to which particular category:
Minority Community
188) There are how many communities in India
recognized as “Minority Community”: Six
189) Name the six minority communities of India:
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis
and Jains
190) Name the picture that won the OSCAR for the best
picture: 12 Years a Slave
191) ICC U-19 World Cup 2014 was won by South Africa
by defeating which country: Pakistan
192) Final match of ICC U-19 World Cup 2014 was played
at which place: Dubai (UAE)
193) Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship was won by
Roger Federer. He is from which country:
Switzerland
194) India’s largest solar power plant with a capacity of
130 MW power production is located at which place:
Bhagwanpur, Madhya Pradesh
195) Reserve Bank has extended the date for exchanging
the pre-2005 banknotes to ___________: January
01, 2015
196) Name the politician who has authored the book
India at Risk: Jaswant Singh
197) The book titled The Political Economy of Energy
and Growth has been written by Sh. Najeeb Jung.
Who is he: Lt. Governor of Delhi
198) Name the author of the book Be Careful What You
Wish for : Jaffrey Archer
199) Name the newly appointed governor of Kerala:
Sheila Dikshit
200) As per the Forbes magazine's annual billionaire list,
who has been declared as the world’s richest
person: Bill Gates
201) Arvind Bhat won the Grand Prix Gold at the
International German Open Championship of which
sports: Badminton
202) World Wildlife Day is celebrated on which date:
March 3
203) The newly formed State of Telangana is the
_______ State of the Country: 29
th
204) Federation Cup is linked to which popular sport:
Volleyball
205) The National Football Championship is also known
by which another name: Santosh Trophy
206) Santosh Trophy 2014 has been won by _______
State: Mizoram
207) Santosh Trophy 2014 final match was played at
Siliguri. It is in which state: West Bengal
208) Gandhi Peace Prize is given for what purpose: For
promotion of Gandhian principles for social
empowerment
209) Who is the winner of Gandhi Peace Prize 2013:
Chandi Prasad Bhatt
210) Chandi Prasad Bhatt, winner of Gandhi Peace Prize
2013 is from which field: Environmentalist,
founder of ‘Chipko Movement’ to save forests
211) Govt has notified that ‘ Corporate Social
Responsibility’ (CSR) rules with effect from April 1,
2014 as part of which Act: Companies Act-2013
212) As per CSR norms, the big corporates are required
to spend _____ per cent of their three-year average
annual net profit on CSR activities in each financial
year, beginning 2014-15: Two
213) Uighur community of Islamic fanatics is active in
which country: China
214) Name the place in Punjab that was in news on
account of discovery of around 280 human
skeletons of British era: Ajnala, Amritsar
215) India has made it mandatory for travellers coming
to India from 7 countries to have which vaccine:
Oral Polio Vaccine
216) The scheduled General Elections will elect how
many members for the Lok Sabha: 543
217) General Election 2014 will constitute the ____ Lok
Sabha of the country: 16
th
218) Who is the Chief Election Commissioner of the India:
V.S. Sampath
219) Which State of India has largest number – 80 of Lok
180) Name the South Korea’s Prime Minister who
resigned taking moral responsibility for the sinking
of a passenger ferry that left 300 people dead or
missing: Chung Hong-Won
181) Name the advanced Indian missile frigate which
visited Qingdao - the eastern port city of China, to
take part in exercises to mark the Chinese Navy’s
65th anniversary: INS Shivalik
182) Name the new interceptor missile system recently
successfully tested by India: Prithvi Defence
Vehicle (PDV)
183) The IIFA Awards 2014 were held at which place:
Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
184) Name the artist who won IIFA 2014 best entertainer
of the year award: Deepika Padukone
MARCH – 2014
185) Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme has been launched for
what purpose: For free health check-ups twice
a year for the students
186) Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme is meant for which age
group of students: 5-14 years
187) Maulana Azad Sehat Scheme has been formulated
for students belonging to which particular category:
Minority Community
188) There are how many communities in India
recognized as “Minority Community”: Six
189) Name the six minority communities of India:
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis
and Jains
190) Name the picture that won the OSCAR for the best
picture: 12 Years a Slave
191) ICC U-19 World Cup 2014 was won by South Africa
by defeating which country: Pakistan
192) Final match of ICC U-19 World Cup 2014 was played
at which place: Dubai (UAE)
193) Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship was won by
Roger Federer. He is from which country:
Switzerland
194) India’s largest solar power plant with a capacity of
130 MW power production is located at which place:
Bhagwanpur, Madhya Pradesh
195) Reserve Bank has extended the date for exchanging
the pre-2005 banknotes to ___________: January
01, 2015
196) Name the politician who has authored the book
India at Risk: Jaswant Singh
197) The book titled The Political Economy of Energy
and Growth has been written by Sh. Najeeb Jung.
Who is he: Lt. Governor of Delhi
198) Name the author of the book Be Careful What You
Wish for : Jaffrey Archer
199) Name the newly appointed governor of Kerala:
Sheila Dikshit
200) As per the Forbes magazine's annual billionaire list,
who has been declared as the world’s richest
person: Bill Gates
201) Arvind Bhat won the Grand Prix Gold at the
International German Open Championship of which
sports: Badminton
202) World Wildlife Day is celebrated on which date:
March 3
203) The newly formed State of Telangana is the
_______ State of the Country: 29
th
204) Federation Cup is linked to which popular sport:
Volleyball
205) The National Football Championship is also known
by which another name: Santosh Trophy
206) Santosh Trophy 2014 has been won by _______
State: Mizoram
207) Santosh Trophy 2014 final match was played at
Siliguri. It is in which state: West Bengal
208) Gandhi Peace Prize is given for what purpose: For
promotion of Gandhian principles for social
empowerment
209) Who is the winner of Gandhi Peace Prize 2013:
Chandi Prasad Bhatt
210) Chandi Prasad Bhatt, winner of Gandhi Peace Prize
2013 is from which field: Environmentalist,
founder of ‘Chipko Movement’ to save forests
211) Govt has notified that ‘ Corporate Social
Responsibility’ (CSR) rules with effect from April 1,
2014 as part of which Act: Companies Act-2013
212) As per CSR norms, the big corporates are required
to spend _____ per cent of their three-year average
annual net profit on CSR activities in each financial
year, beginning 2014-15: Two
213) Uighur community of Islamic fanatics is active in
which country: China
214) Name the place in Punjab that was in news on
account of discovery of around 280 human
skeletons of British era: Ajnala, Amritsar
215) India has made it mandatory for travellers coming
to India from 7 countries to have which vaccine:
Oral Polio Vaccine
216) The scheduled General Elections will elect how
many members for the Lok Sabha: 543
217) General Election 2014 will constitute the ____ Lok
Sabha of the country: 16
th
218) Who is the Chief Election Commissioner of the India:
V.S. Sampath
219) Which State of India has largest number – 80 of Lok
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 79
Sabha constituencies: Uttar Pradesh
220) The ____ is the 2
nd
largest state of India in terms of
number of Lok Sabha Constituencies: Maharashtra
(48)
221) Maharashtra has launched development of Shendre-
Bidkin industrial city under DMIC project. What is
the full form of DMIC: Delhi- Mumbai Industrial
Corridor
222) Name the country which is providing financial and
technical support to India for DMIC project: Japan
223) Total deposits of the banking system in India are
around Rs. ___ trillion: 76
224) Prime Minister of which country was recently ousted
by its Parliament after passing a no-confidence
motion against him: Libya
225) President of which country was recently ousted by
its Parliament after passing a no-confidence motion
against him: Ukraine
226) Name the President of Ukraine who was ousted by
its Parliament: Viktor Yanukovych
227) International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards
are to be held in which country from April 23-26:
USA
228) Rakesh Sethi has been appointed Chairman and
Managing Director of which bank: Allahabad Bank
229) Templeton Prize – 2014 has been awarded to
Tomas Halik. Who is he: A priest from Czech
Republic
230) Templeton Prize is given in recognition of which
purpose: Promotion of Peace, Harmony and
Spiritualism
231) To which neighbouring country in India has offered
a $1 billion soft loan for infrastructure development:
Bangladesh
232) Name the bank which is first in India to launch its
own online payment intermediary: State Bank of
India, SBI ePay
233) SWIFT India has tied up with nine domestic banks
to provide financial messaging on transactions
between banks and other financial institutions. What
is the full form of SWIFT: Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication
234) The government has launched an ETF of central
public sector enterprises, to raise 3,000 crore rupees
for its disinvestment plan. What is the full form of
ETF: Exchange-Traded Fund
235) R V Rahul won two gold and one silver in the 16th
Asian Youth _________Championships at Bangsaen,
Thailand: Weightlifting
236) National Hockey Championship (Men) 2014 has
been won by__________: Air India
237) National Hockey Championship (Women) 2014 has
been won by__________: Railways
238) National Snooker Championship were held recently
at which place: Lucknow, UP
239) ICC World T20 tournament, for both men and
women are being played in which country:
Bangladesh
240) Karnataka defeated Railways to lift the Vijay Hazare
Trophy in which sports: Cricket
241) Michelle Bachelet has been elected as 1
st
women
President of which country: Chile
242) 1st Asian Grand Prix Archery Championships were
held at which place: Bangkok, Thailand
243) Name the veteran writer, historian, novelist,
humorist and columnist who passed away recently:
Khushwant Singh
244) Khushwant Singh was known for his popular column
titled __________ that published in several
newspapers: With Malice Towards One and All
245) Name the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India who was in news as he resigned three months
ahead of the completion of his term: K. C.
Chakrabarty
246) Name the country that has been expelled from G-8
Group of countries: Russia
247) The summit of G-8 nations that was to be held at
Sochi, Russia will now be held at which place:
Brussels, Belgium
248) Deodhar Trophy is linked with which sport: Cricket
249) Rakhigarhi, a place in Distt Hissar was in news
recently for what reasons: Finding of vast
remains of Harappan Civilizations
250) The Reserve Bank has extended the timeline for full
implementation of the Basel III capital regulations
by a year to which date: March 31, 2019
251) Who has been elected the President of El Salavador:
Salvador Sanchez Ceren
252) Salvador Sanchez Ceren belongs to which political
party: FMLN (Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front
253) Name the province which has ceded from Ukraine
and has now become part of Russia: Crimea
254) Name the capital of Ukraine: Kiev
255) Dr. M. Madan Babu has been awarded Protein
Science Young Investigator Award by which
international university: Cambridge University,
UK
256) A commemorative postage stamp released in the
honour of “Maulana Hasrat Mohani”. Who was he:
Freedom Fighter
257) Global Ayurveda Festival was held at which place:
Kochi, Kerala
Sabha constituencies: Uttar Pradesh
220) The ____ is the 2
nd
largest state of India in terms of
number of Lok Sabha Constituencies: Maharashtra
(48)
221) Maharashtra has launched development of Shendre-
Bidkin industrial city under DMIC project. What is
the full form of DMIC: Delhi- Mumbai Industrial
Corridor
222) Name the country which is providing financial and
technical support to India for DMIC project: Japan
223) Total deposits of the banking system in India are
around Rs. ___ trillion: 76
224) Prime Minister of which country was recently ousted
by its Parliament after passing a no-confidence
motion against him: Libya
225) President of which country was recently ousted by
its Parliament after passing a no-confidence motion
against him: Ukraine
226) Name the President of Ukraine who was ousted by
its Parliament: Viktor Yanukovych
227) International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards
are to be held in which country from April 23-26:
USA
228) Rakesh Sethi has been appointed Chairman and
Managing Director of which bank: Allahabad Bank
229) Templeton Prize – 2014 has been awarded to
Tomas Halik. Who is he: A priest from Czech
Republic
230) Templeton Prize is given in recognition of which
purpose: Promotion of Peace, Harmony and
Spiritualism
231) To which neighbouring country in India has offered
a $1 billion soft loan for infrastructure development:
Bangladesh
232) Name the bank which is first in India to launch its
own online payment intermediary: State Bank of
India, SBI ePay
233) SWIFT India has tied up with nine domestic banks
to provide financial messaging on transactions
between banks and other financial institutions. What
is the full form of SWIFT: Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication
234) The government has launched an ETF of central
public sector enterprises, to raise 3,000 crore rupees
for its disinvestment plan. What is the full form of
ETF: Exchange-Traded Fund
235) R V Rahul won two gold and one silver in the 16th
Asian Youth _________Championships at Bangsaen,
Thailand: Weightlifting
236) National Hockey Championship (Men) 2014 has
been won by__________: Air India
237) National Hockey Championship (Women) 2014 has
been won by__________: Railways
238) National Snooker Championship were held recently
at which place: Lucknow, UP
239) ICC World T20 tournament, for both men and
women are being played in which country:
Bangladesh
240) Karnataka defeated Railways to lift the Vijay Hazare
Trophy in which sports: Cricket
241) Michelle Bachelet has been elected as 1
st
women
President of which country: Chile
242) 1st Asian Grand Prix Archery Championships were
held at which place: Bangkok, Thailand
243) Name the veteran writer, historian, novelist,
humorist and columnist who passed away recently:
Khushwant Singh
244) Khushwant Singh was known for his popular column
titled __________ that published in several
newspapers: With Malice Towards One and All
245) Name the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India who was in news as he resigned three months
ahead of the completion of his term: K. C.
Chakrabarty
246) Name the country that has been expelled from G-8
Group of countries: Russia
247) The summit of G-8 nations that was to be held at
Sochi, Russia will now be held at which place:
Brussels, Belgium
248) Deodhar Trophy is linked with which sport: Cricket
249) Rakhigarhi, a place in Distt Hissar was in news
recently for what reasons: Finding of vast
remains of Harappan Civilizations
250) The Reserve Bank has extended the timeline for full
implementation of the Basel III capital regulations
by a year to which date: March 31, 2019
251) Who has been elected the President of El Salavador:
Salvador Sanchez Ceren
252) Salvador Sanchez Ceren belongs to which political
party: FMLN (Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front
253) Name the province which has ceded from Ukraine
and has now become part of Russia: Crimea
254) Name the capital of Ukraine: Kiev
255) Dr. M. Madan Babu has been awarded Protein
Science Young Investigator Award by which
international university: Cambridge University,
UK
256) A commemorative postage stamp released in the
honour of “Maulana Hasrat Mohani”. Who was he:
Freedom Fighter
257) Global Ayurveda Festival was held at which place:
Kochi, Kerala
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 80
258) ‘Braigo’ is the name of the _________ developed by
a 12 years old Indian origin boy in USA: Braille
Printer
259) ‘Venom GT’ is the name of the _______: Fastest
Car
260) Ms. Laxmi has been honoured with International
Women of Courage Award for what purpose:
Successfully leading the campaign against
acid attacks on women in India
261) Name the Joint Indian and Nepal army military
exercise held at Saljhandi in Rupandehi district,
Nepal: Ex-Surya Kiran Drills VI
262) Name the winner for the 64
th
National Basketball
Championship for Men: Chhattisgarh
263) Name the winner for the 64
th
National Basketball
Championship for Women: Tamil Nadu
264) Which two States are the first to be issued with
Plastic Photo Identity for elections in India:
Nagaland and Assam
265) Who has been elected as the new Secretary General
of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC): Arjun Bahadur Thapa
266) Who has been appointed as “National Icon” by the
Election Commission of India to spread awareness
about the importance of voting and to urge people
to cast their votes: Aamir Khan
267) The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) 2014 held at
_________: The Hague, Netherlands
FEBRUARY – 2014
268) Central Statistical Office has revised growth rate for
the year 2012-13 to _______ per cent, from the
earlier estimate of 5 per cent: 4.5
269) Indian Navy has started high tech Shore Based Test
Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa at which place: Panaji,
Goa
270) Name the country that accounts for 37% of total
illiterates in the world: India
271) Mehdi Jomaa has been elected as ______ of
Tunisia: Prime Minister
272) Name the new Chief Minister of Uttrakhand State:
Harish Rawat
273) The final match of prestigious Ranji Trophy (2014)
was played at which place: Hyderabad
274) Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy in Cricket by
beating which State: Maharashtra
275) As per Environmental Performance Index 2014
released by the Yale University, USA, India has been
ranked at which place: 155
th
276) Which country has been ranked No. 1 in terms of its
performance in various environment related
parameters: Switzerland
277) The govt. has decided to raise the quota of
subsidized LPG cylinders from 9 to _____ in a year:
12
278) The govt. has decided to add about _______ castes
and communities to the list of Other Backwards
Castes in 13 states/UTs: 60
279) The govt. has decided to add about 60 casts and
communities to the list of other backward cast in 13
states / UTs on the basis of recommendation of:
National Commission for Backward Casts
280) 101st Indian Science Congress was held at
_________: University of Jammu, J&K
281) Sakshi Malik won gold at the 2014 Dave Schultz
International _______Tournament in Colorado
Springs, USA: Wrestling
282) Name the first woman to be inducted in the
International Cricket Council‘s (ICC’s) umpires’
panel: Kathy Cross
283) Kathy Cross is from which country: New Zealand
284) Name the high profile Indian technocrat who has
been appointed as the CEO of Microsoft Inc., USA:
Satya Nadela
285) Jatinder Bir Singh has been appointed Chairmen
Managing Director of which Bank: Punjab & Sindh
Bank
286) Name the Chairman of the seventh central pay
commission: Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur
287) Philip Seymour Hoffman who passed away recently
was a prominent ____ in USA: Film Actor
288) The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has issued an
advisory to banks to ensure business continuity after
Microsoft ends support for its popular
_______operating system on April 8, 2014:
Windows XP
289) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to refinance
existing _____loans through take-out financing:
infrastructure project
290) India has signed a Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement (DTAA) recently with which country: Fiji
291) India signed a preferential trade agreement with
SACU. What is the full form of SACU: Southern
African Customs Union
292) Joachim Gauck who recently visited India is _____
of Germany: President
293) Which country has offered support of one billion
Euros to India for setting up a green energy
corridor: Germany
294) In which field Ashok Khosla won Zayed’s
international prize instituted by United Arab
Emirates: Environment
295) Lakshmi Swaminathan has become the first Indian
258) ‘Braigo’ is the name of the _________ developed by
a 12 years old Indian origin boy in USA: Braille
Printer
259) ‘Venom GT’ is the name of the _______: Fastest
Car
260) Ms. Laxmi has been honoured with International
Women of Courage Award for what purpose:
Successfully leading the campaign against
acid attacks on women in India
261) Name the Joint Indian and Nepal army military
exercise held at Saljhandi in Rupandehi district,
Nepal: Ex-Surya Kiran Drills VI
262) Name the winner for the 64
th
National Basketball
Championship for Men: Chhattisgarh
263) Name the winner for the 64
th
National Basketball
Championship for Women: Tamil Nadu
264) Which two States are the first to be issued with
Plastic Photo Identity for elections in India:
Nagaland and Assam
265) Who has been elected as the new Secretary General
of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC): Arjun Bahadur Thapa
266) Who has been appointed as “National Icon” by the
Election Commission of India to spread awareness
about the importance of voting and to urge people
to cast their votes: Aamir Khan
267) The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) 2014 held at
_________: The Hague, Netherlands
FEBRUARY – 2014
268) Central Statistical Office has revised growth rate for
the year 2012-13 to _______ per cent, from the
earlier estimate of 5 per cent: 4.5
269) Indian Navy has started high tech Shore Based Test
Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa at which place: Panaji,
Goa
270) Name the country that accounts for 37% of total
illiterates in the world: India
271) Mehdi Jomaa has been elected as ______ of
Tunisia: Prime Minister
272) Name the new Chief Minister of Uttrakhand State:
Harish Rawat
273) The final match of prestigious Ranji Trophy (2014)
was played at which place: Hyderabad
274) Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy in Cricket by
beating which State: Maharashtra
275) As per Environmental Performance Index 2014
released by the Yale University, USA, India has been
ranked at which place: 155
th
276) Which country has been ranked No. 1 in terms of its
performance in various environment related
parameters: Switzerland
277) The govt. has decided to raise the quota of
subsidized LPG cylinders from 9 to _____ in a year:
12
278) The govt. has decided to add about _______ castes
and communities to the list of Other Backwards
Castes in 13 states/UTs: 60
279) The govt. has decided to add about 60 casts and
communities to the list of other backward cast in 13
states / UTs on the basis of recommendation of:
National Commission for Backward Casts
280) 101st Indian Science Congress was held at
_________: University of Jammu, J&K
281) Sakshi Malik won gold at the 2014 Dave Schultz
International _______Tournament in Colorado
Springs, USA: Wrestling
282) Name the first woman to be inducted in the
International Cricket Council‘s (ICC’s) umpires’
panel: Kathy Cross
283) Kathy Cross is from which country: New Zealand
284) Name the high profile Indian technocrat who has
been appointed as the CEO of Microsoft Inc., USA:
Satya Nadela
285) Jatinder Bir Singh has been appointed Chairmen
Managing Director of which Bank: Punjab & Sindh
Bank
286) Name the Chairman of the seventh central pay
commission: Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur
287) Philip Seymour Hoffman who passed away recently
was a prominent ____ in USA: Film Actor
288) The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has issued an
advisory to banks to ensure business continuity after
Microsoft ends support for its popular
_______operating system on April 8, 2014:
Windows XP
289) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to refinance
existing _____loans through take-out financing:
infrastructure project
290) India has signed a Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement (DTAA) recently with which country: Fiji
291) India signed a preferential trade agreement with
SACU. What is the full form of SACU: Southern
African Customs Union
292) Joachim Gauck who recently visited India is _____
of Germany: President
293) Which country has offered support of one billion
Euros to India for setting up a green energy
corridor: Germany
294) In which field Ashok Khosla won Zayed’s
international prize instituted by United Arab
Emirates: Environment
295) Lakshmi Swaminathan has become the first Indian
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 81
to be elected as the President of the Administrative
Tribunal of which International Organization: ADB
(Asian Development Bank)
296) Which two countries have made arrangements for
reunion of families separated by a war held between
them in 1950-53: North and South Korea
297) India has decided to extend visa-on arrival to
tourists of 180 nations barring_____ countries to
boost tourism: Eight
298) The winter Olympic games held recently were
______ edition of the games: 22
nd
299) 2014 winter Olympic games were held at which
place: Sochi, Russia
300) Amongst the popular animals like Lion, Leopard,
Polar Bear and the Hare, which one was not a
mascot of the winter Olympics 2014: Lion
301) Name the newly elected prime minister of Nepal:
Sushil Koirala
302) Name the winner of the 2014 Irani Cup: Karnataka
303) The Irani Cup is associated with which sports:
Cricket
304) Per capita income for India in the year 2013-14 is
likely to be in the range of _______ thousand
rupees: 75
305) The country is likely to achieve record __________
million tonnes foodgrain production this year: 263
306) Agriculture in India contributes about ______
percent of total GDP: 14
307) Around _______ percent of total workforce of India
is engaged in Agriculture: 53
308) As per a recent study, India has emerged as the
_____largest global military power in terms of
military expenditure: Ninth
309) The National Green Tribunal has banned the burning
of _____ at public places: Tyres
310) Which country scored highest number of medals at
Sochi Olympics-2014: Russia
311) 2014 Paralympic winter games will be held at
______ from 7
th
to 16
th
March, 2014: Sochi,
Russia
312) World Islamic Tamil Conference was held at ______,
Tamil Nadu: Kumbakonam
313) _____ has been elected as Chairman, International
Cricket Council: N Srinivasan
314) Name the newly elected President of Indian Olympic
Association: N. Ramachandran
315) ______ is a tool to measure level of industrial
production at the national level: Index of
Industrial Production
316) As per World Press Freedom Index, India has been
ranked ________in the list of 180 countries in terms
of freedom of press: 140
th
317) In terms of freedom of press, _______ is number
one country in the world: Finland
318) Department of India Post released a
commemorative stamp in the honour of which noted
ghazal singer: Jagjit Singh
319) Name the noted Tamil film director and
cinematographer who passed away recently: Balu
Mahendra
320) Which wing of Indian defence forces conducted its
annual war fitness exercise named TROPEX: Navy
321) Government mopped up around Rs 61,141 crore
from the auction of 2G spectrum. Name the item /
service sold by the government: Right to use part
of radio waves spectrum
322) Government has decided to give two additional
attempts to all categories of candidates of the
prestigious exam conducted by Union Public Service
Commission. What is the revised upper age: 32
years
323) Meeting of Finance ministers and business leaders
from G20 nations was held at _______: Sydney,
Australia
324) RBI has formed G Gopalakrishna committee for
what purpose: To review skill upgradation in
banking
325) _______has become first state to achieve more than
100 percent sanitation in rural and urban
households and other public sanitary centers:
Sikkim
326) RBI has directed banks to provide credit data in a
revised format for all loan accounts of Rs. ____
crore or more to the Central Repository of
Information on Large Credits-CRILC: Five
327) The government has set a deadline for public
transport vehicles running in major cities with a
population of over 10 lakh to install ____ devices by
February 20, 2014: GPS (Global Positioning
System)
328) Matteo Renzi has been elected as the youngest
Prime Minister of which country: Italy
329) Licence for ATMs is given by Reserve Bank of India
under which Act: Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007
330) _______ has been appointed as Pakistan’s High
Commissioner to India: Abdul Basit
331) ________ has been declared as the best State in
the implementation of rural tourism projects:
Sikkim
332) _______has emerged as the largest buyer of gold in
the world in 2013: China
333) BAFTA award for best picture has been won by
to be elected as the President of the Administrative
Tribunal of which International Organization: ADB
(Asian Development Bank)
296) Which two countries have made arrangements for
reunion of families separated by a war held between
them in 1950-53: North and South Korea
297) India has decided to extend visa-on arrival to
tourists of 180 nations barring_____ countries to
boost tourism: Eight
298) The winter Olympic games held recently were
______ edition of the games: 22
nd
299) 2014 winter Olympic games were held at which
place: Sochi, Russia
300) Amongst the popular animals like Lion, Leopard,
Polar Bear and the Hare, which one was not a
mascot of the winter Olympics 2014: Lion
301) Name the newly elected prime minister of Nepal:
Sushil Koirala
302) Name the winner of the 2014 Irani Cup: Karnataka
303) The Irani Cup is associated with which sports:
Cricket
304) Per capita income for India in the year 2013-14 is
likely to be in the range of _______ thousand
rupees: 75
305) The country is likely to achieve record __________
million tonnes foodgrain production this year: 263
306) Agriculture in India contributes about ______
percent of total GDP: 14
307) Around _______ percent of total workforce of India
is engaged in Agriculture: 53
308) As per a recent study, India has emerged as the
_____largest global military power in terms of
military expenditure: Ninth
309) The National Green Tribunal has banned the burning
of _____ at public places: Tyres
310) Which country scored highest number of medals at
Sochi Olympics-2014: Russia
311) 2014 Paralympic winter games will be held at
______ from 7
th
to 16
th
March, 2014: Sochi,
Russia
312) World Islamic Tamil Conference was held at ______,
Tamil Nadu: Kumbakonam
313) _____ has been elected as Chairman, International
Cricket Council: N Srinivasan
314) Name the newly elected President of Indian Olympic
Association: N. Ramachandran
315) ______ is a tool to measure level of industrial
production at the national level: Index of
Industrial Production
316) As per World Press Freedom Index, India has been
ranked ________in the list of 180 countries in terms
of freedom of press: 140
th
317) In terms of freedom of press, _______ is number
one country in the world: Finland
318) Department of India Post released a
commemorative stamp in the honour of which noted
ghazal singer: Jagjit Singh
319) Name the noted Tamil film director and
cinematographer who passed away recently: Balu
Mahendra
320) Which wing of Indian defence forces conducted its
annual war fitness exercise named TROPEX: Navy
321) Government mopped up around Rs 61,141 crore
from the auction of 2G spectrum. Name the item /
service sold by the government: Right to use part
of radio waves spectrum
322) Government has decided to give two additional
attempts to all categories of candidates of the
prestigious exam conducted by Union Public Service
Commission. What is the revised upper age: 32
years
323) Meeting of Finance ministers and business leaders
from G20 nations was held at _______: Sydney,
Australia
324) RBI has formed G Gopalakrishna committee for
what purpose: To review skill upgradation in
banking
325) _______has become first state to achieve more than
100 percent sanitation in rural and urban
households and other public sanitary centers:
Sikkim
326) RBI has directed banks to provide credit data in a
revised format for all loan accounts of Rs. ____
crore or more to the Central Repository of
Information on Large Credits-CRILC: Five
327) The government has set a deadline for public
transport vehicles running in major cities with a
population of over 10 lakh to install ____ devices by
February 20, 2014: GPS (Global Positioning
System)
328) Matteo Renzi has been elected as the youngest
Prime Minister of which country: Italy
329) Licence for ATMs is given by Reserve Bank of India
under which Act: Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007
330) _______ has been appointed as Pakistan’s High
Commissioner to India: Abdul Basit
331) ________ has been declared as the best State in
the implementation of rural tourism projects:
Sikkim
332) _______has emerged as the largest buyer of gold in
the world in 2013: China
333) BAFTA award for best picture has been won by
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 82
________: 12 Years a Slave
334) Alfonso Cuaron won the BAFTA award for best
Director for which movie: Gravity
335) Write the full form of BAFTA: British Academy of
Film and Television Arts
336) BAFTA awards for cinema are given in which
country: UK
337) Who has been named as the E & Y entrepreneur of
the year 2013: Uday Kotak
338) Name the female cricketer who will lead the Indian
women’s cricket team in the ICC Women's World
Twenty20 to be held from March 16 in Bangladesh:
Mithali Raj
339) The Union Cabinet has approved _____as the sixth
classical language of India: Odia
340) Which of the following is not a classical language of
India – Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam:
Hindi
341) Name the capital of Ukraine that witnessed public
revolt against the govt.: Kiev
342) Name the President of Ukraine who fled from his
country following the public revolt against him:
Viktor Yanukovych
343) The term Orange Revolution refers to which
moment: Revolt in Ukraine in 2004
344) The Army successfully flight-tested Akash missile
recently. It is what type of missile: Surface to Air
345) What is the name of the missile testing site of India:
Integrated Test Range
346) The Integrated Test Range is located at which
place: Wheeler Islands, Chandipur, Odisha
347) NABARD has developed the concept called Joint
Liability Group (JLG) to provide institutional credit to
which category of borrowers: Small Farmers
348) The economic growth rate during the 11
th
Five Years
Plan (2007-12) has been recorded as __ per cent: 8
349) In terms of digital governance i.e. usage of
information technology by govt., _____ has been
ranked as No. 1 country: Singapore
350) Which national organization has introduced an
annual rating system for states to enable them
improve on their business climate: Planning
Commission
351) Govt has directed that Companies and limited
liability partnership firms floated by private entities
should not use certain words such as _____ in their
name: National, Bank, Exchange, etc.
352) The government has decided to roll out electronic
toll collection on the Golden Quadrilateral route by
August, 2014. Name the metros linked by Golden
Quadrilateral: Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai
353) In what way persons not having proof of identity
and address are allowed to enroll for Aadhaar Card:
On introduction basis
354) The government has set an agriculture credit target
of Rs ______ for the banks for 2014-15: 8 lakh
crore
355) Sakhee, Nirbhaya, Parivar Suraksha are the names
of the what type of products offered by Bhartiya
Mahila Banks: Health Insurance
356) Which national level bank has launched its six basic
banking transactions through toll-free numbers:
HDFC Bank
357) The Rajya Sabha has passed The Whistleblowers’
Protection Bill. Who is whistleblower: Person who
discloses information on corruption or wilful
misuse of power by Public Servants
358) _____has been appointed as head of the eight-
member search committee to select the persons for
various posts of Lokpal: Justice K. T. Thomas
359) The Union government has launched an ambitious
project titled ______to increase forest cover by 50
million hectares in the next 10 years: ‘Green
Mission’
360) Forest cover in India covers roughly ____ per cent
of total area: 21
361) The EC has added nearly ____ crore new voters to
the rolls between 2009 and 2014, one of the
largest-ever such increases between two elections:
Ten
362) Name the Governor General of Canada who visited
India recently: David Johnston
363) Indian labour force will help in construction of the
450 kms long Haramain High Speed Railway project
in which country: Saudi Arabia
364) Which metropolitan city has recorded the worst
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 30 newborns dying
for every 1,000 live births: New Delhi
365) Ibrahim Mahlab has been elected as new Prime
Minister of which country: Egypt
366) 35th National Masters Athletic Championship held
at____: Coimbatore, Kerala
367) What is the theme of this year’s World Cancer Day,
observed on Feb. 4: 'Debunk the myths'
368) Ramanujan Mathematics Award-2013 has been
given to ______ founder of Super 30 classes in
Patna: Anand Kumar
369) What is the name of project launched by Govt. of
India for cloud computing: Meghraj
370) Name the chairmen of the committee formed to
examine the cause for violence and discrimination
against people from the northeast: M.P.
Bezbaruah
________: 12 Years a Slave
334) Alfonso Cuaron won the BAFTA award for best
Director for which movie: Gravity
335) Write the full form of BAFTA: British Academy of
Film and Television Arts
336) BAFTA awards for cinema are given in which
country: UK
337) Who has been named as the E & Y entrepreneur of
the year 2013: Uday Kotak
338) Name the female cricketer who will lead the Indian
women’s cricket team in the ICC Women's World
Twenty20 to be held from March 16 in Bangladesh:
Mithali Raj
339) The Union Cabinet has approved _____as the sixth
classical language of India: Odia
340) Which of the following is not a classical language of
India – Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam:
Hindi
341) Name the capital of Ukraine that witnessed public
revolt against the govt.: Kiev
342) Name the President of Ukraine who fled from his
country following the public revolt against him:
Viktor Yanukovych
343) The term Orange Revolution refers to which
moment: Revolt in Ukraine in 2004
344) The Army successfully flight-tested Akash missile
recently. It is what type of missile: Surface to Air
345) What is the name of the missile testing site of India:
Integrated Test Range
346) The Integrated Test Range is located at which
place: Wheeler Islands, Chandipur, Odisha
347) NABARD has developed the concept called Joint
Liability Group (JLG) to provide institutional credit to
which category of borrowers: Small Farmers
348) The economic growth rate during the 11
th
Five Years
Plan (2007-12) has been recorded as __ per cent: 8
349) In terms of digital governance i.e. usage of
information technology by govt., _____ has been
ranked as No. 1 country: Singapore
350) Which national organization has introduced an
annual rating system for states to enable them
improve on their business climate: Planning
Commission
351) Govt has directed that Companies and limited
liability partnership firms floated by private entities
should not use certain words such as _____ in their
name: National, Bank, Exchange, etc.
352) The government has decided to roll out electronic
toll collection on the Golden Quadrilateral route by
August, 2014. Name the metros linked by Golden
Quadrilateral: Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai
353) In what way persons not having proof of identity
and address are allowed to enroll for Aadhaar Card:
On introduction basis
354) The government has set an agriculture credit target
of Rs ______ for the banks for 2014-15: 8 lakh
crore
355) Sakhee, Nirbhaya, Parivar Suraksha are the names
of the what type of products offered by Bhartiya
Mahila Banks: Health Insurance
356) Which national level bank has launched its six basic
banking transactions through toll-free numbers:
HDFC Bank
357) The Rajya Sabha has passed The Whistleblowers’
Protection Bill. Who is whistleblower: Person who
discloses information on corruption or wilful
misuse of power by Public Servants
358) _____has been appointed as head of the eight-
member search committee to select the persons for
various posts of Lokpal: Justice K. T. Thomas
359) The Union government has launched an ambitious
project titled ______to increase forest cover by 50
million hectares in the next 10 years: ‘Green
Mission’
360) Forest cover in India covers roughly ____ per cent
of total area: 21
361) The EC has added nearly ____ crore new voters to
the rolls between 2009 and 2014, one of the
largest-ever such increases between two elections:
Ten
362) Name the Governor General of Canada who visited
India recently: David Johnston
363) Indian labour force will help in construction of the
450 kms long Haramain High Speed Railway project
in which country: Saudi Arabia
364) Which metropolitan city has recorded the worst
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 30 newborns dying
for every 1,000 live births: New Delhi
365) Ibrahim Mahlab has been elected as new Prime
Minister of which country: Egypt
366) 35th National Masters Athletic Championship held
at____: Coimbatore, Kerala
367) What is the theme of this year’s World Cancer Day,
observed on Feb. 4: 'Debunk the myths'
368) Ramanujan Mathematics Award-2013 has been
given to ______ founder of Super 30 classes in
Patna: Anand Kumar
369) What is the name of project launched by Govt. of
India for cloud computing: Meghraj
370) Name the chairmen of the committee formed to
examine the cause for violence and discrimination
against people from the northeast: M.P.
Bezbaruah
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 83
371) Vyas Samman is given for achievement in which
field: Hindi Literature
372) Who has been honoured with Vyas Samman 2013:
Vishwanath Tripathi
373) The book Vyomkesh Darvesh is a biography of
which veteran Hindi Scholar: Acharya Hazari
Prasad Dwivedi
374) Arunima Sinha has been honoured with Amazing
Indian Award for which achievement: Scaling
Mount Everest despite having an amputed leg
375) With which country India has agreed to celebrate
2014 as year of friendly exchanges: China
376) In which train a Braille-embedded AC coach to
facilitate visually challenged passengers has been
introduced for the first time: Purushottam
Express
377) Crystal Bear Award for best film is given at which
international film festival: Berlin Film Festival
378) Name the Indian Film that won the Crystal Bear
Award at Berlin Film Festival: Killa
379) Dr. Vijay Kumar Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang
have been awarded International Gandhi Award-
2013 for what purpose: Making outstanding
contributions in the field of leprosy treatment
380) India’s first Minority Cyber Gram (village) has been
established at which place: Chandoli, Distt Alwar,
Rajasthan
381) The book “Public Issues Before Parliament” has
been authored by whom: Vijay Darda
382) What is the theme of the Taj Mahotsav 2014 held at
Agra: Paigham-e-Mohabbat
383) Name the noted Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award
winner who passed away recently: Amar Kant
384) Who has been appointed as Chairman of the Central
Board of Direct Taxes: R K Tiwari
385) Name the Indian submarine that suffered an
accident on board, claiming life of two officers and
injuring seven others: INS Sindhuratna
386) Name the Indian naval chief who created history by
resigning on moral grounds, accepting his
responsibility for recent mishaps in naval ships and
submarines: Admiral D.K. Joshi
387) Name the country whose application for
membership of WTO as its 160
th
member was
approved at the Ministerial Conference held in Bali
recently: Yemen
388) Govt. has agreed to pay half insurance premium for
________ to cover them under Rashtriya Swasthya
Bima Yojana: Auto and Taxi Drivers
389) What is the amount of coverage available under
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana: Rs. 30,000
390) ADB has agreed to give a loan of $300 million to
which state for improvement of road network:
Chhattisgarh
391) Prime Minister had gone to Myanmar to attained
BIMSTEC summit. What is the full form of
BIMNSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
392) The BIMSTEC Summit was recently held at which
place: Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
393) The first ATM for Post Office Saving Bank accounts
was opened at which place: Thiyagaraya Nagar
HPO, Chennai
394) A Sivathanu Pillai, Chief of BrahMos Aerospace has
been honoured with ‘Order of Friendship’ award by
which country: Russia
395) With which country India has signed a MoU for
cooperation in the field of defence manufacturing:
Saudi Arabia
396) With which country India signed three agreements
for various security subjects: Israel
397) India is planning a multi-nation and multi modal
transport corridor to connect with which Central
Asian country: Russia
JANUARY – 2014
398) Paul Torday who passed away recently was a
famous ________: British Novelist
399) Which prominent educational organization of India is
recently is celebrating 60 years of its completion:
UGC (University Grants Commission)
400) Recently there was news headline – “US goes in for
stimulus tapering”, what does it means: USA has
decided to reduce purchase of long term
maturity bonds
401) Name the state which won the 62
nd
Senior National
Volleyball Championship (Men’s) held at Moradabad,
UP: Tamil Nadu
402) Who has been appointed as Chairman, Chiefs of
Staff Committee (CoSC): General Bikram Singh
403) A Russian city was in news as it witnessed two
ghastly terror attacks by suicide bombers, killing
over thirty persons and seriously wounding several
others. Name this city: Volgograd
404) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to sanction
loans of up to Rs. _______against pledge of gold
ornaments and jewellery: Rs.1 lakh
405) Abdulla Gayoom has been elected as ____ of
Maldives Islands: President
406) Vinod Kumar Duggal has been appointed Governor
of which state: Manipur
407) Asha Khemka, a Bihar born eminent educationist
has been awarded one of Britain's highest civilian
371) Vyas Samman is given for achievement in which
field: Hindi Literature
372) Who has been honoured with Vyas Samman 2013:
Vishwanath Tripathi
373) The book Vyomkesh Darvesh is a biography of
which veteran Hindi Scholar: Acharya Hazari
Prasad Dwivedi
374) Arunima Sinha has been honoured with Amazing
Indian Award for which achievement: Scaling
Mount Everest despite having an amputed leg
375) With which country India has agreed to celebrate
2014 as year of friendly exchanges: China
376) In which train a Braille-embedded AC coach to
facilitate visually challenged passengers has been
introduced for the first time: Purushottam
Express
377) Crystal Bear Award for best film is given at which
international film festival: Berlin Film Festival
378) Name the Indian Film that won the Crystal Bear
Award at Berlin Film Festival: Killa
379) Dr. Vijay Kumar Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang
have been awarded International Gandhi Award-
2013 for what purpose: Making outstanding
contributions in the field of leprosy treatment
380) India’s first Minority Cyber Gram (village) has been
established at which place: Chandoli, Distt Alwar,
Rajasthan
381) The book “Public Issues Before Parliament” has
been authored by whom: Vijay Darda
382) What is the theme of the Taj Mahotsav 2014 held at
Agra: Paigham-e-Mohabbat
383) Name the noted Hindi writer and Jnanpith Award
winner who passed away recently: Amar Kant
384) Who has been appointed as Chairman of the Central
Board of Direct Taxes: R K Tiwari
385) Name the Indian submarine that suffered an
accident on board, claiming life of two officers and
injuring seven others: INS Sindhuratna
386) Name the Indian naval chief who created history by
resigning on moral grounds, accepting his
responsibility for recent mishaps in naval ships and
submarines: Admiral D.K. Joshi
387) Name the country whose application for
membership of WTO as its 160
th
member was
approved at the Ministerial Conference held in Bali
recently: Yemen
388) Govt. has agreed to pay half insurance premium for
________ to cover them under Rashtriya Swasthya
Bima Yojana: Auto and Taxi Drivers
389) What is the amount of coverage available under
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana: Rs. 30,000
390) ADB has agreed to give a loan of $300 million to
which state for improvement of road network:
Chhattisgarh
391) Prime Minister had gone to Myanmar to attained
BIMSTEC summit. What is the full form of
BIMNSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
392) The BIMSTEC Summit was recently held at which
place: Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
393) The first ATM for Post Office Saving Bank accounts
was opened at which place: Thiyagaraya Nagar
HPO, Chennai
394) A Sivathanu Pillai, Chief of BrahMos Aerospace has
been honoured with ‘Order of Friendship’ award by
which country: Russia
395) With which country India has signed a MoU for
cooperation in the field of defence manufacturing:
Saudi Arabia
396) With which country India signed three agreements
for various security subjects: Israel
397) India is planning a multi-nation and multi modal
transport corridor to connect with which Central
Asian country: Russia
JANUARY – 2014
398) Paul Torday who passed away recently was a
famous ________: British Novelist
399) Which prominent educational organization of India is
recently is celebrating 60 years of its completion:
UGC (University Grants Commission)
400) Recently there was news headline – “US goes in for
stimulus tapering”, what does it means: USA has
decided to reduce purchase of long term
maturity bonds
401) Name the state which won the 62
nd
Senior National
Volleyball Championship (Men’s) held at Moradabad,
UP: Tamil Nadu
402) Who has been appointed as Chairman, Chiefs of
Staff Committee (CoSC): General Bikram Singh
403) A Russian city was in news as it witnessed two
ghastly terror attacks by suicide bombers, killing
over thirty persons and seriously wounding several
others. Name this city: Volgograd
404) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to sanction
loans of up to Rs. _______against pledge of gold
ornaments and jewellery: Rs.1 lakh
405) Abdulla Gayoom has been elected as ____ of
Maldives Islands: President
406) Vinod Kumar Duggal has been appointed Governor
of which state: Manipur
407) Asha Khemka, a Bihar born eminent educationist
has been awarded one of Britain's highest civilian
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 84
award-DAME COMMANDER of the Order of the
British Empire (DBE) for what purpose: For
spreading education in deprived areas
408) The Mountain Strike Corps raised recently for
countering China is based at which place: Ranchi
(Jharkhand)
409) Corey Anderson, the New Zealand all-rounder was in
news recently for what reasons: For scoring the
quickest century ever in international cricket,
taking just 36 balls
410) Name the MNC which has filed first proposal to
enter the Indian Multi Brand retail segment: Tesco
Plc, USA
411) How much FDI is permitted in multi brand retail
segment: 51%
412) BCSBI has ruled that bank customers who have
been victims of electronic / online fraud will have to
be compensated for such loss unless the bank can
prove that the fraud occurred due to negligence on
part of the customer. What is the full form of BCSBI:
Banking Codes and Standards Board of India
413) The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention held
from 7-9 January in Delhi was ______ in series:
12
th
414) Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on which date:
9
th
January
415) Who was the chief guest at the 12
th
Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas Convention: G Palanivel
416) G Palanivel is from which country: Malaysia
417) Who is G Palanivel: Minister for Natural
Resources and Environment, Malaysia
418) 6th All India Inter -University Fencing
Championship held at Patiala, Punjab was won by
___: Punjabi University Patiala
419) Margaret Thatcher was voted as the most successful
post-war British Prime Minister. She is also known
as _________: The ‘Iron Lady’ of Britain
420) What is the formal name of the Lokpal Bill recently
approved by the President: Lokpal and
Lokayuktas Act, 2013
421) What is the objective of recently launched Multi-
sectoral Nutrition Programme: To address the
problems of maternal and child under -
nutrition in the country
422) Which country recently announced to adopt Euro as
its currency: Latvia
423) Which country has been named to take over the
Presidency of the European Union: Greece
424) The Index of Economic Freedom ranks India at
_______ place: 120th
425) Name the country which ranks no. 1 in the Index of
Economic Freedom – 2014: Hong Kong
426) The term EBID is used to indicate profits of a
company. What is the full form of EBID: Earnings
Before Interest and Depreciation
427) The government has approved a proposal to pay
formal sector workers a minimum monthly pension
of Rs ______ benefiting over 27 lakh pensioners:
1,000,
428) The Committee on Comprehensive Financial
Services for Small Businesses and Low Income
Households recently submitted its report. Name the
chairman of this committee: Nachiket Mor
429) What was the purpose of setting up Mor committee:
To propose measures for ach ieving better
financial inclusion
430) Mor committee recommended that each Indian
resident above the age of ___ with an individual
Universal Electronic Bank Account (UEBA): 18
years
431) The Mor committee has recommended to form
‘payments banks’ for which category of customers:
Small Businesses
432) Name the organization proposed to be formed for
exploring the potential of generating power through
wind energy: National Offshore Wind Energy
Agency
433) Name the first lady President of South Korea who
visited India recently: Park Geun-hye
434) Name the capital of South Korea: Seoul
435) 44th annual meeting of World Economic Forum –
WEF was held at which place: Davos, Switzerland
436) What is the formal name of the mega literature
festival held annually in Jaipur, Rajasthan: Jaipur
Literature Festival
437) Name the dignitary who made the inaugural key
note speech at the Jaipur Literature Festival: Dr.
Amartya Sen
438) Dr. Amartya Sen is from which field: Economics
439) World Banks has approved a loan of $ 500 million to
the Low Income States (Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand
and Uttar Pradesh) for what purpose: To improve
piped water supply and sanitation services
440) A news headline read, “India joins ‘Cryo Club’ with
GSLV-D5”. What is meant by Cryo Club: India has
joined is select group of countries having
cryogenic engine technology
441) How many countries, other than India have the
capability of cryogenic engine capability: Five –
USA, Russia, France, Japan & China
442) In the abbreviation GSLV-D5, the letter D5 stands
for what: 5
th
Development Flight
443) Name the satellite that was recently launched by
GSLV-D5: GSAT-14
award-DAME COMMANDER of the Order of the
British Empire (DBE) for what purpose: For
spreading education in deprived areas
408) The Mountain Strike Corps raised recently for
countering China is based at which place: Ranchi
(Jharkhand)
409) Corey Anderson, the New Zealand all-rounder was in
news recently for what reasons: For scoring the
quickest century ever in international cricket,
taking just 36 balls
410) Name the MNC which has filed first proposal to
enter the Indian Multi Brand retail segment: Tesco
Plc, USA
411) How much FDI is permitted in multi brand retail
segment: 51%
412) BCSBI has ruled that bank customers who have
been victims of electronic / online fraud will have to
be compensated for such loss unless the bank can
prove that the fraud occurred due to negligence on
part of the customer. What is the full form of BCSBI:
Banking Codes and Standards Board of India
413) The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention held
from 7-9 January in Delhi was ______ in series:
12
th
414) Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on which date:
9
th
January
415) Who was the chief guest at the 12
th
Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas Convention: G Palanivel
416) G Palanivel is from which country: Malaysia
417) Who is G Palanivel: Minister for Natural
Resources and Environment, Malaysia
418) 6th All India Inter -University Fencing
Championship held at Patiala, Punjab was won by
___: Punjabi University Patiala
419) Margaret Thatcher was voted as the most successful
post-war British Prime Minister. She is also known
as _________: The ‘Iron Lady’ of Britain
420) What is the formal name of the Lokpal Bill recently
approved by the President: Lokpal and
Lokayuktas Act, 2013
421) What is the objective of recently launched Multi-
sectoral Nutrition Programme: To address the
problems of maternal and child under -
nutrition in the country
422) Which country recently announced to adopt Euro as
its currency: Latvia
423) Which country has been named to take over the
Presidency of the European Union: Greece
424) The Index of Economic Freedom ranks India at
_______ place: 120th
425) Name the country which ranks no. 1 in the Index of
Economic Freedom – 2014: Hong Kong
426) The term EBID is used to indicate profits of a
company. What is the full form of EBID: Earnings
Before Interest and Depreciation
427) The government has approved a proposal to pay
formal sector workers a minimum monthly pension
of Rs ______ benefiting over 27 lakh pensioners:
1,000,
428) The Committee on Comprehensive Financial
Services for Small Businesses and Low Income
Households recently submitted its report. Name the
chairman of this committee: Nachiket Mor
429) What was the purpose of setting up Mor committee:
To propose measures for ach ieving better
financial inclusion
430) Mor committee recommended that each Indian
resident above the age of ___ with an individual
Universal Electronic Bank Account (UEBA): 18
years
431) The Mor committee has recommended to form
‘payments banks’ for which category of customers:
Small Businesses
432) Name the organization proposed to be formed for
exploring the potential of generating power through
wind energy: National Offshore Wind Energy
Agency
433) Name the first lady President of South Korea who
visited India recently: Park Geun-hye
434) Name the capital of South Korea: Seoul
435) 44th annual meeting of World Economic Forum –
WEF was held at which place: Davos, Switzerland
436) What is the formal name of the mega literature
festival held annually in Jaipur, Rajasthan: Jaipur
Literature Festival
437) Name the dignitary who made the inaugural key
note speech at the Jaipur Literature Festival: Dr.
Amartya Sen
438) Dr. Amartya Sen is from which field: Economics
439) World Banks has approved a loan of $ 500 million to
the Low Income States (Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand
and Uttar Pradesh) for what purpose: To improve
piped water supply and sanitation services
440) A news headline read, “India joins ‘Cryo Club’ with
GSLV-D5”. What is meant by Cryo Club: India has
joined is select group of countries having
cryogenic engine technology
441) How many countries, other than India have the
capability of cryogenic engine capability: Five –
USA, Russia, France, Japan & China
442) In the abbreviation GSLV-D5, the letter D5 stands
for what: 5
th
Development Flight
443) Name the satellite that was recently launched by
GSLV-D5: GSAT-14
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 85
444) GSAT-14 satellite is used for what purpose:
Communication
445) Jigme Wangchuck who recently visited India is ____
of Bhutan: King
446) Name the hilly district of central Assam that was in
news as it witnessed widespread violent clashes
between the ethnic insurgent Karbi People’s
Liberation Tigers (KPLT) and the Rengma Naga Hills
Protection Force (RNHPF): Karbi Anglong
447) What is the name of the official mascot of the 2014
FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil in June: Fuleco
the Armadillo
448) Laimdota Straujuma has been elected as the first
woman Prime Minister of which country: Latvia
449) India successfully test-fired its indigenously
developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile. What is
the strike range of this missile: 350 kms
450) At which place in Haryana the foundation stone was
laid for a 2800 megawatt nuclear power plant:
Gorakhpur, Distt. Fatehabad (Haryana)
451) Govt. has decided to widen the scope of MGNREGS
to include works relating to_______ also in it in
collaboration with the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan:
Rural sanitation
452) What is the objective of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan:
To make India free from open defecation
453) Ali Larayedh, Islamist Prime Minister of _______
was in news as he resigned as part of a plan to end
months of political deadlock. Tunisia
454) Name the country from which started the wide
spread uprising of common public, called Arab
Spring: Tunisia
455) Recently Posco was granted environmental
clearance to build Rs 52,000 crore steel plant in
Odisha. It is from which country: South Korea
456) India’s largest and most modern airport has recently
been inaugurated in which city: Mumbai
457) What is the formal name of the new airport terminal
started at Mumbai: Terminal – 2, Chhatrapati
Shivaji International Airport
458) World’s largest railway platform is located at which
place: Gorakhpur (UP) India
459) Aitizaz Hasan, a 15 year old school boy in Pakistan
was decorated with the Sitara-e-Shujaat — a high
civilian award for bravery, for what purpose: He
died confronting a suicide bomber to save his
school
460) Ariel Sharon who passed away recently was a
prominent ____: Statesman
461) Ariel Sharon was a former Prime Minister of which
country: Israel
462) In the Nuclear Materials Security Index 2014
released by the US-based think-tank Nuclear Threat
Initiative, India has been placed at which rank: 23
rd
463) India has completed three years without reporting
any case of polio. The official confirmation in this
regard has to be issued by which international
organization: WHO – World Health Organization
464) Name the Awami League leader of Bangladesh who
was sworn-in as Prime Minister for the third time:
Sheikh Hasina
465) In a list of 30 most admired persons on the planet
compiled by by YouGov for The Times by surveying
almost 14,000 people, India’s Sachin Tendulkar has
been placed at which rank: 5
th
466) Who is the most admired person in the world as per
a recent survey by YouGov for The Times: Bill
Gates
467) Sanil Shetty and Ankita Das bagged the men’s and
women’s titles respectively at the 75th Senior
National _________ championships held at Patna:
Table Tennis
468) The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction 2013 has been won
by ____ for his novel _______: Anees Salim,
Vanity Bagh
469) The prestigious $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian
literature is awarded at which event: Jaipur
Literature Festival
470) The prestigious $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian
literature has been won by ________ for his book
________: Cyrus Mistry, Chronicle of a Corpse
Bearer
471) Govt. has agreed to provide an additional 50 days of
employment beyond the stipulated 100 days under
the NREGA scheme to which category of people:
Scheduled Tribes (ST) households living in
forest areas who have received land rights
under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006
472) Name the Asia’s largest brackish water lake:
Chilika backwater lagoon, Odisha
473) Chilika backwater lagoon is famous for______:
Massive gathering of migratory birds
474) The word brackish refers to what quality of water:
Excess of Salt
475) The Golden Globe Awards are given in which field:
Cinema and TV
476) The Golden Globe Awards are given in which
country: USA
477) Name the film that won the Golden Globe for the
best film: 12 Years a Slave
478) Alfonso Cuaron of Mexico won the Golden Globe for
Best Director for which film: Gravity
479) Name the index recently launched by the
government to measure level of house construction
444) GSAT-14 satellite is used for what purpose:
Communication
445) Jigme Wangchuck who recently visited India is ____
of Bhutan: King
446) Name the hilly district of central Assam that was in
news as it witnessed widespread violent clashes
between the ethnic insurgent Karbi People’s
Liberation Tigers (KPLT) and the Rengma Naga Hills
Protection Force (RNHPF): Karbi Anglong
447) What is the name of the official mascot of the 2014
FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil in June: Fuleco
the Armadillo
448) Laimdota Straujuma has been elected as the first
woman Prime Minister of which country: Latvia
449) India successfully test-fired its indigenously
developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile. What is
the strike range of this missile: 350 kms
450) At which place in Haryana the foundation stone was
laid for a 2800 megawatt nuclear power plant:
Gorakhpur, Distt. Fatehabad (Haryana)
451) Govt. has decided to widen the scope of MGNREGS
to include works relating to_______ also in it in
collaboration with the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan:
Rural sanitation
452) What is the objective of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan:
To make India free from open defecation
453) Ali Larayedh, Islamist Prime Minister of _______
was in news as he resigned as part of a plan to end
months of political deadlock. Tunisia
454) Name the country from which started the wide
spread uprising of common public, called Arab
Spring: Tunisia
455) Recently Posco was granted environmental
clearance to build Rs 52,000 crore steel plant in
Odisha. It is from which country: South Korea
456) India’s largest and most modern airport has recently
been inaugurated in which city: Mumbai
457) What is the formal name of the new airport terminal
started at Mumbai: Terminal – 2, Chhatrapati
Shivaji International Airport
458) World’s largest railway platform is located at which
place: Gorakhpur (UP) India
459) Aitizaz Hasan, a 15 year old school boy in Pakistan
was decorated with the Sitara-e-Shujaat — a high
civilian award for bravery, for what purpose: He
died confronting a suicide bomber to save his
school
460) Ariel Sharon who passed away recently was a
prominent ____: Statesman
461) Ariel Sharon was a former Prime Minister of which
country: Israel
462) In the Nuclear Materials Security Index 2014
released by the US-based think-tank Nuclear Threat
Initiative, India has been placed at which rank: 23
rd
463) India has completed three years without reporting
any case of polio. The official confirmation in this
regard has to be issued by which international
organization: WHO – World Health Organization
464) Name the Awami League leader of Bangladesh who
was sworn-in as Prime Minister for the third time:
Sheikh Hasina
465) In a list of 30 most admired persons on the planet
compiled by by YouGov for The Times by surveying
almost 14,000 people, India’s Sachin Tendulkar has
been placed at which rank: 5
th
466) Who is the most admired person in the world as per
a recent survey by YouGov for The Times: Bill
Gates
467) Sanil Shetty and Ankita Das bagged the men’s and
women’s titles respectively at the 75th Senior
National _________ championships held at Patna:
Table Tennis
468) The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction 2013 has been won
by ____ for his novel _______: Anees Salim,
Vanity Bagh
469) The prestigious $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian
literature is awarded at which event: Jaipur
Literature Festival
470) The prestigious $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian
literature has been won by ________ for his book
________: Cyrus Mistry, Chronicle of a Corpse
Bearer
471) Govt. has agreed to provide an additional 50 days of
employment beyond the stipulated 100 days under
the NREGA scheme to which category of people:
Scheduled Tribes (ST) households living in
forest areas who have received land rights
under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006
472) Name the Asia’s largest brackish water lake:
Chilika backwater lagoon, Odisha
473) Chilika backwater lagoon is famous for______:
Massive gathering of migratory birds
474) The word brackish refers to what quality of water:
Excess of Salt
475) The Golden Globe Awards are given in which field:
Cinema and TV
476) The Golden Globe Awards are given in which
country: USA
477) Name the film that won the Golden Globe for the
best film: 12 Years a Slave
478) Alfonso Cuaron of Mexico won the Golden Globe for
Best Director for which film: Gravity
479) Name the index recently launched by the
government to measure level of house construction
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 86
activity: Housing Start Up Index (HSUI)
480) The recently launched Housing Start Up Index is a
joint initiative of which two organizations: National
Building Organisation and the Reserve Bank
481) Indian railways entered a new territory recently in
which part of the country: Itanagar, Arunachal
Pradesh
482) Govt. has recently sold its 10% stake in which mega
oil company to raise around Rs. 5000 crore: Indian
Oil Corporation
483) Name the legendary Bengali actress who died
recently, known for her outstanding performances in
several Bengali and Hindi films: Suchitra Sen
484) Late Suchitra Sen was also properly known as _____
of Indian cinema: Greta Garbo
485) Greta Garbo of Sweden was a renowned legendary
_____ of Hollywood: Actress
486) Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin who passed
away recently was the spiritual head of which
community: Dawoodi Bohra
487) Dawoodi Bohra committee is a sub group of which
religion: Islam
488) Sunanda Pushkar who passed away recently was
holding which ministry in the central government:
None
489) Akkineni Nageswara Rao, veteran actor of _____
cinema passed away recently. He was popularly
known as _____ : Telugu, ANR
490) The famous historical cultural event - Jonbeel Mela
is held in which state: Assam
491) Name the India’s nuclear-capable strategic missile,
with a strike range of about 4,000 km tested
successfully: Agni-IV
492) Which community has recently been granted
minority status by the central government: Jains
493) What is the present number of minority
communities in India: Six
494) Under which Act government grants minority status
to a community: National Commission for
Minorities Act, 1992
495) Name the multinational multi sports event in India
where sportspersons from Portuguese speaking
countries participate: Lusofonia Games
496) Lusofonia Games 2014 were held at which place:
Goa
497) The 18th National Youth Festival was held at which
place: Ludhiana
498) What was the theme for the 18
th
National Youth
Festival: 'Youth For Drugs Free World'
499) The National Youth Festival is organized every year
on January 12
th
for what reasons: It is birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
500) Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to constitute
a Rail Tariff Authority for what purpose: To advise
the Railway Ministry on fares
501) Which is the apex authority in India authorize to fix
the railway fare: Railway Board
502) Name the two districts of Haryana that have
recently been included in the National Capital
Region: Jind and Karnal
503) The 61st Senior National Kabaddi Championship
were held at which place: Patna, Bihar
504) Government has approved setting up of the AKIC
Development Corporation for what purpose: For
the development of Amritsar – Kolkata
Industrial Corridor
505) Name the mega infrastructure project being
developed by the central government for promoting
industrial townships between Delhi and Mumbai:
Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
506) What is the objective of setting up of various
industrial corridors: To boost up infrastructure
and manufacturing activity
507) Name the three countries that have decided to
develop a joint trade corridor with India:
Bangladesh, China and Myanmar
508) The multination joint trade corridor proposed to be
developed will start from ____ in India and run up
to ____ in SW China: Kolkata, Kunming
509) The ATP Chennai Open Tennis title was won by
Stanislas Wawrinka. He is from which country:
Switzerland
510) Name the programme launched recently to
comprehensively address the health needs of the
nearly 243 million children of the country:
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
511) The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakaram aims to
cover children in the age group of ___ to ___ yeas:
10 to 19 years
512) What is the English name of the Rashtriya Kishor
Swasthya Karyakaram: National Adolescent
Health Programme
513) The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakaram has
been launched by which ministry in the central
government: Health and Family Welfare
514) Name the ace badminton player who became the
first male junior badminton player from India to be
ranked top in the world by the World Badminton
Federation (WBF): Aditya Joshi
515) Name the country which suffered recently the
coldest, most dangerous blast of polar air in
decades, causing wide spread extremely heavy
snowfall leading to total disruption of daily life: USA
516) Name the climatic phenomena that cause wide
activity: Housing Start Up Index (HSUI)
480) The recently launched Housing Start Up Index is a
joint initiative of which two organizations: National
Building Organisation and the Reserve Bank
481) Indian railways entered a new territory recently in
which part of the country: Itanagar, Arunachal
Pradesh
482) Govt. has recently sold its 10% stake in which mega
oil company to raise around Rs. 5000 crore: Indian
Oil Corporation
483) Name the legendary Bengali actress who died
recently, known for her outstanding performances in
several Bengali and Hindi films: Suchitra Sen
484) Late Suchitra Sen was also properly known as _____
of Indian cinema: Greta Garbo
485) Greta Garbo of Sweden was a renowned legendary
_____ of Hollywood: Actress
486) Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin who passed
away recently was the spiritual head of which
community: Dawoodi Bohra
487) Dawoodi Bohra committee is a sub group of which
religion: Islam
488) Sunanda Pushkar who passed away recently was
holding which ministry in the central government:
None
489) Akkineni Nageswara Rao, veteran actor of _____
cinema passed away recently. He was popularly
known as _____ : Telugu, ANR
490) The famous historical cultural event - Jonbeel Mela
is held in which state: Assam
491) Name the India’s nuclear-capable strategic missile,
with a strike range of about 4,000 km tested
successfully: Agni-IV
492) Which community has recently been granted
minority status by the central government: Jains
493) What is the present number of minority
communities in India: Six
494) Under which Act government grants minority status
to a community: National Commission for
Minorities Act, 1992
495) Name the multinational multi sports event in India
where sportspersons from Portuguese speaking
countries participate: Lusofonia Games
496) Lusofonia Games 2014 were held at which place:
Goa
497) The 18th National Youth Festival was held at which
place: Ludhiana
498) What was the theme for the 18
th
National Youth
Festival: 'Youth For Drugs Free World'
499) The National Youth Festival is organized every year
on January 12
th
for what reasons: It is birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
500) Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to constitute
a Rail Tariff Authority for what purpose: To advise
the Railway Ministry on fares
501) Which is the apex authority in India authorize to fix
the railway fare: Railway Board
502) Name the two districts of Haryana that have
recently been included in the National Capital
Region: Jind and Karnal
503) The 61st Senior National Kabaddi Championship
were held at which place: Patna, Bihar
504) Government has approved setting up of the AKIC
Development Corporation for what purpose: For
the development of Amritsar – Kolkata
Industrial Corridor
505) Name the mega infrastructure project being
developed by the central government for promoting
industrial townships between Delhi and Mumbai:
Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
506) What is the objective of setting up of various
industrial corridors: To boost up infrastructure
and manufacturing activity
507) Name the three countries that have decided to
develop a joint trade corridor with India:
Bangladesh, China and Myanmar
508) The multination joint trade corridor proposed to be
developed will start from ____ in India and run up
to ____ in SW China: Kolkata, Kunming
509) The ATP Chennai Open Tennis title was won by
Stanislas Wawrinka. He is from which country:
Switzerland
510) Name the programme launched recently to
comprehensively address the health needs of the
nearly 243 million children of the country:
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
511) The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakaram aims to
cover children in the age group of ___ to ___ yeas:
10 to 19 years
512) What is the English name of the Rashtriya Kishor
Swasthya Karyakaram: National Adolescent
Health Programme
513) The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakaram has
been launched by which ministry in the central
government: Health and Family Welfare
514) Name the ace badminton player who became the
first male junior badminton player from India to be
ranked top in the world by the World Badminton
Federation (WBF): Aditya Joshi
515) Name the country which suffered recently the
coldest, most dangerous blast of polar air in
decades, causing wide spread extremely heavy
snowfall leading to total disruption of daily life: USA
516) Name the climatic phenomena that cause wide
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 87
spread dangerous blast of polar air in USA and
adjoining Canada: Polar Vortex
517) Evans Ruto of _____ won the 11th Standard
Chartered Mumbai Marathon: Kenya
518) The Hero Hockey World League championship held
at New Delhi was won by ______ beating ______:
Netherlands, New Zealand
519) Name the international football player who has been
declared as the best footballer of the year by FIFA:
Cristiano Ronaldo
520) Cristiano Ronaldo is from which country: Portugal
521) The interest rate on EPFO has been increase to
_______ percent from 8.5 percent at present: 8.75
522) Name the light weight pistol specially developed by
the Indian Ordnance Factory especially for women
to defend themselves from assault: Nirbheek
523) Who has been named as the captain of the Indian
Women Cricket Team: Mithali Raj
524) Name the joint naval exercise undertaken by the
Indian coast guard and its Japanese counterpart:
‘Sahayog- Kaijin 2014’
525) ‘Sahayog- Kaijin 2014’ - a joint naval exercise was
recently held at which place: off the Kochi coast,
Kerala
526) Malaysian Open 2014 tournament was held for
which sports: Badminton
527) Name the winner of Men’s single title in the
Malaysian Open 2014 tournament: Lee Chong
Wei, Malaysia
528) Name the winner of Women’s single title in the
Malaysian Open 2014 tournament: Li Xuerui,
China
529) Name the cricketer who became the first Indian
wicket keeper to claim 300 dismissals in One Day
Internationals: M.S. Dhoni
530) Playing against which country M S Dhoni achieved
the milestone of claiming 300 dismissals: New
Zealand
531) At which border post India and Pakistan have
agreed to liberalize various trade activities: Attari
Wagah Border
532) Name the state that has been ranked No. 1 in
implementation of SJSRY programme during 2012-
13: Odisha
533) What is the full form of the poverty alleviation
programme SJSRY: Swarna Jayanti Shahari
Rojgar Yojana
534) Which category of persons are eligible to obtain
bank loan under SJSRY: BPL families in urban
area
535) Name the poverty alleviation scheme of the central
government for providing bank loans to BPL families
in rural area: Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar
Yojana
536) Name the poverty alleviation scheme of the central
government for providing bank loans to non BPL
families in both rural and urban areas: Prime
Minister Employment Generation Programm e
537) RBI has advised banks that amount of loans
sanctioned by them against pledge of gold jewellery
should not exceed ____ per cent of the value of the
gold: 75
538) The Reserve Bank has constituted an expert
committee under the chairmanship of _____(former
Chairman of Axis Bank) to review governance of
boards of banks: P. J. Nayak
539) Name the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India who recently retired from the service: Anand
Sinha
540) Name the state that topped in the first ever ranking
of state governments on the basis of their
performance and implementation of the midday
meal scheme: Karnataka
541) In which stream of studies government has decided
to increase the number of seats in the country by
10,000 by upgrading existing state and central
government colleges: MBBS (Bachelor of
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)
542) The Union Cabinet has approved a new
comprehensive regulatory framework for TV rating
agencies for release of TRPs. What is the full form
of TRPs: Television Rating Points
543) Which international monetary organization has
projected India’s growth rate for current year at
4.4%: IMF
544) RBI has decided that for the purpose of external
commercial borrowings (ECB), 'Maintenance,
Repairs and Overhaul’ (MRO) of _______will be
treated as a part of infrastructure: Aircrafts
545) Why RBI has decided that all banknotes issued prior
to 2005 will be withdrawn after March 31, 2014:
These have less security features compared to
notes issued thereafter
546) What is the maximum amount of pre 2005 currency
notes that an individual can exchange at a bank at a
time: No such limit
547) Rakesh Khurana has recently been appointed dean
of which prestigious international educational
institution: Harvard College, at Harvard
University, USA
548) Name the India’s first indigenously built nuclear-
powered submarine, that is now ready for sea trials:
INS Arihant
549) Name the first Indian State to adopt the provisions
of the recently passed Lokpal Act: Uttarakhand
550) Which committee appointed by RBI has
spread dangerous blast of polar air in USA and
adjoining Canada: Polar Vortex
517) Evans Ruto of _____ won the 11th Standard
Chartered Mumbai Marathon: Kenya
518) The Hero Hockey World League championship held
at New Delhi was won by ______ beating ______:
Netherlands, New Zealand
519) Name the international football player who has been
declared as the best footballer of the year by FIFA:
Cristiano Ronaldo
520) Cristiano Ronaldo is from which country: Portugal
521) The interest rate on EPFO has been increase to
_______ percent from 8.5 percent at present: 8.75
522) Name the light weight pistol specially developed by
the Indian Ordnance Factory especially for women
to defend themselves from assault: Nirbheek
523) Who has been named as the captain of the Indian
Women Cricket Team: Mithali Raj
524) Name the joint naval exercise undertaken by the
Indian coast guard and its Japanese counterpart:
‘Sahayog- Kaijin 2014’
525) ‘Sahayog- Kaijin 2014’ - a joint naval exercise was
recently held at which place: off the Kochi coast,
Kerala
526) Malaysian Open 2014 tournament was held for
which sports: Badminton
527) Name the winner of Men’s single title in the
Malaysian Open 2014 tournament: Lee Chong
Wei, Malaysia
528) Name the winner of Women’s single title in the
Malaysian Open 2014 tournament: Li Xuerui,
China
529) Name the cricketer who became the first Indian
wicket keeper to claim 300 dismissals in One Day
Internationals: M.S. Dhoni
530) Playing against which country M S Dhoni achieved
the milestone of claiming 300 dismissals: New
Zealand
531) At which border post India and Pakistan have
agreed to liberalize various trade activities: Attari
Wagah Border
532) Name the state that has been ranked No. 1 in
implementation of SJSRY programme during 2012-
13: Odisha
533) What is the full form of the poverty alleviation
programme SJSRY: Swarna Jayanti Shahari
Rojgar Yojana
534) Which category of persons are eligible to obtain
bank loan under SJSRY: BPL families in urban
area
535) Name the poverty alleviation scheme of the central
government for providing bank loans to BPL families
in rural area: Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar
Yojana
536) Name the poverty alleviation scheme of the central
government for providing bank loans to non BPL
families in both rural and urban areas: Prime
Minister Employment Generation Programm e
537) RBI has advised banks that amount of loans
sanctioned by them against pledge of gold jewellery
should not exceed ____ per cent of the value of the
gold: 75
538) The Reserve Bank has constituted an expert
committee under the chairmanship of _____(former
Chairman of Axis Bank) to review governance of
boards of banks: P. J. Nayak
539) Name the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India who recently retired from the service: Anand
Sinha
540) Name the state that topped in the first ever ranking
of state governments on the basis of their
performance and implementation of the midday
meal scheme: Karnataka
541) In which stream of studies government has decided
to increase the number of seats in the country by
10,000 by upgrading existing state and central
government colleges: MBBS (Bachelor of
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)
542) The Union Cabinet has approved a new
comprehensive regulatory framework for TV rating
agencies for release of TRPs. What is the full form
of TRPs: Television Rating Points
543) Which international monetary organization has
projected India’s growth rate for current year at
4.4%: IMF
544) RBI has decided that for the purpose of external
commercial borrowings (ECB), 'Maintenance,
Repairs and Overhaul’ (MRO) of _______will be
treated as a part of infrastructure: Aircrafts
545) Why RBI has decided that all banknotes issued prior
to 2005 will be withdrawn after March 31, 2014:
These have less security features compared to
notes issued thereafter
546) What is the maximum amount of pre 2005 currency
notes that an individual can exchange at a bank at a
time: No such limit
547) Rakesh Khurana has recently been appointed dean
of which prestigious international educational
institution: Harvard College, at Harvard
University, USA
548) Name the India’s first indigenously built nuclear-
powered submarine, that is now ready for sea trials:
INS Arihant
549) Name the first Indian State to adopt the provisions
of the recently passed Lokpal Act: Uttarakhand
550) Which committee appointed by RBI has
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 88
recommended that retail inflation should be
measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and
not by the wholesale price index as being done
currently: Urjit Patel Committee
551) Urjit Patel Committee has recommended to bring
the retail inflation rate down at ____ per cent with a
band of +/- 2 per cent: Four
552) Who has been appointed as the new President of
NASSCOM: R. Chandrashekhar
553) What is the full form of NASSCOM: National
Association of Software and Services
Companies
554) The Jeevan Raksha Padak are given in how many
categories: Three
555) Name the Supercomputer developed by the Centre
for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
that has been rated as India’s most power efficient
computer system: PARAM Yuva-II
556) Which bank has became first domestic private bank
to have a branch in China: Axis Bank
557) Which country India has signed a labour
cooperation to cover about 28 lakh Indian
expatriates working there: Saudi Arabia
558) Name the Japanese PM who was the Chief Guest at
the 2014 Republic Day Parade: Shinzo Abe
559) For the expansion which major rapid transport
project Japan has sanctioned a loan of $2 billion:
Delhi Metro
560) Kerala tourism has won the top tourism award from
UNWTO for the promotion of which back water
resort: Kumarakom
561) What is the full form of abbreviation UNWTO:
United Nations World Tourism Organization
562) The ambitious National Urban Health Mission
(NUHM), aimed at providing adequate and efficient
urban public health delivery system for the urban
poor, was launched recently at which place:
Bangalore
563) The National Urban Health Mission plans to cover
urban poor for healthcare. Which areas will be
treated as urban for this purpose: Areas with
population of over 50,000
564) With which country India is working on developing a
satellite designed for climate change studies:
France
565) Which public sector bank has announced to increase
its presence in the social media by joining Youtube
and Twitter: State Bank of India
566) The government has introduced a new procedure
for issuance of PAN card as per which now the
applicants will have to submit a documentary proof
of _______ also: Address
567) RBI has decided to establish a fund to be called
‘Depositor Education and Awareness Fund’ from
which source: By taking over amount lying in
unclaimed deposit accounts with banks
568) As per Banking Regulation Act, 1949, an unclaimed
deposit account is one in which there is no
transaction for past ___ or more years: 10
569) International Marconi Prize is given for
achievements in which field: Communication
Technology
570) Government has decided not to present regular
budget for the year 2014 – 15 in view of upcoming
general elections. It will instead present the ______
for 2014-15 in Lok Sabha: Vote on Account
571) Name the film that won 2014 Filmfare award for the
best film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
572) Name the director of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag who also
won the Filmfare award for Best Director: Rakeysh
Omprakash Mehra
573) Who has been declared the winner of 2014 Filmfare
award for the Best actor: Farhan Akhtar for BMB
574) Deepika Padukone has won the 2014 Filmfare award
for best actress for which film: Goliyon Ki Raslila
Ram - Leela
575) Asia’s biggest botanical garden will come up on 153
hectares of area near the Khandwa reservoir, in
Naya Raipur, in which State: Chhattisgarh
576) Men’s title in Australian Open Tennis Cup was won
by which player: Stanislas Wawrinka
(Switzerland)
577) Women’s title in Australian Open Tennis Cup was
won by which player: Li Na of China
578) Grammy Awards are given for achievements in
which field: Music
579) Name the musical album that won the 2014
Grammy for best album of the year: Random
Access Memories by Daft Punk
580) What is the maximum number (excluding
posthumous awards and award to foreigners) of
Padma Awards that can be given in a year: 120
581) A Padma Vibhushan awardee gets a cash reward of
what amount: Nil
582) Padma Awards are announced every year on which
particular date: Eve of Republic Day (25
th
January)
583) Dr Raghunath A Mashelkar has been awarded
Padma Vibhushan in science and engineering
category. He is from which field of science:
Chemical Technology
584) Name the veteran Yoga maestro decorated with the
Padma Vibhushan: BKS Iyengar
585) The Yoga form propagated by Padma Vibhushan
awardee Sh. B K S Iyengar is known as: Iyengar
recommended that retail inflation should be
measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and
not by the wholesale price index as being done
currently: Urjit Patel Committee
551) Urjit Patel Committee has recommended to bring
the retail inflation rate down at ____ per cent with a
band of +/- 2 per cent: Four
552) Who has been appointed as the new President of
NASSCOM: R. Chandrashekhar
553) What is the full form of NASSCOM: National
Association of Software and Services
Companies
554) The Jeevan Raksha Padak are given in how many
categories: Three
555) Name the Supercomputer developed by the Centre
for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
that has been rated as India’s most power efficient
computer system: PARAM Yuva-II
556) Which bank has became first domestic private bank
to have a branch in China: Axis Bank
557) Which country India has signed a labour
cooperation to cover about 28 lakh Indian
expatriates working there: Saudi Arabia
558) Name the Japanese PM who was the Chief Guest at
the 2014 Republic Day Parade: Shinzo Abe
559) For the expansion which major rapid transport
project Japan has sanctioned a loan of $2 billion:
Delhi Metro
560) Kerala tourism has won the top tourism award from
UNWTO for the promotion of which back water
resort: Kumarakom
561) What is the full form of abbreviation UNWTO:
United Nations World Tourism Organization
562) The ambitious National Urban Health Mission
(NUHM), aimed at providing adequate and efficient
urban public health delivery system for the urban
poor, was launched recently at which place:
Bangalore
563) The National Urban Health Mission plans to cover
urban poor for healthcare. Which areas will be
treated as urban for this purpose: Areas with
population of over 50,000
564) With which country India is working on developing a
satellite designed for climate change studies:
France
565) Which public sector bank has announced to increase
its presence in the social media by joining Youtube
and Twitter: State Bank of India
566) The government has introduced a new procedure
for issuance of PAN card as per which now the
applicants will have to submit a documentary proof
of _______ also: Address
567) RBI has decided to establish a fund to be called
‘Depositor Education and Awareness Fund’ from
which source: By taking over amount lying in
unclaimed deposit accounts with banks
568) As per Banking Regulation Act, 1949, an unclaimed
deposit account is one in which there is no
transaction for past ___ or more years: 10
569) International Marconi Prize is given for
achievements in which field: Communication
Technology
570) Government has decided not to present regular
budget for the year 2014 – 15 in view of upcoming
general elections. It will instead present the ______
for 2014-15 in Lok Sabha: Vote on Account
571) Name the film that won 2014 Filmfare award for the
best film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
572) Name the director of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag who also
won the Filmfare award for Best Director: Rakeysh
Omprakash Mehra
573) Who has been declared the winner of 2014 Filmfare
award for the Best actor: Farhan Akhtar for BMB
574) Deepika Padukone has won the 2014 Filmfare award
for best actress for which film: Goliyon Ki Raslila
Ram - Leela
575) Asia’s biggest botanical garden will come up on 153
hectares of area near the Khandwa reservoir, in
Naya Raipur, in which State: Chhattisgarh
576) Men’s title in Australian Open Tennis Cup was won
by which player: Stanislas Wawrinka
(Switzerland)
577) Women’s title in Australian Open Tennis Cup was
won by which player: Li Na of China
578) Grammy Awards are given for achievements in
which field: Music
579) Name the musical album that won the 2014
Grammy for best album of the year: Random
Access Memories by Daft Punk
580) What is the maximum number (excluding
posthumous awards and award to foreigners) of
Padma Awards that can be given in a year: 120
581) A Padma Vibhushan awardee gets a cash reward of
what amount: Nil
582) Padma Awards are announced every year on which
particular date: Eve of Republic Day (25
th
January)
583) Dr Raghunath A Mashelkar has been awarded
Padma Vibhushan in science and engineering
category. He is from which field of science:
Chemical Technology
584) Name the veteran Yoga maestro decorated with the
Padma Vibhushan: BKS Iyengar
585) The Yoga form propagated by Padma Vibhushan
awardee Sh. B K S Iyengar is known as: Iyengar
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 89
Yoga
586) Name the iconic Tamil film actor, producer who has
been awarded Padma Bhushan recently: Kamala
Hasan
587) Name the renowned badminton coach decorated
with Padma Bhushan in 2014: Pullela Gopichand
588) What is the current assignment of Justice Dalveer
Bhandari who has been awarded Padma Bhushan
recently: Judge in International Court of
Justice
589) Name the women cricket star who has been
awarded Padma Shri recently: Anjum Chopra
590) Sudarsan Pattnaik has been awarded Padma Shri
recently. He is from which field: Renowned Sand
artist
591) Reserve bank has announced issuance of Inflation
Indexed National Savings Certificates (IINSC) to
offer an inflation savvy investment option. These
______ year Bonds will earn interest equal to the
CPI inflation rate plus ____ per cent per annum:
10, 1.50
592) Which country has decided to make military service
compulsory for all adult males aged between 18 and
30, but kept it optional for women: United Arab
Emirates
593) Name the Russian martial art that has earned
recognition of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for
inclusion in the Asian Games: Sambo
594) DRDO recently launched Dhruva-3 for promoting
critical applications for defence research and
development, particularly in advanced aircraft
designing defence research. What is Dhruva-3:
High performance computing system
595) In a recently compiled environmental performance
index of 178 countries, India has been placed at
____ position: 155
th
596) With what intention Reserve Bank hiked key policy
interest rates by 0.25%: To tame inflation
597) What will be the impact of recent 0.25% hike in
repo rate on Bank Loans: They are likely to
become costly due to rise in interest rate
598) What will be the impact of recent 0.25% hike in
repo rate on industrial growth: Likely to come
down due to higher cost of funds
599) Name the Super Jumbo Aircraft, capable of carrying
over 850 passengers at a time, that has been
allowed to land in India: A-380 of Airbus
600) Central Vigilance Commission was in news recently
for what reasons: Celebrating 50 years of its
existence
601) Prime Minister of which country resigned recently
to counter widespread political protests in the
country against harsh anti protest laws: Ukraine
602) Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold
badminton championship was held at which place:
Lucknow, UP
603) Govt has launched the India Inclusive Innovation
Fund (IIIF), with the initial corpus of Rs 500 crore
for what purpose: To promote profitable
venture that take care of social needs also
604) Which State has launched 'Ama Jangal Yojana' (AJY)
to enhance forest cover in the state: Odisha
605) Name the jumbo naval exercise of 16 navies from
the Indian ocean region being held in 2
nd
week of
February: Milan 2014
606) The joint exercise of 16 navies from the Indian
ocean region – Milan 2014 will be held at which
place: Near Andaman & Nicobar Islands
607) To which country Exim Bank has agreed to provide
a Line of Credit of $ 19.50 million: Vietnam
608) ADB has agreed to give $100 million loan to which
state for boosting education and skills there:
Meghalaya
609) To which category of customers RBI has allowed
collection of account payee cheques even for third
party accounts: Cooperative Credit Societies
610) With which country India has agreed to set up a $40
million joint fund to support technological ventures
for consolidating and strengthening economic ties:
Israel
611) Which national organization has decided to set up
100 innovation hubs at an outlay of Rs 99 crore,
throughout the country by 2017: National
Innovation Council
612) Who is the head of the National Innovation Council:
Sam Pitroda
613) Which state in India has announced the highest MSP
of Rs. 1560 per quintal for paddy crop: Bihar
614) J N Chaudhury has been appointed Director General
of which paramilitary force: National Security
Guard
615) India’s first Mono Rail has started operation in which
city: Mumbai
DECEMBER – 2013
616) As per the figures released by CSO, in GDP growth
in 2
nd
quarter was ______ per cent: 4.8
617) Core sector is a part of index of industrial
production. Its weightage in IIP is _____ per cent in
IIP: 37.90
618) Gaganjeet Bhullar is top rank player of which sports:
Golf
619) Name the Emperor and Empress of Japan who
recently visited India: Akihito and Michiko
Yoga
586) Name the iconic Tamil film actor, producer who has
been awarded Padma Bhushan recently: Kamala
Hasan
587) Name the renowned badminton coach decorated
with Padma Bhushan in 2014: Pullela Gopichand
588) What is the current assignment of Justice Dalveer
Bhandari who has been awarded Padma Bhushan
recently: Judge in International Court of
Justice
589) Name the women cricket star who has been
awarded Padma Shri recently: Anjum Chopra
590) Sudarsan Pattnaik has been awarded Padma Shri
recently. He is from which field: Renowned Sand
artist
591) Reserve bank has announced issuance of Inflation
Indexed National Savings Certificates (IINSC) to
offer an inflation savvy investment option. These
______ year Bonds will earn interest equal to the
CPI inflation rate plus ____ per cent per annum:
10, 1.50
592) Which country has decided to make military service
compulsory for all adult males aged between 18 and
30, but kept it optional for women: United Arab
Emirates
593) Name the Russian martial art that has earned
recognition of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for
inclusion in the Asian Games: Sambo
594) DRDO recently launched Dhruva-3 for promoting
critical applications for defence research and
development, particularly in advanced aircraft
designing defence research. What is Dhruva-3:
High performance computing system
595) In a recently compiled environmental performance
index of 178 countries, India has been placed at
____ position: 155
th
596) With what intention Reserve Bank hiked key policy
interest rates by 0.25%: To tame inflation
597) What will be the impact of recent 0.25% hike in
repo rate on Bank Loans: They are likely to
become costly due to rise in interest rate
598) What will be the impact of recent 0.25% hike in
repo rate on industrial growth: Likely to come
down due to higher cost of funds
599) Name the Super Jumbo Aircraft, capable of carrying
over 850 passengers at a time, that has been
allowed to land in India: A-380 of Airbus
600) Central Vigilance Commission was in news recently
for what reasons: Celebrating 50 years of its
existence
601) Prime Minister of which country resigned recently
to counter widespread political protests in the
country against harsh anti protest laws: Ukraine
602) Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold
badminton championship was held at which place:
Lucknow, UP
603) Govt has launched the India Inclusive Innovation
Fund (IIIF), with the initial corpus of Rs 500 crore
for what purpose: To promote profitable
venture that take care of social needs also
604) Which State has launched 'Ama Jangal Yojana' (AJY)
to enhance forest cover in the state: Odisha
605) Name the jumbo naval exercise of 16 navies from
the Indian ocean region being held in 2
nd
week of
February: Milan 2014
606) The joint exercise of 16 navies from the Indian
ocean region – Milan 2014 will be held at which
place: Near Andaman & Nicobar Islands
607) To which country Exim Bank has agreed to provide
a Line of Credit of $ 19.50 million: Vietnam
608) ADB has agreed to give $100 million loan to which
state for boosting education and skills there:
Meghalaya
609) To which category of customers RBI has allowed
collection of account payee cheques even for third
party accounts: Cooperative Credit Societies
610) With which country India has agreed to set up a $40
million joint fund to support technological ventures
for consolidating and strengthening economic ties:
Israel
611) Which national organization has decided to set up
100 innovation hubs at an outlay of Rs 99 crore,
throughout the country by 2017: National
Innovation Council
612) Who is the head of the National Innovation Council:
Sam Pitroda
613) Which state in India has announced the highest MSP
of Rs. 1560 per quintal for paddy crop: Bihar
614) J N Chaudhury has been appointed Director General
of which paramilitary force: National Security
Guard
615) India’s first Mono Rail has started operation in which
city: Mumbai
DECEMBER – 2013
616) As per the figures released by CSO, in GDP growth
in 2
nd
quarter was ______ per cent: 4.8
617) Core sector is a part of index of industrial
production. Its weightage in IIP is _____ per cent in
IIP: 37.90
618) Gaganjeet Bhullar is top rank player of which sports:
Golf
619) Name the Emperor and Empress of Japan who
recently visited India: Akihito and Michiko
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 90
620) Shinzo Abe is the Prime Minister of which country:
Japan
621) What is the name of the currency of Japan: Yen
622) Name the capital of Japan: Tokyo
623) India’s cricket team captain MS Dhoni has recently
been honoured with which international award: ICC
LG People’s Choice Award - 2013
624) Tour de India championship is organized in which
sports: Cycling
625) Tour de India championship was won by Mohd. Nor
Umradi. He is from which country: Malaysia
626) India has agreed to train naval officers of which
country: Sri Lanka
627) Name the international event recently won by ace
shuttler of India – P V Sindhu: Macau Open Grand
Prix
628) 29th Junior National Athletics Championships was
held in which place: Bangalore
629) Name the state which won 29
th
Junior National
Athletics Championship: Kerala
630) Who has been named at Chief Executive of Indian
Banks Association: Mohan V Tanksale
631) Are foreign banks allowed to become member of
Indian Bank Association: Yes
632) Who has been named as the new Chief Information
Commissioner: Sushma Singh
633) As per Right to Information Act, any person seeking
information has to be provided the required
information within ____ days: 30
634) In corruption ranking of countries by the
international watchdog Transparency International,
India has been ranked at which place: 94
th
635) Nelson Mandela, the iconic statesman from South
Africa passed away recently. He was called
_________ out of love and affection: Madiba
636) Mandela was known for his anti-apartheid struggle.
What is the meaning of apartheid: Observing
racial discrimination
637) Why Mr. Mandela was honoured with India’s highest
civilian award – Bharat Ratna: Because he
followed Gandhian philosophy and values in
his fight against apartheid
638) India has been ranked at ______ place in terms of
doing business, by a survey done by Forbes
magazine: 98
th
639) 57
th
National Shooting championship was held at
which place: New Delhi
640) The Sankirtana, a ritual form of singing, drumming
and dancing has been included in UNESCO’s list of
“intangible heritage”. It belongs to which state of
India: Manipur
641) US dollar is the largest used currency in the world,
having 81.08% share in international transactions.
Which is the currency at the second place: Yuan-
8.66% (China)
642) Yuan, the currency of China is also called ______:
Renminbi
643) Name the country that has recently been elected as
a non permanent member of the UN security
council: Jordan
644) Name the country that has recently refused to join
Security Council, despite being elected as a non
permanent member: Saudi Arabia
645) Why Saudi Arabia did not accept the membership of
UN Security Council: To protest the world body’s
failure to end the Syrian and Israeli -
Palestinian conflicts
646) Alyz Henrich has been crowned as Miss
_______2013: Earth
647) Miss Earth 2013 – Alyz Henrich is from which
country: Venezuela
648) Tarundeep Rai and Atanu Das recently won silver
and bronze medal respectively at which international
sports event: Indoor Archery World Cup
649) Indoor Archery World Cup was held at which place:
Singapore
650) Which country has been named as host for the FIFA
World Cup-2017 (Under-17): India
651) Name the light combat air craft (LCA) that has been
inducted in Indian Air Force: Tejas
652) Name the aircraft that has recently been retired
from the Indian Air Force: Mig-21
653) Mr. Sumit Bose has been appointed to which
important central government position: Finance
Secretary
654) Who has been named as the “Person of the Year” by
the international magazine Time: Pope Francis
655) Who is Pope Francis: Supreme Head of Roman
Catholics
656) Gen. Bikram Singh was recently honoured with
Legion of Merit by which country: USA
657) Trade deficit of India came down to less than $10
billion in Nov. 2013. What was the single most
important factor for this: Reduction in import of
gold
658) Asian lending agency ADB has projected India’s
growth at ______ percent for the year 2013-14:
4.7%
659) In which area scientists have recently discovered the
coldest place on earth: East Antarctica
660) The prestigious international Sundance Film Festival
is held in which country: USA
620) Shinzo Abe is the Prime Minister of which country:
Japan
621) What is the name of the currency of Japan: Yen
622) Name the capital of Japan: Tokyo
623) India’s cricket team captain MS Dhoni has recently
been honoured with which international award: ICC
LG People’s Choice Award - 2013
624) Tour de India championship is organized in which
sports: Cycling
625) Tour de India championship was won by Mohd. Nor
Umradi. He is from which country: Malaysia
626) India has agreed to train naval officers of which
country: Sri Lanka
627) Name the international event recently won by ace
shuttler of India – P V Sindhu: Macau Open Grand
Prix
628) 29th Junior National Athletics Championships was
held in which place: Bangalore
629) Name the state which won 29
th
Junior National
Athletics Championship: Kerala
630) Who has been named at Chief Executive of Indian
Banks Association: Mohan V Tanksale
631) Are foreign banks allowed to become member of
Indian Bank Association: Yes
632) Who has been named as the new Chief Information
Commissioner: Sushma Singh
633) As per Right to Information Act, any person seeking
information has to be provided the required
information within ____ days: 30
634) In corruption ranking of countries by the
international watchdog Transparency International,
India has been ranked at which place: 94
th
635) Nelson Mandela, the iconic statesman from South
Africa passed away recently. He was called
_________ out of love and affection: Madiba
636) Mandela was known for his anti-apartheid struggle.
What is the meaning of apartheid: Observing
racial discrimination
637) Why Mr. Mandela was honoured with India’s highest
civilian award – Bharat Ratna: Because he
followed Gandhian philosophy and values in
his fight against apartheid
638) India has been ranked at ______ place in terms of
doing business, by a survey done by Forbes
magazine: 98
th
639) 57
th
National Shooting championship was held at
which place: New Delhi
640) The Sankirtana, a ritual form of singing, drumming
and dancing has been included in UNESCO’s list of
“intangible heritage”. It belongs to which state of
India: Manipur
641) US dollar is the largest used currency in the world,
having 81.08% share in international transactions.
Which is the currency at the second place: Yuan-
8.66% (China)
642) Yuan, the currency of China is also called ______:
Renminbi
643) Name the country that has recently been elected as
a non permanent member of the UN security
council: Jordan
644) Name the country that has recently refused to join
Security Council, despite being elected as a non
permanent member: Saudi Arabia
645) Why Saudi Arabia did not accept the membership of
UN Security Council: To protest the world body’s
failure to end the Syrian and Israeli -
Palestinian conflicts
646) Alyz Henrich has been crowned as Miss
_______2013: Earth
647) Miss Earth 2013 – Alyz Henrich is from which
country: Venezuela
648) Tarundeep Rai and Atanu Das recently won silver
and bronze medal respectively at which international
sports event: Indoor Archery World Cup
649) Indoor Archery World Cup was held at which place:
Singapore
650) Which country has been named as host for the FIFA
World Cup-2017 (Under-17): India
651) Name the light combat air craft (LCA) that has been
inducted in Indian Air Force: Tejas
652) Name the aircraft that has recently been retired
from the Indian Air Force: Mig-21
653) Mr. Sumit Bose has been appointed to which
important central government position: Finance
Secretary
654) Who has been named as the “Person of the Year” by
the international magazine Time: Pope Francis
655) Who is Pope Francis: Supreme Head of Roman
Catholics
656) Gen. Bikram Singh was recently honoured with
Legion of Merit by which country: USA
657) Trade deficit of India came down to less than $10
billion in Nov. 2013. What was the single most
important factor for this: Reduction in import of
gold
658) Asian lending agency ADB has projected India’s
growth at ______ percent for the year 2013-14:
4.7%
659) In which area scientists have recently discovered the
coldest place on earth: East Antarctica
660) The prestigious international Sundance Film Festival
is held in which country: USA
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 91
661) Name the bank from Qatar which has become the
first bank from that country to open a branch in
India: Doha Bank
662) In a recent international survey on ranking of
economies on the basis of their efficiency in
utilization of energy, India has been placed at _____
rank: 69
th
663) What is the full of the abbreviation NSSO: National
Sample Survey Office
664) The Reserve Bank has estimated that India's
economy would grow about ______ per cent in FY
2013-14: Five
665) As per latest census 2011 data, ______ percent
Indian population has been categorized as
homeless: 8.8
666) Govt. has decided to provide a monetary support of
Rs. _______ to every NREGA job cardholder who
plans to build a toilet in his house: 10,000
667) In what manner govt. has decided to link up two
major welfare schemes – NREGA and Indira Awaas
Yojana: Labour constructing their own house
under IAY will get NREGA wages
668) Under Indira Awaas Yojana, a sum of Rs.
___________ is provided to BPL families in plain
areas for constructing their house: 70,000
669) Under Indira Awaas Yojana, a sum of Rs.
___________ is provided to BPL families in hilly
areas for constructing their house: 75,000
670) In which North-Eastern state cultivation of popular
spice cardamom is picking up: Arunachal Pradesh
671) As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill
approved by the cabinet, the reservation for
Persons with Disabilities (PWD) has been raised to
___ per cent from three at present: Five
672) C. V. R. Rajendran has been appointed Chairman
and Managing Director of which bank: Andhra
Bank
673) Name the country that succeeded in landing a lunar
probe on moon recently, becoming first country to
do so since 1976: China
674) Sis Ram Ola, who passed away recently, was a
prominent ________: Politician, Union Labour
and Employment Minister
675) Who has been elected as the new Chief Minister of
Rajasthan: Vasundhara Raje
676) Pu Lalthanhawla has been elected as Chief Minister
for the fourth time in which state: Mizoram
677) Name the person who has been elected as Banker of
the Year 2013 by the financial daily Business
Standard: Aditya Puri
678) Aditya Puri is the chief of which bank: HDFC Bank
679) 4
th
edition of Kabaddi World Cup was won by which
country in Men’s category: India (beating
Pakistan)
680) 4
th
edition of Kabaddi World Cup was won by which
country in Women’s category: India (beating New
Zealand)
681) The finals of 4
th
edition of Kabaddi World Cup were
played at which place: Ludhiana (Punjab)
682) Mahesh Mangaonkar has become the first Indian
player to win an International Title in which game:
Squash
683) Name the shooter who won the ‘Champion of
Champions’ title in pistol event in the final round in
the 57th National Shooting Championships at New
Delhi: Samresh Jung
684) Name the international beauty title won by Bea Rose
Santiago of Philippines: Miss International 2013
685) Report from UNO has lowered India’s economic
growth forecast for 2013 to ______per cent from
6.1 per cent projected earlier: 4.8
686) Parliament has finally passed the Lokpal Bill. What is
the objective of setting up of a Lokpal:
Establishment of an anti-corruption watchdog
that will have in its purview even the office of
the Prime Minister
687) Recently India displayed its strong displeasure
against the rough treatment met to one of its
diplomat posted at US consulate. Name that
diplomat: Devyani Khobragade
688) Name the international convention which guarantees
diplomatic immunity to persons posted in various
embassies / consulates: Vienna Convention
689) Name the veteran cricket player selected for the Col
CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award for the year
2013 by BCCI: Kapil Dev
690) Name the international financial institution that has
agreed to lend $176 million to extend the first metro
train line in Jaipur: Asian Development Bank
691) V. K. Duggal has been appointed as the new
governor of which state: Manipur
692) Who has been appointed as the India’s new
Ambassador to USA: S. Jaishankar
693) Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) is located at
which place in India: Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala
694) India and Pakistan had a dispute on the sharing of
waters of which river that was settled in favour of
India by the International Court of Arbitration :
Kishan Ganga
695) Kishenganga Hydro Electric Project is located in
which state: Jammu & Kashmir
696) India and San Marino, a tiny country within Italy,
signed the TIEA between them at Rome. Write the
full form of TIEA:
661) Name the bank from Qatar which has become the
first bank from that country to open a branch in
India: Doha Bank
662) In a recent international survey on ranking of
economies on the basis of their efficiency in
utilization of energy, India has been placed at _____
rank: 69
th
663) What is the full of the abbreviation NSSO: National
Sample Survey Office
664) The Reserve Bank has estimated that India's
economy would grow about ______ per cent in FY
2013-14: Five
665) As per latest census 2011 data, ______ percent
Indian population has been categorized as
homeless: 8.8
666) Govt. has decided to provide a monetary support of
Rs. _______ to every NREGA job cardholder who
plans to build a toilet in his house: 10,000
667) In what manner govt. has decided to link up two
major welfare schemes – NREGA and Indira Awaas
Yojana: Labour constructing their own house
under IAY will get NREGA wages
668) Under Indira Awaas Yojana, a sum of Rs.
___________ is provided to BPL families in plain
areas for constructing their house: 70,000
669) Under Indira Awaas Yojana, a sum of Rs.
___________ is provided to BPL families in hilly
areas for constructing their house: 75,000
670) In which North-Eastern state cultivation of popular
spice cardamom is picking up: Arunachal Pradesh
671) As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill
approved by the cabinet, the reservation for
Persons with Disabilities (PWD) has been raised to
___ per cent from three at present: Five
672) C. V. R. Rajendran has been appointed Chairman
and Managing Director of which bank: Andhra
Bank
673) Name the country that succeeded in landing a lunar
probe on moon recently, becoming first country to
do so since 1976: China
674) Sis Ram Ola, who passed away recently, was a
prominent ________: Politician, Union Labour
and Employment Minister
675) Who has been elected as the new Chief Minister of
Rajasthan: Vasundhara Raje
676) Pu Lalthanhawla has been elected as Chief Minister
for the fourth time in which state: Mizoram
677) Name the person who has been elected as Banker of
the Year 2013 by the financial daily Business
Standard: Aditya Puri
678) Aditya Puri is the chief of which bank: HDFC Bank
679) 4
th
edition of Kabaddi World Cup was won by which
country in Men’s category: India (beating
Pakistan)
680) 4
th
edition of Kabaddi World Cup was won by which
country in Women’s category: India (beating New
Zealand)
681) The finals of 4
th
edition of Kabaddi World Cup were
played at which place: Ludhiana (Punjab)
682) Mahesh Mangaonkar has become the first Indian
player to win an International Title in which game:
Squash
683) Name the shooter who won the ‘Champion of
Champions’ title in pistol event in the final round in
the 57th National Shooting Championships at New
Delhi: Samresh Jung
684) Name the international beauty title won by Bea Rose
Santiago of Philippines: Miss International 2013
685) Report from UNO has lowered India’s economic
growth forecast for 2013 to ______per cent from
6.1 per cent projected earlier: 4.8
686) Parliament has finally passed the Lokpal Bill. What is
the objective of setting up of a Lokpal:
Establishment of an anti-corruption watchdog
that will have in its purview even the office of
the Prime Minister
687) Recently India displayed its strong displeasure
against the rough treatment met to one of its
diplomat posted at US consulate. Name that
diplomat: Devyani Khobragade
688) Name the international convention which guarantees
diplomatic immunity to persons posted in various
embassies / consulates: Vienna Convention
689) Name the veteran cricket player selected for the Col
CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award for the year
2013 by BCCI: Kapil Dev
690) Name the international financial institution that has
agreed to lend $176 million to extend the first metro
train line in Jaipur: Asian Development Bank
691) V. K. Duggal has been appointed as the new
governor of which state: Manipur
692) Who has been appointed as the India’s new
Ambassador to USA: S. Jaishankar
693) Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) is located at
which place in India: Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala
694) India and Pakistan had a dispute on the sharing of
waters of which river that was settled in favour of
India by the International Court of Arbitration :
Kishan Ganga
695) Kishenganga Hydro Electric Project is located in
which state: Jammu & Kashmir
696) India and San Marino, a tiny country within Italy,
signed the TIEA between them at Rome. Write the
full form of TIEA:
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 92
Tax Information Exchange Agreement
697) With which country government has approved the
enhancement of the bilateral currency swap
arrangement to $ 50 billion, up from $ 15 billion at
present: Japan
698) Govt. has cleared a services and investment deal
with 10-member ASEAN group as part of CECA.
What is the full form of CECA: Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement
699) India has signed DTAA with Macedonia, a small
country north of Greece, to prevent income tax
evasion by entities in both the countries. What is the
full form of DTAA: Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement
700) What is the range of Agni-III missile recently test
fired by India: 3000 kms
701) The missile testing site of India – Integrated Test
Range is located at which place: Wheeler Island,
Near Chandipur, Distt Balasore, Odisha
702) Name the organization which is responsible for
developing and testing various missiles for Indian
Army: DRDO – Defence Research &
Development Organization
703) Who is the Head of DRDO: Shri Avinash Chander
704) Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai are the current
national champions in women and men category
respectively in which sport: Archery
705) 34th Senior National Archery championship were
held at which place: Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
706) PV Sindhu and K Srikanth clinched the women's and
men's National titles respectively in which sport:
Badminton
707) 78th Senior National Badminton Championships was
held at which place: New Delhi
708) In the 9th Ministerial Conference of WTO held in
Bali, Indonesia, what was the major achievement for
India: India will continue to support its farmers with
MSP-Minimum Support Price
709) Recently govt. has launched a four day anti-Naxal
operation involving close to 40,000 security
personnel in which states: Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra
710) Govt has agreed to grant constitutional status to the
proposed JAC for appointment and transfer of
judges. What is full form of JAC:
Judicial Appointments Commission
711) India’s first National Cancer Institute is to be
established in which state: Haryana
712) Name the South-African all rounder cricketer who
has announced is retirement from Test and First
Class cricket: Jacques Kallis
713) As per recent data the maternal mortality ratio
(MMR) — number of women who die of pregnancy-
related causes per 1,00,000 live births — has come
down to _______ in 2010-12, from 212 in 2007-09:
178
714) In India which state has the lowest MMR of 66 per
lac: Kerala
715) In India which state has the Highest MMR of 328 per
lac: Assam
716) J N Chaudhury has been appointed Chief of which
paramilitary force: National Security Guard
717) Who has been appointed as new Director General of
Central Industrial Security Force: Arvind Ranjan
718) Who has been honoured with Polly Umrigar Award
from the BCCI for being India’s best international
cricketer of the year 2012-13: Ravichandran
Ashwin
719) What is the official growth rate fixed by the planning
commission for the 12
th
five year plan: 8%
720) In the first half (April-September) of the current
fiscal FY2013-14, the economy grew by _______per
cent: 4.6
721) India has signed a mega contract of $1.01 billion
with which country for six additional C-130J "Super
Hercules" jumbo military cargo aircrafts: USA
722) Farooq Sheikh who passed away recently was a
prominent ___________: Film Actor
NOVEMBER – 2013
723) Rajendra Yadav who passed away recently was from
which field: Literature
724) Rajendra Yadav was a eminent short story writer
and novelist of which language: Hindi
725) As per a recent study, India has been ranked
______ in terms of ‘Ease of Doing Business’: 134
th
726) In terms of Ease of Doing Business _______ is no. 1
in the world: Singapore
727) The WTA Tour Championship title for 2013 was
lifted by which player: Serena Williams
728) The full form of WTA in WTA Tour Championship is:
Women’s Tennis Association
729) The WTA Tour Championship was held at which
place: Istanbul, Turkey
730) As per Forbes magazine’s latest India Rich List,
________ has been named as India’s wealthiest
person for the sixth year in a row: Mukesh Ambani
731) Mukesh Ambani is the corporate head of which
industries: Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL)
732) Recently we read in the newspaper that an ATM has
been launched for ‘Bitcoins’. What is the Bitcoins: It
is a digital currency, popular worldwide
733) Ashok Amritraj, producer of 109 Hollywood films, for
his outstanding achievements in the film industry
Tax Information Exchange Agreement
697) With which country government has approved the
enhancement of the bilateral currency swap
arrangement to $ 50 billion, up from $ 15 billion at
present: Japan
698) Govt. has cleared a services and investment deal
with 10-member ASEAN group as part of CECA.
What is the full form of CECA: Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement
699) India has signed DTAA with Macedonia, a small
country north of Greece, to prevent income tax
evasion by entities in both the countries. What is the
full form of DTAA: Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement
700) What is the range of Agni-III missile recently test
fired by India: 3000 kms
701) The missile testing site of India – Integrated Test
Range is located at which place: Wheeler Island,
Near Chandipur, Distt Balasore, Odisha
702) Name the organization which is responsible for
developing and testing various missiles for Indian
Army: DRDO – Defence Research &
Development Organization
703) Who is the Head of DRDO: Shri Avinash Chander
704) Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai are the current
national champions in women and men category
respectively in which sport: Archery
705) 34th Senior National Archery championship were
held at which place: Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
706) PV Sindhu and K Srikanth clinched the women's and
men's National titles respectively in which sport:
Badminton
707) 78th Senior National Badminton Championships was
held at which place: New Delhi
708) In the 9th Ministerial Conference of WTO held in
Bali, Indonesia, what was the major achievement for
India: India will continue to support its farmers with
MSP-Minimum Support Price
709) Recently govt. has launched a four day anti-Naxal
operation involving close to 40,000 security
personnel in which states: Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Maharashtra
710) Govt has agreed to grant constitutional status to the
proposed JAC for appointment and transfer of
judges. What is full form of JAC:
Judicial Appointments Commission
711) India’s first National Cancer Institute is to be
established in which state: Haryana
712) Name the South-African all rounder cricketer who
has announced is retirement from Test and First
Class cricket: Jacques Kallis
713) As per recent data the maternal mortality ratio
(MMR) — number of women who die of pregnancy-
related causes per 1,00,000 live births — has come
down to _______ in 2010-12, from 212 in 2007-09:
178
714) In India which state has the lowest MMR of 66 per
lac: Kerala
715) In India which state has the Highest MMR of 328 per
lac: Assam
716) J N Chaudhury has been appointed Chief of which
paramilitary force: National Security Guard
717) Who has been appointed as new Director General of
Central Industrial Security Force: Arvind Ranjan
718) Who has been honoured with Polly Umrigar Award
from the BCCI for being India’s best international
cricketer of the year 2012-13: Ravichandran
Ashwin
719) What is the official growth rate fixed by the planning
commission for the 12
th
five year plan: 8%
720) In the first half (April-September) of the current
fiscal FY2013-14, the economy grew by _______per
cent: 4.6
721) India has signed a mega contract of $1.01 billion
with which country for six additional C-130J "Super
Hercules" jumbo military cargo aircrafts: USA
722) Farooq Sheikh who passed away recently was a
prominent ___________: Film Actor
NOVEMBER – 2013
723) Rajendra Yadav who passed away recently was from
which field: Literature
724) Rajendra Yadav was a eminent short story writer
and novelist of which language: Hindi
725) As per a recent study, India has been ranked
______ in terms of ‘Ease of Doing Business’: 134
th
726) In terms of Ease of Doing Business _______ is no. 1
in the world: Singapore
727) The WTA Tour Championship title for 2013 was
lifted by which player: Serena Williams
728) The full form of WTA in WTA Tour Championship is:
Women’s Tennis Association
729) The WTA Tour Championship was held at which
place: Istanbul, Turkey
730) As per Forbes magazine’s latest India Rich List,
________ has been named as India’s wealthiest
person for the sixth year in a row: Mukesh Ambani
731) Mukesh Ambani is the corporate head of which
industries: Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL)
732) Recently we read in the newspaper that an ATM has
been launched for ‘Bitcoins’. What is the Bitcoins: It
is a digital currency, popular worldwide
733) Ashok Amritraj, producer of 109 Hollywood films, for
his outstanding achievements in the film industry
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 93
has been honourd with which award: Soul of India
Award
734) Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award for 2013 has been
given to film celebrity: Amitabh Bachchan
735) Name the new tactical surface-to-surface missile
based on the Prahaar missile, with a range between
60-170 kms: Pragati Missile
736) In a recent global study of tourism, which Indian
State has been named as best region to visit in
2014: Sikkim
737) The World Billiards Championship was held at
______, England: Leeds
738) Name the winner of World Billiards Championship
2013: Peter Gilchrist
739) Peter Gilchrist the world Champion of Billiards is
from which country: Singapore
740) Sachin played his last match in domestic cricket at
which place: Lahli, Haryana
741) In which tournament, Sachin played his last
domestic test match: Ranji Trophy
742) The govt has recently approved an education
promotion programme by the name RUSA. What is
the full form RUSA: Rashtriya Uchchatar Siksha
Abhiyan
743) What is the objective of starting the educational
project RUSA: Improving quality and number of
universities / colleges in country
744) With which country India has agreed to export
motorcycles through the land route: Bangladesh
745) As per recent RBI guidelines banks have been
allowed to pay interest on their deposit accounts at
_______ intervals: Monthly / Fortnightly
746) Most of the banks recover a fixed fee from their
customers for sending them SMS alerts for their
transactions. What are the recent RBI guidelines in
this regard: Charge to be recovered actual
usage basis
747) As per Forbes ranking of The world’s most powerful
people, _________ has been ranked as No. 1:
Vladimir Putin
748) What position is held by Mr. Vladimir Putin:
President, Russia
749) Recently first time a rail link was opened linking the
two continents – Asia and Europe in which country:
Turkey
750) In a list of most powerful persons of the world
compiled by Forbes Magazine, ____ ____ has been
named as most powerful women: Angela Markel
(5
th
)
751) K P Saxena who passed away recently was a
noted________: Hindi Satirist
752) Name the international beauty title won by Ms.
Srishti Rana: Miss Asia Pacific 2013
753) In the 'Prosperity Index' ranking of 142 countries
compiled by London-based Legatum Institute, India
stood at ______ position: 106
th
754) Name the legendry Pakistani female folk singer who
passed away recently: Reshma
755) The Hockey World Cup- 2014 will be held at which
place: The Hague, Netherlands
756) The first joint retreat ceremony of the Border
Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) was held which place:
Petropole border in district North 24
Parganas, West Bengal
757) Name the Indian batsman who created history by
scoring world’s highest ever sixes – 16 in an ODI:
Rohit Sharma
758) With which country India has signed an agreement
to facilitate transfer of sentenced prisoners
languishing in jails in the two countries: Vietnam
759) The 13th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional
Cooperation (IOR-ARC) was held in: Perth,
Australia
760) Sebastian Vettel, the reigning Formula One world
champion from Germany created history by winning
_______ formula races in one year: 9
761) Name the film that won the Golden Gateway of
India award for the best film at the 15
th
Mumbai
Film Festival: La Jaula De Oro (of Mexico)
762) Geeta Chandran who has been honourd with Guru
Debaprasad Award is from which filed:
Bharatnatyam
763) Name the UN agency which has taken up a
nationwide social media campaign against open
defecation in India: UNICEF
764) Name the social media campaign launched by
UNICEF against open defecation in India: Take the
Poo to Loo
765) As regard to service conditions of civil servants,
what was the recent ruling of Supreme Court: They
should not be transferred frequently
766) Which country won the Ashihara Sabaki World
Karate Championship: Romania
767) the Ashihara Sabaki World Karate Championship was
held at which place: Bucharest, Romania
768) The Paris Masters Tennis tournament was won by
______ Djokovic: Novak
769) Tennis star Novak Djokovic is from which country:
Serbia
770) To which country India has provided Rs. 100 crores
as a grant for their Economic Stimulus Plan: Bhutan
771) World Agriculture Forum Congress 2013 and Agri-
has been honourd with which award: Soul of India
Award
734) Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award for 2013 has been
given to film celebrity: Amitabh Bachchan
735) Name the new tactical surface-to-surface missile
based on the Prahaar missile, with a range between
60-170 kms: Pragati Missile
736) In a recent global study of tourism, which Indian
State has been named as best region to visit in
2014: Sikkim
737) The World Billiards Championship was held at
______, England: Leeds
738) Name the winner of World Billiards Championship
2013: Peter Gilchrist
739) Peter Gilchrist the world Champion of Billiards is
from which country: Singapore
740) Sachin played his last match in domestic cricket at
which place: Lahli, Haryana
741) In which tournament, Sachin played his last
domestic test match: Ranji Trophy
742) The govt has recently approved an education
promotion programme by the name RUSA. What is
the full form RUSA: Rashtriya Uchchatar Siksha
Abhiyan
743) What is the objective of starting the educational
project RUSA: Improving quality and number of
universities / colleges in country
744) With which country India has agreed to export
motorcycles through the land route: Bangladesh
745) As per recent RBI guidelines banks have been
allowed to pay interest on their deposit accounts at
_______ intervals: Monthly / Fortnightly
746) Most of the banks recover a fixed fee from their
customers for sending them SMS alerts for their
transactions. What are the recent RBI guidelines in
this regard: Charge to be recovered actual
usage basis
747) As per Forbes ranking of The world’s most powerful
people, _________ has been ranked as No. 1:
Vladimir Putin
748) What position is held by Mr. Vladimir Putin:
President, Russia
749) Recently first time a rail link was opened linking the
two continents – Asia and Europe in which country:
Turkey
750) In a list of most powerful persons of the world
compiled by Forbes Magazine, ____ ____ has been
named as most powerful women: Angela Markel
(5
th
)
751) K P Saxena who passed away recently was a
noted________: Hindi Satirist
752) Name the international beauty title won by Ms.
Srishti Rana: Miss Asia Pacific 2013
753) In the 'Prosperity Index' ranking of 142 countries
compiled by London-based Legatum Institute, India
stood at ______ position: 106
th
754) Name the legendry Pakistani female folk singer who
passed away recently: Reshma
755) The Hockey World Cup- 2014 will be held at which
place: The Hague, Netherlands
756) The first joint retreat ceremony of the Border
Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) was held which place:
Petropole border in district North 24
Parganas, West Bengal
757) Name the Indian batsman who created history by
scoring world’s highest ever sixes – 16 in an ODI:
Rohit Sharma
758) With which country India has signed an agreement
to facilitate transfer of sentenced prisoners
languishing in jails in the two countries: Vietnam
759) The 13th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional
Cooperation (IOR-ARC) was held in: Perth,
Australia
760) Sebastian Vettel, the reigning Formula One world
champion from Germany created history by winning
_______ formula races in one year: 9
761) Name the film that won the Golden Gateway of
India award for the best film at the 15
th
Mumbai
Film Festival: La Jaula De Oro (of Mexico)
762) Geeta Chandran who has been honourd with Guru
Debaprasad Award is from which filed:
Bharatnatyam
763) Name the UN agency which has taken up a
nationwide social media campaign against open
defecation in India: UNICEF
764) Name the social media campaign launched by
UNICEF against open defecation in India: Take the
Poo to Loo
765) As regard to service conditions of civil servants,
what was the recent ruling of Supreme Court: They
should not be transferred frequently
766) Which country won the Ashihara Sabaki World
Karate Championship: Romania
767) the Ashihara Sabaki World Karate Championship was
held at which place: Bucharest, Romania
768) The Paris Masters Tennis tournament was won by
______ Djokovic: Novak
769) Tennis star Novak Djokovic is from which country:
Serbia
770) To which country India has provided Rs. 100 crores
as a grant for their Economic Stimulus Plan: Bhutan
771) World Agriculture Forum Congress 2013 and Agri-
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 94
Tech Trade Fair was held at which place:
Hyderabad (AP)
772) FIDE world chess championship, was held at which
place: Chennai
773) What is the full form of chess championship FIDE:
World Chess Federation ( Federation
Internationale des Echecs)
774) What is the full form of Agricultural mission NFSM:
National Food Security Mission
775) What is the name of joint naval exercise recently
held by navies of Indian and USA: Malabar
776) The naval exercise Malabar by Indian and US Navy
was held at which place: Off the coast of Tamil
Nadu in Bay of Bengal
777) Pakistan successfully tested its ______, Hatf IX
(Nasr) having a range of 60 kms: Missile
778) The maneuvering and tracking of Mangalyaan is
being done by ISTRAC. Write its full form: ISRO
Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network
779) The satellite tracking centre ISTRAC is located at
which place: Bangalore
780) India’s first interplanetary space craft – Mangalyaan
was launched from which centre: Satish Dhawan
Space Centre, Sriharikota (AP)
781) Who is the Chief of the ISRO: Dr. K
Radhakrishnan
782) Name the satellite launching vehicle that was used
to launch Mangalyaan: PSLV-C25
783) The book “Gandhi A Spiritual Biography” has been
written by: Arivnd Sharma
784) In which North Eastern states govt. has extended
AFSPA for a further period of six months: Assam,
Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
785) What is the full form of AFSPA: Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act
786) Tarla Dalal who passed away recently, was a noted
______ expert: Cookery
787) 44th International Film Festival of India was held at
which place: Goa
788) ______ was the ‘country in focus for’ for the44th
International Film Festival of India: Japan
789) India’s second international standard multi-use
Integrated Check Post (ICP) and the first along the
Bangladesh border was opened at which place:
Akhaurah, Tripura
790) India’s second international standard multi-use
Integrated Check Post (ICP) has been opened at
Akhaurah in Tripura. The first ICP is located at
which place: Attari, Punjab
791) India successfully test-fired its nuclear weapons-
capable, surface-to-surface Agni-1 missile recently.
What is its range: 700 kms
792) India’s first Bird Ringing Station has been setup at
Salropa in the prestigious Great Himalayan National
Park in Kullu. What is its purpose: To identify and
establish species of various birds
793) Imomali Rakhmon has been elected as President of
which country: Tajikistan
794) Name the lady who has been named as the most
powerful businesswoman in India for the third
consecutive year in the list of 50 most powerful
businesswomen ranking for 2013 by Fortu ne
magazine: Chanda Kochhar
795) What is the official position of the prominent
corporate figure Ms. Chanda Kochhar: MD & CEO of
ICICI Bank
796) Name the country that will host 2018 men’s Hockey
World Cup: India
797) Name the super strong typhoon that caused wide
spread devastation in Philippines, claiming over
12000 lives: Haiyan
798) The World Economic Forum has joined hands with
________ to jointly organise the India Economic
Summit: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
799) RBI has signed cooperation agreement with central
banks of which two countries: Australia and New
Zealand
800) Recently RBI issued what guidelines for foreign
banks in the context of domestic private sector
banks: Allowed them to take over private
banks
801) As per recent RBI guidelines foreign banks will not
be allowed to hold more than ________ per cent
equity in the private banks they may acquire: 74
802) Name the Olympian shooter who created history by
becoming first Indian women to win air pistol gold in
the ISSF World Cup: Heena Sidhu
803) The ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship was
held at which place: Munich, Germany
804) Name the TV channel that Prasar Bharti plans to
launch specially for Aruanchal Pradesh and Sikkim:
Prabha
805) The Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was organized
at which place by the High Commission of India:
Sydney, Australia
806) National Education Day is celebrated on which date:
11
th
November
807) The birthday of first Education Minister of
Independent India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is
celebrated as what day: National Educational
Day
808) India has declared itself free from _______as there
has been no occurrence of the disease in the last
Tech Trade Fair was held at which place:
Hyderabad (AP)
772) FIDE world chess championship, was held at which
place: Chennai
773) What is the full form of chess championship FIDE:
World Chess Federation ( Federation
Internationale des Echecs)
774) What is the full form of Agricultural mission NFSM:
National Food Security Mission
775) What is the name of joint naval exercise recently
held by navies of Indian and USA: Malabar
776) The naval exercise Malabar by Indian and US Navy
was held at which place: Off the coast of Tamil
Nadu in Bay of Bengal
777) Pakistan successfully tested its ______, Hatf IX
(Nasr) having a range of 60 kms: Missile
778) The maneuvering and tracking of Mangalyaan is
being done by ISTRAC. Write its full form: ISRO
Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network
779) The satellite tracking centre ISTRAC is located at
which place: Bangalore
780) India’s first interplanetary space craft – Mangalyaan
was launched from which centre: Satish Dhawan
Space Centre, Sriharikota (AP)
781) Who is the Chief of the ISRO: Dr. K
Radhakrishnan
782) Name the satellite launching vehicle that was used
to launch Mangalyaan: PSLV-C25
783) The book “Gandhi A Spiritual Biography” has been
written by: Arivnd Sharma
784) In which North Eastern states govt. has extended
AFSPA for a further period of six months: Assam,
Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
785) What is the full form of AFSPA: Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act
786) Tarla Dalal who passed away recently, was a noted
______ expert: Cookery
787) 44th International Film Festival of India was held at
which place: Goa
788) ______ was the ‘country in focus for’ for the44th
International Film Festival of India: Japan
789) India’s second international standard multi-use
Integrated Check Post (ICP) and the first along the
Bangladesh border was opened at which place:
Akhaurah, Tripura
790) India’s second international standard multi-use
Integrated Check Post (ICP) has been opened at
Akhaurah in Tripura. The first ICP is located at
which place: Attari, Punjab
791) India successfully test-fired its nuclear weapons-
capable, surface-to-surface Agni-1 missile recently.
What is its range: 700 kms
792) India’s first Bird Ringing Station has been setup at
Salropa in the prestigious Great Himalayan National
Park in Kullu. What is its purpose: To identify and
establish species of various birds
793) Imomali Rakhmon has been elected as President of
which country: Tajikistan
794) Name the lady who has been named as the most
powerful businesswoman in India for the third
consecutive year in the list of 50 most powerful
businesswomen ranking for 2013 by Fortu ne
magazine: Chanda Kochhar
795) What is the official position of the prominent
corporate figure Ms. Chanda Kochhar: MD & CEO of
ICICI Bank
796) Name the country that will host 2018 men’s Hockey
World Cup: India
797) Name the super strong typhoon that caused wide
spread devastation in Philippines, claiming over
12000 lives: Haiyan
798) The World Economic Forum has joined hands with
________ to jointly organise the India Economic
Summit: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
799) RBI has signed cooperation agreement with central
banks of which two countries: Australia and New
Zealand
800) Recently RBI issued what guidelines for foreign
banks in the context of domestic private sector
banks: Allowed them to take over private
banks
801) As per recent RBI guidelines foreign banks will not
be allowed to hold more than ________ per cent
equity in the private banks they may acquire: 74
802) Name the Olympian shooter who created history by
becoming first Indian women to win air pistol gold in
the ISSF World Cup: Heena Sidhu
803) The ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship was
held at which place: Munich, Germany
804) Name the TV channel that Prasar Bharti plans to
launch specially for Aruanchal Pradesh and Sikkim:
Prabha
805) The Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was organized
at which place by the High Commission of India:
Sydney, Australia
806) National Education Day is celebrated on which date:
11
th
November
807) The birthday of first Education Minister of
Independent India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is
celebrated as what day: National Educational
Day
808) India has declared itself free from _______as there
has been no occurrence of the disease in the last
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 95
three months: H5N1 Avian Influenza (bird flu)
809) ________won the ATP World Tour Finals in London
beating Rafael Nadal: Novak Djokovic
810) South Asian Junior Athletics Championships were
held at which place: Ranchi, Jharkhand
811) Name the country that secured top position in the
South Asian Junior Athletics Championships: India
812) Hurun India Philanthropy List 2013 published by the
China’s leading magazine mougal ‘Huran Report Inc
has ranked IT tycoon ___________as the most
generous Indian with a donation of Rs 8,000 crore in
the year ending March 31, 2013: Azim Hashim
Premji
813) Malia and Malala have been named among the 16
most influential teens of 2013 by the Time
magazine. Who is Malia: Elder daughter of
Barack Obama
814) Prof. C.N.R. Rao has been decorated with Bharat
Ratna. He is from which field: Solid state and
materials chemistry
815) What is the amount of cash reward that is given to
the recipient of a Bharat Ratna: Nil
816) Recommendation for Bharat Ratna are made by
which authority: Prime Minister
817) Who approves awardees for Bharat Ratna:
President of India
818) Can Bharat Ratna be awarded to a non Indian also:
Yes
819) What is the name of the second air craft carrier of
India: INS Vikramaditya
820) The abbreviation INS stands for: Indian Naval
Ship
821) What is the name of the original ship that has been
transformed into INS Vikramaditya: Admiral
Gorshkov
822) INS Vikramaditya has been procured by India from
which country: Russia
823) INS Vikramaditya is the second aircraft of the Indian
Navy. What is the name of the first (existing) aircraft
carrier of India: INS Viraat
824) Name the aircraft carrier being built indigenously in
India: INS Vikrant
825) Name the first aircraft carrier acquired by Indian
Navy which was decommissioned on 31
st
Jan, 1997:
INS Vikrant
826) The INS Vikramaditya will be based at which naval
base: INS Kadamba at Karwar, Karnataka
827) UN’s International Day for Tolerance celebrated on
which date: Nov 16
828) National think tank NCAER has lowered country's
growth rate to 4.8-5.3 per cent range in the current
fiscal. Write the full form of NCAER: National
Council of Applied Economic Research
829) Name the Prime Minister of UK who visited India
recently for a short trip: David Cameron
830) Prime Minister of UK recently visited India only for a
short time as he was on his way to _____:
Colombo, Sri Lanka
831) Central govt. has increased man-days under
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to 150 from existing
norm of 100 days in which state: Odisha
832) Why govt. has increased man-days under Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGS) to 150 from existing norm of
100 days in Odisha: To provide relief from
devastation caused by Phailin cyclone
833) World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have
assured a financial assistance of $ 313 mn to Odisha
government for what purpose: For restoration
and rehabilitation activities in cyclone Phailin
hit areas
834) Which country has promised to provide support of
Rs. 1129 crore for campus development at IIT
Hyderabad: Japan
835) Govt. has decided to establish National Institute of
Disaster Response (NIDR) at which place:
Kamptee, near Nagpur, Maharashtra
836) Telecom major Vodafone India and ICICI Bank have
launched mobile money transfer and payment
service _________in Assam and other North Eastern
states: 'M-Pesa'
837) Name the new President of island country Maldives:
Abdulla Yameen
838) Who has been named as World Athlete of the Year
for 2013 in Men’s category: Usain Bolt
839) World athlete of the year Usain Bolt is from which
field of athletics: 100 and 200 m sprint
840) World athlete of the year Usain Bolt is from which
country: Jamaica
841) Who has been named as World Athlete of the Year
for 2013 in women’s category: Shelly-Ann Fraser-
Pryce
842) World athlete of the year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is
from which field of athletics: 100 and 200 m
sprint
843) World athlete of the year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is
from which country: Jamaica
844) What was the theme of the 22
nd
Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 held
at Colombo, Sri Lanka: Growth with Equity;
Inclusive Development
Edited, Printed and Published by Varinder Mohan Singh Grover for Gyanm Education
and Training Institute Pvt. Ltd., SCO 13-14-15, 2
nd
Floor, Sector 34-A, Chandigarh –
160022 and printed by him at All tech Print Pack, 182/4, Industrial Area – I, Chandigarh.
three months: H5N1 Avian Influenza (bird flu)
809) ________won the ATP World Tour Finals in London
beating Rafael Nadal: Novak Djokovic
810) South Asian Junior Athletics Championships were
held at which place: Ranchi, Jharkhand
811) Name the country that secured top position in the
South Asian Junior Athletics Championships: India
812) Hurun India Philanthropy List 2013 published by the
China’s leading magazine mougal ‘Huran Report Inc
has ranked IT tycoon ___________as the most
generous Indian with a donation of Rs 8,000 crore in
the year ending March 31, 2013: Azim Hashim
Premji
813) Malia and Malala have been named among the 16
most influential teens of 2013 by the Time
magazine. Who is Malia: Elder daughter of
Barack Obama
814) Prof. C.N.R. Rao has been decorated with Bharat
Ratna. He is from which field: Solid state and
materials chemistry
815) What is the amount of cash reward that is given to
the recipient of a Bharat Ratna: Nil
816) Recommendation for Bharat Ratna are made by
which authority: Prime Minister
817) Who approves awardees for Bharat Ratna:
President of India
818) Can Bharat Ratna be awarded to a non Indian also:
Yes
819) What is the name of the second air craft carrier of
India: INS Vikramaditya
820) The abbreviation INS stands for: Indian Naval
Ship
821) What is the name of the original ship that has been
transformed into INS Vikramaditya: Admiral
Gorshkov
822) INS Vikramaditya has been procured by India from
which country: Russia
823) INS Vikramaditya is the second aircraft of the Indian
Navy. What is the name of the first (existing) aircraft
carrier of India: INS Viraat
824) Name the aircraft carrier being built indigenously in
India: INS Vikrant
825) Name the first aircraft carrier acquired by Indian
Navy which was decommissioned on 31
st
Jan, 1997:
INS Vikrant
826) The INS Vikramaditya will be based at which naval
base: INS Kadamba at Karwar, Karnataka
827) UN’s International Day for Tolerance celebrated on
which date: Nov 16
828) National think tank NCAER has lowered country's
growth rate to 4.8-5.3 per cent range in the current
fiscal. Write the full form of NCAER: National
Council of Applied Economic Research
829) Name the Prime Minister of UK who visited India
recently for a short trip: David Cameron
830) Prime Minister of UK recently visited India only for a
short time as he was on his way to _____:
Colombo, Sri Lanka
831) Central govt. has increased man-days under
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to 150 from existing
norm of 100 days in which state: Odisha
832) Why govt. has increased man-days under Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNREGS) to 150 from existing norm of
100 days in Odisha: To provide relief from
devastation caused by Phailin cyclone
833) World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have
assured a financial assistance of $ 313 mn to Odisha
government for what purpose: For restoration
and rehabilitation activities in cyclone Phailin
hit areas
834) Which country has promised to provide support of
Rs. 1129 crore for campus development at IIT
Hyderabad: Japan
835) Govt. has decided to establish National Institute of
Disaster Response (NIDR) at which place:
Kamptee, near Nagpur, Maharashtra
836) Telecom major Vodafone India and ICICI Bank have
launched mobile money transfer and payment
service _________in Assam and other North Eastern
states: 'M-Pesa'
837) Name the new President of island country Maldives:
Abdulla Yameen
838) Who has been named as World Athlete of the Year
for 2013 in Men’s category: Usain Bolt
839) World athlete of the year Usain Bolt is from which
field of athletics: 100 and 200 m sprint
840) World athlete of the year Usain Bolt is from which
country: Jamaica
841) Who has been named as World Athlete of the Year
for 2013 in women’s category: Shelly-Ann Fraser-
Pryce
842) World athlete of the year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is
from which field of athletics: 100 and 200 m
sprint
843) World athlete of the year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is
from which country: Jamaica
844) What was the theme of the 22
nd
Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 held
at Colombo, Sri Lanka: Growth with Equity;
Inclusive Development
Edited, Printed and Published by Varinder Mohan Singh Grover for Gyanm Education
and Training Institute Pvt. Ltd., SCO 13-14-15, 2
nd
Floor, Sector 34-A, Chandigarh –
160022 and printed by him at All tech Print Pack, 182/4, Industrial Area – I, Chandigarh.
GENERAL AWARENESS – JULY 2014 96
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SECTOR
1 5–C
CHANDIGARH
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Emphasis on Shortcuts
Full Day Batch / 5 Hour Classes
Exclusive Mock Tests For Punjab Exams
SCF 22, 1
ST
FLOOR,
OPP. POLICE POST,
SECTOR 15–C,
9646-15-9977
` 500/- ` 450/-
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FORM
TO SUBSCRIBE THIS MAGAZINE
Simply SMS ‘GYANM’ TO ‘09646888377’ OR
EMAIL YOUR REQUEST AT: [email protected]
SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD: ONLY 12 MONTHS
FROM (MONTH) …………………..TO…………….(MONTH)
AMOUNT: (Mark )
For individuals ` 500/-, For Institutions `450/-.
I am preparing for: Bank PO Management Bank
Clerk SSC Exams Railway Exams Others
Name: Mr. / Ms:……………………………………………….….
DOB:……..../……..../………..…
Address:…………………………………………………………… .…
………………………………………………………………………… .…
…………………………………………………………………………….
City:………………………………………………………………………
…………………………….District:……………………………… …..
State: ………………..…………………..PIN:
Email: …………………………………………………………………..
Ph./Mob…………………………………………………..…………
Subscription amount can be credited to our Bank
A/c No. 317 372 10954 at State Bank of India,
Phase 10, Mohali (Punjab), IFS Code – SBIN0004421
or
by MULTICITY Cheque/Draft favouring “Gyanm
Education & Training Institute Pvt. Ltd.” payable at
Chandigarh.
Date:……………… Signature
(Magazine will be sent by Ordinary Post)
GYANM COLLEGE OF COMPETITIONS, HO: SCO 13-15, 2
ND
FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH, PH: 0172-4052124
NOW ALSO AT
SECTOR
1 5–C
CHANDIGARH
Exam Oriented Study Material
Emphasis on Shortcuts
Full Day Batch / 5 Hour Classes
Exclusive Mock Tests For Punjab Exams
SCF 22, 1
ST
FLOOR,
OPP. POLICE POST,
SECTOR 15–C,
9646-15-9977
` 500/- ` 450/-
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