UGC-NET/JRF Examination, 2010

Sociology
Paper-II

                                      (Held on June 2010)

(USEFUL FOR APPSC ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (RESEARCH) IN A.P. TRIBAL WELFARE STATE SERVICE EXAM)

1. Who among the following authors initially used the term ‘social physics’ for Sociology?
(A) Spencer
(B) Comte
(C) Tonnies
(D) Weber
Ans : (B)

2. An author thought of ‘society to be consisting in the conscious-ness of kind’.
Identify from among the following—
(A) Cooley
(B) Ward
(C) Simmel
(D) Giddings
Ans : (D)

3. What does the social relationship primarily involve ?
(A) Institutions
(B) Religion
(C) Consciousness of other people
(D) Associations
Ans : (C)


4. A group organised to achieve a certain purpose is known as which among the following ?
(A) Institution
(B) Community
(C) Association
(D) State
Ans : (C)

5. Who among the following thought of religion to an opium of the people ?
(A) Freud
(B) Mosca
(C) Marx
(D) Durkheim
Ans : (C)

6. Who said : “Civilization is always advancing but not culture.” ?
(A) Johnson
(B) MacIver
(C) Toynbee
(D) Berger
Ans : (B)

7. Match the authors (List-I) with their books (List-II)—
List-I(a) MacIver
(b) Davis
(c) Berger
(d) Bierstedt
List-II
1. Invitation to Sociology
2. Society
3. The Social Order
4. Human Society
Codes :(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 3 4 1
(B) 1 2 4 3
(C) 2 1 3 4
(D) 2 4 1 3
Ans : (D)

8. Which is the basic distinction between culture and civilization ?
(A) Culture is what we have achieved and civilization is what we aspire to achieve
(B) Culture is what comes out of intelligence but civilization is what comes out of experience
(C) Culture is secondary but civilization is primary
(D) Culture is what we are and civilization is what we have
Ans : (D)

9. Ceremonies that mark a critical transition in the life of an individual from one phase of life-cycle to another are called—
(A) Role-taking
(B) Rites of Passage
(C) Status Crystallization
(D) Status set
Ans : (B)

10. Who among the following gave the concept of anticipatory socialisation ?
(A) Merton
(B) Parsons
(C) Homans
(D) Sumner
Ans : (A)

11. Read the following two statements (A) Assertion and (R) Reason, and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
Assertion (A) : Monogamy is the most common form of marriage in the contemporary society.
Reason (R) : Status of women gets enhanced only through monogamy.
Codes :
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true
Ans : (C)

12. Match List-I with List-II by using the codes given below—
List-I
(a) Ingroup and outgroup
(b) Primary and secondary group
(c) Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
(d) Closed and open groups
List-II1. Homans
2. Tonnies
3. Cooley
4. Summer
5. Durkheim
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 2 3 1
(B) 4 3 2 1
(C) 3 2 1 4
(D) 4 1 3 2
Ans : (B)

13. When a girl of the higher caste marries a boy of the lower caste, the system is known as—
(A) Levirate
(B) Anuloma
(C) Sororate
(D) Pratiloma
Ans : (D)

14. In the matriarchal family the position of a Woman is recognised to be supreme in all matters.
Which of the following is not its characteristic ?
(A) Descent is reckoned through mother
(B) Marriage relations are not permanent
(C) Wife lives in the house of her husband
(D) Property is inheritable by the females
Ans : (C)

15. Who has given the concept of atomistic family ?
(A) Murdock
(B) Zimmerman
(C) Durkheim
(D) Warner
Ans : (B)

16. Match List-I (Rules of Restriction) with List-II (Name of Rule) and select the correct answer using the code given below the list—
List-I
(a) One should seek a spouse from outside one’s descent group.
(b) Women of the higher caste cannot marry men of lower caste.
(c) One should marry only within one’s caste group.
(d) The men of higher caste could marry women of lower caste.
List-II1. Pratiloma
2. Exogamy
3. Anuloma
4. Endogamy
Codes :(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 1 2 3
(B) 2 3 4 1
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 2 1 4 3
Ans : (D)

17. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
List-I (Authors)
(a) Peter Worsley
(b) W. W. Rostow
(c) Andre Gunder Frank
(d) Reinhard Bendix
List-II (Books)
1. The Stages of Economic Growth
2. Under development or Revolution
3. The Third World
4. Nation Building and Citizenship : Studies of Our Changing Social Order
5. Asian Drama
Codes :(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 2 5 3
(B) 3 1 2 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 4 1 2 5
Ans : (B)

18. There is a lot of difference between ancient and modern bureaucracies. Which factor among the following does not denote this difference ?
(A) Greater specialization of functions
(B) Vastness of modern bureaucracy
(C) Dominant aspect of society
(D) Hierarchy of command
Ans : (D)

19. The ‘looking glass self’ means that we learn who we are—
(A) By self feeling
(B) By an act of imitation
(C) By other people’s experience with us
(D) By imaging ourselves to be someone else
Ans : (A)

20. The ‘super ego’ according to Freud represents the part of an individual’s personality that was created—
(A) Through socialization during the formative years
(B) Through socialization in the old age
(C) Through socialization process which occurs throughout one’s life
(D) None of the above
Ans : (C)

21. Which one of the following is not a functional utility of social stratification ?
(A) It helps in providing opportunities
(B) It develops a spirit of struggle
(C) It helps in deciding responsibility of everyone in the society
(D) It helps in identifying unsuitable persons in society
Ans : (D)

22. Which of the following theories makes us believe that caste system is not of human but of divine origin ?
(A) Racial theory
(B) Political theory
(C) Occupational theory
(D) Traditional theory
Ans : (D)

23. Which one of the following is an essential element of the social class ? Feeling of—
(A) Equality among the members of a class
(B) Superiority against those who are at the lower ladder of status
(C) Inferiority against those who are at the higher ladder of status
(D) All the above
Ans : (A)

24. Consider the following statements—
Sanskritization is the process of—
1. Orthogenetic change
2. Heterogenetic change
3. Change in cultural structure
4. Change in social structure
Which of the statement given above are correct ?
(A) 1 and 3
(B) 1 and 4
(C) 2 and 3
(D) 2 and 4
Ans : (C)

25. Which of the following concepts are applied to analyse the process of civilization change ?
(A) Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
(B) Zweckrational and Wertrational
(C) Mechanical and Organic Solidarity
(D) Sensate and Ideational Culture
Ans : (D)

26. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the list—
List-I
(a) Ethnic
(b) Reform
(c) Secessionist
(d) Subnational
List-II
1. Naga Movement
2. Jharkhand Movement
3. Birsa Movement
4. Bhakti Movement
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 3 2 1 4
(B) 1 4 3 2
(C) 3 4 1 2
(D) 1 2 3 4
Ans : (B)

27. Who propounded the theory of ‘Internal Structure of Role’ ?
(A) Radcliffe Brown
(B) Nadel
(C) Levistrauss
(D) Murdock
Ans : (B)

28. Who among the following formulated the theory of ‘Middle Class’ within the Marxian frame-work ?
(A) Collins
(B) Coser
(C) Dahrendorf
(D) Engles
Ans : (C)

29. According to Radcliffe-Brown, which of the following does not contribute to the integration and survival of the society ?
(A) Kinship system
(B) Leadership
(C) Lineage
(D) Rituals
Ans : (B)

30. Which of the following requisites is not applicable to symbolic system of Malinowski ?
(A) Production and distribution of consumer goods
(B) Social control and regulation of behaviour
(C) Organisation and execution of authority
(D) Communal rhythm in daily life and activities
Ans : (C)

31. In which of the following statements, Durkheim has identified the indirect functions of crime ?
(A) Collective sentiment against the infringement of norms
(B) Fear of punishment
(C) Flexibility in society
(D) None of the above
Ans : (A)

32. Who has advocated that functional analysis need not be con-fined to society as a whole but it can be extended to an organisation, institution or group ?
(A) Levistrauss
(B) Malinowski
(C) Parsons
(D) Merton
Ans : (C)

33. There are two statements, one Assertion (A) and other is Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the codes given below—
Assertion (A) : Social analysis of action is ultimately concerned with individuals and not collectivities.
Reason (R) : Collectivities are treated as solely the resultants and modes of organisation of particular acts of individuals and hence these alone can be treated as agents in a course of subjectively understandable action.
Codes :(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true
Ans : (A)

34. Which of the following is applicable to Pareto’s Logical Action ?
(A) Subjectively logical action
(B) Objectively logical action
(C) Both subjectively and objectively logical action
(D) None of the above
Ans : (B)

35. Which of the following is associated with basic principles of symbolic interaction ?
(A) People cannot modify the symbols us ed in interaction
(B) People can modify the symbols used in interaction based on subjective understanding
(C) People are able to modify or alter the symbols used in interaction based on the interpretation of situation
(D) People can modify symbols used in interaction based on the capacity to think
Ans : (C)

36. According to Marx, which of the following is considered to be the most crucial element for class struggle ?
(A) Class interest
(B) Class consciousness
(C) Class formation
(D) Class identity
Ans : (B)

37. Who was the first to use the comparative method or indirect experiment method in Sociology?
(A) Max Weber
(B) Emile Durkheim
(C) Herbert Spencer
(D) V. Pareto
Ans : (B)

38. Who has used ‘participant observation’ method for collection of data ?
(A) A. R. Radcliffe Brown
(B) B. Malinowski
(C) S. C. Dube
(D) N. K. Bose
Ans : (B)

39. Who has written on ‘objectivity’ in his methodological writings ?
(A) W. Dilthey
(B) Emile Durkheim
(C) Max Weber
(D) Daya Krishna
Ans : (B)

40. Match List-I with List-II and mark the correct answer from the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Books)
(a) Rules of Sociological Method
(b) Statistical Reasoning in Sociology
(c) Methodology of Social Sciences
(d) Methods in Social Research
List-II (Authors)
1. Goode and Hatt
2. Max Weber
3. Schuessler and Mueller
4. Emile Durkheim
5. P. F. Lazarsfeld
Codes :(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 2 3 4
(B) 2 3 4 1
(C) 3 4 2 1
(D) 4 3 2 1
Ans : (D)

41. Who has propounded the idea that we can treat social facts (phenomena) as things ?
(A) R. K. Merton
(B) Paul F. Lazarsfeld
(C) Emile Durkheim
(D) Max Weber
Ans : (C)

42. Which type of question(s) are investigated in exploratory research design ?
(A) Why is it ?
(B) What is it ?
(C) How is it ?
(D) All the above
Ans : (D)

43. Which method is more suitable for collecting data from non-literate communities ?
(A) Questionnaire
(B) Observation
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) None of the above
Ans : (B)

44. Purpose of case study method is—
(A) To generalize about relation-ships
(B) To explore desired relation-ships of a phenomenon
(C) To explore maximum possible relationships of a phenomenon
(D) To relate it to select relation-ships of a phenomenon
Ans : (C)

45. Which average can be calculated from an open ended table ?
(A) Median and Mode
(B) Mode and Mean
(C) Mean and Median
(D) None of the above
Ans : (B)

46. When one variable is qualitative and another variable is quantitative, which measure will be for finding covariation between them ?
(A) Yule’s (Q)
(B) Phi coefficient (Φ)
(C) Rank correlation (P)
(D) Chi square (χ²)
Ans : (D)

47. Match List-I with List-II and mark the correct answer from the codes given below the lists :
List-I(a) Participant Observation
(b) Social Facts
(c) Versetehen
(d) Middle range theory
List-II1. Max Weber
2. R. K. Merton
3. Emile Durkheim
4. A. R. Radcliffe-Brown
5. W. F. Whyte
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 5 3 1 2
(B) 4 3 2 5
(C) 3 4 2 1
(D) 4 2 1 5
Ans : (A)

48. Which of the following methods is known as probability sampling ?
(A) A sample selected by lottery from the totality
(B) A sample selected of those who were available
(C) A sample selected considering the purpose of research
(D) A sample selected by considering the various categories of respondents
Ans : (A)

49. Which one of the following statistics will be used to find out covariation between two qualitative variables ?
(A) Phi (Φ)
(B) Yule’s Q
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) None of the above
Ans : (C)

50. In which one of the following concepts has M. N. Srinivas explained caste mobility as a process of Social and Cultural change ?
(A) Sanskritization
(B) Secularization
(C) Westernization
(D) Modernization
Ans : (A)

Uttar Pradesh P.C.S. (Pre.) Exam., 2011

                     General Studies
                                               (Exam Held on 26-6-2011)

1. Which one of the following is not formed in our body ?
(A) Vitamin A
(B) Protein
(C) Enzyme
(D) Hormone
Ans : (A)

2. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?
(A) Silver iodide —Horn Silver
(B) Silver chloride —Artificial rain
(C) Zinc phosphide —Rat poison
(D) Zinc sulphide —Philosopher’s wool
Ans : (C)

3. Which one of the following gases is essential for photosynthesis process ?
(A) CO
(B) CO₂
(C) N₂
(D) O₂
Ans : (B)


4. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
List-I
(a) Morphine
(b) Sodium
(c) Boric Acid
(d) German Silver
List-II
1. Antiseptic
2. Alloy
3. Analgesic
4. Kerosene oil
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 3 1 2
(B) 2 4 3 1
(C) 3 1 4 2
(D) 3 4 1 2
Ans : (D)

5. Which one of the following human organs is most susceptible to harmful radiations ?
(A) Eyes
(B) Heart
(C) Brain
(D) Lungs
Ans : (A)

6. The minimum height of a plane mirror to see the full size image of a person is equal to—
(A) the height of the person
(B) half the height of the person
(C) one-fourth the height of the person
(D) double the height of the person
Ans : (B)

7. Helium is preferred to hydrogen in air balloons because it—
(A) is cheaper
(B) is less dense
(C) has greater lifting power
(D) does not form an explosive mixture with air
Ans : (B)

8. Retina of the eye is comparable to which of the following parts of a traditional camera ?
(A) Film
(B) Lens
(C) Shutter
(D) Cover
Ans : (A)

9. Anosmia is—
(A) loss of the sense of taste
(B) loss of the sense of smell
(C) loss of the sense of touch
(D) loss of the sense of heat
Ans : (B)

10. Assertion (A) : If somebody stops taking green vegetables he will suffer from night blindness.
Reason (R) : He will suffer from Vitamin A deficiency.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below—
Codes :
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Ans : (A)

11. Insectivorous fish used for mosquito control is—
(A) Hilsa
(B) Labeo
(C) Gambusia
(D) Mystus
Ans : (C)

12. With which of the physiological process Thrombin is associated ?
(A) Excretion
(B) Blood clotting
(C) Reproduction
(D) Growth
Ans : (B)

13. AIDS is caused by—
(A) Bacteria
(B) Fungus
(C) Helminth
(D) Virus
Ans : (D)

14. Which of the following is not the normal function of the human kidney ?
(A) Regulation of water level in the blood.
(B) Regulation of sugar level in the blood.
(C) Filter out urea.
(D) Secretion of several hormones.
Ans : (B)

15. The principle of ‘Black hole’ was enunciated by—
(A) C.V. Raman
(B) H.J. Bhabha
(C) S. Chandrashekhar
(D) H. Khurana
Ans : (C)

16. Which one of the following is used as a moderator in the nuclear reactor ?
(A) Thorium
(B) Graphite
(C) Radium
(D) Ordinary water
Ans : (B)

17. Refrigeration helps in food preservation by—
(A) killing the germs
(B) reducing the rate of biochemical reactions
(C) destroying enzyme action
(D) sealing the food with a layer of ice
Ans : (B)

18. Electric bulb filament is made of—
(A) Copper
(B) Aluminium
(C) Lead
(D) Tungsten
Ans : (D)

19. Which mirror is used as a rear view mirror in the vehicles ?
(A) Plane
(B) Convex
(C) Concave
D) Inverted
Ans : (B)

20. Which one of the following is a part of Infotech Terminology ?
(A) Protocol
(B) Login
(C) Archie
(D) All the above
Ans : (D)

21. Inventor and founder of www is—
(A) Timbernrus
(B) N. Russel
(C) Lee N. Fiyong
(D) Bill Gates
Ans : (A)

22. Amniocentosis is a method used to determine the—
(A) foetal sex
(B) kind of Amino acids
(C) sequence of Amino acids in protein
(D) type of hormones
Ans : (A)

23. BMD testing is done to diagnose
(A) Dengue
(B) Malaria
(C) Osteoporosis
(D) AIDS
Ans : (C)

24. Which one of the following States has granted Sanskrit language the status of the second official language of the State ?
(A) Bihar
(B) Chhattisgarh
(C) Uttar Pradesh
(D) Uttarakhand
Ans : (D)

25. Which one of the following has the right to address the Parliament ?
(A) Attorney General of India
(B) Chief Election Commissioner of India
(C) Chief Justice of India
(D) National Security Advisor
Ans : (A)

26. Which one of the following statements about the Parliament of India is not correct ?
(A) The Constitution provides for a Parliamentary form of Government.
(B) The foremost function of the Parliament is to provide a Cabinet.
(C) The membership of the Cabinet is restricted to the Lower House.
(D) The Cabinet has to enjoy the confidence of the majority in the popular Chamber.
Ans : (C)

27. Voting right by the youths at the age of 18 years was exercised for the first time in the General Election of—
(A) 1987
(B) 1988
(C) 1989
(D) 1990
Ans : (C)

28. Under which one of the following Articles of the Indian Constitution, the Legislative Assembly is allowed to resolve for the creation of the Legislative Council ?
(A) 168
(B) 169
(C) 170
(D) 171
Ans : (B)

29. Missile ‘Astra’ is a—
(A) land to land missile
(B) land to air missile
(C) air to air missile
(D) water to land missile
Ans : (C)

30. Indane gas is a mixture of—
(A) butane and hydrogen
(B) butane and oxygen
(C) butane and propane
(D) methane and oxygen
Ans : (C)

31. South Indian festival of ‘Onam’ is associated with which of the following ?
(A) Ram’s victory over Rawan
(B) Durga’s killing of Mahishasur
(C) Shiva Shakti
(D) Mahabali
Ans : (D)

32. Which among the following is the largest software company in India ?
(A) Infosys
(B) TCS
(C) WIPRO
(D) HCL Tech
Ans : (C)

33. Which one of the following is different from the others from the point of view of ownership ?
(A) LIC Policy
(B) Bank Fixed Deposit
(C) Kisan Vikas Patra
(D) Debenture of a Company
Ans : (C)

34. In the Union Budget 2011-12, the effective rate of interest for farmers on timely repayment of the bank loan is—
(A) 7 per cent
(B) 6 per cent
(C) 4 per cent
(D) 3 per cent
Ans : (C)

35. ‘Athapoo’ is associated with which of the following festivals ?
(A) Dol Yatra
(B) Onam
(C) Pongal
(D) Vishwakarma Puja
Ans : (B)

36. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
List-I(a) Pandit Durgalal
(b) Lalgudi Jayaraman
(c) Bala Murali Krishna
(d) Amrita Shergil
List-II1. Instrumental Music
2. Dance
3. Painting
4. Vocal Music
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 1 2 4 3
(C) 3 1 2 4
(D) 2 4 3 1
Ans : (A)

37. Which one of the following is useful in the treatment of scurvy disease ?
(A) Mango
(B) Papaya
(C) Myrobalan
(D) Ber
Ans : (C)

38. Which of the following crops are grown mainly in the irrigated areas during Zaid ?
(A) Arhar and Gram
(B) Moong and Urad
(C) Rice and Millets
(D) Maize and Groundnut
Ans : (B)

39. The largest producer of Sugar in India is—
(A) Bihar
(B) Karnataka
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Uttar Pradesh
Ans : (D)

40. Which of the following authority sanctions foreign exchange for the import of goods ?
(A) Any Nationalised Bank
(B) Exchange Bank
(C) Reserve Bank of India
(D) Ministry of Finance
Ans : (C)

41. A letter of credit has to be produced by—
(A) an exporter
(B) an importer
(C) custom authorities
(D) shipping company
Ans : (A)

42. Which organisation promotes the foreign trade ?
(A) ECGS
(B) MMTC
(C) STC
(D) All of the above
Ans : (A)

43. The main source of fund for the National Highway Authority of India is—
(A) Cess
(B) Foreign assistance
(C) Market borrowings
(D) Budgetary support of Union Government
Ans : (D)

44. Golden rice has the highest quantity of—
(A) Vitamin A
(B) Vitamin B
(C) Vitamin C
(D) Vitamin K
Ans : (A)

45. The State known as ‘Garden of Spices’ is—
(A) Karnataka
(B) Kerala
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Tamil Nadu
Ans : (B)

46. MODVAT is related to—
(A) Excise duty
(B) Value Added Tax (VAT)
(C) Wealth Tax
(D) Income Tax
Ans : (B)

47. More than one-third of the crude steel production of the world comes from—
(A) China
(B) Japan
(C) Russia
(D) U.S.A.
Ans : (A)

48. The Sun City is located in—
(A) Italy
(B) Japan
(C) Mexico
(D) South Africa
Ans : (D)

49. The correct descending order of the leading producers of milk is—
(A) China, India, Russia, U.S.A.
(B) India, U.S.A., China, Russia
(C) U.S.A., India, China, Russia
(D) India, China, U.S.A., Russia
Ans : (D)

50. Match List-I and List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below the lists— List-I (Iron-Steel Centre)(a) Hamilton
(b) Birmingham
(c) Essen
(d) Anshan
List-II (Country)
1. China
2. Canada
3. U.K.
4. Germany
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 3 1 2
(B) 2 1 4 3
(C) 2 3 4 1
(D) 3 4 2 1
Ans : (C)

51. Import procedure begins with—
(A) Indent
(B) Mate’s receipt
(C) Marine insurance
(D) Shipping bill
Ans : (B)

52. Private Sector Mutual Funds in India were permitted in—
(A) 1964
(B) 1993
(C) 1994
(D) 2001
Ans : (B)

53. In India the State with the largest area under very dense forests is—
(A) Arunachal Pradesh
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Orissa (Odisha)
Ans : (A)

54. In India two largest producers of coal (2008-09) are—
(A) Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
(B) Chhattisgarh and Orissa (Odisha)
(C) Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand
(D) Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh
Ans : (C)

55. Which of the following towns lie in the National Capital Region ?
1. Ambala
2. Khurja
3. Karnal
4. Rohtak
Select the correct answer from the codes given below—
Codes :
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 3 and 4 only
(C) 1, 2 and 3 only
(D) 2, 3 and 4 only
Ans : (D)

56. Coolgardie lies in the Australian province of—
(A) New South Wales
(B) Northern Territory
(C) Queensland
(D) Western Australia
Ans : (D)

57. Match List-I and List-II and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
List-I (Lake)
(a) Erie
(b) Michigan
(c) Ontario
(d) Superior
List-II (City)
1. Duluth
2. Detroit
3. Gary
4. Hamilton
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 1 3 2 4
(C) 4 2 3 1
(D) 2 3 4 1
Ans : (D)

58. Arrange the following States of India in descending order of their forest-area and select the correct answer from the code given below :
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Orissa (Odisha)
(A) 1, 3, 4, 2
(B) 1, 2, 3, 4
(C) 4, 3, 1, 2
(D) 2, 3, 4, 1
Ans : (D)

59. Which one of the following does not lie in Maharashtra ?
(A) Balaghat Range
(B) Harishchandra Range
(C) Mandav Hills
(D) Satmala Hills
Ans : (C)

60. Which one of the following is not the port town of Gujarat ?
(A) Jamnagar
(B) Okha
(C) Porbandar
(D) Veraval
Ans : (A)

61. Who among the following has been awarded the prestigious Abel Prize for the year 2011 ?
(A) Isadore M. Singer
(B) John Griggs Thompson
(C) John Willard Milnor
(D) Peter D. Lax
Ans : (C)

62. Assertion (A) : Kerala stands first in terms of human development index.
Reason (R) : Its unemployment rate is the highest in the country.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below :
Codes :
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Ans : (C)

63. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
(A) Koyali : Gujarat
(B) Nagapattinam : Andhra Pradesh
(C) Numaligarh : Assam
(D) Manali : Tamil Nadu
Ans : (B)

64. Which one of the following Indian States has recently signed a $ 220 million agreement with the World Bank ?
(A) Bihar
(B) Kerala
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Tamil Nadu
Ans : (A)

65. According to the World Bank’s Global Development Finance Report 2010 the correct descending order of the world’s five most indebted countries is—
(A) Russia, Brazil, China, Turkey, India
(B) Russia, China, Turkey, Brazil, India
(C) Russia, China, Brazil, India, Turkey
(D) Russia, Brazil, India, China, Turkey
Ans : (D)

66. In February 2011 India International Youth Film Festival was held in
(A) Hyderabad
(B) Kolkata
(C) Mumbai
(D) New Delhi
Ans : (D)

67. At the 83rd Oscar Awards the best film award was won by—
(A) Black Swan
(B) The Fighter
(C) The King’s Speech
(D) The Social Network
Ans : (C)

68. The foundation stone of the third Indian Research Centre in Antarctica was laid by the name of—
(A) Sarswati
(B) Bharti
(C) Anweshan
(D) Yamnotri
Ans : (B)

69. The author of the book ‘The Emperor of All Maladies : A Biography of Cancer’, for which 2011 Pulitzer Prize has been awarded, is—
(A) Farid Zakariya
(B) Geeta Anand
(C) Jhumpa Lahiri
(D) Siddhartha Mukherjee
Ans : (D)

70. Who among the following film actors was given Mother Teresa Award in March 2011 ?
(A) Prem Chopra
(B) Rajesh Khanna
(C) Shammi Kapoor
(D) Shatrughan Sinha
Ans : (A)

71. India in February 2011 signed Free Trade Agreement with—
(A) Australia
(B) Indonesia
(C) Japan
(D) South Korea
Ans : (C)

72. India has recently signed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with—
(A) Indonesia
(B) Malaysia
(C) Saudi Arabia
(D) Vietnam
Ans : (B)

73. Which one of the following districts of Uttar Pradesh has the highest literacy rate as per the provisional figures of 2011 Census ?
(A) Gautambuddh Nagar
(B) Ghaziabad
(C) Kanpur Nagar
(D) Lucknow
Ans : (B)

74. Thumri Singer Girija Devi belongs to—
(A) Banaras Gharana
(B) Agra Gharana
(C) Kirana Gharana
(D) Lucknow Gharana
Ans : (A)

75. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the code given below—
List-I (District)
(a) Jalaun
(b) Kanpur Dehat
(c) Sant Ravidas Nagar
(d) Kushinagar
List-II (Headquarters)
1. Akbarpur
2. Navgarh (Bhadohi)
3. Padrauna
4. Orai
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 1 2 3
(B) 4 3 2 1
(C) 2 1 3 4
(D) 1 2 4 3
Ans : (A)

76. The first Woman General Secretary of SAARC, elected in January 2011, comes from—
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Sri Lanka
(C) Maldives
(D) Bhutan
Ans : (C)

77. The 18th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhawana Award has been given to—
(A) Shabana Azmi
(B) Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
(C) Javed Akhtar
(D) None of the above
Ans : (B)

78. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Agricultural University is located at—
(A) Faizabad
(B) Meerut (Modipuram)
(C) Kanpur
(D) Jhansi
Ans : (B)

79. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer from the code given below—
List-I (City)
(a) Lucknow
(b) Varanasi
(c) Kanpur
(d) Agra
List-II (Aerodrome)
1. Babatpur
2. Kheria
3. Amausi
4. Chakeri
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 3 1 2
(B) 2 1 4 3
(C) 3 2 1 4
(D) 3 1 4 2
Ans : (D)

80. The official bird of Uttar Pradesh is—
(A) Peacock
(B) Saras
(C) Parrot
(D) Cuckoo
Ans : (B)

81. The most popular religious magazine ‘Kalyan’ is published from—
(A) Mathura
(B) Rishikesh
(C) Gorakhpur
(D) Varanasi
Ans : (C)

82. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
(A) Vrindavan Mandir : Mathura
(B) J. K. Temple : Lucknow
(C) Vishwanath Mandir : Varanasi
(D) Devipatan Mandir : Tulsipur
Ans : (B)

83. Which one of the following statements regarding Uttar Pradesh, according to the provisional figures of 2011 Census is not correct ?
(A) It accounts for 16•5 per cent of the country’s population.
(B) It has the largest number of children in the country.
(C) Its decadal growth rate is 18•4%.
(D) Its sex ratio is 908.
Ans : (C)

84. Famous Charkula dance is associated with—
(A) Avadh
(B) Bundelkhand
(C) Brij Bhumi
(D) Rohilkhand
Ans : (C)

85. In ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 the ‘man of the tournament’ was—
(A) Kumar Sangakkara
(B) Sachin Tendulkar
(C) Tilakratne Dilshan
(D) Yuvraj Singh
Ans : (D)

86. The winner of All England Badminton Championship, 2011, Men’s Singles Title, was—
(A) Chen Jin
(B) Lee Chong Wei
(C) Lee Yong Dae
(D) Lin Dan
Ans : (B)

87. The winner of Australian Open 2011, Men’s Singles, was—
(A) Andy Murray
(B) David Ferrer
(C) Novak Djokovic
(D) Roger Federer
Ans : (C)

88. The Captain of the Indian Hockey Team for Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament, 2011, was—
(A) Arjun Halappa
(B) Rajesh Kumar
(C) Rajpal Singh
(D) Shivendra Singh
Ans : (A)

89. Farrukhabad is known for—
(A) Carpet weaving
(B) Glassware
(C) Perfume manufacture
(D) Hand printing
Ans : (C)

90. In which of the following crops Uttar Pradesh is not the largest producer in India ?
(A) Potato
(B) Rice
(C) Sugarcane
(D) Wheat
Ans : (B)

91. ‘Stanley Cup’ is associated with—
(A) Badminton
(B) Basketball
(C) Golf
(D) Ice Hockey
Ans : (D)

92. The ‘Laureus World Sportsman of the Year’ award for 2010 was given to—
(A) Lionel Messi
(B) Rafael Nadal
(C) Ronaldo
(D) Sachin Tendulkar
Ans : (B)

93. ‘Smash’ is associated with which of the following sports ?
(A) Boxing
(B) Wrestling
(C) Football
(D) Volleyball
Ans : (D)

94. Bula Chaudhary is well-known in which of the following sport disciplines ?
(A) Swimming
(B) Hockey
(C) Football
(D) Archery
Ans : (A)

95. Tejaswini Sawant is the first Indian woman to be crowned World Champion in—
(A) Athletics
(B) Boxing
(C) Shooting
(D) Wrestling
Ans : (C)

96. The correct descending order of the four winners of the highest number of gold medals in the 34th National Games 2011 is—
(A) Services, Manipur, Haryana, Maharashtra
(B) Services, Haryana, Manipur, Maharashtra
(C) Services, Manipur, Mahara-shtra, Haryana
(D) Services, Haryana, Mahara-shtra, Manipur
Ans : (A)

97. In the 34th National Games, 2011 which State won the team title in Badminton in Men’s Section ?
(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Kerala
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Tamil Nadu
Ans : (A)

98. Which one of the following will come next in the series given below ?
LXF MTJ NPN OLR ...........
(A) PHV
(B) PPV
(C) PTV
D) PJW
Ans : (A)

99. If COMPUTER is coded as RFUVQNPC, the code for MEDICINE will be—
(A) MFEDJJOE
(B) MFEJDJOE
(C) EOJDEJFM
(D) EOJDJEFM
Ans : (D)

100. Introducing a girl Mohan said, “Her mother is the only daughter of my mother-in-law.” How is Mohan related to that girl ?
(A) Brother
(B) Father
(C) Husband
(D) Uncle
Ans : (B)

101. The following series has a wrong number :
1 12 65 264 795 1590 1593
The wrong number is—
(A) 65
(B) 264
(C) 795
(D) 1590
Ans : (D)

102. Govind is 3 years older than his wife Shyama and four times as old as his son Raghu. If Raghu becomes 15 years old after 3 years, what is the present age of Shyama ?
(A) 60 years
(B) 51 years
(C) 48 years
(D) 45 years
Ans : (D)

103. Ten years ago Ram’s age was half of Moti’s age. If the ratio of their present ages is 3 : 4, what is the total of their present ages ?
(A) 25
(B) 28
(C) 32
(D) 35
Ans : (D)

104. Sonu bought a watch with 30 per cent discount on the labelled price. He sold it with 20 per cent profit on the labelled price. Approximately, what was his percentage of profit on the price he bought ?
(A) 50
(B) 65
(C) 70
(D) 85
Ans : (C)

105. The surface area of a cube is 384 m². Its volume will be—
(A) 512 m³
(B) 516 m³
(C) 1032 m³
(D) 216 m³
Ans : (A)

106. There are four prime numbers. The product of first three is 385 and the product of the last three is 1001. First and the last numbers are respectively—
(A) 5, 11
(B) 5, 13
(C) 7, 11
(D) 7, 13
Ans : (B)

107. If the number 1 X 5 X 01 is divisible by 11, then X is equal to—
(A) 2
(B) 6
(C) 8
(D) 3
Ans : (C)

108. Avinash spent 2/5 of his income for a month on rent and 3/4 th of the remainder on other expenses. The balance of Rs. 180 he put in his savings account. How much was his income for the month ?
(A) Rs. 1,200
(B) Rs. 1,400
(C) Rs. 1,600
(D) Rs. 1,800
Ans : (A)

109. The author of ‘Green Development’ is—
(A) M. J. Bradshaw
(B) M. Nicolson
(C) R. H. Whittakar
(D) W. M. Adams
Ans : (D)

110. The missing number in the following series :
0, 4, 18, 48, ?, 180 is—
(A) 58
(B) 68
(C) 84
(D) 100
Ans : (D)

111. Manas started a business investing Rs. 42,000. After 7 months, Kamal joined him with a capital of Rs. 50,000. At the end of the year, the total profit was Rs. 30,160. What is Kamal’s share in the profit ?
(A) Rs. 10,000
(B) Rs. 20,160
(C) Rs. 10,160
(D) Rs. 8,000
Ans : (A)

112. The author of ‘Nuclear Reactor Time Bomb’ is—
(A) C. C. Park
(B) E. P. Odum
(C) S. Polasky
(D) Takashi Hirose
Ans : (D)

113. The World Water Conservation Day is observed on—
(A) February 28
(B) March 22
(C) June 5
(D) July 11
Ans : (B)

114. The Periyar Game Sanctuary is renowned by—
(A) Lions
(B) Spotted deers
(C) Tigers
(D) Wild Elephants
Ans : (C)

115. Which one of the following cities has the largest slum population ?
(A) Bangalore
(B) Chennai
(C) Delhi
(D) Surat
Ans : (C)

116. Which one of the following is the most urbanized country of West Asia ?
(A) Israel
(B) Kuwait
(C) Qatar
(D) Saudi Arabia
Ans : (B)

117. Which of the following countries suffer from the acid rains ?
1. Canada
2. France
3. Norway
4. Germany
Select the correct answer from the codes given below :
Codes :
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 1 and 3
(C) 2 and 3
(D) 3 and 4
Ans : (C)

118. The World Tiger Summit 2010 was held at—
(A) Bangkok
(B) Nairobi
(C) New Delhi
(D) Petersburg
Ans : (D)

119. According to the provisional figures of 2011 Census the lowest sex ratio in India is found in—
(A) Chandigarh
(B) Daman and Diu
(C) Dadra and Nagar Haveli
(D) Haryana
Ans : (B)

120. Which one of the following States of India has recorded the maximum increase in literacy rate during 2001-11 ?
(A) Bihar
(B) Gujarat
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Uttar Pradesh
Ans : (A)

121. As per the provisional figures of 2011 Census the second most populous State of India is—
(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Bihar
(C) Maharashtra
(D) West Bengal
Ans : (C)

122. Which of the following statements are correct according to the provisional figures of Census of India 2011 ? Use the codes given below to select the correct answer—
1. The lowest population is found in Lakshadweep.
2. Chandigarh has the highest population density.
3. Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest population density.
4. Dadra and Nagar Haveli has the highest decadal growth of population.
Codes :
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 1, 2 and 3
(C) 2, 3 and 4
(D) 1, 3 and 4
Ans : (D)

123. According to the provisional figures of Census 2011 arrange the following districts of Uttar Pradesh in descending order of their population size and select the correct answer from the codes given below :
1. Allahabad
2. Azamgarh
3. Ghaziabad
4. Lucknow
Codes :
(A) 1, 3, 2, 4
(B) 1, 4, 3, 2
(C) 2, 3, 1, 4
(D) 4, 1, 2, 3
Ans : (A)

124. Buddha had delivered maximum sermons at—
(A) Vaishali
(B) Sravasti
(C) Kaushambi
(D) Rajgriha
Ans : (B)

125. The first Gupta ruler who issued coins was—
(A) Srigupta
(B) Chandragupta I
(C) Samudragupta
(D) Chandragupta II
Ans : (B)

126. The Prince who was responsible for the death of his father was—
(A) Ajatasatru
(B) Chandapradyota
(C) Prasenjit
(D) Udayana
Ans : (A)

127. Who among the following was the earliest Sufi Saint to have settled at Ajmer ?
(A) Sheikh Moinuddin Chisti
(B) Sheikh Qutbuddin Bakhti-yar Qaki
(C) Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya
(D) Sheikh Salim Chisti
Ans : (A)

128. With which Mughal General did Shivaji sign the famous ‘Treaty of Purandhar’ in 1665 A.D. ?
(A) Jaswant Singh
(B) Jai Singh
(C) Shaishta Khan
(D) Diler Khan
Ans : (B)

129. During the 13th and 14th Centuries A.D. the Indian peasants did not cultivate—
(A) Wheat
(B) Barley
(C) Rice
(D) Maize
Ans : (D)

130. The writer of Mahabhasya ‘Patanjali’ was a contemporary of—
(A) Chandragupta Maurya
(B) Ashoka
(C) Pushyamitra Sunga
(D) Chandragupta-I
Ans : (C)

131. Gautama Buddha had attained Mahaparinibban in the State of—
(A) Anga
(B) Magadha
(C) Malla
(D) Vatsa
Ans : (C)

132. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
(A) Ajmer : Quuwal-al-Islam
(B) Jaunpur : Atala Mosque
(C) Malwa : Jahaz Mahal
(D) Gulbarga : Jama Masjid
Ans : (A)

133. Consider the following statements and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
1. Vikram Samvat began in 58 BC.
2. Saka Samvat began in 78 AD.
3. Gupta era began in 319 AD.
4. The era of Muslim rule in India began in 1192 AD.
Codes :
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 3 and 4
(C) 1, 2 and 3
(D) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans : (D)

134. Which one of the following rulers established embassies in foreign countries on modern lines ?
(A) Haider Ali
(B) Mir Qasim
(C) Shah Alam II
(D) Tipu Sultan
Ans : (D)

135. Who among the following was the one to have escaped being hanged in the ‘Kakori Conspiracy Case’ ?
(A) Ashfaqullah Khan
(B) Rajendra Lahiri
(C) Ram Prasad Bismil
(D) Chandra Shekhar Azad
Ans : (D)

136. Who among the following attended all the three Round Table Conferences ?
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru
(B) B. R. Ambedkar
(C) Vallabh Bhai Patel
(D) Rajendra Prasad
Ans : (B)

137. Which Sultan of Delhi imposed Jaziya on the Brahmins also ?
(A) Balban
(B) Firoz Tughlaq
(C) Allauddin Khilji
(D) Mohammad bin Tughlaq
Ans : (B)

138. Who among the following was the founder of Agra ?
(A) Balban
(B) Bahlol Lodhi
(C) Sikandar Lodhi
(D) Firoz Tughlaq
Ans : (C)

139. The only session of the Indian National Congress which was addressed by Mahatma Gandhi was held at—
(A) Amravati
(B) Belgaum
(C) Karachi
(D) Nagpur
Ans : (B)

140. Who among the following leaders of the Revolution of 1857 had the real name of Ram Chandra Pandurang ?
(A) Kunwar Singh
(B) Nana Saheb
(C) Tatiya Tope
(D) Mangal Pandey
Ans : (C)

141. Who among the following led the agitation against the Partition of Bengal (1905) ?
(A) Surendranath Banerjee
(B) C. R. Das
(C) Ashutosh Mukherjee
(D) Rabindra Nath Tagore
Ans : (A)

142. Who among the following leaders escaped from the prison and organized underground activities during the ‘Quit India Movement’ ?
(A) J. B. Kriplani
(B) Ram Manohar Lohia
(C) Achyut Patwardhan
(D) Jai Prakash Narayan
Ans : (D)

143. Arrange the following in the chronological order and select the correct answer from the codes given below—
1. The August Offer
2. The Cabinet Mission Plan
3. The Cripps Mission Plan
4. The Wavell Plan
Codes :(A) 1, 2, 4, 3
(B) 4, 3, 2, 1
(C) 1, 3, 4, 2
(D) 3, 4, 1, 2
Ans : (C)

144. After returning from South Africa, Gandhiji launched his first successful Satyagraha in—
(A) Champaran
(B) Chauri-Chaura
(C) Bardoli
(D) Dandi
Ans : (A)

145. Who among the following had led the Swadeshi Movement in Delhi ?
(A) Balgangadhar Tilak
(B) Ajit Singh
(C) Lala Lajpat Rai
(D) Syed Haider Raza
Ans : (D)

146. Who among the following had moved the Non cooperation resolution in the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress in 1920 ?
(A) C. R. Das
(B) Annie Besant
(C) B. C. Pal
(D) Madan Mohan Malviya
Ans : (A)

147. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?
(A) Durga Das —The life of Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Louis Fischer —India From Curzon to Nehru and After
(C) Frank Moraes —Jawahar Lal Nehru (A Biography)
(D) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad —India Divided
Ans : (C)

148. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
(A) James Watt : Steam Engine
(B) A. G. Bell : Telephone
(C) J. L. Baird : Television
(D) J. Perkins : Penicillin
Ans : (D)

149. Who among the following had started ‘Mitra Mela’ Association ?
(A) Shyamji Krishna Verma
(B) Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
(C) Lala Hardayal
(D) Sohan Singh Bhakna
Ans : (B)

150. The statement “I am a socialist and a republican and am no believer in Kings and Princes” is associated with—
(A) Narendra Dev
(B) Achyut Patwardhan
(C) Jai Prakash Narayan
(D) Jawahar Lal Nehru
Ans : (D)

List of Jnanpith Award Winners

Jnanpith Award is being given for the best creative literary writing by any Indian citizen in any of the languages included in the VIII Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Award is the brain-child of late Smt. Rama Jain, the first President of and the moving spirit behind the Bharatiya Jnanpith since its inception. It has become the most prestigious literary award of the country. This awards inlude sum of Rs. 5 lakhs including citation.

Year : Name – Works (Language)
1965 : G. Sankara Kurup – Odakkuzhal [Flute] (Malayalam)
1966 : Tarashankar Bandopadhyaya – Ganadevta (Bengali)
1967 : Kuppali Venkatappagowda Puttappa (Kuvempu) – Sri Ramayana Darshanam (Kannada)
1967 : Umashankar Joshi – Nishitha (Gujarati)
1968 : Sumitranandan Pant – Chidambara (Hindi)
1969 : Firaq Gorakhpuri – Gul-e-Naghma (Urdu)
1970 : Viswanatha Satyanarayana – Ramayana Kalpavrikshamu [A resourceful tree:Ramayana] (Telugu)
1971 : Bishnu Dey Smriti – Satta Bhavishyat (Bengali)
1972 : Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' – Urvashi (Hindi)
1973 : Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre – Nakutanti [Naku Thanthi (Four Strings)] (Kannada)
1973 : Gopinath Mohanty – Paraja (Oriya)
1974 : Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar – Yayati (Marathi)
1975 : P. V. Akilan – Chitttrappavai (Tamil)
1976 : Ashapurna Devi – Pratham Pratisruti (Bengali)
1977 : K. Shivaram Karanth – Mookajjiya Kanasugalu [Mookajjis dreams] (Kannada)
1978 : Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Ajneya' – Kitni Navon Men Kitni Bar [How many times in many boats?] (Hindi)
1979 : Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya – Mrityunjay [Immortal] (Assamese)
1980 : S. K. Pottekkatt – Oru Desathinte Katha [Story of a land] (Malayalam)
1981 : Amrita Pritam – Kagaj te Canvas (Punjabi)
1982 : Mahadevi Varma – Yama (Hindi)
1983 : Maasti Venkatesh Ayengar – Chikkaveera Rajendra [Life and struggle of Kodava King Chikkaveera Rajendra] (Kannada)
1984 : Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai – Kayar [Coir] (Malayalam)
1985 : Pannalal Patel – Maanavi Ni Bhavaai (Gujarati)
1986 : Sachidananda Rout Roy (Oriya)
1987 : Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar (Kusumagraj) – Natsamrat (Marathi)
1988 : Dr.C. Narayana Reddy – Vishwambhara (Telugu)
1989 : Qurratulain Hyder – Akhire Shab Ke Humsafar (Urdu)
1990 : V. K. Gokak (Vinayaka Krishna Gokak) – Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi (Kannada)
1991 : Subhas Mukhopadhyay – Padati (Bengali)
1992 : Naresh Mehta (Hindi)
1993 : Sitakant Mahapatra – "for outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Indian literature, 1973-92" (Oriya)
1994 : U. R. Ananthamurthy – for his contributions to (Kannada) literature (Kannada)
1995 : M. T. Vasudevan Nair – Randamoozham [Second Chance] (Malayalam)
1996 : Mahasweta Devi – Hajar Churashir Ma (Bengali)
1997 : Ali Sardar Jafri (Urdu)
1998 : Girish Karnad – "for his contributions to (Kannada) literature and for contributions to (Kannada) theater (yayati)" (Kannada)
1999 : Nirmal Verma (Hindi)
1999 : Gurdial Singh (Punjabi)
2000 : Indira Goswami (Assamese)
2001 : Rajendra Keshavlal Shah (Gujarati)
2002 : D. Jayakanthan (Tamil)
2003 : Vinda Karandikar – Ashtadarshana (poetry) (Marathi)
2004 : Rahman Rahi – Subhuk Soda, Kalami Rahi and Siyah Rode Jaren Manz (Kashmiri)
2005 : Kunwar Narayan (Hindi)
2006 : Ravindra Kelekar (Konkani)
2006 : Satya Vrat Shastri (Sanskrit)
2007 : O. N. V. Kurup (Malayalam)
2008 : Akhlaq Mohammed Khan 'Shahryar' (Urdu)
2009 : Amar Kant (Hindi)
2009 : Shrilal Shukla (Hindi)
2010 : Chandrashekhara Kambara – for his contributions to Kannada literature (Kannada)

Amar Kant, Shrilal Shukla, Kambar win Jnanpith Award

Eminent Hindi authors Amar Kant and Shrilal Shukla were chosen for India’s highest literary honour Jnanpith Award for the year 2009 while renowned Kannada litterateur Chandrasekhar Kambar won it for the year 2010.

The selection board chaired by noted writer and Jnanpith award winner Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra made the selections for the 45th and 46th Jnanpith awards.

86-year-old Kant is a leading author whose famous novel Inhin Hathiyaron Se earned him Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007.

His short stories like Hatiyare, Dopahar ka Bhojan and Diptee Kalaktari have found place in the syllabi of several Indian Universities.

Shukla, born in 1925 in Uttar Pradesh, is an eminent novelist and a satirist whose works threw light on the falling moral values of the Indian society in the post-independence era.

His noted works include Raag Darbari, Makaan, Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj, Pehla Padaav, Agyatvas, and Bisrampur Ka Sant. He is winner of several awards which included Sahitya Akademi Award and Vyas Sammaan. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian literature and culture.

74-year-old Kambar, who won the Jnanpith for the year 2010, is a novelist and playwright.

His noted works include Takararinavaru, Saavirada Neralu, Chakori (poetries); Jokumaraswamy, Chalesha, Jaisidanayaka, Harakeya Kuri (plays), Karimaayi, and Singarevva mattu Aramane (novels and stories). He is also a recipient of the Sangeet Nataka Academy Award and Sahitya Academy Award.

TTD HELPER (WATER WORKS) RECRUITMENT

Applications are invited from the eligible candidates for the post of Helper (Water Works), No. of post – 1 under Physically Handicapped category (Visually Handicapped) (Women) in TTD with the following qualifications and to reach the Executive Officer, TTD Administrative Building, K.T. Road, Tirupati on or before 28-09-2011 (including the date of notification) with complete bio data particulars such as proof of age, educational qualifications, Technical Qualifications, Marks Statements Experience, caste (photocopies; with attestation from the Gazetted Officer) along with recent three passport size photos. The cover should be superscribed as Application for the post of “HELPER (Water Works) in TTD”. TTD management is not responsible for postal delay or other delays. In-complete and late applications will not entertained. In service candidates should apply for the post through proper channel. The TTD management is having right to cancel / postpone the notification / selection / interviews on administrative reasons. The prescribed application format is available in the “web” shall be downloaded and fill up the same only.

PERSONS PROFESSING HINDU RELIGION SHOULD ONLY APPLY. 

1	Qualifications	:	(i) Must have passed SSC Examination
			(ii) Must have passed I.T.I. in Fitter’s Trade
2	Category	:	Visually handicapped (Women) ( Open Category)
3	Scale of Pay	:	Rs. 7100-21250 (RPS 2010)
4	Age	:	(i) Must have completed 18 years and must have not completed 34 years of age as on 01-07-2012
			(ii) 10 Years of upper age relaxable in respect of physically handicapped persons uniformly.  Application Format

TTD ACCOUNTS OFFICER RECRUITMENT

DIVISIONAL ACCOUNTS OFFICERS (24/2007 & 23/2008) - WRITTEN EXAMINATION RESULT

APPSC conducted DIVISIONAL ACCOUNTS OFFICER (WORKS) GRADE-II in A.P. Works Accounts Service Oral Test (Interview)  from 10/10/2011 to 13/10/2011.

FOR RESULT CLICK HERE

63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was organised on 18 September 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The awards ceremony to honour the best in primetime television programming from 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011 was hosted by actress Jane Lynch, who hosted the Emmys for the first time.
British shows triumphed at the annual Hollywood show, the Oscars of the small screen, with Kate Winslet leading a string of British performers.

Mad Men took the best drama Emmy. Mad Men took best drama for the fourth year in a row and Modern Family won the best comedy prize for the second year. Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. It completed its fourth season on 17 October 17 2010. Each season has consisted of 13 episodes.

Winslet won the Best Actress in a mini-series Emmy for her role in period drama Mildred Pierce.

The list of awardess for the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are as follows:

Best drama: Mad Men
Best comedy: Modern Family
Best miniseries: Downton Abbey
Best variety or comedy show: The Daily Show
Best actress, drama: Julianne Margulies, The Good Wife
Best actor, drama: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Best actress, miniseries: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Best actor, miniseries: Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
Best lead actress in a comedy: Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Best lead actor comedy: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Supporting actress in a comedy: Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Supporting actor in a comedy: Ty Burrell, Modern Family.
Best direction in a comedy: Michael Spiller, Modern Family.
Best reality competition: The Amazing Race

ECONOMIC SURVEY 2010-11 MCQs

1.     According to the Economic survey 2010-11 what percentage growth was recorded by the manufacturing sector in 2010?
a.    9.1% 
b.    8.6%
c.    7.3% 
d.    8%
Answer: a

2.     As per the economic Survey of India 2010-11, the production of food grains is estimated at over 232 million tonnes with record production of which food crop?   
a.    Rice 
b.    Wheat
c.    Bajra 
d.    Maize
Answer: b

3.    What is the percentage growth of GDP predicted by The Economic Survey for the financial year 2010-11?   
a.    8.6% 
b.    8.3%
c.    8.0%
d.    9.1%
Answer: a

4.      The Economic Survey estimated the Forex reserves of India at over 297 billion US dollars. The surge in Forex is attributed to growth in which of the following sector?
    a.    Export sector     
    b.    Foreign Direct Investments
    c.    Agricultural output
    d.    Industrial output
Answer: a

5.        Gross Fiscal Deficit stands at 4.8% of GDP. What was the percentage of Gross Fiscal Deficit in 2010?
 a.    6.3%
b.    5.8%  
 c.    5.0% 
d.    7.1%
Answer: a

6.   Agriculture is expected to grow by what percentage in 2010-11 as per the Economic Survey?
a.    5.0% 
b.    5.1%
c.    5.4% 
d.    5.5%
Answer: c

7.      What percentage of GDP growth at market prices was estimated by the Economic Survey 2010-11?    a.    9.0% 
b.    9.5%
c.    9.7% 
d.    10.0%
Answer: c

8.        Exports surged by what percentage in the period between April to December 2010?
 a.    25.0% 
b.    29.5%
c.    18.1% 
d.    33.0%
Answer: b

9.     Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to increase the Income Tax Exemption Limit for individual tax payers from 1 lakh 60 to _? 
a.    1 lakh 80 thousand 
b.    1 lakh 90 thousand
c.    2 lakh 
d.    2 lakh 20 thousand
Answer: a 

10. Which of the following was not proposed in the Union Budget 2011-12 presented by pranab Mukherjee?
    1.    Special vehicles were proposed to be created in the form of Infrastructure Debt Funds to attract foreign funds.
    2.    Rs. 300 crore expenditure was proposed to promote horticulture centres in rain fed areas for increasing crop productivity.
    3.    For the manufacturing sector, the budget proposed reduction of basic customs duty on raw silk from 30 to 5 per cent.
    4.    Concessional 10 per cent Excise Duty was also proposed for fuel cell or Hydrogen cell-technology-based vehicles.
a.    1 & 3 
b.    Only 2
c.    Only 4 
d.    3 & 4
Answer: b

11.     In the Budget it was proposed to provide sum of money for implementation of vegetable initiative to set in motion a virtuous cycle of higher production and incomes for the farmers. What was the proposed amount?   
 a.    Rs 500 crore 
b.    Rs 300 crore
 c.    Rs 10000 crore 
d.    Rs 650 crore
Answer: b

12. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana was proposed to be being extended to the beneficiaries of which of the following Union Government schemes?   
    a.  Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries
    b. Beneficiaries of Swavlamban pension scheme
    c. Indira Gandhi National old Age Pension scheme beneficiaries
    d.Beneficiaries of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
Answer: a

13. Acknowledging the need for development of J&K and North-east, Mamata Banerjee introduced in the Railway Budget 2011 a number measures for these two regions. In which of the following North-eastern cities did the budget propose to set up a diesel locomotive centre?   
a.    Imphal 
b.    Manipur
c.    Guwahati 
d.    Tripura
Answer: b

14.    Read the two statements with regard to the passenger benefit plans proposed in the Railway Budget 2011.
    1.The budget proposed extension of Train Management System to New Delhi, Bangalore, Secunderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow stations to provide information on running of trains.
    2.Mamta Banerjee introduced a new concept of Smart Card - Go India for long distance travel by Indian railways.
    Which of the two statements are true?   
    a.    Only 1 
   b.    Only 2 
    c.    Both 1 & 2 
    d.    None of the above
Answer: c

15. According to Railway Budget 2011, railway card passes would be extended to the parents of the unmarried posthumous winners of which of the following Awards?
    1.    Param Vir Chakra
    2.    Bharat Ratna
    3.    Ashok Chakra gallantry award
    4.    Padma Shri
a.    1 & 2 
b.    2 & 3 
c.    1, 2 & 3 
d.    1 & 3
Answer: d

16. Which of the following schemes proposed in the Railway Budget 2011 is/are not meant for Railway Employees?
    1.    Expansion of Liberalized Active Retirement Scheme for Guaranteed Employment
    2.    Railway Vidyalaya Prabandhan Board
    3.    Sukhi Griha Scheme
    4.    Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana
a.    1 & 3
b.    3 & 4 
c.    2 & 4 
d.    1 & 4
Answer: b

17. The electrical energy requirement of railways is growing rapidly with the expansion of the rail infrastructure and traffic. Considering the rising demand the Ministry of Railways proposed to set up 700 MW power plant at Thakurli in Maharashtra. The power plant is proposed to be based on what form of energy?     
a.    gas-based 
b.    coal-based
c.    solar power 
d.    nuclear energy based
Answer: a

18.     Ministry of Railways proposed to extend Anti Collision Device (ACD) to which of the following Railway zones in India?   
1.    Eastern zone 
2.    East Central
3.    North Eastern
4.    South Central
a.    1 & 4 
b.    2 & 4
c.    1 & 2 
d.    1 & 3
Answer: c

19.     With regard to the infrastructure development of Railways as proposed in Railway Budget 2011 which statement/statements is/are false?
    1.    The budget proposed to lay 40 new lines, covering 1075 km.
    2.    The Ministry has allocated Rs 5406 crore for doubling of 867 km of lines
    3.    A greater thrust was given to the expansion of the rail network with a larger allocation of Rs 9583 cr for new lines.
    4.    for gauge conversion over 1017 km. Rs 13820 crore was proposed
a.    Only 1 
b.    1 & 2
c.    Only 4 
d.    2 & 4
Answer: c

20.     Read the two statements mentioned with regard to the budgetary allocations for addressing environmental concerns.
    1.    The budget proposed that the solar lantern used in far-flung villages will attract no duty from 10 per cent charged earlier.
    2.    To provide green and clean transportation for the masses, National Mission for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles will be launched in the year 2011 in collaboration with all stakeholders.
    Which of them is true?
a.    Only 1 
b.    Only 2 
c.    Both 1 & 2 
d.    None of the above
Answer: b

21.     To enhance credit worthiness of economically weaker sections and LIG households, a Mortgage Risk Guarantee Fund was announced to be created under which of the following scheme or Yojana?  
    a. Rajiv Awas Yojana
    b. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
    c. Indira Awas Yojana
    d. Mahatama Gandhi NREGA
Answer: a

22.    Read the following statements with regard to the allocation in the Educational sector as proposed by Union Budget 2011-12.
    1. For Sarva Siksha Abhiyan the allocation was increased by 40 percent to 21000 crore rupees.
    2. All institutions of higher learning will be connected through optical fibers by March 2012.
    3. 500 crore rupees was proposed to be provided for national skill development fund.
    4. For the needy scheduled castes ad scheduled tribe candidates studying in class-IX and Xth pre-matric scholarship scheme was proposed to be introduced.
    Which of the above mentioned statements is not true?
    a.    1 
    b.    2   
    c.    3 & 4 
   d.    4
Answer: b

23. The Basic Customs Duty exemption was proposed to be extended to which of the following sectors?   
    a. art and antiquities for exhibition or display in private art galleries      
    b. Cinematographic film, factory-built ambulances
    c. syringes and needles
    d. agricultural machinery
Answer: a

24.    What amount of money was allocated for Bharat Nirman?
a. 1000 crore 
b.  58000 crore 
c. 55438 crore 
d.  14362 crore
Answer: b

25. Which of the following statement/statements is/are true with reference to the Railway Budget 2011?   
    1.    Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed Annual Plan for the year 2011-12 at Rs 57630 cr which is the highest ever plan investment by the railways in a single year.
    2.    Under the proposed Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana the pending socially desirable lines would be completed and other similar new line projects would also be taken up.
    3.    Mamata Banerjee declared 2010-11 as the Year of Green Energy.
    4.    2 AC Double Decker Trains in the Jaipur-Delhi and Delhi-Ahmedabad routes were proposed.
    Choose Answers:
a. 1,2 & 3 
b. 1 & 4
c.  2 & 3 
d. 1 & 2
Answer: d

APPSC GROUP-II EXAM CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. ‘Verna’ is the new model of the following car makers—
(A) Suzuki
(B) BMW
(C) Hyundai
(D) Honda
Answer: Hyundai

2. Which position did Sachin Tendulkar achieve in the ICC ranking in August 2011 ?
(A) First
(B) Sixth
(C) Third
(D) Eighth
Answer: Third

3. How many seats did the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bag on its own in the Uttar Pradesh state general assembly election in April-May 2007 ?
(A) 145
(B) 138
(C) 207
(D) 187
Answer: 207


4. Who among the following has been honoured with Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2009 ?
(A) Mohd. El Baradei
(B) Dalai Lama
(C) Sheikh Hasina Wajed
(D) Barack Obama
Answer: Sheikh Hasina Wajed

5. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the year 2009 was conferred on—
(A) Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
(B) Thomas A. Steitz
(C) Ada E. Yonuth
(D) All the above
Answer: All the above

6. Who among the following is heading the SEBI’s Committee on Corporate governance?
(A) Ratan Tata
(B) G. N. Bajpai
(C) Narayan Murthy
(D) J. S. Verma
Answer: Narayan Murthy

7. In which of the following states has the Tata Tele-service (TTSL) started its first operation under the new name Tata Indicom?
(A) Goa
(B) Kerala
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Maharashtra
Answer: Tamil Nadu

8. Who among the following has been honoured with Bharat Ratna for the year 2008 ?
(A) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) G. Madhavan Nair
(C) None of these
(D) Pt. Bhimsen Joshi
Answer: Pt. Bhimsen Joshi

9. Which Hindi author has been selected for the K. K. Birla Vyas Samman 2010 for his poetry collection “Phir Bhi Kuch Rah Jayega” ?
(A) Sri Lal Shukla
(B) Gopal Das Neeraj
(C) Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari
(D) None of these
Answer: Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari

10. Who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in the year 2010 ?
(A) Ehud Barak
(B) Liu Xiaobo
(C) Linda Buck
(D) Both (B) & (C)
Answer: Liu Xiaobo

11. Which of the following companies is the world’s number one car maker ?
(A) Honda Motor
(B) Volvo Motor
(C) Suzuki Motor
(D) General Motor
Answer: General Motor

12. With what game is the name of Cara Black associated ?
(A) Lawn Tennis
(B) Badminton
(C) Table Tennis
(D) Chess
Answer: Lawn Tennis

13. The multinational company which has launched ‘Bio Colour Television’ in Indian market?
(A) L.G.
(B) Samsung
(C) BPL
(D) Philips
Answer: Samsung


14. Who was awarded the 83rd Oscar Award for the Best Director on 27th February, 2011?
(A) Jamie Foxx
(B) Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)
(C) Morgan Freeman
(D) None of these
Answer: Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

15. Which one of the following countries of the world is worst affected by the economic meltdown currently plaguing the world ?
(A) China
(B) India
(C) The U.K.
(D) The U.S.A.
Answer: The U.S.A.

16. Name the magazine which has been circulated on the board of Indian Airlines after replacing ‘Swagat.’
(A) Cosmopolitan
(B) Darpan
(C) Welcome
(D) Flying World
Answer: Darpan

17. Government of India formed a new South-Western Command of the Indian land army. With this the number of commands will be raised to—
(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 7
(D) 5
Answer: 7

18. How many states in the country have been chosen for a pilot project to introduce a new multipurpose national Identity Card ?
(A) 16
(B) 15
(C) 14
(D) 13
Answer: 13

19. With the admission of two new members into the European Union on January 1, 2007, the membership of the organisation has now risen to—
(A) 25
(B) 19
(C) 27
(D) 15
Answer: 27

20. The famous Akshardham Temple is situated in the city of—
(A) Madurai
(B) Gandhi Nagar
(C) Jammu
(D) Srinagar
Answer: Gandhi Nagar 

21. Which of the following parties does not form part of the United Progressive Alliance government formed following the elections to the 14th Lok Sabha ?
(A) DMK
(B) RJD
(C) JD (U)
(D) NCP
Answer: JD (U)

22. ‘India’s Gateway to the World’ the famous slogan is of—
(A) Air India
(B) BSNL
(C) VSNL
(D) Wipro
Answer: VSNL

23. ‘Vision India 2020’ is a book written by—
(A) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) I. K. Gujral
(C) Narendra Modi
(D) Shushil Kumar Shinde
Answer: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam


24. The company which sponsored the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the century is—
(A) Birla
(B) Onida
(C) Electrolux
(D) Sony
Answer: Electrolux

25. Who among the following won the Nobel Prize for Medicine 2010 ?
(A) Elizabeth H. Blackburn
(B) Carol W. Greider
(C) Jack W. Szostak
(D) Robert G. Edwards
Answer: Robert G. Edwards

26. Which Indian Scientist has had the distinction of receiving not only the Nobel Prize, but also Bharat Ratna ?
(A) Dr. Homi Bhabha
(B) Dr. J. C. Bose
(C) Dr. C. V. Raman
(D) Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
Answer: Dr. C. V. Raman

27. Who among the following was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature-2010 ?
(A) Mario Vergas Llosa
(B) Bill Clinton
(C) Paul Lauterbur
(D) Shirin Ebadi
Answer: Mario Vergas Llosa

28. Who got the Best Actor Award in the 58th National Film Awards announced on May 19, 2011 ?
(A) Amitabh Bachchan
(B) Shahrukh Khan
(C) Dhanush and Salim Kumar
(D) Nana Patekar
See Answer:

29. Who was awarded the UNESCO—Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award for 2011 ?
(A) K.C. Vashishtha
(B) Ahmad Zeidabadi
(C) Mai Chidiac
(D) N. Swaminathan
Answer: Ahmad Zeidabadi

30. The Nuclear Security Summit was held between 12-13 April, 2010 at—
(A) Bucharest
(B) Dhaka
(C) Washington
(D) Islamabad
Answer: Washington

31. Who among the following is the USA’s new Foreign Secretary or Secretary of State in place of Condolezza Rice, following Presidential elections in Nov. 2008?
(A) James Rumsfeld
(B) Hillary Clinton
(C) Armitage
(D) None of these
Answer: Hillary Clinton

32. Which company recently hit the business headlines for striking a historic natural gas discovery near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh ?
(A) Gas Authority of India Ltd.
(B) ONGC
(C) Oil India Ltd.
(D) Reliance Industries
Answer: Reliance Industries

33. Who became the first Indian women to cross Gobi Desert in July 2011 ?
(A) Amrita Singh
(B) Ankita Singh
(C) Sucheta Kadethanker
(D) None of these
Answer: Sucheta Kadethanker


34. Which of the following is a recipient of Dhyan Chand Award, 2010 announced in August 2010 ?
(A) Hukam Singh
(B) Satish Pillai
(C) Mukh Bain Singh
(D) Gyan Singh
Answer: Satish Pillai

35. G-15 Summit concluded on 17 May, 2010 in—
(A) Kualalumpur
(B) Tehran
(C) Beijing
(D) Hanoi
Answer: Tehran

36. Where was the World Economic Forum meeting held in January, 2009 ?
(A) Jakarta
(B) Manila
(C) Kualalumpur
(D) Davos
Answer: Davos

37. India’s newly built and tested missile ‘Astra’ is meant for—
(A) Surface to air strike
(B) Air to air strike
(C) Ship to ship strike
(D) Surface to surface strike
Answer: Air to air strike

38. Who has been appointed the first woman Prime Minister of Tobago ?
(A) Kamla Das
(B) Kamla Devi
(C) Kamla Prasad Bissessar
(D) Kamla K. Singh
Answer: Kamla Prasad Bissessar

39. ‘Power’ a new variety of petrol has been introduced in the market by—
(A) BPCL
(B) ONGC
(C) IOC
(D) HPCL
Answer: HPCL

40. Who is the new President of the European Council ?
(A) Leszek Miller
(B) Marek Belka
(C) Gerhard Schroeder
(D) Herman Van Rompuy
Answer: Herman Van Rompuy

41. Identify Mullaithivu—
(A) It is the name of the town which was one of the strong holds of the LTTE in Sri Lanka
(B) It is a terrorist organisation in Sri Lanka
(C) It is a place of pilgrimage in Tamil Nadu
(D) None of these
Answer: It is the name of the town which was one of the strong holds of the LTTE in Sri Lanka

42. Which of the following is not a member of G-20 developing nations ?
(A) Argentina
(B) India
(C) Pakistan
(D) USA
Answer: USA

43. Which of the following was crowned Miss India worldwide 2010 ?
(A) Niharica Raizada
(B) Kajal Lutchminarain
(C) Cher Merchand
(D) None of these
Answer: Kajal Lutchminarain


44. Where did the 16th SAARC Summit take place in April 2010 ?
(A) Vientiane
(B) Kualalumpur
(C) Thimpu
(D) Hanoi
Answer: Thimpu

45. Which scientist received Shantiswarup Bhatanagar Award 2009 for Mathematical Sciences ?
(A) Dr. Probal Chaudhuri
(B) Dr. Kapil Hare Paranjape
(C) Dr. Mitali Mukherjee
(D) Dr. Atul Chawksi
Answer: Dr. Mitali Mukherjee

46. Which of the following has been not selected for Padma Bhushan Award for 2011 ?
(A) Satyadev Dubey
(B) Shashi Kapoor
(C) Waheeda Rehman
(D) Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra
Answer: Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra

47. The first Indian to win Nobel Prize was—
(A) C.V. Raman
(B) Rabindra Nath Tagore
(C) Hargovind Khurana
(D) Amartya Sen
Answer: Rabindra Nath Tagore

48. Who was awarded the UNESCO Peace Prize 2008 ?
(A) Institute for Justice and Reconciliation
(B) Atal Bihari Vajpai
(C) Tony Blair
(D) George W. Bush
Answer: Institute for Justice and Reconciliation

49. Julictte Binoche has begged best actress award in 63rd International Film Festival of Cannes for the film—
(A) A Screaming Man
(B) Of Gods and Men
(C) Certified Copy
(D) Ano Bisiesto
Answer: Certified Copy

50. Who has been awarded the Best Younger Player Award in FIFA World Cup Football 2010 ?
(A) Diego Forlan
(B) Thomas Muller
(C) Andres Iniesta
(D) Iker Casillas
Answer: Andres Iniesta

Ozone Day

Every year September 16^th is celebrated as the   International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.  Since 1995, this date has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.  This commemoration around the world offers an opportunity to focus attention and action at the global, regional and national levels on the protection of the ozone layer. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “HCFC phase out- a unique opportunity.”

What   is   Ozone  Layer?

The Ozone Layer describes the protective layer of naturally occurring gas, comprised of three atoms of oxygen found about 10-50 km above the earth’s surface that protects us from the harmful ultraviolet radiation or UV-B rays of sun. Scientist in the 1970’s discovered that the layer was thinning as a result of the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), consequently, the Ozone Hole developed.  In 1985, nations around the world convened at Vienna in an attempt to develop a framework for co-operative activities to protect the Ozone layer. This signed agreement became known as the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

The UNEP is monitoring compliance with the programmes of the international treaties aimed at eliminating the projection and use of ozone-depleting substances, including (CFCs), used as industrial refrigerants and in aerosols, and the pesticide methyl bromide.

Specifically, developing countries need to focus on eliminating the use of methyl bromide as an agricultural pesticide and they must halt illegal trade in CFCs.More than 130,000 new cases of melanoma are reported around the world and some 66,000 people die from skin cancer every year.

Montreal Protocol

In 1987, representatives from 24 countries met in Montreal and announced to the world that it was time to stop destroying the ozone layer. 

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has been recognized as the most successful international environment treaty in history. Another testimony to its remarkable accomplishments, the Montreal Protocol has received universal ratification; all countries in the world have now ratified this landmark agreement.  This brings together the whole international community to protect the ozone layer. 

The Protocol was the culmination of decades of research, which established that chemicals containing chlorine and bromine released in the atmosphere could damage the ozone layer.  A depleted ozone layer in the stratosphere allows the ultraviolet rays of the sun to reach the earth exposing mankind, flora and fauna to its harmful effects.  According to the World Health Organization, each year between 12 to 15 million people become blind from cataracts worldwide, of which up to 20% may be caused or enhanced by sun exposure.

Initially on the basis of very definite empirical findings, the Protocol enjoined upon all the signatory nations to completely phase out the major Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and carbon-tetrachloride (CTC) in a given time schedule. Later, other studies have brought more ODSs such as hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and methyl bromide under the ambit of the Protocol for phasing out within the given deadlines.  

The Montreal Protocol which is in operation for more than twenty years had an extraordinary international cooperation and has led to complete phase-out of production and consumption of several ODSs.  As of 1^st January, 2010, the production and consumption of major ODSs like CFCs, CTC and halons have already been phased out globally.  This has not only protected the stratospheric ozone but it has also immensely benefited the climate system. 

India Shares Concern

India, being a Party to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, have been sharing the global concern for protecting the ozone layer and phase out of ODSs like CFCs, halons, CTC, methylchloroform, methylbromide and HCFCs. These chemicals are used in industrial and pharmaceutical aerosols, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipments, foam manufacturing, fire extinguishing equipment, metal-cleaning, garment cleaning, soil fumigation and quarantine and pre-shipment applications etc. 

Since 1993 with the continued efforts made by stakeholders responsible for implementation of the Montreal Protocol activities, India has successfully phased-out completely the production and consumption of CFCs, CTC and halons except the use of pharmaceutical grade CFCs in manufacturing of Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) for treatment of Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other respiratory ailments under the Essential Use Nomination (EUN) provisions of the Montreal Protocol.

India- Ahead of Schedule

India also proactively ceased the production and consumption of CFCs from   1^st August, 2008, 17 months ahead of schedule of the Montreal Protocol. However, adequate steps were taken to ensure the supply of pharmaceutical grade CFCs for the critical sector, manufacturing of MDIs continue to serve millions of Asthma and COPD patients in our country through EUN provisions of the Protocol especially during the transition period.  India got it approved of 343.6 MT of pharmaceutical grade CFCs for 2010 for manufacturing of MDIs in the country.  The Indian MDI manufacturers have made an excellent progress in developing CFC-free formulations for most of the MDIs and placed CFC-free MDIs in the market. As a result, India did not seek any amount of CFC during 2011.

Recognizing the success of the Montreal Protocol in phasing out the ODSs  like CTC, CFC and halons, the 19^th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) held in September, 2007 had taken a decision to advance the phase-out of HCFCs by 10 years. The baseline for production and consumption of HCFCs will be determined on the average of the years 2009 and 2010 for production and consumption respectively. The freeze will be from 2013 and 10% reduction from the baseline in 2015 for stage–I reduction as per the accelerated phase-out schedule.  The HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) is being prepared in close cooperation with the industry, concerned industry associations, research institutions, institutional user organizations, NGOs etc. The Sectoral Working Groups Meeting was organized in September 2009. Based on the outcome of the meeting, a Roadmap to Phase-out HCFCs in India was launched in October, 2009.  The finalization of HPMP for Stage-I is in progress in consultation with the industry and other stakeholders. 

Early Adoption of New Technologies

The Government has also taken a number of policy measures, both fiscal and regulatory, to encourage early adoption of new technologies by existing and new enterprises. The Customs and Excise duty exemption is granted on capital goods required to implement ODS phase out projects funded by the MLF and these physical incentives are also extended for new industrial establishments and expansion of existing capacities using non-ODS technologies.  The Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 regulating ODS production, consumption and trade have also been put in place.  These Rules are being enforced under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 with effect from 19^th July, 2000.  These Rules have been, further, amended from time to time to facilitate execution of national phase-out plans so as to meet the reduction targets as specified in the Protocol.