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Current Affairs-March 2013 Part-1

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Current Affairs-March 2013 Part-1

Very important questions for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, Bank PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.
[important] These questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, Bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state-related exams. You can attempt them for fun too.[/important]

1. Which among the following ministries have recently launched the Rajiv Rinn Yojana (RRY)?

[A]Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[B]Ministry of Rural Development
[C]Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA)
[D]Ministry of Panchayat Raj



2. Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the year 2012 was conferred on ____________?


[A]Zakir Hussain
[B]Pandit Ravi Shankar
[C]Hariprasad Chaurasia
[D]Amjad Ali Khan



Pandit Ravi Shankar
The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony has been instituted as a part of the commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev
Rabindranath Tagore and an announcement to this effect was made by the then Finance Minister in his Budget Speech on 28th February, 2011. It is an
International Award with prize money of Rs. 1 Crore for promoting values of Cultural Harmony. The Jury constituted for the selection of Tagore Award for the
year 2012 under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of India selected Pandit Ravi Shankar, the Indian Sitar Maestro, to be the first recipient of the
Tagore Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Cultural Harmony and Universal Values.



3. Key Resolve 2013 is the joint military exercise of __:


[A]United States and Japan
[B]United States and South Korea
[C]Japan and Indonesia
[D]South Korea and Indonesia



United States and South Korea
The US and Republic of Korea (ROK) militaries have started the annual computerised command post exercise, Key Resolve


2013, on the Korean Peninsula, despite North Korea declaring the armistice agreement to be invalid. More than 3,000 US personnel are participating along with

10,000 South Korean troops during the combined land, air and naval exercise, which is scheduled to conclude on 21 March. The exercise will also witness

participation from five UN Command states, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark and the UK. North Korea has repeatedly called for cancellation of the US-ROK

annual joint exercises, arguing that they are a provocation and a prelude to an invasion, despite US maintaining that the drills are aimed at enhancing the

alliance’s operational readiness.



4. Ganesh Pyne, who recently passed was a well-known ________?


[A]Painter
[B]Singer
[C]Historian
[D]Writer



Painter
Legendary painter Ganesh Pyne passed away recently. Pyne was born in Kolkata in 1937 and in his long career of five decades his paintings were


exhibited round the world – Paris, London, Washington and Germany. Described famously as ‘an artist’s artist, a philosopher’s philosopher and master

fantasist of them all’, Pyne had received several awards and accolades for his works. He was known for his small tempera paintings, rich in imagery and

symbols and acknowledged the influence of great painters like Abanindranath Tagore, Hals Rembrandt and Paul Klee. But it was his exposure to Walt Disney’s

cartoons and his own experience as a young animator in Calcutta that finally liberated him and helped him develop two important stylistic features –

distortion and exaggeration which he used to explore the deep recesses of his fantastical imagination to create uncanny images of disquieting creatures.



5. The world’s largest biogas plant was inaugurated in __________?


[A]Japan
[B]Finland
[C]Norway
[D]Australia



Finland
The world’s largest biogas plant was inaugurated on Finland’s western coast as the country seeks to limit its use of foreign coal. Built near


an existing coal-fired power plant in Vaasa, central Finland, the 140 MW biomass gasification factory is expected to cut coal use by up to 40 per cent.

Fuelled mainly with wood residue from Finland’s large forestry sector, the plant is expected to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 2,30,000 tonnes a year

while providing both heating and electricity for Vaasa’s approximately 61,000 residents.



6. Barauni Thermal Power Project is located in ___:


[A]Bihar
[B]Rajasthan
[C]Himachal Pradesh
[D]Madhya Pradesh



Bihar
Barauni Thermal Power Project is one of the major projects undertaken by Bihar State utility to reduce dependence on the central sector.


7. Recently, which among the following ministries has launched e-PPS scheme?


[A]Union Ministry for Finance
[B]Union Ministry for Corporate Affairs
[C]Union Ministry for Rural Development
[D]Union Ministry for Communications and IT



Union Ministry for Communications and IT
Union Minister for Communications and IT, Kapil Sibal has launched the ‘Electronics Project Proposal System


(e-PPS), developed by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The e-PPS

system will initially operate on a pilot basis. The Electronic Project Proposal System (e-PPS) is a web-based system that encompasses the complete life-cycle

of funding of R&D projects, beginning with online submission of project proposals for funds, to monitoring and management of funded projects. E-PPS

replaces the existing manual system of project funding wherein the Project Investigators (PI) submit hard copies of R&D proposals, which are presented to

a Working Group and based on the recommendations of the Working Group the proposals are further processed in DeitY. It is a One-Go Dash-Board to see the

projects from initiation to completion. It reduces the total processing time of proposals and aids easy dissemination of project information.



8. Recently, who among the following was re-elected for a second term as IAEA chief?


[A]Naoto Kan
[B]Yukio Edano
[C]Yukiya Amano
[D]Catherine Ashton



Yukiya Amano
Japan’s Yukiya Amano was re-elected for a second term as the director general of the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency amid


international concerns about Iran’s development of a nuclear program.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

9. Which among the following Indian IT major has been recognised for the second year as one of the world’s most ethical firms by business ethics think-tank

Ethisphere Institute?

[A]Tata Consultancy Services
[B]Cognizant Technologies
[C]Wipro
[D]Infosys



Wipro
Indian IT bellwether Wipro has been recognised for the second year as one of the world’s most ethical firms by business ethics think-tank


Ethisphere Institute. As a leading US-based international organisation dedicated to creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics,

governance and anti-corruption and sustainability, the institute selects global firms that embrace ethical business practice and demonstrate industry

leadership, forcing peers to follow them.



10.The first women’s Government Medical College of independent India is located in __________?


[A]Bihar
[B]Uttar Pradesh
[C]Maharashtra
[D]Haryana



Haryana
Bhagat Phool Singh Medical College is a government run medical college at Khanpur Kalan in the Sonepat district of Haryana in India. It is the


first women’s Government Medical College of independent India and the first such institution in North India since Delhi’s Lady Hardinge Medical College that

was established in 1914. The college was inaugurated on International Women’s Day, 2013 by Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of India’s ruling coalition, the

United Progressive Alliance.



11. The Union Budget 2013-14 has pegged the fiscal deficit for the current year at___:


[A]4.5 per cent
[B]5 per cent
[C]5.2 per cent
[D]5.6 per cent



5.2 per cent
Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his budget 2013 speech said that the fiscal deficit for the current financial year has been curtailed at


5.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is lower than the estimated fiscal deficit target of 5.3%. The fiscal deficit target for the coming financial

year was announced at an anticipated 4.85 of the GDP. The Economic Survey 2013 said that the country is likely to hit a fiscal deficit target of 5.3 percent

of GDP this year despite a significant shortfall in revenue. Chidambaram’s announcement has come in lower than the survey’s estimates.



12. Union Budget 2013-14 has proposed to levy a surcharge of 10 percent on individuals whose annual taxable incomes exceeds __:


[A]50 lakhs
[B]75 lakhs
[C]1 crore
[D]2 crores



1 crore
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram proposed to levy a surcharge of 10 percent on individuals whose annual taxable incomes exceed Rs.1 crore. The


surcharge will be levied for the 2013-14 financial year. Presenting the union budget 2013-14 to the lower house of the parliament, Chidambaram said there are

only 42,800 individuals in the country who will be liable to pay the surcharge. The finance minister urged such high networth individuals to follow the

example of industrialist Azim Premjee, who recently gave $2.3 billion to an education charity he controls, reportedly the biggest charitable donation in the

country’s recent history. Chidambaram also increased the surcharge on domestic companies whose annual income crosses Rs.10 crore from five percent to 10

percent.



13. International Court of Arbitration at the Hague has recently ruled in favour of India as Pakistan has objected the construction of a power project. The


power project in question is __:

[A]Nimoo Bazgo project
[B]Baglihar project
[C]Kishanganga project
[D]Tulbul navigation project



Kishanganga project
India hailed the recent verdict of an International Court of Arbitration at the Hague on the Kishanganga hydroelectric project.


Recently, an International Court of Arbitration at the Hague has ruled in favour of India on the Kishanganga hydroelectric project and upheld India’s right

to divert water from the hydroelectric project to Kashmir. Pakistan had objected the hydroelectric project on grounds that it violated the provisions of the

Indus Waters Treaty of 1965. Pakistan had moved for arbitration in May 2010, claiming India was trying to divert the Jhelum River and the project would rob

it of 15 percent of its share of river waters. India had claimed the Indus Waters Treaty gave it the right to transfer waters between the Jhelum’s

tributaries to generate hydropower. Pakistan has been objecting to the construction of the hydroelectric project on the Kishanganga River in Kashmir, which

is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan. In November 2009, Pakistan had proposed the establishment of a Court of Arbitration and the appointment of a neutral

expert to resolve the Kishanganga dam dispute.



14. What is the name of the new version of Office software launched by the Microsoft?


[A]Office 8
[B]Office 2013
[C]Office 38
[D]Office 365



Office 365
Software giant Microsoft launched the latest version of its Office 365 solution for businesses in India, which will enable them to access


emails and other productivity tools from a variety of devices. The new Microsoft Office 365 is a comprehensive suite with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook,

OneNote and Access. It provides seamless sharing of data across multiple devices like desktops, laptops, mobiles and tablet PCs and since the solution is

cloud-based, users can access their mails and files while on the move.



15. As per a recent government decision, one major port is to be developed in each of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. What is the current number of Major


Ports in India?

[A]10
[B]12
[C]14
[D]14



12
The government said it will set up a port each at Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal in 2013-14, to effectively handle increased cargo traffic. Ministry


of Shipping, in the Maritime Agenda 2010-20, had proposed setting up of two major ports — which handle heavy cargo traffic — in the country. At present

there are 12 major ports in India — Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Kolkata (with Haldia), Chennai, Cochin, Paradip, New Mangalore, Marmagao,

Ennore, Tuticorin, Kandla and Visakhapatanam. This move is aimed at catering to increased import of coal and oil and container volumes in the years to come.



16. World’s biggest wildlife summit was held in which among the following countries recently?


[A]Seoul
[B]Bangkok
[C]Hanoi
[D]Colombo



Bangkok
Recently, Thailand’s Prime Minister pledged to outlaw her nation’s legal domestic ivory trade. Thailand is the key place where illegal ivory


from Africa is laundered into products destined for their biggest market in China. The announcement came on the opening day of the world’s biggest wildlife

summit in Bangkok. The two-week meeting of the 178 nations that form the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) faces bitter battles

over improved protection for polar bears and ending “trophy” hunting for rhinos. It aims to tackle the trade in shark fins, which kills 100 million sharks

each year.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

17. The location of the proposed National Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (NISSM) is___:

[A]Chennai
[B]Kolkata
[C]New Delhi
[D]Hyderabad



New Delhi
In a major initiative to cater to the back-up mechanism of athletes’ overall performance, the government proposed the establishment of


National Institute of Sports Science and Medicine at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. The proposed NISSM would be leading institute in the country to

support high performance of sportspersons and integrate sciences and medicine into the training of elite sportspersons in the country as well as into the

teaching curriculum of sport coaching in the country.



18. The government has recently merged some schemes out of the three schemes given below.


[A]1 and 2
[B]1 and 3
[C]2 and 3
[D]1, 2 & 3



1 and 2
The Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY) has now been merged with the AABY to provide better administration of life insurance cover to the economically


backward sections of society. The scheme extends life and disability cover to persons between the ages of 18 and 59 years living below and marginally above

the poverty line under 47 identified vocational/occupational groups, including ‘rural landless households’. It provides insurance cover of a sum of Rs.

30,000 on natural death, Rs. 75,000 on death due to accident, Rs. 37,500 for partial permanent disability due to accident, and Rs. 75,000 on death or total

permanent disability due to accident. The scheme also provides an add-on benefit of scholarship of Rs. 100 per month per child paid on half- yearly basis to

a maximum of two children per member studying in Classes 9 to 12 (including ITI courses).



19. As per the recently released Government data, which among the following States has the highest percentage households availing of banking services?


[A]West Bengal
[B]Himachal Pradesh
[C]Gujarat
[D]Karnataka



Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (89.1 per cent) has the highest percentage households availing of banking services while Assam (44.1 per cent) is the


lowest followed by Bihar (44.4 per cent).



20. New START treaty is signed between which among the following countries?


[A]India and United States
[B]United States and China
[C]United States and Russia
[D]India and Russia



United States and Russia
New START (for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States of America and


the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. It is expected to last at least

until 2021. New START replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT), which was due to expire in December 2012. In terms of name, it is a follow-up to the START I

treaty, which expired in December 2009, the proposed START II treaty, which never entered into force, and the START III treaty, for which negotiations were

never concluded.



21. Project Glass is a R&D program by which among the following companies to prototype and build augmented reality glasses or an augmented reality head-


mounted display (HMD)?

[A]Google
[B]Microsoft
[C]Samsung Electronics
[D]Research In Motion Limited



Google
. Project Glass is part of the Google X Lab. It was first tested in April 2012. The main application would be the hands free displaying of


information currently available to most smartphone users, and allowing for interaction with the Internet via natural language voice commands, in a manner

similar to the iPhone application Siri. The Project Glass is powered by Google’s Android operating system.



22. The main application would be the hands free displaying of information currently available to most smartphone users, and allowing for interaction with


the Internet via natural language voice commands, in a manner similar to the iPhone application Siri. The Project Glass is powered by Google’s Android

operating system.

[A]Joseph Stiglitz
[B]Nicholas Stern
[C]Michael Bruno
[D]Kaushik Basu



Joseph Stiglitz
Joseph Stiglitz recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) and the John Bates Clark Medal (1979). He is a former


senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank, and is a former member, and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.[



23. Who among the following has recently won the first Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering?


[A]Sergey Brin
[B]Bill Gates
[C]Larry Page
[D]Tim Berners-Lee



Tim Berners-Lee
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is among those who have won the first Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. The £1m award was made in


recognition of his contribution to the development of the world wide web. He shares the prize with other internet pioneers Robert Kahn, Vinton Cerf, Louis

Pouzin and Marc Andreessen. The international prize has been described as the “Nobel Prize for Engineering”. Its aim is to acknowledge the field’s

contribution to the economy and society, and act as an inspiration for young people seeking a productive career.



24. Which among the following day is observed as the World Water Day?


[A]March 12
[B]March 16
[C]March 21
[D]March 22



March 22
World Water Day has been observed on 22 March since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared 22 March as World Day for Water. At


the official ceremony of World Water Day 2013 taking place in The Hague, UN Water has recognized two projects that contribute to the fulfillment of

international commitments made on water and water-related issues this year. The UN Water “Water for Life” Best Practices Award was given to a project

implemented in the city of Kumamoto in Japan for the conservation of groundwater resources and to the “Safe Water and Sanitation for All” initiative in the

Republic of Moldova, aimed at improving coverage in rural areas of the country.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

25. The RBI has recently issued guidelines for new bank licences. As per these guidelines, what is the minimum paid-up capital for setting up a bank?

[A]Rs 500 crore
[B]Rs 800 crore
[C]Rs 1000 crore
[D]Rs 1200 crore



Rs 500 crore
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the much-awaited guidelines for new bank licences, allowing corporates and public sector


entities with sound credentials and a minimum track record of 10 years to enter the banking business. The final guidelines pave the way for corporate houses

like Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Larsen & Toubro, Tatas, Mahindra and Mahindra, Life Insurance Corporation and Aditya Birla Group to enter the banking

business. The minimum paid-up capital for setting up a bank has been pegged at Rs 500 crore.The cap on the foreign investment, including FDI/FII and NRI, has

been set at 49 per cent. Also, new banks should open at least 25 per cent of branches in unbanked rural centres.



26. Who among the following is considered as the father of African literature?


[A]Wole Soyinka
[B]Chinua Achebe
[C]Pete Edochie
[D]Elechi Amadi



Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist seen by millions as the father of African literature, has died recently. A novelist, poet and


essayist, Achebe was perhaps best known for his first novel Things Fall Apart, which was published in 1958. The story of the Igbo warrior Okonkwo and the

colonial era, it has sold more than 10m copies around the world and has been published in 50 languages. Achebe won the Commonwealth poetry prize for his

collection Christmas in Biafra, was a finalist for the 1987 Booker prize for his novel Anthills of the Savannah, and in 2007 won the Man Booker international

prize.



27. Zillur Rahman, who recently passed away was a president of ____________?


[A]Malaysia
[B]Indonesia
[C]Bangladesh
[D]Yemen



Bangladesh
Bangladesh President, Zillur Rahman has died recently. Mr. Rahman was a top leader of the ruling Awami League party before Parliament


elected him President in 2009.



28. Which among the following countries is not a part of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU)?


[A]Botswana
[B]Angola
[C]Namibia
[D]Swaziland



Angola
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) is a customs union among five countries of Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa


and Swaziland. India and South African nations are expected to conclude a preferential trade agreement by the end of this year, aimed at reducing tariffs on

certain items traded between the two sides. The India-SACU Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) would enhance economic ties by reducing tariffs on several key

products.



29. Who among the following is the author of the book titled, ‘Gandhi before India’?


[A]Gurucharan Das
[B]Ramchandra Guha
[C]Khushwant Singh
[D]Arun Shourie



Ramchandra Guha
After chronicling the past 60 years of Indian history, eminent historian and author Ramchandra Guha is presently exploring lesser known


facets of Mahatma Gandhi, especially his days in South Africa in an upcoming multi-volume book. Guha, had looked at the story of modern India in his 2007

book “India after Gandhi: The history of the world’s largest democracy” for which it won the Sahitya Akademi award for English in the year 2011.

Guha’s upcoming book “Gandhi before India”, takes into account the life of Mahatma Gandhi from the time he was born in Porbandar in 1869 till his

departure to India from South Africa in July 1914.



30. . The Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) was launched by the ____________?


[A]United Kingdom
[B]United States
[C]France
[D]Russia



United States
The Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) is a US State Department initiative that addresses major gaps in international peace


operations support. The programme aims to build and maintain capability, capacity, and effectiveness of peace operations.



31. The President of which among the following countries recently suggested a five-point formula to improve relations with India?


[A]Pakistan
[B]Bangladesh
[C]China
[D]Sri Lanka



China
China’s new leader Xi Jinping has indicated that he will look to follow his predecessor’s policies in engaging with India and seek continuity in


bilateral ties, as the new leadership in Beijing takes control following a once-in-ten year change. Mr. Xi proposed five steps to boost ties:



32. The Chashma nuclear power complex, which is often in news is located in which among the following countries?


[A]China
[B]Pakistan
[C]Israel
[D]Iran



Pakistan
China and Pakistan reached a formal agreement last month to construct a third nuclear reactor at Chashma that the Obama administration says


will violate Beijing’s promises under an international anti-nuclear weapons accord. According to U.S. intelligence and diplomatic officials, the secret

agreement for the Chashma 3 reactor was signed in Beijing during the visit by a delegation from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from Feb. 15 to 18.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

33. The United States has officially transferred the control of controversial Bagram prison to the local government which among the following countries?

[A]Iraq
[B]Pakistan
[C]Afghanistan
[D]Saudi Arabia



Afghanistan
The U.S. handed over control of the prison at Bagram air base to the Afghan government, resolving a major sticking point that had been


complicating relations between Washington and Kabul as both countries brace for the departure of most U.S. troops by the end of 2014. Assuming control of the

detention facility at the U.S.-run air base had been a key demand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who in recent weeks has stepped up his anti-American

rhetoric and ratcheted up tension between Kabul and Washington.



34. Assuming control of the detention facility at the U.S.-run air base had been a key demand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who in recent weeks has


stepped up his anti-American rhetoric and ratcheted up tension between Kabul and Washington.

[A]1
[B]1.5
[C]2
[D]2.5



2
Half of India’s 1.21 billion population comprises women, and the national average fertility rate stands at 2.5, slightly higher than the targeted 2.


The theory is simple: Two children replace two parents, and the population stays stagnant.



35. Which among the following Mobile maker has been served a Rs 2,000 crore demand notice by Income Tax Department recently?


[A]Samsung
[B]Research in Motion
[C]Nokia
[D]LG



Nokia
The Income Tax department has served a Rs 2,000 crore demand notice on Finnish mobile firm maker Nokia for alleged evasion of taxes in its


business transactions in the country.



36. Who among the following has been named to lead the Indian women cricket team for the limited-overs series against Bangladesh (April 2013) ?


[A]Mithali Raj
[B]Harmanpreet Kaur
[C]Rumeli Dhar
[D]Poonam Raut



Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet has been named captain of the Indian women’s team replacing seasoned Mithali Raj for the limited-overs series against


Bangladesh starting April 2 at home.



37. Who among the following heads the Expert Committee for the purpose of reviewing the institutional frame work of Prasar Bharati ?


[A]Sam Pitroda
[B]Asha Swaroop
[C]B. K Gairola
[D]Shekhar Kapur



Sam Pitroda
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has constituted an Expert Committee for the purpose of reviewing the institutional frame work of


Prasar Bharati including its relationship with Government, its continuing role as a public broadcaster and measures needed to ensure technical upgradation of

the organization. It is headed by Sam Pitroda.



38. The head-quarters of the European Space Agency (ESA) are located at ______________?


[A]Paris
[B]Berlin
[C]London
[D]Vienna



Paris
European Space Agency is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 20 member states. Established in


1975 and headquartered in Paris, France.



39. Two BRICS nations have sealed a $30bn currency swap agreement that is expected to act as a backstop to growing trade between the two countries. Identify


the countries from the given options:

[A]India and Brazil
[B]India and Russia
[C]Brazil and China
[D]Brazil and South Africa



Brazil and China
Brazil and China sealed a $30bn currency swap agreement that is expected to act as a backstop to growing trade between the two


countries. Though the agreement is expected to be of little use in day-to-day trade, the deal will guarantee the flow of Brazil’s growing soy, iron ore and

other exports to China and China’s imports of manufactured goods to Brazil regardless of global financial conditions. The currency swap agreement, worth R

$60bn in Brazilian currency, was first announced by Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Rio+20

environmental summit last year.



40. . Who among the following is the present world number one male golfer?


[A]Rory McIlroy
[B]Luke Donald
[C]Tiger Woods
[D]Lee Westwood



Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods reclaimed the world number one spot for the first time since his career was derailed by a sex scandal and a string of injuries.


Woods’ victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational saw the 37- year-old replace Rory McIlroy atop the rankings in the latest milestone of his comeback from a

spectacular fall from personal and professional grace.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

41. Recently, who among the following has been chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012?

[A]Shankha Ghosh
[B]Indira Parthasarathy
[C]Sugathakumari
[D]Sunil Gangopadhyay



Sugathakumari
Malayalam poetess Sugathakumari has been chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012 for her poetry collection ‘Manalezhuthu’ (The


Writing on the Sand). The award, constituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation, carries a cash reward of Rs.10 lakh, a citation and a plaque. The award is given

annually to an outstanding literary work written in any Indian language during the last 10 years. Sugathakumari, a passionate environmentalist, also headed

Kerala’s State Women’s Commission.



42. In which among the following cities of India, the first all-women court was set up recently?


[A]Chennai
[B]Hyderabad
[C]Mumbai
[D]Bangalore



Mumbai
Acknowledging that the cases of sexual assault against women are required to be dealt with greater sensitivity, the first all-women court was


set up in Mumbai’s Sessions court on International Women’s Day. In a circular issued on March 7, the Bombay High Court directed “to assign cases involving

sexual assault against women exclusively to the courts presided over by women judicial officers in districts/establishment”.



43. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) works under which among the following ministries?


[A]Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)
[B]Ministry of Finance
[C]Ministry of Law and Justice
[D]Ministry of Commerce and Industry



Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)





44. Recently, which among the following has launched its all-electric four-seater passenger car, the e2o in India?


[A]Ford India
[B]Mahindra and Mahindra
[C]Tata Motors
[D]Maruti Suzuki



Mahindra and Mahindra
Mahindra and Mahindra launched its all-electric four-seater passenger car, the e2o, with price starting at Rs.5.96 lakh. The car


is developed by Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles (formerly Reva Electric Car Company), and will replace its predecessor Reva, India’s first electric car. The

car is powered by new generation lithium-ion batteries, and a three phase induction electric motor. It has driving range of 100 km per charge, which takes

five hours for one full charging. The fully automatic car can be charged from any 15A power socket, and is aimed for city driving.



45. 96 lakh. The car is developed by Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles (formerly Reva Electric Car Company), and will replace its predecessor Reva, India’s


first electric car. The car is powered by new generation lithium-ion batteries, and a three phase induction electric motor. It has driving range of 100 km

per charge, which takes five hours for one full charging. The fully automatic car can be charged from any 15A power socket, and is aimed for city driving.

[A]South Africa
[B]Canada
[C]Australia
[D]United States



Australia
The world’s biggest dinosaur park, dream of Australian mining tycoon Clive Palmer, will roar to life sooner than expected on the Sunshine


Coast of Australia. The attraction, dubbed Palmersauria, is coming together in the grounds of the Palmer Coolum Resort in Queensland, Australia. It features

more than 150 replica animatronic prehistoric creatures, imported from China.



46. A new committee has been set up by Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, to put in place a policy on energy security and prepare a roadmap for enhancing


domestic oil and gas production to reduce dependence on exports by 2030. Who heads this committee?

[A]Vijay Kelkar committee
[B]B. K. Chaturvedi committee
[C]Raghunath Anant Mashelkar committee
[D]Shankar Acharya committee



Vijay Kelkar committee
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry constituted a new committee headed by economist Vijay Kelkar to put in place a policy on


energy security and prepare a roadmap for enhancing domestic oil and gas production to reduce dependence on exports by 2030.



47. World’s largest concentrated solar power plant has been opened recently by__:


[A]France
[B]Russia
[C]United Arab Emirates
[D]Israel



United Arab Emirates
The oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially opened the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant, an USD 600 million


project which can provide electricity to 20,000 homes. The solar park features long lines of parabolic mirrors spread over an area equivalent to 285 football

pitches in the desert of the Western Region, some 120 kilometres southwest of Abu Dhabi.



48. The lowest dropout rate of school students in the country is in __:


[A]Andhra Pradesh
[B]Karnataka
[C]West Bengal
[D]Kerala



Kerala
Kerala, which stands out from the rest of India with 94 percent literacy rate, has achieved another distinction of having the lowest dropout


rate of school students in the country at just 0.53 percent.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

49. HPCL is setting up an oil refinery in Rajasthan, which is the biggest ever investment in the desert State. This refinery is coming up in ___:

[A]Jodhpur
[B]Jaisalmer
[C]Barmer
[D]Jalor



Barmer
Decks have been cleared for setting up the much-awaited oil refinery in Rajasthan with the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) board


members approving the State Government’s proposal in this regard. The project’s cost is estimated to be in the range of Rs.36,000 crore to Rs.40,000 crore,

which would be the biggest ever investment in the desert State. The State Government, which has been demanding installation of refinery since crude oil was

discovered in the Barmer-Sanchore basin, gave in-principle approval to provide a financial package of Rs.3,376 crore to HPCL last month.



50. . Which among the following is a Coral Island?


[A]Maldives
[B]Lakshadweep
[C]Tasmania
[D]Medagaskar



Lakshadweep





51. Who among the following is known as “Father of Pentium Chip”?


[A]Sugata Mitra
[B]Vinod Dham
[C]Ajit Balakrishnan
[D]Ajay V. Bhatt



Vinod Dham
Vinod Dham is known as “Father of Pentium Chip” or “Father of Pentium” for the role in the development of highly successful Pentium


Processors from Intel. Vinod Dham is also one of the co-inventors of the Flash memory.



52. Who among the following is known as “The father of India’s communication revolution“?


[A]Nandan Nilekani
[B]Azim Premji
[C]Narayana Murthy
[D]Sam Pitroda



Sam Pitroda
Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda. He is well known as Dr Sam Pitroda and “The father of India’s communication revolution“. He is Currently


Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations. He is founder and CEO of company named C-SAM, Inc.



53. Also sometimes known as ‘Father of fiber optics‘, which among the following Indian personalities has been honoured by the Fortune magazine as one of the


seven ‘Unsung Heroes‘?

[A]Narinder Singh Kapany
[B]Krishna Bharat
[C]Sashi Reddi
[D]Vinod Khosla



Narinder Singh Kapany
Narinder Singh Kapany is best known as ‘Father of fiber optics‘. Mr. Narendra has done is graduation from Agra University, India


and further study and Ph.D. from London. Fortune Magazine honoured him as a one of the seven ‘Unsung Heroes‘. Also note that in west, Charles K. Kao is known

as Godfather of Broadband”, “Father of Fiber Optics” or “Father of Fiber Optic Communications”. Kao is 2009 Nobel Prize Winner.



54. Who among the following is appointed as the Mission Director for the ambitious Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme?


[A]Deepak Kumar
[B]Saurav Goel
[C]Sindhushree Khullar
[D]Akhil Batra



Sindhushree Khullar
Planning Commission secretary Sindhushree Khullar was appointed as Mission Director for the UPA government’s ambitious Direct


Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme. Khullar will be the Mission Director for the DBT Scheme, in addition to her present charge. Under the scheme, termed as UPA’s

vote-catcher for general election 2014, the government provides welfare subsidies to beneficiaries by transferring the money directly into their bank

accounts.



55. Who among the following is the head of the 16-member committee set by the SEBI to suggest new rules for dealing with insider trading?


[A]Rajeev Luthra
[B]N K Sodhi
[C]Arundhati Bhattacharya
[D]Menaka Doshi



N K Sodhi
Securities and Exchange Board of India – SEBI has set up a 16-member committee to suggest new rules for dealing with insider trading. SEBI


has said that world over, the regulatory focus is shifting towards containing the rising menace of insider trading effectively and hence SEBI is seeking a

review of the extant Insider Trading Regulatory regime in India. Although several amendments have been introduced to SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading)

Regulations, 1992; the new guidelines will help in replacing the nearly two-decade old set of norms. The committee headed by Presiding officer of the

Securities Appellate Tribunal, N K Sodhi, will include SEBI officials, executives from companies, legal experts and journalists.



56. Hugo Chavez, who recently passed away was the President of ___________?


[A]Colombia
[B]Argentina
[C]Venezuela
[D]Chile



Venezuela
Hugo Chavez, who rose from poverty in a dirt-floor adobe house to unrivalled influence in Venezuela as its president, consolidating power and


wielding the country’s oil reserves as a tool for his Socialist-inspired change has died recently due to cancer. For years, he succeeded in curbing U.S.

influence. He breathed life into Cuba, the hemisphere’s only Communist nation, with economic assistance; its revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, was not only

an ally but also an inspiration. Chavez forged a Bolivarian alliance with some of Latin America’s energy-exporting nations, like Ecuador and Bolivia, and

applauded when they expelled U.S. ambassadors, as he had done. He asserted greater state control over Venezuela’s economy by nationalizing dozens of

foreign-owned assets, including oil projects controlled by Exxon Mobil and other large U.S. corporations.



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Current Affairs and Gk -March 2013

Important current affairs and Gk questions of march month for IAS, RAS, SSC CGL, UPSC, BANK PO, UPSC,RPSC, Bank exams and all other exams.If you like

the post kindly give rating.
[important]This questions are useful for any competitive exam like IAS, bank PO, SSC CGL, RAS, CDS, UPSC exams and all state related exams.[/important]

57. Which among the following is the first in India to receive Rs.25 lakh as carbon credits from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC)?

[A]Dwarka composting plant
[B]Gurgaon composting plant
[C]Faridabad composting plant
[D]Okhla composting plant



Okhla composting plant
The Okhla composting plant of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has received carbon credits and Rs.25 lakh from the United


Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for helping the environment. The plant uses 200 tonnes of municipal waste to produce manure that can

be used in parks and gardens. The plant operates under Public Private Partnership with IL&FS and is the first plant in the country to receive such

credits. Since 2007, the plant has converted two lakh tonnes of municipal waste into manure through ‘aerobic composting technology’.



58. Who among the following will become the second president in Africa to be indicted by the ICC – after Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir?


[A]Raila Odinga
[B]George Saitoti
[C]Uhuru Kenyatta
[D]Joshua Sang



Uhuru Kenyatta
The people of Kenya have elected Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta as their president and William Ruto as the deputy president. This was the first


election under a new constitution and also the first presidential election after the 2007 post-election violence. Unlike his late father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta,

Uhuru does not carry a fly-whisk as a mark of authority, instead he carries the heavy indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against

humanity committed after the previous elections, in 2007. He will become the second president in Africa to be indicted by the ICC – after Sudan’s Omar al-

Bashir.



59. Recently, the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has released the Commemorative Postage Stamp on Sahir Ludhianvi. Sahir Ludhianvi was a well-known


____________?

[A]Urdu poet
[B]Kannada poet
[C]Tamil poet
[D]Malayalam poet



Urdu poet
Commemorating the birth anniversary of legendary poet and lyricist late Sahir Ludhianvi, the President of India Pranab Mukherjee released a


commemorative postage stamp on 8 March. He was recognized as the poet of the young because of his writings on love and beauty. He wrote with great

sensitivity on the values and social concerns of the contemporary period. Ludhianvi was a popular Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist, who worked extensively in

Hindi films. He won the Filmfare Award twice, in 1964 and 1977, and in 1971 was awarded the Padma Shri.



60. . Which among the following countries is the 1st largest ‘spam spewing nation’ in world?


[A]United States
[B]India
[C]China
[D]Russia



United States
India has ranked third on the list of the countries distributing spam across the world, after US and China. While the US was the single


highest-ranking country in the study, Asia topped the list of continents with 36.6 per cent of the world’s spam accounted for. In the latter half of 2012,

India had been leading the way but has now fallen back to third, with China leapfrogging into second place after a spell in the lower half of the list,

statistics from SophosLabs revealed. US is still firmly on the top, distributing more spam than any other country in the world, clocking in at a

“respectable” 18.3 per cent of junk email sent.



61. Which among the following have bagged the Indira Gandhi award for the best debut film in the recent National film awards?


[A]Chittagong and Dhag
[B]Dhag and 101 Chodiyangal
[C]Chittagong and Vicky Donor
[D]Chittagong and 101 Chodiyangal



Chittagong and 101 Chodiyangal
The Indira Gandhi award for the best debut film was bagged by Chittagong (Hindi) and 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam). The


Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the

organization set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Golden Lotus

(Swarna Kamal). The award was instituted in 1980, at 28th National Film Awards and awarded annually for films produced in the year across the country, in all

Indian languages.



62. The Leveson Report reviewed the general culture and ethics of the media in which among the following countries?


[A]United States
[B]Britain
[C]France
[D]Russia



Britain
The Leveson Inquiry is a judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press following the News International


phone hacking scandal, chaired by Lord Justice Leveson, who was appointed in July 2011. The Inquiry published the Leveson Report in November 2012, which

reviewed the general culture and ethics of the British media, and made recommendations for a new, independent, body to replace the existing Press Complaints

Commission, which would be recognised by the state through new laws. Recently, the political parties in Britain reached a deal on implementing the Leveson

proposals to regulate the press.



63. Which among the following convention is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries?


[A]Nirobi Convention
[B]Vienna Convention
[C]Paris Convention
[D]Bern Convention



Vienna Convention
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations


between independent countries. It specifies the privileges of a diplomatic mission that enable diplomats to perform their function without fear of coercion

or harassment by the host country. This forms the legal basis for diplomatic immunity. Recently, the European Union (EU) has cautioned India against

violating the Vienna Convention, in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s order restraining Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini from leaving the country.



64. Which among the following countries is not one among the world’s top four largest weapons exporter?


[A]Russia
[B]France
[C]Germany
[D]China



China
China has become the world’s fifth largest weapons exporter on the back of a rapid increase in sales to Pakistan. China, accounting for five per


cent of global arms sales, replaced Britain in the exclusive club of five biggest weapons sellers, said a report from the Stockholm International Peace

Research Institute (Sipri). The United States is the biggest exporter, accounting for 30 per cent of global exports. Russia with 26 per cent, Germany with

seven per cent and France with six per cent exceed China’s sales. An increase in supplies to Pakistan, which now account for more than half of China’s arms

exports, and a booming domestic arms manufacturing sector have enabled China’s rise as a global weapons player, analysts say. India, in contrast, remains the

biggest importer, accounting for 12 per cent of the world’s imports and continuing to rely on countries such as Russia for its defence needs.



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