Current Affairs April 2011

1. Who has been crowned Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2011 ?

Kanishtha Dhankhar
2. Name of the new revised income tax return form to be introduced for small tax papers?
‘Sugam’
3. Minimum Alternate Tax which is payable by companies has been Hiked in budget 2011-12. The tax is hiked to?
18%
4. Rs.500 Crores have been given to NGRBA in Central Budget for the financial year 2011-12. What is NGBRA?
National Ganga River Basin Authority.
5. Who has been selected by the International Magicians Society(IMS) of the US for the International Merlin Award,2011

- Illusionist Gopinath Muthukad

He is the second Indian Magician, after P.C Sorcar Jr of west Bengal, to receive the award.
Magician Franz Harary who is one of the Board of Directors of IMS. The Merlin Award to magic is what Oscar is to Cinema. The Jury selected Mr Muthukad for his contributions to the development and popularization of magical art and science over the last 35 years

6. According to the Union Budget, economy of India is expected to grow in 2012 at?
9%
7. As per Union Budget how much amount is to be provided during 2011-12 to enable public sector banks to maintain a minimum of Tier I CRAR of 8 per cent?
Rs.6,000 crore.
8. Veteran Malayalam film producer and director who has been selected for JC Daniel award -2011 of the state government for his overall contribution to cinema?
MC Punnoose (Navodaya Appachan).
9. Which club has won the Carling Cup after beating Arsenal 2-1 in the final at Wembley?
Birmingham.
10. Who has won 2011 Sony world photography award ?

- Amit Madheshiya

Indian photographer Amit Madheshiya has been named ‘Arts and Culture Photographer of the Year’ at the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2011. Mumbai-based Madheshiya was one of 13 professional category winners presented with an award held at the ceremony at the Odeon in Leicester Square, London

11. Indian Defence budget increased by how much percentage for 2011 – 2012?
- 11.6%
12. Who has been appointed as new BSNL chief ?

-Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay as the Chairman and Managing Director of telecom giant BSNL
13. Bangladeshi Nobel laureate who has been ousted from Grameen Bank by Bangladesh Government on the grounds that he had stayed on past the legal retirement age of 60?
Muhammad Yunus.
Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, set up Grameen, which means village in Bengali, and has been its managing director since 2000.
14. Who claimed the first hat-trick of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against Netherlands on 28 February, 2011 with a bowling figure of 6/27 at Delhi?
Kemar Roach.

This West Indies pace bowler removed Pieter Seelaar, Bernard Loots and Berend Westdijk off the last three deliveries of the match to lead West Indies to a 215-run victory.

15. Who became the youngest player to make a debut in World Cup cricket?
Nitish Kumar (Canada)
When he played against Zimbabwe on 28 February 2011 at Nagpur, India, he was 16 years and 283 days.
16. Who was the first bowler to take 2 hat-tricks in Cricket World Cup?
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka).

He took six wickets for 38 runs, as Sri Lanka thrashed Kenya by nine wickets in a Cricket World Cup Group A match in Colombo in 2011.His first hat-trick is against South Africa in the 2007 Cricket World Cup He is the only bowler in cricketing history to take four wickets in four consecutive balls in international cricket (vs. South Africa).

17. Who has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2010 ?

-K. Balachander

K. Balachander, the veteran film maker, has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2010. The award is conferred by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs.10 lakhs and a shawl.

18. Egyptian Prime Minister who submitted his resignation from his post on March 3,2011amid ongoing protests in the North African nation?
Ahmed Shafiq.
Shafiq will be replaced by former Transport Minister Essam Sharaf.
19. Indian scientist from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research who has helped NASA to predict Solar Flare?
Dibyendu Nandi

He and his colleagues have unraveled the mystery behind an occurrence that has intrigued scientists across the world – the disappearance for nearly two years of sun spots on the surface of the sun. There was a huge solar flare in 1859. It was so large that it could be seen with the naked eye. In 1989, a solar storm wiped out Canada’s northern electric grid. Canada was out of power for almost three days.

20. Who has been appointed as chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the 2G spectrum allocation issue:?
P.C.Chacko.
The JPC, having 20-members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
21. Union Minister of Human Resource Development in the Manmohan Singh cabinet from 2004 to 2009 who died on 4 March 2011 due to a heart attack?
Arjun Singh

Arjun Singh was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh when the deadly gas leak from the Union Carbide factory occurred. It is widely alleged that on the fateful night between December 2, 1984 and December 3, 1984, when the gas leak occurred.

22. Name the $424 million satellite launched by NASA on March 4, 2011 intended to study how radiation from the sun impacts the Earth’s climate which failed to achieve orbit?
Glory
23. Which country becomes the first European country to enforce burqa ban?
France.
Burqa ban enforced in France from April 11, 2011.
24. The last surviving founding leader of Nepali Congress (NC) and former Prime Minister of Nepal died recently at the Norvic International Hospital?
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

Bhattarai was twice the Prime Minister of Nepal, once heading the Interim Government from 19 April 1990 to 26 May 1991, and then as elected Prime Minister from 31 May 1999 to 22 March 2000.Bhattarai was the officiating President of the Nepali Congress for nearly 26 years from February 12, 1976, and was elected to the post of president of party in 1992 till 1996.

25. The last Maharaja of Jaipur, who died recently on 16 April at the age of 80 years?

The last titular Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Bhawani Singh, died at a private hospital in Gurgaon on 16 April night after prolonged illness

26. An Egyptian criminal court began the first hearing in the case against former Interior Minister of Egypt, on 05-03-2011 charged with money laundering and profiteering. Name of that minister?
Habib al-Adli.
27. The friend and companion of the guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara in his youth on a motorcycle trip around South America, who died in Havana at the age of 88?
Alberto Granado.

He was an Argentine-Cuban biochemistry doctor, writer, and scientist. He founded the Santiago School of Medicine in Cuba and wrote the book “Travelling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary”.

28. Name of the two surface-to-surface missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which were successfully test-fired by India on March 11, 2011?
Prithvi II and Dhanush.

The two missiles, products of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), were test-fired within five days of the successful demonstration of the Ballistic Air Defence Missile System on March 6 by DRDO. Prithvi II surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 350 km was launched from Chandipur, some 230 km from Orissa capital Bhubaneswar. Dhanush, the naval version of Prithvi with the same range, was launched from Indian Naval Ship INS Suvarna off the Puri coast.

29. Who becomes first women to “unfurl” the national tricolor at a depth of 30 metres under the sea?
Archana Sardana.

She has created history of by scuba diving at Neil Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and “unfurling” the national tricolour at a depth of 30 metres under the sea.

30. Name of the Minister of the Interior of Egypt who was appointed by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on 5 March 2011?
General Mansour el Essawy
31. Who has become the first Indian-American to be elected to the Chicago City Council?
Ameya Pawar.
32. The 2011 edition of the 10th Imagineindia International Film Festival will take place in?
Madrid(Spain) from May 17-31.
33. Name of the American unmanned vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing (VTHL) space plane which was launched on 5 March 2011 with the mission designation USA-226?
X-37 B.

This is the second X-37B space plane used by the Air Force. It is called the Orbital Test Vehicle 2, or OTV-2. The first X-37B space plane, appropriately named “Orbital Test Vehicle 1, was launched on April 22, 2010. USA-226 is the first flight of the second Boeing X-37B.

34. The Supreme Court of India has rejected the mercy killing of a nurse from Haldipur, Karnataka after she had been in a vegetative state for 37 years. Name of that nurse?

Aruna Shanbaug .

While working at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, she was sexually assaulted and has been in a vegetative state since the assault. On 24th January 2011, the Supreme Court of India responded to the plea for euthanasia filed by Aruna’s friend journalist Pinki Virani, by setting up a medical panel to examine her. The court turned down the mercy killing petition on 7 March, 2011. However in its landmark judgment, it allowed passive euthanasia in India.

35. Former Prime Minister of Fiji was denied travel to the United States of America by the High Court in Suva. Name of that former Prime Minister?
Mahendra Chuadhry.
Chaudhry is charged on 12 counts of money laundering, tax evasion and giving false information to the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority.
36. Who is the new Foreign Minister of Japan?
Takeaki Matsumoto.

Mr. Matsumoto replaces Seiji Maehara who stepped down after just six months in the job, after he acknowledged accepting political donations from a foreign national – illegal in Japan if done intentionally.

37. Which team has lifted the Deodhar Trophy title(2011) after defeating West Zone by 5 wickets in the final match at in Jaipur?
North Zone.
38. Name the man who owes India a whopping Rs. 70,000 crore in taxes, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act?
Hasan Ali Khan.
39. A US court has issued an arrest warrant against an elderly Hindu religious leader recently, convicted of molesting two young girls, after he failed to appear before it on the day of his sentencing. Name of that Hindu leader?
Prakashanand Saraswati.
He, known to his devotees as Shree Swamiji, is the head of the 200-acre Hindu ashram in Texas.
40. Mexican billionaire who remained the richest person in the world with USD 74 billion in assets according to the US magazine Forbes annual list of world’s top billionaires?
Carlos Slim.
41. A bronze statue by French sculptor, “Naked Balzac with folded arms”, was stolen from Israel Museum in Jerusalem during the Museum’s recently completed renovation. Which sculpture’s statue was stole?
Auguste Rodin.
The sculpture, one meter and 60 centimeter tall, was cast between 1892 and 1893.
42. Which country has frozen the assets of the Libyan Central Bank and other state-run agencies in an attempt to cut off funding to Moammar Gadhafi’s embattled regime?
Germany.
43. Name the Space shuttle of U.S.A which ended its career on March 9, 2011 as the world’s most flown spaceship, returning from orbit for the last time and taking off in a new direction as a museum piece?
Discovery.
44. Which University has been ranked as the top university in the world for the sixth consecutive year according to the latest edition of The Times Higher Education, world reputation ranking report?
Harvard University.
United States dominates the rankings of 200 world class universities. None of the Indian institutes of higher education figure in that list.
45. Japan experienced the worst ever earthquake disaster in its modern history followed by a deadly tsunami leading to massive destruction in the northern part of the country. On which day the Powerful quake, tsunami hit Japan?
March 11,2011.
46. Who is appointed as the new American ambassador to China?
Gary Locke.
47. On which day of 2011, the moon made its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years?
March 19.

The phenomenon called lunar perigee Supermoon happens when the moon reaches its absolute closest point to Earth. On March 19, the natural satellite will be only 221,567 miles away from our planet.

48. Which country has surpassed China to become the world’s largest importer of conventional weapons during the 2006 to 2010 period according to statistics released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)?
India.
49. U.S. State Department spokesman who resigned from his position on March 13, 2011 as a result of comments he made over the treatment of WikiLeaks suspect Bradley E. Manning?
Philip J Crowley.
50. Which country declared a three-month state of emergency as a second contingent of forces from Gulf States arrived in the kingdom to support its government following persistent protests?
Bahrain
51. American working for the Central Intelligence Agency who was released in Pakistan after compensating the families of people he killed in self-defense?
Raymond Allen Davis.
52. Which country has recalled its ambassador from Bahrain in protest against the killing of Shi’ite Muslim demonstrators in the island state?
Iran.
53. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the Korean firm SsangYong Motor Company?
Pawan Goenka

He is currently the President of Automotive & Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd acquired the Korean automobile manufacturer SsangYong in August 2010.

54. Which country declared a state of emergency on March 18, 2011 after a massacre at an anti-government rally?
Yemen.
55. Noted Bollywood actor, who appeared in over 100 feature films, passed away on March 19,2011 after a massive heart attack?
Navin Nischol.

He made his debut with the Hindi film Sawan Bhadon in 1970. He was the first gold medalist from the Film and Television Institute of India. At one time, he was popularly known as the “poor man’s Rajesh Khanna” – an allusion to his being an inferior copy of the much-more-in-demand Rajesh Khanna.

56. Who won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold trophy with a straight-game victory in the summit clash against Ji Hyun Sung of Korea in Switzerland?
Saina Nehwal(India).
57. Which city becomes the first capital city in the world to be entirely covered with a fibre optic network ?

Abu Dhabi
58. Who won the Association of Tennis Player (ATP) Indian Wells title by beating world number one Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in final?
Novac Djokovic.
59. The double Oscar-winning actress and one of the 20th Century’s biggest movie stars who has died in Los Angeles at the age of 79?
Dame Elizabeth Taylor.

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for BUtterfield 8 (1960), played the title role in Cleopatra (1963). She won a second Academy Award for the film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? “(1966),

60. U.S Name of the international military operation in Libya to enforce United Nations resolution to prevent Colonel Gadhafi’s forces attacking civilians?
Operation Odyssey Dawn.
Operation ELLAMY is the name given to UK military action in Libya.
Operation Harmattan is the name given to French military action in Libya.
Operation MOBILE is the name given to military action by Canada in Libya.

Current affairs 2011 for All Competitive exams | Current Affairs April 2011 quiz |  gk questions | current affairs for civil services | General knowledge|

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Current affairs April- 2010

1. A controversial bronze statue of an American President as a 10-year-old boy has been removed recently by Indonesian authorities from a park in the capital Jakarta due to a public backlash when it was erected. Who is that president?
Barack Obama
The statue moved to a nearby elementary school that Obama once attended.

2. Indian businessman who bought the formerly British-owned East India Company recently?
Sanjiv Mehta.

3. Bangladesh’s Zia International Airport is to be renamed after 13th century Sufi saint after deleting the name of former president Ziaur Rahman. What is the name of that Sufi Saint?
Hazarat Shah Jalal.

4. Who became the 35th batsmen in the history of Test Matches to accumulate 7000 career runs in Test Matches?
V.V.S.Laxman

5. The Afghan Taliban leader, who was captured by U.S. and Pakistani forces in Pakistan on February 8, 2010, in the southern port city of Karachi?
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar
He is a co-founder of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

6. Which country has recently stopped issuing visas to citizens of 25 European nations?
Lybia.
Britain was exempted from the ban.

7. Who is appointed as the special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference by US President Obama?
Rashad Hussain.
Obama has appointed a deputy White House counsel Rashad Hussain to be his representative to the Muslim world. Organization of the Islamic Conference is an intergovernmental group with 57 member countries from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Balkans, Southeast Asia and South Asia .

8. According to a recent Commonwealth report, presidential polls in an Asian country did not ‘fully meet’ key benchmarks for democratic elections. Which is that country?
Sri Lanka.

9. Which district in Kerala is all set to be declared the first fully electrified district in India?
Palakkad

10. The Operation launched by Afghan and NATO forces in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province on February 13, 2010, aiming at eradicating Taliban militants in Marjah district of this region?
Operation Moshtarak (“Operation Together”)

11. The celebrated Egyptian pharaoh, who ruled from around 1351-1334 BC, died of malaria and had a club foot, according to a new study that used the latest genetic testing to try and find out more about his life, and death?
Tutankhamun
He is often referred to as King Tut , died just nine years into his reign, which lasted from 1333-1324 BC.

12. Who is appointed as the Chairman of the high level Empowered Committee to go into all aspects (except legal and constitutional issues) of the Maullaiperiyar dam dispute between the States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala?
A. S. Anand.
He is the former Chief Justice of India.

13. The government of Kerala recently decided to constitute a Pay Commission to recommend revision of scales for government employees and teachers in the state. The pay commission is headed by?
Justice Rajendra Babu.

14. The second tiger reserve in Kerala after the Periyar Tiger Reserve which will be integrated ecologically with the 960 sq km Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu situated at?
Parambikulam.
The proposed 460.30 sq km Parambikulam tiger reserve inaugurated on February 17, 2010.

15. Name of the military junta that seized power in a military coup in the African country Niger?
Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (SCRD).
They captured President Mamadou Tandja and his ministers in a four-hour gun battle
Salou Djibo is the leader of CSRD.
Junta means the ruling council of a military dictatorship.

16. India’s premier international airline, which recently announced that it will commence daily non-stop flights from Mumbai to Johannesburg from April 14,2010?
Jet Airways.

17. The United Nations’ (UN) top climate official, unexpectedly announced that he will resign in July – after December’s failed summit in Copenhagen dealt a blow to his climate change ambitions?
Bonn – Yvo de Boer.

18. Who won the first British female Winter Olympic gold in 30 years with victory in women’s skeleton?
Amy Williams

19. Name of the Buddhist monk who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in Myanmar for violating immigration laws in relation to a trip he took to Taiwan, unlawful association, and for failing to declare foreign currency?
Gaw Thita.
He was arrested at Yangon International Airport in August along with seven other monks who were later released without charge.

20. Who was elected unopposed as the working chairman of NDA(National Democratic Alliance) till incumbent Atal Bihari Vajpayee recovers from ill-health?
L K Advani
Sharad Yadav has been elected as the convenor.

21. Which film won the 2010 Writers Guilds Award for original screen play?
The Hurt Locker

Awards List:
Original Screen Play: Mark Boal (Film:The Hurt Locker)
Adapted Screen Play: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner Based upon the novel by Walter Kirn(Film:Up in the Air)
Documentary film: The cove (Written by Mark Monroe)

Actor, comedian and singer Jason Alexander, who is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series “Seinfeld”, presented the 2010 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television to writer/actor/producer Larry David.

22. Who won Silver Bear for best director for the film ‘Ghost Writer’ at 60th Berlin film festival?
Roman Polanski.

23. Which film won the Golden Bear for best picture at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival?
“Bal” (Honey)
The film is a Turkish-German production directed by Semih Kaplanoglus

24. Who won the Morgan Keegan Tennis Championships in Memphis beating Sharapova former Memphis champion Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-1 in final?
Maria Sharapova

25. Who won the WTA Dubai Tennis title defeating Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 6-3 7-5 in the final?
Venus Williams.

26. Which film won six BAFTA Awards in London including the award of best film?
Hurt Locker.
BAFTA AWARDS:
Best Film – The Hurt Locker
Leading Actor – Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Leading Actress – Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Supporting Actress – Mo’Nique (Precious)
Outstanding British Film – Fish Tank
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer – Duncan Jones (director – Moon)
Director – Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Original Screenplay – The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)
Adapted Screenplay – Up In The Air (Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner)
Film not in the English language – A Prophet
Animated Film – Up
Music – Up (Michael Giacchino)
Cinematography – The Hurt Locker
Editing – The Hurt Locker
Production design – Avatar
Costume Design – The Young Victoria
Sound – The Hurt Locker
Special visual effects – Avatar
Make-up & hair – The Young Victoria
Short animation – Mother Of Many
Short film – I Do Air
The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public) – Kristen Stewart

27. Who becomes the first woman to win ‘Best Director’ award in BAFTA awards?
Kathryn Bigelow
She is the director of the film “Hurt Locker “.

28. Name of the New Unmanned Aircraft that can remain in the air for over 24 hours which has been added to Israeli Air Force family?
‘Eitan’
The drone named ‘Eitan’ meaning ‘Strong’ in Hebrew is said to be 24 meters long and 26 meters wide wingspan. The drone which weighs about 4.5 tones and it can fly to and from Persian Gulf.
Drone means a pilotless aircraft operated by remote control.

29. The leader of the Sunni Muslim militant group “Jundullah” arrested recently by Iran authorities?
Abdolmalek Rigi.

30. Leaders of 32 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, meeting in Mexico, decided to exclude two countries from membership of a new organization for countries on the American continents. Name of that countries?
United States of America (U.S.A) and Canada.

31. Indian-origin woman who has became the first woman Leader of the Opposition in the Trinidad and Tobago parliament, ousting former premier Basdeo Panday from the post?
Kamla Persad-Bissessar

32. Which country has swept the Commonwealth Shooting Championship with a whopping 49 medals?
India.
India won 23 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze medals. England finished a distant second with 31 medals and badges, while Wales ended third on the table after winning 13 medals and badges.

33. A prominent Indian hotelier who has been presented the Community Award in recognition of his outstanding philanthropic work in the UK?
Joginder Sangar

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Current Affairs March 2011

1. which team has won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 ?

- India

Twenty-eight years on from the match that transformed the history of world cricket, India recaptured the crown that Kapil Dev and his men first lifted at Lord’s in 1983, and this time they did it in their very own back yard. An iron-willed 97 from Gautam Gambhir was matched for intensity by the finest captain’s innings since Ricky Ponting at Johannesburg eight years ago, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni trumped a poetic century from Mahela Jayawardene to pull off the highest run-chase ever achieved in a World Cup final.

2. Who has been appointed new chief of Film Certification Tribunal ?


- Lalit Bhasin

Noted lawyer Lalit Bhasin has been appointed Chairperson of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. “The appointment is for a period of three years.” Mr. Bhasin is also the Vice-President of the Bar Association of India and the Chairman of the Services Export Promotion Council established by the Ministry of Commerce and a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. 

3. Who hits fastest century in Cricket World Cup History ?


- Kevin O’Brien
Kevin O’Brien shocked the mighty England with fastest century in World Cup history ( 50 balls) which helped Ireland to chase the huge total of 327.
4. Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Union Minister , who died recently on March 04 ?
- Arjun Singh

Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Arjun Singh, who had served in various capacities including as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, died here on March 04. He was 81.

5. Who has been appointed Singapore’s first army chief ?
Ravider Singh——–-——- Chan Chun Sing
Singapore has appointed Brigadier General Ravider Singh as its next Army chief, the first Sikh in 30 years to be given the force’s baton. Singh, 41, takes over from Major-General Chan Chun Sing on March 25.
6. Who has been appointed as new President & CEO of Telecom Company MTS ?
- Andrei Dubovskov appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
7. Who is the richest person in the U.S. magazine Forbes annual list ?


- Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu remained the richest person in the world with $ 74 billion in assets

8. Recently Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable missile, what is the name of that missile ?
- Hataf 2
surface-to-surface missile has a range of 111 miles (180 kilometers).
9. who has been elected as Chairman of AMCO.


- Jayshree Venkatraman
10. which city host consumer rights conference 2011 ?
-Delhi
A Two day Conference organised by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Delhi on 14 march.
11. who has been appointed as Secretary of NCSC ?
- Ashok Thakur
12. Who becomes the first Indian Officer to be inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ of US Army War College, Carlisle, USA ?
-
- General VK Singh
13. Who won the title of Swiss Open 2011 ?


- Saina Nehwal

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal notched up her first title of the year, clinching the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold trophy with a straight-game victory in the summit clash against Ji Hyun Sung of Korea in Switzerland on March 20.

14. Who won doubles’ title in Indian Wells ?


Sania Mirza and her American partner Elena Vesnina clinched their first title in just their third WTA event as a team, lifting the BNP Paribas Open women’s double trophy after upstaging Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy here. Sania and Vesnina beat eighth seeds Mattek-Sands and Shaughnessy 6-0 7-5.
15. Who clinches Guinness Record in spelling ?
-
- Shishir Hathwar
16. Who has been awarded with Abel Prize 2011 ?
- John Willard Milnor

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has chosen one of the living legends of mathematics, John Willard Milnor of the Institute for Mathematical Sciences in the University of Stony Brook, U.S.A, for the award of its prestigious Abel Prize for the year 2011.

17. which Bank named best retail bank in India?
- HDFC
Country’s second largest private lender HDFC bank has won the Asian Banker’s ‘Best Retail Bank in India’ award this year.
18. Who has been appointed Head of CII Southern Region ?
T.T. Ashok
19. Name of the one man committee appointed by the Indian government to look into the 2G spectrum allocation procedures who submitted its report to Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on 31 January 2011?
- Justice Shivraj Patil.

The one-man committee of Justice Shivraj Patil, looking into the 2G spectrum scam has named former telecom minister A Raja for procedural lapses. Former Department of Telecom secretary Sidhartha Behura has also been named in the report along with RK Chandolia, former personal secretary to Raja.

20. Which Indian multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Mumbai announced the acquisition of US-based Columbian Chemicals Company (CCC) recently, the world’s third-largest carbon black entity, for $875 million?
The Aditya Birla Group.

A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses together into one corporate structure, usually involving a parent company and several (or many) subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company. Conglomerates are often large and multinational.

21. Which teams won the men’s and women’s titles of the sixth edition of the United Phosphorous-sponsored Savio Cup basketball tournament held in Mumbai?
Indian Railways (Men)
Southern Railway (Women)
Shooting for Success, the team from USA, lost 79-91 to Indian Railway in the men’s final. Southern Railway beat Chhattisgarh in the Women’s final. (76-66)
22. One of Indonesia’s hottest pop stars who was given a 3 ½ jail sentence after his homemade sex tapes found their way in the internet and mobile phones?
Nazril Irham.
Nazril Irham is the lead singer of a popular band named ‘Peterpan’ and he is well-known to his fans by the pet name “Ariel”.
23. Five-time Oscar-winning composer who wrote the music for 12 James Bond movies, died recently in New York after a heart attack at the age of 77?
John Barry.

He won Oscars for his compositions for the movies “Born Free” (1966), “The Lion in the Winter” (1968), “Out of Africa” (1985) and “Dances with Wolves” (1990).
He won two Oscars for Born Free (1966), for best score and best song.

24. The Central Bureau of Investigation on February 2, 2011 arrested the former Union Communications and Information Technology Minister and two officers who had worked under him, for their role in the grant of licenses and allocation of 2G spectrum during 2008 in violation of established guidelines and procedures. Name of that minister?
A. Raja.

Mr. Raja, as well as Siddhartha Behura, former Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications, and R.K. Chandolia, who was Private Secretary to the Minister, were arrested by CBI.

25. One of the founders of Infosys Technologies who will take charge as the new CEO of Infosys some time in April, 2011 as part of a regular reshuffle of the top deck?
S.D. Shibulal.
Sibulal will replace the current CEO S Kris Gopalakrishnan.
26. Which Asian country has got 216.6 million US dollars from the International Monetary Fund for strengthening the economy and macro-economic management?
Sri Lanka
27. Who has been appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of India?
D K Mittal.
28. Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament -2011 will be held in?
New Delhi.
From December 1 to December 11.
29. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) recently has accused former Pakistan President of assassinating the country’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Who is that former president?
Pervez Musharraf.
30. Which state will host the 35th National Games of India?
Kerala, It will be held in 2012.
31. Which country surpassed Japan as the world’s second-largest economy last quarter, capping the nation’s three- decade rise from Communist isolation to emerging superpower?
China.

Japan’s economy was worth $5.474 trillion (£3.414 trillion) at the end of 2010. China’s economy was closer to $5.8 trillion in the same period. According to IMF (International Monetary Fund), World’s 10 biggest economies are USA, China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Brazil, Canada and Russia.

32. Who will be the second Judge in independent India to face impeachment for alleged misconduct in misappropriating Rs 42 lakh when he, as a lawyer, had been appointed a receiver by a court of law?
Judge Soumitra Sen, Calcutta High Court judge.

Former Supreme Court Judge Justice V Ramaswami was the first sitting Judge who was impeached. But the impeachment motion had failed in Lok Sabha on May 10, 1993 because of 205 abstentions by then ruling Congress and its allies as against 196 members who voted for impeachment.

33. Former Deputy Editor of Mathrubhumi daily, (a leading news paper of Kerala) who has been chosen for the first Swadeshabhimani-Kesari award instituted by the Kerala government?
T. Venugopal.

The award, instituted in memory of legends in Malayalam journalism Kesari Balakrishna Pillai and Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai, is to recognise outstanding contributions in political, cultural, developmental and journalistic fields.

34. Which country has suspended its annual Antarctic whale hunt following protests from an environmental group?
Japan.
35. Pakistani singer who was fined Rs.15 lakh by India’s Customs department for the restoration of undeclared foreign currency from them on the IGI airport in Delhi?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

He and his 16-member group were arrested for allegedly carrying $ 1.24 lakh (around RS 60 lakh) of black foreign currencies in New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport.

36. Who has been re-elected as Uganda’s president for a fourth consecutive five-year term, according to the results of the February 18 presidential election announced by the country’s election commission?
Yoweri Museveni.
37. Who were arrested by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs 107 crore deals inked with a Swiss timing firm on February 22, 2011?
Lalit Bhanot, Former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Secretary General
V. K. Verma, former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee director general.
38. Which country will set a price on carbon emissions (Tax on carbon emission) in 2012 in preparation for a trading program that could begin as early as 2015 aimed at curbing greenhouse gases?
Australia.
39. The creator and founder of Amar Chitra and Tinkle comics who passed away at the age of 81?
Anant Pai.

Pai launched the Amar Chitra Katha series of Indian comics in 1967 which was an instant hit. In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children’s anthology, which was started under Rang Rekha Features, India’s first comic and cartoon syndicate that lasted till 1998.

40. According to the Economic Survey which country has the fourth largest foreign exchange reserves?
India.
India had the fourth largest foreign exchange reserves at $297.3 billion at the end of December 2010.
41. First Coast Guard Academy of India would be set up at?
Azheekkal near Kannur in Kerala.
42. Tunisian prime minister who has resigned after renewed violent protests calling for him to step down?
Mohamed Ghannouchi.
43. A member of the Central Water Commission (CWC) who had been appointed as chairman of the coordination committee of the Supreme Court on technical matters in the Mullaperiyar case?
A.K Ganju.

However his inclusion in the committee was opposed by Kerala and hence he was removed from the committee. C D Thatte, will be the new chairman of the coordination committee of technical teams while former chief engineer of the CWC (Central Water Commission)D K Mehta will be the deputy chairman. M K Parameswaran, of the Mullaperiyar Cell, has been included in the coordination committee as Kerala’s representative.

44. The top secret recipe of one of the world’s most popular beverages, Coca Cola, has been revealed by a popular public radio program on February 11, 2011. Name of that program?
“This American Life”.

This American Life (TAL) is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by Chicago Public Radio and hosted by Ira Glass. For 125 years, Coke’s secret recipe has remained one of the most heavily guarded trade secrets in the world.
The drink was created by pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886.

45. List of FICCI Frames Awards 2011
- FICCI-Frames is an annual global convention on the business aspects of the entertainment and media industry. It was organised from March 23-25.

FICCI Frames Excellence International Honour - Jackman (‘X Men’ series)
Decade of Global Achievement Honour - Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan
Best Film of the year - Dabangg
Best Actor award – Shahrukh Khan (`My Name is Khan’)
Best Actress award – Vidya Balan ( Ishqiya )
Best Debutant Award (Male) – Ranveer Singh (Band Baaja Baarat)
Best Debutant (Female) - Sonakshi Sinha (Dabangg)
Best Debut Director trophy - Maneesh Sharma (Band Baaja Baarat)
Television
Best Actor Award (Male) for serial `Pavitra Rishta’ - Sushant Singh Rajput
Best Actor Award (Female) for `Uttaran’ - Rashmi Desai
Most successful non-fiction show of the year - Sony TV’s `Indian Idol 5′
Best General Entertainment Channel Award - Star Plus
Best Radio Channel Award - Radio Mirchi

46. Who has been  chosen as next censor board chief ?

- Leela Samson
47. Who has been appointed as head of Microsoft India ?

- Bhaskar Pramanik
48. How many tigers in India as per latest tiger census 2010 ?


-The Tiger population is estimated at 1706.
49.  Who has been appointed Australia’s New Cricket Captain of Test & ODI team after after embattled Ricky Ponting stepped down after the team’s unceremonious exit from the World Cup 2011 ?



- Michael Clarke

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