Battles And Wars In India

Battle of Hydaspes 326 B.C.—Alexander the Great, defeated Porus, the Paurava king. Impressed by the valour of Porus, ultimately Alexander returned his kingdom to him.

Battle of Kalinga 261 B.C.—Ashoka defeated the king of Kalinga. Ashoka embraced Buddhism and preached it during the rest of his life after this war.

First Battle of Tarain or Thaneswar A.D. 1191  Prithvi Raj Chauhan defeated Mohammed Ghori. Second Battle of Tarain A.D. 1192—Mohammed Ghori defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan. Ghori’s victory paved the way for the establishment of Muslim rule in India.

First Battle of Panipat 1526—Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi. This laid the foundation of the Mughal rule in India.

Battle of Khanwah 1527— Babar defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar. This battle resulted in the defeat of the powerful Rajput confederacy.

Second Battle of Panipat 1556—Bairam Khan (Akbar’s General) defeated Hemu (the Hindu General and right-hand man of Mohd. Adil Shah). It also ended the Afghan Rule and Mughal Rule began instead.

Battle of Talikota 1564- 65—United alliance between Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmednagar and Golkonda under Hussain Nizam Shah defeated Ram Raja of Vijayanagar. It destroyed the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar.

Battle of Haldighati 1576—Akbar’s forces headed by Raja Man Singh defeated Rana Pratap, the brave Rajput king. Though defeated, Rana Pratap refused to accept Mughal authority and carried on warfare till his death.

Battle of Plassey 1757— The English under Lord Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah.It brought Muslim Rule in Bengal to an end and laid foundations of the British Rule in India.

Battle of Wandiwash 1760—The English defeated the French. The battle sealed the fate of the French in India and paved the way for English rule in India.

Third Battle of Panipat 1761—Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated Marathas. It gave a terrible blow to the Maratha power. It made the field clear for the English.

Battle of Buxar 1764— Fought in 1764 between the forces of the English and the combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah (Nawab of Oudh) and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. The English victory at Buxar finally riveted the shackles of the Company’s rule upon Bengal.

First Mysore War (1767- 68)—In 1768, Haider Ali was defeated by the English relinquishing all his rights over Mysore in favour of the English.

Second Mysore War 1780— A grand alliance between Haider Ali, the Nizam and the Marathas was formed and Haider Ali. He defeated the English and took possession of Arcot and became the undisputed master of the Carnatic.

Third Mysore War 1790- 92—Fought between the English and Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan had to submit and was compelled to sign the Treaty of Seringapattam stripped him of half his territory.

Fourth Mysore War 1799— The British forces under Arthur Wellesley defeated Tipu Sultan, which brought the end of the Tipu Sultan. Maratha War 1803-05—It weakened the Maratha power. The English annexed Tanjore, Surat and Carnatic.

Fourth Maratha War 1817- 18—The British forces defeated Marathas and this campaign finally extinguished the Maratha Empire.

Battle of Cheelianwala 1849—Forces of the East India Company under Lord Hugh Gough defeated the Sikhs under Sher Singh.

Burmese War 1885—As a result of this War, the whole of Burma was occupied by the English and made a part of India.

Afghan War III 1919—As a result of this War, Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed by which Afghanistan was recognised as an independent State.

lndo-Pak War 1965—This was Pakistan’s second attack on India. While India had the upper hand, the fighting was brought to a stop by a call for ceasefire issued by the Security Council. Later on, Tashkent accord was signed between the two nations. lndo-

Pak War Dec 1971— Pakistan started the war attacking India on Dec 3. India defeated Pakistan on all fronts. Pakistani occupation forces, numbering about one lakh, in East Bengal (Bangladesh) surrendered. Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation.

Famous Cities and River Banks

City	Country	River
Adelaide	Australia	Torrens
Amsterdam	Netherlands	Amsel
Alexandria	Egypt	Nile
Ankara	Turkey	Kazil
Allahabad	India	At the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna
Agra	India	Yamuna
Ayodhya	India	Saryu
Ahmedabad	India	Sabarmati
Badrinath	India	Alaknanda
Bareilly	India	Ram Ganga
Bangkok	Thailand	Chao Praya
Basra	Iraq	Euphrates and Tigris
Baghdad	Iraq	Tigris
Berlin	Germany	Spree
Bonn	Germany	Rhine
Budapest	Hungary	Daunbe
Bristol	U. K.	Avon
Buenos Aires	Argentina	Laplata
Cuttack	India	Mahanadi
Curnool	India	Tungabhadra
Chittagong	Bangladesh	Majyani
Canton	China	Si-Kiang
Cairo	Egypt	Nile
Chung King	China	Yang-tse-King
Cologne	Germany	Rhine
Delhi	India	Yamuna
Dandzing	Germany	Vistula
Dresden	Germany	Elve
Dibrugarh	India	Brahmaputra
Dublin	Ireland	Liffy
Ferozpur	India	Satluj
Guwahati	India	Brahmaputra
Hardwar	India	Ganga
Hyderabad	India	Musi
Hamburg	Germany	Elve
Jabalpur	India	Narmada
Jamshedpur	India	Swarnarekha
Jaunpur	India	Gomti
Kabul	Afghanistan	Kabul
Karachi	Pakistan	Indus
Kanpur	India	Ganga
Kota	India	Chambal
Kolkata	India	Hooghly
Khartoum	Sudan	Confluence of Blue and white Nile
Lahore	Pakistan	Ravi
Leningrad	Russia	Neva
Lucknow	India	Gomti
Lisbon	Portugal	Tagus
Liverpool	England	Messey
Ludhiana	India	Satluj
London	England	Thames
Mathura	India	Yamuna
Moscow	Russia	Moskva
Montreal	Canada	St. Lawrence
Nanking	China	Yang-tse-Kiang
New Orleans	U.S.A.	Mississippi
Nasik	India	Godavari
New York	U.S.A.	Hudson
Ottawa	Canada	Ottawa
Patna	India	Ganga
Paris	France	Seine
Philadelphia	U.S.A.	Delaware
Perth	Australia	Swan
Panjim	India	Mandavi
Prague	Czech Republic	Vitava
Quebec	Canada	St. Lawrence
Rome	Italy	Tiber
Rotterdam	The Netherlands	New Mass
Stalingrad	Russia	Volga
Shanghai	China	Yang-tse-Kiang
Sidney	Australia	Darling
Srinagar	India	Jhelum
Surat	India	Tapti
Sambalpur	India	Mahanadi
Serirangapatam	India	Cauvery
Saint Luis	U.S.A.	Mississippi
Tiruchurapalli	India	Cauvery
Tokyo	Japan	Arakava
Ujjain	India	Kshipra
Vijayvada	India	Krishna
Varanasi	India	Ganga
Vienna	Australia	Danube
Warsaw	Poland	Vistula
Washington D.C.	U.S.A.	Potomac
Yangoon	Myanmar	Irrawaddy

GENERAL AWARENESS MCQs

1. Kabir Puraskar is awarded for:

a) Hindi literature b) Promotion of Communal harmony

c) For contribution in culture development  d) None of the above

2. India’s first food bank has been established at:

a) Mumbai         b) Chennai

c) New Delhi d) Kolkata

3. Which among these islands in a bone of contention between U.K. & Argentina?

a) Spratly Island b) Shetland Island

c) Falkland Island d) Turks & Caicos Island

4. In which State the newly inaugurated Dhamra Port is situated?

a) Andhra Pradesh b) Maharashtra

c) Orissa         d) Goa

5. Kerala has the highest sex ratio according to the latest figures released by Census for 2001-2011. What is the sex ratio for that State?

a) 1099 b) 1091

c) 1084 d) None of the above

6. Which of the following countries has recently donated 1 million US dollars for construction of a library in Nalanda International University (NIU) to highlight the art and architecture? The fund will help in strengthening the relations between the two countries.

a) Thailand b) South Korea

c) Japan d) China

7. The U.S. has launched “Climate and clean Air condition”- a global initiative to combat climate change. Which of the following is the only Asian country to be part of this initiative?

a) India         b) Myanmar

c) Bangladesh d) Philippines

8. Which of the following countries has started imposing 'fat tax'?

a) Netherland b) Sweden

c) Serbia         d) Denmark

9. Recently the Union Cabinet of India has approved the reconstruction and repair of houses for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons in which country?

a) Myanmar  b) Bangladesh

c) Afghanistan d) Sri Lanka

10. Name the new President of France:

a) Lucas Papademos b) Nicolas Sarkozy

c) George Kirtos         d) François Hollande

11. Which of the following Gulf country has granted Voting rights to woman recently?

(a) Bahrain (b) Saudi Arabia

(c) Yemen (d) Qatar

12. Recently Amazon has launched its new wet browser for its new kindle Tablet. The same of the browser is–
(a) SILK         (b) SWIFT
(c) CORONA (d) QUICK

13. The Tagore University for the Liberal Arts, is the first institution to be established under the Human Resource Development Ministry as a University for Innovation Programme. The said university will be set up at–
(a) Kolkata         (b) Pune
(c) Bangalore (d) Guwahati

14. Who among the following has been awarded with International Jurists Award-2012 for the support to the development of the legal fraternity in the world?
(a) Mulayam Singh Yadav (b) Ram Jethamalani

(c) G.E Vahanvati                 (d) Sharad Yadav

15. There is an ongoing judicial inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press following the News International phone hacking scandal. Who among the following is head of the judicial panel?

(a) Brian Henry Leveson (b) Duncan Larcombe

(c) Sir David Bell         (d) Shami Chakrabarti

16. Which of the Pacific islands moved from east to west of the international date line on December 29, thereby skipping December 30, in order to align their time zone better with their main trading partner?

a) Samoa & Tokelau b) Samoa & Kiribati

c) Kiribati & Comoros d) Comoros & Tuvalu

17. The Boko Haram, islamist militant group is engaged in conflict with the government of which of the following countries?

a) South Sudan b) Ethiopia 

c) Nigeria d) Sierra Leon

18. Which of the following is the longest train service in India?

a) Himsagar Express b) Vivek Express

c) Dibrugarh-Chennai Express d) Trivandrum Rajdhani

19. Russia has set up world's first international atomic fuel bank as part of a global effort to curb the spread of nuclear arms to nations like North Korea and Iran. It has been established at:

a) Moscow         b) Angarsk

c) Omsk d) Irkutsk

20. "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of cancer", won Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction. The author of the book is-

a) Paul Theroux b) Siddhartha Mukherjee

c) Zareer Masani         d) Arvinda Adiga

21. NTR National Literary Award 2012 has been won by:
a) S. L Bhyrappa               b)  K Sachidanandan
c) Ashokamitran                d) A Soma Sundaram

22. Andhra Pradesh has set up its first Biosphere Reserve recently. What is the name of that?
a) Simlipal                                       b) Seshachalam 
c) Kasu Brahmananda Reddy               d) Mahavir Harina Vanasthali 

23. What is LAHAT?
a) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle          b) Surface to surface missile
c) Torpedo                               d) Anti Tank Guided missile

24. 38th G-8 Summit held at:
a) Camp David, Maryland                 b) Chicago
c) L'Aquila,Abruzzo                         d) Huntsville, Ontario

25. Which one of the following is not the latest district set up in Uttar Pradesh?
a) Prabuddhanagar                 b) Panchsheel Nagar 
c) Bhimnagar                         d) Sant Ravidas Nagar

The top 10 causes of death

Low-income countries	Deaths in millions	% of deaths
Lower respiratory infections	1.05	11.3%
Diarrhoeal diseases	0.76	8.2%
HIV/AIDS	0.72	7.8%
Ischaemic heart disease	0.57	6.1%
Malaria	0.48	5.2%
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease	0.45	4.9%
Tuberculosis	0.40	4.3%
Prematurity and low birth weight	0.30	3.2%
Birth asphyxia and birth trauma	0.27	2.9%
Neonatal infections	0.24	2.6%

Middle-income countries	Deaths in millions	% of deaths
Ischaemic heart disease	5.27	13.7%
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease	4.91	12.8%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	2.79	7.2%
Lower respiratory infections	2.07	5.4%
Diarrhoeal diseases	1.68	4.4%
HIV/AIDS	1.03	2.7%
Road traffic accidents	0.94	2.4%
Tuberculosis	0.93	2.4%
Diabetes mellitus	0.87	2.3%
Hypertensive heart disease	0.83	2.2%

High-income countries	Deaths in millions	% of deaths
Ischaemic heart disease	1.42	15.6%
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease	0.79	8.7%
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers	0.54	5.9%
Alzheimer and other dementias	0.37	4.1%
Lower respiratory infections	0.35	3.8%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	0.32	3.5%
Colon and rectum cancers	0.30	3.3%
Diabetes mellitus	0.24	2.6%
Hypertensive heart disease	0.21	2.3%
Breast cancer	0.17	1.9%

World	Deaths in millions	% of deaths
Ischaemic heart disease	7.25	12.8%
Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease	6.15	10.8%
Lower respiratory infections	3.46	6.1%
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	3.28	5.8%
Diarrhoeal diseases	2.46	4.3%
HIV/AIDS	1.78	3.1%
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers	1.39	2.4%
Tuberculosis	1.34	2.4%
Diabetes mellitus	1.26	2.2%
Road traffic accidents	1.21	2.1%

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Match the locations of ports labelled as A, B, C and D in the given map with the names of those ports and select the correct answer using the codes given below the name of the ports:

Name of Ports:
1. Kakinada
2. Karwar
3. Mangalore
4; Tuticorin
5. Veraval
Code:
A B C D
(1) 4 2 3 5
(2) 5 2 4 1
(3) 1 3 4 2
(4) 5 3 2 1
Ans. (2)
2. Match List-I (Distinguished Ladies) with List-II (Position/Area of Work) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I                                                         List-II
(Distinguished Ladies) (Position/Area of Work)
A. Aruna Roy                           1. Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board
B. Poornima Advani                2. Chairperson, National Dairy Development Board
C. Amrita Patel                        3. Community Development
D. Mridula Sinha                     4. Chairperson, National Commission for Women
Code:
A B C D
(1) 3 4 2 1
(2) 2 1 3 4
(3) 3 1 2 4
(4) 2 4 3 1
Ans. (1)
3. The given map refers to the kingdom of:

(1) Akbar at the time of capture of Khandesh in 1601
(2) Akbar at the time of his death in 1605
(3) Aurangzeb at the time of capture of Hyderabad
(4) Aurangzeb at the time of his death In 1707
Ans. (1)
4. Match List-I (Vitamins) with List-II (Disease caused by their Deficiency) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the List:
List-I (Vitamins)                         List-II (Diseases their Deficiency)
A. Vitamin A                                             1. Night blindness
B. Vitamin B₁ 2. Scurvy
C. Vitamin C                                             3. Beriberi
D. Vitamin D                                             4. Rickets
Code:
A B C D
(1) 2 3 1 4
(2) 1 4 2 3
(3) 2 4 1 3
(4) 1 3 2 4
Ans. (4)
5. Reserve Bank of India is a:
(1) Commercial Bank
(2) Central Bank
(3) Co-operative Bank
(4) Lead Bank
Ans. (2)
6. Ozone layer in the upper atmosphere blocks —
(1) heat rays from the Sun
(2) ultraviolet rays from the Sun
(3) cosmic rays from the space
(4) infrared rays from the Sun
Ans. (2)
7. Paraffin is a by-product of:
(1) petroleum refining
(2) processing of agricultural wastes
(3) cottage industry involving bee-keeping.
(4) leather Industry
Ans. (1)
8. Select the correct sequence in the decreasing order of carbon content:
(1) Pig iron—Cast iron—Mild steel
(2) Mild steel—Pit iron—Cast
(3) Pig iron—Mild steel—Cast iron
(4) Mild steel—Cast iron—Pig iron
Ans. (1)
9 The term Mach Number is used in connection with the speed of —
(1) ships
(2) light
(3) sound
(4) aero planes
Ans. (4)
10. Mahe which is situated on the Malabar coast on the Western Ghats is apart of:
(1) Kerala
(2) Maharashtra
(3) Pondicherry
(4) Tamil Nadu
Ans. (3)
11. Which of the following help human body fight against infection?
(1) Enzymes
(2) White blood cells
(3) Red, blood cells
(4) None of these
Ans. (2)
12. The situation with Increasing unemployment and inflation is termed as —
(1) hyperinflation
(2) galloping inflation
(3) stagflation
(4) reflation
Ans. (2)
13 The basic attribute of a formal organization is
(1) Esteem and prestige
(2) Roles and duties
(3) Dominance and supremacy
(4) Rules and regulations
Ans. (4)
14. Match List-I (Person) with List-II (Area in which Distinguished) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I (Person)                          List-II (Area in which Distinguished)
A. Rajendera Shah                            1. Film industry
B. Naresh Trehan                             2. Computer industry
C. Azim Premji                                3. Automobile industry
D. Jagdish Khattar                           4. Medical science
5. Literature
Codes:
A B C D
(1) 2 3 1 4
(2) 5 4 2 3
(3) 2 4 1 3
(4) 5 3 2 4
Ans. (2)
Directions: The following eight (8) items consist of two statements: one labelled as the Assertion (A) and the other Reason (R). You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the answers to these items using the codes given below:
Code:
(1) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(2) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(3) A is true but R is false
(4) A is false but R is true
15. Assertion (A): If two bodies of equal weight—one cylindrical and another conical are floating in water, then their depths of immersion shall be equal.
Reason (R): Weight of the liquid displaced by a floating body is equal to weight of the body.
Ans. (4)
16. Assertion (A): If a domestic refrigerator with its door open is kept running in a room, then it shall be cooling the room like an air-conditioner does.
Reason (R): Energy can be converted from one form to another.
Ans. (4)
17. Assertion (A): If market rate of interest falls, then the prices shall rise.
Reason (R): Price rise is a result of increase in the demand.
Ans. (1)
18. Assertion (A): Alkalis are frequently used for cleaning utensils and clothes in households.
Reason (R): Alkalis readily dissolve in water.
Ans. (2)
19. Assertion (A): Equatorial Belt is a zone of calm.
Reason (R): There is almost no horizontal movement of air in the Equatorial Belt.
Ans. (1)
20. Assertion (A): In nature, compounds of carbon abound both in numbers and variety than those of any other known element.
Reason (R): Unlike other elements, carbon is an amphoteric element with ability, both for lending and for accepting electrons, while the metals are only lenders and non-metals are acceptors.
Ans. (1)
21. Assertion (A): Infants are given triple antigen injection.
Reason (R): It immunizes them against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio.
Ans. (2)
22. Assertion (A): When a ship moves from the sea water into freshwater of a river the ship will sink further.
Reason (R): The density of sea water is less than that of freshwater.
Ans. (3)
23. Which one of the following is not a Defense Public Sector Undertaking?
(1) Bharat Dynamics Limited
(2) Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited
(3) Bharat Earth Moves Limited
(4) Hindustan Shipyard Limited
Ans. (4)
24. Match List-I (Defense Training Institute) with List-II (Location) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I                                                                           List-II
(Defense Training Institute)                                                      (Location)
A. Army School of Physical Training                                1. Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow)
B. College of Defense Management                                   2. Secunderabad
C. Naval college of Engineering                                         3. Pune
D. Military College of Telecommunication Engineering   4. Lonavala
5. Dehradun
Code:
A B C D
(1) 3 1 4 2
(2) 5 2 3 1
(3) 3 2 4 1
(4) 5 1 3 2
Ans. (3)
25. In the decreasing order of the length of the rivers, the correct sequence is
(1) Brahmaputra—Ganga— Godavari—Narmada
(2) Ganga — Godavari — Brahmaputra—Narmada
(3) Brahmaputra—Narmada— Godavari—Ganga
(4) Ganga—Brahmaputra— Godavari – Narmada
Ans. (1)
26. The Tropic of Cancer passes through:
(1) India and Iran
(2) Iran and Pakistan
(3) India and Saudi Arabia
(4) Iran and Iraq
Ans. (3)
27. Consider the following statements:
1. The Constituent Assembly started functioning in December 1946
2. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
3. The Constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India on 26th November.1949
Which of these statements is/are correct?
(1) 1, 2, and 3
(2) 1 and 3
(3) 3 only
(4) l only
Ans. (2)
28. Which of the following Indian cricketers was/were never appointed as captain of the Indian test cricket team?
1. S. Venkatarhavan
2. K. Srikanth
3. Mohinder Amarnath
4. Syed Kirmani
Select the correct answer using$ the codes given below:
Code:
(1) 1 and 3
(2) 4 only
(3) 3 and 4
(4) 2 only
Ans. (4)
29. Consider the following statements:
1. The constitution (42nd Amendment) Act was enacted during the emergency.
2. The amendments under this Act restricted the jurisdiction of the supreme Court and the High Courts.
Which of these statements is/are correct’?
(1) l only
(2) 2 only
(3) Both land 2
(4) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (3)
30. Recommendations to the President on the specified Union -State fiscal relations are made by the -
(1) Finance Minister
(2) Reserve Bank of India
(3) Finance Commission
(4) Planning Commission
Ans. (3)
31. Which one of the following instruments is used in a submarine to get the view above the surface of water?
(1) Periscope
(2) Telescope
(3) Digital camera
(4) Kaleidoscope
Ans. (1)
32. Match List-I (National Park/ Sanctuary) with List-II (State) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I (National Park /Sanctuary)                              List-II (State)
A. Nandadevi National Park                                           1. Rajasthan
B. Keoladeo National Park                                             2. Assam
C. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary                                         3. Gujarat
D. Sasan Gir National Park                                            4. Mizoram
5. Uttaranchal
Code:
A B C D
(1) 2 3 4 1
(2) 5 1 2 3
(3) 2 1 4 3
(4) 5 3 2 1
Ans. (2)
33. Consider the following statements regarding the Chakiarkoothu form of dance:
1. It is performed by Chakiar caste.
2. It cannot be traditionally witnessed by the higher caster Hindus.
3. Mizhavu is the accompanying instrument.
4. Its theatre form is Called koothambalam.
Which of these statements are correct?
(1) 1, 2 and 4
(2) 1, 2 and 3
(3) 2, 3 and 4
(4) 1. 2 and 4
Ans. (2)
Directions : The following 10 (ten) items consist of two statements; one labelled as the ‘Assertion A’ and the other as ‘Reason R’. You are to examine these two statements carefully and decide if the Assertion ‘A’ and the Reason ‘R’ are individually true and if so, whether the Reason is a correct explanation of the Assertion. Select your answer to these items using the codes given:
Codes:
(1) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(2) Both A and R are true but R is hot a correct explanation of A
(3) A is’ true but R is false
(4) A is false but R is true
34. Assertion (A): In Australia, Cattle rearing is done more for meat than for milk.
Reason (R): Australians are traditionally non-vegetarians.
Ans. (2)
35. Assertion (A): In human beings. the females play a major role in determining the sex of the offspring.
Reason (R): Women have two ‘X’ chromosomes
Ans. (4)
36. Assertion (A): Large cold storage plants use ammonia as refrigerant while domestic refrigerators use Chloro-Fluoro -Carbons.
Reason (R): Ammonia can be liquefied at ambient temperatures at low pressures.
Ans. (2)
37. Assertion (A): The frequency of floods is North Indian plains has increased during the last couple of decades.
Reason (R): There has been reduction in the depth of river valleys due to deposition of silt.
Ans. (1)
38. Assertion (A): The rate of growth of India’s exports has shown an appreciable increase after 1991.
Reason (R): The Government of India has resorted to devaluation.
Ans. (3)
39. Assertion (A): Lord Linlithgow described the August Movement of 1942 as the most serious rebellion since Sopoy Mutiny.
Reason. (R): There was massive upsurge of the peasantry in certain areas.
Ans. (2)
40 Assertion (A): “D N A Finger Printing has become a powerful tool to establish paternity and identity of criminals in rape and assault cases.
Reason (R): Trace evidences such as hairs, saliva and dried semen are adequate for D.N.A. analysis.
Ans. (2)
41. Assertion (A): Punjab is an important exporter of rice.
Reason (R): This state leads in the production of rice.
Ans. (1)
42. Assertion (A): Kushinagar was the capital of Malla Republic.
Reason (R): Mahatma Buddha got Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar.
Ans. (2)
43. Assertion (A): Terrace cultivation In Garhwal is eco-friendly.
Reason (R): It ensures land and water conservation on the hill sides.
Ans. (1)
44. Match List-I (Industrial processes) with List-II (Industry with which associated) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I                                            List-II
A. Cracking                                     1. Rubber
B. Smelting                                      2. Petroleum
C. Hydrogenation                             3. Copper
D. Vulcanization                              4. Edible Fats
Codes:
A B C D
(1) 3 2 1 4
(2) 2 3 4 1
(3) 2 3 1 4
(4) 3 2 4 1
Ans. (2)
45. The Indian National Army (I.N.A) came into existence in 1943 in:
(1) Japan
(2) Then Burma
(3) Singapore
(4) Then Malaya
Ans. (3)
46. Which one among .the following has the largest shipyard in India?
(1) Kolkata
(2) Kochi
(3) Mumbai
(4) Visakhapatnam
Ans. (2)
47. At the time of partition of India, which one of the following provinces of British India came forward with a plan for United and Independent existence?
(1) Punjab
(2) Assam
(3) Bengal
(4) Bihar
Ans. (1)
48. What is Digital Safe?
(1) A new scheme launched by Punjab National Bank
(2) This is a safe suit by ‘Ozone Company’
(3) This is new spacecraft suit by NASA
(4) None of these
Ans. (2)
49. Expand ISLFTA:
(1) Indo Srilanka Free trade Agreement
(2) Indo Singapore Free Trade Agreement
(3) Indo Srilanka Free Tariff Agreement
(4) None of these
Ans. (1)
50. Who among the following are appointed by the President of India?
1. The Chairman of Finance Commission
2. The Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission
3. The Chief Minister of a Union Territory
Choose the answer from the codes given below:
(1) 1 only
(2) 1 and 2
(3) l and 3
(4) 1 and 3
Ans. (1)

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Indian Information Technology and IT enabled serives (ITES-BOP) continue to chart remarkable growth. The Indian software and services export is estimated at Rs. 103200 crore (US $23.4 billion) in 2005-06, as compared to Rs. 80180 crore (US$ 17.7 billion) in 2004-05, an increase of 32 per cent in dollar terms.

The ITES – BPO

 sector has become the biggest employment generator amongst young college graduates with the number of jobs almost doubling each year. The no. of professinals employed in India by IT and ITES sectors is estimated at 1287000 as of March 2006.

National Plan on e-governance

The national Common Minimum programme adopted by the government accords high priority to improving the quality of basic governance and in that contest has proposed to promote e-governance on a massive scale in areas of concern to the common. A national egovernance plan has accordingly been drawn up covering 25 mission mode projects and of support components to be implemented at the Central, State and Local Government Levels.

MAJOR INITIATIVES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

For realizing IT objectives, Data Connectivity and Services Delivering Access points need to be established all over the country, including the remotest areas. The Government is establishing State Wide Area Networks (SWANs) at a total outlay of Rs. 3,334 crore. These SWANs will extend data connectivity of 2 Mega bits per second upto the block level in State or Union Territory in the country. The block level nodes in turn, will have a provision to extend connectivity further to the village level using contemporary wireless technology. The government is also formulating a proposal to establish 100,000 common service centers that would extend the reach of electronic services, both government and private to the village level. Under the scheme, proposals from 26 states/UTs have already been sanctioned.

PC penetration- The department of Information technology has identified increase of PC penetration and internet utilization/coverage in the country; and growth of domestic software market as the thrust area for action during next 2-3 years. The department has set up six committees on low cost PC manufacturing; Education; e-Govenance, IT for Rural and Social sectors, Multilingual software Application and Contests; Internet penetration; and Telemedicine to prepare action plan in the respective sectors.

.IN Domain Name – In order to bring about a substantially increased proliferation of .IN Internet domain name, a new .IN Internet domain name policy was announced by the government in October 2004. It aims at adopting a liberal and market friendly approach to register large number of IN domain names. The policy has received wide acceptance country wide. The .IN inernet domain name registration has crossed 3,50,000 during December 2007.

Migration of IPV6 from Ipv4 : Internet protocol version 6 (Ipv6) is the next generation protocol of Internet to which migration is to take place from the currently used Internet Protocol version 4 (Ipv4). Ipv6 is essentially an upgrade to the data networking protocol that powers the internet. Keeping in view the global trends in Ipv6, the department of Information Technology took the initiative towards Ipv6 transition and National Roadmap for Ipv6 implementation.

Indian Language Technology – The benefits of information technology can reach the common man in India only when the digitised information is available in all Indian Languages. To enable wide proliferation of ICT in Indian languages, tools, products and resources should be freely available to the general public. The hindi software tools and fonts were released in June 2005.

OCEAN DEVELOPMENT

With the ratification of the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, a new international order has been established for the oceans. India is represented in almost all the important bodies on oceans. The oceanographic programmes have national, regional and global importance. The Department is the nodal agency for several international programmes in the ocean sector and represents the country in Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, Regional Committee of IOC in Coastal Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO), International Sea-Bed Authority (ISBA) and the State Parties of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) and its scientific and managerial organs - Commission on Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programme (COMNAP), Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), etc.
In a significant development the minstry of ocean development has been recently named as the ministry of Earth sciences. The Ministry of Earth Sciences is in charge of matters relating to Ocean Science and Technology, Meteorology, Seismology, Climate and Environmental Sciences and related Earth Sciences. 
The Department of Ocean Development was created in July 1981 to serve as a nodal Department for organising, coordinating and promoting ocean development activities in the country, in line with the Ocean Policy Statement. The programmes of the Department are directed towards : (1) Technology Development Programmes for future applications with strategic, industrial and economic significance; (2) Societal Programmes with direct/ indirect benefit for the community by technology applications and pilot project demonstration with the participation of the community for their socio-economic prosperity, and for coastal area development. (3) Marine Resources Programmes for exploration of marine living and non-living resources, techno- economic studies to evolve strategies for sustainable exploration and utilistion, and resource enhancement. (4) Multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary Polar Science Progammes and Antarctic Expeditions with scientific and geopolitical significance; (5) Capacity Building Programme towards self-reliance through basic scientific research in ocean sector, human resource development and establishing Centres of Excellence in academic institutions and (6) Creation of public awareness of ocean, its potential and uses. 
Marine Research and Capacity Building is one of the key programme areas of the Department to promote basic research in marine science and establish centres of excellence in academic institution and of self reliance.